of demand has to be there every day.”

He has experienced pieces— Rice hesitates to call themveterans — in junior wingDane Miller and sophomoreforward Gilvydas Biruta, whoearned Big East All-Rookiehonors last season.

But they, along with juniorAustin Johnson and two moresophomores, continue to learnRice’s high-effort philosophyeach day.

Rice laid the groundworklast season, but Year 2 offersmore challenges.

The Knights will full-courtpress more, although Rice plansto pull back at times, given hisfreshmen’s frenetic pace. Theywill move the ball around to morescoring options — more thanRutgers knew in recent memory.

And they will face their mostgrueling, challenging, five-monthlong season to date.

“I’m aware of some of thehurdles or obstacles I face, not

having a senior on the roster,playing multiple freshmen atthe same time,” Rice said. “Weall know young teams general-ly lack a consistency. But mylevel of demand … will try tofight through.”

The Knights’ nonconferenceschedule features road stops atMiami (Fla.) and either Illinois orRichmond in the CancunChallenge. They welcomeLouisiana State and Florida,home of former Knight MikeRosario, to the Louis BrownAthletic Center.

And then they begin their sea-son in the Big East, in whichleague coaches picked Rutgersto finish 11th. The preseasonranking is four spots higher thanthe beginning of 2010-11, butRice insists he has no room totemper expectations.

While last year’s team foughtnight in and night out, it did notseem like it took losses personal-ly, Rice said.

The scenario will not be thesame this season, when Rice hasplayers “willing to rip eachother’s throats out” in practiceeach day.

Part of it relates back to Rice’sfreshmen class, which featuresplayers from programs that are asforeign to losing as Rutgers wasto winning.

“When we were coming intothe situation,” said freshmanguard Jerome Seagears, “we defi-nitely wanted to let the fan baseknow it’s a new beginning atRutgers, and it’s going to be anew era.”

T H E D A I L Y T A R G U MT IPOFFT 2 N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 1

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

MYLES MACKPoint guardFreshman5’-9”, 165 lbs.

ELICARTERShooting guardFreshman6’-2”, 190 lbs.

DANEMILLERSmall forwardJunior6’-6”, 215 lbs.

GILVYDASBIRUTAPower forwardSophomore6’-8”, 245 lbs.

AUSTINJOHNSONCenterJunior6’-8”, 255 lbs.

BY TYLER BARTOASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

Rutgers head men’s basket-ball coach Mike Rice alreadyheard the praise, and it was onlyOct. 19.

“I had a reporter ask me at theBig East Media Day, ‘How canyou top last year’s season?’ Steamstarted to come out of my ears,”Rice said. “Maybe the perceptionwas we did get the most out ofthat team.”

The team that went 15-17 lastseason with only eight scholar-ship players is now a distantmemory. Only five of themreturn, along with Rice’s highlyranked 2011 recruiting class.

There are seven of them.“We’re the foundation

because [with] seven recruits,it’s a whole new team,” said fresh-man forward Derrick Randall.“There’s only five that cameback. There are more freshmenthan returners.”

The youth also brings a grind,Rice said.

Every practice becomes a newchallenge to maintain their focusand consistent effort. Ricecoached five freshmen during aseason at Robert Morris, but healso had five seniors.

He does not have that luxuryin Year 2 with the Scarlet Knights.

“It was dif ferent when wewere only going an hour at atime or 45 minutes at a time inpreseason,” Rice said. “Everyday as coaches you have to beon because one of these guysisn’t going to be. That level

THE DAILY TARGUM

Mike Rice welcomes his youngest team in his four-plus seasons as head coach, simultaneously uppingthe Scarlet Knights’ non-conference schedule, which includes No. 8 Florida and possibly Illinois.

Rice embraces new hurdles in Year 2

Forward Biruta returnsto roots on perimeter

BY STEVEN MILLERSPORTS EDITOR

There is a mixture of excite-ment and pride when GilvydasBiruta discusses his role for theRutgers men’s basketball team’sseason, which kicks off tonightagainst Dartmouth at the LouisBrown Athletic Center.

“The same Gil I was before”and “I can actually be myself” arecommon phrases. The freshmanwho started 31 games at centerand earned a spot on the Big EastAll-Rookie team last year is gone,which begs the question: Who isthe new Biruta?

In fear of stating the obvious,he’s Lithuanian.

“In Europe, big guys shoot,”Biruta said. “Here, centers don’teven shoot. There, we practice it.”

