Bracketology 2021: 10 biggest winners from opening month of season

3. Rutgers

The Big Ten was clearly the greatest and deepest conference in college basketball last season; a trend that is clearly continuing into 2021. Among that depth were a few unexpected faces, including this Rutgers team, who would have broken a long NCAA Tournament drought last season had the postseason not been cancelled. This year, much of that talent returned, but was Rutgers really going to compete on the national stage?

Steve Pikiell’s team has lived up to the heightened expectations to this point in the season. After a quick 3-0 start, the Scarlet Knights won three straight tough games, winning against Syracuse, at Maryland, and knocking off #6 Illinois at home. They could have started the season 7-0, but fell out of the game at Ohio State last week; a game they easily have won. Regardless of that blemish, the Scarlet Knights find themselves ranked #14 in the nation, ready to compete in the nation’s toughest conference

Simply put, Ron Harper Jr. has been playing inspired basketball this season and is the main reason this Rutgers team is so good. Jacob Young and Montez Mathis have provided plenty of help themselves, but its performances like Harper’s 28 points against Illinois that’ll ignite them through the difficult of Big Ten play.

Even after last season’s performance, there were many who doubted if Rutgers was really a legitimate threat. Let their first month of play show that this team is for real; as crazy as it sounds, Rutgers could win the Big Ten.