No. 25 Rutgers Men’s Basketball Kicks Off 2024-25 Season Against Wagner

The Rutgers men’s basketball team, ranked No. 25 in the preseason AP Poll, is set to kick off the 2024-25 season with a highly anticipated matchup against Wagner on Wednesday night at Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, New Jersey. This season opener follows a preseason that has generated significant excitement, particularly after a thrilling exhibition game against St. John’s on October 17, where top-ranked freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey combined for 45 points in a 91-85 contest.

The Scarlet Knights boast the highest-ranked freshmen class in school history, ranked second in the nation, featuring five top 150 recruits: Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, Lathan Sommerville, Dylan Grant, and Bryce Dortch. In addition to these newcomers, the team welcomes back three players from the 2023-24 roster: Jeremiah Williams, Jamichael Davis, and Emmanuel Ogbole. The squad also includes a highly regarded transfer class consisting of Zach Martini, PJ Hayes IV, Tyson Acuff, and Jordan Derkack.

Rutgers has a strong home-court advantage, having sold out 64 consecutive home games, with the entire home slate for the upcoming season already sold out. The team is one of four Big Ten teams featured in the preseason AP poll and is ranked seventh in the preseason Big Ten ranking poll as the league expands to 18 teams.

Wagner, the opponent for the season opener, was named the preseason favorite in the Northeast Conference (NEC) preseason poll. The Seahawks had a notable run last season, making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2003 and winning a First Four game against Howard before losing to No. 1 seed UNC. Wagner returns nine players from the 2023-24 season and is led by Head Coach Donald Copeland in his third season.

Rutgers has a dominant history against Wagner, holding a 9-1 record in their all-time series, with all matchups occurring between 1984 and 2001. The Scarlet Knights have won the last four meetings, outscoring the Seahawks by an average of 17 points in those games.