Rutgers Basketball

Preview

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (0-6, 9-10) will make the short drive through New Jersey on Saturday to Manhattan when they visit the St. John's Red Storm (1-5, 10-8).

Rutgers is yet to be victorious in Big East play, but their schedule has been abnormally hard. After ending their non-conference schedule with a trip to North Carolina, they have faced Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Marquette, Syracuse, Cincinnati, and Louisville. The good news, though, is that after St. John's they face winless Seton Hall and DePaul, so there's a good chance they can get rid of the zero in the wins column somewhere along the way.

After a great beginning to non-conference play where they went 9-1, the Red Storm lost their final two non-conference games and have gone 1-5 in Big East play. They haven't had Anthony Mason, Jr. for most of the season, but they are really missing him now. St. John's has had their own string of tough conference games, having faced Providence, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Villanova, and Cincinnati. Their lone Big East win came when they upset Notre Dame.

Stats

	Record	Conf	ATS	RPI	SOS	PF	PA
Rutgers	9-10	0-6	7-6	146	67	65.8	66.5
St. John's	10-8	1-5	6-6	139	79	68.6	66.2

	FG%	D. FG%	3P%	D. 3P%	FT%	RPG	SPG	APG
Rutgers	42.9	41.3	28.7	27.9	72.0	39.6	5.7	11.3
St. John's	44.1	42.8	30.2	34.4	63.0	41.6	7.2	12.8

Prediction

Current Line: St. John's -4.5

Rutgers ATS: 7-6, 5-4 when underdog
St. John's ATS: 6-6, 4-1 when favored

Rutgers may be winless in conference play so far, but no one is giving them credit for how tough their schedule has been. St. John's has the win over Notre Dame and that's it—and while they have played some tough teams too, their schedule hasn't been as bad as the Scarlet Knights.

The Red Storm are coming off an 11 point loss to Cincinnati, a game they were favored to win and are still trying to figure out their 19 point loss to Villanova.

As I said above, the Scarlet Knights haven't been given enough credit for their strength of schedule and how they have matched up with some of the best teams the country has to offer.

Pick: Rutgers +4.5

*All statistics for this article have come from StatSheet.com*

*This article is also featured on CFBPlace.com—and soon to be featured on CBBPlace.com*

Rutgers (9-4, 0-0 Big East) ran into a juggernaut Sunday night.

North Carolina (12-0, 0-0 ACC) continued what could be a fairy tale season by drubbing Rutgers 97-75 Sunday evening. The Scarlet Knights closed within 12 points in the second half, but could not sustain enough momentum to get the lead to single digits.

Senior All-American and Player of the Year candidate Tyler Hansbrough led the way with 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting (.667) and 10 rebounds, his second double-double of the season.  He was also perfect from the charity stripe, hitting all six of his free throw attempts.

Hansbrough's field goal percentage and free throw percentage, the latter of which is exceptionally high for a big man, are part of what make the Tar Heel PF/C so incredibly dangerous.  His heart, of course, is a major factor as well, and there is no stat line for that.

Ty Lawson's speed was on display yet again, as he contributed 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting (.667), six assists, three rebounds, and two steals, while turning the ball over just once. 

Lawson's assist to turnover ratio is among the highest in the nation, and his name continues to be mentioned in Player of the Year conversations as well.  If he keeps playing as he has in the first 12 games, the conversation will continue.

Shooting guard Wayne Ellington's disappointing start continued on Sunday as he hit just 2-of-7 (.286) from the field, though he did go 5-of-6 from the free throw line.  He has been particularly cold from behind the arc and missed both three-point shots he attempted against Rutgers.

The fact that UNC is routinely blowing out teams by 15 to 20 points while Ellington remains cold only furthers the argument that this team will be virtually unbeatable while they remain healthy. 

Deon Thompson, Danny Green, Ed Davis, Larry Drew II, and Will Graves have all stepped up in the absence of defensive specialist Marcus Ginyard (who returned to the court for the first time, playing 11 minutes on Sunday) and freshman center Tyler Zeller, who is likely out for the season with a broken wrist.

