What was a foregone conclusion that Rutgers basketball would make the NCAA Tournament is now suddenly a bit unsteady. A Thursday night loss to Michigan at Jersey Mike’s Arena means that Rutgers is in a tailspin.
And by virtue of this dip in their play, a very important metric for measuring their postseason outlook has also taken a hit.
On Sunday, Rutgers sat at No. 28 in the NET Rankings following a gutsy 58-57 win at Wisconsin. With Thursday’s loss to Michigan, Rutgers took another step or two back in the rankings.
The Scarlet Knights are now at No. 37 in the NET Rankings, a worrisome dip in form. Rutgers has lost four of their last five games. All five of those games took place since Mawot Mag suffered a season-ending knee injury during a win over Michigan State at Madison Square Garden.
The NET Rankings are influential for not just NCAA Tournament seeding but also inclusion in the tournament.
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The good news for Rutgers is that their final three games of the season, beginning with Sunday at Penn State, are all manageable and winnable. Then again, the same thing could be said about Thursday’s game against Michigan, a game where the Scarlet Knights were the favorites.
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