Originally published Saturday, December 27, 2008 at 12:00 AM
PrintCollege Basketball | Rutgers might be in triple trouble
The best holiday presents anyone could have given Rutgers were mercy and compassion. The Scarlet Knights figure to have a very tough week...
The best holiday presents anyone could have given Rutgers were mercy and compassion. The Scarlet Knights figure to have a very tough week ahead.
Starting with Sunday's game at No. 1 North Carolina (11-0), Rutgers (9-3) will play the top three teams in the nation in a span of seven days. The brutal stretch will continue Wednesday at home against No. 3 Pittsburgh (12-0) and Saturday at No. 2 Connecticut (11-0).
Rutgers coach Fred Hill has modest goals for the week. He merely wants his team, which has had a less-challenging early schedule — including games against the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Delaware State and Bryant University — to learn and grow from the adversity it is expected to face.
"We're aware of the week ahead," Hill said. "It's exciting. I look at it as a great opportunity for our guys because we're building a program. These teams are where we want to be. We want to be a number-one, number-two, number-three team in the country. I want them to experience the challenge of playing top teams.
"Let's go lay it on the line for 40 minutes and see what happens at the end of the game."
The Scarlet Knights are coming off a 78-52 victory against NJIT, a loser of 44 games in a row.
"We've won four in a row, and we feel good about that," Hill said. "We've learned some things. We're as prepared as we can be."
That might not be enough. North Carolina is averaging 95.6 points a game, 27.1 more than its opponents. The Tar Heels have beaten every opponent by at least 15 points this season.
"People are talking about them as one of the best college basketball teams ever," Hill said. "There's talk of them going undefeated."
Rutgers center Hamady Ndiaye said the team isn't intimidated.
"We have been getting ready for these games for a long time," he said. "I've got to admit, though, that it's a little bit stressful."
Top 10
At No. 2 Connecticut 75, Fairfield 55
Jeff Adrien scored 21 points, 7-foot-3 Hasheem Thabeet added 20 and the Huskies (11-0) overpowered the Stags (8-4), outscoring them 48-22 in the paint.
Adrien grabbed 14 rebounds while Thabeet contributed 11 rebounds and six blocks for Connecticut.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
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