No. 24 Rutgers men's basketball to close out 4-game homestand against Merrimack
The Rutgers men's basketball team will finish its early season homestand on Wednesday against Merrimack. The Scarlet Knights (3-0, 0-0) have had some explosive offensive performances but will look to tighten up defensively against the Warriors (1-2, 0-0).
Freshman forward Ace Bailey will play his second career game after making his long-awaited debut for No. 24 Rutgers on Friday. Bailey looked the part, scoring 17 points on 5 for 10 shooting. Freshman guard Dylan Harper has starred in his first three games, scoring at least 20 points in all three. The freshmen duo will continue to star against Merrimack.
Junior guard Jordan Derkack will square off against his former team, as he won the Northeast Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year last season with the Warriors. Facing off against many former teammates and coaches, Wednesday night will be a big one for Derkack.
The Knights' offensive stardom will need to shine, as Merrimack is known for its stout defense. The Warriors currently boast a top-30 scoring defense in the country, allowing approximately 60 points per game.
Derkack may play a major role in dissecting the defense, as he has experience within the system. He previously revealed that the team utilizes a zone defense.
"I went to Merrimack, where we played this awesome zone that (Merrimack head coach Joe Gallo) taught," Derkack said.
While the defense has been strong, Merrimack's offense has been lacking, scoring just 54.7 points per game. This could present a get-right opportunity for the Rutgers defense that allowed 81 points in its last game.
The perimeter defense must improve, as the Knights allowed 13 threes to Monmouth, with a whopping 10 of them coming from just a single player in Abdi Bashir Jr., who dropped 38 points on the night. Rutgers also allowed a 22-point performance to Saint Peter's guard Marcus Randolph in the game prior.
With this in mind, the Knights must have all hands on deck in defending Adam "Budd" Clark. The guard leads the Warriors in scoring at 20.7 points per game. Clark is just 1 for 5 from three on the year, though, so Rutgers' defensive focuses will likely differ from how they did against previous opponents' top guards. Matt Becht is Merrimack's top long-range shooter, nailing three three-pointers apiece in 2 of the team's 3 games so far.
Wednesday's game will tip off at 8 p.m. and be broadcast on Peacock and 88.7 WRSU FM. It is the Knights' last home game before heading to Georgia to take on Kennesaw State.
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