Rutgers vs. Seton Hall basketball: A history of high jinks
It’s time to talk about Bambi on ice, runaway redwoods, clotheslines and head butts.
Must be rivalry week for Rutgers and Seton Hall basketball.
With the Garden State Hardwood Classic set to resume Saturday (3 p.m. at Jersey Mike's Arena, airing on Fox), we take our annual trip down memory lane of this crazy series. Here's my catalog of the most memorable showdowns since 2000 and their accompanying controversies.
RELATED: How the Boardwalk Trophy was made
Best of the best
1. March 2004: Seton Hall 66, Rutgers 64 at the RAC
Why it was classic: Rutgers was 16-1 at home, with the lone loss coming to No. 1 UConn by one point. Seton Hall needed a win to secure an NCAA berth. This was — by far — the most consequential game the rivals have played in modern times.
How it ended: Rutgers’ Marquis Webb missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The hero: Andre Barrett drained a 3-pointer from the block R to give the Pirates the lead for good with about two minutes left.
Of course, controversy: Gary Waters accounted for the wrong inbounds spot when he drew up the final play, which was supposed to go to Herve Lamizana. The spot was further back than he expected, Lamizana was unreachable on the high block (and double-teamed by Barrett and Marcus Toney-El) and the ball wound up in the hands of the poor-shooting Webb, whose off-balance, uncontested 3 clanged off the front rim.
2. March 2008: Rutgers 64, Seton Hall 61 at the Rock
Why it was classic: Rutgers rallied from a 17-point first-half deficit to snap a nine-game losing streak on a buzzer-beater by J.R. Inman. The loss cost Seton Hall a chance at the NIT.
How it ended: After Jamar Nutter banked in a put-back to tie the score with 4.3 seconds left, Anthony Farmer sent a long pass down the right sideline to Inman, who barely beat the buzzer with his off-balance 25-footer.
The hero: Inman won the game, but freshman Corey Chandler earned MVP honors with 11 points, six boards and three assists.
Of course, controversy: You could fill a book chapter with all the nuttiness that went down after Inman’s shot, starting with the contentious handshake between Fred Hill and Bobby Gonzalez and spilling over into the press conferences.
When asked if he was “celebrating in Gonzalez’s face” during the handshake, Hill replied, “I was clapping for J.R. Inman because he executed what we drew up in the timeout.” That was untrue on both counts. A few minutes later Hill said, “I was more happy for Byron Joynes, that’s who I was clapping for. He’s a senior, he’s a warrior and he’s done so many things in our program.”
Gonzo moaned about a no-call on a potential travel late in the game, claiming Chandler was “skating like Bambi on ice.” He ripped official Wally Rutecki as “that mysterious guy who happened to make all the big calls,” implied that “somebody faked an injury” during a late-game foul-shooting situation, said these kinds of losses were why “there’s a lot of former coaches walking into the river and talking to themselves, chasing parked cars in the parking lot” and wondered if the incident with Hill “may have caused more frustration in our already wonderful friendship.”
Reporters’ pens were running dry in the media room.
Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese publicly castigated both coaches and Seton Hall suspended Gonzalez for one game the following season.
3. February 2000: Seton Hall 65, Rutgers 63 (OT) at the RAC
Why it was classic: Seton Hall came in at 16-4 and 8-2, Rutgers at 12-9 and 4-5. The crowd of 8,600 was going berserk as Rutgers led by 10 at halftime and by eight in overtime.
Of course, controversy: With Rutgers up three and 49 seconds left, Rashod Kent called a timeout as he was falling out of bounds. Rutgers had no timeouts left, prompting a technical foul. The Pirates made both shots and then got a go-ahead layup by Ty Shine.
The hero: Seton Hall’s Rimas Kaukenas scored 16 points and made both free throws after Kent’s technical.
Did you know? The last shot of the game was taken by Rutgers’ Luis Flores (who later starred for Gonzo at Manhattan) and it was an air ball from 14 feet.
4. February 2012: Rutgers 77, Seton Hall 72 (OT) at the Rock
Why it was a classic: Seton Hall was closing in on an NCAA Tournament berth but Rutgers rallied from a 10-point first-half deficit before a sold-out crowd of 10,945. There were 18 lead changes before a Jerome Seagears 3-pointer broke a tie with 12 seconds left in overtime. The Pirates’ bubble would burst after they dropped the next game at DePaul.
