No. 15 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (7-2, 3-2) at No. 23 Michigan State Spartans (7-3, 1-3) 2020-21 Schedule/Results Tuesday, January 5 | 9 p.m. (ET) Date Opponent .................. Time (p.m.)/TV Breslin Center | East Lansing, Mich. N25 Sacred Heart .......................... W, 86-63 TV: ESPN2 (Dave Fleming, play-by-play; Jay Bilas, analyst) N27 FDU (HG) ................................ W, 96-75 Radio: Rutgers Sports Properties Radio Network (WCTC 1450 AM/WOR 710 AM/Sirius 83/ XM N29 Hofstra (HG) ........................... W, 70-56 83, Jerry Recco & Joe Boylan); WRSU 88.7 FM (Chris Tsakonas and Brant Wolff) D8 Syracuse (ACCB1G) ................ W, 79-69 Series Record: Michigan State leads, 9-0 D14 at RV Maryland* ..................... W, 74-60 Last Meeting: No. 11/12 Michigan State 77, Rutgers 65 (Dec. 8, 2019) D20 13/13 Illinois* ......................... W, 91-88 D23 at 23/20 Ohio State* ............... L, 80-68 OPENING TIP: No. 15 Rutgers heads (2.44) and third in assists (5.22), while back on the rugged road of the Big Ten, Myles Johnson ranks fifth in the league D29 RV Purdue* ............................. W, 81-76 heading to East Lansing to take on No. in rebounding (8.67 rpg). Rutgers is the J2 10/11 Iowa* ............................ W, 77-75 23 Michigan State at the Breslin Center. only team with a player in the top-5 in J5 at 23 Michigan State* ....9 pm / ESPN2 The game has a primetime tipoff of 9 each of those categories. J9 RV Ohio State* ...............12 p.m. / BTN p.m. on ESPN2. Dave Fleming and Jay J12 at Penn State* ..................8 p.m. / BTN Bilas will be on the call. As a team, the Scarlet Knights rank in J15 8 Wisconsin* ......................7 p.m. / FS1 the top-25 nationally in blocks (13th, J24 at RV Indiana*......................TBD / BTN The team has a quick turnaround from 5.4), assist-turnover ratio (16th, 1.53) J28 23 Michigan State* ...............TBD / FS1 Saturday’s showdown against No. 10/11 and turnovers (24th, 10.9). Over the J31 at RV Northwestern* ...........TBD / BTN Iowa. The battle between top-15 teams past five games since conference play F4 16 Minnesota* ......................TBD / FS1 went down to the final possession, but started, RU has had no more than 10 F10 at 5 Iowa* ............................TBD / BTN Rutgers’ fell just short. In the back-and- turnovers. The team has combined that F13 RV Northwestern* ...............TBD / BTN forth game, RU got a balanced effort with strong shooting from distance, av- F18 at 10 Michigan* ...................TBD / BTN offensively, with each of its starters eraging 9.4 three-pointers per game in F21 Maryland* ............................TBD / BTN scoring at least 13 points. It was the that span. Rutgers’ 43.5 percent shoot- F24 RV Indiana* ..........................TBD / BTN first time in 11 years that all five Rutgers ing from behind the arc is the league’s starters scored in double-figures (last best in conference games, while the F28 at Nebraska* .......................TBD / BTN time previously was Jan. 30, 2010 vs. turnover margin of +2.8 in that span M6 at 16 Minnesota* ..................TBD / FS1 Notre Dame). Rutgers had 19 assists in also leads the league. Big Ten Tournament in Chicago the contest, the most ever in a Big Ten March 10-14 ............................................ TBD game, along with 11 steals, the second THE OPPONENT: No. 23 Michigan * - Big Ten Conference. All Times Eastern. most ever in a Big Ten game. State enters the contest at 7-3 overall. A 6-0 start in nonconference play that AP rank. HG - NJ Hoop Group Classic AC- The Scarlet Knights saw two players included wins at Duke and over Notre CB1G - ACC-Big Ten Challenge return from injuries in that contest to Dame put them as high as No. 4 in the aid the squad. Ron Harper Jr., who had nation. But that was followed by a 1-3 PRONUNCIATIONS missed the victory over Purdue earlier start to league play. in the week, returned to action against Mamadou Doucoure: MOM-uh-do the Hawkeyes. Harper Jr. has averaged The Spartans share the ball well, ranking do-CORE-ay 22.1 points per game, which places him sixth in the nation with 20.2 assists per Daniel Lobach: LOW-bach fourth in the conference. RU has not game. A balanced squad individually Mawot Mag: MUH-watt had a player average over 20 points per sees Aaron Henry lead in points per Montez Mathis: mahn-TEZ game since Quincy Douby in 2005-06 game (13.4) while Marquette transfer Paul Mulcahy: mull-KAY-he (who was sixth nationally at 25.4 ppg). Joey Hauser paces the team with 7.9 Cliff Omoruyi: Additionally, Caleb McConnell made his rebounds per game. oh-mo-ROO-yee season debut after recovering from a Dean Reiber: REE-burr back injury. McConnell has been a key THE SERIES: Tuesday marks the 10th Steve Pikiell: PIKE-uhl piece for Rutgers the past two seasons, meeting in the all-time series. Rutgers is averaging 6.0 points and 3.1 rebounds. looking for its first lifetime win. Michi- gan State is one of just two Big Ten Rated Rutgers Jacob Young (17) and Montez Mathis schools that Rutgers is yet to defeat (13) each continued double-digit scoring since joining the conference in 2014-15 Associated Press ....................................... 