Rutgers men's basketball travels to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament
The Rutgers men’s basketball team will start the Big Ten Tournament tomorrow at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Scarlet Knights (18-12, 12-8) enter the tournament as the 4-seed, their highest seed ever since joining the Big Ten in 2014.
Last time out, Rutgers narrowly defeated Penn State 59-58 on Senior Day. The game came down to a final Nittany Lions (13-16, 7-13) shot from Sam Sessoms, which was missed due in part to the defense of senior guard Geo Baker.
“I’m very thankful for the environment today, obviously this is the best league in the country. It’s not even close in my opinion,” said head coach Steve Pikiell after the game. “Every game is like this … this league has been awesome.”
Several players have earned honors this week as the Big Ten announced its individual awards and all-conference teams on Tuesday.
Senior guard Ron Harper Jr. was a member of the All-Big Ten second team, while Baker was named all-conference third team. Harper is the first Knight to be named to an All-Big Ten second team or higher.
Sophomore center Clifford Omoruyi, junior guard Paul Mulcahy and senior guard Caleb McConnell were all honorable mentions as selected by the media, meaning Rutgers’ entire starting five was recognized on an all-conference team.
Last but not least, McConnell took home Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. The Jacksonville, Florida, native is the first Knight to take home the award since Hamady N'Diaye in 2009-10. He is also the first player in program history to win an individual Big Ten award.
“The epitome of unbreakable … proud of you brother, you spoke it into existence,” Harper said in a tweet congratulating McConnell.
With earning the fourth seed, Rutgers has earned a double-bye. The teams the Knights could possibly play tomorrow include 12-seeded Northwestern and 5-seeded Iowa.
Against those opponents this season, Rutgers is 3-0, with two wins over the Cornhuskers (10-22, 4-16), one win over the No. 24 Hawkeyes (22-9, 12-8).
Looking at Iowa, the more probable opponent for the Knights tomorrow, Rutgers defeated the Hawkeyes 48-46 on Jan. 19 in its only matchup of the season. Harper led the team in scoring with 15 points and iced the game at the free throw line in the final seconds.
Iowa is led by first-team All-Big Ten selection Keegan Murray, who is the Big Ten’s scoring leader at 23.3 points per game (PPG).
As for the Wildcats (15-15, 7-13), the program has won two games in a row, including its first-round game over Nebraska. Pete Nance leads in scoring with 14.7 PPG while Boo Buie averages 14.1 PPG.
When it comes to the Knights’ NCAA Tournament hopes, the consensus from experts is that the Knights are in the tournament. A deep run in Indianapolis this weekend can all but guarantee a spot in the Big Dance, which begins next week.
Rutgers will know its opponent after the second game today, which is at approximately 2 p.m. The Knights will take the floor tomorrow at approximately 2 p.m., and the game will be broadcasted on the Big Ten Network and 88.7 WRSU-FM.
For updates on the Rutgers men's basketball team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.
