Rutgers on verge of winless Big Ten Conference season

Rutgers head coach Eddie Jordan talks to his players during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Michigan State Wednesday, March 2, 2016, in Piscataway, N.J. Michigan State won 97-66. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) Rutgers head coach Eddie Jordan talks to his players during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Michigan State Wednesday, March 2, 2016, in Piscataway, N.J. Michigan State won 97-66. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

By Associated Press March 3, 2016 4 min read

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) – Meaningless games at the beginning of March are nothing new in Piscataway. Rutgers is reaching a new low this season.

The Scarlet Knights have lost 17 straight games this season and 32 in a row in Big Ten Conference games dating to last season. The 17-game skid is the longest single-season losing streak in a program history that dates to 1906.

The latest was a 97-66 loss to No. 2 Michigan State on Wednesday night, the fifth time they have lost by at least 31 points this season.

“This year’s been rough for us like everyone sees,” Rutgers guard Corey Sanders said. “But we wake up every day to fight and get better.”

Rough seasons are the norm at Rutgers. It hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament in 25 years and now it may become the first Big Ten team since Northwestern (0-17) in 1999-2000 to go winless in the conference.