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It's the Big Ten opener for Indiana as it travels to take on Rutgers in a significant game to keep its momentum from the North Carolina win. The Hoosiers have lost seven of the last eight games against Rutgers and haven't won at Rutgers since 2018.
Steve Pikeill leads Rutgers into this matchup at 5-2 on the season and have been struggling with a few injuries. Both Caleb McConnell and Paul Mulcahy have been in and out of the lineup to start and there's no question Rutgers is a much better team with them on the floor. The Scarlet Knights are a very good defensive team that likes to play in a slower tempo game in the half court. Overall, they rank 109th in adjusted offensive efficiency (105.0), and shoot just 43 percent from the field as a team -- 255th overall. From three, they rank 266th, shooting just 31.7 percent as a team. Their defensive efficiency is ranked 12th in the NCAA with an 89.3 rating, allowing opponents to shoot just 36.2 percent from the field.
Here is a deep dive into some of the challenges Rutgers could give Indiana.