3 Things About Saturday's Garden State Hardwood Classic Clash

2019 Garden State Hardwood Classic No. 22 Seton Hall Pirates (6-3, 0-0 BIG EAST) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (7-3, 1-1 Big Ten)
Date/Time/Location	Saturday, Dec. 14 \| 4 p.m. \| Rutgers Athletic Center (Piscataway, N.J.)
Television Broadcast	Big Ten Network \| FOXSportsGO
Radio Broadcast	AM970 \| Sirius 136 \| XM 203 \| Pirate Sports Network
Game Notes	Seton Hall \| Rutgers
Links	Live Stats \| Twitter \| Instagram

Seton Hall has not lost two games in a row in the month of December since Kevin Willard's first season back in 2010. Avoiding a second straight defeat while continuing to boost the resume in this difficult non-conference season now converges with the Pirates' biennial visit to the Rutgers Athletic Center, where a sea of red will be waiting.

Rivalry games are emotional, they're chippy and they involve two teams battling for pride. It's the Garden State. There's a lot to be proud of here. But at the end of the day for the Pirates, this game needs to be about so much more: they need to show the nation they can pick up for an injured Sandro Mamukelashvili; they need to find the offense that was averaging 82 points a game in November; and they need to...

Oh, who are we kidding? New Jersey's NCAA Tournament team just needs to defeat its in-state rival and bring that trophy home to South Orange.

Saturday's clash with the trophy and New Jersey bragging rights on the line will air on Big Ten Network with Brandon Gaudin & Bob Wenzel doing the talking. Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will be somewhere up in the RAC press box sending information to the airwaves on AM970 The Answer, simulcast on Sirius 136, XM 203 and the Pirate Sports Network.

Three Things to Know About Saturday's Garden State Hardwood Classic

1. Who Steps Up for Mamu?
Sandro Mamukelashvili suffered an unfortunate injury that will see him miss six to eight weeks. The four spot on the floor is now open, and the Pirates are looking towards sophomore Jared Rhoden and freshman Tyrese Samuel to fill the gap. Both are solid three-point shooters and excellent rebounders. They have a great opportunity to showcase their skills and their potential. It's Next Man Up Time.

2. Don't Forget the Transition Defense
Rutgers is a good rebounding team with a +7.5 rebounding margin in its 10 games this season, including a 40-26 advantage against Wisconsin this past Wednesday. The Scarlet Knights held the Badgers to just three offensive rebounds. Good defensive rebounding can lead to getting out on the break, so the Pirates need to both rebound the ball well and get back in transition and stop Rutgers from getting easy buckets.

3. Buckle Up
Sold out RAC and a series that's seen 21 of the last 25 games decided by six points or fewer. Rivalry games breed unforgettable moments and exciting finishes, so strap in and enjoy the show.