College basketball is officially back. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights basketball team will start their 2026-27 regular season on Friday night at home against the New Haven Chargers.

Jersey Mike's Arena in New Jersey will be sold out. Point guard Tariq Francis is looking to have a much stronger 2026-27 campaign—one of the most talented backcourt guards in the Big Ten Conference. Francis averaged 17 points last season. Can he reach 19 or 20 points a game?

He might not have to do too much because he will be surrounded by other talented teammates. His backcourt mate, Lino Mark, had an impressive season last year. Mark is one of those players to watch out for this season. Mark should raise his game to another level, and he should set the tone tonight. His explosiveness, being a double-digit machine, and ability to grab rebounds, especially defensive rebounds, are unbelievable.

The Chargers are entering this game after losing to Syracuse Orange. Regardless, Rutgers can't take this team lightly. Granted, no team should take any team lightly on any given day. The Scarlet Knights coaching staff must alert their players not to let sophomore forward Teshaun Steele have any confidence to start the game.

Steele scored 18 points in the season opener against Syracuse. Steele enters his second season. He was named to the NEC All-Rookie Team as a freshman. Steele wasn't a big standout in his first season, but he might have a bigger presence on this team this season. It's going to be interesting how the Scarlet Knights' defense will defend him. It doesn't matter if it's the beginning of the season. 

Darren Buchanan Jr. brings size, strength, and aggression to the starting lineup. It's his fifth season with the Rutgers. We hope that in this final season, he can make some everlasting moments with the team. Buchanan must dominate the paint and crash those boards. 

Rebounding is a critical part of the game. Buchanan must be a ferocious leader in that department as well as interior defense. One of his best performances during the 2025-26 season was against the Northwestern Wildcats. In this game, he posted a team-high 40 minutes and recorded the game-winning block down the stretch. 

What makes this matchup compelling is that both programs have no prior history. It's their first matchup in history. New Haven and Rutgers have played each other in other sports such as baseball, but never on a basketball court. We are witnessing history tonight. The Scarlet Knights could be on the right side of history with a victory.