Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball

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Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Basketball current event.svg 2023–24 Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team
Rutgers Scarlet Knights logo.svg
University Rutgers University
First season1906–07 [1]
All-time record1,298–1,263 (.507)
Head coach Steve Pikiell (8th season)
Conference Big Ten
Location Piscataway, New Jersey
Arena Jersey Mike's Arena
(Capacity: 8,000)
NicknameScarlet Knights
ColorsScarlet [2]
 
Uniforms
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Home
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Away


NCAA tournament Final Four
1976
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
1976
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
1976, 1979
NCAA tournament round of 32
1975, 1976, 1979, 1983, 2021
NCAA tournament appearances
1975, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1989, 1991, 2021, 2022
Conference tournament champions
1975, 1976, 1979, 1989
Conference regular season champions
1943, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1991

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team represents Rutgers University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition and competes in the Big Ten Conference. Rutgers made the NCAA Final Four in 1976. Rutgers has appeared in the NCAA tournament eight times, most recently appearing in 2022. Rutgers has produced many NBA players, most notably Roy Hinson, John Battle, and James Bailey.

Contents

History

The Rutgers men's basketball team played in the Final Four in the 1976 NCAA tournament and ended the 1976 season ranked fourth in the nation, after a 70–86 loss against the Michigan Wolverines in the semifinal round and a 92–106 loss to the UCLA Bruins in the tournament's third-place consolation game. [3] This was the last men's Division I tournament to date to feature two unbeaten teams, as both Indiana, who won that year's title, and Rutgers entered the tournament unbeaten. Rutgers went 31–0 during the regular season.

The Scarlet Knights also played in the championship game of the 2004 NIT Final, losing to the Michigan Wolverines 55–62.

The Scarlet Knights had a prolonged down period through the following decade, cycling through a number of coaches and routinely finishing at the bottom of the Big East standings. This period included a scandal in 2013 with then head coach Mike Rice Jr. being shown on video verbally and physically abusing players. [4] The scandal resulted in the firing of Coach Rice as well as the resignation of then Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti.

Rutgers basketball played their first season in the Big Ten conference in 2014–2015. Fortunes began to improve following the hiring of Head Coach Steve Pikiell in 2016. The 2019–20 Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team saw their win total improve from 14 to 20 and included multiple wins over ranked teams, as well as an 18–1 home record, one of the best in the country. Experts widely predicted Rutgers's inclusion in the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament which was subsequently cancelled before the field was announced. [5] Additionally, this season marked the first time since 1979 that Rutgers basketball was ranked in the top 25 teams. [6] The team officially broke the 30-year tournament drought in 2021, when they earned a 10-seed in the 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. [7] Another dry spell was ended when they beat Clemson in the first round, their first tournament win since 1983. The Scarlet Knights, led by guards Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr., bowed out after a close loss to eventual Final Four participants Houston in the second round. Currently through Steve Pikiell’s 2022–23 season, the teams leaders revolve around senior point guard Paul Mulcahy, junior center Cliff Omoruyi, and last years Big Ten all defensive winner, super senior guard Caleb McConnell.

Postseason

NCAA tournament results

The Scarlet Knights have appeared in the NCAA tournament eight times. Their combined record is 6–9.

YearSeedRoundOpponentResult
1975 First RoundLouisvilleL 78–91
1976 First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National 3rd Place Game
Princeton
Connecticut
VMI
Michigan
UCLA
W 54–53
W 93–79
W 91–75
L 70–86
L 92–106
1979 #6Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
#3 Georgetown
#10 St. John's
W 64–58
L 65–67
1983 #9First Round
Second Round
#8 Southwest Louisiana
#1 St. John's
W 60–53
L 55–66
1989 #13First Round#4 IowaL 73–87
1991 #9First Round#8 Arizona StateL 76–79
2021 #10First Round
Second Round
#7 Clemson
#2 Houston
W 60–56
L 60–63
2022 #11First Four#11 Notre DameL 87–89 2OT

NIT results

The Scarlet Knights have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 15 times. Their combined record is 16–15.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1967 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game
Utah State
New Mexico
Southern Illinois
Marshall
W 78–76
W 65–60
L 70–79
W 93–76
1969 First RoundTennesseeL 51–67
1973 First RoundMinnesotaL 59–68
1974 First RoundUtahL 89–102
1977 First RoundSt. BonaventureL 77–79
1978 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game
Army
Indiana State
Texas
Georgetown
W 72–70
W 57–56
L 76–96
W 85–72
1982 First Round
Second Round
Iona
Purdue
W 55–51
L 65–98
1990 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Holy Cross
Fordham
Penn State
W 87–78
W 81–74
L 55–58
1992 First Round
Second Round
James Madison
Manhattan
W 73–69
L 61–62
1999 First Round
Second Round
Hofstra
Clemson
W 58–45
L 68–78
2000 First RoundKent StateL 62–73
2002 First RoundYaleL 65–67
2004 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
Temple
West Virginia
Villanova
Iowa State
Michigan
W 76–71
W 67–64
W 72–60
W 84–81
L 55–62
2006 Opening Round
First Round
Penn State
Saint Joseph's
W 76–71
L 62–71
2023 First RoundHofstraL 86-88OT

Retired numbers

Three Rutgers players have had their numbers retired: [8]

No.PlayerPos.Tenure
12
Phil Sellers
SF
1972–1976
14
Bob Lloyd
G
1964–1967
20
James Bailey
PF
1975–1979

Scarlet Knights in the NBA

23 Rutgers alumni have been selected in the NBA draft.

15 Rutgers alumni have played at least one game in the NBA, including:

Players in international competition

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The 2022–23 Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team represented Rutgers University–New Brunswick during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Scarlet Knights were led by seventh-year head coach Steve Pikiell and played their home games at Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, New Jersey as members of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 18–13, 10–10 in Big Ten play, to finish a tie for ninth place. As the No. 9 seed in the Big Ten tournament, they defeated Michigan in the quarterfinals before losing to Purdue in the quarterfinals. The Knights received an invitation to the NIT tournament as a No. 1 seed. There, they were upset in the first round by Hofstra.

References

  1. Rutgers Men's Basketball History, 22 December 2020.
  2. "Colors | Visual Identity System" . Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  3. 1976 NCAA Division I basketball tournament Archived 2008-01-19 at the Wayback Machine at shrpsports.com, accessed 29 December 2006.
  4. The Guardian, Rutgers' firing of coach Mike Rice exposes a toxic locker-room culture, 3 April 2013.
  5. NCCA.com, .
  6. ESPN, .
  7. twitter.com, .
  8. Rutgers Men’s Basketball Media Guide (PDF), 2020 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Men’s Basketball Media Guide”, Rutgers Sports Information Department, Pages 92–94.