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Rutgers basketball 2026-27: Reasons to hope and mope, must-see games, prediction
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- Rutgers basketball 2026-27: Reasons to hope and mope, must-see games, prediction
These are unprecedented times for the Rutgers basketball program.
Head coach Steve Pikiell is battling cancer, sparking a "Rutgers Tough" movement in the process.
The Scarlet Knights finally caught up with the Joneses in terms of roster funding and hiring a general manager.
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Outside prognostications expect little of this team, but there were tantalizing preseason glimpses.
Rutgers basketball players, including new center Christian Gurdak (No. 32), huddle up during a June workout
What to make of all this? Here's a look at how it might unfold for the Scarlet Knights as the 2026-27 season gets underway with a home game against New Haven on Nov. 6.
3 REASONS TO HOPE
1. A promising postman
Rutgers' glaring weakness last season was its post play, which was mostly nonexistent. Priority No. 1 was finding an impact center and 6-foot-10, 265-pound Virginia Tech transfer Christian Gurdak appears to be just that. In exhibitions against Villanova and St. John's the sophomore averaged 19.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 50 percent from the field. He's legit.
Rutgers basketball center Christian Gurdak drives against St. John's Keyshawn Hall in an Oct. 18 exhibition at Madison Square Garden
2. A solid returning core
Six players returned – a high number in the free-agency era – and three of them are starters. Senior guard Tariq Francis was honorable mention All-Big Ten last winter, and he won't have to carry the offensive load this season. Expect big leaps by senior forward Darren Buchanan and sophomore guard Lino Mark, both of whom played well in the preseason. Senior guard Jamichael Davis is a rare four-year Scarlet Knight. These guys know the system, the culture and the Big Ten.
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3. The Big Dance expanded
The move from 68 to 76 teams was mostly panned by the public, but it's now highly likely that a 10-10 Big Ten record – something Rutgers has achieved four times under the current regime – punches a ticket. On paper there's a fair amount of parity in the conference. Can this seemingly improved squad find four more league wins than last year? It doesn't seem far-fetched.
Jan 5, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Tariq Francis (0) shoots the ball after being fouled by Oregon Ducks guard Takai Simpkins (5) during the second half at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
3 REASONS TO MOPE
1. Big-man depth
Beyond Gurdak, it's all questions marks. Will Sydnor, a 6-8 transfer forward from Manhattan projected to have a big role, missed most of the offseason with a high ankle sprain. Freshman Mervedi Miteo and sophomore Gevonte Ware are blank canvasses. Backup center Dorin Buca missed both exhibition games. The Big Ten is a big man's league. Gurdak can't go it alone.
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2. The defensive learning curve
The onset of free agency turned Rutgers' strength – team defense – into a weakness as newcomers struggled to catch on to the concepts and the ethos that in the past was ingrained over a period of years. The Scarlet Knights finished with a top-10 defense in the country four times from 2020-24. The past two seasons, they ranked 116thand 120th. A returning core helps, but a perimeter stopper has yet to emerge, and the mostly new front line has some catching up to do.
3. Uncertainty at the helm
Of course, Pikiell's quest to get healthy dwarfs any considerations about how his cancer treatment might impact the product on the floor. And it's impossible to forecast how much time away he'll need. Associate head coach Brandin Knight certainly is well-prepared to stand in . All that said, Pikiell is one of a kind, and for both personal and professional reasons, everyone will feel a lot better if and when he returns to the sidelines.
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5 MUST-SEE GAMES
Dec 13, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Lino Mark (2) dribbles against Seton Hall Pirates guard Trey Parker (13) during the first half at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
vs. Houston in Las Vegas, Nov. 17:The opener in the three-game Players Era Festival is the Scarlet Knights' first major challenge, and it's an acid test against the 10th-ranked team in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll. A win would change everything. A good showing would open plenty of eyes.
Michigan at home, Dec. 9: Rutgers' Big Ten home opener comes against the defending national champs, who have a new head coach but a few key returnees, including Jersey-raised point guard Elliot Cadeau (West Orange native/Bergen Catholic High School). These programs have split their last six meetings.
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Seton Hall at home, Dec. 12: Since Pikiell arrived in 2016, the Garden State Hardwood Classic's games at the RAC have been wildly unpredictable. Rutgers is 3-1 in those affairs, splitting contests decided on the final possessions in 2022 and 2024, roaring back from 13 down to win in 2017 and posting a stunning blowout in 2019. Regardless of how good or bad the Pirates are, buckle up.
Syracuse at the Barclays Center, Feb. 6: The last time these old Big East rivals met, Rutgers won a fan-less contest at home in 2020. Syracuse, now under Gerry McNamara, was picked 11thin the ACC's preseason media poll. The late-schedule placement of this game – a date when both programs could squeeze it in – makes it much juicier if Rutgers is in the Big Dance hunt.
Illinois at home, March 3: Coming off a Final Four appearance, the Illini are ranked No. 3 in the AP Top 25 and the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten. March 3 is a long way off, but if this game matters on Senior Night, the atmosphere will be off the charts.
Rutgers basketball coaches Steve Pikiell and Brandin Knight
OUR RUTGERS PREDICTION
The Scarlet Knights had a good offseason with first-year general manager Rob Sullivan, keeping their best players while upgrading elsewhere thanks to an infusion of roster-building capital from athletics director Keli Zinn and her staff. Going toe-to-toe with a loaded St. John's in exhibition provided a glimpse into this group's potential. If everyone embraces their roles, this has the makings of a bubble team.
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Record projection:18-14 (9-3 non-conference, 9-11 Big Ten).
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com .
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers basketball 2026-27: Reasons to hope and mope, must-see games, prediction
