With a mountain of preseason hype, Rutgers has been underwhelming this season. Sitting at 11-10 (4-6 Big Ten) on the year, the Scarlet Knights haven’t been able to parlay the talent of freshman duo Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey into wins, or a viable path to the NCAA Tournament.
Both players have flashed their potential, but Rutgers has fallen victim to a deep and experienced conference. The Scarlet Knights have some nice wins over UCLA, Nebraska, and Northwestern this month, but they’ve also lost five of their last eight, including two home games and another at Madison Square Garden.
For a Michigan team that hasn’t won back-to-back games since January 12th, the opportunity to face off against high-profile stars is enticing.
“It’s exciting,” graduate guard Nimari Burnett said. “It’s always a test for your team and your individual defense, especially those guys have high usage, whether it’s ISOs, pick and rolls, so we’ll throw multiple things at them, as a group, as a team. And I think it’s a team cover, and we’re excited for a challenge.”
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