After 27 years as a well-travelled high school coach and college assistant, Patrick Sellers took on a challenging assignment at his alma mater, Central Connecticut State, a program that had amassed 10 straight losing seasons when he arrived in 2021.Talk about a home run hire. The Blue Devils have improved in each of his four seasons, including last year when they went 25-7.Sellers’ mid-major squad gets its second opportunity to knock off a power-conference school when it travels to face Rutgers on Friday in Piscataway, N.J.Central Connecticut State (2-2) already made headlines on Nov. 11, when it toppled Boston College, 60-59. It was the Blue Devils’ first win over a power-conference school since 1999 when it upset Providence of the Big East.Ten days later, Central Connecticut State goes after another big fish at Rutgers (4-0). In 19 tries, the Blue Devils have never beaten a team from the Big Ten. They are 0-5 all-time against Rutgers.”Part of the recruiting process, I say, ‘Fellas, we don’t have NIL money. We don’t fly in a private jet. We don’t do this, don’t do that,'” Sellers told the Hartford Courant last week. “All we have is really good people, really good character guys.”Darin Smith Jr., who scored the winning basket with three seconds left against Boston College, is the top scorer for the Blue Devils at 15.5 points per game.Arkansas transfer Melo Sanchez averages 10 points per game, while Jay Rodgers puts up 9.5 points and a team-high 5.3 assists per game.Rutgers’ four wins have come over mid-major schools, all at home. The Scarlet Knights have had trouble putting away its last three opponents, however, winning by 12, 12 and nine points.