After two ugly performances against then No.1 Purdue and No.3 Michigan, Rutgers men’s basketball will hope to come out of murderer’s row with a win over rival Seton Hall this Saturday in Newark. The Pirates have looked like a completely different team this year compared to last year, as they have received votes to be ranked in both the coaches and the AP Poll, so the Scarlet Knights will have a tough time trying to keep the hardwood trophy in Piscataway. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Seton Hall an 81.2 percent chance to win.
Seton Hall currently sits at 9-1, has a ranked win over No.23 NC State, with their only loss coming due to very questionable calls at the end of their game against USC. They lost that game by two points, but beat Washington State to take third place in the Maui Invitational. The Pirates handled business against Central Connecticut State 77-61. It was that same Blue Devils team that beat Rutgers 67-54.
Seton Hall’s leader in points per game this season is Aj Staton-McCray, who leads the team with an average of 13.9 points per game. McCray has shown an impressive ability to take over games, as his season highs came in a 22-point performance against the Wolfpack and in a 20-point performance against the Cougars. He also leads the team in steals per game with 2. The Pirates’ premier playmaker is guard Adam Clark, who provides 5.4 assists per game. Their best rebounder is Stephon Payne, who grabs an average of 5.7 rebounds per game.
The toughest issue that Seton Hall poses to the Knights is their depth. The Pirates have seven players who all average over 7 points per game. In contrast, Rutgers only has four. Seton Hall has five players who grab three rebounds or more per game; the Knights only have two. Finally, the Pirates shoot 45.5 percent on field goals, 76.5 percent from the line, and 34.1 percent from three, while Rutgers shoots 41.7 percent on field goals, 69.9 percent from the line, and 34.4 percent from three.
In this rivalry game, the two teams compete for the Garden State Hardwood Classic trophy. The trophy is made of reclaimed pieces of New Jersey boardwalk wood after Hurricane Sandy devastated the state’s coastline in 2012. For the last two seasons, the trophy has called Piscataway home; however, Seton Hall still leads the overall series between the two schools 42-33.
The 76th meeting between the two schools is set for this Saturday, December 13th, at 8 pm at the Prudential Center in Newark. Live coverage for the game will be available on FS1.
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