My top 5 games from Rutgers men's basketball's 2022-2023 season
After a promising start to the season, the 2022-2023 Rutgers men’s basketball season ended in disappointment after missing out on the NCAA Tournament and losing in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament to Hofstra.
Despite the disappointing ending, the Scarlet Knights (19-15, 10-10) played plenty of exciting games and had many close calls, as 10 games were decided by 5 points or less. In a season full of memorable ups and downs, let us focus on the positives and look at the five best games from the Rutgers men’s basketball season.
My ranking criteria included but were not limited to historical significance, upset victories and the entertainment value of the games themselves.
Honorable Mention: March 9 vs. Michigan
Before I get into the top five, I want to mention this game because it may get forgotten and overshadowed due to the Knights not making the NCAA Tournament. At the time, though, many thought this win was a potential season-saving victory for the team.
Rutgers entered the Big Ten Tournament floundering. The Knights were 2-6 in their last eight games and looked lost on both offense and defense. A loss would have certainly led to their exclusion from the NCAA Tournament.
Rutgers faced Michigan in the second round, a team it had only beaten once before in 16 tries.
Needing a spark, head coach Steve Pikiell inserted freshman guard Derek Simpson into the starting lineup. The move worked as the Knights used a strong second half to power past the Wolverines (18-16, 11-9), winning by a score of 62-50.
Simpson was the catalyst on offense, driving into the lane, conducting the offense and scoring 13 points. On defense, Rutgers looked revitalized, holding Michigan to no field goals in a 14-minute span at one point in the second half.
The game seemed to shake off the Knights' month-long slump and at the time, many thought the victory meant Rutgers would be in the NCAA Tournament.
While the Knights would end up not hearing their name called for the NCAA Tournament, their strong showing in the Big Ten Tournament should be remembered.
No. 5: January 11 at Northwestern
Rutgers' 65-62 road victory over Northwestern got more impressive as the season went along. The Wildcats (22-12, 12-8) ended the season in second place in the Big Ten. At the time of the game, though, both teams were still fighting for a position at the top of the Big Ten standings.
The game was also one of senior guard Cam Spencer’s best games in a Knights uniform. Spencer continued to show off his prowess on the road, scoring 23 points, shooting 6-7 from beyond the arc and hitting the game-winning three-point shot with 15 seconds remaining. It might not have been his biggest road game-winning shot, but it was clearly also at the top of the list.
The game itself was also very exciting, with both teams trading baskets back and forth throughout the game.
No. 4: December 3 vs. then-No. 10 Indiana
This was Rutgers' first statement win of the season. Facing a then-undefeated Indiana squad that was coming off of its own statement win over North Carolina, the Knights' then-five-game win streak over the Hoosiers (23-12, 12-8) was seemingly in jeopardy.
In the game itself, Rutgers put on a defensive clinic against Indiana. The Knights held the Hoosiers to just 24 points in either half, and Trayce Jackson-Davis was only able to score 13 points.
In the second half, Simpson had his first big moment in a Rutgers uniform, as he scored 10 straight points in the second half to seal the 63-48 victory for the Knights. Simpson ended the game with 14 second-half points.
This was debatably the most raucous crowd at Jersey Mike’s Arena on Livingston campus as the arena was loud from tip-off to the final whistle. The energy was clearly seen on the court as Rutgers flew around on the defensive end. In the final minute of the game, Indiana fans and players were greeted with chants of "Hoosier Daddy" thundering down from the rafters.
No. 3: January 15 vs. Ohio State
This was 1 of 2 Knights games that went into overtime this season. The game was close throughout, as neither Rutgers nor Ohio State led by more than two possessions in the second half. In another nail-biter, this was most likely the second loudest Jersey Mike’s Arena got this season.
The Knights were able to get the 68-64 victory in overtime thanks in part to junior forward Mawot Mag, who guarded all five positions in the game, scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Mag also hit the crucial three-point shot in overtime to put Rutgers up by 4 points with 38 seconds left.
This game also served as revenge for the Knights, who lost to the Buckeyes (16-19, 5-15) in their first meeting of the season due to a missed call on the final play.
The game then was immediately overshadowed by the commitment of five-star forward Airious "Ace" Bailey after the game. Bailey is the highest-ranked recruit Rutgers has ever gotten to date.
No. 2: February 26 at Penn State
For most teams, a 19-point come-from-behind victory over an arch-rival would take first place for best game of the season, but it will have to settle for second place this season. This game took place in the middle of the Knights' February slump and stands as a shining moment for Rutgers.
The Knights were down to Penn State by a score of 42-23 with more than 17 minutes to play, and Rutgers looked dead in the water. In the final 17 minutes, though, the Knights surged back and got the 59-56 victory, which was their largest comeback since 1996.
Once again, Rutgers rode the hot hand of Simpson, who scored a then-career-high 16 points. On defense, the Knights held the Nittany Lions (23-14, 10-10) to just 14 points in the final 17 minutes. Fifth-year senior guard Caleb McConnell was particularly impressive on the defensive side of the ball, holding Jalen Pickett to 0 points in the second half.
A historic come-from-behind victory like this one had to be included in the top five, showcasing the road grittiness that Rutgers' displayed.
No. 1: January 2 at then-No. 1 Purdue
Not only is this the Knights' most impressive win all season, but it has an argument to be Rutgers' most impressive win of all time.
Last year the Knights got their first-ever victory over a ranked No. 1 opponent. Rutgers got the win over then-No. 1 Purdue at Jersey Mike’s Arena on Livingston campus thanks to a halfcourt buzzer-beating shot from Ron Harper Jr.
This year, the Knights defeated the then-No. 1 Boilermakers (29-6, 15-5) again on another last-second shot, this time from Spencer.
It was Rutgers' first-ever road victory over a No. 1 ranked team and only its second win over a No. 1 ranked team in the team's history. Even more impressive is the fact that the Knights got the win at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana, a notoriously hard arena to play in.
To add to the impressive feat, Purdue was undefeated before it fell to Rutgers.
This was another game that was tight from tip-off to the final whistle.
Senior guard Paul Mulcahy was instrumental in the win, scoring a team-high 16 points, grabbing a team-high eight rebounds and dishing out a team-high six assists.
It was Mulcahy who assisted Spencer’s game-winning three-point shot with 14 seconds left in the game.
Two defensive stops later and it was the Knights players who were sprinting to the locker room in joy, in the halls of Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana.
The win is, without a doubt, Rutgers' greatest road win, but it should also be in consideration for the program’s greatest win of all time.
For more updates on the Rutgers men's basketball team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.
