Jeff Borzello, Rutgers News

RUTGERS TRYING TO KEEP UP IN BIG EAST

Scarlet Knights hoping to make improvements in Fred Hill’s 4th year

by JEFF BORZELLO

The New York City-area teams in the Big East have struggled mightily lately. Last season, Seton Hall, St. John’s and Rutgers combined for a total of 15 conference wins last season, and none of the trio has been a factor in the league race in several years.

This season, however, Seton Hall is ready to make a leap to the upper half of the conference, and St. John’s has the pieces to improve considerably in the standings.

Rutgers, on the other hand, does not have the look of a team that will be a threat on a nightly basis in the Big East. Even though they return their leading scorer and reobunder, the Scarlet Knights were picked to finish 15th in the preseason coaches’ poll – behind a four-win South Florida team that lost two of its top four scorers and a Providence group that returns three players from last season.

With its metro rivals on the rise, Rutgers needs to begin making waves in the league.

Head coach Fred Hill is not worried about the low expectations heading into the season.

“There’s only one coaches’ poll that matters to me, and that’s mine,” Hill said. “Everybody’s got an opinion.”

Sophomore guard Mike Rosario, the team’s leading scorer at 16.2 points per game, thinks that the Scarlet Knights are going to be much improved this season – and could be a program to make noise in the near-future.

“We’re definitely a program on the rise,” Rosario said. “We’re going to open a lot of eyes to our team, things like that. We’re going to be better.”

Rutgers does have some quality pieces. Rosario is a big-time scorer in the backcourt, and double-double threat Greg Echenique returns up front. More importantly, the Scarlet Knights gain the services of Florida transfer Jonathan Mitchell, freshman Dane Miller and JC transfer James Beatty. All three are expected to make an impact immediately.

“We have a point guard now, a couple of wing players, a big guy,” Rosario said. “We’re looking good.”

With the influx of talent, as well as the return of four players who started at least nine games last season, Rutgers will at least have the bodies to compete against the rest of the league.

“We have a lot of depth,” Rosario said. “We have our whole team this year, a lot of people on the bench. A lot of good players are going to be coming off the bench.”

Rosario also pointed to a big difference being point guard play. The addition of Beatty gives the Scarlet Knights a pure point guard, which is something they lacked a season ago when they won only two leagues games.

Another newcomer has caught Rosario’s eye in the early practices, though.

“Dane Miller,” he said. “He’s a wing player, very versatile. He adds another piece to our puzzle.”

Lately, not even Fred Hill has been able to figure out the Scarlet Knights’ puzzle; with several lower-tier Big East teams on the rise, he needs to figure it out quickly.

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