Louisville basketball: 3 matchups for 2020 ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Rutgers

Busting Brackets Big Ten Power Ranking: No. 4

Rutgers has been one of the worst high-major college basketball programs for the last decade and a team that the Louisville basketball program, amongst others, beat down consistently during their days together in the Big East and AAC.

However, you easily could have missed that in 2019-20 Rutgers was one of the biggest surprises across all of college basketball behind a National Coach of the Year caliber coaching job by second-year head coach Steve Pikiell. The Knights were set to make their first NCAA tournament appearance after going 20-11 and finishing eighth in the Big Ten (arguably the nation’s top conference) thanks to breakout seasons from guards Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr.

With nearly their entire roster returning for the 2020-21 season, along with the programs first-ever top 50 recruit, Cliff Omoruyi, Rutgers could be a fringe top 25 team to start the season and one likely to make the NCAA Tournament. Their rise to the top of the Big Ten could make them a hot candidate to play a top ACC team, and considering the familiarity the two programs have from their years of going head-to-head, it could easily be a matchup that sparks interest.

I know the allure of Rutgers isn’t what you’d expect in a big-time event like the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, especially after playing Michigan and Michigan, but considering how good the program was last year (probably a year ahead of schedule) and what they bring back, they could be a program that makes a lot of noise in the post-season.

Baker and Harper were easily one of the most underrated guard duos in the country last season, helping the program pull off some very impressive wins against ranked opponents, including Maryland, Seton Hall, and Illinois. They’ll be one the most talked-about teams this offseason and a popular sneaky team to watch in the Big Ten

Louisville beat down on terrible Rutgers teams year in and year out during their days as conference foes, and even with being a potential top 25 squad, there would be a ton of motivation for the Scarlet Knights to make a statement at the expense of Chris Mack and it would present a really good team match up.

David Johnson, Carlik Jones, and Charles Minlend Jr. would present a big challenge for the guards of Rutgers on both sides of the floor due to their ability to score at a high level as well as defend with their length and quickness. Upfront, Malik Williams will have the edge in seniority over Rutgers bigs Myles Johnson, who will return for his junior season after starting the majority of the season at center, as well as with incoming stud Omoruyi. This is the kind of matchup for Williams where you hope to see him insert his will as the superior, more experienced big and dominate the game enough, offensively and defensively, to

I didn’t even mention Samuell Williamson who would also have a matchup advantage over a Rutgers team that typically plays as many as four guards together at a time, but will have to deal with multiple pesky defenders who thrive playing under Pikkiell.

This isn’t the same Rutgers team you watched for all those years in the Big East and AAC. Behind emerging guards and a group of developing younger players, this is a squad capable of making major noise in the Big Ten. Louisville would be more than capable of winning this game, but would definitely have their hands full in an early-season matchup.