On Saturday afternoon, the Tigers (8–4 overall, 0–0 Ivy League) will travel down U.S. Route 1 to Newark, N.J. to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (7–4, 0–0 Big Ten) in their biggest non-conference game of the season.
After a decade-long hiatus, Rutgers head coach Steve Piekell revived the Garden State rivalry in 2023. Last year, the Orange and Black came out on top, upsetting the Scarlet Knights 68–61 in New Jersey’s capital.
The most intriguing part of the matchup is that the Scarlet Knights are the lone Power Five opponent for the Tigers. In an interview conducted with head coach Mitch Henderson ’98 before the start of the season, he explained the Tigers’ struggles in scheduling matchups with Power Five teams.
“I wish I could make the decision on both ends of the phone, but I think it’s a testament to where we’ve been and where the program is, that we’ve been able to get some of those wins, and people don’t want to play us,” Henderson said.
Another name to add to the storyline is Zach Martini ’24. The former Tiger used his final year of collegiate eligibility to join the Scarlet Knights, where Martini now serves as captain. The Rutgers squad features two likely top five picks in the 2025 NBA draft — Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey.
Harper is coming off a National Player of the Week after a game-winner against Seton Hall last weekend. Harper is averaging 23.5 points per game, good for third in the NCAA. Meanwhile, Bailey is a 6’10” forward who has yet to break through in a meaningful way but has the skillset to hurt any opposing defense in the country.
One of the best underclassmen duos in the country will go up against one of the best upperclassmen duos in the country — junior guard Xaivian Lee and junior forward Caden Pierce. However, Henderson’s squad has struggled inconsistently, including a subpar performance at the Myrtle Beach Invitational last month.
In the latest NCAA NET Rankings, Rutgers checks in at 88 while Princeton stands at 127. While Princeton’s NET Ranking likely only matters for seeding should they win the Ivy League tournament, Rutgers, on the other hand, will likely be fighting for an at-large bid at the end of the year and can’t afford to drop this game.
Ahead of Saturday’s contest, associate Sports editor Hayk Yengibaryan ’26 and staff Sports writer Bryant Figueroa ’27 offer their picks.
Princeton 65, Rutgers 76 — Hayk Yengibaryan, Associate Sports Editor
This game simply means more for the Scarlet Knights. Coach Pikiell cannot afford to lose to the Orange and Black for the second consecutive year.
Rutgers has a shaky resume this year and comes into Saturday’s game ranked 88th in the NCAA NET rankings. With a loss to Princeton — ranked 127th — the Scarlet Knights will dig a hole for themselves that may be tough to climb out of. Meanwhile, Princeton has known from the beginning of the year that they need to win the Ivy League tournament in March to make the tournament. This game — win or loss — has no bearing on Princeton’s hopes of playing in March.
Princeton does not have the personnel to stop star duo Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. Harper is averaging over 23 points per game and torching opposing defenders. Princeton will put multiple players on Harper, with Davis likely being the primary defender, but I don’t see this slowing Harper down. Meanwhile, I don’t know who will be guarding Bailey. I predict Bailey to explode for 25+ points en route to his best game of the season.
For Princeton to win, they will need to connect on over 12 shots from beyond the arc, which they can do. However, there have been holes with this Princeton squad since the first game against Iona and work still needs to be done to address them. This matchup may have gone differently if it were being played in March 2025, but on Dec. 21, the Scarlet Knights will prevail and avenge last year’s loss to the Tigers.
Princeton 71, Rutgers 80 — Bryant Figueroa, Staff Sports Writer
With star duo Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, the Scarlet Knights are expected to create problems all game for Princeton’s defense, which has seen a substantial amount of inconsistency this season. But at their best, the Tigers leave everything on the court, and they can be sure to bring this energy to Newark for the biggest game of the season.
The Tigers do carry some momentum following all-team effort wins against St. Joseph’s (7–4, 0–0 Atlantic 10) and Monmouth (1–10, 0–0 Colonial Athletic), the former of which included junior guard Xaivian Lee’s historic triple-double. Building on the performance against St. Joseph’s would see the Tigers challenge an even tougher Rutgers lineup.
The game will be an interesting matchup between two very solid teams that are still adapting to new faces. The Tigers, who lost their two captains last season, Matt Allocco ’24 and Zach Martini ’24, continue to rotate lineups as they struggle to find consistency under the leadership of Lee and junior forward Caden Pierce. The Scarlet Knights, meanwhile, lost their two highest scorers and team leaders from last season, Aundre Hyatt and Cliff Omuyuri, meaning they are now led by two first-years. Lee and Pierce’s experience against Harper and Bailey will showcase both team’s strengths and be a key factor in the matchup.
But even at their best, the Tigers will have a tough time trying to limit the Scarlet Knights’ duo. Any chance the Tigers have of winning revolves around their defensive plan against Bailey and Harper, the latter of which has the third highest points per game in the nation. Regardless, the game is expected to feature high-scoring and intensity with each team’s offensive prowess on full display.
Hayk Yengibaryan is an associate Sports editor and News contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Bryant Figueroa is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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