SEASON OUTLOOK MACK
“Learning that A, I’m not invincible and B, at times I can do it, is significant. They have the confidence, the understanding and the experience. When you add a Vincent Garrett to the wings with Dane and Malick and combine that with what Eli Carter did on a daily basis along with Mike Poole, Jerome and Myles. You’re talking about a deep and talented backcourt that doesn’t have many excuses. We’ve been through the wars and we understand what we didn’t know. It’s a group that’s talented enough to help us win some ballgames.”
Frontcourt The Rutgers frontcourt features four returning letterwinners, including three sophomores, and welcomes redshirt junior Wally Judge (Washington, D.C.), a former McDonald’s All-American, to the mix. It’s a very talented group that achieved some success last year, but also struggled at times learning to adapt to the rigors of BIG EAST play.
Carter averaged a team-best 13.8 points-per-game, including 14.0 in the BIG EAST, and was named to the 2011-12 All-Metropolitan Men’s Basketball Team. He was one of just three freshmen cited on the All-Met squads. The Garden State native scored in double-figures 25 times and averaged 16.6 pointsper-contest against nationally-ranked teams. Poole hit double-figures seven times in a reserve role and shot 77.8 percent from the free throw line.
“They have all done a tremendous job in the weight room putting the necessary mass on their bodies,” said Rice. “That was a big key. They had the athleticism and maybe even the motor last season, but in this league frontcourt freshmen struggle even more than the backcourt. It’s almost a different game in the paint from what it was in high school. The physicality, the balance, the strength are significantly elevated. They now understand what they didn’t know and have the bodies to succeed.”
SEAGEARS
On the wing, the Scarlet Knights feature the dynamic Miller, sophomore Malick Kone (Conakry, Guinea) and highly-touted junior college transfer Vincent Garrett (Chicago, Ill.). A former BIG EAST All-Rookie selection, Miller shot 50 percent (97-194) from the field and had seven double-doubles as a junior. He ranked fourth in the BIG EAST in blocks (1.6), 11th in field goal percentage and 14th in rebounding (6.6). Miller excelled in wins over metro foes. He had 21 points and 10 rebounds in a 77-72 OT win at Seton Hall and was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll after a 10-point, 10-rebound showing in the 61-58 win over St. John’s. Kone saw key action in the first seven games, but was sidelined in mid-season due to arthroscopic knee surgery. In total, he competed in 16 games, shooting 47.8 percent (21-44) from the field. Garrett arrived on campus in July. A scoring wing that averaged 16 points and six rebounds per game as a sophomore at Lee College in Baytown, Texas, he will compete as a junior for the Scarlet Knights in 2012-13. “The experience of going through last season is going to pay dividends in our backcourt,” said Rice.
The most experienced member of the frontcourt is Johnson, who has appeared in 95 career games. He started 14 games last season, but proved most effective off the bench, shooting 55 percent in a reserve role.
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