B1G LEAP TIAN LI / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
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November 7, 2014
Daunting schedule highlights new year GREG JOHNSON SPORTS EDITOR
It came as little surprise to senior forward Kadeem Jack that media members unanimously picked the Rutgers men’s basketball team to finish dead last in the Big Ten’s preseason poll. “I understood that. I don’t know if anyone else understood that,” Jack said. “But I understood that we were going to be picked last again. And I think once a team realizes that and they realize that we are underdogs everywhere we go, it’s better for them because they understand that we have to go harder and we have to play with a chip on our shoulder.” The Scarlet Knights really have no other choice. This is life for a struggling program, which went 12-21 overall and 5-13 in the AAC last season after losing numerous players to transfer in the wake of the Mike Rice scandal. Former NBA head coach Eddie Jordan spent his first year in the college ranks acclimating himself to a new league, new players and new styles. With no consistent scoring threats outside of Jack and senior guard Myles Mack, it made for a tr ying transition that ended with a 61-point walloping to Louisville in the AAC Tournament quarterfinals. Now, with about half of the roster remaining intact and a slew of new assistant coaches in the fold, Rutgers figures to make progress this season in Jordan’s system. But how much? “I don’t predict wins and losses,” Jordan said. “I just want us to get better every day. I know it’s a cliché and it’s boring to you guys, but I like the fact that every day, our staff and our team concentrates on getting better — not two steps back, one step forward — that we get better and better every day and that we have a consistent approach to every game. We want to defend first, and we want to share the ball and take great shots.” Jordan spoke highly on Oct. 21 at Rutgers Media Day of the Knights’ experience, returning players’ development and athleticism at both ends of the floor. Jack and Mack both raved about promising freshmen Mike Williams,
D.J. Foreman and Shaquille Doorson, as well as junior college transfer Bishop Daniels. Still, many doubt whether it will be enough for Rutgers to legitimately compete in the Big Ten, a significant step up from the topheavy AAC. Five Big Ten schools are in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll. Among those teams, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Michigan all made the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight last season. Despite a nearly impossible task staring at Rutgers, the Knights don’t see the jump as an alarming concern. “Coming from the American conference, a lot of people are forgetting that we actually came from the Big East before that,” Jack said. “I don’t really see the Big Ten as a greater conference — better than the Big East that we just came from — so it’s not really that big of a jump.” To combat the traditionally slower paces of Big Ten half-court offenses and exploit its quickness in the open floor, Rutgers has emphasized defense throughout the summer and preseason. “We all have to come along and play defense because a good defense leads you into a good offense,” said sophomore wing Junior Etou. “That’s a key. We’re going to come out there and play defense and push the ball.” A 12-game nonconference stretch highlights the early portion of Rutgers’ schedule before the Knights host Northwestern on Dec. 30 at the Louis Brown Athletic Center to open Big Ten play. Even with so many new pieces and only two returning double-digit scorers, Jack is confident Rutgers’ unique group will hold its own. “I know we’re not going to take a step back from last season,” Jack said. “This is a much more coachable team. This team is 100 times more coachable, and a lot of the guys … play harder than we did last year, and that’s something that I always wanted as a team. I definitely feel like no matter what, we’re going to play hard.” For updates on the Rutgers men’s basketball team, follow @gregp_j and @TargumSports on Twitter.