Ginyard had three points and two steals in the brief time that he played.  He looked smooth, making a superbly athletic move to score his one field goal of the game.

Rutgers shot nearly 50 percent from the field and was led by freshman Mike Rosario, who dumped in 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting.  Rosario added three assists and two rebounds, and shot an impressive 4-of-8 (.500) from behind the arc.

If the Tar Heels had any weaknesses on display, it was the field goal percentage allowed and their own paltry .286 3-point effort.

For North Carolina, conference play begins Jan. 4 at home against Boston College.  The Scarlet Knights are not as fortunate, facing successive games against No. 3 Pittsburgh and No. 2 Connecticut in the coming days.

(Note: This article and others on Carolina and ACC athletics can be found on my blog at Carolina Tar Heel Blue).

"Don't give up; don't ever give up!" 

Those six words are some of the most powerful words ever said or written by any person. The words are not complicated, but they are surely profound. The words seem simple, yet any person who saw Jim Valvano speak that night knows that that speech was anything but simple for him to deliver.

At the 1993 ESPY awards, the former great NCAA Basketball coach received the "Arthur Ashe Award for Courage." His body full of tumors, his mind exhausted, and his spirit challenged, who would have thought a man in his condition could have walked onto the stage in front of millions of people to deliver what is quite possibly one of the best speeches ever given?

The audience was drowning in tears as he spoke about his battle with cancer. The tears flowed as he acknowledged his own death was on the way. Lastly, the tears rolled down every viewer's cheek as he or she realized this beautiful and passionate man had succumb to this dreadful disease—cancer.

His body may have been defeated, but his heart and soul would never be. In fact, I think Jimmy V said it best that night...

"Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul."

Truer words may have never been spoken. As he concluded his speech and acknowledged the standing ovation from the audience, Duke's head coach, Mike Krzyzewski, held Jimmy V at the waist alongside his other great friend, Dick Vitale. As the three men walked off the front of the stage, it was more obvious than ever how truly sick Jimmy V was. 

He staggered in his friend's arms and appeared to be light-headed and mentally spent. Not only did this moment show how much of a battle he was in, but it also showed how impressive and brave this man was to have gotten up amidst this horrible illness and express how much he enjoyed life.

We can all learn from Jimmy V and his speech. "Don't ever give up!" is a quote that should always echo in your mind and heart no matter what challenges may face you. 

Whether you are considering giving up on your sports career, school, or even a marriage or relationship, those words can inspire you. Life is full of challenges and it is never easy, but even though sometimes people don't act like it, we are all here in life together.

Cancer is something that probably every single person on this planet has been affected by. Whether it is a family member, friend, co-worker, somebody knows someone who has cancer or has been affected by it. 

I personally just found out that a dear friend of our family has cancer in three locations, including the brain. I also have a cousin who has been getting treatments for cancer for the last few years and is still fighting bravely. Fact is, it is everywhere and is now a part of reality. We wish it was only in our nightmares...but it's not.

You are probably wondering why I am publishing this type of article on B/R. It is no secret that fans are passionate and will do anything to prove their point. However, we all need to learn from Jimmy V...we need to gain a perspective on reality and what is really important and what is not.

Sports are certainly a big part of my life and I know it is a huge part of many of your lives and that's why we are on this site. Nevertheless, sports are games, sports are fun, and sports are entertainment. We take pride in our home teams, or teams we tend to just root for but in the end these games don't end any of our lives. 

Each day brings us new hope and a new chance to do something new or something for a greater cause. Tomorrow is a blessing, not a guarantee.

Jimmy V was basically dying slowly on stage that night but you would have never known it from his charisma and energy he put forth. The love and admiration he had for people and for life itself could be seen in his smile and in his glassy eyes.

On ESPN this week they are showing Jimmy V's speech before, during, and after each college basketball game. This entire week is dedicated to him and all he stood for. He knew cancer was going to get the best of him but all he cared about was the future...our children, our grandchildren. 

