Analyzing Rutgers' November opponents
After a long summer, the college basketball season is almost upon us. With November approaching, the Rutgers men's basketball team is poised to have a statement season. By coming out hungry, the Scarlet Knights have the chance to let the Big Ten know that they're not a joke.
Analyzing the schedule, Rutgers opens the 2019-2020 campaign facing the following schools: Bryant, Niagara, Drexel, St. Bonaventure, Stephen F. Austin, NJIT and UMass.
The Knights open up the season against the Bulldogs on Thursday, Nov. 7, at home. Between new recruits, returning players and a loud arena, Rutgers will be ready to use this home-court advantage versus Bryant.
The Bulldogs' record last season was 10-20 (7-11), but the thing that popped out the most was their record on the road. Last season, they were 2-14 when traveling to the opponent. A glaring weakness for a team the Knights will want to set the tone for the opening tip.
Next up, Rutgers will face the Purple Eagles on Sunday, Nov. 10 at home. Niagara's record from the following season was 13-19 (6-12). By looking at the roster, the Eagles have depth and many upperclassmen players. The Knights will look to slow down Niagara's James Towns, who racked up 110 assists last year.
After the Eagles, Rutgers will host the Dragons on Wednesday, Nov. 13. Last season, Drexel had a record of 13-19 (7-11). This team will be a familiar face to many of our returning players, since the Knights have faced the Dragons last November. That game resulted in a Rutgers blowout win (95-66).
Playing three straight home games, the Knights will take a trip for their first away game of the season. On Saturday, Nov. 16, Rutgers will be taking on the Bonnies in Ontario, Canada.
The Bona Wolves will be the first team the Knights will play with a 2018-2019 record more than .500. This seems like Rutgers' first difficult task, with the game also being in another country. The game will air on ESPN+ and will be a great opportunity to put the Knights on the map.
After the trip to Ontario, Rutgers will take on the Lumberjacks at home on Wednesday, Nov. 20. With a record of 14-16 (7-11), Stephen F. Austin averaged almost 15 turnovers per game last year. The Knights will look forward to using their long and athletic team to force a bunch of turnovers to help seal a win at home.
After six days rest, Rutgers will take on in-state rival, the Highlanders, at home. By far their most challenging team this month, NJIT had a record of 22-13 (8-8) last season.
The Knights will look to give returning Highlander 5-foot-9-inch Zach Cooks a grueling time at the Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC). He’s coming off a 17-points-per-game campaign from last season. Head coach Steve Pikiell and company face off against NJIT on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
To close out the month of November, the Knights will take on the Minutemen at home on Friday, Nov. 29. UMass’ record last season was 11-21 (4-14). Just like the Bulldogs, the Minutemen struggle on the road, only taking one win on the road last year (1-11). Rutgers will look to finish the month off on a strong note with conference play starting in December.
Looking at the November schedule, the Knights have an opportunity to be more than .500 going into a difficult December. With conference play starting that month, Rutgers must stay hungry facing weaker teams to set the tone for the underdog season ahead of it.
For updates on the Rutgers men's basketball team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.
