Opinion: Rutgers MBB Had a “Poor Man’s Schiano Season”

Rutgers fans know the script by now.

Beat the teams you’re supposed to beat. Lose to the teams you’re supposed to lose to. Finish with a “respectable” record that still feels unsatisfying.

Rutgers football fans have watched that formula play out for years under Greg Schiano. The Scarlet Knights handle much of their nonconference schedule, take care of the weaker teams in the Big Ten Conference, and occasionally pick off a struggling opponent.

Advertisement

Then the ceiling shows up.

Sometimes it’s the conference’s elite. But often it arrives earlier than that. Very good teams. Good teams. Occasionally, even the teams are just slightly above average.

Rutgers doesn’t just struggle against national contenders. More often than not, the Scarlet Knights run into trouble against much of the upper half of the Big Ten.

The result is a season that looks respectable in the standings but feels strangely predictable as it unfolds.

This year, Rutgers basketball roughly followed that same script.

In many ways, the Scarlet Knights delivered what could best be described as a “poor man’s Schiano season.”

Advertisement

RU Basketball Usually Thrives on Chaos

Under Steve Pikiell, Rutgers basketball has rarely been predictable.

The program built its reputation on disruption. The RAC — now officially known as Jersey Mike’s Arena — became one of the toughest environments in the Big Ten.

Fans still call it the RAC, of course. Old habits die hard in Piscataway. But whatever name you prefer, the building has turned into a place where ranked teams walk in expecting a routine conference game and suddenly find themselves in a rock fight.

The crowd sits right on top of the court. The noise builds with every defensive stop. And before long, a game that looked predictable starts slipping away from the favorite.

Advertisement

For years, that atmosphere helped Rutgers flip the script against stronger teams.

That chaos became the identity of Pikiell’s program.

This Season Followed the Football…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/opinion-rutgers-mbb-had-poor-162517861.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-03-14 16:25:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.