The Oxford Advanced American Dictionary defines “intriguing” as “very interesting because of being unusual.”

Rutgers basketball coach Steve Pikiell defines “intriguing” as playing physical defense and hitting the boards.

It’s the adjective that Pikiell uses most frequently to describe a team that was picked to finish No. 17 out of 18 in the Big Ten preseason media poll. Wednesday’s season-opening visit from Rider officially turns the page from a disappointing 15-17 record while developing two of the top five picks in the 2025 NBA Draft.

“I think we’ll be exciting to watch,” Pikiell told The Post. “We’ve been working while no one is watching. We are tough, physical, we’re athletic at all the positions and we’re the biggest we’ve been. I think people are going to like this version of Rutg

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