2005-06 Season Preview
Nov 15 | Women's Basketball
Rutgers was oh-so-close to its second-ever Final Four bid in 2005, trailing by just two points with 61 seconds remaining in its NCAA Tournament regional final clash with Tennessee. As disappointing as it was to fall just short of a trip to Indianapolis, that Elite Eight game was still an impressive end to a season that put Rutgers back in the national headlines. RU posted a 28-7 overall record and a 14-2 mark to win its first outright BIG EAST Conference regular-season title. The Scarlet Knights reached the final of the BIG EAST Tournament, and were ranked seventh in the final top-25 coaches poll. Along the way, Rutgers defeated nine ranked opponents, including three top-10 teams during an eight-day stretch, one of the most remarkable runs in women’s basketball history.
Thanks to the momentum generated last season, the outlook for the 2005-2006 campaign is already bright. Rutgers will return four of its top five scorers from a year ago, and when coupled with one of the nation’s top recruiting classes, the Scarlet Knights will have a deep and talented roster, one capable of winning the program’s first NCAA championship.
GUARDS
Even though Rutgers must compensate for the loss of two seniors who combined for 60 starts last season, the 2005-2006 Scarlet Knights will still count the perimeter as a major strength.
Of course, when your seven-member stable of guards is headlined by Cappie Pondexter (Chicago, IL), there is good reason for optimism. The 5-9 guard, who returns as a fifth-year senior this fall, could have been the top selection in the 2005 WNBA Draft had she chosen to declare. Instead, Pondexter is intent on building upon a 2004-2005 campaign that saw her average 14.7 points and 3.1 assists per contest. A three-time All-American, she elevated her game to a new level during the 2005 NCAA Tournament, leading the entire field with a 24.0 points-per-game average, shooting 57.9 (11-19) percent from three-point range and earning Most-Outstanding-Player honors of the Philadelphia Region. Improved outside shooting, coupled with her ability to get to the rim and finish, makes Pondexter a match-up nightmare. Her passing skills are among the best in the game, particularly in transition, and she has become a defensive stopper during her time “On the Banks,” making the All-American a threat to bring home national player-of-the-year hardware this winter.
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Matee Ajavon (Newark, NJ) was fearless as a rookie last season, pouring in 12.4 points while dishing out a team-high 3.5 assists per game. The explosive 5-8 guard has a game similar to Pondexter’s, in that she is dangerous as both a jump shooter as well as off the bounce, and both feel comfortable at the point guard and two-guard spots. Not to be lost in Ajavon’s offensive prowess is her defensive skill -- she led RU with 2.2 steals per contest a year ago, creating easy baskets with her lightning-quick hands and feet.
The most significant loss from last season’s club will be Chelsea Newton’s hustle, intensity and leadership. The second-round selection of the Sacramento Monarchs in the WNBA Draft and the 2005 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, she was the heart and soul of the Scarlet Knights. Newton will not be easily replaced, but the Scarlet Knights have a viable candidate in Essence Carson (Paterson, NJ). Rutgers needed the 6-0 guard to move to the four-spot last season, and the rookie responded admirably to the transition by averaging 6.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Relentless and athletic, Carson should see more minutes at her natural three-guard position this winter, giving RU a starting backcourt that will be among the best in the nation.
Courtney Locke (San Marcos, TX) has provided Rutgers valuable, steady minutes in her 93 career appearances. The 5-7 one/two guard started 14 games as a junior last season, giving RU an outside shooting threat as well as a good decision maker with the ball in her hands.
Katie Adams (Ogden, UT) and Tudy Reed (Chicago, IL) both showed promise as freshmen last season, combining for 39 appearances. The 5-10 Adams is a long-range bomber with a permanent green light to shoot from head coach C. Vivian Stringer, while the 5-11 Reed combines jaw-dropping athleticism with a deceptively soft outside shooting touch. After a full year in Stringer’s system, both Adams and Reed should see an expanded role with the Scarlet Knights this season.
The lone newcomer to the group is Heather Zurich (Montvale, NJ), a 6-1 product of Pascack Valley High School. The 2005 Star Ledger New Jersey Player of the Year, Zurich could see immediate minutes for the Scarlet Knights thanks to her sound fundamentals and mid-range game.
POSTS
While Rutgers’ guards will be a largely veteran group, RU’s posts will be much younger, as two of the five will be donning a Scarlet jersey for the first time.
Last season, Michelle Campbell (Princeton, NJ) was forced to play out of position at center for a significant portion of her minutes, but the 6-2 forward still managed to average 11.0 points and a team-best 5.7 rebounds per contest despite the size disadvantage. The 2005 BIG EAST Most Improved Player, Campbell added a 15-footer to her excellent finishing skills around the basket, and her ability to rebound and finish off the offensive glass helped her convert 56 percent of her attempts a year ago. As a senior, Campbell can look forward to more favorable match-ups, as she is expected to see more action at power forward.
Mariota Theodoris (Riviera Beach, FL) shook off the rust from nearly 21 months lost due to injuries, averaging 1.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per contest last season. But, the 6-2 redshirt senior’s value goes well beyond the statistics, as she provides Rutgers with a physical defender, using her strength to seal opponents and get to the boards.
Aquisha Cahoe (Philadelphia, PA) had a junior year marred by injuries, appearing in just 12 contests. The 6-0 forward has always been a productive rebounder during her career, and she may be asked to play at both the three and four spots this season.
Even though Kia Vaughn (Bronx, NY) has yet to play a game at Rutgers, she has already generated a buzz “On the Banks.” The 6-4 center, rated among the top-10 prospects nationally, averaged 26 points and 20 rebounds per game as a senior at Saint Michael’s Academy. A trials participant for the USA Basketball Junior National Team, Vaughn is an intimidating shot blocker, runs the floor well and has a tremendous upside on the offensive end thanks to her soft hands.
Rounding out the group will be Sammeika Thrash (Birmingham, AL), a 6-1 forward who was a top-40 prospect and the Alabama 5A Player of the Year out of Ramsay High School. Thrash will bring an impressive set of offensive post skills to “the Banks,” but she also has surprising range for an inside player, capable of stretching defenses beyond the three-point arc.
SCHEDULE
The Scarlet Knights always play a demanding schedule, a fact proven by RU’s top-five strength-of-schedule ranking last season. The 2005-2006 campaign will be no different “On the Banks.”
Rutgers’ schedule features 13 games at the Louis Brown Athletic Center, 11 teams that played in the 2005 NCAA Tournament and six programs that competed in last year’s Postseason WNIT. The Scarlet Knights will officially get things started Nov. 25-26 at the Junkanoo Jam on Grand Bahama Island (North Florida, N.C. State and Iowa State). Other featured non-conference games will include home dates against 2005 NCAA Tournament participants Old Dominion (Dec. 9), Texas (Dec. 30) and Temple (Jan. 19), as well as a road game against last year’s national runner-up, Michigan State, Jan. 7.
Thanks to the newly-expanded BIG EAST Conference lineup, the Scarlet Knights will face a challenging 16-game slate. RU will play a home-and-home series against Connecticut (Feb. 7 in Storrs, Feb. 27 in Piscataway), and will host 2005 NCAA tourney teams Louisville (Jan. 21), Notre Dame (Jan. 24) and DePaul (Feb. 4) to highlight its conference schedule.
The BIG EAST Conference Tournament will once again be held at the Hartford (CT) Civic Center (March 4-7), followed by the first two weekends of the NCAA Tournament (March 18-21, 25-28). All roads will lead to Boston’s TD Banknorth Garden for the Final Four April 2 and 4.
