Rutgers Scarlet Knights: A Century of Basketball and NCAA Tournament History
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights boast a rich basketball history, dating back to their first season in 1906. From humble beginnings to Final Four appearances and recent NCAA Tournament berths, the program has experienced both triumphs and tribulations. This article will delve into the history of Rutgers men's basketball, focusing on their NCAA Tournament appearances and the key figures who have shaped the program.
Early Years and the Rise of a Program
The earliest games of basketball on the Rutgers campus took place in 1906 under the leadership of head coach Frank Gorton. After a couple seasons of losing basketball, Rutgers did not compete again until 1913. In 1915, Frank Hill became the head coach of Rutgers men’s basketball and led the team to a record of 223-162 in his 28 seasons at the helm. Hill’s 28-year tenure as head coach remains the longest in the history of Rutgers men’s basketball.
After struggling through the ’50s, Rutgers began to improve with the hiring of head coach Bill Foster in 1963. With standout performances by star players Bob Lloyd and Jim Valvano, Rutgers achieved a record of 17-7 in the 1965-1966 season. The next season, Rutgers continued in the right direction by going 22-7, which scored Rutgers a birth in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), where they finished 3rd. In his sophomore through senior seasons, Bob Lloyd never averaged less than 25 points per game, and currently stands as Rutgers all-time scoring average leader.
In 1971, assistant coach Dick Lloyd replaced Foster as head coach. With the help of his assistant Dick Vitale, Rutgers was able to land top recruits like Phil Sellers and Mike Dabney. In 1973, Tom Young became head coach. Additions to the team during the next few years saw Eddie Jordan, Hollis Copeland and James Bailey play their home games in Rutgers’ College Avenue Gymnasium.
The Golden Era: The 1970s and the Final Four Run
The 1970s marked a period of unprecedented success for Rutgers basketball. Tom Young's arrival in 1973 ushered in an era of competitiveness and national recognition. His first six teams enjoyed postseason play. The 1973-74 team went to the NIT and the next two units made NCAA appearances, including the 1976 Final Four. The 1976-77 squad (18-10) visited the NIT and the 1977-78 team (24-7) was an NCAA participant. Young's first six teams enjoyed postseason play. The seasons, stretching from Sellers to Battle, were times against which past and future Rutgers basketball successes are, and will be, tested. The seventies alone produced a glorious 194-87 mark and a winning percentage of .690.
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The 1975-1976 season saw Rutgers men’s basketball have the greatest success in its history. An undefeated 26-0 season made Rutgers a national title contender. The talent of the team brought sellout crowds to the College Ave. Gym. When standing room only space was filled to capacity, students would sneak in and sit on the floor with their feet almost over the boundary lines. The Scarlet Knights’ play produced roaring crowds that rocked the arena to the point that paint chips fell from the ceiling.
In the 1976 NCAA Tournament, Rutgers advanced to the Final Four in Philadelphia. This was the last Final Four to feature two undefeated teams (Rutgers and Indiana). They entered the NCAA Tournament a perfect 27-0. Rutgers was tested immediately but was able to survive and pick up a 54-53 victory over Princeton. This was the first tournament win in school history and it got the team going. They would win back-to-back games by double digits and advance to the Final Four to face Michigan. The Wolverines snapped Rutgers’ 30-game win streak and handed them a 86-70 loss and an exit from the tournament.
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. The team played its home games in College Avenue Gymnasium in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and was an NCAA Division I Independent. The Scarlet Knights played an exciting, up-tempo brand of basketball, averaging a school-record of 93.3 points per game. 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.
Key players from this era include:
- Phil Sellers: Sellers became the second Scarlet Knight to have his jersey (12) retired on Jan. Sellers once again led Rutgers with 19.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. He led the team in scoring with 22.7 points per game and added 9.4 rebounds a night.
- Mike Dabney: Dabney added 19.1 points per contest as the Scarlet Knights finished the season 31-2.
- Eddie Jordan: Jordan, who later became a Rutgers assistant and head coach, as well as a head coach in the NBA with the 76ers, Wizards and Kings, would join this cast in 1973 when Tom Young became the 11th Scarlet head coach.
Due to the success of the program and the dilapidated state of the College Ave. Gym, Rutgers moved into a new arena in 1977. The Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC), later renamed Louis Brown Athletic Center, has been the home of Rutgers basketball ever since.
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NCAA Tournament History: A Detailed Look
The Scarlet Knights have made the tournament eight times in program history. The Scarlet Knights have appeared in the NCAA tournament eight times.
- 1975: Tom Young led Rutgers to their first tournament appearance in school history. A 22-7 season ended with a 91-78 loss to Louisville in the first round.
- 1976: The Scarlet Knights had the best season in their history. With Sellers, Dabney, Jordan, Copeland, Bailey and Anderson as the sixth man, the Scarlet Knights raced to Rutgers' highest success with a perfect 26-0 regular season mark in 1975-76. Rutgers advanced to the Final Four.
- 1979: Young led the Scarlet Knights to the tournament for the third time as head coach. James Bailey, who was taken wit the sixth-pick in the 1979 NBA Draft, scored 18.5 points a night to lead the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers entered the tournament as a six-seed and was able to upset third-seeded Georgetown in the second round. They were eventually eliminated by No. 10 St. John’s 67-65.
- 1983: The Scarlet Knights were back in the tournament for the fourth time in eight years. They came in off a loss to Temple in the A-10 Tournament but were able to take down eighth-seeded Southwest Louisiana in the second round. The Scarlet Knights were a nine-seed which means a date with No. 1 St. John’s was next. For the second-straight appearance, the Johnnies were the team to eliminate Rutgers.
- 1989: RU would return in 1989 after winning the Atlantic-10 Tournament Championship as a 13-seed and be taken down by No. 4 Iowa. The "Dream Big Dreams" season of 1988-89, orchestrated by Wenzel, is indelibly etched in Rutgers hoop annals. That year, the Scarlet Knights won the Atlantic 10 title with a win over Penn State, reaching their first NCAA appearance in six seasons. To top things off, Wenzel earned conference Coach of the Year honors.
- 1991: The last time in the NCAA tournament for Rutgers prior to last season was back in 1991. It was Bob Wenzel on the sideline and Keith Hughes dominating on the floor with 21 points and 10 rebounds per game. The Scarlet Knights were given a nine-seed and a matchup with No. 8 Arizona State. Rutgers led by six at halftime but were blitzed in the second half. Arizona State scored 49 points in the final 20 minutes and picked up the 79-76 victory. Hughes finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds while Earl Duncan added 20 points. The Sun Devils were led by Tarence Wheeler and Isaac Austin, who scored 25 points a piece.
- 2021: After a daunting Big Ten schedule and months of speculation, it is now official. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 30 years. The Scarlet Knights entered the tournament as a 10 seed and earned their first victory since 1983. The Scarlet Knights took down Clemson before moving on to take on second-seeded Houston. Rutgers held a lead late in the game and looked primed and ready for an appearance in the Sweet 16. In the end, it looked as though the Scarlet Knights took the air out of the ball a bit early and could not get anything going. Houston stormed back and eliminated Rutgers in shocking fashion. The Scarlet Knights will face seventh-seeded Clemson on Friday. If they were to move on, second-seeded Houston could be their next opponent. The draw for Rutgers in the Midwest Region is a good one. Players like Myles Johnson, Jacob Young, Ron Harper Jr., and of course, Geo Baker have turned the program around in Piscataway. It is only right to think about the players and teams who have made this all possible.
- 2022: Rutgers has not had easy roads to the tournament in recent years. This should actually be their third consecutive trip if the pandemic did not cancel the 2020 tournament. The Scarlet Knights have been selected as an 11 seed and will take on Notre Dame in the First Four on Wednesday in Dayton. This comes after Rutgers earned the 4th spot in the Big Ten Tournament with a 12-8 conference record. Over the course of the season, Rutgers became the first unranked team to defeat ranked opponents in four consecutive games. Also, this marks the second time in program history that the team will compete in the tournament in back-to-back seasons and first time in 46 years.
The 1983 victory over Southwest Louisiana was the last victory in the NCAA Tournament for Rutgers before the 2021 win over Clemson.
The Post-Young Era: Challenges and Rebuilding
The 1980's were a mixed bag. Tom Young led Rutgers to the 1982-83 NCAA Tournament before leaving to head the Old Dominion program in 1985. In 1988, Rutgers alum Bob Wenzel rose to the head coaching spot and brought the team to the NCAA Tournament after an Atlantic 10 title-winning season. 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.
In 1995, Rutgers moved to the Big East Conference. The last moments of success for Rutgers men’s basketball occurred in 2004 when head coach Gary Waters and scoring machine Quincy Douby led the Knights to the NIT final, where they lost to Michigan. Douby would go on to be drafted with the 19th pick of the first round in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings.
Rutgers had not made headlines since in men’s basketball until a scandal in 2013 involving former head coach Mike Rice. Video surfaced of Rice verbally and physically abusing his players during practice. The incident brought national media to the Rutgers campus and resulted in Rice being fired and athletic director Tim Pernetti resigning.
