One thing to expect from Rutgers basketball’s upcoming foreign tour of Spain is the unexpected.

Head coach Steve Pikiell plans to use the four-game, 11-day trip to experiment with personnel combinations and playing style. It’s the coaching equivalent of going into the lab — albeit one with a scenic backdrop.

“I’ll play a lot of guys,” Pikiell said recently. “We’ll start four different starting lineups. We’ll do some fun stuff.”

What kind of stuff? Full-court pressure and trapping, some exotic zones, and a tempo-pushing offense that might just be a big part of the plans for 2019-20. The competition consists of club-level professional teams.

“It’s a chance to get a good feel — you get to learn about your team in the summertime, which is great,” Pikiell said. “And it gives you film.”

Rutgers leaves Monday and returns Aug. 16. Here is the game schedule:

Wednesday, Aug. 7 in Madrid: vs. Madrid All-Stars, 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Saturday, Aug. 10 in Valencia: vs. CC Basketball Academy, 1:30 p.m. ET

Monday, Aug. 12 in Barcelona: vs. Mataro All-Stars, 2:30 p.m. ET

Wednesday, Aug. 14 in Barcelona: vs. El Maresme All-Stars, 2 p.m. ET

There won’t be live streams of the action. Most programs do not live-stream their foreign exhibitions because a) it’s counterproductive to give game film to early-season opponents and b) the logistics can be tricky. Rutgers’ communications team will post video highlights and provide recaps, stats and updates on social media and at ScarletKnights.com.

RELATED: A look at Rutgers' non-conference schedule

Between the games, the Scarlet Knights will do sightseeing, team-bonding activities and participate in a youth basketball clinic. The program’s last foreign tour took place in 2009, also to Spain.

“First of all, it’s a great educational experience,” Pikiell said. “They’re going to see a lot of historical things. It’s great for camaraderie, chemistry.”

As the head coach at Stony Brook, Pikiell took the Seawolves on two foreign tours — one of Ireland, England and France, the other of Italy and Germany. He picked Spain for this trip because “they have the best basketball,” he said, and because the players were interested in the locale.

“Some of these guys have never been out of the country,” Pikiell said. “It gives them a chance to see some of the world.”

The games were arranged by Basketball Travelers Inc., which specializes in such tours. Pikiell said he “doesn’t have a feel” for specifics about the competition but is confident it will benefit his players no matter what.

“They get to play against pros, so they get to see the level of a 30-year-old who is playing professional basketball,” he said.

Here are three things to look for, based on USA Today Network New Jersey’s monitoring of the team’s offseason development:

1. How much playmaking does Jacob Young do? The junior guard and Texas transfer is the quickest and best athlete on the team. He’s gotten a long look at point guard over the summer because this guard-heavy Scarlet Knights' roster is best suited to play with pace. If Rutgers can platoon Young with freshman Paul Mulcahy at the one, it allows junior Geo Baker to flourish more naturally off the ball. The question with Young is, can he rein in his scorer’s impulse just enough to make it work?

2. What bigs will step up to help Myles Johnson? The 6-foot-10 sophomore is ready to battle the Big Ten’s prodigious front lines. He can’t do it alone. The staff is encouraged by the improvement of 6-9 senior Shaq Carter, who went through the standard struggles of adjustment from junior college ball last winter. Grad transfer Akwasi Yeboah, who was a productive combo forward at Stony Brook, projects as more of a space-the-floor shooter than a banger in the Eugene Omoruyi mold, even though he is poised to inherit Omoruyi’s starting four spot. A native of England, Yeboah could flourish on this Euro-ball trip.

3 Is Ron Harper Jr. ready to break out? All signs point toward high usage in 2019-20 for the sophomore wing and Don Bosco Prep alum, who looked so promising down the stretch last season. Harper has shed 20-plus pounds and is fully indoctrinated in Pikiell’s defensive principles. His numbers might not jump off the page in Spain because Pikiell will be playing mad scientist and emptying his bench, but don't be surprised if he shows up in the highlight clips.

GAME 1: Rutgers 96, Madrid All-Stars 78

Stat leaders:

Shaq Carter: 18 points on 7-9 FGs, 6 rebounds, +23 (plus/minus)

Akwasi Yeboah: 14 points on 4-8 FGs, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, +18

Peter Kiss: 16 points on 6-8 FGs (3-4 from 3), 5 rebounds, 4 turnovers

Ron Harper Jr: 16 points on 7-11 FGs (0-for-4 from 3), 6 rebounds

Jacob Young: 11 points on 4-10 FGs, 3 assists

Geo Baker: 7 points on 3-7 FGs, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals

Starting lineup: Geo Baker, Montez Mathis, Peter Kiss, Ron Harper Jr., Myles Johnson.

Carino's analysis: Based on reliable sources, and our own observations, Carter has been in the running for most improved Scarlet Knight this summer and that checks out here . . . not surprised that Pikiell went with perhaps his most experienced lineup (in terms of RU experience) for game one . . . Rutgers shot a highly respectable 39 percent (13-for-33) from the international 3-point line (which also will be the college line this season) . . . seems like the Scarlet Knights pushed the ball, which led to some turnovers and foul trouble, but tempo is a mindset and this team is better off playing with pace . . . for reference, West Virginia beat the same team by 28 points Tuesday.