15 streaks with their performances against (along with Michigan). This will be the NCAA NET ................................................ 17 Iowa. Young has scored in double-digits sixth straight year RU is making the trip Ken Pomeroy ............................................. 19 in seven straight games and ranks ninth to East Lansing, as the squad has played in the league at 15.7 points per game. a road game at the Breslin Center in Mathis has scored in double-figures in every season that Steve Pikiell has been eight of nine games, including a career- at the helm. high outburst of 25 points on Tuesday against Purdue. He ranks 10th in the Big Athletic Communications Head Coach Steve Pikiell Men’s Basketball SID: Jordan Ozer Ten at 15.3 points per game. Cell Phone: 973-202-9728 Email: [email protected] With that trio, the Scarlet Knights are Overall Record (years) .........262-223 (16th) All interviews will be conducted virtually via the only team to boast three of the top Rutgers Record (years) ..............71-67 (5th) Webex, please reach out for connection info. 10 scorers in the Big Ten. Jacob Young Record vs. Michigan St (RU/overall) 0-5/0-5 also ranks first in the league in steals 0 GEO BAKER 1 OSKAR PALMQUIST 2 DANIEL LOBACH 3 MAWOT MAG 4 PAUL MULCAHY 5 CLIFF OMORUYI Sr. • 6-4 • 195 • G Fr. • 6-8 • 220 • F Fr. • 6-7 • 210 • F Fr. • 6-7 • 215 • F So. • 6-6 • 210 • G Fr. • 6-11 • 240 • C Derry, N.H. Kinna, Sweden Durham, N.C. Melbourne, Australia Bayonne, N.J. Benin City, Nigeria 10 MONTEZ MATHIS 11 MAMADOU DOUCOURE 15 MYLES JOHNSON 21 DEAN REIBER 22 CALEB MCCONNELL 23 NICK BROOKS Jr. • 6-4 • 210 • G Jr. • 6-9 • 250 • F Jr. • 6-11 • 255 • C Fr. • 6-10 • 225 • F Jr. • 6-7 • 195 • G Sr. • 6-1 • 185 • G Baltimore, Md. Bamako, Mali Long Beach, Calif. Greensboro, N.C. Jacksonville, Fla. Somerset, N.J. 24 RON HARPER JR. 25 AIDEN TERRY 42 JACOB YOUNG 55 LUKE NATHAN STEVE PIKIELL KARL HOBBS Jr. • 6-6 • 245 • G/F Fr.. • 5-11 • 150 • G Sr. • 6-2 • 185 • G Jr. • 6-11 • 245 • F/C Head Coach Associate Head Coach Franklin Lakes, N.J. Mt. Washington, Ky. Houston, Texas Randolph, N.J. BRANDIN KNIGHT STEVE HAYN GREG VETRONE DAVID VANDYKE BEN ASHER MIKE LARKIN Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Dir. Player Devel. Asst. AD-Strength & Cond. Director of Ops/Recruiting Special Assistant No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown/Previous School (s) 0 Geo Baker G 6-4 195 Sr. Derry, N.H./Proctor Academy 1 Oskar Palmquist F 6-8 220 Fr. Kinna, Sweden / Central Pointe Christian Academy (Fla.) 2 Daniel Lobach F 6-7 210 Fr. Durham, N.C. / Moravian Prep 3 Mawot Mag F 6-7 215 Fr. Juba, South Sudan / Prolific Prep (Calif.) 4 Paul Mulcahy G 6-6 210 So. Bayonne, N.J./Gill St. Bernard’s 5 Cliff Omoruyi C 6-11 240 Fr. Benin City, Nigeria / Roselle Catholic 10 Montez Mathis G 6-4 210 Jr. Baltimore, Md. /The John Carroll School 11 Mamadou Doucoure F 6-9 250 Jr. Bamako, Mali/Our Savior New American School (N.Y.) 15 Myles Johnson C 6-11 255 Jr. Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach (Calif.) Polytechnic T.J. THOMPSON RICHARD CAMPBELL 21 Dean Reiber F 6-10 225 Fr. Greensboro, N.C. / Northwest Guilford High School Director of Basketball Admin Athletic Trainer 22 Caleb McConnell G 6-7 195 Jr. Jacksonville, Fla./SPIRE Academy (Ohio) 23 Nick Brooks G 6-1 185 Sr. Franklin Park, N.J./Vermont Academy/W.Va. Wesleyan 24 Ron Harper, Jr. G/F 6-6 245 Jr. Franklin Lakes, N.J./Don Bosco Prep 25 Aiden Terry G 5-11 150 Fr. Mt. Washington, Ky. / Aspire Academy / Bullitt Central 42 Jacob Young G 6-2 185 Sr. Houston, Texas/Yates HS/Texas 55 Luke Nathan F/C 6-11 235 Jr. Randolph, N.J./Randolph HS Head Coach: Steve Pikiell (UConn ’90). Associate Head Coach: Karl Hobbs (UConn ‘84). Assistant Coaches: Brandin Knight (Pittsburgh ‘05 ) and Steve Hayn (Stony Brook ’91) Staff: Dir. of Player Devel. Greg Vetrone (LIU-CW Post ’86); Asst. AD/Strength & Cond. David VanDyke (Penn State ’98); Director of Basketball Operations and Recruiting Ben Asher (West Virginia ’13); Special Assistant to the Head Coach Mike Larkin (Albright ‘09); Director of Basket- ball Administration T.J.