Rutgers Men's Basketball Set to Face Villanova in Exhibition

Tickets for the game can be purchased via ScarletKnights.com. Fans can also watch the game live on B1G+, featuring commentary from Dom Savino and Justin Walters. A radio broadcast from Rutgers students at WRSU will be available as well, with Chase Jacoby and Will Carmenaty providing coverage through ScarletKnights.com and the Scarlet Knights app.

The Scarlet Knights' roster this season includes seven returning players, eight departures, and nine newcomers. Among the returners are five of the team's top seven scorers from the previous season. Tariq Francis is a standout, having averaged 17.0 points per game last season while shooting 91.1 percent from the free throw line. His 578 total points marked the highest by a Scarlet Knight since 2005-06 and position him as the second-highest scoring returning player in the Big Ten.

Jamichael Davis, the most experienced of the returners, enters his fourth year as a team captain, having played 98 career games and averaging 5.9 points. Freshmen Lino Mark and Kaden Powers also made notable contributions last season, with Mark finishing strong and Powers starting 15 games.

Rutgers will add several transfers this season, including Rasheed Jones, who averaged 14.8 points at Coastal Carolina, and Darin Smith Jr., the NEC Player of the Year at Central Connecticut State. Additionally, the team will welcome freshmen Imahri Wooten and international players Diego Garavaglia, Martin Tonejc, and Mervedi Miteo.

Villanova, returning under head coach Kevin Willard, was picked to finish third in the preseason BIG EAST poll after securing 24 wins last season and reaching the NCAA Tournament. Notable returner Tyler Perkins led the Wildcats in scoring last season with an average of 13.7 points per game.

Rutgers and Villanova have a storied rivalry, with Villanova holding a 29-9 all-time series lead. They last met in a regular season game in 2013. Rutgers' most recent victories came in 2011 and 2008, remembered for dramatic finishes, including a four-point play by Jonathan Mitchell that sealed a 77-76 win against a ranked Villanova team.

Rutgers will play one additional exhibition game at Madison Square Garden against St. John's next Sunday before starting the regular season on November 6 against New Haven. The Scarlet Knights will continue their home stand with two more games against NJIT and Bryant on November 10 and 13, respectively.