Rutgers accepted its invite to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) that begins in earnest on Tuesday night when the Scarlet Knights play host to Hofstra at 7 p.m. from Jersey Mike’s Arena.
Rutgers is a number 1 seed in a regional that features Hofstra, Seton Hall, Cincinnati, Colorado, Virginia Tech, New Mexico, and Utah Valley. There is a chance the two Jersey schools: Rutgers and Seton Hall could face each other at Jersey Mike’s Arena in a regional final.
The Rutgers men’s basketball team is accepting a bid to participate in the 2023 NIT Tournament. RU will be a No. 1 seed and will take on Hofstra at 7 PM at Jersey Mike's Arena. The game will be broadcasted on ESPNU.
— Rutgers Men’s Basketball 🏀 (@RutgersMBB) March 13, 2023
Head Coach Steve Pikiell on the placement in the NIT:
“It is like any game,” Pikiell said. “You must be ready to get your team off the mat. I want them to know I played in the NIT myself as a player and we had an unbelievable run when I was at the University of Connecticut in 1988. It was one of the great experiences that I had in basketball. Today they don’t want to hear those things, but tomorrow we will get them in a room and try to make sure they understand that a lot of teams have hung up their uniforms and we have a chance to keep playing as a group.”
Our coverage of Rutgers vs. Hofstra begins at 6:30 on Tuesday night.