How to Watch No. 9 Nebraska Basketball at Rutgers with Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

The bill always comes due in the Big Ten Conference, and it came twofold for the No. 9 Nebraska men’s basketball team.

Coming off a slim, three-point loss to No. 2 Michigan in Ann Arbor, the Huskers came back to Lincoln hunting for a top-10 win against Illinois — who they had beaten in Champaign in mid-December. Despite playing in front of a White Out crowd of 15,513, Nebraska star forward Rienk Mast was clearly still battling the illness that knocked him out against the Wolverines, and the Cornhuskers once again fell victim to the whistle. The Fighting Illini attacked the paint with purpose, outscoring NU 28-18 in that category while going 21-for-26 from the free throw line compared to the Huskers' whimsical 4-for-5.

Freshman sensation Braden Frager returned from an ankle injury to score a team-high 20 points off the bench while Pryce Sandfort (14), Sam Hoiberg (13), and Jamarques Lawrence all joined their first-year teammate in double figures. Mast had one of his worst performances of the season, going 2-for-10 from the field with only five points, five assists, and four rebounds in over 25 minutes. An 11-for-20 showing from three-point land kept the Nebraska deficit at six going into halftime, but hot shooting cooled off in the final 20 minutes with a 4-for-15 mark, dooming the Huskers to its first multi-game losing streak since last March.

WIth time to rest and reset, the Huskers turn their sights to New Jersey to face a fleeting Rutgers squad before turning around for another top-12 matchup.

How to Follow Along

Matchup: No. 9 Nebraska (20-2, 9-2 B1G) at Rutgers (9-14, 2-10 B1G)
When: Saturday, February 7
Where: Jersey Mike's Arena, Piscataway, New Jersey
Time: 11 a.m. CST
Watch: Big Ten Network
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Rutgers Scout

Head Coach

Steve Pikiell | 10th season at Rutgers; 22nd as HC
156-154 (.503) at Rutgers; 353-328 (.518) Career Record
3x NCAA Tournament Apps.
4x America East Regular Season titles, 1x America East tournament
4x America East Coach OTY, 1x Jim Phelan Award (2020)
Previous head coach at Stony Brook
Previous assistant at George Washington, Central Connecticut, Yale, New Haven Skyhawks and UConn

2024-2025 Record & Awards

Record: 15-17 (8-12 B1G, 11th)
All-Americans: 1x Honorable Mention
All-B1G: 2x Third Team, 2x All-Freshman.

All-Time Series

Nebraska leads 11-10
Jan. 16, 2025, last matchup, 85-82 Rutgers in Lincoln

Rutgers forward Dylan Grant (9) has taken a good step forward as a sophomore with a 10.8 points per game average. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Key Returners

Dylan Grant | F | Soph. | Appearing in 21 games as a freshman, the sophomore now averages double digits (10.8) and grabs nearly five rebounds per game as a starter for the Scarlet Knights.
Jamichael Davis | G | Jr. | Moving into a starter role as a junior, Davis adds 7.3 points as the fourth-leading scorer for Rutgers this season.
Emmanuel Ogbole | C | Sr. | Standing at 6-foot-10, the Nigerian has moved into the starting lineup this season, collecting over four points and six rebounds per game.
Bryce Dortch | F | Soph. | Saw limited playing time as a freshman, but now adds 2.6 points and 3.6 rebounds while appearing in every game this season.