Biruta spent this summerwith the Lithuanian U-20National Team at the FIBAEuropean Championships,where he had plenty of practicefor his move to forward.

An undersized squad forcedBiruta to center last season, whenhe took a crash course in postplay in the Big East, where thebodies get bigger every night.

He took a refresher course inhis perimeter role this summer inEurope, where the identity of abig, shooting forward was born.

“I knew this season I would bea power forward, and for mynational team, I was a power for-ward,” said Biruta, who playedseven games for Lithuania beforespraining his ankle. “I got to playmy position against the best play-ers in Europe.”

It marks a return to his days atSt. Benedict’s Prep.

Former head coach Fred HillJr. recruited Biruta as a perime-ter power forward, then AthleticDirector Tim Pernetti con-vinced him to remain committedto Rutgers.

Biruta remained, but hisidentity did not. Now, hebelieves it is back.

“I can play on the perimeter,knock down shots, take peopleoff the dribble,” Biruta said. “Ibelieve that I can stretch the

ALEX VAN DRIESEN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Sophomore forward Gilvydas Biruta led Big East rookies a year ago in rebounding, field goal percentage and free-throw percentage.

“We all know youngteams generally

lack a consistency.But my level of

demand ... will tryto fight through.”

MIKE RICEHead Coach

floor because they’ll have torespect my shot once I knockdown a few.”

Just don’t commit to callingBiruta a finesse forward.

“He still has that dog inhim,” said junior for wardAustin Johnson.

Biruta still remembers hisfirst practice in Piscataway,where the strength of even themost undersized squad over-whelmed him. The 6-foot-8, 245-pounder was used to grabbingany rebound he wanted in highschool. Now he had to work for it.

His other adjustment came incontrolling his motor.

Head coach Mike Rice repeat-edly praised Biruta’s energy, butoften followed the commentswith a plea for Biruta to slowdown only a little bit.

“Every practice I work onpoise,” Biruta said. “[Rice] keepstelling me, ‘Breathe, breathe.Don’t go too fast.’”

Biruta believes his first sea-son in the Big East taught himthat poise.

It also taught him about play-ing in the post, where he couldreturn on occasion this season,although Rice said Johnson andfreshmen Greg Lewis andDerrick Randall will handle mostof the duties on the block.

“The skills that I learned inthe post are not going away,” saidBiruta, who was as excited as anyScarlet Knight when a pair of low-post freshmen enrolled.

Rice now has to make theadjustment and allow his formerstarting center to handle the balland take some shots.

Biruta has dreams of draining3-pointers, but quickly cautions,“I’m not [former Knight JonathanMitchell] yet.”

So he will likely follow Rice’sadvice, which is to start with 18-footers, then work his way out.

“I have to allow him to play onthe perimeter more becausethat’s where we have him,” Ricesaid. “But he has to understandthat he can’t fall in love with thejump shot.”

All indications are that Birutaalready did.

T H E D A I L Y T A R G U M N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 1 T 3T IPOFF

BY STEVEN MILLERSPORTS EDITOR

Overlooking the court at theLouis Brown Athletic Center, areporter sitting with Dane Millerattempted to give the junior wingplayer a way out.

There had to be some pointduring last season when Millerfinally bought into Rutgers headmen’s basketball coach MikeRice’s system, right?

Wrong.“I think it was tough the

whole year,” Miller said. “Goingfrom someone who as a fresh-man in the Big East shot theball 10 or 11 times a game …and in some games was the firstoption — then Coach Rice camein, put a new system in, and weweren’t really running as much.I struggled.”

Miller says he struggled to understand.

Rice says Miller lied to himself.Disagreements are not

uncommon for the two — “Weargued,” Rice said of last season.Rice inherited a program witheight scholarship players, but hisbiggest challenge was gettingsomething out of the player mostwould agree was his best.

“He probably had more poten-tial than anybody else,” Rice said.“Dane certainly had the ability toaffect a game, whether it wasdefensively, offensive rebound-ing or attacking, but he never didit on a consistent basis. Heshould have dictated more in ourgames last year.”

THE DAILY TARGUM

Junior wing Dane Miller started each of the Scarlet Knights’ 32 games last season, when he averaged 9.2 points per game and 6.1 rebounds in nearly 30 minutesper contest. He spent the offseason working on his jump shot, which he plans to use more this season to increase his offensive production.

THEORY OF EVOLUTIONMiller matures in offseason but must translate it to court, where Rice expects more consistency, scoring output in wing’s junior season

Miller expects to this season —part of his offseason development.

