What’s at stake during the 75th meeting between the Rutgers and Seton Hall men’s basketball teams?
Seton Hall (5-5) is trying to avoid the program’s first losing non-conference slate since 1982-83. Rutgers (6-4) is looking to avoid a loss that could significantly deflate its postseason chances.
Of course, there is also a great deal of pride and a sweet-looking trophy up for grabs when the Garden State Hardwood Classic tips Saturday (3 p.m. Fox) at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway.
Here is our breakdown and prediction.
Series history: Seton Hall leads 42-32 dating back to 1916. The Pirates are 7-3 since the series became annual after Rutgers left the Big East. Of the past 29 meetings, 22 have been decided by six or fewer points.
Seton Hall’s rotation players: Dylan Addae-Wusu (Gr., G, 6-4, 8.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.0 apg); Garwey Dual (So., G, 6-5, 3.8 ppg, 2.9 apg); Isaiah Coleman (So., G, 6-5, 11.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg); Chaunce Jenkins (Gr., G, 11.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg); Prince Aligbe (Jr., F, 6-7, 5.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg); Scotty Middleton (So., F, 6-7, 5.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg); Yacine Toumi (Gr., F, 6-10, 5.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg); Manny Okorafor (Jr., C, 6-9, 2.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg); Godswill Erheriene (F., C, 6-9, 2.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg); David Tubek (So., F, 6-7, 3.4 ppg); Gus Yalden (So., F, 6-9, 2.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg).
Rutgers’ rotation players: Dylan Harper (Fr., G, 6-6, 23.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.6 apg); Ace Bailey (Fr., F, 6-10, 17.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg); Jeremiah Williams (Sr., G, 6-4, 8.2 ppg, 2.0 apg); Jordan Derkack (Jr., G, 7.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.0 apg); Manny Ogbole (Jr., C, 6-10, 4.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg); Lathan Sommerville (Fr., C, 6-10, 7.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg); Zach Martini (Gr., F, 6-8, 5.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg); PJ Hayes (Gr., F, 6-6, 4.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg); Jamichael Davis (So., G, 6-2, 2.5 ppg); Tyson Acuff (Gr., G, 6-4, 3.5 ppg).
3 KEYS FOR SETON HALL
1. Be aggressive
That doesn’t mean getting into a track meet, which is surely a bad idea. It does mean exerting physicality on defense, going hard to the glass and after loose balls, and picking spots where Dual, Middleton and Coleman can use their athleticism to attack rather than continually draining the shot clock.
2. Hit threes
It’s college basketball’s upset formula. Last winter Rutgers was a poor-shooting squad but hit 12-of-24 from beyond the arc at the Hall and walked out triumphant. Seton Hall has guys who can connect from deep – Jenkins and Coleman are over 40 percent, Addae-Wusu is at .379, and Middleton shot .452 at Ohio State last season.
3. Throw a curveball
If there was ever a time to bust something out of the lab, it’s now. A zone? A small and quick lineup? A surprise addition to the rotation? The dynamic changed for Rutgers last year when Mawot Mag emerged from mothballs on the eve of the game. Seton Hall must be the disruptor to have a shot.
3 KEYS FOR RUTGERS
1. Play team basketball
The Scarlet Knights’ worst game of the season, at Kennesaw State, came because they tried to put on a show instead of playing together. It could be easy for a young team to fall into that same trap here, coming off a big win, at home, against a wounded rival. Follow the blueprint from Tuesday – spacing, sharing, smart shots, disciplined defense.
2. More Ace Bailey inside
Bailey sparked the win over Penn State with his rebounding and rim protecting. Given the Pirates’ weakness inside, he can do major damage underneath Saturday if he’s willing to roll up his sleeves again.
3. Get the crowd going early
In the 2019 meeting Rutgers slammed home two alley-oops out of the gate, blew the lid off the RAC and flattened the Hall for good. Look for an attempt to run something similar early on Saturday. Like Penn State Tuesday, this is Seton Hall’s first real road game (Hofstra’s crowd of 500 in a decrepit hockey arena doesn’t count). The trapezoid knocked the Nittany Lions down early and the hole proved too deep.
MATCHUP EDGES
Backcourt
Harper is an All-America candidate. Davis, the lone Scarlet Knight to play in last year’s contest, posted 11 points and 6 assists in the win at the Pirates. Coleman, who is listed as a guard, is coming on as the Pirates’ best player. Addae-Wusu has the most high-major experience of anyone in the game. Edge: Rutgers.
Frontcourt
Bailey is the potential No. 1 pick in June’s NBA Draft and posted his most well-rounded effort yet with 15 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks in Tuesday’s win over Penn State. Seton Hall has not gotten consistent production out of any of its frontcourt players. Edge: Rutgers.
Bench
The Scarlet Knights go nine or 10 deep starting with two high-impact subs in Derkack and Sommerville. Seton Hall usually goes 10 deep, with the fast-improving Middleton as the most dynamic player off the bench. A knee injury limited Jenkins, Seton Hall’s leading scorer, to 10 minutes off the bench in Sunday’s loss to Oklahoma State. Edge: Even.
Intangibles
Rutgers is coming off its best performance of the season, a Quad 1 win over Penn State before a raucous home crowd. There won’t be an empty seat in the house for this one. Seton Hall came into the lion’s den two years ago and emerged victorious, but none of those players are still around. It’s worth noting that Hall head coach Shaheen Holloway has a lifetime record of 7-3 at Rutgers – 2-1 as a Seton Hall player, 4-2 as a Seton Hall assistant and 1-0 as the program’s skipper. Edge: Rutgers
PREDICTION
Rutgers possesses considerably more talent, has played better this season, and owns a significant home-court advantage. That should translate to a comfortable win for the host. The one wild card is that games in this series rarely go according to plan. The past three meetings at the RAC yielded huge surprises, and this arena is where most of the rivalry’s storied high jinks have occurred over the years.
The pick: Rutgers 75, Seton Hall 63.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
