Rutgers men's basketball returns home to take on Penn State in crucial get-right game
Tuesday will mark 20 days since Rutgers men's basketball has played at Jersey Mike's Arena on Livingston campus, and boy, has the season outlook changed in that time. The Scarlet Knights (5-4, 0-1) won just one game across the 20 days, and tomorrow's game against Penn State eerily feels like a must-win.
Rutgers showed well in Las Vegas against Notre Dame, Alabama and Texas A&M, despite winning just one game. But the Knights followed that up by not playing their best in Saturday's contest against Ohio State, getting thumped 80-66. Rutgers' defensive issues persisted, and the offense could not quite keep up with what the defense gave up. Freshman guard Dylan Harper racked up 20 points, but freshman forward Ace Bailey and redshirt senior guard Jeremiah Williams combined for just 14.
With the way the defense has performed to start the season and the lack of progress being seen, it's looking like the Knights may need to go full force on the offensive side to keep up with teams.
Graduate student forward and center Zach Martini and fifth-year wing PJ Hayes IV have played limited minutes recently, mainly because they are a bit weaker on the defensive end. If head coach Steve Pikiell does decide it's time to lean on Rutgers' offensive strengths, look for Martini and Hayes to get some more time on the floor. This applies to graduate student guard Tyson Acuff as well.
The identity of a Pikiell-led team is typically defense, but that doesn't seem to be the case this year with the makeup of the roster. Tuesday's matchup with the Nittany Lions (8-1, 1-0) will give more insight into whether Pikiell tries to lean more offensively or keep defense as the Knights' top focus like in years past.
Penn State is currently receiving votes in the AP Poll coming off its big-time 81-70 win over then-No. 8 Purdue. The Nittany Lions boast a strong, balanced offensive attack, with six players averaging at least 9.7 points per game (PPG). Ace Baldwin Jr. leads the way with 15.1 PPG, with Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Zach Hicks just behind him averaging approximately 13 apiece.
While Baldwin is Penn State's star, Konan Niederhauser and Hicks each present major threats to Rutgers.
The Knights have struggled down low and do not quite have a legitimate rim protector — Konan Niederhauser boasts a 7-foot, 250-pound frame and could pose serious issues for Rutgers in the paint.
As for Hicks, he is an impressive 26 for 53 from three-point range. The Knights' three-point defense and perimeter rotations have struggled, so they will need to key in on Hicks. On top of being crisp rotationally, Rutgers must limit offensive rebounds as breakdowns on the glass can leave shooters like Hicks wide open on the arc.
The impatience seems to be growing for Knights fans as the team continues to struggle. Tuesday's game presents a major challenge and opportunity. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and be broadcast on Peacock.
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