The hero: Seagears hit the shot, but Dane Miller was the man, posting 21 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and no turnovers in one of his many strong efforts against the archrival. “There was no way we could see them go to the tournament,” Miller said afterward.
Of course, controversy: With the score tied and under a minute left in overtime, Seton Hall lost possession when Herb Pope was called for an illegal screen. Replays showed Pope didn’t move, but Jerome Seagears hit him — and then the floor — with such force that it prompted a whistle. Rutgers got the ball and Seagears made it count.
5. December 2017: Rutgers 71, Seton Hall 65 at the RAC
Why it was classic: Before a RAC crowd of 8,315 (the largest since 2002), Rutgers rallied from 13 down, closing the game on a 17-2 run to stun the 15th-ranked Pirates and snap a four-game slide in the series. Students stormed the court at the buzzer as junior guard Corey Sanders (22 points) paraded around with the Boardwalk Trophy.
Of course, controversy: Lots of it as the rivalry returned to peak form. Days before the game Seton Hall lent Rutgers the Boardwalk Trophy for promotional purposes (much to the chagrin of many alumni), and Rutgers used it as the centerpiece of a pregame hype video that featured a bunch of Seton Hall’s unsportsmanlike moments in the series. In warmups Hall center Angel Delgado added to the litany by shoving the Scarlet Knight mascot with a forearm. During the game there was a double-technical and an intentional foul.
Multiple players said they never had heard so much trash-talking.
“This is a rivalry game; that’s what it’s supposed to be," Seton Hall senior forward Ish Sanogo said. "We’re not out there to be buddy-buddy. I don’t want to be friends with these guys. At the end of the day, I don’t like anybody on their team.”
6. February 2005: Rutgers 62, Seton Hall 61 (OT) at the RAC
Why it was classic: Just a wild game that came out of nowhere in a lost season for both programs. Seton Hall trailed by 12 in the first half before forcing OT.
Of course, controversy: The score was tied 61-61 at the end of overtime when official Les Jones whistled Donald Copeland for a shooting foul on Quincy Douby as time expired. Replays showed no contact as Douby missed his last-ditch jumper. With the court cleared, Douby missed the first free throw and made the second.
“I think what everybody thinks, that it was a horrible call,” Seton Hall senior John Allen said. “The worst part is that it’s two teams at the bottom of the league, so not a lot of people are going to care, but that was messed up.”
7. March 2011: Rutgers 76, Seton Hall 70 (OT) at MSG
Why it was classic: In the first round of the Big East Tournament, the lead changed hands three times in the final minute before Seton Hall’s Jeremy Hazell drained a 25-footer with one second left to force overtime.
Of course, controversy: Five players fouled out, including an ejection of Gilvydas Biruta for throwing an elbow (Wally Rutecki on the whistle, again). Afterward, Rutgers coach Mike Rice admitted he made a mistake not fouling with his team up three in the closing seconds of regulation. A despondent Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard ended his postgame press conference without being excused by moderator John Paquette, something longtime Big East scribes said they had never seen happen before.
More Greatest Hits
January 2002: Seton Hall 67, Rutgers 54 at the Meadowlands
Of course, controversy: Prior to the game the Star-Ledger quoted Rutgers forward Herve Lamizana saying he spurned Seton Hall’s recruitment because he disliked Pirate forward Marcus Toney-El. The following day Toney-El responded with, “He shouldn’t hate. That’s a female trait. Men are men. We get over things.” Toney-El later issued an apology statement and apologized personally to Lamizana during pre-game warm-ups, but the stage was set for . . .
February 2002: Rutgers 66, Seton Hall 60 at the RAC
Of course, controversy: With just under four minutes left and Rutgers in command, Toney-El practically tackled Rutgers guard Mike Sherrod on a breakaway layup. Both players ended up among the fans in Section 118 under the basket. The benches emptied and some shoving ensued but a full-scale conflagration was narrowly avoided.
February 2004: Seton Hall 85, Rutgers 58 at the Meadowlands
Of course, controversy: With more than 15,000 fans in attendance, Seton Hall ran away with it. Afterward a defiant Gary Waters told reporters “all they did was hold serve” and promised “the outcome will be different” in the rematch at the RAC (it was, sort of — Seton Hall won by 2).
