Michigan-Rutgers Preview: A Close Look At The Scarlet Knights

Michigan Wolverines basketball (16-9, 7-7 Big Ten) will take on Rutgers (16-8, 9-6 Big Ten) tonight at the Rutgers Athletic Center, where the Scarlet Knights are undefeated on the season. U-M has never lost in the venue, and the Wolverines are 12-0 all-time against Rutgers.

The last meeting between the two teams was Feb. 1 at Madison Square Garden, a game in which the Wolverines won, 69-63. U-M is winners of three-straight and five out of six games, while the Scarlet Knights have dipped a bit of late, having lost three out of five. However, Rutgers is coming off a big win over Illinois last week to bounce back.

For more insight on the Scarlet Knights, we did a Q&A with Richard Schnyderite of The Knight Report.

The Basics

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 19

Time: 7:00 PM ET

Venue: Rutgers Athletic Center (Piscataway, NJ.)

TV: Big Ten Network

Spread: Rutgers -2.5

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vs. Bryant (W, 73-71)

vs. Niagra (W, 86-39)

vs. Drexel (W, 62-57)

vs. St. Bonaventure (L, 80-74)

vs. Stephen F. Austin (W, 69-57)

vs. NJIT (W, 85-58)

vs. UMass (W, 82-57)

at Pittsburgh (L, 71-60)

at Michigan State (L, 77-65)

vs. Wisconsin (W, 72-65)

vs. Seton Hall (W, 68-48)

vs. Lafayette (W, 63-44)

vs. Caldwell (W, 94-49)

at Nebraska (W, 79-62)

vs. Penn State (W, 72-61)

at Illinois (L, 54-51)

vs. Indiana (W, 59-50)

vs. Minnesota (W, 64-56)

at Iowa (L, 85-80)

vs. Nebraska (W, 75-72)

vs. Purdue (W, 70-63)

vs. Michigan (L, 69-63)

at Maryland (L, 56-51)

vs. Northwestern (W, 77-73 in OT)

at Ohio State (L, 72-66)

vs. Illinois (W, 72-57)

#23 - Sophomore guard Montez Mathis (6-4, 205) — He averages 7.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, while shooting 38.2 percent from the field and 28.3 percent from three.

#0 - Junior guard Geo Baker (6-4, 185) — Baker was inserted back in the starting lineup in the team's last game, after coming off the bench for several weeks following a thumb injury. He averages 10.2 points, 3.6 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game. He shoots 38.5 percent from the field and 27.6 percent from three.

#24 - Sophomore guard / forward Ron Harper Jr. (6-6, 245) — He leads the Scarlet Knights in scoring, with 11.8 points per game. Also adds 5.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. He shoots 44.8 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from three.

#1 - Senior forward Akwasi Yeboah (6-6, 230) — He averages 10.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from long range.

#13 - Senior forward Shaq Carter (6-9, 250) — Carter averages 3.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. He shoots 57.1 percent from the field.

Off The Bench

#22 - Sophomore guard Caleb McConnell (6-7, 190) — He averages more 7.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, while shooting 41.8 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from three.

#15 - Sophomore center Myles Johnson (6-11, 255) — Johnson averages 8.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game, while shooting 62.1 percent from the field.

#42 - Junior guard Jacob Young (6-2, 185) — Young averages 8.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in 20.6 minutes. He shoots 40.8 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from three.

#4 - Freshman guard Paul Mulachy (6-6, 205) — He averages 4.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, while shooting 56.8 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from deep.

#3 - Senior guard Zavier Simpson (6-0, 190) — Simpson averages 12.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He leads the country in assists per game, with 8.2. He shoots 47.1 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from three.

#55 - Junior guard Eli Brooks (6-1, 185) — Brooks averages 11.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He shoots 41.3 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from three.

#21 - Freshman guard Franz Wagner (6-9, 205) — He averages 10.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. Wagner shoots 41.2 percent from the field and 29.4 percent on three-pointers.

#2 - Junior forward Isaiah Livers (6-9, 235) — Livers leads U-M in scoring, at 13.3 points per game. He also adds 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest, while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 45.9 percent from three.