But he cannot point to a singlemoment when it started.

“It just finally hit me,” hesaid. “The system is going tostay the same.”

So Miller had to change.It started with his attitude, but

it included his jump shot.He thought back to the senior

season of Jonathan Mitchell, oneof his closest friends who callsMiller his little brother.

“When we were in our dormssleeping, J-Mitch was in the gymshooting,” Miller said.

So this summer Millerbecame Mitchell.

“He actually did somethingthat made him uncomfor t-able,” Rice said. “He put in theextra time.”

The result is an improvedjumper, which everyone expectsto see more of this season.

He averaged 9.2 points pergame each of the past two sea-sons — surprising stagnationgiven his second-place finish in2010 as Big East Freshman ofthe Year.

The Scarlet Knights welcomea freshman class overflowingwith talent, but Rice still wantsMiller to take more controlof fensively and understandwhen to attack.

“He’s my leading returningscorer,” Rice said. “He has todo that.”

He also has to take owner-ship of a team that could startmultiple freshmen on any given

night and lacks a senior playeron scholarship.

Rice sees the leadership attimes, he said, but at others he“can’t believe [Miller andclassmate AustinJohnson] haven’tknocked anybody out in practice.”

Rice likes the same in-your-face intensity that made him aninstant favorite in Piscataway inhis players. Miller admits he isa little more shy and reserved.

But at least he madeprogress and took ownershipof himself.

“He’s much more responsi-ble and mature,” Johnson said.“I feel like that just comes outwith the time and growth and development of beinga junior.”

If this is the evolu-tion of Dane Miller, itis not an evolution asmuch as a return tohis old ways — forgetlast season.

Off the court, he devel-oped — no question.

On it, he wants to returnto the All-Big East RookieTeam player he was twoyears ago, before, as Ricesays, he “thought hemade it.”

“We’ll be run-ning more, so you’llsee more of what Idid my freshmanyear, attacking therim more,” Miller said.“On the defensive side, you’ll see

an animal. I’mgoing for everyblock, everyd e f e n s i v e

rebound. This year I’m not goingto have to ask Coach Rice to putme on the best player, I think.This year he just will.”

Just do not expect a perfect relationship.

Rice wants Miller to attackand score more.

“He has to,” Rice said.But Miller routinely passes

up open shots for teammates.Rice calls him the mostunselfish player on the court.But when they argued, Ricecalled him selfish.

“He was selfish with hisenergy,” Rice said, “selfishwith his aggressiveness.”

That changed, so areporter wanted to see ifMiller’s style will changeon the court.

If you have an openshot and an open man …

“I’m going to pass himthe ball,” Miller cuttingthe reporter off. “I don’tcare how open I am. Idon’t care who tells me

to shoot. I’m going topass him the ballbecause that’s who

I am.”Now, at least,

Miller acknowl-edges it.

T I PT 4 N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 1

BY TYLER BARTOASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

The revival tour had modestbeginnings to say the least. A highschool-aged Kadeem Jack sat inthe backseat of a car driven byChad Babel, a Hoop Groupinstructor, after practice with theNew York Gauchos AAU program.

Jack was one of the top playersin New York City, but he still need-ed a ride home to Queens whenhis mother, Louisa Hall, worked.

A new player who earlier triedout for the team took a seat nextto him on the drive. He wasDerrick Randall.

“That’s when we sat down andwe were talking for a little bit,”Jack said. “That’s how we reallygot to know each other.”

Randall committed to Rutgershead men’s basketball coach MikeRice on Aug. 1 to start Rice’s firstfull recruiting class in Piscataway.

Jack offered his verbal com-mitment to the Scarlet Knightsless than a month later. He left fora tournament in Turkey withRandall and other New York CityNike All Stars, but his pre-record-ed commitment could not wait.

Seven-player class transforms Knights roster, provides Rice with Big East-caliber depth

INSIDE THE 24TH-RANKED CLASSDerrick Randall — committed Aug. 1, 2010

Offers included Seton Hall, St. John’s, Virginia Tech

Malick Kone — committed Aug. 26, 2010

Kadeem Jack* — committed Aug. 31, 2010Offers included Arkansas, Miami, West Virginia*Enrolled early and reclassified with Class of 2010

Myles Mack — committed Sept. 1, 2010Offers included Connecticut, Seton Hall, St. Johns

Jerome Seagears — committed Sept. 21, 2010Offers included Arizona, Florida, Georgetown

Greg Lewis — committed Oct. 29, 2010Offers included Georgia, Maryland, Xavier

Eli Carter — committed April 23, 2011Offers included Missouri, Seton Hall, Wake Forest

FRESHST

Four more highly-toutedrecruits followed.

