How to Watch No. 10 Indiana Basketball Against Rutgers on Saturday
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Trayce Jackson-Davis is rising up the all-time Indiana scoring and rebounding charts, but he's more concerned with winning games than personal accolades during his senior year.
Jackson-Davis powered the Hoosiers to résumé-building wins over Xavier and North Carolina, and next on the list is Rutgers, a team Jackson-Davis hasn't beaten in three-plus years at Indiana. Following the Hoosiers' win over North Carolina in front of a wild crowd at Assembly Hall, Jackson-Davis was asked what this Indiana team is capable of.
"What we're capable of is playing our next game, which is at Rutgers. I haven't beat Rutgers since I've been here. The RAC has always been a very hostile environment. They've had our number there."
"That's the biggest test. That's what I said to our guys this week, I said, UNC is going to be a great team and a great game. Obviously with this crowd, I liked our chances. But the real test is what we're going to do on Saturday with that game because they're a good team and they're very well-coached."
- *** LIVE BLOG: And once the game starts, follow all the action on our live blog from HoosiersNow.com publisher Tom Brew. To read that story, CLICK HERE.
How to watch Indiana Hoosiers vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- Who: No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers (7-0) vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-2)
- What: Big Ten opener
- When: 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 3
- Where: Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, N.J.
- TV: Big Ten Network
- Announcers: Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), Robbie Hummel (analyst), Andy Katz (sideline)
- Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
- Radio: IU Radio Network (Bloomington: 105.1 WHCC-FM, Indianapolis: 107.5 WFNI-FM)
- Radio Announcers: Don Fischer (play-by-play), Errek Suhr (color), John Herrick (pregame, halftime, postgame)
- Point spread: Indiana is a 3.5-point favorite against Rutgers, and the over/under is 133.5 points, according to the Fanduel.com website.
- Associated Press poll: Indiana is No. 10 in the AP poll, making its first appearance in the top 10 since Dec. 12, 2016. Rutgers is not ranked.
- KenPom rankings: Indiana is ranked No. 8 overall in the KenPom rankings following Wednesday's 77-65 win over No. 18 North Carolina. The Hoosiers are No. 11 in adjusted defensive efficiency and No. 11 in adjusted offensive efficiency. Rutgers is ranked No. 40 overall, No. 12 in adjusted defensive efficiency and No. 108 in adjusted offensive efficiency.
- Season projections: As of Friday, Indiana is tied with Purdue as the betting favorite to win the Big Ten regular season title at plus-300 odds. Indiana is plus-500 to reach the Final Four and plus-2000 to win the National Championship, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
- Notable games: Indiana passed its first two non-conference tests, beginning with an 81-79 win at Xavier, who was picked to finished second in the preseason Big East coaches poll. Behind a raucous, white-out crowd at Assembly Hall on Wednesday, the Hoosiers handled No. 18 North Carolina to stay undefeated with a 77-65 win. Rutgers is 5-0 at home with a handful of easy wins over mid-major opponents, but the Scarlet Knights lost 72-66 to Temple on a neutral site and 68-61 at Miami (FL) on Wednesday in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
- Last season's records: Indiana went 21-14 overall, 9-11 in Big Ten play, 14-4 at home, 3-8 on the road and 4-2 at neutral sites in 2021-22. The Hoosiers reached the NCAA Tournament last year for the first time since 2016, defeating Wyoming in the First Four and losing to Saint Mary's in the Round of 64. North Carolina went 29-10 overall, 15-5 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, 15-2 at home, 8-3 on the road and 6-5 at neutral sites in 2021-22. Rutgers went 18-14 overall, 12-8 in Big Ten Play, 14-3 at home, 4-9 on the road and 0-2 at neutral sites in 2021-22. Rutgers played in the NCAA Tournament's First Four in Dayton, Ohio, losing 89-87 to Notre Dame in double-overtime.
- Series history: The all-time series between Indiana and Rutgers is tied 7-7. Indiana has lost five consecutive games against Rutgers, which is the Hoosiers' longest active losing streak against a Big Ten opponent. Indiana's last win over Rutgers was a 65-43 win on Feb. 5, 2018 under coach Archie Miller. Juwan Morgan scored 24 points, Robert Johnson added 19, and the Hoosiers' defense held Rutgers to 24.1 percent shooting. The most recent matchup between Indiana and Rutgers will be remembered by Ron Harper Jr.'s game-winning 3-pointer with two seconds left at Assembly Hall on March 2, 2022. The last time Indiana opened its Big Ten schedule with a trip to Rutgers was on Dec. 30, 2015. The Hoosiers took home a 79-72 victory behind 20 points from Yogi Ferrell and 18 points and 14 rebounds from Max Bielfeldt, and Indiana went on to win the 2016 Big Ten championship under coach Tom Crean.
