8 key games for upcoming season

 

photo courtesy of the Associated Press

What are the Rutgers Scarlet Knights' most critical games for their upcoming season?

KEY GAMES

• November 18, vs Temple Owls at Mohegan Sun - If Rutgers can get to November 18th unscathed, the Scarlet Knights should be riding high with confidence but they must not underestimate a pesky Temple Owls basketball team. This will be the Scarlet Knights' first real test of the season. Aaron McKie is projected to have his best team yet with prolific scorer Khalif Battle returning to the lineup. The match up with Temple is a great opportunity for Rutgers to nab a neutral floor victory and help their NET ranking.
• November 30, at Miami Hurricanes - Many will expect the Scarlet Knights to be 6-0 by the time they tipoff against Miami in late November. This will be the first true road game of the season for Rutgers, and they have a huge opportunity to pick up a Q1 win. Miami will be loaded offensively with lots of talent.
• December 3, Indiana Hoosiers - What a way to start of a Big Ten conference game! Rutgers hosts the preseason favorites Indiana Hoosiers in what will already be a critical game in the early part of the season. If Rutgers can deliver a one-two punch to the highly-rated Hoosiers, Rutgers could potentially be off to one of its best starts in several years. A win like this could set the tone for the rest of the season.
• December 11, Seton Hall Pirates - Rutgers hosts its bitter rivals in the Garden State Hardwood Classic, and it's a game the Scarlet Knights do not want to lose. The game is at The RAC. The crowd is going to be insane. The atmosphere is going to be intense. New Jersey better get ready for an epic showdown. A win over Seton Hall will surely give the Scarlet Knights a potential Q1/Q2 victory.
• January 5, Maryland Terrapins - The Scarlet Knights welcome back Kevin Willard to The RAC! Maryland has been one of the few teams to have success winning at The RAC and Rutgers will want to end that trend quickly.
• February 4, vs Michigan State Spartans - Rutgers has had the upper hand in the last two seasons against Michigan State with blowout victories. Michigan State will be much improved and this time around the game will be much closer. Although listed as a home game for Rutgers, the February 4th battle will be at Madison Square Garden, which unfortunately takes away the homecourt advantage of The RAC. Expect Spartans fans and Scarlet Knights fans to turn out in numbers for this classic battle in the heart of Manhattan. 
• February 23, Michigan Wolverines - This game is going to be in front of a wild crowd that might blow the roof off The RAC. Last year, things got a little heated in the handshake line after the game and expect the temperature of this game to rise. This will be a very important game concerning the standings in the Big Ten.
• February 26, at Penn State Nittany Lions - Not sure if this game could be a trap game for the Scarlet Knights, but it will be an important one between the two rivals. Rutgers and Penn State have shared some epic physical battles the last couple of seasons. Rutgers may need this win towards the end of the season to stay atop the Big Ten standings.