Among them was MylesMack, Randall’s high schoolteammate at Paterson Catholic.The talented point guard spenthis final season of high school eli-gibility under famed coach BobHurley’s tutelage at St. Anthony.

He committed less than 24hours after Jack, who he faced onthe AAU circuit, putting an end toRandall’s near-constant lobbying.

Randall called his futureRutgers roommate once or twice aweek, he said, asking Mack abouthis plans and the possibility ofplaying together again in college.

Mack signed on while Randallprepped at South Kent (Conn.),his and Jack’s temporary home.

“He didn’t tell me, per se,”Randall said. “I think he was try-ing to surprise me. I kind of knewhe was going to come becausebefore we discussed colleges, hewas like, ‘Wherever you’re going,I’m going.’ We were always say-ing that together.”

The members of the Knights’highest ranked class in programhistory share an innate bondwhen they take the court. Part of

the reason is their commitment toRice, who sold Rutgers as a placeeach could help turn around in four years.

The other reason is they alreadyknew each other beforehand.

Point guard Jerome Seagearsplayed three seasons with for-ward Malick Kone and the D.C.Assault, an AAU program whereassociate head coach David Coxbegan his coaching career.

Forward Greg Lewis onceplayed with D.C. Assault, as well,before switching AAU allegiancesto Baltimore Elite.

Jack and Seagears playedagainst each other when theywere 15 years old, while Jack reg-ularly battled with Mack in NewYork-New Jersey challenges.

Guard Eli Carter shares theSt. Anthony connection withMack, although their tenuresnever crossed paths at the JerseyCity basketball powerhouse.

So when the talented six —Jack arrived a semester earlier —first stepped foot on campus,there was never a major adjust-ment period.

“It didn’t really take long togell because we communicated

before we came,” Jack said. “Thebrotherhood was already therebecause we spoke a lot. We textedback and forth. It wasn’t reallythat hard to start.”

Still, the process remains aconstant one for Rice, tasked withmaintaining the freshmen’s inten-sity each practice.

Six of the seven new arrivalsplayed together during the sum-mer in the Jersey ShoreBasketball League in Belmar,N.J., but the growing pains con-tinue to take place, Rice said.

“When you spend five straightdays practicing with seven fresh-men, it’s an interesting grind,” thesecond-year head coach said. “It’sjust the simplest things of tryingto be consistent. And we haven’tbeen consistent with anything,except we’ve been inconsistent.”

But their commitment toRutgers never wavered. Themajority had offers from well-established programs with histo-ries of recent success, but eachopted for the road less travelled.

The Knights last earned a tripto the NCAA Tournament in 1991,when only Randall was alive andless than a year old.

“You get to make history fast,”said Seagears, who had offersfrom Florida and Georgetown,among others. “You get to makehistory easy.”

The ability to turn Rutgers intoa contender was the only reasonJack committed to Rutgers, hesaid. The freshmen talk aboutredeeming the program everyday in practice, Carter said.

But with the enthusiasm alsocomes naiveté.

The seven-player group doesnot know it cannot put its headsdown and drive past Connecticutor Pittsburgh defenders, Ricesaid. It asked Rice why not set a17-win goal instead of simply fin-ishing with a winning record inthe Big East.

But it is the class’s mentalitythat might finally lift Rutgersover the hump it sufferedthrough 20 years and five headcoaching changes.

“We’re at the level right nowwhere we want to be realistic withourselves, but we also want to bedream chasers,” Seagears said.“We want to set goals that are rea-sonable but also we want to dothe impossible.”

N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 1 T 5O F F

BY ANTHONY HERNANDEZASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

Ask seniors April Sykes,Nikki Speed or Chelsey Leeabout their first three seasonswith the Rutgers women’s bas-ketball team, and they will alllikely sum it up with one word: disappointment.

All three were part of a five-member recruiting class —ranked No. 3 nationally in 2008by ESPN HoopGurlz —destinedto make the Scarlet Knights aperennial national contender.

All three were McDonald’sAll-Americans who committed toHall of Fame head coach C. Vivian Stringer instead ofother big-name programs likeConnecticut or Tennessee.

