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.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball
2024–25 Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team
University	Rutgers University
First season	1906–07; 119 years ago[1]
All-time record	1,298–1,263 (.507)
Head coach	Steve Pikiell (9th season)
Conference	Big Ten
Location	Piscataway, New Jersey
Arena	Jersey Mike's Arena (capacity: 8,000)
Nickname	Scarlet Knights
Colors	Scarlet[2]
Uniforms
Home Away
NCAA tournament Final Four
1976
Other NCAA tournament results Elite Eight 1976 Sweet Sixteen 1976, 1979 Appearances 1975, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1989, 1991, 2021, 2022
Conference tournament champions
1975, 1976, 1979, 1989
Conference regular-season champions
1943, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1991

History

See also: List of Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball seasons

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.^[3] 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.^[4] 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.^[5] 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.^[6] 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.^[7] 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.^[8] The Scarlet Knights returned to the tournament again the next season, becoming the team with the lowest NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) ranking at 77th overall to receive an at-large bid since the NCAA has utilized the NET to inform tournament selection choices.^[9]

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.^[10]

Postseason

NCAA tournament results

The Scarlet Knights have appeared in the NCAA tournament eight times. Their combined record is 6–9.

Year	Seed	Round	Opponent	Result
1975		First Round	Louisville	L 78–91
1976		First 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	#6	Second Round Sweet Sixteen	#3 Georgetown #10 St. John's	W 64–58 L 65–67
1983	#9	First Round Second Round	#8 Southwest Louisiana #1 St. John's	W 60–53 L 55–66
1989	#13	First Round	#4 Iowa	L 73–87
1991	#9	First Round	#8 Arizona State	L 76–79
2021	#10	First Round Second Round	#7 Clemson #2 Houston	W 60–56 L 60–63
2022	#11	First Four	#11 Notre Dame	L 87–89 2OT

NIT results

The Scarlet Knights have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 15 times. Their combined record is 16–15.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1967	First 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
1969	First Round	Tennessee	L 51–67
1973	First Round	Minnesota	L 59–68
1974	First Round	Utah	L 89–102
1977	First Round	St. Bonaventure	L 77–79
1978	First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game	Army Indiana State Texas Georgetown	W 72–70 W 57–56 L 76–96 W 85–72
1982	First Round Second Round	Iona Purdue	W 55–51 L 65–98
1990	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals	Holy Cross Fordham Penn State	W 87–78 W 81–74 L 55–58
1992	First Round Second Round	James Madison Manhattan	W 73–69 L 61–62
1999	First Round Second Round	Hofstra Clemson	W 58–45 L 68–78
2000	First Round	Kent State	L 62–73
2002	First Round	Yale	L 65–67
2004	First 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
2006	Opening Round First Round	Penn State Saint Joseph's	W 76–71 L 62–71
2023	First Round	Hofstra	L 86–88OT

Retired numbers

Three Rutgers players have had their numbers retired:^[11]

No.	Player	Pos.	Tenure
12	Phil Sellers	SF	1972–1976
14	Bob Lloyd	G	1964–1967
20	James Bailey	PF	1975–1979

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:

• Bob Lloyd, 1968–1969
• Bob Greacen, 1970–1972
• Phil Sellers, 1977
• Eddie Jordan, 1978–1984
• Hollis Copeland, 1980–1982
• James Bailey, 1980–1988
• Roy Hinson, 1984–1991
• John Battle, 1986–1995
• Charles Jones, 1999–2000
• Dahntay Jones, 2004–2017
• Luis Flores, 2005
• Quincy Douby, 2007–2009
• Hamady N'Diaye, 2011–2014
• Eugene Omoruyi, 2022–2023
• Ron Harper Jr., 2023
• Caleb McConnell, 2023

Players in international competition

• Junior Etou (born 1994), Congolese basketball player for Hapoel Be'er Sheva of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Steve Kaplan, American-Israeli basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League