WASHINGTON - Another Power 4 opponent awaits American University men's basketball on Tuesday, Nov. 18, as the Eagles head to Rutgers for a 6:30 p.m. game. AU is coming off a 115-50 home win over Central Penn, while the Scarlet Knights are 3-0 so far with wins over Rider, Maine, and Lehigh.
Quick Info
- Date/Time: Tuesday, November 18; 6:30 pm
- Site: Piscataway, N.J. (Jersey Mike's Arena)
- Series History: Rutgers leads, 3-0
- TV: BTN
- Talent: Jason Horowitz, Austin Johnson
Inside the Series
- Tuesday's meeting is the fourth all-time between AU and Rutgers, but the first in over 40 years.
- The Eagles and Scarlet Knights met in 1976, 1980, and 1984, with Rutgers winning all three contests on its home court.
What to Know About American
- Seven Eagles scored in double figures as American rolled to a 115-50 victory over Central Penn in its most recent game, marking the largest margin of victory in program history.
- AU dominated the glass with a 55–30 edge, its highest rebound total in more than two decades.
- Junior Greg Jones led the way with 18 points, while sophomore Julen Iturbe posted a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Jones is AU's leading scorer so far this season with 13.8 points pergame, followed closely by sophomore Wyatt Nausadis with 13.5 points per game.
- The Eagles last faced a Big 10 opponent seven years ago when they lost 63-51 at Northwestern on Nov. 12, 2018. All-time, AU is 3-50 against the Big 10, primarily having faced Maryland and Penn State.
- Three different players—Nausadis, Jones, and Madden Collins—have been leading scorers so far for American this season.
- The Eagles are coming off a 22-13 season and the fourth Patriot League Championship in program history.
- Four consistent starters were lost to graduation including All-PL First Team selection and PL Tournament MVP Matt Rogers, who finished his career as the sixth-leading scorer in school history.
- Head coach Duane Simpkins returns for his third year at the helm of the program along with associate head coaches Nate Bollinger and Jackie Manuel, and assistant coach Isaiah Tate.
- AU returns four of its top eight leading scorers, however, including Jones, who was named PL Preseason Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 10.3 points per game last season and earning PL All-Defensive Team honors as a sophomore.
- On this year's roster of 19, nine are true freshmen including six scholarship players. With the freshman class making up nearly half the team, some of these talented newcomers are expected to make an immediate impact. One of those is Collins, who exploded for 25 points in the Eagles' home-opening win against Penn.
What to Know About Rutgers
- Rutgers is 3-0 to start the season with all three wins coming at Jersey Mike's Arena. The Scarlet Knights have handled Rider, Maine, and Lehigh thus far, including an 84-72 win over the Mountain Hawks out of the Patriot League on Friday.
- Rutgers was picked to finish 17th in the Big Ten in the preseason media poll. They return just four scholarship players from last season, including junior guard Jamichael Davis who chipped in 5.1 points per game for a Rutgers team that went 15-17 overall and 8-12 in the Big Ten last year.
- Davis is putting up 12.3 points per game in the early going this year, second on the team to sophomore forward Dylan Grant's 18.3. • As a team, Rutgers has shot .451 from the floor so far this year and .356 from deep, but only .652 from the free throw line.
- Steve Pikiell is in his 10th year as the head coach of the Scarlet Knights. He led them to the 2021 and 2022 NCAA Tournaments, the school's first appearance since 1991 and first back-to-back appearances since 1975-76.
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