February 2010: Seton Hall 76, Rutgers 70 at the Rock
Of course, controversy: An otherwise ordinary game ended on a strange note when, with the outcome decided, Rutgers’ Dane Miller elevated to throw down a dunk with one second left. Seton Hall’s Herb Pope knocked the ball — and the player — to the ground hard. An intentional foul was called. “That’s just the way they are, and we carry ourselves the way we are,” Rutgers guard Mike Rosario said. The dirty play lit the spark for a battle royal in round two.
March 2010: Seton Hall 85, Rutgers 74 at the RAC
Of course, controversy: Before an ESPN audience, Rutgers’ Hamady N’Diaye charged at Seton Hall’s Jeff Robinson after a Robinson body check sent the 7-footer rolling off the court like a runaway redwood. People got in the way and prevented an exchange of haymakers. N’Diaye was charged with a technical foul, Robinson with an intentional foul. While the officials sorted it out, N’Diaye paraded around waving his arms, exhorting the crowd for more volume. “It’s crazy,” Herb Pope said. “Everybody was going nuts.”
The lunacy didn’t end with the final buzzer. Breaking protocol, Rutgers’ Dane Miller darted for the exits as soon as the buzzer sounded. Moments later, in the handshake line, heated words were exchanged between Seton Hall head coach Bobby Gonzalez and Rutgers assistants Darren Savino and Jim Carr.
Asked about it afterward, Gonzalez made no apologies.
“There’s supposed to be emotion and energy, a little bit of angst and whatever, and that exists,” he said. “We beat St. John’s, we beat Rutgers twice. We want to be able to say to recruits that we swept the metropolitan area; that’s important to us.”
Rutgers coach Fred Hill said he was unaware of the exchange. Asked about Miller bolting into the locker room, he said, “I didn’t see that either.”
Afterward N’Diaye’s mother, who was watching him play in person for the first time, said she was appalled by the nastiness on the court. Welcome to Rutgers-Seton Hall, lady.
January 22, 2011: Rutgers 66, Seton Hall 60 at the Rock
Of course, controversy: Seton Hall distributed white towels proclaiming the 11th commandment: “Thou Shalt Not Lose to Rutgers.” The Scarlet Knights faithful were miffed, but they got the last laugh as Pirate fans booed their team’s lackluster effort for the better part of two hours. Jordan Theodore would later acknowledge, “The alumni . . . were pissed off at us."
February 12, 2011: Seton Hall 69, Rutgers 64 at the RAC
Of course, controversy: Earlier in the day Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard dismissed seniors Keon Lawrence and Jamel Jackson for “an ongoing pattern of conduct unbecoming of a representative of Seton Hall athletics.” After the game Jordan Theodore defended the move, saying, “When guys are repeating, repeating, repeating the wrong things you have to step in and do your job and that’s what he did. Nobody on the team thinks he made the wrong move.” (Lawrence’s mother took umbrage with the comment and picked a fistfight with Theodore’s mother later that month at the Rock).
In an unrelated subplot, Hall senior Jeremy Hazell scored his 2,000th career point on a transition layup with three minutes left. The milestone went unacknowledged by the host (Rutgers officials said later Seton Hall never approached them beforehand about it). Hazell didn’t mind, but Herb Pope did: “We try to treat them with class when they come to our place,” he said, “and if someone from another team hit a milestone like that at the Rock, I can’t speak for the school, but I think we would have acknowledged it.”
February 8, 2012: Seton Hall 59, Rutgers 54 at the RAC
Of course, controversy: A rare triple technical was called with 3:26 left when a mini-fracas ended with Seton Hall forward Herb Pope head-butting Rutgers guard Eli Carter. Rutgers got a six-point play out of it to take the lead, but Pope — who should have been ejected — reversed the momentum for good by hitting a 3-point shot.
Afterward, in perhaps the strangest official’s quote of all time, crew chief Jim Burr said he did not eject Pope because “It wasn’t a great head butt, it was just a little tap.”
When asked about the incident, Pope said: “I just leaned over to tell him something, I guess.”
February 12, 2013: Rutgers 57, Seton Hall 55 at the RAC
Of course, controversy: In the obligatory “what-the-hell?” sequence, Rutgers guard Eli Carter bricked a fast-break layup with his team up three and 13 seconds left. Seton Hall, which had trailed by 12 with four minutes left, promptly turned it over when Brian Oliver’s outlet pass was intercepted by Mike Poole. Afterward, a frustrated Oliver told reporters “we don’t have the camaraderie I think we should,” but later tweeted that he was misinterpreted.
