As one of the longest-tenured Scarlet Knights, Erica Lafayette’s time on the Banks has not always been easy. She and Chyna Cornwell are the only two remaining players from legendary C. Vivian Stringer’s final season on the bench, and since then, the program has been through plenty of transition.
Now, however, Lafayette has become one of the leaders on and off the court for a reloaded Rutgers team. One of the squad’s biggest strengths, Lafayette says, is the balance of personalities working with each other.
“We all have our own different personalities and we’re all unique as individual players,” she said. “We can make that choir sing, if that makes sense, because we’re all different. Some people are baritone, some people are sopranos, and we make the noise work together.”
Over the summer when discussing the foreign tour, she described herself as one of the main suppliers of energy and bringing the team together.
“I think it takes a while for everybody to accept who some people are,” she added. “Some people are not always used to all this energy from one person, but I think our team has been very receptive to adjusting to each other and adjusting to the roles that we all play.”
On the court, Lafayette will likely again be a key depth piece for the Scarlet Knights with a smooth handle and jumper on the wing. She also has the versatility and skillset to do a little bit of everything on the court, from scoring to rebounding to playmaking. In the nonconference slate last year, she dished five assists in the season opener against Hofstra, then grabbed seven rebounds against Seton Hall. She also set a career-high in scoring with 19 points against Hampton.
Last season was the first in which Lafayette had a larger role, as she only played in 27 games in her freshman and sophomore years combined. With another year in an increased role, she can still have an impact even if she’s not starting.
Lafayette excels on the perimeter, whether it’s as a spot-up shooter or off the dribble working into the midrange. A common theme with many of the players on this team is the potential for their offensive production to increase as a product of some of the newcomers. The addition of Mya Petticord to take over the point guard spot can help Lafayette by adding another table-setter who is able to find her in her spots and get her, and the rest of the team, more comfortable operating in the offense. The addition of Jillian Huerter can also be a benefit because it adds another shooter to the lineup, where either Lafayette can get free on the outside or gives her space to attack the rim with her length and versatility.
For Lafayette and every other Scarlet Knight, it begins with confidence.
“We feel very confident in our coaching staff and we feel very confident in the players we brought in,” she said. “I think it’s just all based on confidence. We bring a lot of confidence, the people that came in brought a lot of confidence, and our coaches bring a lot of confidence to the players.”
Lafayette will serve as a leader on and off the court for Rutgers, and is poised to have a big senior year for an improved Scarlet Knights squad.
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