LGHL Visiting Locker Room: Guarden State talks Rutgers women’s basketball

[ThomasCostello]

Visiting Locker Room: Guarden State talks Rutgers women’s basketball
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Adam Zielonka brings his passion for New Jersey college basketball to Land-Grant before Sunday’s Big Ten clash.

With the holiday time off in the rearview mirror for No. 10 Ohio State women’s basketball, the road ahead is all lined with Big Ten competition. It begins Sunday when the Buckeyes travel east to face a dynamic pair of stars on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

To prepare for the last game of the 2024 calendar, Adam Zielonka answered questions about Rutgers. Zielonka covers everything and anything related to college basketball in New Jersey on his side Guarden State.

Check it out to learn more about the Scarlet Knights before Sunday’s jump.

Here’s what Zielonka had to say about one of the most exciting freshman in the nation, a hybrid guard/forward who put the conference on notice in the Big Ten tournament and what can people expect from the Scarlet Knights this season.

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Land-Grant Holy Land: The focus around Rutgers this season is the play of the duo of Kiyomi McMiller and Destiny Adams.

I want to start with the freshman. McMiller hasn’t taken long to show the conference what she’s about, playing with confidence not seen in many freshmen. What makes her so effective on the court and how does anyone stop her?

Guarden State: Even when you consider the hype around McMiller coming out of high school, the ballhandling mixtapes that went viral and all the rest, I don’t know that college hoops fans are ready for her. Rutgers played a pretty light nonconference schedule, so she hasn’t hit the mainstream yet. What she’s shown so far has been boundlessly promising.

McMiller leads all Division I freshmen in scoring at 20.9 ppg. With a usage rate of 32.1 per BartTorvik.com, she’s also the highest-usage freshman in Division I, and that’s the key here. It feels like she’s involved on every Rutgers possession. Occasionally that’s to their detriment, as she’ll try a heat-check three before her teammates are ready to rebound, but she’s beating people off the dribble, creating for herself and her teammates and pulling off high-level spin moves or passes when driving to the basket. I look forward to seeing how she fares against bigger, better competition.

LGHL: Adams is on the other side of the class roster, playing in her final season. Last year, Adams was outstanding in the Big Ten tournament with 31 points and 24 rebounds in the Scarlet Knights last game of the season. How has Adams grown this season?

GS: Rutgers coach Coquese Washington told me the biggest improvement Adams made in her game this summer was in her balance, “being able to withstand bumps, withstand contact and still get off a good shot.” Think that might help her in the Big Ten? She’s settled in a bit after a torrid pace to start the year, but Adams’ 17.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game would all be career bests over the span of a full season.

It’s worth noting that the Scarlet Knights only played Adams for five minutes vs. Lafayette, their last game before Christmas. She wasn’t on the official availability report, so it could have been a decision to keep her fresh for league play. I think Adams and McMiller play great together, particularly in transition, and they’ll keep unlocking more out of one another with time.

LGHL: With a lot of focus going to the two, who else stands out in the roster?

GS: Chyna Cornwell has two years of starting experience in the Big Ten under her belt. The 6-foot-3 center is going to have to play a pivotal role down low against the league’s top frontcourt players, like Cotie McMahon and Ajae Petty. She’s averaging a career-high 9.1 rebounds per game – 5.1 on the offensive glass.

Then there’s JoJo Lacey, a transfer from Boston College who has filled a pretty important secondary scoring role on the wing. 31.1% shooting from deep may not jump off the page, but when she’s making threes she’s ensuring that McMiller isn’t the only threat to account for out there.

LGHL: How do you see the season panning out for Rutgers? Are they going to exceed their past two seasons or do you see them sitting outside of the top 15 of the conference and missing out on the Big Ten tournament?

GS: This the most talent the Scarlet Knights have had in some time now. That said, the Big Ten season will be grueling. Rutgers has gone just 10-43 in league action in the past three seasons, and now we’re adding UCLA and USC to the picture.

I think it will come down to defense. They’ve won a lot of games in the 70s and higher, but can they lock anyone down? The next three games – Ohio State, at Maryland, USC – certainly don’t do them favors. But I believe they will hang in there and sneak into that 15-team field.

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