Fewer than 5,000 fans attended — the smallest RU-SHU crowd anyone could remember, prompting Star-Ledger columnist Steve Politi to pronounce the rivalry dead. Said Rutgers coach Mike Rice, “We’re certainly not going to ship this one to the Hall of Fame.”
March 8, 2013: Rutgers 56, Seton Hall 51 at the RAC
Of course, controversy: News broke during the game that Seton Hall recruit Jerron Wilbut had been charged with felony robbery. That was a final kick in the head for the Pirates, who got swept by Rutgers for the first time since 2001 and finished below the Scarlet Knights in the Big East standings for the first time since 2002.
After a sloppy contested that ended with Rutgers’ Myles Mack stripping Paterson buddy Fuquan Edwin with 20 seconds left, both coaches affirmed their intention to continue the rivalry on a non-conference basis as Mike Rice lamented Rutgers’ upcoming entry into the “America Whatever” conference.
Dec. 8, 2013: Seton Hall 77, Rutgers 71 at the Rock
Of course, controversy: With 7:22 left in the second half and Seton Hall up by nine, Pirate senior Brian Oliver was ejected after clotheslining Rutgers freshmen Junior Etou as they went for a rebound. The Hall already was playing shorthanded because Fuquan Edwin and Patrik Auda missed the game with injuries (Brandon Mobley would foul out shortly thereafter).
Stoked by Oliver’s buffoonery, Rutgers rallied to cut the deficit to one. Then, inexplicably, RU’s Jerome Seagears fouled Sterling Gibbs deep in Seton Hall’s end with 1:23 remaining. Gibbs made the free throws en route to a game-high 27 points, and when Seagears responded by shanking a layup, the deal was sealed and Eddie Jordan would not be collecting his $5,000 beat-SHU bonus.
“It’s always nice to win those types of games so you don’t have to get trash-talked,” Gibbs said. “You can do the trash talking.”
Dec. 6, 2014: Seton Hall 81, Rutgers 54 at the Rock
Of course, controversy: The game itself was notable only for the margin of victory, third-largest in the rivalry’s history. Afterward, for the first time anyone could remember, the postgame press conference did not include both coaches. Reporters had to scramble to the Rutgers locker room to interview Eddie Jordan while Kevin Willard was taking questions. There were conflicting versions of why this happened, but it was clear that they could not agree on who would speak first — protocol even Gonzo and Fred Hill figured out.
Dec. 5, 2015: Seton Hall 84, Rutgers 55 at the RAC
Of course, controversy: After the Hall won by the biggest margin of victory in series history, marking the first time since the 1980s that one team routed the other in back-to-back years, Eddie Jordan issued an all-time jaw-dropping quote regarding his team's 53-32 deficit on the glass. "I told them (Rutgers' players) I’m not going through rebounding drills guys,” Jordan said. “That’s not in my package as a coach. Rebounding is about heart and nose for the ball and wanting to go get it. That’s just not me as a coach.”
Dec. 23, 2016: Seton Hall 72, Rutgers 61 at the Rock
Of course, controversy: A few days before the game, Seton Hall center Angel Delgado had some not-so-subtle things to say about the series.
"(Rutgers) could be No. 1 in the country, we're still going to beat them," Delgado promised. "I'm coming with the mindset that we're not losing this game. That's how I feel, that's how I'm always going to feel. If I stay another year here, I'm going to still beat them, too."
He then backed up his talk with 19 points and 16 rebounds as the Pirates rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit before a sold-out crowd of 10,400.
Dec. 15, 2018: Seton Hall 72, Rutgers 66 at the Rock
Of course, controversy: A series-record five technical fouls were issued, including the only career tech for Big East Scholar-Athlete Michael Nzei. Rutgers cut a 17-point deficit to three before Myles Powell (28 points) drained a 3-pointer to seal it before a sold-out crowd of 10,481, including a green-clad Gov. Phil Murphy.
"Everyone was waving at Rutgers fans at the end — that felt amazing," Hall forward Sandro Mamukelashvili said. "I love New Jersey, honestly."