GRAPHIC BY ADAM ISMAIL / DESIGN EDITOR
Senior forward Kadeem Jack is one of three seniors on Rutgers’ roster this season, and is in his second year as a team captain, along with senior guard Myles Mack. DENNIS ZURAW / ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR
Jack, Mack lead by example for RU SEAN STEWART ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR
When head coach Eddie Jordan named three non-seniors in guard Myles Mack, forward Kadeem Jack and forward Greg Lewis as the captains at the beginning of last season, he did so with the future of joining the Big Ten in mind. Now, as the Rutgers men’s basketball team prepares for its inaugural season in the conference, the time for Mack and Jack, who are both seniors, has come. With seven new players on a 16man roster that lost some of its key seniors from a year ago, the Knights are likely to go as far as both Mack and Jack can lead them. While Jack said the team would need everyone to contribute, he acknowledged the role he and his fellow seniors will need to play. “It is a team sport, so I would say we go as far as we go as whole group,” Jack said Oct. 21 at Rutgers Media Day. “But I think we do go as far as the three seniors lead, and the three seniors set the tone. So by the first game, we kind of have to set the tone in practice, so guys go out there and they know how they expect us to play.” The play style was certainly a learning curve for the Knights last season in Jordan’s first year in charge, with the players adapting to a new system while Jordan became accustomed to coaching at the college level. But now, in his second year and with a new staff, Jordan said the team has a much better understanding of the system he wants to imple-
ment, praising his captains and one newcomer in particular for leading by example. “Myles does a good job of just sticking his nose in there and taking the hit. He gets banged around in practice and just keeps coming at you,” Jordan said. “Kadeem leads by being verbal and vocal on the court, and he’s always had a great attitude in practice … but Bishop Daniels has the most natural leadership skills … at the point guard or as a lead guard — that helps you a lot.” One player who is usually forgotten when talking about the tri-captains is Lewis. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged only 9.8 minutes in 32
“I just want to go out there and give it my all, just be the best player I can be. ... And lead these guys to wins. ” MYLES MACK Junior Guard
games last season for Rutgers, scoring 1.5 points per game. But Jordan called Lewis the team’s most consistent player thus far in the practices leading up to the season and believes he has made tremendous strides from a year ago in his game. With the departure of forward Wally Judge to graduation and only freshman Shaquille Doorson to compete with for the center spot, Lewis feels this season is his moment of opportunity.
“I’ve really worked on my jump shot [and] my low post game, [and I] try to really work on the shots I know I’m going to get in the game within the offense that coach Jordan gives us,” Lewis said. “… Coach Jordan told me [last year] he wanted me to shoot the ball a little bit more, and I knew playing a few more minutes this year that I would have to be in pretty good shape.” With the incoming players and improvements made by those returning, there is plenty of optimism surrounding the team at the moment. For Jack and Mack, it is also their last season to leave their marks as members of the Rutgers program. Having endured years of struggle and controversy both on and off the court for three seasons, a winning year would be the perfect end for the commitment each has given to the program. But no matter what other people expect from the Knights in their first season in the rigorous Big Ten Conference, Mack said the expectations are the same. “I think we need everybody, it’s not just me and Kadeem because you never know what can happen, everybody needs to be prepared to play, everybody needs to be ready,” Mack said. “I just want to go out there and give it my all, just be the best player I can be. For my team, I just want to go out there and lead these guys to wins.” For updates on the Rutgers men’s basketball team, follow @SeanStewartRU and @TargumSports on Twitter.
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Head coach Eddie Jordan said one of the main differences from this year’s Rutgers team compared to last year’s is its athleticism and understanding of his coaching style. The Knights have added seven new players this year, two of which are ineligible to play this season on Jordan’s 16-man roster. DENNIS ZURAW / ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR
Newcomers bring athleticism, energy to Rutgers SEAN STEWART ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR
When asked what Rutgers men’s basketball fans can expect from him this season, junior guard Bishop Daniels held nothing back. “There’s going to be a whole lot of top-10 SportsCenter moments out here this year,” he said. The confidence is reassuring. Following last year’s 12-21 season in the AAC, which included a 92-31 drubbing at the hands of Louisville in the AAC Tournament, the Scarlet Knights seemed like a team devoid of confidence. But entering the Knights’ inaugural season in the Big Ten, the vibe around Rutgers’ players and coaches seems different. Despite losing key contributors like forward Wally Judge and guard J.J. Moore, the Knights have brought in seven new players to a 16-man roster that head coach Eddie Jordan believes gives the team a different dimension from last year. “We have gotten bigger, we are more athletic, we have more talent,” Jordan said Oct. 21 at Rutgers Media Day. “Now we’re younger and we’re still a new team, but that’s the improvement that we wanted to get and that’s the improvement that we’ve had as far as personnel and getting players that we wanted to get.” Among those players Jordan was referring too was Daniels. Described by Jordan as a one of the most athletic guards he’s seen at Rutgers, the junior college transfer and former
Miami player brings leadership and confidence to a thin backcourt. Another player expected to add versatility and athleticism to the Knights is freshman small forward D.J. Foreman. The No. 37 small forward in the country out of high school, according to ESPN.com, the Spring Valley, New York, native brings plenty of speed and length at 6-foot-8, and is likely to be an immediate key contributor off the bench for Rutgers. “D.J. Foreman finds his way to the basket,” Jordan said. “… [He’s] got a wing span of almost a 7-footer, so his length, athleticism, his ability to get to the glass is a great dimension for us.” Though Daniels and Foreman are likely to be immediate contributors, freshman center Shaquille Doorson may have the biggest longterm potential. At 6-foot-11, Doorson gives the frontcourt some much-needed size to support the likes of junior forwards Kadeem Jack and Greg Lewis. With freshman big man Ibrahima Diallo also ineligible to play this season, Doorson, while still developing, is likely to play much during the season and is someone Jordan said has a good chance of being an impact player in the league. Coming from the Canaries Basketball Academy in the Netherlands, Doorson arrived late with the Knights, so his transition into the team’s system could take some time. But with a tough Big Ten season ahead, the No. 16 high school cen-
Senior guard Malick Kone said the most impressive thing with the Knights’ incoming players is their energy and excitement to compete in the Big Ten. DENNIS ZURAW / ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR ter and four-star recruit, according to ESPN.com, is one of the team’s most anticipated additions. “I really don’t know yet,” Doorson said of his role with the team. “I really hope [I can be a big contributor]. … I’m just basically a big guy [who] likes to get to the basket. I get my rebounds, play good defense because defense is the main point of our team, and I can make quality shots.” While the potential from the incoming players is there and their talent has impressed, senior guard Malick Kone said their en-
ergy levels might be the newcomers’ best qualities. “Those young guys, they’re very excited to be here. They know why they’re here,” Kone said. “They know Big Ten is not a joke, we’re here to compete, so I like that about them.” With so many new faces and much overturn from last year’s team, growing pains are likely for the Knights’ young team. But although Jordan said he was not going to predict wins or losses entering the season as clear underdogs, Daniels feels the team
will make some noise on the college scene. “Honestly, I don’t think we have the expectations that we should have,” Daniels said. “I think a lot of people expect us to be in a building year, but when I step out on that court and what we see out of our players everyday … I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people this year.” For updates on the Rutgers men’s basketball team, follow @SeanStewartRU and @TargumSports on Twitter.
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November 7, 2014
SOPHOMORE
Etou develops outside shooting, ball-handling over summer to complement status as RU’s top defender
Sophomore wing Junior Etou raised eyebrows with his tenacious defense and rebounding as a freshman after missing the first six games because of NCAA violations. Etou now looks to complement seniors Kadeem Jack and Myles Mack with increased scoring from all over the floor in the Big Ten this year. TIAN LI / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
GREG JOHNSON SPORTS EDITOR