Times are tough now due to the economy and job market but I truly hope that if any of you are out at a store or a shopping mall this holiday season and see a can or basket for cancer funding, that you would spare a dollar or even a quarter for research. Any amount helps.

Whether you like football, basketball, baseball, soccer, golf, or any other sport...cancer can find you or your loved ones.

It doesn't care if you are an SEC fan, Big 12 fan, Pac-10 fan, Big 10 fan, or any other conference fan...cancer can find you or your loved ones.

Sports can teach us life lessons and give us hope or happiness. It can also break our hearts and leave us stunned lying face down on our sofa. The good news though, you survive a loss...you survive the disappointment.

Life is too short, too fast paced for us to worry over whether Texas or Oklahoma deserve the higher ranking. Of course we can have fun debates and arguments but let's leave it at that...let's all realize there are people like Jimmy V, like my cousin, who were and are concerned with things much bigger than any sporting event could ever be.

I want to thank Jimmy V and any other person out there who is battling cancer or any kind of life-changing challenge! 

Each and every time ESPN replays his breathtaking speech I find myself covered in tears. His words are more than just words...they are inspirational, they are loving, and they are all words we should replay in the back of our minds any time we let something insignificant bother us.

Teamwork is a crucial part of any athletic team so why should the game of life be any different? Why do we play against each other when we are all trying to score in the same direction? Jimmy V knew what it took and deep inside many of us we do, too...we just need to let it out more often.

Spend time with family and friends as often as possible. Don't let days pass between phone calls or emails between loved ones. Kids who have dreams of playing sports in college or in pros, keep your head held high and always know inside your heart you can accomplish anything. Even if you aren't a kid anymore, dreams still exist and can be obtained...just go do it.

To anyone that is or has been affected by cancer or any other challenging life event, "Don't give up; don't ever give up!" We won't ever give up on any of you!

I want to leave you with a few additional quotes from Jimmy V's speech that night and at the bottom I will include an embedded video for the entire speech.

"How do you go from where you are to where you wanna be? And I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. And you have to be willing to work for it.

"Be a dreamer. If you don't know how to dream, you're dead.

"I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get you're emotions going.

"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me."

Believe in your kids, your parents, family and friends...believe and trust in people...if we work together things like this can be beat. Our world is a better place because Jimmy V was a part of it and our world is always in need of more Jimmy V's. 

I am sorry if this article didn't make sense or moved around a lot...I just felt like, during Jimmy V week, I should write an article to keep his spirit going. God bless.

Only longtime Rutgers' men's basketball fans remember the 1991 NCAA Tournament game against Arizona St. in Atlanta.  On March 15 of that year, the Scarlet Knights fell to the Sun Devils 79-76, beginning the steady downswing that would lead to the eventual end of the Bob Wenzel era on the banks of the ol’ Raritan. 

That was the last time that RU played in the NCAAs.  To put the drought into perspective, current assistant coach Craig Carter ran the point for that squad. 

Fast forward to the summer of 1997 and cue the entrance of a slick, sharp basketball mind in Kevin Bannon. 

With thick New Jersey roots, Bannon was seen as a potential savoir for a program that had quickly slipped into mediocrity (later on, this would be the same “tag” given to football head man Greg Schiano, women’s basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer and recently appointed men’s coach Freddie Hill). 

Even I got caught up in all of the Bannon hype.  The guy could coach, plain and simple.  The schematic genius of his sets was evident to even those with the most amateurish eye for the game (I was nine-years-old at the time and still getting a firm grasp on the game). 

Add that to a successful first campaign that was marked by RU’s first ever trip to the Big East tournament semifinals (courtesy of Geoff Billet’s infamous “Shot and a Cheer” against Georgetown at MSG) and the hype around Bannon was just beginning.

Growing up and following the art of recruiting only made me understand how powerful Kevin Bannon could make the RU men’s basketball program.  Recruiting only enhanced Bannon’s nearly perfect image. 

