The Penn State Nittany Lions play host to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a crucial Big Ten showdown on Sunday night from the Bryce Jordan Center. Rutgers comes into this one as losers of four of their last five games, while the Nittany Lions are playing some of their best basketball of the season. The first meeting between the two saw Rutgers dominate at home, though with the two going in opposite directions of late, there's no doubt that this one could go either way.
Once a Top 25 team and viewed as one of the better groups in the Big Ten, Rutgers has fallen on hard times of late and will be looking to quickly fix things as they hit the road in this one. A loss last time out at home to Michigan turned some heads, especially as it marked their fourth loss in their last five games. Adding to the concern is that this group has just a 3-6 record in road games this year, so the travel for Sunday night might present a problem. The only thing this group will be looking for will be their earlier success against the Nittany Lions this season when they won by 20 points at home. The Scarlet Knights will be hoping they can replicate that performance and carry some confidence over from that matchup, though there's no doubt it will be a challenge. With March quickly approaching and their projected seeding falling, Rutgers knows this is a crucial opportunity.
The Scarlet Knights continue to navigate one injury as they hit the road for this one. Mawot Mag (knee) went down with a season-ending injury on February 7th and there's been some difficulty replacing him. While far from a star, he did play over 24 minutes per game, and from a depth perspective, he's been difficult to replace.
Back to business. All aboard the bus to PSU. ???????#TheKnighthood???? pic.twitter.com/hxORDjUl1u
— Rutgers Men's Basketball ?? (@RutgersMBB) February 25, 2023
As one of the best defensive teams in the country, Rutgers did a great job in the first meeting to slow down Penn State's efficient offense and they'll be looking to replicate that in the rematch. Ranked ninth in scoring defense and eighth in field-goal percentage defense, they have the blueprint to find success in this one. There are worries on the offensive end of things, though their ability to hit the offensive glass should be a massive advantage that could be the difference in the rematch. Clifford Omoruyi (13.3 ppg, 9.8 rpg) has been a force on both ends this season and if he can stay out of foul trouble, he will be a difficult matchup for the Nittany Lions to slow down.
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