Junior Etou sits at a roundtable on the Louis Brown Athletic Center’s first floor concourse, staring into space in a dimly lit gymnasium. He waits anxiously as a couple dozen media members lurk nearby. Director of Basketball Operations Dalip Bhatia is seated by Etou’s side as the anticipation builds. The first two reporters make their way over to Etou, a sophomore from the Republic of Congo. At the Rutgers men’s basketball team’s Media Day on Oct. 21, the soft-spoken 20 year old whispers about what is in store for one of the Scarlet Knights’ biggest X-factors this season. “My first year was difficult,” says Etou, who was suspended the first six games last season after the NCAA ruled he accepted impermissible benefits overseas from a third party. “That was hard because I had to adjust with basketball and school. That was totally different than high school. But now, going into my second year, I’m getting used to it and it’s easier than last year.” Making 20 starts in 27 appearances, Etou showed flashes of brilliance at times as a freshman. The 6-foot-7, 230-lb wing operated a high motor. He corralled
rebounds in traffic. He altered and blocked shots in ways that only freak athletes can. Etou even had a game-winning three-point play on a layup in the final minute of a New Year’s Day clash with Temple. And yet, the gifted athlete is now being prodded for more — more consistency, more assertiveness and more scoring. Inconsistencies while playing 23 minutes a game last season limited Etou to 5.3 points per game on 42-percent shooting from the field. He also converted just 64 percent of his free throws and 11 of 43 three-point attempts, and he dished out less than one assist per game. In an effort to tap into his vast but raw offensive upside, Etou made sure to stay focused in the gym this past summer. “I’ve been working all summer on my game — defensive game, offensive game,” Etou said. “I’m trying to improve my 3-point range and my ball-handling because I’ll be playing the perimeter a lot.” Many unknowns still exist with Etou’s game, but other aspects are clear. For as quiet and timid as Etou presents himself off the court, that personality does not extend onto the RAC hardwood. Under the lights, the lengthy wing shows
tenacity and aggression as a defender capable of guarding multiple positions. Etou says he has prided himself on guarding the opposing team’s best player since his days at Bishop O’Connell (Virginia) High School. At a preseason practice a few weeks ago, head coach Eddie Jordan, who formerly coached the Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards and Sacra-
“Whenever he’s in that mode where he just wants to lock up whoever he wants to lock up, I think he definitely locks in.” KADEEM JACK Senior Forward
mento Kings, called Etou an NBA-level defender. “He’s always been a defender and rebounder — always,” Jordan said Oct. 21. “He is just a stud defensively for us. ... We love Junior Etou’s development.” The man who garners a bulk of Etou’s defensive assignments in practice will not argue otherwise. “Without a doubt,” senior for ward Kadeem Jack said when asked if Etou is Rutgers’ best de-
fender. “When he’s in that mode where he just wants to lock up whoever he wants to lock up, I think he definitely locks in and I don’t know what takes over from there, but he’s definitely a good defender.” Jack, arguably the Knights’ best player, also praised Etou’s strides as a shooter, one capable of knocking down jumpers from midrange and beyond the arc. “At the worst, he could probably just be a really good defender, but I know he’s been working really, really well, so I know he’s going to drill a lot of shots for us this year, and I think he’s probably going to be our third scorer behind me and [senior guard] Myles [Mack],” Jack said. “I think he’s going to step up this year and have a big year, and also be able to guard probably the best person on every team.” When it comes to taking giant leaps from one season to the next, Jack provides a viable template. As a sophomore, Jack averaged 5.7 points and 4.7 rebounds. Those stats are nearly identical to Etou’s freshman campaign (5.3 points and 4.6 rebounds). Projected to start at wing and become one of Rutgers’ primary ball-handlers, Etou looks to Jack and Mack for inspiration. “Those two guys, they’ve been great since I’ve been here,”
Etou said. “Since my freshman year, they’ve always pushed me every day, trying to make me a better person, a better player. I really learn a lot from those two guys. They teach me every day and help me.” Etou understands the expectations heaped upon him this season. He knows he must step up behind Jack and Mack, Rutgers’ lone double-digit scorers last season. But he also doesn’t want to get caught up in the hype or pressure of being a starter. “All I just want to do is just go out there and compete,” Etou said. That is something the sophomore wasn’t sure he’d have the chance to do entering last season with the cloud of NCAA violations dangling over him. Jack said Etou came into this past summer in noticeably better shape physically. “Last year he didn’t even know if he was eligible to play, and that definitely changed this year because from the summertime he knew he was fine,” Jack said. “Definitely, you’ll see a different Junior Etou.” For updates on the Rutgers men’s basketball team, follow @gregp_j and @TargumSpor ts on Twitter.