He signed Dahntay Jones, a highly-touted local product who would finish his career at Duke (thanks to Bannon’s antics), as well as Todd Billet (who would finish his career at Virginia because of an awful decision to fire his brother Geoff as an assistant). 

However, near misses on future Duke star Jay Williams and Notre Dame standout Troy Murphy gave Scarlet Knights fans a great deal of fools' gold excitement. 

False hope was a trend for Rutgers' fans during the 1990’s and the entirety of Scarlet Nation set themselves up for the disappointment that would be forthcoming.  Buzz over NIT appearances and Big East Tournament wins were too quickly triggered and RU fans felt on top of the world—as if a climb was in the near future.

To further put the whole mess that would ensue into perspective, Rutgers' basketball was not always an afterthought before Wenzel’s arrival (he won the 1989 A-10 championship in dramatic fashion at a raucous Rutgers Athletic Center over Penn St.). 

While the Craig Littlepage days were more than forgettable, the Scarlet Knights had appeared in the 1976 Final Four under Tom Young, boasting a 31-0 record before losing twice that weekend to finish off the best season in school history. 

Led by greats in Mike Dabney, Phil Sellers, James Bailey, Hollis Copeland, Abdel Anderson, and current Washington Wizards coach Eddie Jordan (amongst others), RU proved to be the class of northeast college basketball.

Unfortunately for the Scarlet Knights' program, Kevin Bannon made some poor choices when it came to motivational tactics.  Ultimately a “naked free throw shooting scandal” led to his firing in 2001 along with the relative disgracing of the school and basketball team. 

Athletic Director Bob Mulcahy was left searching for a coach. The end of the process led to a five year period that would restore character to Rutgers and create some slight improvements, basketball wise. 

The team, however, was still nowhere near where it needed to be during an era when the Big East was starting to become the power conference that it is today.

Strike one, swing and a miss on Eddie Sutton (hallelujah on that one!).  Strike two (the one that hurt) on Jay Wright. 

Due to perception being at an all-time low, Mulcahy took the safe but correct choice at the time, as he hired a man of great faith and a winning pedigree at Kent St.—Gary Waters. 

I get blasted for this all the time, but I was one of the staunchest supporters of GW.  He took a job that nobody dared to step into and established the RAC as a top five home court in the nation within three years.  His defensive tactics were second-to-none and he clearly knew the game. 

But, Waters' inability to recruit in the tri-state area, his lack to show a set offense, and an unfortunate “Snowgate” incident (he missed a game due to a blizzard that grounded a flight back from Ohio) gave assistant Freddie Hill his chance and first win (of many more to come in the future). 

In five years, respect was restored but Waters was gone to Cleveland St.

When I watched the press conference for Freddie Hill’s hiring, I couldn’t help but flashback to Greg Schiano’s hiring for Rutgers' football.  His intensity, his love for New Jersey, and his goal to win a national championship were all there.

Quincy Douby, a former Rutgers' star shooting guard and current Sacramento King, once told me that people just don’t understand what Freddie Hill (and assistant Jim Carr) are capable of recruiting and coaching-wise. 

QD credited Hill for his development into an All-American shooting guard and believes Hill’s NJ recruiting prowess will make RU a premier program sooner rather than later.

In 2005, Hill landed Newark Eastside’s Corey Chandler on a very early verbal commitment.  In 2006, Senegalese seven foot center Hamady N’Diaye committed.  2007 brought RU’s first McDonald’s All-American, Mike Rosario of St. Anthony’s.  And in March, St. Benedict’s center Gregory Echenique completed the Hurley family duo of commits for the Scarlet Knights.

Freddie Hill has the ball rolling for Rutgers' basketball.  Very soon, RU fans will be able to take in new memories of postseason hoops.  The Scarlet Knights' program is on the rise…and there is no stopping that.

Rutgers women’s basketball head coach, C. Vivian Stringer won her 800^th career game Wednesday night at the friendly confines of The RAC. 