#15 - Senior center Jon Teske (7-1, 265) — Teske averages 12.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest. He shoots 48.8 percent from the field and 25.5 percent from three.

Off The Bench

#0 - Sophomore guard David DeJulius (6-0, 190) — He averages 7.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 21.2 minutes. He shoots 41.4 percent from the field and 36.2 percent on three-pointers.

#23 - Sophomore forward Brandon Johns (6-8, 235) — Johns averages 6.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. He shoots 50.0 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from three.

#51 - Redshirt junior forward Austin Davis (6-10, 250) — Davis averages 5.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in 10.2 minutes. He shoots 71.9 percent from the field.

#11 - Sophomore forward Colin Castleton (6-11, 235) — Castleton averages 3.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in 8.3 minutes, while shooting 54.2 percent from the field.

#5 - Sophomore guard Adrien Nunez (6-6, 210) — Nunez averages 2.2 points per game in 8.2 minutes per contest. He is shooting 26.8 percent from long range.

Both Baker and Simpson are playing really good basketball right now. The two may not guard each other the entire game, but whichever one outplays the other may just win his team the game.

Simpson is fresh off of a 12-point and 11-assist gem of a game against Indiana, and Baker is averaging 16.7 points in his last three games, including 25 points against Northwestern to lead a comeback overtime victory.

Kenpom has predicted Rutgers to protect home court and beat Michigan, and gives the Scarlet Knights a 56 percent chance to win.

Q: Rutgers is 2-3 in its last five. How is this team different than when Michigan and Rutgers played at Madison Square Garden?

RS: That UM game was a tough loss for the team, but it was the Maryland game right after was just as tough. Honestly not a ton has changed, but if I had to pick anything that changed I would say it is the play of Geo Baker. After going a combined 1-of-13 against UM and UMD, the coaching staff basically told Baker that they need him to step it up if they want to win anything this year. Since that message, Baker is 18-of-35, scoring in double figures in each of the past three games. He’s just playing smarter with the ball and taking better shots overall now, not to mention he’s been pretty clutch down the stretch of games.

Q: How would you describe the environment at the RAC, and why has it been so tough for road teams to win there this year, other than the fact that Rutgers is a good team?

RS: This is one of those cases, where it’s not about what’s on the outside, but rather what’s on the inside. At times it can be one of the loudest places to play in the country. While most tend to attribute that to the structure of the building, I tend to think that people from this area of the country (NY/NJ) are just louder than normal. It’s actually been so loud that a lot of opposing B1G coaches have told the media in postgame pressers that they’ve had trouble communicating with players during games.

Q: Why do you think Rutgers had so much success on the offensive glass in the last meeting? Are they just that good of an offensive rebounding team?

RS: Two words - Steve Pikiell. Every since he arrived at Rutgers, his teams have always been good at two things - defense and rebounding and this year’s team has stayed true to that. In the three and a half years that Pikiell has been at Rutgers so far, his teams have finished 4th (2016), 9th (2017), 56th (2018) and currently sit at 34th in the nation this season for offensive rebounds. He’s also had Stony Brook top 10 in this category too. Honestly it’s just a matter of the way he coaches and teaches his guys. He might not be recruiting at the level of the Michigan’s and Ohio State’s of the world, but rather he recruits guys that he feel can fit into his system.

Q: Finish this sentence — Rutgers wins this game if...

RS: If they can stop Michigan’s big men. Last time the two teams met the Scarlet Knights had a hard time stopping just about all of the Wolverines bigs, giving up a combined 43 points to Brandon Johns Jr (20), Jon Teske (14) and Austin Davis (9). Rutgers biggest weakness is their lack of depth in the front court and Michigan exposed the heck out of it in the MSG game. If Rutgers can just keep Myles Johnson out of foul trouble and maybe get some productive minutes out of an undersized Shaq Carter, they have a real good shot of winning this game.

Q: What is your final score prediction and why?

RS: Rutgers wins 72-67. Although Michigan might be one of the hottest teams in the country, coming to the RAC and winning is no easy task. Last time the two teams met, Rutgers had one of the worst shooting performances ever and two of their top two scorers (Baker and Harper) went 2-of-19. Add in a crazy home crowd inside the RAC and Rutgers takes this one by 5 or more points.

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