And now, with no Big East ornational titles to show for it, allthree are doing their best toensure this year’s third-rankedrecruiting class — the most her-alded since their own — does notfollow in their footsteps.

“We felt like coming in as ahighly-touted class, we kind oflet everybody down, as well asourselves,” Speed said. “Just

Remnants of Fab Five ready to prove worth with highest ranked class since ’08 set to build legacy

INSIDE THE THIRD-RANKED CLASS

Shakena Richardson — committed June 14, 2010

Syessence Davis — committed June 14, 2010

Christa Evans — committed Sept. 7, 2010Also considered Kentucky, Marquette, Miami

Briyona Canty — committed Nov. 17, 2010Also considered Kentucky, Penn State, Miami

Betnijah Laney — committed April 13, 2011Also considered Kentucky, Duke, Oklahoma

TARTThe Rutgers men’s and women’s basketball teams welcome two of the most heralded recruiting classes in program history to Piscataway. The men’s group will look to help Rice turn Rutgers into a winner. The women want to send Stringer on another deep run in March.

talking to the freshmen andmaking sure they don’t go thatdirection and that they createtheir own path and create theirown legacy. I definitely thinkthey will.”

If the freshman class’s tal-ent is any indication, its futureis bright.

The Knights nabbed No. 1overall guard Briyona Canty andNo. 2 overall wing BetnijahLaney to close the recruitingseason on a high note.

Stringer also welcomed No. 4overall point guard ShakenaRichardson and No. 14 comboguard Syessence Davis, bothNeptune, N.J., natives, after theyelected to attend Rutgers together.

To complement her guard-heavy class, Stringer added 6-foot-3 post player ChristaEvans, who figures to see plen-ty of playing time this year fol-lowing Lee’s season-endingshoulder surgery.

Starting Sunday at the LouisBrown Athletic Center, the2011 class showcases the futureof the Rutgers program.

For the five freshmen, whofigure to see plenty of playing

time, there is little time forgrowing pains, Stringer said.

“They’re going to have to begame ready,” she said. “Like I toldthem, we don’t have time for themto grow through that stage. Theycan’t be babies we have to put theon the floor now. I think that eachand every one of them comes withthat mentality anyway.”

The mentality turned toexcitement two weeks ago, whenthe Knights learned of their pre-season national ranking.

The Associated Pressdubbed the Knights No. 16 over-all in its preseason poll, makingthe expectations in Piscatawaythe highest in four years.

“I think we can really makesome noise at the RAC thisyear,” Canty said. “We all playhard. We all give so muchef fort in practice and thingslike that. I think we can actual-ly go far this year [than] theyhave been going the previousyears. We still have a lot tolearn, but every day we learnsomething new.”

Stringer knows all too wellhow quickly expectations canturn to empty hopes.

The Knights finished atopthe Big East during the 2007-08season after upsetting No. 2UConn in the conference tour-nament — the program’s firstBig East Championship.

The victor y gave theKnights, ranked 19th at thetime, all the momentum theyneeded entering the NCAATournament, where Rutgersadvanced to the championshipgame against Tennessee.

The Knights lost, 59-46, tothe Volunteers. But theirimprobable run vaulted theminto the national spotlight,especially with Stringer’s 2008class arriving in Piscataway.

Not long after the Knightsrose to the top, they graduallyfell from grace.

They advanced to the SweetSixteen in the 2008-09 season,only to follow with a first-roundexit in 2010 and a second-roundloss last season against eventualnational champion Texas A&M.

To the Knights’ credit, theyconsistently qualified for theNCAA Tournament since 2008,but anyone familiar withStringer knows being the best is

paramount in the coach’s eyes.For Sykes, the class did not

perform up to par.“I don’t feel as though our

freshman class embraced asmuch from our upperclassmenat our time,” said Sykes, who ledthe team last year with 14.1points per game. “I just let themknow that they’re not going toget everything right — we did-n’t get everything right at thatage. They’re a lot better than usas freshman.”

But those days are long inthe past. Though the seniorclass did not initially live up tostandards, it still has one finalyear to prove its worth.

Its opportunity comes withthe highest ranked class since2008, which is ready to estab-lish its own Rutgers legacy.

If Sykes’ and Speed’s cyni-cism is not enough to steer thefreshmen along the right path,there is always the benefit of aHall of Fame head coach.

And she sees no signs of dis-appointment in the forecast.

“I really am truly excitedabout this group, just the blend,”Stringer said. “It’s the right one.”

