Rutgers fell flat and missed the NCAA Tournament last season despite having two future top-five NBA draft picks on the roster.

Is it possible the Scarlet Knights will be better without Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey?

That's what Rutgers is set to find out as it opens the 2025-26 season at home against Rider on Wednesday in Piscataway, N.J.

Rutgers finished 15-17 overall and 8-12 in the Big Ten despite tremendous contributions from Harper and Bailey, who were one-and-done freshmen that went second and fifth overall to San Antonio and Utah, respectively.

Steve Pikiell coached Rutgers to NCAA Tournament bids in 2021 and 2022, but fans have endured a tough couple of years since then and want the program to get back to a defense-and-rebounding identity.

"One thing we're much better at right n

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