Tuesday, February 24
Piscataway, N.J.
6:30 PM
Rutgers University
vs
Washington
Men’s Basketball Hosts Washington in Penultimate Home Game
Feb 22 | Men's Basketball
Tueday Night Game COmes at Jersey Mike's Arena at 6;30 PM on BTN
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers men's basketball returns home from two games away from Jersey Mike's Arena for the penultimate home game of the season. The Scarlet Knights host Washington at 6:30 pm on Big Ten Network, with Jason Horowitz and Steve Smith on the call.
Rutgers saw its two-game winning streak snapped last time out, with a trip out to "The Barn", falling to Minnesota by an 80-61 final at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. Prior to that, RU had followed up a 68-57 home win over Maryland with the team's first true road win of the season, 85-72 at Penn State.
The game against Washington starts a four-game stretch to the finish line of the regular season for RU, who play Washington and Penn State at home and Maryland and Michigan State on the road. Rutgers stands at 5-12 in league play, currently tied for 14th place. RU will play 13th place Washington (5-11) as well as 14th place Maryland (4-12) and 18th place Penn State in that stretch. The conclusion will determine Big Ten Tournament seeding. This year's Big Ten Tournament will feature all 18 teams. The first day of Big Ten Tournament action on Tuesday will feature teams seeded 15-18, with teams seeded 14th and higher getting a bye from the first day of games. RU would have to rise to the No. 8 seed or higher to not play its first game until Thursday.
Freshman guard Lino Mark has scored in double-digits in three of the past four games. After entering the contest in the California native's home state at UCLA averaging 3.3 points per game, Mark has put up 10, 12 and 16 in three of the past four. His 16 points at Minnesota came at 6-of-7 shooting, setting season-highs in points, field goals made, three-pointers (three) and assists (three).
Tariq Francis is 120-of-134 on free throws this year (89.6%). He can break into the top-20 on RU's single season free throws made list with six more makes from the stripe. Only two Scarlet Knights since 1991 have made at least 126 free throws in a season: Quincy Douby (2005-06, 149) and Dylan Harper (2024-25, 126). His current percentage would stand as the fourth best in a single season at RU and best since 1996. Geoff Billet was the most recent Scarlet Knight to shoot 90% from the free throw line in a year, one of just three all-time.
Washington enters the game at 13-14 overall and 5-11 in Big Ten games. A top-50 KenPom team under second year head coach Danny Sprinkle, who led the Huskies to a 13-18 mark last year after a 28-7 record at Utah State the year prior, UW is 1-4 in its last five and 3-8 in the past 11, with wins over Minnesota, Northwestern and Oregon in that span.
As a team Washington ranks fourth in the Big ten in blocks (4.3) and offensive rebounds (11.74) and fifth in rebounding margin and rebounds per game (36.78). Franck Kepnang is third in the Big Ten with 56 rejections.
Hannes Steinbach, a top-10 finalist for the Kareem-Abdul Jabbar Award for the nation's top center, leads the team in points (17.8) and rebounds (10.9). He is fifth nationally and first in the Big Ten in rebounds, and seventh nationally on the offensive glass. He has 16 double-doubles, most in the Big Ten and fourth nationally, while shooting 55.9 percent from the field, fifth in the Big Ten. Sophomore Zoom Diallo, a former McDonald's All-American, is at 14.9 points per game and 4.4 assists per game, top-20 in the Big Ten in both categories. Wesley Yates is at 13.1 points per game. Yates was at fellow West Coast Big Ten school USC, averaging 14.1 ppg, including 23 and 24 points against RU.
Rutgers transfer Lathan Sommerville has seen action in 16 games for the Huskies this year (one start). He averages 3.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game after posting 8.2 points and 4.1 rebounds in 20.9 minutes per game at RU as a freshman last season.
Last season, the two teams, met up at Alaska Airlines Arena for the first time, heading to overtime where RU came away with an 89-85 win on the West Coast. Dylan Harper led the way in that game with 34 points, with Zoom Diallo leading UW with 20. This will be the second meeting between the two schools.
