Rutgers Women's Basketball's season unofficially got off to a great start, defeating local opponent Caldwell 101-48 in a preseason exhibition.
There are usually not a ton of concrete takeaways from an exhibition - particularly one against a Division II opponent - but after a tough 8-24 campaign last season, it was important to see the team in action before the team's season opener.
Following Sunday's exhibition win, here are three things that went well, two things to improve on, and one question still to be answered.
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THREE THINGS THAT WENT WELL....
1. Flexing the frontcourt muscle
The Scarlet Knights had a clear size advantage coming into the game - The Cougars' roster features just three players over six feet tall, compared to six for Rutgers - and the team capitalized on it.
Forwards Destiny Adams and Janae Walker each grabbed at least ten rebounds, and forwards Zachara Perkins and Chyna Cornwell finished with nine. As a team, the Scarlet Knights outrebounded the Cougars 63-40, including 23 offensive rebounds leading to 31 second-chance points. They denied several of Caldwell's chances at the rim, with 11 blocked shots. Walker and junior forward Antonia Bates each led the way with three rejections, and six different players blocked a shot.
Rutgers also dominated the low block on offense, scoring 42 points in the paint while attempting 47 free throws. It was obvious the coaching staff saw an advantage and went to it early and often, as several of the offensive sets were built for Adams to get low-post positioning, and she did just that on several occasions.
The Scarlet Knights should be able to create plenty of opportunities on both ends of the floor due to their size advantage, as even against many Big Ten opponents they held their own protecting the rim and getting to the basket. It should be a strength with many of the frontcourt pieces on the team.
2. Newcomers showed up and showed out
Another positive to come out of the exhibition is how the team's new players - freshmen and transfers - performed in their first games as Scarlet Knights. They all contributed in multiple ways and look to have important roles on the team.
Freshman guard Kiyomi McMiller was the star of the recruiting class, and brought that hype and excitement to her unofficial collegiate debut. Though she did not start the game and did not enter until the beginning of the second quarter, she still finished the first half as Rutgers' second-leading scorer with 11 points in the second quarter. The Silver Spring, Maryland native finished as the game's second-leading scorer overall with 21 points and six rebounds on 9-for-19 shooting from the floor including 2-for-5 from the three-point line.
McMiller also brought her trademark flair to the court, burying an array of floaters, three-pointers, and shots at the rim with her elite ballhandling ability. At one point in the third quarter, she whipped out the Shake and Bake, a dribble move specialty of former NBA star Jamal Crawford. Though she missed the jumper that followed, McMiller flashed the talent that ranked her as a five-star prospect nicknamed "The Product". While she can still improve on working within the flow of the offense, McMiller's pure talent at the college level is sure to bring plenty of excitement to Jersey Mike's Arena this season.
Perkins, the other freshman in the class, had a strong performance in her own right. Getting the start at the wing spot next to Bates, Perkins made an impact early and often. She took on multiple defensive assignments both on the perimeter and at the rim and was solid all-around. She scored 17 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and blocked two shots. On offense, she had an equal impact, comfortably driving to the rim and operating on the perimeter to set up the team's outside-in sets. Perhaps most notably, she got to the rim and fought through contact, shooting 8-for-11 from the free throw line.
Though it remains to be seen how big Perkins' role will be come Big Ten play, her versatility and two-way style definitely has a place on the Scarlet Knights early in her career.
"I think for me, I've always prioritized defense," she said after the game. "I take pride in it, and I think on the college level it's definitely a faster pace, so just making sure I still take the same things I did in high school that helped me and move them into college."
Boston College transfer JoJo Lacey also got the start, as part of a bigger starting lineup featuring all five players at six feet or taller. Lacey was one of four Scarlet Knights in double figures, scoring 13 points to go along with four rebounds. She played a solid game defensively and flashed some perimeter play offensively, draining two three-pointers.
Lacey's experience as a fifth-year senior is key for a younger team, especially given she has four years of high-major basketball under her belt. She fits the mold of a bigger, versatile guard that Rutgers has plenty of on this roster, and if she can continue to hit from the perimeter to go along with her slashing ability to the rim, the Douglassville, Pennsylvania native will play a big role for this year's Scarlet Knights.
Walker, the fourth newcomer to get game action against Caldwell, joined Rutgers after spending her freshman season at Kentucky. Most of her time on the floor came in the second half, where she made her biggest impact. Again, the Scarlet Knights' size advantage was apparent with Walker on the court, as she grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots in just 12 minutes.
Parts of Walker's game are still raw, such as her low-post game on the offensive end, but her impact on the boards cannot be understated. If she continues to develop as the season goes on she can turn into a reliable backup center this season and potentially take on a bigger role in the future.
3. Destiny Adams leads the way
While the Scarlet Knights had several contributors play well, the leader of them all was once again Adams. Ahead of her senior campaign - and second at Rutgers - Adams is poised to lead the team in scoring and rebounding yet again.
Last year, she was pushed into a larger role midway through the season when the Scarlet Knights lost Kaylene Smikle for the season. She blossomed into a star during Big Ten play, leading the team with eight double-doubles during the season and dominated the low block as the season went on, capped off by a record-breaking 31-point, 24-rebound performance in a Big Ten Tournament loss to Minnesota.
