3/9/2021 basketball Edit

Steve Pikiell on Big Ten Tournament: '40 minutes gets you 40'

Chris Nalwasky • TheKnightReport

Beat Writer

It's tournament time.

Seventh-seeded Rutgers travels out to Indianapolis on Wednesday for Thursday's 6:30 p.m. game with 10th-seeded Indiana in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.

The game will mark 364 days since the Scarlet Knights were pulled off the court just before they were set to play Michigan in the same round of the tournament due to COVID-19 concerns that still linger.

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"We're excited to play in this tournament. Remember last year we didn't get the play in any tournament. We were at the Big Ten championships and excited to play," Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell said Tuesday. "I think our guys are excited about this year being able to play. I know they're gonna let fans in and our players are excited. I know it's not a lot of people, but I think they are excited about the opportunity to have family come and be able to see them live. I'm looking forward to it.

"These tournaments are always awesome, and as good as the league has been, it's gonna be a challenge. You're nervous about everything with COVID. We have to do a great job as we have all season. That's all I've spoken about since the regular season ended. We got to continue to be vigilant about that and there's strict protocols that we're going to have to follow and keep everybody safe. The Big Ten has done a really good job. I think we've gotten off the most games of any league in the country. The protocols that they put in place, tip of the hat to the league and to all the team doctors and the physicians that have done a great job with it. Hopefully we continue on that path while we're out there."

Rutgers and Indiana met two times this season with Rutgers winning both matchups, including on Feb. 24 for Senior Night at the RAC. It's hard to beat a team three times in one year, but the Scarlet Knights will get a chance to do so with a veteran bunch.

"We know each other so well now and we've had some great games this year where we played great and hopefully we learned from a lot of lessons," Pikiell said. "We have guys that have been there before and I think. You can lean on your veterans heading out to a tournament like this. But you got to go to a tournament like loose and ready to play and. You're gonna play great teams and they'll be the obstacles, but everyone knows each other so well. We just played Indiana very recently so everybody knows everyone so well. You try to add a few new things and try to do a few new things but there's not a lot of time to perfect anything."

The interesting part about this tournament is it is all being held at Lucas Oil Stadium, which is the home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. Rutgers and all the other teams won't be able to practice or have a shootaround or anything on the court until they get on the court pregame.

"You're just gonna have to go out there and kind of figure it out, but you still got to play good basketball and obviously those arenas have different depth perception and those kinds of things," Pikiell said. "You have to use your hour before the game as best you can and go from there."

Throughout the past year, Pikiell didn't think the league would get this far and make it to tournament play with COVID around. But here they are, and Rutgers plays in just over 48 hours.

"It really is amazing," Pikiell said. "I never with all obstacles that we'd get to this point. I thought everyone was gonna have stoppages."

Rutgers went 14-10 during the regular and 10-10 in Big Ten play, but none of that matters now. It's a brand new season.

"I take these things as we played our regular season and that's done and this is another opportunity here which is exciting. Everybody is 0-0," Pikiell said. "We talked about Geo (Baker's) and (Mamadou Doucoure's) freshman year how we went into that tournament and how we played and really showed show people that we can play and compete in this league. It was a great opportunity and there was a lot of excitement and we have an opportunity to do that again on Thursday. I think our guys are looking forward to it. Forty minutes gets you 40."

The Scarlet Knights and programs across the country are in survive and advance mode. Right after the Big Ten is the NCAA Tournament, and Rutgers should hear its named called to go dancing for the first time in 30 years. Both the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments are being held in Indiana, so, presumably a team would be staying in the area for a month.

"We talked the other day about how there's four games in this tournament and we're not looking too far beyond that, but pack your stuff," Pikiell said. "There's a lot of excitement in the future, but you got to take care of your 40 minutes against Indiana to get yourself to the next round and that'll be a tough task."

The players know what is on the horizon. They know they are about to break a stream nobody wants.

But there's also a group of seniors that this is their last shot at a Big Ten Tournament title as well and they want to take care of business.

"I think these guys have been pretty good," Pikiell told TKR. "We had a great day yesterday and plan to have a great day today. We were pretty locked in on what we have to do. We respect Indiana a ton. Got their attention, showed them film of things we didn't do well and the things that we have to do well. We're kind of focused in on those 40 minutes."

The winner of Rutgers-Indiana takes on second-seeded and No. 3-ranked Illinois in the quarterfinals.

"We have to enjoy it. We got six seniors," Pikiell continued to TKR. "Some of them are putting the uniforms away after this. The seniors from last year reached out to our guys and said you don't want to put those uniforms away. We want to enjoy enjoy what we're doing."