Rutgers men’s basketball did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament, although Rutgers would accept an invite to the NIT according to Head Coach Steve Pikiell.
“Obviously it was a tough day. Our goal every year is to go to the NCAA Tournament,” Head Coach Steve Pikiell said after hearing about the bracket. “Felt like we did enough. It is a tough job the selection committee has. They felt it wasn’t good enough. We will wait for the selection show of the NIT. This team has been great all year. I thought we had a resume that stacked up with a lot of teams.”
Rutgers went 19-14 and 11-11 in the Big Ten Conference. Rutgers defeated Michigan in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament before falling to Purdue 70-65 in the Tournament Quarterfinals.
Back in February, Rutgers took down Michigan State at Madison Square Garden, a game that catapulted Rutgers into the national spotlight, with many considering RU the second best team in the Big Ten behind Purdue.
Unfortunately injuries to Mawot Mag (ACL, lost for the year), Caleb McConnell (back) and Paul Mulcahy (eye) coupled with seven losses in its last ten games did the Scarlet Knights in on a bid for the NCAA Tournament.
What was the reaction online? Let’s look.
