Northwestern @ Rutgers preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 13, 2019 ) Rutgers 59, Northwestern 56

Rutgers may be the unlikeliest team in recent memory to boast a perfect record at home this late into the season, and the Scarlet Knights' ability to remain undefeated in Piscataway over the next two weeks will be critical to their chances to stay in the thick of the Big Ten race. Hoping to avoid a three-game skid for the first time this season, Rutgers begins a critical stretch of games Sunday when it hosts Northwestern.

The Scarlet Knights' Division I-best 15-0 home record played an instrumental role in helping them get off to a 7-3 start in Big Ten play, but consecutive single-digit losses to Michigan at Madison Square Garden and at No. 9 Maryland to begin February left them 1 1/2 games out of first place in the conference. Rutgers stands a good chance at minimizing the impact of those consecutive defeats by continuing its success in Piscataway, where the Scarlet Knights will play three of their next four contests. The young Wildcats were forced to learn another lesson about closing out games in last Saturday's 61-58 setback to Purdue, losing for the fourth time this season when leading by five or more points with five minutes to play. "It's tough. As a staff, we have to keep putting our guys in those situations in practice. But practice can't replicate that. The only way you can learn is by being in it," Northwestern coach Chris Collins told reporters after his team's sixth straight loss.

TIME: 6:30 p.m. ET. TV: Big Ten Network

ABOUT NORTHWESTERN (6-15, 1-10 Big Ten): Four of the Wildcats' top five scorers are underclassmen and they are led by sophomore Miller Kopp (13.4 points), who has scored at least 15 points in six of his previous seven games and is averaging 2.2 triples - good for sixth in the conference - during league play. Former lacrosse player Pat Spencer (11.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists) is one of only seven players in the Big Ten averaging at least 10 points, 3.5 boards and 3.5 assists, and he is the only doing so in his first season of college basketball. Freshman Boo Buie (10.0 points) has struggled offensively in four games since returning from a stress fracture in his left foot, averaging 7.5 points on 10-of-36 from the field.

ABOUT RUTGERS (16-7, 7-5): After scoring 8.9 points per game over his first 18 outings as a Scarlet Knights following his transfer from Stony Brook, Akwasi Yeboah (10.0 points, 4.7 rebounds) is averaging 14 in the last five contests while also shooting 48 percent beyond the arc over that span. The contributions of the senior forward have lessened the impact of Ron Harper Jr.'s slump, as the sophomore, who is averaging a team-high 11.4 points, has totaled 21 points in the last four games since posting a career-high 29 on Jan. 22 at Iowa. Junior reserve guard Jacob Young (8.5 points) was suspended indefinitely by coach Steve Pikiell following his arrest for DWI and did not travel with the team Tuesday.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Rutgers is enjoying a plus-16.5 scoring margin, plus-8.9 rebounding margin and holding opponents to 36 percent shooting at home this season

2. Northwestern ranks third in the Big Ten with 11.2 turnovers per game (26th in Division I) and first in the conference (39th overall) in free-throw percentage (75.7).

3. The Scarlet Knights rank 13th nationally in field-goal percentage defense and 14th in scoring defense (60.9 points) but sit 318th in 3-point percentage (30).

PREDICTION: Rutgers 67, Northwestern 58