2019–20 Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team

The 2019–20 Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team represented Rutgers University–New Brunswick during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Scarlet Knights were led by fourth-year head coach Steve Pikiell and played their home games at the Louis Brown Athletic Center in Piscataway, New Jersey as sixth-year members of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 20–11 and 11–9 in Big Ten play to finish in a four-way tie for fifth place. Following the regular season, the Big Ten Tournament and all subsequent postseason tournaments were canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, effectively ending the Knights's season.[1]

2019–20 Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
2019–20 record20–11 (11–9 Big Ten)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaLouis Brown Athletic Center
2019–20 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L PCT  W L PCT
No. 17 Wisconsin146 .700  2110  .677
No. 9 Michigan State146 .700  229  .710
No. 12 Maryland146 .700  247  .774
No. 21 Illinois137 .650  2110  .677
No. 25 Iowa119 .550  2011  .645
Penn State119 .550  2110  .677
No. 19 Ohio State119 .550  2110  .677
Rutgers119 .550  2011  .645
Michigan1010 .500  1912  .613
Purdue911 .450  1615  .516
Indiana911 .450  2012  .625
Minnesota812 .400  1516  .484
Northwestern317 .150  823  .258
Nebraska218 .100  725  .219
As of March 18, 2020; Rankings from AP Poll
Note: The 2020 Big Ten Tournament was canceled prior to the second round due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In January 2020, Rutgers was nationally ranked for the first time since 1979.[2]

Previous season

The Knights finished the 2018–19 season 14–17, 7–13 in Big Ten play to finish in a three-way tie for 10th place. In the Big Ten Tournament, they lost in the first round to Nebraska.

Offseason

Coaching changes

In April 2019, assistant Jay Young was hired as the new head coach at Fairfield.[3] Pikiell elevated senior advisor Steve Hayn to assistant coach as his replacement in May 2019.[4]

Departures

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownReason for departure
Shaquille Doorson2C7'0"275RS SeniorAmsterdam, NetherlandsGraduated
Eugene Omoruyi5F6'6"234JuniorRexdale, ONTransferred to Oregon
Issa Thiam35F6'9"190JuniorDakar, SenegalDismissed from the team due to domestic violence[5]

Incoming transfers

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownPrevious School
Akwasi Yeboah1G/F6'6"235RS SeniorChigwell, EnglandTransferred from Stony Brook. Will be eligible to play since Yeboah graduated from Stony Brook.

2019 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Paul Mulcahy
#21 PG
Gladstone, NJ Gill St. Bernard's School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) May 16, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2019 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2018-09-08.

    Roster

    2019–20 Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team
    PlayersCoaches
    Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
    G 0 Geo Baker 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)185 lb (84 kg) JrProctor Academy Derry, NH
    F 1 Akwasi Yeboah 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)230 lb (104 kg) RS SrBarking Abbey School
    Stony Brook
    Chigwell, England
    F 2 Daniel Lobach (W) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)205 lb (93 kg) FrMoravian Prep Erwin, NC
    G 3 Nick Brooks (W) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)180 lb (82 kg) RS JrVermont Academy
    West Virginia Wesleyan
    Somerset, NJ
    G 4 Paul Mulcahy 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)205 lb (93 kg) FrGill St. Bernard's Bayonne, NJ
    G 10 Joey Downes 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)175 lb (79 kg) RS JrEast Sandwich/Bridgton Academy East Sandwich, MA
    F 11 Mamadou Doucoure 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)250 lb (113 kg) JrOur Savior New American School Bamako, Mali
    F 13 Shaq Carter 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)250 lb (113 kg) SrZion Lutheran High School
    Eastern Florida State
    Hollywood, FL
    C 15 Myles Johnson 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)255 lb (116 kg) RS SoLong Beach Poly Long Beach, CA
    G 22 Caleb McConnell 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)190 lb (86 kg) SoSPIRE Institute Jacksonville, FL
    G 23 Montez Mathis 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)205 lb (93 kg) SoThe John Carroll School Baltimore, MD
    G/F 24 Ron Harper Jr. 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)245 lb (111 kg) SoDon Bosco Prep Franklin Lakes, NJ
    G 32 Peter Kiss 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)200 lb (91 kg) RS JrNotre Dame Prep
    Qunnipiac
    New York City, NY
    G 42 Jacob Young 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)185 lb (84 kg) RS JrYates
    Texas
    Houston, TX
    F/C 55 Luke Nathan (W) 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)245 lb (111 kg) JrRandolph Randolph, NJ
    Head coach
    Assistant coach(es)

    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • (W) Walk-on

    Roster

    Schedule and results

    Date
    time, TV
    Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
    city, state
    Regular season
    November 7, 2019*
    7:00 p.m., BTN
    Bryant
    Garden State Showcase
    W 73–71  1–0
     11  Tied  8  Baker  6  Baker  Louis Brown Athletic Center (5,692)
    Piscataway, NJ
    November 10, 2019*
    1:00 p.m., BTN Plus
    Niagara
    Garden State Showcase
    W 86–39  2–0
     22  Baker  8  Harper Jr.  6  Mulcahy  Louis Brown Athletic Center (4,203)
    Piscataway, NJ
    November 13, 2019*
    8:00 p.m., BTN Plus
    Drexel
    Garden State Showcase
    W 62–57  3–0
     13  Tied  8  Harper Jr.  4  Baker  Louis Brown Athletic Center (6,017)
    Piscataway, NJ
    November 16, 2019*
    7:30 p.m., ESPN+
    vs. St. Bonaventure
    James Naismith Classic
    L 74–80  3–1
     13  McConnell  6  Tied  8  Young  Scotiabank Arena (6,802)
    Toronto, ON, Canada
    November 20, 2019*
    7:00 p.m., BTN Plus
    Stephen F. Austin
    Garden State Showcase
    W 69–57  4–1
     16  McConnell  8  Johnson  4  Baker  Louis Brown Athletic Center (4,536)
    Piscataway, NJ
    November 26, 2019*
    7:00 p.m., BTN
    NJIT W 85–58  5–1
     25  Harper Jr.  11  Johnson  7  Mulcahy  Louis Brown Athletic Center (4,509)
    Piscataway, NJ
    November 29, 2019*
    2:00 p.m., BTN Plus
    UMass W 82–57  6–1
     17  Baker  10  Johnson  4  Baker  Louis Brown Athletic Center (5,592)
    Piscataway, NJ
    December 3, 2019*
    9:00 p.m., ESPNU
    at Pittsburgh
    ACC–Big Ten Challenge
    L 60–71  6–2
     14  Tied  14  Johnson  5  Baker  Petersen Events Center (7,894)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    December 8, 2019
    7:00 p.m., BTN
    at No. 11 Michigan State L 65–77  6–3
    (0–1)
     17  Yeboah  5  Mathis  5  Baker  Breslin Center (14,797)
    East Lansing, MI
    December 11, 2019
    7:00 p.m., BTN
    Wisconsin W 72–65  7–3
    (1–1)
     22  Baker  8  Yeboah  4  Baker  Louis Brown Athletic Center (6,361)
    Piscataway, NJ
    December 14, 2019*
    4:00 p.m., BTN
    No. 22 Seton Hall
    Garden State Hardwood Classic
    W 68–48  8–3
     18  Harper Jr.  13  Johnson  5  Baker  Louis Brown Athletic Center (8,329)
    Piscataway, NJ
    December 22, 2019*
    1:00 p.m., ESPNU
    Lafayette W 63–44  9–3
     18  Johnson  14  Johnson  5  Mulcahy  Louis Brown Athletic Center (5,692)
    Piscataway, NJ
    December 30, 2019*
    7:00 p.m., BTN Plus
    Caldwell W 94–49  10–3
     23  Young  10  Johnson  6  Young  Louis Brown Athletic Center (5,592)
    Piscataway, NJ
    January 3, 2020
    8:00 p.m., BTN
    at Nebraska W 79–62  11–3
    (2–1)
     20  McConnell  14  Johnson  5  McConnell  Pinnacle Bank Arena (15,024)
    Lincoln, NE
    January 7, 2020
    7:00 p.m., BTN
    No. 20 Penn State W 72–61  12–3
    (3–1)
     22  Harper Jr.  8  McConnell  5  Mulcahy  Louis Brown Athletic Center (8,000)
    Piscataway, NJ
    January 11, 2020
    12:00 p.m., BTN
    at Illinois L 51–54  12–4
    (3–2)
     16  Young  7  McConnell  3  Mathis  State Farm Center (11,070)
    Champaign, IL
    January 15, 2020
    7:00 p.m., BTN
    Indiana W 59–50  13–4
    (4–2)
     14  Yeboah  6  Yeboah  5  Baker  Louis Brown Athletic Center (8,000)
