Reeling Rutgers men's basketball looks to snap 3-game losing skid against Michigan, Nebraska
As quickly as the Rutgers men's basketball team rose in recent weeks, it has fallen as the Scarlet Knights (14-13, 6-10) have now lost three straight games following their previous four-game win streak. Rutgers will have two chances to bounce back this week with a home game against Michigan on Thursday and a road test against Nebraska on Sunday.
The Wolverines (8-20, 3-14) come into Thursday's contest at Jersey Mike's Arena on Livingston campus as the lowest team in the Big Ten, sitting in 14th place. In what has been a disastrous season, Michigan has lost its last five games and 10 of its last 12.
While the Knights have had some bright spots throughout the season, they do not boast much better of a situation than the Wolverines as the former hold a three-game losing streak of their own.
On February 3, when the two matched up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Rutgers walked away with a 69-59 victory. Heading into that game, the Knights had just been embarrassed at home against Penn State in a 61-46 loss. Now, Rutgers is taking on Michigan coming off another disappointing home loss, this time a 63-46 defeat against Maryland.
The Knights showed resilience being able to bounce back from such a poor home loss and beat the Wolverines the first time they battled. Rutgers will look to do the same on Thursday.
Next up for the Knights will be a trip to the Value City Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, to take on the Cornhuskers (20-8, 10-7). Nebraska is another team that Rutgers has already beaten this season, as the Knights won 87-82 in a thrilling overtime game back in January. Things may be different in the second matchup, though, as Rutgers has gone 4-6 since that game, while the Cornhuskers have posted an impressive 7-3 record in that span.
Nebraska has been a surprise team in the Big Ten, sitting at No. 5 in the standings and being just 1 of 3 teams in the conference to already reach 20 wins. This is a vast improvement for the Cornhuskers, who finished 12th in the conference last season.
While the Knights should be expected to win their home game against Michigan, Nebraska on the road will be a major test as the Cornhuskers are 17-1 at home this season and 9-0 in home conference games.
Rutgers' NCAA Tournament hopes have been thrashed after its three-game losing skid. The focus for head coach Steve Pikiell should now be to build momentum with some of his players who will be returning next year, such as freshmen guards Gavin Griffiths and Jamichael Davis and redshirt junior guard Jeremiah Williams.
Griffiths has seen an uptick in minutes in the last two games, playing 25 minutes and 22 minutes, respectively, as opposed to just a combined 15 minutes in the two games prior. While it may not evident in the stat sheet, Griffiths has looked more comfortable in his last two outings, which is a welcomed sight for the young player who has struggled to find his way this season.
Look for Griffiths to get more extended runs moving forward as the season comes to a close.
With just three games remaining in the regular season, the Knights are in 12th place in the conference and have some work to do to turn around their momentum ahead of the Big Ten Tournament.
The matchup between Rutgers and the Wolverines will tip off at 8:30 p.m. and be broadcast on Fox Sports 1. The Knights and Nebraska will face off at 6:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network. Both games can be heard at 88.7 WRSU-FM.
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