T H E D A I L Y T A R G U MT IPOFFT 6 N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 1

BY ANTHONY HERNANDEZASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

Junior guard Erica Wheeleralways plays with a chip on her shoulder.

But when the Rutgers women’sbasketball team welcomed the No.3-ranked recruiting class toPiscataway this summer, therewas nothing extra the Miami, Fla.,native needed to prove.

And when the Scarlet Knightsopen the season Sunday againstCalifornia with a healthy NikkiSpeed, who Wheeler replacedlast season, Wheeler will not playto impress.

The only thing differentthis season forWheeler isher year ofeligibility.

S p e e dand theNo. 6, 11, 18and 51 overallrecruits in thecountry — all of whomplay guard —have no bearing onWheeler’s role as a scorer, saidhead coach C. Vivian Stringer.

“Her role doesn’t change atall,” Stringer said. “Erica is ashooter, and at the end of the day,we better be able to shoot theball. She just is coming with a lotmore experience, and she’s a lotmore apt to take drives and dothe things we would want and wewould expect from a junior.”

As a sophomore, Wheelershowed flashes of her game-changing ability.

The Knights opened last sea-son with two road lossesagainst Cal and Stanford, but

THE DAILY TARGUM

Junior guard Erica Wheeler saw a significant increase in playing time last season due to an injury to Nikki Speed, and now looks to continue her role as a scorer for head coachC. Vivian Stringer despite the welcoming of a guard-heavy freshman class. The Miami, Fla., native averaged 9.7 points per game last season after starting in 21 of 33 contests.

AHEAD OF THE CLASSWheeler set to pick up where she left off last season as scorer, despite increased competition from Knights’ No. 3 overall recruiting class

contrary to expectations, AprilSykes, Khadijah Rushdan orChelsey Lee did not lead theteam offensively.

Wheeler took care of the scor-ing burden as the first option offthe bench, notching back-to-back16-point outings with a 13-for-29shooting clip.

But when the formerMcDonald’s All-Americanentered Stringer’s startinglineup because of aninjury to Speed, herproduction turnedinconsistent.

There

wer eg a m e s

like theKnights’ against West

Virginia on Feb. 26, whenthe guard scored 22points in a Rutgers win.But there were alsonights when Wheelerfailed to produce, likethe Knights’ regular-sea-son meeting againstConnecticut last year, whenWheeler went scoreless.

One reason for the incon-sistencies was the guard’sreliance on jump shotsrather than driving tothe basket — some-thing Wheeler workedon over the summer.

“[I worked on] get-ting into shapebecause I know thatwe are going tobe a fastteam,” saidW h e e l e r ,who was

fourth last season with 9.7 pointsper game. “[I also worked on]

ball handling. I know Ican shoot, but just

being able tohandle the balland just beingmore calm.”

S t r i n g e ropenly said

m a n yt i m e s

last

s e a -s o n

t h a tS y k e s

a n dWheelerwere thet e a m ’ s

shooters,and enter-

ing Sunday,the Hall of

Fame coachexpects Wheeler

to assume a more well-rounded offensive role.

Wheeler had plenty of time inthe offseason to sharpen herskills while playing with thefreshman class, Sykes said.

There may not be any realpressure on Wheeler to perform,but Sykes noted Wheelerembraced the competitionStringer brought to Piscataway inthe offseason.

“I don’t think it puts a lot ofpressure on her, but I think itmakes her want it morebecause Erica’s a competitor,”Sykes said. “She wants to shootthe ball and that’s able to gether in position. She’s a shooter.It’s making her more comfort-able to get in position and just do what she’s capable of doing.”

But the scoring burden doesnot fall solely on the team’s topreturning 3-point shooters thisseason, Wheeler said.

More offensive distributioncomes as a result of the freshmanclass’ scoring caliber, prominentwith guard Briyona Canty andwing Betnijah Laney.

Another luxury the Knightshave this season is a full 13-player roster, creating practiceenvironments that foster hard-nosed competition.

“I’m really happy because inpractice, it’s so competitive,”Wheeler said. “You can’t take aplay off in practice, becauseeverybody is competing and thecoaches get so hype. It’s just abunch of competitiveness, andthat’s what I love.”

But after starting 21 of 33games last season with mostcoming down the stretch,Wheeler’s role this seasonremains undefined.

Not only do the Knightsbring in a top-tier class ofguards, but they also return a

healthy senior in Speed, whostruggled for most of last seasonwith an ankle injury.

