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Rutgers Scarlet Knights (2001: 11-16)

The following team preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the nation's most comprehensive look at this and all Division I teams, be sure to order the 2001-02 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518.

Program overview

When Gary Waters describes the players he has inherited from former Rutgers coach Kevin Bannon, his voice is noticeably brighter for those he can say have "bought into the program."

Before his first season even started, Waters could already claim a few unofficial victories that may eventually lead to success down the line. Since taking over the Knights in early April, Waters has devoted many of his efforts to convincing his players -- old and new -- that he has a plan for success. He has a blueprint that must be followed.

Those who climb on board will be rewarded with playing time. Those who don't are likely to be riding the bench and looking for somewhere else to play. This isn't some young, up-and-coming coach making another resume stop.

Waters is 50. He logged 22 years as an assistant coach at Ferris State and Eastern Michigan before taking over at Kent State in 1996. He has been in basketball longer than all of his players have been alive. He knows what he wants. He's going to get it.

Waters is committed to creating an identity for Rutgers. That's what he did at Kent, where he took the Golden Flashes to a pair of NCAA Tournament berths and an NIT spot in just five years running the show. His teams played relentless, pressure defense and worried about scoring points later. They did so in front of raucous crowds that helped foster a tremendous home-court advantage. They may have succeeded under the national radar, but they succeeded. Now, Waters wants the same thing for the Scarlet Knights.

It won't be easy. Bannon's tumultuous tenure ended with an 11-16 thud that included a 3-13 league mark. Worse than the problems on the court were the high-profile allegations that Bannon forced a former player to run sprints naked as punishment for not doing well during a practice drill. That certainly didn't help Bannon's case.

Whether that happened has no bearing on Waters. His mission is to make Rutgers win basketball games, and he is the latest in a long line of coaches charged with recreating the magic of 1976, when Rutgers made it to the Final Four. Implicit in that mission is the successful recruitment and signing of top players in the state. That hasn't happened for a while at Rutgers.

Worse still, the one player they had who could be considered top-notch, wing Dahntay Jones, will suit up for the Blue Devils this year, after sitting out last season after his transfer from Rutgers. And even before Waters took the job at Rutgers, last year's leading scorer, Todd Billet (16.6 ppg, 4.2 apg), left the program, bound for Virginia.

Backcourt

The Knights lost their two top scorers from last year, Billet and forward Jeff Greer (14.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg), but do have some players capable of succeeding in the Big East.

One is 6-1 sophomore point man Mike Sherrod (7.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.8 apg), who averaged nearly 30 minutes a game last year and displayed the ability to run the team. Although he did defer at times to Billet, who played a combo role, Sherrod has the potential to handle the position quite well.

Expect to see 6-3 freshman Juel Wiggan, from Notre Dame (Mass.) Academy and Columbus High School in the Bronx, spelling Sherrod. Wiggan is a classic "New York City" type who can play both positions, and he impressed Waters with his defensive skills.

Although the coach doesn't describe Wiggan as a "slouch" at the other end, Wiggan is better at stopping opponents, a trait that will earn playing time in the Waters world.

There will also be an opportunity for 6-1 senior Connor Fox (1.1 ppg, 0.1 rpg) to grab some minutes, although he'll have to match his knowledge of the game with some increased athletic ability.

The two-spot should have belonged to Billet (or Jones), but it will probably be manned by 6-2 junior college import Jerome Coleman, from Cecil (Md.) Community College and Robeson High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. He's a fine shooter who averaged 23.5 points last year en route to second-team NJCAA all-America honors. He scored 1,232 points in two years at Cecil Community College and made 202 three-pointers.

Because the Scarlet Knights return a grand total of three (three!) made treys from last year's team, Coleman's range will come in quite handy.

Another newcomer, 6-4 freshman Ricky Shields, from Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy and Parkdale High School in Upper Marlboro, Md., will see plenty of time at the two-spot.

Frontcourt

Up front, there is some experience, mostly in the persons of Rashod Kent and Eugene Dabney. Throw in part-time starter Kareem Wright and a trio of newcomers, and Waters has some options.

The 6-6, 275-pound Kent (9.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg, .643 FG) is a senior fixture in the program and a big plug in the middle. Quicker than his stout body might indicate, he is a first-rate board man and reliable interior finisher with one vice -- foul trouble.

Dabney (7.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg) is a 6-10 junior who has yet to live up to the huge promise he had when he arrived on campus. He has the skills to be a frontcourt force in the Big East, but he needs to improve his strength and become more committed to full-time excellence. Waters reports that Dabney had a fine summer, both in the classroom and on the court, and could become quite a factor.

The 6-9 Wright (4.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg), meanwhile, appears finally ready to make a big contribution. Now free of some 25 pounds of lard that he brought with him to campus two years ago, the junior could become a defensive stopper and a semi-reliable scorer.

Two players who sat out last year could make big impacts up front, too.

One is 6-8, 235-pound junior Shawn Hampton, a Virginia Commonwealth transfer who averaged 10.1 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Rams in 1999-00. He was expected to blossom further last year as a practice player, but chronic problems with a dislocated shoulder forced him to undergo surgery and robbed him of all but a few weeks of workouts with the team. Still, he has the potential to give the Knights another inside force.

The most intriguing member of the team is 6-10 sophomore Herve Lamizana, from St. Patrick's (N.J.) High School and Abidgen, Ivory Coast. The spindly (215 pounds) forward was the jewel of Bannon's recruiting class last year, but his academic woes forced him to sit out last year and prevented him from practicing.

Worse yet, Lamizana hurt his foot in the spring and spent several weeks with a pin in it to facilitate healing. He was cleared for work in August but will need time to get in shape. He is also not guaranteed to be eligible, pending some summer course work.

There are three candidates for work at the small forward position, led by 6-7 sophomore Sean Axani (2.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg), who showed some signs of potential last year, most notably in a 10-point, seven-rebound effort against Pittsburgh. Another possible contributor is 6-7 senior Mike Tompson (1.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg).

A 6-9, 205-pound freshman, Jason McCoy from Milby High School in Houston, is more of a project. He's young (just 17) but has excellent athletic skills, and Waters says he is a fine offensive rebounder. McCoy averaged 13.7 points and 8.8 rebounds last year.

Bottom line

The Knights are starting over again, but they made a good choice in Waters to run the latest rebuilding program. He has the experience and strength of will to create a team that will make the best use of its talents and potential.

That's a good starting point. His mission will be to keep the better players in the state home, create some continuity in the program and win in the crowded Big East. Piece of cake.

This year's team will need big help from youngsters and newcomers. The Sherrod-Coleman backcourt has talent but little experience. And there isn't a lot of depth along the guard line, either. There are plenty of bodies up front but no big-time interior scorer. It looks like a committee of six or seven will have to make due there.

Don't expect Waters to predict win totals or postseason berths, but do expect him to promise an all-out pressure-defense feeding frenzy.

Rutgers will bother a lot of teams, and it will win some close games, provided the youngsters stay focused. Waters wants the program to have an identity, and it will. Whether that means Rutgers will win big remains to be seen. At least the man has a plan. Those who buy into it should be pleased.