Rutgers men’s basketball looks toward crucial week against No. 25 Ohio State, Seton Hall
The Rutgers men’s basketball team heads into a crucial week where it will take on Ohio State tomorrow and in-state rival Seton Hall on Sunday. The Scarlet Knights (6-2, 1-0) are coming off a dominant 63-48 victory over Indiana.
Rutgers beat the now-No. 14 Hoosiers (7-1, 0-1) thanks to gutsy performances from fifth-year guard Caleb McConnell and freshman guard Derek Simpson. McConnell ended the game with 16 points and 10 rebounds while Simpson scored 14 points and got two steals. The Knights were also the more physical team as they corralled in 14 more rebounds than Indiana.
Rutgers will face a tough task when it travels to Columbus, Ohio, to take on the No. 25 Buckeyes (6-2, 0-0). Ohio State has gotten off to a fast start this season with its only two losses being against two ranked opponents. The Buckeyes are shooting an efficient 48.3 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range.
Ohio State has been led by Brice Sensabaugh, who leads the team scoring 14.3 points per game (PPG) while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 46.9 percent from beyond the arc. Junior center Clifford Omoruyi will battle with Zed Key in the paint. Key is second on the team averaging 13.4 points per game, eight rebounds per game and has eight blocks for the season so far.
After taking on the Buckeyes, the Knights will travel back home to take on the Pirates (4-4, 0-0) in the Garden State Hardwood Classic. Under first-year head coach Shaheen Holloway, Seton Hall has gotten its season off to a slow start. The Pirates are 4-4 with two of their losses coming against Oklahoma and Sienna.
Seton Hall is currently committing 15.6 turnovers per game while only shooting 33.3 percent from three-point range and 67.7 percent from the free throw line.
The Pirates are led by Tyrese Samuel and Al-Amir Dawes. Samuel leads the team with 11.5 PPG and also leads the team with 6.1 rebounds per game (RPG). Dawes is averaging 11.3 PPG and is shooting 45 percent from three-point range. Dawes also has 15 assists for Seton Hall.
While Rutgers is undefeated at home, the team has yet to win outside of Jersey Mike’s Arena on Livingston campus. If the Knights are going to win both of these upcoming games, they are going to have to rely on their defense and scoring with Omoruyi in the paint.
Rutgers' defense is currently sixth in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency. Omoruyi is nearly averaging a double-double on the season. He is averaging 15.4 PPG and 9.8 RPG.
The game against Ohio State will tip off at 7 p.m. and will be broadcasted on ESPN2 and 88.7 WRSU-FM. The Knights' rivalry game against the Pirates will tip off at 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcasted on Fox Sports 1 and 88.7 WRSU-FM. If Rutgers manages to win both of these games, the program has the chance to insert itself into the conversation for being ranked as a top-25 team in college basketball.
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