College basketball season is nearing it's most exciting time - tourney time! Conference tournaments at various levels will begin in just a few weeks and the action across the Garden State is heating up. New Jersey is home to some of the top college basketball programs in the country.
Rutgers and Seton Hall are the big boys and both are hovering inside the top five in their respective conference standings. The Pirates women's team is also enjoying a successful campaign and is looking to make a deep run in the Big East Tournament. Both the men's and women's teams at Princeton are well over .500 and battling for the Ivy League's top spot.
Those schools are not alone however.
The saying always goes, "it's not how you start, it's how you finish." Teams are getting hot at the right time, which should make postseason basketball an exciting time across New Jersey.
Both Rowan and Montclair State men's basketball teams are streaking at the right time. (Photo by Mark Carosiello - JSN)
Here are seven of the longest current active win streaks in New Jersey college basketball as of Thursday morning.
Rowan University Men's Basketball (10 games)
The Profs are riding a 10-game winning streak and sit at 18-3 overall this season. Making their record even more impressive is that they lost their first two games of the season. After falling to Swarthmore and Marymount, Rowan rattled off eight straight wins before falling to Maryville in a three-point defeat on December 29. They've not lost since. The Profs are 14-0 in NJAC play this season with four games left to play.
Caldwell University Men's Basketball (Seven games)
The Caldwell Cougars won their seventh straight game with a win over Felician on Tuesday. Are the Cougars streaky? They do have two, three-game losing streaks this season, but lucky for them only one other loss outside of that. Caldwell is 15-7 overall and 11-2 in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC). Three of their final five regular season games will be played on their home court.
Kean University Women's Basketball (Seven games)
After a loss to Rowan on January 7, the Kean women's basketball team sat at 6-8 overall. Since that point, the Cougars have won seven straight to put themselves in first place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) standings. Kean is 13-8 overall and 11-3 in conference play. A huge matchup awaits as the Cougars have a rematch with Rowan on Saturday, February 4 at Kean.
(Photo by Tony Maddux - JSN)
Rowan University Women's Basketball (Six games)
Speaking of Rowan, the Lady Profs are nipping at the heels of Kean in the NJAC Women's Basketball standings. Having already beat the Cougars, a win on Saturday would give them a season sweep and put them in a tie in the standings. Rowan's last loss came on January 11, a road slip up against a .500 Montclair State squad. The Profs have won six straight since then and currently sit at 14-7 overall and 10-4 in NJAC play. Their next two games are huge as they travel to Kean, who sits one game above them in the standings, and follow that up with a trip to New Jersey City, a team that is currently tied with Rowan in the standings.
Princeton Women's Basketball (Six games)
New Year's Eve and the start to 2023 was not kind to the Princeton Tigers women's basketball team. Princeton fell to Harvard on NYE and then lost to Columbia in overtime on January 6. Since that point, when they were 8-5 overall, Princeton has won six straight to improve to 14-5 overall and 5-2 in Ivy League play. The Tigers seem to have found an offensive groove, scoring 70+ points in four games during the current winning streak. With seven games remaining, Princeton is entrenched in a five team battle for the Ivy League regular season title.
(Photo by Mark Carosiello - JSN)
Montclair State Men's Basketball (Six games)
The Red Hawks of Montclair State are right in the thick of things in the NJAC conference. They've won six straight and have shown no signs of slowing down. The Red Hawks are currently 18-3 overall and 12-2 in NJAC play. They sit in a tie for second place with Stockton and two games behind conference leader, Rowan. The Red Hawks only two losses this season have come at the hands of those two rivals. Their last defeat was a high-scoring affair with Rowan on January 11. They have rematched with both coming up.
Rider Men's Basketball (Five games)
After a three-game losing streak which culminated with a 68-63 loss to MAAC leader, Siena, on January 8, the Rider Broncs sat at a lackluster 6-9 on the season. However, winners of five straight, including an OT thriller over Fairfield on Sunday, the Broncs are now 11-9 overall and 8-3 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play. They current sit just one game behind Siena in the standings. Plenty of games remain in the MAAC regular season, but the Broncs are looking to keep things rolling and make a run in Atlantic City.
- Rutgers Women's Basketball Officially Adds 'Rare Talent' Kiyomi McMiller - April 18, 2024
- Jersey Native Sets ACC Freshman Scoring Record - February 29, 2024
- Rutgers Spring Sports Off To Fast Start - February 12, 2024
