Princeton takes on Rutgers

Last weekend, college football fans across the country witnessed one of the nation's oldest and fiercest rivalries when Kansas faced Missouri in a much-anticipated clash. National title implications and state pride were on the line for both teams, whose mutual hatred dates back to the Civil War. With a dramatic 36-28 win over the then-No. 2 Jayhawks, Missouri claimed the top spot in the national rankings.

This weekend, New Jersey will see its own rivalry when the men's basketball team (2-4 overall) travels to Piscataway, N.J., to play Rutgers (4-2). Granted, the game will not be televised on ABC, and the only geographic bragging rights to be gained will be over the stretch of Route 1 between the two campuses; the game is nonetheless important for the struggling Tigers.

After dropping its first game back from the Maui Invitational to Seton Hall 65-55 on Wednesday night, Princeton will look to end a four-game losing streak with a win over the Scarlet Knights in the 114th meeting between the two teams. Rutgers will also try to rebound after losing, 65-58, to St. Peter's on Sunday afternoon.

On Wednesday, unbeaten Seton Hall improved to 6-0 after an eight-point run in the closing minutes of the first half and a nine-point stretch in the opening minutes of the second put the game out of the Tigers' reach.

Despite falling behind by 19 at one point during Tuesday's game, the Tigers shrank the deficit to single digits when senior co-captain and forward Noah Savage drained three three-pointers in the last minute and a half. Princeton will have to produce more consistent scoring stretches like this and compete for the entire 40 minutes.

Savage's experience has been valuable for the Tigers so far this season, and in the past two games he has gotten back to the high-scoring ways that defined his first two seasons at Princeton. Against Chaminade in the Maui Invitational, Savage totaled 20 points and went six-for-11 from three-point range. The Tigers will need another strong performance from him this weekend to defeat Rutgers.

Converting from behind the arc could be a key advantage for Princeton against the Scarlet Knights. In its last game, Rutgers managed to hit only two three-pointers and is currently shooting an ugly 25.8 percent as a team from long range.

Princeton will also look for sophomore center Zach Finley to continue to be a threat on both ends of the court. Finley, who currently leads the Tigers with averages of 13.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, has already made quite a name for himself in the Tigers' first few games. On Wednesday, Finley amassed 14 points and 11 rebounds — the first Tiger double-double since 2005. Against Chaminade, Finley set a Maui Invitational tournament record with seven blocked shots.

Though the Scarlet Knights don't have a particularly deep bench, Princeton will need strong defense to contain Rutgers' offensive threats. In the loss to St. Peter's, JR Inman finished the game with 11 points and 13 rebounds, his second double-double of the season and sixth of his career. Inman, Rutgers' leading scorer, also grabbed 13 rebounds in the Scarlet Knights' come-from-behind win against Dartmouth earlier this season. Princeton will have to be equally wary of Corey Chandler, who averages 11 points a game and is a valuable asset for the Scarlet Knights.

While this weekend's game against Rutgers may not have national championship consequences or serious bragging rights at stake, a win on the road for the Tigers would still be a significant step in their efforts to rebuild. Princeton would also officially own Route 1.