Tag: Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Three Rutgers players Badger fans need to know

Wisconsin faces the Rutgers in Piscataway on Wednesday evening. Badger fans should be sure to know these three opposing players.

Wisconsin (5-4) will look to reverse its miserable fortunes away from the Kohl Center so far this season when it takes on Rutgers (6-3) in Piscataway on Wednesday evening.

The Badgers were able to snag a win by the skin of their teeth in last year’s matchup between these programs in Madison, taking down the Scarlet Knights 69-64 after trailing by five at halftime.

Wisconsin is coming off of a much-needed blowout victory over Indiana at home last weekend to snap a three-game losing streak, while Rutgers has lost two straight. Most recently, the Scarlet Knights dropped a 77-65 decision in East Lansing to No. 11 Michigan State on Sunday.

When you compare the personnel on these two rosters, there is no question that this is a matchup Wisconsin should come out on top of, even on the road. That being said, the Scarlet Knights have given the Badgers plenty of trouble in the last three meetings between these squads (they actually beat Bucky in 2017-18), and they have the pieces in their rotation to do so again this season.

Here are the three players on the other side who Badger fans should keep a close eye on throughout tomorrow’s contest.

Ron Harper Jr. – Guard/Forward

2019 stats: 12.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 0.8 apg 1.1 spg, 0.8 bpg, 49.4 FG%, 26.7 3P%

Harper has stepped into the role of Rutgers’ No. 1 scorer this season now that last year’s leading bucket-getter, Eugene Omoruyi, has transferred to Oregon.

While the sophomore guard/forward’s scoring average is up five points from his freshman season, his value to the Scarlet Knights extends far beyond his ability to knock down shots. The 6-6 Harper has exceptional size for his position and a versatile skill set that helps him make an impact inside and out, on both ends of the court. In addition to leading the team in scoring, he currently ranks second on the team in rebounds and third in blocks and steals.

Dec 3, 2019; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Geo Baker (0) handles the ball against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Geo Baker – Guard

2019 stats: 11.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.6 spg, 0.9 bpg, 41.6 FG%, 25.5 3P%

A consensus Honorable Mention All-Big Ten pick last year, Baker was head coach Steve Pikiell’s top returning scorer heading into the season, as well as a returning team captain.

While his scoring production is down a bit from a year ago, he’s certainly still served as a go-to player for Rutgers in that department this season, ranking just one point behind Harper for the team lead with an average of 11.8 points per game. Baker is also the team’s top assists man as well as a pesky defender, leading the Scarlet Knights in steals.

The 6-4 guard’s 1.6 steals per game is the No. 4 average in the Big Ten, and he trailed only Josh Reaves of Penn State in that category last season.

Baker is arguably the best player Rutgers will have at its disposal against Wisconsin, but it’s worth noting that his performances against high-major opponents this season have left much to be desired: in the Scarlet Knights’ last two games against Pitt and Michigan State, he combined for just 13 points on 22.2 percent shooting from the field.

Rutgers will probably need a stronger effort than that from Baker to beat the Badgers.

Myles Johnson – Center

2019 stats: 8.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.6 bpg, 69.6 FG%

The 6-10, 255-pound Johnson is Rutgers’ enforcer down low, utilizing his 7-7 wingspan to lead the team in blocks and rebounds so far this season. He’s also about as efficient of a scorer near the basket as you will find in the conference, ranking third in two-point shooting percentage.

Johnson is especially solid on the offensive glass, currently sitting at No. 4 in the Big Ten in offensive rebound percentage after trailing just nine other players nationally in that category a season ago.

Nate Reuvers, the Badgers’ leading scorer right now and the only true post player in the rotation with Micah Potter still ineligible, has had some problems on both ends of the floor when matched up with physical big men in the paint throughout Wisconsin’s first nine games. Reuvers’ struggles have often coincided with the team’s as a whole, so how he fares in his matchup with Johnson will be critical to the game’s outcome.

Rutgers needs to be taken seriously by Wisconsin

Reflections on the upcoming game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Wisconsin Badgers.

The upcoming basketball game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights marks an occasion in which the brain can logically process a given reality… but the heart, the emotions, need to be married to the brain’s level of awareness.

