If one were to ask if Rutgers would win 20 games following winning six the previous year, most would say no. Rutgers hasn’t been the premier team in the conference, despite going 23-10 and 19-15 in the first two years of being in a new conference. They finished 20-12 this season, but finished 7-9 in the conference. However, Rutgers does have a case for making the big dance this season.
The biggest reason is senior guard Tyler Scaife. Her alone proved that she was indeed Rutgers basketball.
Scaife missed the entire 2016-2017 season due to a heart murmur. Rutgers had lost their leading scorer and senior and it greatly showed. Now that she came back this season, she has shown why Rutgers is better with her on the floor.
Rutgers had a 14-game turnaround a season later and had an impressive, thrilling win over Purdue. That being said, Rutgers has a case for making the big dance. Rutgers had an RPI of 39, which is in the top 50. That’s good. They were in the top 25 this season. That’s also good. The last thing that makes Rutgers look impressive is that they finish 9th in steals per game, 20th in blocked shots per game, and finished 29th in turnovers forced. They have been a top-20 team in defense all season, which makes a great case along with Scaife, that they deserve a spot in the postseason this month.
Head coach C. Vivian Stringer wanted to focus on the positives that her team has accomplished throughout the season, but was realistic on their chances.
“Well, I thought that — I wanted to try to hone more on the positives because we have had tremendous growth, and I think that’s rather obvious by our record. That doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s enough to do to get done and the invitation that we would like to have to the NCAAs. The greatest thing that you could ever hope for is to be able to control your own destiny, and long story short is you have to be grown ups about that. We had a chance to control our destiny, we have had a chance throughout the year, and we have to accept whatever it is and let that be a lesson in life.”
Does Stringer hope that they make the tournament?
“I’m hoping that we have an opportunity to play at the NCAA because I do believe that we are really unique in our style, she said. “We can be probably the most — the most unique to any team that’s out here.”
If Rutgers were to make the tournament, it would snap a 3 year drought since they appeared in the 2014-2015 season, their first year in the Big Ten.