Women's Hoops Guru

(Guru's note: While the Guru spent the last two days on a make-believe NCAA panel in Indianapolis, Stephen was on the scene Friday with Rutgers in Piscataway.)

By Stephen K. Lee

PISCATAWAY, N.J. _ When the Rutgers women’s basketball team steps onto the court to face Tennessee on Monday, it will attempt to make two statements – one through fashion, the other through play.

The No. 7 Scarlet Knights (19-3, 9-1 Big East) will be adorned in all-pink uniforms and “Think Pink” shoes supplied by Nike to promote breast cancer awareness.

In their new gear, the Knights will try show that pink is the new orange as a win over the Lady Vols would all but guarantee a coveted No. 1 seed in this year’s NCAA tournament.

After taking down No. 1 Connecticut 73-71 this past Tuesday, Rutgers will try for an encore performance against soon-to-be No. 1 Tennessee in Knoxville.

However, the Scarlet Knights will also look to avoid an encore performance of last year’s national championship game in which they fell 59-46 to the Lady Vols (21-1, 8-0 SEC).

But, judging by how things in the world of women’s hoops have unfolded over the past few days, Rutgers is in good position to do the former instead of the latter.

On Thursday, Tennessee star player Candace Parker injured her left knee while chasing a loose ball late in her team’s 87-69 win over Mississippi State. Doctors called the injury a hyperextended knee and Parker has said that she will be “rehabbing like crazy” to be in the lineup when her team faces Rutgers on Monday.

Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer doesn’t anticipate Parker’s injury will dampen Tennessee’s intensity.

“The Tennessee team, keep in mind that they are all All-Americans and sometimes that gets lost in the shuffle, have all national level players,” Stringer said after practice on Friday. “We are glad when one of our players is All-State (with a smile). We have a few that have reached national levels but, every last one of the Tennessee players are national players.”

Rutgers junior center Kia Vaughn wished Parker well and added that she hopes to see the Lady Vols’ star on the court.

“With her there it gives us more competition, we would not want her to be out that game,” Vaughn said. “I just hope that she is really ok. I heard she is not really injured too bad, and I know that with a little bit of pain strong players and great athletes push through it and you would never know.”

While Parker may or may not be slowed by her injury on Monday, Vaughn is just starting to hit her stride. After the Knights win over the Huskies, Stringer pointed out that Vaughn’s pregame swagger during player introductions has returned and it showed in her 14-point performance.

“People call it my ‘signature walk’ when I come out after they call my name,” said Vaughn, who admitted changing it up for the new year. “It actually fires up my team. This year I walk high. Last year I would come out walking low.

“Coach Stringer called me a Canary, she said I look like a Canary now coming out like ‘Boo!’ She told me that I am not scaring anyone. I did not notice that it made a big difference, but I guess it did."

Senior guard/forward Essence Carson has noticed Vaughn’s reawakening too.

“It seemed like she was returning to herself, to the Kia of last year, and we need that,” Carson said. “I know she knows that and it took a while but, you know what, I don’t care how long it takes, as long as it shows up.”

So, let’s do a quick review here.

Heading into Monday’s game, Tennessee has an injured star and Rutgers has a star re-emerging. Oh yeah, throw in Epiphanny Prince fresh off the best individual performance (a 33-point Jordanesque spectacle) the Knights have seen since Cappie Pondexter.

But the one thing that sticks out – the one difference-maker that Rutgers didn’t have the last time it faced Tennessee – is the Knights’ ability to hit their opponent with their two bigs (Vaughn and sophomore center Rashidat Junaid) on the court at the same time.

In the championship game, the Lady Vols outrebounded the Knights 42-34 (24-14 off the offensive glass).

“Last year we got out-rebounded like crazy,” said Carson, who has witnessed Tennessee put an end to each of Rutgers’ past three seasons.

Vaughn paces the Knights in rebounds, averaging 8.6 per contest, and Junaid, a graduate of Camden Catholic in the Philadelphia area, grabbed seven against UConn in the duo’s most successful game together.

Carson added that the lineup with Vaughn and Junaid (each 6-4 in height) will be an important factor for Rutgers against the strong Tennessee team.

“We’ve just always been a small team – small but quick,” she said. “So we will always have that quickness, of course, but to just add another realm to our game, to add another aspect, it’s great to have another post player in there so we can battle on the boards a little more and switch it up here and there in the game.”

Vaughn spoke of the advantages that moving over the four spot brings to her game.

“Last year, a lot of teams focused on me and because of that I would get double teamed on a box out,” she said. “Now, you have to box Rah out and myself out because she is going to get an offensive rebound.

“I like the forward position because I get to see the rebounds, with my back to the basket and I am able to grab them.”

On Monday, Tennessee will be undoubtedly given the No. 1 overall ranking before it faces Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights will try make sure the Lady Vols’ stay at the top spot (at least in the minds of everyone) is as short as their own stay in Knoxville.

PREDICTION: Rutgers 55, Tennessee 50

-Stephen