Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball

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Rutgers Scarlet Knights
2020–21 Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team
Rutgers Scarlet Knights logo.svg
UniversityRutgers University
First season1906–07[1]
All-time record1,260–1,223 (.507)
Head coachSteve Pikiell (5th season)
ConferenceBig Ten
LocationPiscataway, New Jersey
ArenaRutgers Athletic Center
(Capacity: 8,000)
NicknameScarlet Knights
ColorsScarlet[2]
 
Uniforms
Kit body thinsidesonwhite.png
Home jersey
Kit shorts blanksides2.png
Team colours
Home
Kit body thinblacksides.png
Away jersey
Kit shorts blacksides.png
Team colours
Away


NCAA Tournament Final Four
1976
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
1976
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen
1976, 1979
NCAA Tournament Round of 32
1975, 1976, 1979, 1983, 2021
NCAA Tournament Appearances
1975, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1989, 1991, 2021
Conference tournament champions
1975, 1976, 1979, 1989
Conference regular season champions
1943, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1991

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team represents Rutgers University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. Rutgers competes in the Big Ten Conference.

History[]

See also: List of Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball seasons

The Rutgers men's basketball team played in the Final Four in the 1976 NCAA Tournament and ended the 1976 season ranked fourth in the nation, after an 70–86 loss against the Michigan Wolverines in the semifinal round and a 92–106 loss to the UCLA Bruins in the tournament's third-place consolation game.[3] This was the last men's Division I tournament to date to feature two unbeaten teams, as both Indiana, who won that year's title, and Rutgers entered the tournament unbeaten. Rutgers went 31–0 during the regular season.

The Scarlet Knights also played in the championship game of the 2004 NIT Final, losing to the Michigan Wolverines 55–62.

The Scarlet Knights had a prolonged down period through the following decade, cycling through a number of coaches and routinely finishing at the bottom of the Big East standings. This period included a scandal in 2013 with then head coach Mike Rice Jr. being shown on video verbally and physically abusing players.[4] The scandal resulted in the firing of Coach Rice as well as the resignation of then Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti.

Rutgers basketball played their first season in the Big Ten conference in 2014–2015. Fortunes began to improve following the hiring of Head Coach Steve Pikiell in 2016. The 2019–20 Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team saw their win total improve from 14 to 20 and included multiple wins over ranked teams, as well as an 18-1 home record, one of the best in the country. Experts widely predicted Rutgers's inclusion in the 2020 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament which was subsequently cancelled before the field was announced. [5] Additionally, this season marked the first time since 1979 that Rutgers basketball was ranked in the top 25 teams.[6] The team officially broke the 30-year tournament drought in 2021, when they earned a 10-seed in the 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.[7]

Postseason[]

NCAA tournament results[]

The Scarlet Knights have appeared in the NCAA Tournament seven times. Their combined record is 6–8.

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1975 First Round Louisville L 78–91
1976 First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National 3rd Place Game		 Princeton
Connecticut
VMI
Michigan
UCLA		 W 54–53
W 93–79
W 91–75
L 70–86
L 92–106
1979 #6 Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #3 Georgetown
#10 St. John's		 W 64–58
L 65–67
1983 #9 First Round
Second Round		 #8 Southwest Louisiana
#1 St. John's		 W 60–53
L 55–66
1989 #13 First Round #4 Iowa L 73–87
1991 #9 First Round #8 Arizona State L 76–79
2021 #10 First Round
Second Round		 #7 Clemson
#2 Houston		 W 60–56
L 60–63

NIT results[]

The Scarlet Knights have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 14 times. Their combined record is 16–14.

Year Round Opponent Result
1967 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game		 Utah State
New Mexico
Southern Illinois
Marshall		 W 78–76
W 65–60
L 70–79
W 93–76
1969 First Round Tennessee L 51–67
1973 First Round Minnesota L 59–68
1974 First Round Utah L 89–102
1977 First Round St. Bonaventure L 77–79
1978 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game		 Army
Indiana State
Texas
Georgetown		 W 72–70
W 57–56
L 76–96
W 85–72
1982 First Round
Second Round		 Iona
Purdue		 W 55–51
L 65–98
1990 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		 Holy Cross
Fordham
Penn State		 W 87–78
W 81–74
L 55–58
1992 First Round
Second Round		 James Madison
Manhattan		 W 73–69
L 61–62
1999 First Round
Second Round		 Hofstra
Clemson		 W 58–45
L 68–78
2000 First Round Kent State L 62–73
2002 First Round Yale L 65–67
2004 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals		 Temple
West Virginia
Villanova
Iowa State
Michigan		 W 76–71
W 67–64
W 72–60
W 84–81
L 55–62
2006 Opening Round
First Round		 Penn State
Saint Joseph's		 W 76–71
L 62–71

Retired numbers[]

Three Rutgers players have had their numbers retired:[8]

No. Player Pos. Tenure
12
 Phil Sellers
SF
 1972–1976
14
 Bob Lloyd
G
 1964–1967
20
 James Bailey
PF
 1975–1979

Players in international competition[]

  • Steve Kaplan, American-Israeli basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League

References[]

  1. ^ Rutgers Men's Basketball History, 22 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Colors | Visual Identity System". Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  3. ^ 1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament Archived 2008-01-19 at the Wayback Machine at shrpsports.com, accessed 29 December 2006.
  4. ^ The Guardian, Rutgers' firing of coach Mike Rice exposes a toxic locker-room culture, 3 April 2013.
  5. ^ NCCA.com, [1].
  6. ^ ESPN, [2].
  7. ^ twitter.com, [3].
  8. ^ Rutgers Men’s Basketball Media Guide (PDF), 2020 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Men’s Basketball Media Guide”, Rutgers Sports Information Department, Pages 92–94.

External links[]

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