Leading scorers
- Indiana Hoosiers
- F Trayce Jackson-Davis: 19.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 71.2 FG pct
- PG Xavier Johnson: 12.3 ppg, 4.7 apg, 4.4 rpg, 53.3 3-point FG pct
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- F Clifford Omoruyi: 16.7 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 1.7 bpg
- G Cam Spencer: 15.3 ppg, 3.9 apg, 3.6 rpg, 3.4 spg, 43.2 3-point FG pct
- F Aundre Hyatt: 11.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 34.3 FG pct
- G Caleb McConnell: 10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.5 apg (Reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year has only played two games this year)
Meet the coaches
- Steve Pikiell, Rutgers: Steve Pikiell is in his seventh year as head coach at Rutgers and holds a 103-93 overall record with a 46-70 mark in Big Ten play. Pikiell's Scarlet Knights finished below .500 in each of his first three seasons, but have since finished sixth or higher in the Big Ten with double-digit conference wins in each of the last three years. In 2021, Pikiell led Rutgers to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1991 and defeated Clemson for the program's first tournament win since 1983. Pikiell played point guard for UConn from 1987-91 under coach Jim Calhoun, reaching the Elite Eight in 1990. Pikiell was an assistant with UConn, the New Haven Skyhawks, Yale, Wesleyan, Central Connecticut and George Washington before earning his first head coaching job at Stony Brook in 2005. Across 11 season, Pikiell led Stony Brook to a 192–156 record and reached the NCAA Tournament in 2016.
- Mike Woodson, Indiana: Woodson has NBA head coaching experience with the Atlanta Hawks from 2004-10 and the New York Knicks from 2012-14. Dating back to 1996, Woodson has also been an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers. Woodson played at Indiana University from 1976-80, and was named the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player as a senior under coach Bob Knight. He was the 12th overall pick in the 1980 NBA Draft, and played for various teams from 1980-91, averaging 14 points over 786 games. In his second season at Indiana, Woodson holds a 28-14 record.
Indiana Hoosiers forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (23) reacts to a basket in the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Three things to watch in Indiana vs. Rutgers
1. A step up, defensively
Defensive intensity is a calling card of any Steve Pikiell-coached Rutgers team, and that has continued in 2022-23 despite the loss of Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr. The Scarlet Knights allow 55.0 points per game, the lowest of any Big Ten team.
Opponents are shooting 36.2 percent from the field and 20.0 percent from 3, a Big Ten low. Rutgers leads the conference in turnover margin (6.29) thanks to a whopping 130 forced turnovers, which ranks second in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights rank 12th in the country in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency, one spot behind Indiana and three behind Illinois.
Perhaps most impressive about these numbers is that Rutgers has been without reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Caleb McConnell in five of its first seven games. McConnell returned from a knee injury on Nov. 26 against Central Connecticut State and scored 16 points on Wednesday at Miami (FL).
2. Low-post battle
Anchoring the Scarlet Knights' stingy defense is 6-foot-11 junior Clifford Omoruyi, who is averaging 16.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Omoruyi proved to be a tough matchup for Trayce Jackson-Davis and the Hoosiers last year, scoring 13 points with 12 rebounds and four blocks in Rutgers' win at Assembly Hall on March 2.
Omoruyi has elevated his game this season, posting three double-doubles with at least 20 points. He's also third in the Big Ten in blocked shots and rebounds. While Omoruyi might fly under the radar compared to other conference big men like Zach Edey or Hunter Dickinson, he'll make things difficult for Indiana in the paint on Saturday.
Fortunately for the Hoosiers, Jackson-Davis has looked like a National Player of the Year candidate through seven games, creating quite the battle down low on Saturday. Jackson-Davis scored 21 points and 10 rebounds against North Carolina's Armando Bacot on Wednesday, and he's hungry for his first career win over Rutgers.
3. Cam Spencer's immediate impact
Coach Steve Pikiell looked to the transfer portal to replace nearly 30 points per game with the departure of Geo Baker on Ron Harper Jr. He found Cam Spencer, a 6-foot-4 sharpshooter who spent the first three years of college with the Loyola Maryland Greyhounds. Spencer is a career 39.3 percent 3-point shooter and scored 18.3 points per game last season.
Through his first seven games at Rutgers, Spencer is second on the team with 15.3 points per game. He scored at least 15 points in each of the first six games, but shot 1-for-10 overall on Wednesday at Miami (FL). Spencer fits Pikiell's defensive style of play, too, leading the Big Ten with 24 steals.
Related stories on Indiana basketball
- HOOD-SCHIFINO'S HOT START: Indiana freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino scored the Hoosiers' first seven points of Wednesday's game as the Hoosiers defeated against North Carolina 77-65 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. CLICK HERE
- GAME STORY: Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 21 points and guards Jalen Hood-Schifino and Xavier Johnson book-ended an emphatic 77-65 win over preseason No. 1 North Carolina on Wednesday night, leading the Hoosiers to their seventh straight win. CLICK HERE
- CALEB LOVE FRUSTRATED AFTER LOSS: North Carolina shot 33.9 percent during its 77-65 loss at Indiana on Wednesday in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. For Caleb Love and coach Hubert Davis, there's plenty of frustrations and plenty to fix, but a lot of time to do so. CLICK HERE
- WHAT WOODSON SAID: Indiana basketball coach Mike Woodson thought the Hoosiers' 77-65 win over North Carolina on Wednesday was a total team effort. Here's the full transcript from his postgame press conference, with video attached. CLICK HERE
- WHAT JACKSON-DAVIS, HOOD-SCHIFINO SAID: Trayce Jackson-Davis led Indiana with 21 points and 10 rebounds, and freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino scored the Hoosiers' first seven points of the game. Following Indiana's 77-65 win over North Carolina, here's the full transcript of Jackson-Davis and Hood-Schifino's press conference with video attached. CLICK HERE
- PHOTO GALLERY: Indiana took on North Carolina on Wednesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, winning 77-65 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Here is a collection of some of the best photos from the game. CLICK HERE
