Saturday, December 17
Piscataway, N.J.
12 PM
Rutgers University
vs
Wake Forest
Men's Basketball to Host Wake Forest Saturday at Noon
Dec 14 | Men's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers men's basketball is back in action this Saturday, as the team will host Wake Forest at noon at Jersey Mike's Arena. The Scarlet Knights are 6-4 overall on the season (6-1 at home), and will host the Demon Deacons out of the ACC, who come in with an 8-3 record.
On The Air
The game will air on the Big Ten Network. Jason Horowitz and Len Elmore have the call. Fans can tune in on the radio dial on WCBS 880 AM with Chris Carlin and Austin Johnson on the call.
Quotable
"This is a good team and the same team that beat Indiana, who's a pretty good team," head coach Steve Pikiell said following the 45-43 loss to Seton Hall. "This is a team that has played really well all season long. We'll regroup and we'll get back to work and we'll improve on some of those things that we haven't done well."
About Rutgers
Rutgers enters the matchup at 6-4 on the season after 10 games. The Scarlet Knights will look to snap a two-game losing streak featuring a pair of losses that came on the final possession of the game. The Scarlet Knights also boast a win over No. 8/10 Indiana, with this Wake Forest contest finishing out a five-game stretch against high major programs (Miami, Indiana, Ohio State, Seton Hall, Wake Forest), with RU currently 1-3 in that span. Following the game against the Demon Deacons, RU will have just two games in the following 13 days, as they will have a spaced schedule around finals and the holiday break, hosting Bucknell (Dec. 23) and Coppin State (Dec. 30) in that time.
Rutgers Last Time Out
The Scarlet Knights fell just one basket short on Sunday night in the 73rd Garden State Hardwood Classic. Seton Hall defeated RU 45-43 in a hard-fought defensive game. Aundre Hyatt had a team-high nine points for RU, tying his career-high with three three-pointers. It marked just the first win for Seton Hall in the series coming at Piscataway since 2015.
Rutgers is currently fifth in the country in scoring defense allowing just 54.5 points-per-game. The Scarlet Knights are second in the country in three-point field goal percentage (22.8 percent). RU is eighth in the country in opponents field goal percentage (36.4 percent). Tied for 20th in the country with (10.0) steals-per-game. Cam Spencer is seventh in the country in steals-per-game (2.8). According to Ken Pom, Rutgers has the third most efficient defense in the country.
The Series
The teams have met once prior, during the 2015-16 season. The Demon Deacons came to Piscataway on November 30, 2015, as part of the Big Ten – ACC Challenge. Wake Forest came away with a 69-68 win in that game. Corey Sanders led RU with 17 points, while Greg Lewis had 11 points and nine rebounds. The contest marked the first home men's basketball game attended by current Athletic Director Pat Hobbs, who was hired the day prior, and was introduced to the crowd at a media timeout.
With A Win
A victory over Wake Forest would represent
The Demon Deacons sit at 8-3 following a one-point win Wednesday night over Appalachian State. Tyree Appleby leads both the team and the ACC at 19.1 points per game. Appleby previously faced RU on November 14, 2017 as a member of Cleveland State, when he scored six points in 24 minutes in a 70-38 Rutgers win. Wake Forest enters the game averaging 76.7 points per game. The team had a two-game losing streak to Clemson and LSU after winning at Wisconsin in the Big Ten - ACC Challenge, then followed with the win over Appalachian State.
On The Air
The game will air on the Big Ten Network. Jason Horowitz and Len Elmore have the call. Fans can tune in on the radio dial on WCBS 880 AM with Chris Carlin and Austin Johnson on the call.
Quotable
"This is a good team and the same team that beat Indiana, who's a pretty good team," head coach Steve Pikiell said following the 45-43 loss to Seton Hall. "This is a team that has played really well all season long. We'll regroup and we'll get back to work and we'll improve on some of those things that we haven't done well."
About Rutgers
Rutgers enters the matchup at 6-4 on the season after 10 games. The Scarlet Knights will look to snap a two-game losing streak featuring a pair of losses that came on the final possession of the game. The Scarlet Knights also boast a win over No. 8/10 Indiana, with this Wake Forest contest finishing out a five-game stretch against high major programs (Miami, Indiana, Ohio State, Seton Hall, Wake Forest), with RU currently 1-3 in that span. Following the game against the Demon Deacons, RU will have just two games in the following 13 days, as they will have a spaced schedule around finals and the holiday break, hosting Bucknell (Dec. 23) and Coppin State (Dec. 30) in that time.
Rutgers Last Time Out
The Scarlet Knights fell just one basket short on Sunday night in the 73rd Garden State Hardwood Classic. Seton Hall defeated RU 45-43 in a hard-fought defensive game. Aundre Hyatt had a team-high nine points for RU, tying his career-high with three three-pointers. It marked just the first win for Seton Hall in the series coming at Piscataway since 2015.
RU's Defensive DominanceBack to work and focused on Saturday's matchup. #TheKnighthood🛡⚔️ pic.twitter.com/gVzVh2XxDt
— Rutgers Men's Basketball 🏀 (@RutgersMBB) December 13, 2022
Rutgers is currently fifth in the country in scoring defense allowing just 54.5 points-per-game. The Scarlet Knights are second in the country in three-point field goal percentage (22.8 percent). RU is eighth in the country in opponents field goal percentage (36.4 percent). Tied for 20th in the country with (10.0) steals-per-game. Cam Spencer is seventh in the country in steals-per-game (2.8). According to Ken Pom, Rutgers has the third most efficient defense in the country.
The Series
The teams have met once prior, during the 2015-16 season. The Demon Deacons came to Piscataway on November 30, 2015, as part of the Big Ten – ACC Challenge. Wake Forest came away with a 69-68 win in that game. Corey Sanders led RU with 17 points, while Greg Lewis had 11 points and nine rebounds. The contest marked the first home men's basketball game attended by current Athletic Director Pat Hobbs, who was hired the day prior, and was introduced to the crowd at a media timeout.
With A Win
A victory over Wake Forest would represent
- A 7-1 home record this season
- A 21-4 home record over the past two seasons
- A 49-9 record at home over the past four seasons
- A 1-1 record in the all-time series against Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons sit at 8-3 following a one-point win Wednesday night over Appalachian State. Tyree Appleby leads both the team and the ACC at 19.1 points per game. Appleby previously faced RU on November 14, 2017 as a member of Cleveland State, when he scored six points in 24 minutes in a 70-38 Rutgers win. Wake Forest enters the game averaging 76.7 points per game. The team had a two-game losing streak to Clemson and LSU after winning at Wisconsin in the Big Ten - ACC Challenge, then followed with the win over Appalachian State.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballMen's Basketball Postgame Press Conference - Penn
Sunday, December 21
Steve Pikiell Podcast: Seton Hall Week, Fan Questions
Thursday, December 11
Men's Basketball Postgame Press Conference - Purdue
Wednesday, December 03
Rutgers Men's Basketball Postgame Press Conference - Notre Dame
Tuesday, November 25
