It's been a dreary season for the Rutgers men's basketball team up to this point.
A 10-20 record. Only two Big East victories. And a nine game losing streak to boot. To some fans the end of the season can't come soon enough, so the hope of next year can begin.
The thought has crept into the minds of some players as well.
"It's got to," Corey Chandler said. "The season is over now. This year is gone by, it's passed. The only thing you can do is talk about the future."
Chandler's teammates backup his assertions that next year may be closer than it seems.
"After the last game of the season, next year is beginning," Mike Coburn said. "So after this game we'll just be thinking about next year and preparing for next year, trying to get our team the best that we can."
JR Inman attributes the forward thinking to a tough year on the court but believes his team hasn't given up on the season because it wants to send out senior Byron Joynes in style.
"When you have a rough year like we did, so many close losses, it could come into your mind the possibility of packing it in early," Inman said.
"Certainly with this being Byron's last game, our captain, that he's done so much for this program, we want to end his career on a positive. And that's by getting a 'W.' So I wouldn't say that we packed it in. It's been hard to play through certain situations, given our circumstances, however we're still looking to go out there and play hard and get a win against a good team."
But there is one team remaining on the schedule before next year begins and that is the game with intra-state rival Seton Hall.
While it may not have as much heat behind it as the previous match-up at the Louis Brown Athletic Center earlier this year, Sunday's game at the Prudential Center still has repercussions for both programs.
For Seton Hall a victory over the Scarlet Knights would keep its sinking NCAA Tournament hopes afloat, while wrapping up a definite NIT berth.
For Rutgers the benefits would be more intangible.
A season ending win would give the program momentum and something to build on going into next year.
"[It would give us] nice momentum, confidence going into next year," Coburn iterated about a season ending win. "End it with a win would make us feel good and knowing that we are trying to strive for next year, more wins, that would be a nice boost."
The Knights are also encouraged by the possibility to end the Seton Hall's postseason hopes and give itself a marquee win.
"If anything that would be one of the highlights of our year," Inman said of a possible victory. "The fact that playing a rival in the last game with them having hopes of postseason play for us to bring that to an end, that would be something we could look back on at the end of the year and look to it as a positive."
To Chandler, a Newark native, it's a chance to go play in front of hometown crowd and the chance to beat a team that he frankly does not like.
"That's what I want to do," Chandler said. "Go back, you know its my home town, try to embarrass them. I don't like Seton Hall. And you can tell them I said that."