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SENSATIONS AAC’s top freshman in 2013 returns with optimistic hopes of elevating individual game, aiding Knights
Following a freshman campaign where she grew into the role of a main facilitator, sophomore guard Tyler Scaife has lofty expectations entering her second year. She eased into the role of a starter last season, posting an average of 14.1 points per game as Rutgers’ second-leading scorer. TIAN LI / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
CONOR NORDLAND STAFF WRITER
With two seconds left in the Rutgers women’s basketball team’s season and the score tied 54-54, the ball was given to freshman guard Tyler Scaife. She raced up the court, going coast to coast, and scored the game-winning layup to propel the Scarlet Knights to victor y in the WNIT Championship on April 5. That is how last season ended for Scaife, capping off her impressive freshman campaign with an impressive final play. She finished the season averaging 14.5 points, 2.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game on her way to earning AAC Freshman of the Year honors. But that was last year, and both the team and Scaife have moved on from all the accomplishments last season. Now they have their eyes on a different prize, one that has motivated Scaife to extreme ends.
“We want a Big Ten Championship, a trip to the NCAAs, and a good run in the tournament once we get there,” Scaife said. Since the Knights were snubbed from the NCAA Tournament last season and ran through the WNIT, Scaife has significantly worked on her game this offseason to prepare for the Big Ten this season. “I worked on a lot of areas this summer,” Scaife said. “I improved my overall strength and worked on my three-point shot, so hopefully that will be some reasons why I do better. I used to make some dumb passes and try to dribble through a lot of defenders, but now I know that this is a different level and I need to cut down on my mistakes.” Scaife is confident she will be able to adjust to handling new responsibilities in her sophomore campaign. Her confidence is one area that sets her apart from most, according to her teammates. Last year, it allowed her to step
onto the court as a true freshman and earn a starting position for the Knights. “With any player, you can be as good as LeBron — but if your confidence isn’t there, it won’t show in
“I used to make some dumb passes and try to dribble through a lot of defenders, but now I know this is a different level.” TYLER SCAIFE Sophomore Guard
the game,” said freshman guard Ashli Jeune. “But if you know your team is behind you then you know you can win, and she has that confidence and everyone just follows behind her because she sets it off from there.” Head coach C. Vivian Stringer said Scaife will control more of the point guard duties for the team
and split the role with junior guard Syessence Davis. Stringer knows her talented sophomore can handle the new role and is expecting big things from Scaife this season. “We continue to expect growth, and now because of the success she has had, she knows and we know that she has to pick up where she left off,” Stringer said. “There is no question she has worked extremely hard, and we’re looking for her to increase her range and play some point guard, which she didn’t do last year, but now she knows enough to run the offense.” As a team that prefers to run and score in transition, Scaife will have to improve her decision making to be effective as the court general for the Knights this year. Scaife averaged 2.8 turnovers per game last season, a number that is too high, the sophomore guard admits. Since the end of last season, Scaife’s teammates have taken notice of her tremendous work
ethic. Scaife is known as the first person to enter the gym and the last to leave. Although she is only a sophomore, she has set an example to her fellow teammates to follow behind. “It’s amazing. I have never seen someone love the game as much as Tyler,” said senior center Christa Evans. “All she does is study. Every time I go into her room, she’s watching film or practice. Just to feed off her is incredible and she’s a great person to play with.” Now that the season is here, it is time for Scaife to exhibit all that she has worked on this summer. And if you ask any one of her teammates, no one is more excited to play than Scaife. “I feel that we put in a ton of work this summer and pushed ourselves, so I think everything we went through this offseason will show up on the court,” Evans said. For updates on the Rutgers women’s basketball team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.