Dec. 14, 2019: Rutgers 68, Seton Hall 48
Of course, controversy: Seton Hall All-American Myles Powell banged his head twice early in the game (Rutgers already had seized a commanding lead out of the gate), but played most of the first half before being removed for what Hall coach Kevin Willard afterward called "a pretty bad concussion." An unhinged Rutgers fan circulated an internet rumor that the concussion was faked, which of course was disproven when Powell missed the next two games — including a showdown with seventh-ranked Maryland.
December 2020: Game canceled
Of course, controversy: The original date had to be scrapped as league schedules changed due to the COVID pandemic. A new date could not be found. Seton Hall booked a trip to Penn State for the last possible opening. Rutgers, which thought they were zeroing in on that date and learned of Seton Hall's arrangement with Penn State through Twitter, felt blindsided. An impasse ensued with both sides set on hosting the next meeting. The series contract nearly was torn up before Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell stepped forward and agreed to visit Newark this season.
Dec 12, 2021: Seton Hall 77, Rutgers 63
Of course, controversy: In an effort to boost its home-court advantage, Seton Hall boxed Rutgers fans out from getting tickets through the normal channels — rankling both the state university's fans and administrators. About 1,500 Scarlet-clad faithful found a way in and made their presence felt (half the usual amount). Demand was high, but typically the decision on whether to open the upper tier needs to be made a month in advance for logistical reasons. But this time, for the first time ever, Seton Hall's athletic department opened a handful of upper-tier sections on short notice for student spillover, adding to Rutgers' angst about the ticket situation. All told, a program-record 2,600 Hall students showed up. This from a university with 6,000 undergraduates total.
Dec. 11, 2022: Seton Hall 45, Rutgers 43
Of course, controversy: When the final buzzer sounded, Rutgers fans rained boos on the court because replays showed Seton Hall forward K.C. Ndefo may have stepped on the Pirates' baseline in the closing seconds while saving a ball from going out of bounds. A couple of fans even tried to interrupt FS1's broadcast to express their dismay as John Fanta and Jim Spanarkel were signing off. It was a fitting end to a pure-scrum, the lowest-scoring game in the series since 1947. Ndefo blocked standout Rutgers center Cliff Omoruyi (who had five inches on Ndefo) at the rim with one minute left to secure the upset. It marked the first road victory in the series since 2015 as an overflow crowd of 8,500 -- the rivalry's sixth straight sellout -- left disappointed.
Dec. 9, 2023: Rutgers 70, Seton Hall 63
Of course, controversy: Nothing eye-popping, but the most notable postgame comment came from Shaheen Holloway and possibly forecasted the future of this series: "All our new guys, they don’t know the rivalry and how important it is." A sad sentiment, and one that rings true on both sides in the free-agency era. Rutgers prevailed at the Rock for the first time since 2013 thanks in part to the debut of Mawot Mag, who had been sitting out since tearing an ACL the prior February.
The Coaching Battles
Tommy Amaker vs. Kevin Bannon: Amaker 3, Bannon 3
Louis Orr vs. Gary Waters: Orr 7, Waters 4
Bobby Gonzalez vs. Fred Hill: Gonzalez 6, Hill 2
Kevin Willard vs. Mike Rice: Rice 5, Willard 2
Kevin Willard vs. Eddie Jordan: Willard 3, Jordan 0
Kevin Willard vs. Steve Pikiell: Willard 3, Pikiell 2
