The 2026-2027 Rutgers basketball schedule is starting to take shape. A few days ago, the Big Ten released Rutgers’ home and away conference opponents for next season. On top of that, the teams in each bracket for the Players Era Tournament have been revealed as well, with Rutgers waiting to see who it will play in round 1. Now the Scarlet Knights officially have their first game date set on the schedule, as they are set to take on non-conference opponent Bryant on November 16th. Another Rutgers non-conference opponent has already been revealed, Army, but that game does not have a date yet.
Last season, Bryant was one of the worst teams in the American East Conference, a low-major conference featuring teams like Maine, NJIT, and UMass-Lowell. The Bulldogs limped to a 9-22 record, with a 5-11 record in conference play. They were blown out by the three high-major teams they played, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and No.3 UConn, and lost in the first round of the AEC tournament to Vermont, 77-57.
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The leading scorer on their team from last season, rising sophomore Timofei Rudovskii, averaged 12.9 points per game his freshman year as a small forward.
Bryant and Rutgers have faced off four times on the hardwood before, with their last matchup being in 2023. Rutgers currently holds a perfect 4-0 record over the Bulldogs.
Army had similar struggles to Bryant last season, going 11-21 overall and 5-13 in Patriot League conference play. Army had the misfortune of their only high major game being against No.4 Duke, who handled business 114-59. They had their season come to an end in a 65-55 loss to Bucknell in the first round of the Patriot League tournament.
Rutgers and Army have faced off on the hardwood once before, with Rutgers taking home a 75-72 win in 2013.
