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Big Ten Basketball: Biggest winners and losers from Week 1 of 2023-24 season

By Jerran Anderson

Michigan Wolverines guard Dug McDaniel (0) drives to the basket during the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Thursday, March 9, 2023, at United Center in Chicago. Rutgers Scarlet Knights won 62-50.Ruum030923 Am9069
Michigan Wolverines guard Dug McDaniel (0) drives to the basket during the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Thursday, March 9, 2023, at United Center in Chicago. Rutgers Scarlet Knights won 62-50.Ruum030923 Am9069 /
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Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /

Losers: Rutgers Scarlet Knights

While things have gone swimmingly for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on the recruiting scene with a top class, the season opener didn’t go quite as planned for them this past Monday night. The Scarlet Knights dropped their season opener to the Princeton Tigers, 68-61, in the Jersey Jam from CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton.

In a game that saw five lead changes and six ties, the Scarlet Knights offense showed some early signs of struggle. They shot just 4-for-14 from deep (28.6 percent) and 40.3 percent from the field as a team in the loss to the Tigers.

Rutgers has won two games since then, defeating Boston handily 69-45 and the Bryant Bulldogs fell 66-57 on Sunday afternoon to right the ship. Freshman swingman Gavin Griffiths is off to a hot start. He finished with 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the floor and 3-of-7 from behind the arc off the bench in their victory over Boston.

Shooting woes continued against Bryant (4-of-22 from deep as a team) but they offset things by getting to the free-throw line. They went 24-of-34 from the stripe with Derek Simpson leading the charge with an 8-for-8 performance.

A loss to an Ivy League squad picked to finish second in the conference by media outlets puts an early blemish on things for them. Look for the Scarlet Knights to bounce back this week with the Georgetown Hoyas and Howard Bison as the Week 2 challenges.

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