Central Connecticut, riding a historic win, faces Rutgers for its first Big Ten victory.

Central Connecticut State, a mid-major team under coach Patrick Sellers, seeks its first Big Ten win against Rutgers, coming off a historic 60-59 victory over Boston College—their first power-conference win since 1999. The Blue Devils, 2-2 this season and led by Darin Smith Jr. (15.5 ppg), aim to upset 4-0 Rutgers, which has only beaten mid-major teams at home and struggled to pull away in close games. Rutgers, known for its size with four top-six scorers at least 6-foot-7, is led by Dylan Grant (19.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg), Tariq Francis, and 6-foot-10 Emmanuel Ogbole, but coach Steve Pikiell stresses the need for defensive consistency. Despite Central Connecticut’s 0-5 record against Big Ten teams and no wins over Rutgers in 19 tries, the Blue Devils’ strong team culture and recent momentum make them a dangerous opponent.