Bryant battles Rutgers Thursday on BTN
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Bryant University men's basketball team looks for its first win over a Big Ten opponent in program history when the Bulldogs face Rutgers Thursday night in New Jersey on Big Ten Network.
Bryant, which is visiting the RAC for the second time in three seasons, plays its second game of 2019-20 against a Rutgers team opening its season Thursday.
The Particulars
Opponent: Rutgers
Location: Rutgers Athletic Center – Piscataway, N.J.
Date and Time: Thursday, Nov. 7 – 7 p.m.
Watch: Big Ten Network (Jason Horowitz, Bob Wenzel) | Channel Finder | Watch Online
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Game Notes: Bryant
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #12Seven4 | #NECMBB
SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
Rutgers is coming off a 14-17 campaign in 2018-19, the third for head coach Steve Pikiell. The Scarlet Knights earned wins over ranked Ohio State and Iowa teams in Big Ten play before being downed by Nebraska in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.
The Scarlet Knights return three starters from last year's team, led offensively by Geo Baker at 12.2 points per game. Rutgers also gains the services of grad transfer Akwasi Yeboah, who scored 16.7 points per game last season at Stony Brook before being reunited with Coach Pikiell in Piscataway.
THE SERIES
Bryant and Rutgers are meeting for the third time and second in three seasons. The Scarlet Knights have won both contests, most recently pulling away for an 83-54 victory over the Bulldogs Nov. 21, 2017.
Only two of the 10 Bulldogs who appeared in Tuesday's season opener played in the 2017 game at Rutgers (Adam Grant, Ikenna Ndugba.)
LAST TIME OUT: BROWN 73, BRYANT 71
Bryant battled back from an early 13-point deficit before the teams traded the lead six times in the final 3:25, but a jumper with 12 seconds left proved the difference Tuesday at the Chace. Senior Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) tallied a team-high 21 points in the defeat.
GRANT-LAND
Grant scored 14 of his 21 points Tuesday in the second half and was over the 20-point mark for the 24th time in his career. Grant, who also collected his 300th career rebound vs. Brown, was named a preseason All-NEC selection in October at Barclays Center.
GOING GREEN
Freshman Michael Green III (Bronx, N.Y.) dazzled in his collegiate debut Tuesday with 14 points, including a pair of and-ones and a banked-in three. The Bronx native added five rebounds and four assists in 29 minutes.
BOARD GAMES
Sophomore Patrick Harding (Fairfield, Conn.) led all freshmen nationally with a 27.4 defensive rebounding percentage in 2018-19, per KenPom. Harding ranked 25th nationally and second in the NEC.
Harding recorded a 39.3 defensive rebounding percentage Tuesday vs. Brown - good for 12th nationally in the season's opening night.
SPARK NOTE
The trio of Hall Elisias (Valley Stream, N.Y.), Mikail Simmons (Murphy, Texas) and Green gave the Bulldogs a lift off the bench Tuesday, combining for 34 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. All three were making their Bryant debuts.
0 BACK TO 100
Redshirt-junior Ikenna Ndugba (Boston, Mass.) returned to the floor Tuesday after missing the entire 2018-19 season with a shoulder injury. Ndugba, who averaged 13.8 points per game as a sophomore in 2017-18, recorded the 100th steal of his career while adding eight points and three assists.
STEAL MILL
Grant and Ndugba are rapidly approaching Bryant's Division I career steals record of 116, held by Corey Maynard. Grant's three steals Tuesday moved him up to second at 109, while Ndugba cracked the 100 mark last time out against Brown to rise to the top five.
POLLING PLACE
Bryant was picked sixth in the NEC preseason coaches' poll announced in October at NEC Social Media Day in Brooklyn. The conference's eventual tournament champion has been a team picked sixth or lower in three of the last six seasons.
UP NEXT: CORNELL
Bryant returns to the Chace Athletic Center Sunday to host Cornell. Get your TICKETS for the 1 p.m. tip or watch on NEC Front Row with Jon Wallach and Frankie Dobbs.
Bryant Men's Basketball 2019-20 season tickets are available by clicking HERE.
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