A key factor in Rutgers' 67-62 upset of No. 7 Wisconsin Sunday was the Scarlet Knights limiting the Badgers to one of their lowest scoring outputs of the season.
After the game, Rutgers forward Kadeem Jack told reporters: "We're playing defense now."
Wisconsin did not have its top player, Frank Kaminsky, who is averaging 16.9 points per game. Still, this was the latest solid defensive performance for Maryland's upcoming opponent.
The Terps play Rutgers on Wednesday night in College Park.
"We're not going to let anything be easy," Scarlet Knights forward Greg Lewis said during a phone interview. "It's not going to be easy. Rutgers, we pride ourselves on defense."
While the Scarlet Knights (10-7, 2-2 Big Ten) are ranked 327th nationally in scoring offense, the defense has lifted Rutgers to recent wins over Monmouth, Penn State and Wisconsin.
The Scarlet Knights have the 51st-best scoring defense in the nation (60.6 points per game).
Rutgers limited No. 2 Virginia to 33 percent shooting in a 45-26 loss Nov. 29, and the Scarlet Knights are allowing an average of just 56.4 points during their past five games.
"We've got some good defensive numbers across the board when you compare it to the national scene, the national landscape," Jordan said. "We don't shoot the ball very well. We don't score very much. Our defense has kept us in games. … Defensive-minded first. We play through [forward Kadeem Jack and guard Myles Mack] on offense, and we hope we score enough to win games."