Shaheen Holoway vs. Steve Pikiell: Holloway 1, Pikiell 1
The modern series
The rivals have met 45 times since Rutgers joined the Big East in 1995. Seton Hall leads 27-18 over that span (and 42-32 overall). The longest winning streak has been five games by Seton Hall. Here are all of the scores:
Jan. 28, 1996 at the CAA: Seton Hall 81, Rutgers 78
Feb. 7, 1996 at the RAC: Rutgers 70, Seton Hall 61
Jan. 26, 1997 at the RAC: Seton Hall 75, Rutgers 72
Jan. 7, 1998 at the RAC: Rutgers 78, Seton Hall 65
Feb. 18, 1998 at the CAA: Seton Hall 64, Rutgers 54
Feb. 21, 1999 at the CAA: Seton Hall 57, Rutgers 55
Feb. 9, 2000 at the RAC: Seton Hall 65, Rutgers 63 (OT)
Feb. 4, 2001 at the CAA: Rutgers 70, Seton Hall 64
Feb. 21, 2001 at the RAC: Rutgers 75, Seton Hall 57
Jan. 11, 2002 at the CAA: Seton Hall 67, Rutgers 54
Feb. 23, 2002 at the RAC: Rutgers 66, Seton Hall 60
Feb. 2, 2003 at the CAA: Seton Hall 58, Rutgers 53
Feb. 25, 2003 at the RAC: Seton Hall 62, Rutgers 52
Feb. 7, 2004 at the CAA: Seton Hall 85, Rutgers 58
March 7, 2004 at the RAC: Seton Hall 66, Rutgers 64
Jan. 22, 2005 at the CAA: Seton Hall 74, Rutgers 58
Feb. 8, 2005 at the RAC: Rutgers 62, Seton Hall 61 (OT)
Jan. 7, 2006 at the RAC: Rutgers 82, Seton Hall 78
Feb. 5, 2006 at CAA: Seton Hall 73, Rutgers 67
March 8, 2006 at MSG: Rutgers 61, Seton Hall 48
Jan. 3, 2007 at CAA: Seton Hall 77, Rutgers 72
Jan. 27, 2007 at the RAC: Rutgers 74, Seton Hall 70 (2OT)
Jan. 30, 2008 at the RAC: Seton Hall 84, Rutgers 71 (OT)
March 9, 2008 at the Rock: Rutgers 64, Seton Hall 61
Jan. 29, 2009 at the Rock: Seton Hall 70, Rutgers 67
Feb. 8, 2009 at the RAC: Seton Hall 65, Rutgers 60
Feb. 23, 2010 at the Rock: Seton Hall 76, Rutgers 70
March 4, 2010 at the RAC: Seton Hall 85, Rutgers 74
Jan. 22, 2011 at the Rock: Rutgers 66, Seton Hall 60
Feb. 12, 2011 at the RAC: Seton Hall 69, Rutgers 65
March 8, 2011 at MSG: Rutgers 76, Seton Hall 70 (OT)
February 8, 2012 at the RAC: Seton Hall 59, Rutgers 54
February 25, 2012 at the Rock: Rutgers 77, Seton Hall 72 (OT)
February 12, 2013 at the RAC: Rutgers 57, Seton Hall 55
March 8, 2013 at the Rock: Rutgers 56, Seton Hall 51
Dec. 8, 2013 at the RAC: Seton Hall 77, Rutgers 71
Dec. 6, 2014 at the Rock: Seton Hall 81, Rutgers 54
Dec. 5, 2015 at the RAC: Seton Hall 84, Rutgers 55
Dec. 23, 2016 at the Rock: Seton Hall 72, Rutgers 61
Dec. 16, 2017 at the RAC: Rutgers 71, Seton Hall 65
Dec. 15, 2018 at the Rock: Seton Hall 72, Rutgers 66
Dec. 14, 2019 at the RAC: Rutgers 68 Seton Hall 48
December 2020: Game canceled due to COVID
Dec 12, 2021 at the Rock: Seton Hall 77, Rutgers 63
Dec. 11, 2022 at Jersey Mike's Arena: Seton Hall 45, Rutgers 43
Dec. 9, 2023 at the Rock: Rutgers 70, Seton Hall 63
Joe Calabrese Award Winners
2023: Cliff Omoruyi, Rutgers
2022: K.C. Ndefo, Seton Hall
2021: Bryce Aiken, Seton Hall
2019: Ron Harper Jr.. Rutgers
2018: Myles Powell, Seton Hall
2017: Corey Sanders, Rutgers
2016: Angel Delgado, Seton Hall
2015: Angel Delgado, Seton Hall
2014: Isaiah Whitehead, Seton Hall
2013: Eugene Teague, Seton Hall
2013 (2012-13 season): Austin Johnson, Rutgers
2012: Dane Miller, Rutgers
2011: Jordan Theodore, Seton Hall
2010: Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall
2009: John Garcia, Seton Hall
2008: Corey Chandler, Rutgers
2007: Adrian Hill, Rutgers
2006: Kelly Whitney, Seton Hall
2005: Quincy Douby, Rutgers
2004: Andre Sweet, Seton Hall
2003: John Allen, Seton Hall
2002: Jerome Coleman, Rutgers
2001: Jeff Greer, Rutgers
2000: Rimas Kaukenas, Seton Hall
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers vs. Seton Hall basketball rivalry: A history of high jinks
