Rutgers men's basketball faces pivotal clashes against Nebraska, No. 14 Illinois
The Rutgers men's basketball team will look to gain some ground in the Big Ten against Nebraska and Illinois this week. The Scarlet Knights (9-7, 1-4) have struggled this season, particularly in conference play, as they sit in last place in the Big Ten standings.
Ahead of this week's matchups against the Cornhuskers (13-4, 3-3) and the Fighting Illini (12-4, 3-2), here are some keys to victory that Rutgers will need to focus on.
Up first is Nebraska.
Do not let shooters get hot
The Cornhuskers come in as an extremely volatile shooting team. While they have made the most three-pointers in the Big Ten, they have also attempted the most three-pointers, and their three-point percentage is the sixth worst in the conference. This reliance on perimeter shooting is the reason for Nebraska's success or its downfall in any given game.
Just a week ago, the Cornhuskers knocked off then-No. 1 Purdue in an impressive 88-72 victory. In that game, they rained in three-pointers all night, as they buried 14 three-pointers in 23 attempts.
In its very next game, Nebraska faced off against Iowa and shot 4-26 from long range in a 94-76 loss.
An outlier Cornhuskers game was against Wisconsin, where the team shot a solid 12-26 from three but still lost 88-72. The difference in that game was that the Badgers (13-3, 5-0) shot 13-26 from deep while also controlling the other aspects of the game that Nebraska does not excel in.
The Knights must play tight perimeter defense while also doing their best to match the Cornhuskers’ three-point shooting.
Limit Keisei Tominaga
Keisei Tominaga's individual shooting and scoring ability go hand in hand with Nebraska's offensive play. Tominaga is the team's leading scorer at 14.5 points per game and shoots 36.6 percent from three. He is also the Cornhuskers’ energizer.
Tominaga is no stranger to torching Rutgers, as he marched into Jersey Mike's Arena on Livingston Campus last season and scored 22 points in a 10-point Nebraska victory.
Sophomore guard Derek Simpson and graduate student guard Austin Williams will likely start in the backcourt for the Knights and must lock in on Tominaga defensively.
Next up is No. 14 Illinois.
Rebounding
The matchup with the Fighting Illini will be the second of the season for Rutgers. Illinois dominated on the glass in the first bout, outrebounding the Knights 55-27 in the 76-58 win. Of the Fighting Illini's 55 rebounds, 19 were on the offensive end, leading to 14 second-chance points.
The rebounding discrepancy in this game was astounding and cannot happen again if Rutgers wants to knock off Illinois for the first time at the State Farm Center in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois.
The Knights will get a boost in the rebounding department this time around, as they were without senior forward Mawot Mag in the first matchup but will have him healthy this week, barring any injury leading up to the game. Senior center Clifford Omoruyi and senior forward Aundre Hyatt will also need to help on the boards.
It is worth noting that the Fighting Illini will be without Terrence Shannon Jr., who scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in their last matchup with Rutgers.
Play physical
Physicality will be key to victory in both games this week. The Knights thrive when they play physically and impose their will on the opposition. Rutgers did so in brief stints against Michigan State on Sunday, and that was when the Knights played their best.
The home game against the Cornhuskers will tip off at 7 p.m. on Wednesday while the road matchup with Illinois will be at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Both games will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network and 88.7 WRSU FM.
"We've got to play better and more connected basketball," head coach Steve Pikiell said after Rutgers' last loss.
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