Saturday, November 14th, 2:00 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Louis Brown Athletic Center (8,000) -- Piscataway, New Jersey. Television: None. Home Record: Marist 0-0, Rutgers 0-0. Away Record: Marist 0-0, Rutgers 0-0. Neutral Record: Marist 0-0, Rutgers 0-0. Conference Record: Marist 0-0, Rutgers 0-0. Series Record: Rutgers leads, 1-0.

GAME NOTES: The Marist Red Foxes and Rutgers Scarlet Knights clash at the RAC today, as the two programs open their 2009-10 campaigns.

Chuck Martin's first season as head coach of Marist didn't go so well, as the Red Foxes finished just 10-23 overall. The team was just 1-13 in road games and that doesn't sit well for a club that is set to play its first six games away from home in 2009-10. The loss of three starters won't help in its rebound attempt either.

For Rutgers, it didn't fare much better in 2008-09, finishing just 11-21 following a 9-3 start to the campaign. The Knights won just two of 18 Big East games under head coach Fred Hill, who is now 32-60 in three seasons at the helm of the program. Rutgers lost some contributors from last year's club, but also return some emerging players that should have the program moving forward.

The Knights and Red Foxes met in their season openers exactly a year ago, with Rutgers edging Marist, 63-61, in the first-ever encounter between the two schools.

The Red Foxes don't have many proven players on their roster and that will likely result in another poor finish. Dejuan Goodwin and Korey Bauer are two of the team's top returning players, but they still have a lot to prove. The 6-2 Goodwin averaged 6.7 ppg and shot 38.5 percent from long range last season, while the 6-9 Bauer chipped in with 4.3 ppg. R.J. Hall (6.9 ppg) and Javon Parris (6.0 ppg) are to other players that saw decent time last year and should be even more productive this season along the perimeter for Marist.

One of the few bright spots for Rutgers last season was the play of Mike Rosario, a 6-3 guard that emerged as the team's go-to-guy. As just a freshman, Rosario led the team with a solid 16.2 ppg and showed flashes of becoming a star. Mike Coburn will accompany Rosario at the perimeter after the 6-0 guard turned in 4.0 ppg and 2.1 apg, while making nine starts at the point last season. Up front, Gregory Echenique showed promise as a rookie last season, as the 6-9 forward averaged 8.4 ppg and a team-best 8.4 rpg. He will be joined by 6-7 Jonathan Mitchell, a Florida transfer that is ready to make an impact after sitting out a season.

Behind Rosario and some solid play in the post, look for Rutgers to top Marist today.

Predicted Outcome

Rutgers 69, Marist 60