There actually has been no straightforward entry into Large Ten play for Rutgers.
On Tuesday, the Scarlet Knights opened their convention schedule at house in opposition to No. 1 Purdue and misplaced 81-65.
So what’s subsequent for Rutgers? A sport on Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor, Mich., in opposition to No. 3 Michigan (7-0, 0-0), which many really feel is one of the best staff within the nation in the meanwhile.
Welcome to convention play, certainly.
“It does not get any simpler on this league,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell mentioned. “Michigan is nearly as good as any staff within the nation. So that they’re up subsequent and so they’re a superb rebounding staff, too. So we acquired to determine that factor out.”
To Pikiell’s level, Rutgers (5-4, 0-1) was outrebounded 36-25 in opposition to Purdue. Performing higher on the boards shall be level of emphasis in opposition to a Michigan staff which may have one of the best frontcourt within the nation.
Multi-skilled 6-foot-9 wing participant Yaxel Lendeborg, 6-9 ahead Morez Johnson Jr. and 7-3 middle Aday Mara are potential first-round NBA draft picks.
Largely due to that trio, Michigan is averaging a 13.0 rebounding margin, tied for fifth-best within the nation. As compared, Rutgers has a 1.8 rebounding margin.
“We do extra rebounding drills than any staff within the nation,” Pikiell mentioned. “We discuss it. We ship them texts about it. We e-mail them about it. However we acquired to discover a approach to do it, or I’ve acquired to search out the suitable guys which can be prepared to, you already know, sacrifice.”
Pikiell is also making an attempt to determine rotations and continuity for a roster that has seven freshmen and three transfers.
This season, Rutgers has been led in scoring by sophomore Dylan Grant (15.3 ppg.) and junior Tariq Francis (12.1).
Michigan will return from a nine-day layoff after turning heads over a three-game stretch on the Gamers Period males’s championship in Las Vegas. Michigan scored almost 300 factors within the three video games in beating San Diego State 94-54, Auburn 102-72 and Gonzaga 101-61 by a mixed 110 factors.
Wolverines coach Dusty Might mentioned the mission now’s to maintain it going and keep grounded now that the remainder of the nation is on full alert.
“On Dec. 1, we’re ok to compete with anybody and everybody within the nation proper now,” Might mentioned. “On April 6 (date of nationwide championship sport), are we going to be ok to compete with anybody within the nation that evening? If we get stagnant, we’re not going to be in place to do what we need to do.”
Lendeborg leads Michigan in scoring at 16.0 factors per sport and averages 7.6 rebounds a contest, whereas Johnson is averaging 13.1 and 6.6, respectively.
–Area Degree Media
