Rutgers basketball in jeopardy of missing Big Ten Tournament after wipeout at Oregon

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A once-unthinkable scenario is now a possibility for Rutgers basketball: Missing the Big Ten Tournament.

Sunday’s 75-57 wipeout at Oregon leaves the Scarlet Knights hanging onto 15th place with five regular-season games left. Only 15 of 18 teams make the league tourney.

Rutgers (12-14 overall, 5-10 Big Ten) has dropped three straight and is playing disconnected and unfocused on both ends of the court. Sunday’s second half looked dangerously close to a mail-in as the program’s most-anticipated season in decades has unspooled into a nightmare.

Oregon (18-8, 7-8) dominated the first meeting between these programs since 1985, outrebounding and outshooting the Scarlet Knights, who managed just five assists.

Feb 16, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Ace Bailey (4) shoots the ball over Oregon Ducks guard TJ Bamba (5) during the first half at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

THREE THOUGHTS

1. That 3-point defense

Oregon came in ranked 11th in the Big Ten in 3-point shooting at 33.5 percent but looked like a team of Steph Currys against the Scarlet Knights, hitting 13-of-22 (59 percent) from deep against a perimeter defense wracked by confused switches and late close-outs.

It’s one thing to make a bunch of tough, contested shots. But most of Oregon’s triples were the result of defensive breakdowns.

That’s three straight porous defensive efforts by the Scarlet Knights, who yielded 90 points to Maryland and a 51-point second half to Iowa.

Steve Pikiell knows how to coach defense. Even last season’s sub-.500 squad ranked among the nation’s top 10 in defensive efficiency. But this group, which seemed to be making progress on that end until last week, is not playing smart or hard right now – and it’s a bad look for everyone in the program, from the top on down.

2. Another struggle for Bailey and Harper

Oregon Nate Bittle, right, blocks a shot by Rutgers’s Dylan Harpe during the first half.

For the third straight game, Ace…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/rutgers-basketball-jeopardy-missing-big-021726134.html

Author : App.com | Asbury Park Press

Publish date : 2025-02-17 02:17:00

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