Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball


The Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team represents Rutgers University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition and competes in the Big Ten Conference. Rutgers made the NCAA Final Four in 1976. Rutgers has appeared in the NCAA tournament eight times, most recently appearing in 2022. Rutgers has produced many NBA players, most notably Roy Hinson, John Battle, and James Bailey. In 2025, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey made history in the 2025 NBA Draft being selected as the highest Scarlet Knights drafted in the NBA Draft being drafted with the Second and Fifth pick respectively.
WWW scarletknights.com/sports...

History

The history of Rutgers men's basketball dates back to 1906 when they began their first season of play. Their first recorded game was a loss to New York University by a score of 38–16. The team was dissolved following the 1907-1908 season, only to be reformed in 1913 where they remained intact uninterrupted until the 1943 season.
The team played in the Final Four in the 1976 NCAA tournament and ended the 1976 season ranked fourth in the nation, after a 86–70 loss against the Michigan Wolverines in the semifinal round and a 106–92 loss to the UCLA Bruins in the tournament's third-place consolation game. This was the last men's Division I tournament to date to feature two unbeaten teams, as both Indiana, who won that year's title, and Rutgers entered the tournament unbeaten. Rutgers went 31–0 during the regular season.
The Scarlet Knights also played in the championship game of the 2004 NIT Final, losing to the Michigan Wolverines 62–55.
The Scarlet Knights had a prolonged down period through the following decade, cycling through a number of coaches and routinely finishing at the bottom of the Big East standings. This period included a scandal in 2013 with then head coach Mike Rice Jr. being shown on video verbally and physically abusing players. The scandal resulted in the firing of Coach Rice as well as the resignation of then Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti.
Rutgers basketball played their first season in the Big Ten conference in 2014–2015. After the hiring of Head Coach Steve Pikiell in 2016, the program began to see renewed success. In the 2019–20 season, led by guards Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr., the Scarlet Knights reached the 20-win mark for the first time since the 2003-04 season, including an 18–1 home record and four wins against ranked opponents. That year, they ranked in the top 25 of the AP men's college basketball poll for the first time since 1979. Experts widely predicted Rutgers' inclusion in the 2020 NCAA tournament, but the event was cancelled before the field was announced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The following season, the team would officially break its 30-year tournament drought when it earned a 10-seed in the 2021 NCAA tournament, where it would also achieve its first tournament win since 1983 in a first round win over Clemson. The Scarlet Knights returned to the tournament again the next season, becoming the team with the lowest NET ranking at 77th overall to receive an at-large bid since the NCAA has utilized the NET to inform tournament selection choices.
After disappointing back-to-back seasons of missed tournaments, the Scarlet Knights now anticipate the arrival of their 2024 recruiting class, which ranks among the best of all collegiate basketball programs for the year, headlined by two McDonald's All-American players: forward Airious "Ace" Bailey and guard Dylan Harper.

Postseason

NCAA tournament results

The Scarlet Knights have appeared in the NCAA tournament eight times. Their combined record is 6–9.
1975First RoundLouisvilleL 78–91
1976First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National 3rd Place Game		Princeton
Connecticut
VMI
Michigan
UCLA		W 54–53
W 93–79
W 91–75
L 70–86
L 92–106
1979#6Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		#3 Georgetown
  1. 10 St. John's
W 64–58L 65–67
1983#9First Round
Second Round		#8 Southwest Louisiana
  1. 1 St. John's
W 60–53L 55–66
1989#13First Round#4 IowaL 73–87
1991#9First Round#8 Arizona StateL 76–79
2021#10First Round
Second Round		#7 Clemson
  1. 2 Houston
W 60–56L 60–63
2022#11First Four#11 Notre DameL 87–89 2OT

NIT results

The Scarlet Knights have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament 15 times. Their combined record is 16–15.
1967First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game		Utah State
New Mexico
Southern Illinois
Marshall		W 78–76
W 65–60
L 70–79
W 93–76
1969First RoundTennesseeL 51–67
1973First RoundMinnesotaL 59–68
1974First RoundUtahL 89–102
1977First RoundSt. BonaventureL 77–79
1978First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game		Army
Indiana State
Texas
Georgetown		W 72–70
W 57–56
L 76–96
W 85–72
1982First Round
Second Round		Iona
Purdue		W 55–51
L 65–98
1990First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		Holy Cross
Fordham
Penn State		W 87–78
W 81–74
L 55–58
1992First Round
Second Round		James Madison
Manhattan		W 73–69
L 61–62
1999First Round
Second Round		Hofstra
Clemson		W 58–45
L 68–78
2000First RoundKent StateL 62–73
2002First RoundYaleL 65–67
2004First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final		Temple
West Virginia
Villanova
Iowa State
Michigan		W 76–71
W 67–64
W 72–60
W 84–81
L 55–62
2006Opening Round
First Round		Penn State
Saint Joseph's		W 76–71
L 62–71
2023First RoundHofstraL 86–88OT

Retired numbers

Three Rutgers players have had their numbers retired:
12Phil SellersSF1972–1976
14Bob LloydG1964–1967
20James BaileyPF1975–1979

Scarlet Knights in the NBA

23 Rutgers alumni have been selected in the NBA draft. Dylan Harper is the highest selected Scarlet Knight ever in the draft being selected as 2nd overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.
15 Rutgers alumni have played at least one game in the NBA, including:

Players in international competition