1978–79 Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team

The 1978–79 Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball represented Rutgers University as a member of the Eastern Athletic Association during the 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Tom Young, then in his sixth season with the Scarlet Knights. The team played its home games in Louis Brown Athletic Center in Piscataway, New Jersey. The Scarlet Knights won the EAA tournament to reach the NCAA tournament, where they defeated Georgetown in the second round to reach the Sweet Sixteen. Rutgers would lose to St. John's – a team they beat twice during the regular season – in the East Regional semifinal to finish with a record of 22–9 (7–3 EAA).

Schedule and results
!colspan=9 style=| Regular season

!colspan=9 style=| EAA tournament

!colspan=9 style=| NCAA tournament