1976 was a season that Rutgers Scarlet knights fans would never forget for the men’s basketball program. They reached the final four, finished that season ranked fourth in the nation, and went 31-0 in the regular season. Ever since then, the men’s basketball program has not been able to showcase its dominance. 

Fast forward to 2020, the 2020-2021 men’s basketball team is now sitting at a perfect 6-0 and as of December 21st are ranked eleventh in the AP top 25. This is the Scarlet Knights’ highest ranking since their insane season finishing at fourth in the 1975-1976 season. Rutgers pound up big ten play with two tough matchups against Maryland on the road and home against eighth-ranked Illinois. Rutgers handled both those games and proved that they can not only win big ten games on the road, which was their biggest weakness from last year, but they can compete against the best teams in the nation and Big Ten. All media members and college basketball analysts are taking notice of Rutgers’s dominance and even have them ranked in the top ten in their own rankings of men’s college basketball.

Rutgers heads into week five of college basketball being 1-0 against ranked opponents and 2-0 in big ten play. Over winter break, Scarlet Knight fans can watch  Rutgers, as they look on to continue their unbeaten streak with upcoming games against twenty-third ranked Ohio State, Purdue, and fourth-ranked Iowa. If that schedule is not challenging enough, Rutgers will also have to face even more ranked opponents following winter break against Michigan State and Wisconsin. It should be a very exciting next couple of weeks for the Scarlet Knights as they can earn their highest Associated Press ranking in program history if everything works out in their favor the next few games.