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Head coach C. Vivian Stringer discussed the excitement surrounding the welcoming of junior college transfer guards Cynthia Hernandez and Natalie Parsons. The Knight shot just 28 percent from three-point territory last year, but Stringer expects Hernandez and Parsons to make an immediate impact as shooters. TIAN LI / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Junior college transfers provide spark to offense GARRETT STEPIEN
press on defense, the element of the three-ball could catapult them to new heights and maximize the Each possession was like clock- team’s full potential. Both Rutgers guards come work. During a Rutgers women’s basketball intersquad scrimmage, from similar backgrounds with the Rachel Hollivay’s team held an ob- same goals. Despite coming all the way from vious advantage. Towering at 6-foot-4, the junior Ventura, California, Hernandez ulticenter attracted all of the attention. mately decided to venture to New With each possession, she received Jersey for the opportunity to play he ball at the high post as players on for a successful program and learn under the teachings of a Naismith the defense collapsed on her. At that moment, she had them Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame head coach in Stringer. right where she wanted them. “I think I just needed the exInstantly, she would kick the ball out to either one of her teammates perience more, and to play with waiting behind the three-point line. coach Stringer was a big thing beAnd each time, the ball splashed cause to learn from someone like that would just give me knowledge through the net. for the rest of The results my life,” Herfrom that prenandez said. “So season inter“To actually make a yeah, I’m really squad scrimfar away from mage are ones contribution to a team my family, but that head coach that I know is moving it’s worth it.” C. Vivian StringWith the er hopes to duforward ... it’s very cool to opportunity to plicate in the have this opportunity.” gain a valued upcoming 2014education both 2015 season. NATALIE PARSONS on and off the “I love the Junior Guard court, Parsons junior college fled from Bountransfers, and I say that because Cynthia Hernan- tiful, Utah, to Rutgers after her dez and Natalie Parsons are such two-year tenure at Salt Lake Comgood three-point shooters,” Stringer munity College. “Coming out of JUCO, I wanted to said. “… It’s really exciting to have that element, and that’s something first make sure I had the opportunity we recognize. [Three-point shoot- to get a great education and, second ing] hasn’t been as consistent as it of all, just to be [in] the best basketneeds to be, so we’re looking to take ball program I can get into and make a difference in,” Parsons said. more threes, without question.” Last year, the Knights collecTrekking from across the countr y, Hernandez and Parsons tively shot a woeful 28 percent arrive to Piscataway with one goal from beyond the three-point arc. in mind: bolster the team’s big- The top returning three-pointer shooter from last year is junior gest weakness. While the Knights prided them- guard Briyona Canty, but she only selves on their endurance and hovered around 30.2 percent on speed in the transition game on 13-for-43 shooting from behind offense and suffocating full-court the line. CORRESPONDENT
Stringer said Hernandez and Parsons add a new element to Rutgers’ offense and create opportunities in the middle for post players such as junior center Rachel Hollivay. TIAN LI / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER The numbers for Hernandez and Parsons, meanwhile, were off the charts. Hernandez shot the lights out during her time at Ventura College, averaging 12.9 points per game on an impressive 43.2 percent shooting from three-point land. Parsons, on the other hand, posted 10.9 points per game on a steady 35.5 percent average from three-point range. While the numbers do plenty of the talking in supporting the belief that Rutgers can take off on offense in the 2014-2015 season, much of what makes the couple so lethal stems from the ability to space the floor and subsequently open up opportunities in the post. “Even if I’m just opening up the middle, because, now that you know we can shoot three-pointers, so [defenses] are not going to always be on Rachel in the middle and
clogging it up,” Hernandez said. “… Even us just being here, me and Natalie will open everything up, so I think that’ll be great.” According to Stringer, the mix of the two guards serves as the two missing ingredients needed for the recipe of the team’s success building on last year. Add in the fact that Hernandez and Parsons have two years of college basketball experience under their belts, and it creates an opportunity for immediate contributions. “They’re bringing a major element to the game that we appreciate, and that’s going to be major for us,” Stringer said. “… They know a lot more, they’re bright, they catch on ver y quickly, they’re working hard, they’re willing subjects, so it’s both parts of the game. It’s not just the shooting, it’s all the other aspects.”
It remains to be seen if the numbers from Hernandez and Parsons will translate onto the Louis Brown Athletic Center hardwood when the season gets underway. The lights will be brighter, the stage will be bigger and the competition will be tougher. But for the two junior college transfers, that’s exactly why they elected to come to Rutgers. “It’s really incredible to finally feel like I have gotten here,” Parsons said. “… To actually make a contribution to a team that I know is moving forward in a very positive direction coming off a WNIT win, wanting to go far in NCAAs, which I know we can, so it’s very cool to have this opportunity to help them.” For updates on the Rutgers women’s basketball team, follow @GarrettStepien and @TargumSpor ts on Twitter.