Her #4 nationally ranked Scarlet Knights outlasted the DePaul Blue Demons by the score of 60-46.  Fans held and waved signs that read, "Congratulations Coach Stringer 800!"  

The signs were frantically handed out by Event Staff as Senior forward Essence Carson dribbled out the clock, and handed the game ball to Stringer. 

The win makes Coach Stringer only the third NCAA women’s basketball coach to win 800 or more games.   

Stringer joins Jody Condradt, former head coach of the University of Texas and Tennessee’s current head coach, Pat Summit in the 800 win club. 

It is also worth noting that Stringer is the first black woman to join this elite class of coaches.  Appropriately, the win came in the Scarlet Knights’ final game in February, nationally regarded as Black History Month. 

When asked what it meant to be the first black woman to win 800 games as a women’s basketball head coach, her reply was that she hadn’t even realized it.    

Stringer began her coaching career 37 years ago at Cheyney State College, a historically black college outside of Philadelphia.  It was there that she garnered a relationship with John Chaney, the legendary head coach of Temple. 

Long before the women’s game gained any national recognition, Stringer turned Cheyney into one of the game’s early national powers compiling a record of 251 wins and 51 losses between 1971 and 1983. 

She left the school for the University of Iowa after leading Cheyney to a 27-3 record in 1982-83 season.  She led Cheyney to the final four two seasons before that, the first year that the tournament for women’s basketball was switched to the NCAA from the AIAW. 

Stringer has coached Rutgers since 1995, and has led the Knights to two final four appearances, including last year’s memorable run to the championship game a season ago. 

The only thing missing from the C. Vivian Stringer legacy is a National Championship.  One she hopes to bring to the banks of the old Raritan this season. 

The Scarlet Knights’ number 4 national ranking has RU in prime position for a number 1 seed in the NCAAs this March. 

The Knights have two more regular season games left, and currently share the Big East lead with the University of Connecticut. 

Should RU beat Syracuse on Saturday afternoon and the Huskies win at DePaul later that evening, Monday night will be the showdown for the regular season Big East title. 

Let’s start with a look at Big East matchup of No. 6 Georgetown and the struggling Villanova Wildcats.  

The Hoyas, coming off of an upset against then-unranked Louisville Cardinals, hosted the 14-8 Wildcats who shut down Roy Hibbert and Jonathan Wallace, holding the two to just 28 points combined.

However, the Hoyas could not shutdown sophomore star Scottie Reynolds who threw down 24 points along with two boards.  

With less than 10 ticks on the clock, the game was tied at 53.  Nova launched a desperate shot but missed the mark.  

Wildcats and Hoyas were spread on the floor fighting for the ball.  Finally it rolled out to Jonathan Wallace.  He attempted a surge down the court on the left sideline, but was “fouled” by Corey Stokes of Villanova.

This occurred with just 0.1 seconds on the clock.

Wallace admits he thought he had stepped out of bounds and that the call would come against his team.  But no, a blocking foul was called, sending the best free-throw shooter on the Georgetown squad (82.5% in his career) to the line.  Wallace made both free throws and won the game for the Hoyas.

Now over to the Women’s side of things.  No. 2 Tennessee played host to No. 7 Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a matchup bringing together two of the greatest coaches in women’s college hoops.

C. Vivian Stringer of Rutgers and Pat Summitt faced off in a battle of the games top 10 players.  With five and a half seconds left on the clock, and Rutgers up 58-57, Candace Parker pulled down a rebound but could not score.  

The ball landed in the hands of Nicky Anosike who shot the ball as she was being dragged down and the clock expired.  There was initially a foul called on Rutgers, but the refs looked the play over. There had apparently been a malfunction in their clock system which stopped at 0.2 seconds for 1.3 seconds.  

The refs, however, still ruled in favor of a foul and Anosike took her two foul shots.  She calmly drained both free throws, giving her team the victory, 59-58.

Thanks for reading.  Hope you enjoyed it.