GAME NOTES: The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will being their ride through the 2014-15 season on Sunday night when they host the George Washington Colonials in non-conference action at the RAC.

George Washington already got its campaign underway, running away with a 92-40 victory at home against Grambling State on Friday. It was an excellent start to the season for the Colonials, who are taking aim at a second straight NCAA Tournament bid after they finished 24-9 overall and got an at-large invite in 2013-14.

Rutgers will be in its third conference in as many years this season, as it went from the Big East to the American Athletic Conference last season, and now enters the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights have gotten used to shake-ups, however, was they played last season under new head coach Eddie Jordon, who led the team to a turbulent 12-21 finish.

These squads used to be Atlantic 10 Conference rivals, as Rutgers competed in that league for 13 seasons before transitioning to the Big East. The Scarlet Knights hold a 23-19 edge in the all-time series, which was renewed over the last two seasons. The Colonials had the upper hand last season, claiming a 93-87 victory, marking their sixth win in the last nine meetings.

Efficient offense and dominating work on the boards led George Washington past Grambling State on Friday. The Colonials shot 55.6 percent from the floor, while holding their opponents to just 28.3 percent. Additionally, they had a 49-24 advantage in rebounds. In fact, with 17 offensive rebounds, they were only seven boards short of Grambling State's entire output.

Kevin Larsen was paramount to the team's success both offensively and on the glass, as he did a solid job replacing Isaiah Armwood. Larsen tallied 15 points and nine rebounds, while adding three assists as well. While Larsen was a sturdy force down low, Patricio Garino and Kethan Savage played well off of each other in the backcourt. Garino finished with a game-high 21 points on 8- of-10 shooting. He also collected four of the team's 10 steals. Savage had a meager scoring day (12 points), but he had five rebounds and as many assists. Joe McDonald also contributed across the board, with eight points, eight rebounds and four helpers.

Last season, Rutgers struggled to stop opposing squads. It let up 76.2 points per game on just under 45 percent shooting, ranking near the bottom of the AAC in each category. The Scarlet Knights failed to be a potent offensive team as well, averaging only 71.1 points per game on a meager 42.6 percent shooting effort.

Top scorers Myles Mack (14.9 ppg, 4.3 apg) and Kadeem Jack (14.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg) are both back and should continue to be the top offensive threats, especially with J.J. Moore (11.2 ppg) gone. Mack had a down season in 2013-14, connecting on only 40.3 percent of his field goal attempts, including a 37 percent showing from 3-point range. He shot 48 and 46.2 percent in those two areas as a sophomore. A return to more efficient shooting could go a long way in helping RU in its transition to the Big Ten. Jack was the team's leading rebounder last season, while also topping the roster in blocked shots (1.3 bpg).

The Colonials did not appear to skip a beat from last season in Friday's opener. Of course, they were facing an inferior Grambling State squad. Although the difficulty will be ratcheted up on Sunday, expect the Colonials to squeeze out another win.