What do I mean by this? It’s not that complicated — this is something human beings deal with all the time. We have all encountered a life situation in which we know, intellectually, that a given task or moment is important, but we don’t feel the same sense of urgency other people around us might feel. “Yeah, yeah, I know what I have to do,” we might say to a spouse or a sibling who is a lot more emotionally invested in this important moment. Yet, we aren’t as excited (or tense, or focused) as the other person.

Sometimes, this situation leads us to walk into an event less prepared than we thought we were. We might have assumed this task or moment would be easy to handle, but upon immersing ourselves in the event itself, we find ourselves lacking the full amount of resources needed to get the job done properly. We knew this was an important event in our minds, but didn’t put in the actual prep work to make SURE we were ready, and the moment goes badly. Our spouse or sibling or parent or child gets mad at us, and we have to try to do better the next time.

That’s what this Wisconsin-Rutgers game is. The Badgers surely know how important it is to notch a road win, especially in Big Ten play. However, because it’s RUTGERS, the urgency of the occasion might be lacking. Wisconsin has to really invest itself in this game and feel the sense of importance attached to Wednesday night in New Jersey.

If this seems a bit vague and lacking in specificity, here are two precise reasons Wisconsin should take Rutgers seriously, so that the Badgers are on their toes and highly vigilant when tip-off time arrives on Wednesday night:

First, Rutgers beat Wisconsin the last time these teams met in New Jersey. Wisconsin won last season in Madison, but in the 2017-2018 college basketball season, Rutgers ambushed UW in Piscataway. That memory — which Greg Gard was part of — ought to light a fire under some fannies in the Wisconsin locker room and get this team to bust out the gate ROARING at Rutgers.

If that memory from two seasons ago seems a little distant and remote, fine. I will offer an even better reason for UW to take RU seriously: Rutgers gave Michigan State a tough battle on the road this past Sunday. Rutgers went to East Lansing and the Breslin Center, and was right there, down 62-55, with 3:30 left. Rutgers wasn’t likely to win, but it was highly competitive and stayed in the hunt for 37 minutes. Michigan State struggled for much of the game and didn’t land a knockout punch. The Spartans realized that Rutgers was a tenacious team.

As Jon Rothstein said after big Rutgers wins late last season:

The identity of Rutgers is based on toughness and tenacity. If Wisconsin intellectually realizes this game is important, but it doesn’t bring any urgency to the court, the Badgers could get nailed by Steve Pikiell’s players.

Take. Rutgers. Seriously. Let this be a warning to Wisconsin, even though Rutgers hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 1991. Wisconsin got burned the last time it went to Piscataway. Vigilance and emotional preparedness need to be part of Wisconsin’s game plan this time around.

Wisconsin-Rutgers is a huge game, like it or not

A look at the Rutgers Scarlet Knights before their game against the Wisconsin Badgers.

Wednesday night’s basketball game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights is a huge one. Wait a minute.

RUTGERS? HUGE GAME? No, come on now. That’s just a cheap way to get some extra clicks. You don’t really MEAN that, do you? 

Actually… yes, I do. This is genuinely a huge game. If you think about it, it’s not that controversial a statement to make, even though any sentence with the words “Rutgers” and “huge game” seems absurd on its face.

First of all, this is a road game. Wisconsin has to win one of these pretty soon. The Badgers need to enter the heart of Big Ten play — on January 3, 2020, at Ohio State — knowing they can play well on the road. This Rutgers game is the last Big Ten road game before that Ohio State contest. This game is the next-to-last road game for Wisconsin before the heart of the Big Ten season. The other road game is on Saturday, Dec. 28, at Tennessee. If Wisconsin plays a poor game against Rutgers, how can the Badgers realistically expect to win in Knoxville? If the Badgers don’t win in Knoxville, how can they expect to win in Columbus several days later?

Second, Wisconsin plays just one game in the next 16 days after this visit to Piscataway, New Jersey. The Badgers host Milwaukee on Dec. 21, then have the Christmas holiday, followed by the Tennessee game a week later on the 28th. Wisconsin won’t have many live-game situations in which to test its responses and instincts. Getting it right on Wednesday against Rutgers gives Greg Gard and his players a chance to realistically say to themselves, “We’re on the right track.” Without a lot of games in the next few weeks, the Badgers need to make this moment count.

