It wasn't easy and it wasn't pretty, but the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (18-12; 12-8) found a way to win against their rival the Penn State Nittany Lions (12-16; 7-13), and continue their historic run at an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament. Victories under Steve Pikiell are never pretty, and that's because he likes to win ugly. Aaron Breitman, managing editor of On The Banks, stated "Rutgers wins on Senior Day with perfect ending". Breitman alluded to Rutgers winning with a "perfect ending" because once again, the Scarlet Knights overcame adversity and defied all odds.
A lot of emotion was swirling around before and after the game because it was Senior Day at The RAC. This was the last time Rutgers nation got to see Geo Baker, Ron Harper Jr., and Caleb McConnell suit up in action at The RAC. Hours before tip-off, as reported by Brian Fonseca of NJ Advance Media, students waited in long lines for student tickets to see this trio play one last time. Just hours before tip-off, Rutgers cheap seats were listed for over $300 each on StubHub. After all was said and done, The RAC was packed to the gills (official attendance of 8,399) to send-off these Rutgers legends one last time in superb fashion.
Once again, the Scarlet Knights were under immense pressure to win their last game of the regular season against Penn State. There were three main things that hung in the balance and why it was necessary for Rutgers to beat Penn State:
- A must-win against Penn State (Q3). A loss to Penn State would have likely ended Rutgers chances of receiving an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament.
- A chance for 4th place in the Big Ten final regular season standings. Since joining the league Rutgers has never finished in 4th place in the conference. From 2015 to 2018, Rutgers finished at the bottom in 14th place. In 2019, Rutgers finished in 12th place. In 2020, Rutgers finished in 8th place. Last season, Rutgers finished 7th place.
- A chance to lock up a double-bye. With a victory and fortunes on their side (losses for Ohio State and Iowa), Rutgers was able to secure 4th place and receive a double-bye in the Big Ten Conference tournament. This is the first time in Rutgers basketball history they have been able to receive a double-bye.
After being written off many times by the media and fans, this Rutgers team found a way to persevere. They played with great mental focus, toughness, and tenacity against Penn State. There was no way this team was going to lay down and let Penn State trounce them like they did earlier in the season.
Rutgers can rest easy for almost the entirety of the week, as they will await the winner of Iowa vs Northwestern/Nebraska on Friday, March 11th (2 PM, BTN). Sure, Rutgers will have some intense practices leading up to the conference tournament and some time off to relax, but the Scarlet Knights must not forget what got them to a 4-seed. It was their will to never let up, and never quit. Rutgers has a serious chance at making an appearance in the Big Ten Tournament Championship, and possibly winning the entire conference tournament. As it stands, Rutgers is at +2300 odds to win the Big Ten Tournament, according to Circa Sports.
As spectators and analysts of college basketball, we are seeing one of the most amazing runs from a college basketball team that you might not see for years to come. This team barely had a pulse after losing to Lafayette and Massachusetts earlier in the season, but the Scarlet Knights fought hard and defied the odds. Their relentless hard work, never quit attitude, and will to fight kept them afloat and eventually catapulted them into the top four of the Big Ten conference, and most importantly of all, a shot at an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.
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