Rutgers basketball vs. Ohio State, E.J. Liddell preview

When Rutgers plays at its highest level, when its offense is clicking and its defense is stifling, it has the potential to beat just about anyone.

Michigan State became the latest team to witness that firsthand, enduring a demoralizing 40-minute thrashing at the hands of Steve Pikiell’s Scarlet Knights. 

The problem is that version of Rutgers doesn’t always appear. Inconsistency has been the theme of the Scarlet Knights’ season, a confounding issue affecting a team that holds high expectations for itself.

“This team has no ceiling,” Caleb McConnell said. “I feel like we can play with anybody and we can beat anybody. We’ve just got to be consistent, play to a rhythm.”

Especially now, when McConnell and Rutgers need every win they can get. The Scarlet Knights can’t afford to let that inconsistency make an ugly return. 

The Scarlet Knights’ next test in this arduous stretch of their schedule comes Wednesday night when they host E.J. Liddell and the No. 16 Ohio State Buckeyes at Jersey Mike’s Arena (7 p.m., Big Ten Network). 

6-foot-7 Liddell has good history vs. RU

It’s another game against one of the Big Ten’s best, another game against one of the most dynamic players in the country. 

The 6-foot-7 Liddell is averaging 19.7 points per game, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten while shooting 51.5 percent from the field.

Liddell last season had two good games against Rutgers — he had 21 points, six rebounds and three assists in the teams’ first meeting, then had 15 points, six rebounds and two assists in the second matchup. Both were Ohio State victories.