Third, the fact that this is Rutgers is precisely what makes this game bigger, not smaller. If Wisconsin was going to Ohio State or Michigan on Wednesday, to play a top-10 team which has been flourishing, the Badgers really wouldn’t have much of a chance. Moreover, Wisconsin could play well against OSU or Michigan right now and still lose. Rutgers, however, is an opponent the Badgers should beat. RU is an opponent the Badgers need to beat, in order to improve their road-neutral record (part of the NCAA Tournament’s “nitty gritty report” and the overall data profile the committee looks at in early March). Rutgers is an opponent Wisconsin — at this stage of its season-long evolution — can beat on the road. It is in many ways the truest measuring stick this team could ask for. A win says this team can grow. A loss would show this team is not yet ready to evolve.

Huge game? Yeah. I think I just laid out a convincing three-point argument… whether you like it or not.

Former Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano to be named Rutgers head coach

According to multiple reports, former Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano has agreed in principle to become Rutgers’ head coach.

Groundhog day has officially struck a couple of months early in Piscataway, New Jersey. That’s because according to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman and others, former Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano has agreed in principle to become the next head coach at Rutgers — for a second time.

Schiano put the Rutgers program on the map back in the mid 2000’s by using a workmanlike attitude sorely needed in a program that had struggled to string together any type consistent competitiveness. The Scarlet Knights enjoyed their most productive seasons in school history under his watch.

He then used that success to make the leap to the next level with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but never met expectations there and was fired during the 2013 season after just two seasons. He then went back to the high school ranks before being hired as the defensive coordinator by good friend Urban Meyer at Ohio State in 2016.

Schiano though, was not retained by new head coach Ryan Day and had a short stint with the New England Patriots in the offseason before deciding to concentrate of family rather than the rigors of the NFL.

Now, it appears. he is back to familiar surroundings in the state he knows and loves well. The deal is reportedly an 8-year $32 Million deal also according to the same sources that detailed the arrangement to The Athletic.

It remains to be seen whether Schiano can duplicate the success he had in his first stint. It’ll be an uphill climb both ways with all the disadvantages built into the program, but time will tell.

Ohio State beats Rutgers: 5 things we learned in victory

Ohio State took care of business against Rutgers on Saturday. Here’s five things we learned.

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t quite the score most people projected, but Ohio State still more than took care of business against a Rutgers team that’s just looking to turn the page into a new era.

Like most games, the Buckeyes raced out to a big lead, then cruised from there. The second and third teamers may have took it on the chin just a wee-bit toward the tail-end of the game, but it was still good experience and something the whole team can grow from.

Next up is the big one against Penn State, but first we take time to reflect with five things we learned from the Ohio State win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Anyone can make the spectacular play at anytime

Yeah, you know about Justin Fields, J.K. Dobbins, and Chase Young, but there’s so much NFL talent on this roster it’s a bit ridiculous. I think we’re going to look back on this year’s team and be absolutely floored by how many kids end up playing ball on Sundays.

Wide-receiver Chris Olave made a draw-dropping catch, cornerback Shaun Wade made a highlight-reel interception, and they aren’t the only ones to get into the spotlight.

Again, maybe it didn’t go as well with after the first-teamers as you would have thought against Rutgers, but this team has a depth of talent maybe nobody else in the country has.

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Next … Justin Fields can indeed sling it

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Watch what Rutgers interim head coach Nunzio Campanile said about Ohio State post game

Rutgers interim head coach Nunzio Campanile met with the media after the game and had some complimentary things to say about Ohio State.

It wasn’t as dominant on the scoreboard as what many would have thought, or what had taken place in other games this year, but Ohio State went to Rutgers and took care of business with an easy 56-21 victory.

The Buckeyes raced out to a dominant, early lead, got the starters out of harm’s way in the second half, then put it on cruise control to put it away and turn the page towards the game against Penn State next week.

We’ve said it before, but we always like to give you the comments of the opposing head coach after the conclusion of each game, and it’s no difference here.

Rutgers interim head coach Nunzio Campanile met with the media in Piscataway after the game and said some very complimentary things about the Buckeyes after the game.

He seemed encouraged that his team kept fighting, but also knows that Ohio State is one whale of a team. Watch his entire comments below courtesy of RVision.

WATCH: Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade makes incredible interception

Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade made a circus interception Saturday against Rutgers.

Some of the Ohio State skill position players made some unbelievable, highlight-worthy plays Saturday against Rutgers. Wide receiver Chris Olave hauled in a deep ball that you have to rewatch no less than six times, but he wasn’t the only one making circus catches.