GAME 2: Rutgers 86, C.C. Basketball Academy 47

Stat Leaders:

Jacob Young: 19 points on 7-8 FGs, 3 steals, 13:15 minutes

Ron Harper Jr.: 18 points on 5-11 FGs, plus-26 (+/-), 18:01

Peter Kiss: 11 points on 4-5 FGs, 15:55

Shaq Carter: 9 points on 4-9 FGs, 7 rebounds, 13:44.

Myles Johnson: 8 points on 4-6 FGs, 8 points, 10 rebounds , 3 steals in 16:16

Geo Baker 7 points on 2-3 FGs, 4 assists, 0 turnovers in 16:19

Montez Mathis 7 points, 2-3 FGs 4 assists, 1 turnover, +21 in 14:38

Starting Lineup: Paul Mulcahy, Jacob Young, Caleb McConnell, Akwasi Yeboah, Shaq Carter.

Carino's analysis: Rutgers brought 10 scholarship players to Spain and started 5 Wednesday and the other 5 Saturday -- the next game's lineup could be more telling...the game was stopped after 3 quarters because of a slippery floor . . . 24 assists to 8 turnovers is an outstanding ratio, no matter who you are playing . . . for reference, West Virginia beat this team by 65 the day before (over 4 quarters)...after strong 3-point shooting in the opener, the Scarlet Knights leveled off some here at 8-for-24...Paul Mulcahy posted 5 assists; the freshman has taken just four shots (all threes) over the first two games.

GAME 3: Rutgers 101, Mataro All-Stars 72

Stat leaders:

Ron Harper Jr.: 26 points on 10-16 FGs (3-8 3s), 10 rebounds, 2 assists in 22:10 minutes

Myles Johnson: 10 points on 5-8 FGs, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks in 20:24, plus-29 +/-

Shaq Carter: 18 points on 8-13 FGs, 10 rebounds in 18:53

Caleb McConnell: 12 points on 5-6 FGs, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover in 21:41, plus-31

Jacob Young: 6 points on 2-10 FGs, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 6 steals, 3 turnovers in 23:43

Akwasi Yeboah: 6 points on 2-10 FGs, 11 rebounds in 16:45

Peter Kiss: 8 points on 3-9 FGs in 14:13

Starting lineup: Paul Mulcahy, Geo Baker, Caleb McConnell, Ron Harper Jr., Myles Johnson

Carino's analysis: Intriguing "small-ball" lineup (3 point/combo guards, 1 wing, 1 big -- though the guards have good length) to optimize ball-handling; this is the kind of thing we might see a lot of this winter . . . McConnell has put in a strong summer by all accounts and his numbers are the height of efficiency . . . Harper is showing continued glimpses of being the go-to guy . . . RU was whistled for 31 fouls and recorded 16 steals as Pikiell continues to experiment with aggressive defenses . . . RU shot just 7-of-28 from 3-point range (25 percent) .

GAME 4: Rutgers 104, El Marisme All-Stars 87

Starting lineup: Jacob Young, Montez Mathis, Peter Kiss, Akwasi Yeboah, Shaq Carter

Stat leaders:

Geo Baker: 23 points on 8-12 FGs (2-5 3s), 7 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers in 25:29

Jacob Young: 17 points on 7-11 FGs (3-6 3s), 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 turnover in 25:35, plus-26 +/-

Shaq Carter: 19 points on 9-14 FGs, 14 rebounds, 3 assists in 24:04, plus-26 +/-

Montez Mathis: 11 points on 5-7 FGs, 8 rebounds in 23:05

Akwasi Yeboah: 10 points on 4-10 FGs, 8 rebounds in 24:30, plus-24 +/-

Caleb McConnell: 9 points on 4-7 FGs in 11:20

Carino's analysis: RU rallied from 9 down at the half to finish the trip 4-0 . . . It's noteworthy that Young got his first start at point guard and played well in an up-tempo contest. As stated above, he's getting a long look at that spot because of his speed . . . Yeboah must be defending pretty well because he's pulling high plus/minus numbers without being particularly efficient offensively . . . RU shot just 5-of-26 from 3-point range, capping a difficult trip from distance (totals: 33-of-111, or .297) . . . Shaq Carter was a monster on the glass the entire trip . . . Paul Mulcahy attempted just 9 shots over four games, making 1 . . . upon returning to the U.S., the players will go home for a few weeks, returning for the start of the fall semester Sept. 3.

TOP PRODUCERS, ALL 4 GAMES

Ron Harper Jr: 17.0 points on 26-49 FGs (.530), 5.8 rebounds

Shaq Carter: 16.0 points on 28-45 FGs (.622), 9.2 rebounds

Jacob Young: 13.2 points on 20-39 FGs (.512), 3.8 assists, 2.8 steals

Geo Baker: 10.5 points on 14-25 FGs (.560), 4.2 assists

Peter Kiss: 10.5 points on 15-29 FGs (.517)

Caleb McConnell: 8.5 points on 14-28 FGs (.500)

Akwasi Yeboah: 8.2 points on 11-32 FGs (.344), 7.0 rebounds

Check back here starting Aug. 7 for updates on how Rutgers fares in its four games. This story will be updated throughout the trip.

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.