Wheeler served as one ofStringer’s first options off the benchat guard in her rookie season.

She started last season in thesame role before Speed wentdown with her injury.

Only Stringer knows how sheplans to orchestrate the Knights’rotation with its talent-ladenfreshman class, but Wheelerdoes not plan to change her gameat all.

If other teams forget abouther capabilities, Wheeler hasno qualms.

She will prove her worth onthe court, she said.

“That’s fine because I’mgoing to always do me at theend of the day, and we’re goingto play well as a team,”Wheeler said. “I’m not worriedabout that.”

The junior guard has evenfewer worries about her role this season.

Wheeler recorded 20 double-digit scoring games in her firsttwo seasons under Stringer, andjudging by her fast start lastseason could see anotherSunday at the Louis BrownAthletic Center.

But whether Wheeler starts orenters off the bench or drops 20points or none, it will not changeher game.

No matter what, she willalways do her best to prove anydoubters wrong.

“I always have a chip on myshoulder whether [the recruitingclass] is good or not,” Wheeler said.“I always have that in my mentality.”

season-ending shoulder sur-gery in the of fseason.

With last year’s leadingrebounder and the focal point ofStringer’s trademark 55-pressout for the season, 6-foot-2 fresh-man Christa Evans has bigshoes to fill. Lee’s absence alsomeans more work for juniorMonique Oliver in the post andincorporating Evans.

“I’m definitely going to play amuch bigger role this year,”Oliver said. “I need to focus moreand get Chris involved in whatwe do.”

The Knights did not have asmuch depth last year, and theloaded roster is enough to exciteguard Khadijah Rushdan aboutplaying her senior season.

“The past years we haven’thad a lot of depth, so we haven’tbeen able to really get up anddown the court and run the way

we want to,” Rushdan said.“Now that we have five fresh-men — four that can play onethrough four — it really gives usa lot of versatility.”

Freshman Briyona Canty hasthe privilege of working with anexperienced guard like Rushdan,who helps the top-recruitedguard in the nation adjust to thecollege level.

“It’s more serious,” Cantysaid of the college level. “Inhigh school, you get away witha lot of things in practice. Incollege, especially in the BigEast, everyone is as talented asyou are.”

Senior forward April Sykesknows what the transition is likeas a top recruit. The Starkville,Miss., native was the nation’s No. 2 prospect in 2008, but strug-gled in two underwhelming sea-sons in Piscataway.

But after a breakout junior sea-son when she averaged 14.1points per game, Sykes knowswhat it takes to live up to the hype.

“I just tell them, ‘Rememberwhat you’re good at. Rememberwhat got you here,’” Sykes said.

If the season ends like it didagainst the Aggies, theKnights’ disappointed benchwill at least look on with morecapable players.

But if the Knights play up totheir championship hopes, theirfaces might be different in moreways than one.

T H E D A I L Y T A R G U M N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 1 T 7T IPOFF

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

KHADIJAHRUSHDANPoint guardSenior, 5’-9”Wilmington, Del.

ERICAWHEELERShooting guardSophomore, 5’-7”Miami, Fla.

BETNIJAHLANEYSmall forwardFreshman, 6’-0”Clayton, Del.

APRILSYKESPower forwardSenior, 6’-0”Starkville, Miss.

MONIQUEOLIVERCenterJunior, 6’-2”Las Vegas, Nev.

BY JOSH BAKANCORRESPONDENT

Disappointment was visiblefrom the Rutgers women’s bas-ketball team and head coach C.Vivian Stringer last year, wheneventual national championTexas A&M eliminated theScarlet Knights in the secondround of the NCAA Tournament.

But the Knights sufferedfrom a short bench that saw onlytwo players spend more thantwo minutes on the floor in the70-48 loss. The No. 16 Knightsreturn four starters from the2010-11 season, but last yearthose players had very little helpbehind them.

With a highly touted five-member freshmen class, Stringerhopes to avoid the same problem.

And she expects the freshmento contribute immediately.

“I do want to see all 10 kidsplay. We’re going to play every-body — that’s not a question,”Stringer said. “At some point I’dlike to put all the freshman outthere because they’ve got some-thing to prove.”

Although Stringer expects thefreshmen to contribute immedi-ately, none of them figured to geton the court at tip-off with awealth of starters returning.