On the other side of the ball, cornerback Shaun Wade had himself a pretty remarkable interception. While dropping back in coverage, and with his head turned to the ball, he was able to look back at just the right moment, get his hand in the way for a deflection, then somehow find the ball on the way to the ground and snatch it before it hit the ground.

If you didn’t get a chance to see it the first time, or just want to re-live it, click on the below shared by BTN on Twitter and rewind and replay it.

These high-profile guys on offense and defense are making some of these plays look easy, but they are far from it.

Watch: Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave haul in remarkable catch

Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave dealt with some pass interference and still managed to make an unbelievable catch against Rutgers.

Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave had a catch for the ages against Rutgers Saturday night. Early in the 3rd quarter with the Buckeyes already up 35-7, Olave ran down the right sideline and was bowled over by a Rutgers defender.

It was of course called pass interference, but that didn’t stop the OSU receiver from making a spectacular play. While falling down, he kept his head on the ball, keeping his focus and was able to grab the ball around his ankles and keep it from hitting the ground.

The fact that Olave was able to somehow snatch the ball and caress it against his legs while playing through contact was pretty amazing and worth a watch.

In case you missed it, simply click on the below Tweet shared by Fox College Football and get a slow motion view of it.

Yes, the pass interference penalty was declined.

Simply unbelievable.

Ohio State vs. Rutgers: Final thoughts and ramblings before the game

Just before Ohio State takes on Rutgers Saturday, get some final thoughts, ramblings, and brain dump comments to ingest.

I have all these thoughts flying around in my head, and they have to go somewhere, so why not share them with you? Before every game we’ll provide a mindless brain dump of all the things that you might want to think of for the upcoming game — or at least what I’m thinking of. Take it or leave it I say.

Some of those thoughts might be humorous, some outlandish, some just factual, and some nondescript and boring. Either way, we provide our final thoughts just before all the fun on the gridiron for Ohio State each week. This time we’re talking the college known as the birthplace of college football, Rutgers.

It’s not expected to be much of a contest, but they have to play the games and the Buckeyes need to remain sharp and focused.

Off we go …

  • You’d think the program that has the genesis of college football in its DNA would have won more games. But no, apparently Rutgers is still stuck back in 1869.
  • When Jim Delany sold Rutgers and Maryland to all the benefits of being in the Big Ten, you figured the programs would get a boost. It hasn’t happened and there’s really no signs that it will. That can change quickly, but right now those television markets and new locations to visit are really all that’s going for the expansion.
  • How many points will Ohio State score in this one? Anything below 60 would be a surprise.
  • Speaking of which, I hear many asking if the Buckeyes can score 100 points in this one. Here’s the problem with that. The clock has to run out at some point and OSU would need at least 14 total possessions — all ending with a TD, two with a two-point conversion. That’s not happening without a slew of turnovers.
  • Can Rutgers score on the Ohio State defense? I say there will be some garbage time points much like last week against Maryland. Until then though, it’ll take an act of God or something.
  • There will be zero home field advantage in this one. SHI stadium might have more Ohio State fans. I mean the color is the same, but that’s about it.
  • Is there any amount of points OSU can score that would impress the CFP Playoff Committee enough to sway out Ohio State for LSU. Only if there was an SEC logo on the chest it appears.

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Next … Final Thoughts continued

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Ohio State vs. Rutgers: Five snarky reasons the Buckeyes win

Ohio State is almost assured a victory Saturday on the road against Rutgers. Here’s five tongue-in-the-cheek reasons the Buckeyes win.

It’s off to the next tuneup for Ohio State. Thanks goes out to Jim Delany for bringing in the television markets of New York and the D.C. area while also getting two more bye-weeks for the Big Ten East division contenders.

After treating Maryland like a whipped omelet, the Buckeyes now head east to take on a Rutgers team that’s still trying to figure out how to play the game of football since helping invent it.

We normally do five reasons Ohio State beats its next opponent, but this time we’re taking a little different tact because there’s little rationale for believing the Scarlet Knights can put up more resistance than a light breeze on Saturday.

So, here’s five snarky reasons the Buckeyes beat back the Scarlet Knights this weekend. And before we get any vitriol pointed in our direction by one of the few dozen Rutgers’ fans, remember it’s all in good fun.

Next … Influenza?

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