As the Rutgers men’s basketball team was waiting in its Indiana Motor Speedway suite during the Selection Sunday show on CBS, the teams were being called one by one.
Finally, 10th-seeded Rutgers was shown on the screen playing against seventh-seeded Clemson in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament.
It is the first time the Scarlet Knights (15-11, 10-10 Big Ten) will be going dancing since 1991.
“I was a little nervous as the bracket was coming out. I think we all were,” senior Geo Baker said. “When we saw our name, it was everything that we dreamed for and everything that we've been waiting for. We were just really happy to see our hard work paid off. I feel like everyone just had a lot of emotions.”
Over the years cameras would show various teams cheer once they were picked, and Rutgers did the same.
“Everyone stood up and started clapping and everyone was really excited. We're just ready to keep playing,” Baker said. “This is something that none of us have been a part of other than Jacob Young before so we're just excited to keep playing in March.”
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Junior Ron Harper Jr., who hails from Franklin Lakes, N.J. and is a Don Bosco Prep product, says making the tournament with his home school is even better than ever imagined.
“Making history always feels good. Being in New Jersey and at the State University and where I grew up and where I was raised, it just makes it so much more special,” Harper Jr. said. “It's hard to process. I just tweeted 'Dreams really come true'. This is definitely a dream come true for me and my teammates. I came here to go to the NCAA tournament. I came here to win. We've been doing that. It was emotional. It was unbelievable. We were jumping up and down. We couldn't be more prouder for each other.”
Rutgers nation has waited 30 years for this moment, and the student-athletes acknowledged their support.
“It's an amazing feeling to see the fans,,” Baker said. “We're just making history. We're a big part of history so that's some that's always gonna be really special to me and all the other guys.”
Baker and Harper Jr. are two prime examples of underrated players who developed. Both wanted to help turn the program around and they’ve done so.
When Baker was a sophomore, he had sneakers that he wrote “1991” on. He’s also posted motivational tweets on social media about making the NCAA Tournament and he’s accomplished his mission.
“It was just something to write down to just remind myself what the goal was at time. Once you set a goal, then you just have to do everything you can to achieve it and get there,” Baker said. “I remind everybody else too. I stood behind it, and made sure it got done.”
If it wasn’t for the COVID-19 pandemic that took Rutgers off the floor right before it was about to play its second round game in the Big Ten Tournament a year ago, the Scarlet Knights were going to play in the NCAA Tournament and break the streak then. But that got cancelled as well and the drought continued.
Harper Jr. said the team used that as motivation.
“The tournament being canceled last year, we were obviously heartbroken, but that disappointment turned into hunger,” he said. “It was fuel to the fire. It made us want to do it again. We feel like it's the second year in a row we've done it. Playing in the Big Ten is a test. We're the most battle-tested teams in the tournament. it's a tough league. It's the best conference in the country. We feel like we're battle-tested.”
When the team was watching the Selection Show, they brought in the seniors from last year, Joey Downes and Shaq Carter, on video. They also spoke with Akwasi Yeboah.
“Last year is always gonna hurt a little bit, no matter what. But I'm definitely happy that the guys that are here get a second chance at it, and get to make up for it in a sense,” Baker said. “Those seniors didn't get a chance to feel what we're feeling right now, which is completely different than how we felt after we won at Purdue or at Minnesota this year. I'd say two different feelings and I still feel for those guys.”
Baker said it earlier, the only player on the roster who has played in the tournament is Young, who did so when he was at Texas before he transferred. But the rotation now is filled with seniors, juniors, and sophomores, and one freshman who have been through the Big Ten grind.
“I feel like even though we haven't been in the tournament, I feel like we have experience,” Baker said. “We understand that we know we can't let our emotions get the best of us in the games. As long as we stick to our game plan and stay level-headed, we should be OK.”
In the preseason, Baker said he not only wanted to get into the Big Dance, but win games as well, and he feels like his team is positioned to so just that.
“We're gritty, we're talented, we're winners. I feel like we all came here to win, and now we're in a tournament of winners, so we get to really see what can happen. I just feel like it's destiny,” Baker said. “I think we are gonna do a very good job in the tournament.”
Rutgers gets Clemson in the opening round on Friday, which is 16-7 overall. The Tigers went 10-6 in ACC play and made it to the second round of the league’s postseason tournament. The winner between Rutgers and Clemson takes on either second-seeded Houston or 15th-seeded Cleveland State on Sunday.
“We're just blessed to have the opportunity. We're going to take it one game at a time and try not to get too far ahead,” Harper Jr. said. “We're just focused on Clemson, and we're gonna take it one game at a time.
“We're gonna attack this head on and attack this opportunity. Forty minutes gives you an extra 40 minutes. The stakes are high, so we're gonna work hard, pay attention to the little details and be more crisp. We're going to be playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 30 years, and we're looking forward to the opportunity.”
The entire tournament this season is being played in Indiana, including on the home courts of Purdue and Indiana and at Lucas Oil Stadium, where Rutgers just played. The Scarlet Knights have also won at Purdue and at Indiana the last two seasons, so the familiarity should help.
“I think so. It's only going to help. We've kind of been out here for a little bit,” Baker said. “We're just kind of familiar with it.”
At Lucas Oil Stadium where the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL play, Harper Jr. said the lights shined brighter than usual.
If you think about it, it’s perfect, because the spotlight is on Rutgers in March for the first time in three decades.
“Me and the guys picked up on it as soon as he walked on the court for the Big Ten Tournament that the lights are just brighter. The lights are just beaming down harder than they usually do at any other arena. I'm sure it'll be the same on Friday,” Harper Jr. said. “Once we step in between those lines, it's business time.”
Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisNalwasky.
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