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The Pikiell Era: A New Hope
After the hiring of Head Coach Steve Pikiell in 2016, the program began to see renewed success. Steve Pikiell has built a strong program and has done it in the best conference in the nation in the Big Ten.
Under first-year head coach Steve Pikiell in 2016-17, Rutgers more than doubled its overall win total and tripled its conference victory total from 2015-16. The Scarlet Knights achieved a plus-117 rank improvement in RPI, as well as major NCAA ranking improvements in rebound margin (+299), scoring defense (+272), three point FG defense (+247), offensive rebounds (+244), rebounds (+232), field goal percentage defense (+226) and blocks (+114).
The team continued its ascent in 2018-19, realizing numerous achievements. Throughout Pikiell's career he has been instrumental in turnarounds that have resulted in conference championships and post-season berths and that trend is also taking shape "On the Banks." Per KenPom.com, Rutgers was the nation's most improved Power 6 conference program, improving 71 positions since the season's initial rating on Nov. 6, 2018. Projected to finish 14th in the preseason, Rutgers tied for 10th in the Big Ten standings.
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. Pikiell was a Recipient of the 2019-20 Jim Phelan Award, presented annually to the nation's top Division I coach, and Peter A. Rutgers joined the rankings for the first time in 41 years, since the final 1978-79 AP Poll (No. 18). The Scarlet Knights were No. 24/25 & No. 25/25 in the Jan. 20 & 27 polls, respectively. RU was ranked or receiving votes for eight weeks. Pikiell led the Scarlet Knights to most conference victories (11) in 29 years, since 1990-91 (14-4; A-10), while also posting its first winning league record in 29 years.
In 2020 the basketball team opened the RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center to help further the mission of bringing winning back to Piscataway. During the 2020-21 season Pikiell led the program to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991. The head coach guided the Scarlet Knights to an opening round victory over No. The Scarlet Knights' win over No. 7 seed Clemson in the opening round marked the highest seeded team defeated in the NCAA Tournament since 1979, before falling to an eventual Final Four team in No. While facing a strength of schedule ranked as the second toughest in the nation by ESPN.com, Rutgers went 16-12 overall, ensuring back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 29 years. Under Pikiell's leadership, Rutgers won 10 Big Ten Conference games, and has earned 21 Big Ten wins over the past two seasons. RU finished tied for sixth in the nation's top-rated conference. The team spent 11 weeks nationally ranked or receiving votes in the AP Poll, peaking at No. In the regular season, RU earned wins over five teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament - No. 1 seed Illinois, No. 4 seed Purdue, No. 10 seed Maryland, No. 11 seed Michigan State and No. 11 seed Syracuse.
The 2020s saw a revitalization of the men’s program. Ron Harper Jr.-a Don Bosco High School product-and Caleb McConnell led the Scarlet Knights to NCAA Tournament berths in 2021 and 2022. McConnell was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, Rutgers boasted one of the nation’s top recruiting classes, including Dylan Harper (Ron’s brother) and Ace Bailey.
Rutgers has the makings of a team that could potentially be in action in the second weekend. They will certainly be a tough out and history shows at-large teams that win in the First Four can make a memorable run.
A Look at the Women's Program
In the 1970s, Rutgers became coeducational, which led to the emergence of the Rutgers women’s basketball team. In 1974, the Lady Scarlet Knights took the floor for the first time. The 1976 season was historic as Theresa Grentz not only became Rutgers’ first full-time women’s basketball coach, but also the first in the country. 1982 saw Rutgers women win the AIAW National Championship over Texas with Patty Coyle scoring 30 points and winning tournament MVP honors.
In 1995, C. Vivian Stringer was hired as head coach of Rutgers women’s basketball team. Stringer led the team to numerous upsets and NCAA Tournament appearances. In the 2000 tournament, Stringer became the first coach ever to lead three different schools to the Final Four. Rutgers women returned to the Final Four again in 2007. In the semifinals, Rutgers blew out LSU to advance to the championship game. However, they once again lost to Tennessee. Headlines were made after the game due to inappropriate comments from radio host Don Imus, who called the Rutgers women “nappy-headed hoes”. The comments became a national story and prompted Al Sharpton to call for Imus’ dismissal. Due to the controversy, Imus’ show was canceled.
Rutgers women’s basketball team has produced many stars and eventual WNBA players including Cappie Pondexter, Essence Carson, Matee Ajavon, Kia Vaughn, Kahleah Copper, Betnijah Laney, Epiphanny Prince and Erica Wheeler.
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