Now that Rutgers has proof of its improvement in the Big Ten win column, how much will the Scarlet Knights achieve?
They’ll learn whether they can hang with a nationally ranked team when the Scarlet Knights (8-7, 1-3) face No. 16 Illinois (11-3, 2-1) on Thursday night in Champaign, Ill.
In Rutgers’ first three tries against Top 25 teams, they took a 25-point, neutral-court loss to then-No. 17 Tennessee, a 16-point home loss to then-No. 1 Purdue, and a 41-point loss at then-No. 3 Michigan.
But those games were more than a month ago — a different epoch now that Rutgers earned an 88-85 overtime win over Oregon on Monday night.
“They’ve been working harder, getting better,” said Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell. “Couldn’t be more proud. We flew around. Guys were connected. They had each other’s backs. So a really, really good win coming off the backs of a really tough loss (to Ohio State on Friday).”
The Scarlet Knights need affirmation more than most teams because of their roster’s construction. There’s only one senior, center Emmanuel Ogbole, and he averages just 18 minutes per game.
Of the 10 others averaging double-digit minutes, five are freshmen, and juniors Tariq Francis and Darren Buchanan Jr. are mid-major transfers. Francis, who scored 30 points in 30 minutes against Oregon without needing any 3-pointers, has averaged 25 points over the last four games.
Freshman guard Lino Mark played a career-high 26 minutes against Oregon and provided a career-high 13 points.
“Lino’s fast,” Pikiell said. “You saw that. He got a career-high (Monday night). He got downhill. He made plays. He’s getting better. He’s watching more film.
“I don’t know if people understand: It’s tough for freshmen. This is the best league in the country, and challenges come in many different ways. You know, you’ve got to kind of live through it a little bit and then you’ve got to learn how to thrive in it. He’s starting to pick it up.”
The next step for Rutgers’ young-ish crew? Taking the fight to a taller, older, more well-rounded group in Illinois — which happens to have the league’s leading freshman scorer in Keaton Wagler (15.4 ppg).
“Illinois (has) maybe the best starting five or one of the best starting fives in the league with the Freshman of the Year, probably,” Pikiell said. “The challenges keep coming.”
It’s not just the Illini’s starters who are impressive — it’s their depth. Who else brings a player such as 7-foot-2 junior Zvonimir Ivisic off the bench?
When Illinois won 73-65 on Saturday against Penn State in Philadelphia — a victory that looks more impressive after Michigan escaped with a two-point win Tuesday — Ivisic delivered six points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in 23 minutes.
According to KenPom.com, he ranks third nationally with a 14.7% block rate. In old-school terms, Ivisic has swatted 35 shots in 252 minutes. That breaks out to 5.6 per 40 minutes.
“He was second in the SEC in block rate last year,” said Illinois coach Brad Underwood, actually underselling Ivisic’s in-conference performance at Arkansas by one spot. “It’s what he does. He’s got great timing. He’s quick off the ground.”
It might not happen Thursday because Rutgers recently has played better with smaller lineups, but Underwood wants the Ivisic twins — starting center Tomislav Ivisic is one inch shorter than his older brother — to be on the floor simultaneously on occasion instead of always being a platoon.
“I’ve got to figure out ways to play them together a little bit more,” Underwood said. “Z, defensively, is one of the premier players not just in the Big Ten, but in college basketball because he can really move his feet. His shot-blocking and his intimidation is real.”
