Rutgers Athletics has announced the full non-conference schedule for Men’s and Women’s basketball for one of the most intriguing seasons for both of them in recent memory. On the Men’s side, head coach Steve Pikiell needs to show signs that he is still the guy who can right the ship after a few disappointing seasons over the last couple of years. On the women’s side, new head coach Gary Redus is looking to take his first step into lifting the program out of the bottom of the Big Ten, where it has been for the past few seasons.
Men’s Basketball
On the men’s side, the team will tip off the season with three straight home games, with the first coming against New Haven on November 6th, before NJIT and Bryant roll into town on November 10th and 13. Then Rutgers will head west for the Players Era Tournament, where they will play Houston in the first round on November 17th, before taking on either Florida or Notre Dame on November 18th, and a to-be-determined opponent on November 19th or 20th.
The next five non-conference games for Rutgers will be at home, as they are set to host Sacred Heart on November 24th before taking on rival Seton Hall on December 12th. Keeping the theme local, Rutgers will play host to Saint Peter’s, Army, and Delaware State on December 16th, 20th, and 29th. Their final non-conference game will come in the middle of the season as they travel out to Barclays Center in Brooklyn to take on Syracuse on February 6th.
Women’s Basketball
The first seven out-of-conference games for Rutgers women’s basketball will be home games, as they will open the season against LIU on November 2nd, before they take on La Salle, Indiana State, Monmouth, Albany, Maryland Eastern Shore and Delaware State on November 4th, 8th, 11th, 16th, 19th and 21st. They will then hit the road to play Princeton in the Jadwin Gymnasium on November 25th before heading down to Daytona Beach to participate in the Daytona Beach Classic on November 27th and 28th. (opponents yet to be announced) They will then wrap up the non-conference slate against Saint Peter’s, Seton Hall, Coppin State and Lafayette on December 2nd, 8th, 13th and 20th.