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Excitement builds as inaugural Big Ten season awaits GARRETT STEPIEN CORRESPONDENT
The Rutgers women’s basketball team swarmed the court in El Paso, Texas, in April in celebration of a WNIT Championship that could be viewed as a stepping stone. There’s no undermining the impressive run the Scarlet Knights embarked on down the final stretch of their 2013-2014 season. Despite a snub from the NCAA Tournament, C. Vivian Stringer did what a Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame head coach naturally does and extracted the best out of her team when she needed it most. But the party didn’t last long. Not long after returning to New Jersey, Stringer’s mind had already shifted to the 2014-2015 season and how she could build on the momentum seized during a six-game winning streak that led to a consolation title. With 10 of the 14 players returning on the roster and considering how the team rode out its season on a high wave of winning, Stringer enters her 20th season at Rutgers with lofty expectations of getting the program back into the national spotlight. With the entrance to the Big Ten in the mix, Stringer believes her team is right where it belongs. “Without question, we’re coming off a real high by winning the WNIT. We return quite a few veterans, and this is, without question, an experienced team, so we’re excited about it,” Stringer said. “When you look at the Big Ten, this is perfectly suited for Rutgers, both academically and athletically. And top to bottom, we can just expect really challenging games, and that should be great.”
The Knights opened up last year 21-4 but stumbled toward the finish line of the regular season. They dropped three of their last four games prior to the postseason in AAC Tournament play, where they were blown out by eventual undefeated national champion Connecticut. It’s debatable whether 64 other teams were better than Rutgers and deser ved an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament more, but the team made the most of the cards it was dealt and finished the season with a 28-9 overall record and a WNIT Championship in the
“We’re coming off a real high by winning the WNIT. We return quite a few veterans ... so we’re excited about it.” C. VIVIAN STRINGER Head Coach
trophy case. But with all that in the rearview mirror now, Stringer has rapidly attempted to prepare her players for the excitement and great expectations that await in the inaugural Big Ten season. Adding a pair of three-point sharpshooters in junior college transfer guards Cynthia Hernandez and Natalie Parsons, Stringer hopes the spacing will not only bolster the weakest aspect of the team around the perimeter, but also open up opportunities in the paint. With 6-foot-4 junior center Rachel Hollivay coming off a promis-
ing season where she averaged 7.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocks, those statistics could be expected to improve. Meanwhile, Betnijah Laney enters her final year following a season where she was a double-double machine. Last year, the senior wing averaged 11.8 points and 8.5 rebounds and even played the role of the distributor with 2.9 assists per game. Entering the season with a No. 24 ranking in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25, Rutgers finds itself at a good starting point. With a stronger out-of-conference slate that includes No. 4 Tennessee, No. 13 North Carolina and four Big Ten teams also boasting top-25 rankings, the Knights have their work cut out for them. But the results can be rewarding. One player who believes in that is sophomore guard Tyler Scaife. Coming off a freshman campaign where she garnered AAC Freshman of the Year honors and averaged 14.1 points per game as the team’s second leading scorer, the hero of the WNIT remains focused on how she can continue to blossom as a both a scorer and a distributor. “We did really [well] last year,” Scaife said. “Over the summer, I just worked on things to improve, but, I mean, I’m looking forward to the season.” Coming into last year as the top point guard recruit in the country, Scaife was expected by Stringer to be an immediate contributor. Now, Stringer hopes to see her game rise to the next level. “She did have a fine season, and we were expecting fine things,” Stringer said. “… We continue to expect great things. Now, because
GRAPHIC BY ADAM ISMAIL / DESIGN EDITOR
of the success that she’s had, I think she knows where she can go, and she just needs to pick up where she left off.” Scaife may hope to emulate similar improvements made by Kahleah Copper a year ago. After a freshman season where she contributed sparingly with 5.1 points per game, Copper made the jump in her second year as the Knights’ leading scorer with 16.1 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per contest. Copper reiterated her desire to establish consistency in her allaround game with the midrange and outside shooting, but when it comes
down to it, the junior wing hopes to ride the optimism from last year into the hype surrounding the beginning of the inaugural Big Ten season. “It’s definitely hit us [that the season is here]. We’re excited,” Copper said. “I mean, I’m really excited because I’ve been in three different conferences since I started, and just to be a part of a new conference is just … new competition. [The] teams are a lot better, and we’re just excited.” For updates on the Rutgers women’s basketball team, follow @GarrettStepien and @TargumSports on Twitter.
