The Rutgers men’s basketball team has made the NCAA Tournament just six times and has been without an appearance in 1991.

Quick math says that’s 29 years.

Rutgers is 12-3 thus far after a win at home on Tuesday night over No. 20 Penn State and currently sits in second place in the Big Ten Conference with a 3-1 mark.

It is Rutgers’ best start through 15 games since 1975-76. That team went undefeated in the regular season and made the Final Four. The Scarlet Knights are also two games over .500 in conference play since February of 2002 (7-5) and is 3-1 since 1994-95 as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference when they started 4-1.

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The 12-3 start is coach Steve Pikiell’s best record through 15 games as a head coach and is Rutgers is the country’s lone unranked team to have two double-digit triumphs over teams ranked inside the AP Top 25 so far. That’s the first time Rutgers has done so in program history.

And for good measure, the Scarlet Knights are 11-0 at home.

People in and around Piscataway are thinking postseason, but Pikiell, who is notorious for taking things one game at a time, appreciates the talk, but knows there’s a lot of time left as January just got rolling.

“We have 16 games left. We were picked 12th in the league. We gotta go to practice. There's 12 (Big Ten) teams ranked in the top 40 and we got 11 or 12 more of those games,” Pikiell said. “A lot of opportunities. (The postseason is) way too far away. We're just trying to stay healthy, get Geo back, keep improving. There's a lot of season left. I do appreciate the excitement and enthusiasm people have. It doesn't help us win games. We gotta play well, we gotta beat really good teams with great coaches, we gotta go on the road and win. We gotta do a lot of things before we start talking about anything else."

Coming into the season, there was excitement and expectations from fans that a postseason could be in the cards. There are a slew of tough games left - the Big Ten is the top league in the country - but a bid is there for the taking.

“I can visualize Selection Sunday, but it’s all about the next wins,” Jacob Young said. “We can’t have a let down now. We’re not in the tournament yet. We have to keep winning. It’ll come.”

Young, who has turned up his game the last few weeks, made the NCAA Tournament as a sophomore at Texas. He knows what it takes to make it. Much like his production of late (23 points, 16 points, and 13 points the last three tilts) the Scarlet Knights have to continue turning it up a notch in January and beyond.

“You got to have a team. You have to have each other’s backs. It’s not going to be easy,” Young said. “I’ve mentioned it to them. This month will determine if we’re playing in March or if we’ll be at home in March and we have to embrace that. We have to get wins in January and in road games.”

Asked if he believes this Rutgers team has a chance to dance, Young can see it.

“I think so. You can see the bench and how the bench is into it. Those are the teams that make it to the tournament, when everybody is connected,” Young said. “That’s how I see it with this team. We’ve matured a lot.”

Pat Chambers, coach of the Nittany Lions, said he wants to see the Scarlet Knights in the field of 68.

“You know what, I hope so for Pikes. I do. I hope so,” he said. “It'd be great to see him punch his ticket. They have good team. They got some depth and Geo Baker is not even playing, so that bodes well for Rutgers.”

Myles Johnson, who recorded 10 points, five rebounds, three blocks, and a steal in 26 minutes against Penn State, mentioned he and the team need to keep it going on Saturday at noon at Illinois. A victory would also give Rutgers a legit chance of being ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since the 1978-79 campaign.

“I think a night like this shows that we’re capable,” Johnson said. “We just have to take this same mindset into every game. It’s still early, but if we can keep this same mindset and win road games, pull out home games and rally back, the postseason is very possible. ...It would be sad to do all of this and have the train stop right here.”

Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisWasky.