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Rutgers basketball, without Dylan Harper, falls short against Michigan
PISCATAWAY – “Next man up” is a phrase college basketball coaches like to throw around when a shorthanded team has to go deep into its bench.
Rutgers basketball found itself in “next man up” territory against Michigan Saturday, and those next men could not quite make up the gap.
Despite missing star guard Dylan Harper (sprained ankle), starting guard Jeremiah Williams (who played nine minutes before leaving the bench due to illness) and 6-foot-10 center Manny Ogbole (knee, out for the season), the Scarlet Knights pushed Michigan hard before falling 66-63.
Rutgers (11-11 overall, 4-7 Big Ten) now faces a must-win situation against Illinois Wednesday in Piscataway as its NCAA Tournament hopes hang by the thinnest of threads.
Michigan (16-5, 8-2) double-teamed Rutgers’ other freshman superstar, Ace Bailey, holding the 6-foot-9 wing to 10 points on 3-of-15 shooting after his 37-point outburst in Wednesday’s win at Northwestern.
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There was no questioning the Scarlet Knights’ effort; they posted a 15-5 advantage on the offensive glass and went plus-one on the backboards overall against a much bigger squad. They also forced 17 Michigan turnovers. But they turned those second chances into just six points and shot a meager 32 percent from the field overall, hoisting a whopping 36 3-pointers — way more than they usually take.
FIVE TAKEAWAYS
1. Jamichael Davis seizing opportunity
The breakthrough occurred at Northwestern, when the sophomore guard took the reins of the offense and handed out a career-high eight assists while scoring seven points and committing just one turnover.
The lineup’s smallest player (at 6-foot-2) came through once again Saturday, though in different form. As Michigan blanketed Bailey he looked for his shot, tallying 20 points, four rebounds and two assists while committing no turnovers.
2. Tyson Acuff on a roll
After scoring 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting at Northwestern, the postgrad guard delivered another confident performance off the bench, scoring 11 on 4-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-6 from downtown. Acuff also did a good deal of ball-handling, helping take the load off of Davis.
This is the player Rutgers’ coaching staff expected to have before he suffered a broken foot in June and sat out three-and-a-half months.
3. Bryce Dortch hit the glass hard
After sitting out the first 19 games, the 6-foot-10 freshman turned in another glue-guy performance. He grabbed five rebounds in just nine minutes of action, and three of those came on the offensive end. That’s how you cement a spot in Steve Pikiell’s rotation.
4. Every seat taken
If there was an empty seat, it was hard to find. Yes, several hundred yellow-clad Michigan fans showed up and made themselves heard at times, but Rutgers fans continued to show they haven’t thrown in the towel despite the losses and bad breaks.
Expect a similar turnout Wednesday when visit by Illinois (14-7, 6-5) tips at 8:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network).
5. Dylan Harper out again with injury
For the second straight game, Harper’s right foot was in a walking boot during. No timetable for his return has been given, but casual internet speculation that Harper is shutting things down is without merit. After trying to play through the injury, he’s going to take the appropriate time to get right, and by all accounts remains heavily invested in the team’s fortunes this season.
The Don Bosco Prep grad is averaging 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists, but he was limited after spraining an ankle during Rutgers’ Jan. 20 loss at Penn State. He went through a full practice later that week before reinjuring the ankle Jan. 25 just prior to the Scarlet Knights’ loss to Michigan State at Madison Square Garden.
Harper tried to play through obvious discomfort against both Penn State and Michigan State. His snakebitten season also includes missing one game and struggling through two others due to a bad strain of the flu.
Rutgers has a record of 3-1 in Big Ten games with Harper at or close to full speed — and 1-3 with him sidelined or limited.
The Scarlet Knights also are missing 6-foot-10 center Manny Ogbole, who is out for the season with a knee injury.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
In a tough battle against Michigan, Rutgers basketball falls short without key player Dylan Harper. Despite a strong effort from the team, they were unable to secure the win against their Big Ten rival. Stay tuned for updates on how the Scarlet Knights plan to bounce back from this tough loss. #RutgersBasketball #BigTen #Michigan #ToughLoss
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Rutgers basketball, Michigan, NCAA, college basketball, Big Ten, sports, March Madness, game recap, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Michigan Wolverines, Dylan Harper injury, basketball news
#Rutgers #basketball #Dylan #Harper #falls #short #Michigan
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