Returning seniors enhance morale of Knights’ underclassmen CONOR NORDLAND STAFF WRITER
Ranked No. 24 in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25, there are a number of areas that make the Rutgers women’s basketball team a special contingent of players. Apart from their talent for the game or their impressive athleticism, the Scarlet Knights possess one quality that ever y team desires: senior leadership. It is one trait that cannot be measured or put into statistical form, but is important for teams intent on going far in March.
It is also one trait that the Knights possess an abundance of this season. Rutgers currently has five members on the team with at least four years of experience in the program under head coach C. Vivian Stringer. Last season, the Knights had no graduating players on the team. Players had to establish leadership roles game by game and one practice at a time. This year, the upperclassmen have entrenched roles that go beyond their position on the court as leaders. “It’s weird going from having no seniors last year to having
five this year,” said senior center Christa Evans. “We’re just tr ying to take care of all the incoming freshmen and underclassmen because we have been in that spot and we know how we want to be treated, so we tr y and take that approach to make sure they learn ever ything they need to.” Of the five seniors, wing Betnijah Laney, guard Briyona Canty and guard Syessence Davis are expected to start or make regular contributions this season. But their roles on the team extend far beyond the court. Stringer stated how this team, more than others she has coached
Rutgers features five seniors this season after having none last year. Senior wing Betnijah Laney said she hopes to lead by example for the younger players in her final season. TIAN LI / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
in the past, possesses qualities of a family. She credited her seniors for developing the team’s chemistr y to where it is currently. “This really is a great family team,” Stringer said. “They enjoy each other, and when they say family, they mean that. They are always calling me and telling me how one player is picking on another like sisters would, and it’s obvious that they respect one another. And that’s the first sign you look for when you are talking about people getting along together on and off the court.” The seniors are always vocal in practice, tr ying to help the underclassmen adjust to Stringer’s system and demands. They are the ones that others look to when they need advice on and off the court. Sophomore guard Tyler Scaife, one of the Knights’ most promising underclassmen, stated how much motivation the seniors give her to work hard every day in practice. “It’s really good having them because it gives us something to play for,” Scaife said. “Playing for them so they can finish out on a good note and seeing their strong leadership motivates us to play at a higher level.” In their first season in the Big Ten, the Knights will need their leaders more than ever to adjust to the different playing styles they will be seeing for the first time. While their new opponents will test Rutgers, the seniors know what they have to do in order to keep the entire team moving forward.
“We just have to continue to lead by example,” Laney said. “We have to make sure everyone is on the same page and be there to support everyone on the team, because this is our last year, so we want everything to go as smooth as possible.” When Stringer is not with her players, it is the seniors who are responsible for keeping the rest of the team in line and focused on the task at hand. In order to make the NCAA Tournament this season, the senior Knights will have to continue the development of the team’s chemistry in ways that Stringer cannot. The intangibles this group of seniors possesses is something they hope to pass on to the underclassmen this season. What they will be able to accomplish through leading the younger players on Rutgers remains to be seen. But their influence will provide the Knights a characteristic that other teams around the country will be desperate for come midseason. “Since we grew up in this program with a bunch of upperclassmen, we got to learn from them,” Evans said. “Now, actually taking the leadership as our own and being able to play the way they taught us I think is huge. I feel that we’re going to do ver y well this season because I’m not concerned at all with our chemistr y because we all get along great with each other.” For updates on the Rutgers women’s basketball team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.
TAKING THE NEXT STEP TIAN LI / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER