Nonconference schedule is out

[RUBigFrank]

2018-19 Rutgers Men's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule

Day Date Opponent Site Time TV
Friday Nov. 9 FDU RAC TBA TBA
Sunday Nov. 11 Drexel RAC TBA TBA
Friday Nov. 16 St. John's (Gavitt Tip-Off) RAC TBA TBA
Monday Nov. 19 Eastern Michigan RAC TBA TBA
Friday Nov. 23 Boston University RAC TBA TBA
Wednesday Nov. 28 at Miami (B1G/ACC) Coral Gables, Fla. TBA TBA
Saturday Dec. 8 at Fordham Bronx, N.Y. TBA TBA
Saturday Dec. 15 at Seton Hall (GSH Classic) Newark, N.J. TBA TBA
Saturday Dec. 22 Columbia RAC TBA TBA
Saturday Dec. 29 Maine RAC TBA TBA

 

[MadRU]

https://scarletknights.com/news/2018/8/1/mens-basketball-announces-non-conference-slat.aspx

 

[DennisHajekRC84]

like [thumb2]

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Two easy commute road games with Fordham and SHU

Pru Center is closer for thousands of RU alums than The RAC

 

[kcg88]

We're playing two December B1G games, so I guess one will be December 1st and one will be midweek between the 1st and the 8th.

 

[Richie O]

 

[G- RUnit]

Decent attractive schedule.
Now having said that it is downright ridiculous and embarrassing that we don’t play Princeton. Man up. We need more rivals. Easy home and home series. Different tempo will help us prepare for tourney and teams like Northwestern.

 

[e5fdny]

Decent attractive schedule.
Now having said that it is downright ridiculous and embarrassing that we don’t play Princeton. Man up. We need more rivals. Easy home and home series. Different tempo will help us prepare for tourney and teams like Northwestern.

+1

Although it seems there are less and less of us who feel this way. :(

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

https://www.nj.com/rutgersbasketbal...n-conference_s.html#incart_river_mobile_index

 

[SJScarlet]

+1

Although it seems there are less and less of us who feel this way. :(

There is no incentive for the head coach to put them back on the schedule. Once Jordan nixed it, that was all that was needed for them to remain off the schedule for good, unless outside pressure influences Pikiell to add them back.

 

[SJScarlet]

Eastern Mich and BU worry me as trap games, between tougher opponents and approaching Thanksgiving.

 

[ouchmyknee]

Hope for 7-3.

 

[RUChoppin]

Looking at last year's kenpom scores for these 10 games:

26 - at Seton Hall
37 - at Miami
74 - St. John's
143 - Eastern Michigan
231 - Columbia
251 - Drexel
258 - Boston University
274 - FDU
292 - at Fordham
332 - Maine

Compared to last year's 12 Div-I OOC games:
26 - Seton Hall
27 - FSU
215 - Hartford
223 - Stony Brook
254 - NJIT
274 - FDU
292 - Fordham
300 - Cleveland St
307 - East Carolina
310 - C. Connecticut St
347 - Coppin St
344 - Bryant

Definitely an overall step up in schedule strength.
1-50: 2 games (same... but this year both away, last year both at home)
51-100: 1 game (up from 0 last year)
100-200: 1 game (up from 0 last year
200-300: 5 games (same... but one away this year, all at home last year)
300+: 1 game (down from 5 last year)

We dropped four 300+ kenpom teams and replaced them with St. John's (74), EMU (143), and two B1G opponents. And we added three away games (two of which are against the best two teams we are likely to face OOC).

 

[kcg88]

There is no incentive for the head coach to put them back on the schedule. Once Jordan nixed it, that was all that was needed for them to remain off the schedule for good, unless outside pressure influences Pikiell to add them back.

How is potentially losing to Columbia any worse than potentially losing to Princeton?

 

[SJScarlet]

Hope for 7-3.

I'd like to see 8-2. I'd be disappointed if we can't get one of either St. John's or SHU, and no excuse to lose to any of the mid/low majors (even though we know it can happen obviously).

 

[SJScarlet]

How is potentially losing to Columbia any worse than potentially losing to Princeton?

Don't ask me. Coach might cite preparing for a style of play that doesn't help them against any other team.

 

[TDIrish27]

We have a shot clock now no ?

I saw Princeton play Monmouth 2 years ago and both teams were in the high 80's if memory serves.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

I would think that there is one more game coming to get to 11 and 31 regular season games overall

Thinking division 2 before FDU opener

 

[Scarlet Shack]

And we need 8-2 in that OOC...9-2 if we add a division 2 team

 

[knights1212]

Princeton does not score in the 50's any more. They shoot much faster now in the shot clock.

This makes it even harder to get to .500 by playing only 10 OOC instead of 11 OOC. Many teams open on 11/6. I don't want to play a D-3 team again but a D-2 team like Caldwell on 11/6 would be good as far as I am concerned. If we go like 7-3 in the OOC we would have to win at least 8 BIG games to finish at 15-15. That will not be easy to do.

 

[Degaz-RU]

2018-19 Rutgers Men's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule

Day Date Opponent Site Time TV
Friday Nov. 9 FDU RAC TBA TBA
Sunday Nov. 11 Drexel RAC TBA TBA
Friday Nov. 16 St. John's (Gavitt Tip-Off) RAC TBA TBA
Monday Nov. 19 Eastern Michigan RAC TBA TBA
Friday Nov. 23 Boston University RAC TBA TBA
Wednesday Nov. 28 at Miami (B1G/ACC) Coral Gables, Fla. TBA TBA
Saturday Dec. 8 at Fordham Bronx, N.Y. TBA TBA
Saturday Dec. 15 at Seton Hall (GSH Classic) Newark, N.J. TBA TBA
Saturday Dec. 22 Columbia RAC TBA TBA
Saturday Dec. 29 Maine RAC TBA TBA

Here's how I handicap the 10 OOC games:

Likely win: FDU, Drexel, BU, Fordham, Columbia, Maine -- but with our youth and having to incorporate 7 new players, I predict we will lose one of these games (5-1).

Probable win: EMU, but again, with our youth and incorporating new guys, this is more of a tossup game, but I think we will win (6-1)

Tossup: SJU and SHU - we aspire to (and can) win both games, but I think 1-1 is more likely, with W against SJU and L (on the road) against SHU (7-2)

Probable loss: Miami -- this is a tall order on the road (7-3)

Obviously if we add a low-major or D-2 team, I will predict a win (8-3).

So with OOC games, we will be hovering around 50% of the way to a .500 overall record for the regular season. If we go 7-3 OOC, we would need to go 8-12 in the B1G to go 15-15. But 8-12 is going to be difficult, so we have to hope for 8-2 or 9-1 OOC to give ourselves a bigger margin for error in league.

 

[kcg88]

I think St. John's will be better than Miami this season.

 

[BigLou]

I like the fact that there are 2 less OOC games which means we dropped the bottom 2. Better mix of mid majors. Looking forward to SJU the night before the Penn State football game.
Put me in the play Princeton camp. I don't buy the argument that you don't benefit from their style of play. Defending for the full 30 seconds is good against any opponent. Might as well learn how to do it against PU.

 

[RutgHoops]

I think St. John's will be better than Miami this season.

If Heron gets cleared SJU could be a Top 25 team

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

If Heron gets cleared SJU could be a Top 25 team

I think they lost a few key players though

 

[RutgHoops]

I think they lost a few key players though

Ponds should be a 1st Team All-BE player as he was the leading scorer in the BE last year. He averaged 21.6 ppg. Heron was terrific at Auburn leading them to an SEC title last season. Justin Simon and Marvin Clark are really good pieces.

SJU beat Duke, Nova, Nebraska (by 23), amongst others a year ago. I think they will be better this season provided Heron gets his hardship waiver. I've seen them hovering around the Top 25 in some early preseason rankings.

 

[bigmatt718]

Decent attractive schedule.
Now having said that it is downright ridiculous and embarrassing that we don’t play Princeton. Man up. We need more rivals. Easy home and home series. Different tempo will help us prepare for tourney and teams like Northwestern.

Agreed 100%. Hell schedule Rider every year as well. They hate Rutgers in wrestling, so a hoops rivalry would blossom there as well.

 

[SkilletHead2]

Would really like us to go back to playing Princeton. Always a good game.

Grammar guy note: If what you are talking about is "countable," use fewer instead of less. If it is a "mass" noun, use less.

"We should have fewer games against D3 teams, and less stress against D1 teams."

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

The schedule with Eastern Michigan and St John's is going to be challenging and fun....at Miami and at Seton Hall are excellent learning experiences for the new guards.

There is no need to play a Princeton IMO, relatively new fans are still not savvy enough to understand the schedule beyond the B1G and perhaps a local school like St. Johns or Seton Hall could be a tougher game on paper....there is a mentality that if you are not in a Power 5 conference, it's an automatic win...there is no upside for playing Princeton.

 

[Knightmoves]

The Miami away game on Nov 28 looks good for a short road trip for me the week after Thanksgiving. It’s a 3.5 hour drive from where I am in SW FL.

