Rutgers women hope to go further than ever
Freshmen's contributions will be critical to success of basketball program
BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer
The expectations for the Rutgers women's basketball program have always been tremendous. And coming off a 27-7 season that ended with a trip to the Elite Eight, and with three starters returning mixed in with a slew of newcomers, the Scarlet Knights may be able to climb to a whole new level.

ERIC SUCAR staff South Brunswick goalkeeper Lauren Viverito dives to save the ball during the second half of the NJSIAA State Tournament games held in East Brunswick last Thursday. The Bears won the game 1-0.

The Knights have lost the firepower of Matee Ajavon and Essence Carson, but in the mix are guards Heather Zurich and Epiphanny Prince along with forwards Myia McCurdy and Kia Vaughn on a team being led by C. Vivian Stringer, who enters her 14th season as head coach. Stringer sees this team as one that may need some nurturing early on but should find its way just in time for its usually long postseason run.

"We're far from where we need to be right now, and we are a bit limited," Stringer said. "Yes, our freshmen are very competitive and they're working hard each day, but really, it is five new faces here that need to pick up a lot in a short amount of time, and that's not easy."

ERIC SUCAR staff South Brunswick's Kailee Peskin (r) and East Brunswick's Samantha Kalafor (l) battle over a loose ball during the New Jersey State Tournament held at East Brunswick H.S. on Thursday.

Among the freshmen who will be counted upon is 6-foot-2 Miami native Chelsey Lee, the only newcomer to get the start in the team's 101-48 exhibition victory over Operation Athlete on Nov. 4.

"I think all of the freshmen just want to contribute as much as possible," Lee said. "I think this team can be very good, and as the season goes on, I think we will show that."

Fellow freshmen April Sykes, Brooklyn Pope and Jasmine Dixon will also see plenty of playing time in the frontcourt, while 5-foot-5 Nikki Speed figures to get in the backcourt rotation.

"It's been a great opportunity so far to learn from the older girls on the team," Speed said. "I knew it'd be harder than high school, but when you're playing with and against [players] you used to watch on television not too long ago, it is pretty cool."

Speed will have the opportunity to learn from one of the best in the nation in the 5-foot-9 Prince, who averaged 14 points and five rebounds per game a year ago. Prince said that the freshmen have been holding up their end of the bargain as far as working hard and pushing for playing time, but that there's still more to be done. "The freshmen do have a lot to learn, and that'll come with time," Prince said.

New leaders will begin to step up as time goes on. The ultimate goal around here, though, is to win title. Two years ago we got to the title game and we were really close, and I feel like if we can get back to that playing level again, maybe we can be right back there again."

Even with Prince's hopes of going to St. Louis for the Women's Final Four, Stringer isn't 100 percent sold yet that it can work out. "People need to be patient with us. We're a very young team," Stringer said. "I do think these freshmen will fulfill the promise that they show. I think we'll have

another good year, but it may take us some time to jell." The schedule-makers have done the Knights no favors in the 2008- 09 campaign. After opening the season at home against St. Joseph's (Nov. 14) and Princeton (Nov. 18), the team goes out west to take on Cal and national powerhouse Stanford. Rutgers also has games against Georgia (Dec. 8), Tennessee (Jan. 3) and the usual slew of Big East opponents, including

Notre Dame, the University of Connecticut and West Virginia.