But the logic changed whenthe Knights learned theywould be without senior for-ward Chelsey Lee because of

BY JOEY GREGORYSTAFF WRITER

The Rutgers women’s basket-ball team was supposed to runthis season on the strength of itsfive returning starters. But thanksto a season-ending shoulderinjury to senior forward ChelseyLee, the Scarlet Knights must playwithout their leading rebounder.

Her absence means two play-ers have to take on roles they didnot expect to earlier in the year.

Lee is now more of a coachand instructs younger playerssince she cannot be on the court,while freshman Christa Evans,originally slotted for a backuprole, now plays in place of Lee.

For Lee, the only Knight tostart all 33 games last season, thecoaching role is something to getused to after three seasons of play.

“For any player I would sayit’s tough to go from playing tonot being able to play. It’s not likeI’m just sitting out one or twogames,” Lee said. “I’m sitting outthe whole season, and it’s not likeI can practice. I really can’t domuch of anything right now soit’s hard. It takes some gettingused to.”

The perspective from the side-line is completely different fromthe one she is used to on the court.

“I could be very helpful for[Evans]. If I were playing, I prob-ably wouldn’t have as much timeto say, ‘Chris, do this,’ or, ‘Makesure you do that,’” Lee said. “Thethings that I catch I’ll point out,but now that I’m not playing, Icould really just be in her ear thewhole time.”

Not only does Lee have towarm up to being a coach, butshe also has to learn how to han-dle not being on the court withthe team.

That is where senior team-mate Nikki Speed comes in.

Speed missed most of last sea-son with a foot injury, appearingin only 14 games, so she knowsthe feeling Lee has and helps herget through it.

“I let her know that it’s not OKjust to stay away. Continue to behere, help out the freshmen aswell, especially Christa,” Speedsaid. “Getting hurt, knowing howthat is, being off the court, I justsay to Chelsey, ‘Stay with us. Don’tever drift away.’ Because that obvi-ously would not be a good thing.”

As one of the team leaders,Speed also helps Evans’s adjust-ment to college, but she knows Leeis most important in Evans’ growth.

NEIL P. KYPERS

Senior forward Chelsey Lee, the Knights’ leading returning rebound-er, will miss the season after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery.

Injured Lee settles intocoaching role for RU

“The past years wehaven’t had a lot of depth, so we

haven’t been able to really get up and down the court.”KHADIJAH RUSHDAN

Senior Guard

THE DAILY TARGUM

Fifth-year senior guard Khadijah Rushdan finished second on the team in scoring last season,averaging 11.8 per game for the Knights. The Wilmington, Del., native also led the team in assists.

Stringer welcomes newfound depth

Compensating for Lee’s 8.5points per game and team-lead-ing 7.5 rebounds per game is noeasy task.

“The upperclassmen havebeen so helpful,” Evans said.“They’re always in my ear tellingme what to do and how I can bebetter, and the coaches are rightthere along with them sayinghow I can step my game up.”

Despite the fact that she hasyet to play her first game, Evanssees the difference between thecollege and high school levels.

“It’s a completely differentexperience, a different level,” shesaid. “It’s a lot more fast-paced incollege. You always have to be onyour toes — ready for anything— so it’s very different.”

In addition to putting Evans into fill Lee’s spot, the Knights alsoneed strong, consistent play fromreturning forward Monique Oliver.

For Oliver, the role meansimproving on 10.9 points pergame, 5.9 rebounds per game anda team-high 66 blocked shots.

“With Chelsey out, I definitelyunderstand I have to step up,” thejunior said. “She is a greatrebounder, so I’m just going tohave to get more rebounds andreally just step it up, just be a bigpresence on the post.”

Head coach C. Vivian Stringerpointed out another one of Lee’sroles that flies under the radar.

“She was of course our leadingrebounder, but what people mightnot realize is that she was the per-son that played the front of ourpress,” Strnger said. “It has beena discovery for us to find out whatgroup could really press as wewould like. We still don’t have ananswer to that just yet.”

Stringer’s patented 55-pressneeds someone with Lee’s quick-ness and length at the front tomake it work, and Lee has been adriving force in helping to makeit work without her, Stringer said.

“We can’t seem to get to thatpress position, and she, havingplayed that, would say the littlethings like, ‘You’re going directlyto the ball. You can’t do that —you’ve got to make what we call aC-route,’” Stringer said.

It is obvious to Stringer and theother coaches that Lee knows howshe can still help the team improve.

With the season set to begin,Lee continues to do just that.

“She’s talking the whole time,and I’ve complemented her anumber of times,” Stringer said.“That’s what she can do, and sheis doing it.”