Big Ten Basketball: Power ranking the conference after week 6

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PISCATAWAY, NJ – DECEMBER 05: Head coach Steve Pikiell of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights directs his players in the first half against the Michigan State Spartans on December 5, 2017 at the Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

The Scarlet Knights continue to be the biggest surprise in the conference thus far and are on the uprise after winning both of their games last week. Steve Pikiell really has Rutgers fans excited for the future, as the Knights have won four straight games.

The Scarlet Knights began the week with a decent 75-63 win over Fordham. Then, on Saturday Rutgers pulled out a W that has put them on notice.

The then 15th ranked Seton Hall Pirates traveled to Piscataway in a rivalry game. The RAC was packed and louder than ever, and the Scarlet Knights eked out a 71-65 win over the Pirates. This was a huge win for them and definitely the biggest win in Pikiell’s tenure. Corey Sanders led Rutgers with 22 points while freshman Geo Baker dropped in 17.

Sanders and Baker continue to be the leading scorers for Rutgers. Sanders (13.7 ppg) leads the team in scoring. Baker, who received Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for last week, is averaging 12.5 points per game. In the frontcourt, senior DeShawn Freeman holds an 11.3 points per game scoring average and leads the team pulling down 8.9 rebounds per game.

Schedule for this week:

Stony Brook (4-8) at Rutgers on Dec. 22

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