    Piscataway, NJ
    January 19, 2020
    1:00 p.m., BTN
    Minnesota W 64–56  14–4
    (5–2)
     11  Tied  12  McConnell  2  Tied  Louis Brown Athletic Center (8,000)
    Piscataway, NJ
    January 22, 2020
    9:00 p.m., BTN
    No. 24 at No. 19 Iowa L 80–85  14–5
    (5–3)
     29  Harper Jr.  9  Harper Jr.  5  McConnell  Carver–Hawkeye Arena (10,006)
    Iowa City, IA
    January 25, 2020
    2:00 p.m., BTN
    No. 24 Nebraska W 75–72  15–5
    (6–3)
     20  Yeboah  11  Johnson  4  Harper Jr.  Louis Brown Athletic Center (8,000)
    Piscataway, NJ
    January 28, 2020
    8:00 p.m., BTN
    No. 25 Purdue W 70–63  16–5
    (7–3)
     16  McConnell  7  Tied  2  Tied  Louis Brown Athletic Center (8,000)
    Piscataway, NJ
    February 1, 2020
    4:30 p.m., BTN
    No. 25 vs. Michigan
    B1G Super Saturday
    L 63–69  16–6
    (7–4)
     17  Mathis  8  Tied  3  Baker  Madison Square Garden (13,127)
    New York, NY
    February 4, 2020
    7:00 p.m., FS1
    at No. 9 Maryland L 51–56  16–7
    (7–5)
     13  Yeboah  8  Johnson  3  Baker  Xfinity Center (15,855)
    College Park, MD
    February 9, 2020
    6:30 p.m., BTN
    Northwestern W 77–73 OT 17–7
    (8–5)
     25  Baker  10  Johnson  5  Baker  Louis Brown Athletic Center (8,000)
    Piscataway, NJ
    February 12, 2020
    7:00 p.m., BTN
    at Ohio State L 66–72  17–8
    (8–6)
     17  Young  6  Yeboah  4  Yeboah  Value City Arena (15,552)
    Columbus, OH
    February 15, 2020
    4:30 p.m., BTN
    No. 22 Illinois W 72–57  18–8
    (9–6)
     27  Harper Jr.  11  Johnson  7  Baker  Louis Brown Athletic Center (8,000)
    Piscataway, NJ
    February 19, 2020
    7:00 p.m., BTN
    Michigan L 52–60  18–9
    (9–7)
     16  Baker  5  Tied  2  Harper Jr.  Louis Brown Athletic Center (8,000)
    Piscataway, NJ
    February 23, 2020
    1:00 p.m., BTN
    at Wisconsin L 71–79  18–10
    (9–8)
     21  Harper Jr.  9  Harper Jr.  6  Baker  Kohl Center (17,287)
    Madison, WI
    February 26, 2020
    7:00 p.m., BTN
    at No. 16 Penn State L 64–65  18–11
    (9–9)
     13  Young  11  Johnson  5  Young  Bryce Jordan Center (8,345)
    University Park, PA
    March 3, 2020
    7:00 p.m., BTN
    No. 9 Maryland W 78–67  19–11
    (10–9)
     17  Young  8  Tied  4  Baker  Louis Brown Athletic Center (8,000)
    Piscataway, NJ
    March 7, 2020
    2:00 p.m., BTN
    at Purdue W 71–68 OT 20–11
    (11–9)
     19  Baker  6  Tied  3  Baker  Mackey Arena (14,804)
    West Lafayette, IN
    Big Ten Tournament
    March 12, 2020*
    12:00 pm, BTN
    (8) vs. (9) Michigan
    Second round
    Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic Bankers Life Fieldhouse 
    Indianapolis, IN
    *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
    All times are in Eastern Time.

    Source[6]

    Rankings

    Ranking movements
    Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
    NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes.
    Week
    Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Final 
    AP NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR RV 24 25 RV RV RV NR NR RV RV 
    Coaches NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR RV 25 25 RV RV RV NR NR RV RV

    *AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings

    References

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