Her follow-up in the preseason was just as dominant, pacing the team with a 24-point, 12-rebound double double. She was most effective on the low block as per usual, but also added some new wrinkles to her game, attempting more shots outside the paint including two three-pointers. Though she missed both, it's important to see Adams expand her range as she looks to round out her skillset, and adding a perimeter shot to her arsenal makes it even tougher to guard her down low.
Adams also had an impressive perimeter day on the defensive end, leading all players with five steals on the day. On several occassions, she made plays by blitzing a screen or switching onto the ballhandler, poking the ball free and creating easy opportunities for points. Even more impressive was the fact Adams did not get whistled for any reach-in fouls, showing her quick hands and good timing when she goes for the steals.
Even over an offseason, Adams showed improvement in multiple facets of her game, and that will be key as she becomes fully entrenched as one of the team's leaders on and off the court.
TWO THINGS TO IMPROVE ON....
1. Shooting efficiency
One of the main weaknesses for Rutgers last year was scoring from the perimeter. They ranked 246th in three-point rate according to Bart Torvik, and converted them at the third-lowest percentage in the Big Ten. Long story short, the Scarlet Knights did not take a lot of threes last season, and did not make them at a consistent enough rate when they did.
The problem did not look too much better in the exhibition, from the floor or from the free throw line. They shot 8-for-22 from beyond the arc, good for a 36.4% clip. While they did shoot 47 free throws, only 27 were made at 57.4%.
Obviously the massive volume of free throws gives more of an opportunity for error, but many of the shots simply came close but bounced off the rim, usually a sign it's more of a mental issue than being a bad free throw shooter. It's defintely something the coaching staff is going to emphasize with six days until the season opener.
Given the team's interior-heavy offensive approach and the fact that the Scarlet Knights ranked in the top five in the conference in free throw volume, the efficiency will need to improve so opponents will have to pay for bringing contact at the rim.
As for three-point shooting, it may not be as much of a core tenet of the offense, but in order to keep defenses honest about packing the paint, they will have to put up a respectable volume and efficiency from the three-point line. There are talented shooters on the team: McMiller showed flashes of her shotmaking, Lacey hit multiple threes, and junior guard Mya Petticord - who also hit two threes in the win - is a confident shot-taker from the perimeter and can get hot quickly when she's in rhythm.
It will be all about putting it together when it comes to shooting, and an improvement in that department can make scoring at the rim much easier.
2. Offensive/Defensive synergy
It seems almost insane to point out defense as a piece to improve on when a team allows just 48 points on 26% shooting from the floor, but there were defiinitely moments to bookmark as the regular season draws near.
Much of the improvement in this aspect can be solved by simply playing more. There were points in the game where it just seemed like the Scarlet Knights were a little out of sync on both ends of the floor. That will be solved with time, as four new pieces take a while to gel with the returning pieces.
Turnovers play a large part in the offensive synergy, as Rutgers' 25.9% turnover rate ranked 316th nationally last season per Bart Torvik. It has been the main source of concern for the team in head coach Coquese Washington's tenure, as many times the team has simply taken itself out of the game by not being able to hold onto the ball. They committed 11 against Caldwell, and while that number is lowered from the 18.4 per game from last season, it still represents a slight concern that the problem has not totally been fixed yet.
A part of that can be attributed to the team's playstyle, as an uptempo offense can often have higher ceilings and lower floors, but keeping the ball in possession is the number one aspect to improve on during the season.
To boil it down: At times the Scarlet Knights looked a bit out of sync on both ends of the floor, but it's more than likely some of those issues are due to the fact that it was a preseason exhibition, and there are a lot of new faces in key roles. Once the season officially kicks off, it gives them more time and opportunities to fully work in all of the contributors.
ONE QUESTION....
1. Will this be the regular rotation?
It's a fair question, but also one without a clear answer. Washington said after the game that she and the staff tried to balance putting out some new lineups they might want to try in the regular season while also hammering down what they have been practicing.
As for what the regular rotation will look like, it's hard to imagine the Scarlet Knights will consistently start the lineup they had against the Cougars, but there are aspects of it that can be used.
Petticord will likely get the start at point guard despite coming off the bench in the exhibition. Next to her is a litany of options, including McMiller (if she's ready to start), Lacey, Bates, and eventually sophomore guard Lisa Thompson, who was not available for Sunday's exhibition.
At the wing spots, there are plenty of options as well. Bates, Lacey, and even Perkins have arguments to start, though Perkins may best be suited to come off the bench as a versatile sparkplug in the second unit. Bates played well as a secondary ballhandler last season, even playing point guard at times when the Scarlet Knights' backcourt was riddled with injuries down the stretch. She may be trusted to run the second unit as an experienced playmaking veteran with plenty of defensive versatility.
The forward rotation is a little bit more clear, as Cornwell and Adams will likely both start given their experience and strengths playing at both power forward and center. In certain situations, Washington may be forced to go smaller and only start one of them, but it seems like the two seniors are pretty locked into starting roles on the low block.
A benefit of the roster built by Washington and her staff is the positional versatility, with many players that can play multiple roles depending on the gameplan and opponent.
Here is what Rutgers' most common starting lineup projects to look like in the early goings of the regular season:
G Mya Petticord
G/F Antonia Bates
G/F JoJo Lacey
F Destiny Adams
F Chyna Cornwell
The Scarlet Knights officially start the regular season at Jersey Mike's Arena hosting Manhattan on Monday, November 4th at 7pm.
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