Not a South Beach type, but I will visit some of the local breweries in the area including Funky Buddha, MIA and J Wakefield. Hope we get a contingent of RU fans there.

Will RU sell away game tix online?

 

[dkostus]

The Miami away game on Nov 28 looks good for a short road trip for me the week after Thanksgiving. It’s a 3.5 hour drive from where I am in SW FL.

Not a South Beach type, but I will visit some of the local breweries in the area including Funky Buddha, MIA and J Wakefield. Hope we get a contingent of RU fans there.

Will RU sell away game tix online?

I was looking at the Miami game as a fun roadtrip too. There's a bike tour from Miami down to Key West that starts the next day that is really tempting...

 

[CoralKnight]

The Miami away game on Nov 28 looks good for a short road trip for me the week after Thanksgiving. It’s a 3.5 hour drive from where I am in SW FL.

Not a South Beach type, but I will visit some of the local breweries in the area including Funky Buddha, MIA and J Wakefield. Hope we get a contingent of RU fans there.

Will RU sell away game tix online?

My group (from Broward & Palm Beach) purchased thru stubhub the last 2 times RU was in Miami.

 

[Mr Magoo]

Looking at last year's kenpom scores for these 10 games:

26 - at Seton Hall
37 - at Miami
74 - St. John's
143 - Eastern Michigan
231 - Columbia
251 - Drexel
258 - Boston University
274 - FDU
292 - at Fordham
332 - Maine

Compared to last year's 12 Div-I OOC games:
26 - Seton Hall
27 - FSU
215 - Hartford
223 - Stony Brook
254 - NJIT
274 - FDU
292 - Fordham
300 - Cleveland St
307 - East Carolina
310 - C. Connecticut St
347 - Coppin St
344 - Bryant

Definitely an overall step up in schedule strength.
1-50: 2 games (same... but this year both away, last year both at home)
51-100: 1 game (up from 0 last year)
100-200: 1 game (up from 0 last year
200-300: 5 games (same... but one away this year, all at home last year)
300+: 1 game (down from 5 last year)

We dropped four 300+ kenpom teams and replaced them with St. John's (74), EMU (143), and two B1G opponents. And we added three away games (two of which are against the best two teams we are likely to face OOC).

So nice to have so many less garbage games this year and more Friday and Saturday games.

 

[RUChoppin]

So nice to have so many less garbage games this year and more Friday and Saturday games.

I mean, Fordham is the second lowest ranked team on our schedule next year (going by last year's numbers).... last year we faced five teams that finished the season below them. Definitely fewer bottom feeders and a more challenging slate, especially with the two extra conference games.

As some have said, we could be better this year and still regress a bit in the win column.

 

[Mr Magoo]

I mean, Fordham is the second lowest ranked team on our schedule next year (going by last year's numbers).... last year we faced five teams that finished the season below them. Definitely fewer bottom feeders and a more challenging slate, especially with the two extra conference games.

As some have said, we could be better this year and still regress a bit in the win column.

At least this year, I'll probably be able to give away or sell every game that I can't make it to, instead of eating them.

 

[RUJMM78]

I think St. John's will be better than Miami this season.

Rutgers has a long history as being a poor road team.

 

[G- RUnit]

The schedule with Eastern Michigan and St John's is going to be challenging and fun....at Miami and at Seton Hall are excellent learning experiences for the new guards.

There is no need to play a Princeton IMO, relatively new fans are still not savvy enough to understand the schedule beyond the B1G and perhaps a local school like St. Johns or Seton Hall could be a tougher game on paper....there is a mentality that if you are not in a Power 5 conference, it's an automatic win...there is no upside for playing Princeton.

There is no downside to playing Princeton. A win is a good win, a loss isn’t a bad loss. Lots of RU fans have made trek to Princeton. No costs whatsoever. Tempo prepares you for tourney and backdoor cutting teams. Protect the ball. As great as the B1G is, its good for the Northeast and NJ to retain RU Princeton. It’s silly not to play. Eddie Jordan’s decision should not be the reason.

 

[seels2662]

No need for d2, get a crappy D1 instead, then that OOC is going to be solid for RPI, remember RPI is used for NIT as well now

 

[knights1212]

I think the schedule is done as I believe the season ticket representative said we would have only 17 home games this season and we already have 17 with 7 in OOC and 10 in the BIG. I have already paid 50% of my season ticket charges so I doubt another home game will be added. I thought we were supposed to have our Jersey Classic again this season but I don't know if any of our games are part of that once again. I think I read that we are not part of any tournament this season.

 

[BKIn118]

If Princeton wants to come to the RAC every year, I'm in. If it's good enough for FDU, it should be fine for them too.

Otherwise...keep it moving.