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It went on three weeks longer than expected, but the Rutgers basketball season officially ended Thursday with an 82-69 loss to Creighton in the quarterfinals of the College Basketball Crown.
The Scarlet Knights sputtered after a spirited start and were unable to collect the $50,000 prize money guaranteed for the semifinalists. They finish the 2025-26 campaign with a 14-20 record.
Junior guards Jamichael Davis (17 points on 7-of-9 field goals) and Tariq Francis (19 points on 3-of-15 field goals) and freshman guard Lino Mark (14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) paced Rutgers.
Though the Scarlet Knights played well down the stretch of their Big Ten slate, going 5-4 from mid-February on before accepting the Crown’s Invitation, the reality is they were the weakest team in the field. This was the program’s first postseason appearance since a first-round NIT loss to Hofstra in 2023.
For Creighton (16-17), which finished fifth in the Big East with a 9-11 record, this is the swan song for retiring head coach Greg McDermott, whose distinguished career in Omaha included one Big East title, three Sweet 16 appearances and an Elite Eight run in 2023. Right-hand assistant Alan Huss is taking over.
The Bluejays face West Virginia (19-14), which escaped Stanford in overtime Thursday, in the semifinals Saturday (4 p.m. Eastern tip, Fox). The other semifinal features Oklahoma (20-15) vs. Baylor (17-16) at 1:30 Eastern on Fox.
Creighton was a poor rebounding team and lacked inside punch this season, yet outrebounded Rutgers and matched its scoring in the paint – the final reminder, if one was needed, of the need for an overhaul at the four and five spots this offseason. Sophomore power forward Dylan Grant’s line (2 points, 1 rebound in 25 minutes) reflected his production throughout much of Big Ten play.
With the transfer portal officially opening April 7, you’ll be hearing soon about which Rutgers players are staying and going. Much of the retention legwork already has been done, and the vibes seem to be pretty good that a core of key contributors will be back in 2026-27. Remember that these decisions are mostly about straight money – things like fit, role and usage are secondary, if they register at all – and Steve Pikiell finally has a respectable roster budget.
The tip time was excessively late on the East Coast (10:45 p.m.), and the stands looked empty. Compared to Thursday’s NIT semifinals, which featured a packed and raucous atmosphere at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the Crown quarterfinals seemed to lack juice.
On the way…
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers basketball falls to Creighton in College Basketball Crown
Continue reading...
The Scarlet Knights sputtered after a spirited start and were unable to collect the $50,000 prize money guaranteed for the semifinalists. They finish the 2025-26 campaign with a 14-20 record.
Junior guards Jamichael Davis (17 points on 7-of-9 field goals) and Tariq Francis (19 points on 3-of-15 field goals) and freshman guard Lino Mark (14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) paced Rutgers.
Though the Scarlet Knights played well down the stretch of their Big Ten slate, going 5-4 from mid-February on before accepting the Crown’s Invitation, the reality is they were the weakest team in the field. This was the program’s first postseason appearance since a first-round NIT loss to Hofstra in 2023.
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For Creighton (16-17), which finished fifth in the Big East with a 9-11 record, this is the swan song for retiring head coach Greg McDermott, whose distinguished career in Omaha included one Big East title, three Sweet 16 appearances and an Elite Eight run in 2023. Right-hand assistant Alan Huss is taking over.
The Bluejays face West Virginia (19-14), which escaped Stanford in overtime Thursday, in the semifinals Saturday (4 p.m. Eastern tip, Fox). The other semifinal features Oklahoma (20-15) vs. Baylor (17-16) at 1:30 Eastern on Fox.
3 THOUGHTS
1. Bested inside one last time
Creighton was a poor rebounding team and lacked inside punch this season, yet outrebounded Rutgers and matched its scoring in the paint – the final reminder, if one was needed, of the need for an overhaul at the four and five spots this offseason. Sophomore power forward Dylan Grant’s line (2 points, 1 rebound in 25 minutes) reflected his production throughout much of Big Ten play.
2. Announcements coming soon
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With the transfer portal officially opening April 7, you’ll be hearing soon about which Rutgers players are staying and going. Much of the retention legwork already has been done, and the vibes seem to be pretty good that a core of key contributors will be back in 2026-27. Remember that these decisions are mostly about straight money – things like fit, role and usage are secondary, if they register at all – and Steve Pikiell finally has a respectable roster budget.
3. Not much juice
The tip time was excessively late on the East Coast (10:45 p.m.), and the stands looked empty. Compared to Thursday’s NIT semifinals, which featured a packed and raucous atmosphere at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the Crown quarterfinals seemed to lack juice.
3 QUOTES
On the way…
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers basketball falls to Creighton in College Basketball Crown
Continue reading...
