Feb 12, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Washington Huskies guard Mekhi Mason (0) shoots the ball as Ohio State Buckeyes guard Evan Mahaffey (12) defends throughout the first half at Worth Metropolis Area. Obligatory Credit score: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Photos Judging by their information, one would not suppose the sport between Rutgers and Washington on Wednesday evening in Seattle has match implications.
Nevertheless it does.
The visiting Scarlet Knights (12-14, 5-10 Big Ten) and the Huskies (13-12, 4-10) are battling for the fifteenth and remaining berth into the convention match subsequent month in Indianapolis.
The Huskies are coming off a 75-73 victory Saturday at Penn State as Mekhi Mason scored 20 factors, making a season-high six 3-pointers. DJ Davis and Franck Kepnang scored 14 apiece. Main scorer Nice Osobor (14.9 ppg), regardless of lacking observe with flu-like signs, almost had the primary triple-double in faculty historical past with six factors, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
“All this does is make the subsequent recreation greater,” mentioned first-year Huskies coach Danny Sprinkle, whose group has received three of its last 5 following a six-game skid in which 5 of these defeats had been to ranked groups.
“However this was our greatest win of the yr,” the coach mentioned.
Rutgers has a pair of doable NBA lottery picks in freshmen Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper and opened the season in the High 25, however little has gone proper in Big Ten play.
Bailey (18.6 factors per recreation) and Harper (18.5) mixed for simply 21 on Sunday at Oregon in a 75-57 loss — the Scarlet Knights’ third in a row.
“Clearly, we have to play higher on each ends of the ground,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell mentioned. “Our offense did not assist our protection, and our protection did not assist our offense. We have got to share the ball higher, too. … I’ve obtained to get us enjoying higher, that is for certain.”
As for Bailey and Harper?
“They’re just a bit bit out of sync,” Pikiell mentioned. “Groups get actual bodily with Ace. With Dylan, they’re in the gaps. I am making an attempt to elucidate to the blokes they’re simply coming in the gaps (defensively), they don’t seem to be even double-teaming. You have to make the additional cross and so they’ve obtained to make a few of these alternatives. We obtained some first rate seems to be (in opposition to Oregon) and did not capitalize on them.”
–Area Stage Media
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