Rutgers hosts Maryland on Sunday, March 1 at 12 pm on FS1. That is the final home game of the regular season, followed by two contests at Michigan State and Penn State.
| About Rutgers |
Rutgers saw its two-game winning streak snapped last time out, with a trip out to "The Barn", falling to Minnesota by an 80-61 final at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. Prior to that, RU had followed up a 68-57 home win over Maryland with the team's first true road win of the season, 85-72 at Penn State.
The game against Washington starts a four-game stretch to the finish line of the regular season for RU, who play Washington and Penn State at home and Maryland and Michigan State on the road. Rutgers stands at 5-12 in league play, currently tied for 14th place. RU will play 13th place Washington (5-11) as well as 14th place Maryland (4-12) and 18th place Penn State in that stretch. The conclusion will determine Big Ten Tournament seeding. This year's Big Ten Tournament will feature all 18 teams. The first day of Big Ten Tournament action on Tuesday will feature teams seeded 15-18, with teams seeded 14th and higher getting a bye from the first day of games. RU would have to rise to the No. 8 seed or higher to not play its first game until Thursday.
Freshman guard Lino Mark has scored in double-digits in three of the past four games. After entering the contest in the California native's home state at UCLA averaging 3.3 points per game, Mark has put up 10, 12 and 16 in three of the past four. His 16 points at Minnesota came at 6-of-7 shooting, setting season-highs in points, field goals made, three-pointers (three) and assists (three).
Tariq Francis is 120-of-134 on free throws this year (89.6%). He can break into the top-20 on RU's single season free throws made list with six more makes from the stripe. Only two Scarlet Knights since 1991 have made at least 126 free throws in a season: Quincy Douby (2005-06, 149) and Dylan Harper (2024-25, 126). His current percentage would stand as the fourth best in a single season at RU and best since 1996. Geoff Billet was the most recent Scarlet Knight to shoot 90% from the free throw line in a year, one of just three all-time.
| About Washington |
Washington enters the game at 13-14 overall and 5-11 in Big Ten games. A top-50 KenPom team under second year head coach Danny Sprinkle, who led the Huskies to a 13-18 mark last year after a 28-7 record at Utah State the year prior, UW is 1-4 in its last five and 3-8 in the past 11, with wins over Minnesota, Northwestern and Oregon in that span.
As a team Washington ranks fourth in the Big ten in blocks (4.3) and offensive rebounds (11.74) and fifth in rebounding margin and rebounds per game (36.78). Franck Kepnang is third in the Big Ten with 56 rejections.
Hannes Steinbach, a top-10 finalist for the Kareem-Abdul Jabbar Award for the nation's top center, leads the team in points (17.8) and rebounds (10.9). He is fifth nationally and first in the Big Ten in rebounds, and seventh nationally on the offensive glass. He has 16 double-doubles, most in the Big Ten and fourth nationally, while shooting 55.9 percent from the field, fifth in the Big Ten. Sophomore Zoom Diallo, a former McDonald's All-American, is at 14.9 points per game and 4.4 assists per game, top-20 in the Big Ten in both categories. Wesley Yates is at 13.1 points per game. Yates was at fellow West Coast Big Ten school USC, averaging 14.1 ppg, including 23 and 24 points against RU.
Rutgers transfer Lathan Sommerville has seen action in 16 games for the Huskies this year (one start). He averages 3.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game after posting 8.2 points and 4.1 rebounds in 20.9 minutes per game at RU as a freshman last season.
| About the Series |
Last season, the two teams, met up at Alaska Airlines Arena for the first time, heading to overtime where RU came away with an 89-85 win on the West Coast. Dylan Harper led the way in that game with 34 points, with Zoom Diallo leading UW with 20. This will be the second meeting between the two schools.
| Up Next |
Rutgers hosts Maryland on Sunday, March 1 at 12 pm on FS1. That is the final home game of the regular season, followed by two contests at Michigan State and Penn State.
Players Mentioned
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