Key Departures

Dylan Harper | G | NBA Draft | Taken No. 2 overall by the San Antonio Spurs after being named an All-American Honorable Mention with over 19 points per game in her lone college season.
Ace Bailey | G/F | NBA Draft | Forming a dynamic duo with Harper, the Tennessee native was taken No. 5 overall by the Utah Jazz after averaging 17.8 PPG and being named to the All-Big Ten Third Team.
Lathan Sommerville | C | Transfer | The 6-foot-10 center was another prized recruit alongside Harper and Bailey, but transferred to Washington after adding 8.2 points and 4.1 rebounds as a part-time starter in his first college campaign.
Jeremiah Williams | G | Graduated | Former transfer from Iowa State and Temple that started in 26 of his 31 appearances with seven points and nearly three rebounds per contest.
Jordan Derkack | G | Transfer | The former NEC Player of the Year averaged 5.7 PPG as a spot starter for Rutgers last season before transferring to Dayton for the 2025-2026 season.
Tyson Acuff | G | Graduated | A mid-major transfer, the Detroit native was a key reserve for the Scarlet Knights last season, shooting over 39% from beyond the arc in 32 appearances.
Zach Martini | F/C | Graduated | The former Princeton transfer came off the bench in 22 of his 30 games last season and scored four points and grabbed two rebounds per game.
PJ Hayes IV | G/F | Graduated | A transfer that moved up from NAIA to the Big Ten, Hayes IV chipped in 2.9 points across 23 games last year.

San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) was an All-American Honorable Mention in his lone season at Rutgers. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

Tariq Francis | G | Jr. | An impact transfer that led the America East in scoring last season (19.2), the Pittsburgh native leads the Scarlet Knights with over 16 points per game while ranking second in assists (53) and steals (22).
Darren Buchanan Jr. | G | R-Jr. | Spent the last two seasons at George Washington before transferring to Rutgers, where he averages over eight points per contest as a part-time starter.
Harun Zrno | G | Fr. | A first-year player from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zrno scores 6.7 points per game and has started in 10 of his 23 appearances.
Kaden Powers | G | Fr. | Powers is another first-year guard who's carved out playing time with 6.6 points per game across 18 appearances and nine starts.
Lino Mark | G | Fr. | Coming exclusively off the bench, the L.A. native chips in a few points a game across 13 minutes each night.
Denis Badalau | F | Fr. | Heralding from Romania, the freshman forward has started in 12 games this season, but his production is limited to 3.5 points and 1.8 rebounds per game.

Outlook

Coming off their first losing season in four years, expectations were high in Piscataway and head coach Steve Pikiell, going into the 2024-2025 season. The veteran head coach had scooped up two of college basketball's most prized recruits in Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, as well as the addition of top-100 center Lathan Sommerville. Throw in former NEC Player of the Year Jordan Derkack, plus a few older veterans hungry for success, and there was reason to be optimistic for Rutgers to reach their third NCAA Tournament in four years.

But that roster, budding with talen,t could never come together in what's a meat grinder of a conference that is the Big Ten, going 15-17 for the second-straight season while finishing 11th with an 8-12 conference mark. Harper (No. 2 overall) and Bailey (No. 5 overall) each left for the draft, Sommerville transferred to Washington, Derkack bailed for Dayton, and four others graduated. All of a sudden, Pikeill and the roster were depleted.

Rutgers guard Tariq Francis (0) has been the biggest offseason addition, leading the program with over 16 points per game. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Returning sophomore Dylan Grant has improved to 10.8 points per game this season, and guard Jamichael Davis has taken a step to become a starter, but the talent needed an infusion. Tariq Francis (NJIT) and Darren Buchanan Jr. (George Washington) each come from a school or conference with ties to Pikiell, but that hasn't stopped them from being productive. Francis led the America East in scoring last year and spearheads the Rutgers offense with over 16 points per game, while Buchanan adds over eight in starting nine of his 23 appearances this season. The Scarlet Knights have relied heavily on the contributions from four of the seven freshman imports, which is highlighted by Harun Zrno (6.7 PPG), Kaden Powers (6.6), Lino Mark (3.6), and Denis Badalau (3.5).

Overall, it's a massive step down in talent, but it was going to be a tall task to improve the roster from last season, especially when you decide to bring in seven transfers. Francis is a nice piece, and Grant has taken a noticeable step to score in double figures, but it has resulted in the Scarlet Knights being sent back down to the cellar of the Big Ten. Sitting last in the conference in scoring (70.2 PPG) and second-to-last in field goal percentage (40.7%), you'd typically see more hotseat chatter around Pikiell, but his more than $20 million buyout keeps a firing prohibitive. Deep conversations will likely have to happen over the offseason as the program tracks for its third-straight losing season, which came off three consecutive postseason appearances.

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