At the moment, Rutgers sports one of the best statistical defenses in all of college basketball. After six games, the Scarlet Knights (5-1) rank first in 3-point defense, with opponents shooting just 18 percent from beyond the arc. They rank fifth in steals (11.8 per game), seventh in field-goal percentage defense (.341) and eighth in scoring defense, allowing just 52.8 points per game.
“This group’s been more energized, been more into that end of the floor,” coach Steve Pikiell said, in comparison to last year.
There are two caveats here: First, Rutgers has done most of this without its best defensive player, Caleb McConnell, who just returned from a knee injury. Second, the competition has been second-tier to this point.
That changes Wednesday, when the Scarlet Knights visit Miami (6-1) in the final go-round of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, which is expiring after 23 years. The Hurricanes average 74 points per game and have the 27th-best offense in the country according to the analytics website Kenpom.com. They’re led by Piscataway-born guard Isaiah Wong (13.4 ppg, 3.4 apg), who was raised in South Brunswick and attended Notre Dame high school in Mercer County for two years before moving to Philadelphia.
“He can really create his own, can really score,” Pikiell said.
He could be an ideal assignment for McConnell, the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. But other Scarlet Knights have impressed Pikiell at that end. Junior forward Mawot Mag leads the team in deflections and has graded out as its top defender thus far.
“Mawot brings a size and athleticism and an energy that we didn’t have, and I can put him anywhere on defense,” Pikiell said. “Ron (Harper) was a really good player but didn’t play with that kind of (defensive) energy, same with Geo (Baker) sometimes.”
Senior guard Cam Spencer ranks second in the nation in steals (3.67 per game) – “at 221 pounds, he’s a lot stronger than other people,” Pikiell said – and freshman center Antwone Woolfolk leads the team in deflections per minutes played.
“He’s really into that end of the floor,” Pikiell said. “Once we get him to stop fouling, he’s going to be really good.”
Areas of concern?
Ball-handling has been a mixed bag without injured point guard Paul Mulcahy (shoulder). As of Monday night, Pikiell said Mulcahy still had not been cleared for contact. Guard-oriented and long in the wings, Miami is likely to put heavy defensive pressure on the ball.
“I think our guys are getting better at handling that stuff,” Pikiell said. “You’ve kind of got to live through it. They have, and I think they’ve improved.”
Rutgers’ rebounding numbers have not been impressive given the level of competition, but Pikiell said there’s more there than meets the eye.
“I haven’t been thrilled with our rebounding, but when I looked at it, we’re causing so many turnovers (19 per game) that we have less opportunities to rebound,” Pikiell said. He added that Rutgers has missed a fairly high number of second free throws, padding opponents’ board totals.
Future scheduling
The interleague challenge series have added some juice to the sport in November, although Rutgers has somehow drawn three trips to Miami in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge since 2016. The challenges’ disappearance – the Gavitt Games series with the Big East might expire after next season – does not surprise Pikiell. The Big Ten is expanding to 16 teams in two years and probably will continue to grow beyond that.
“I think we’re headed to all league games eventually,” Pikiell said. “I don’t sit in on those meetings, but I just think that’s what’s going to happen – down the road our schedule is going to be Seton Hall and all league games.”
It doesn’t sound like he’s going to miss the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
“This is our third time at Miami,” he said. “How has that happened?”
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at [email protected].
