For the past two weeks, after each practice, Rutgers coach Gary Waters made his players fill out a form. They graded themselves on four categories — energy, communication, game plan and playing together.
Waters says the grade for energy is the most important. To make sure the commitment is there, Waters also met with his team as a whole and with each player individually following workouts. It takes a lot of time, but it’s worth it, he says.
Waters demands a certain level of commitment from his players and, as any good leader knows, he must show the same level of work ethic as his subordinates. The Scarlet Knights will do the after-practice routine for another week, which will make for 21 days.
“Then it becomes a habit for you,” Waters said of the three-week period.
Waters, in his first year, is making winning a habit at Rutgers. Heading into last night’s game with Seton Hall at the RAC, Waters felt the Scarlet Knights could grab an NCAA bid by winning their final three games of the regular season.
That would give them 20 wins. Waters thinks even if they win their 20th during the Big East tournament, then that should be enough to make the NCAAs. Only one eligible Big East team – UConn in the inaugural year of the league – has won 20 games and not made the tournament.
To be in position to make the tourney is quite an accomplishment for Waters and his team. Last year, the Scarlet Knights were 11-16 (3-13 in the Big East) and beleaguered coach Kevin Bannon was asked to leave.
Waters arrived with the ability to dig into a player’s heart and get him to find his maximum effort.
This has created a team that is aggressive, especially on the defensive end. On this end of the floor is where the Scarlets Knights have improved to the point that they can think about an NCAA bid.
But Rutgers is 1-5 on the road in conference, including a 19-point loss at Pittsburgh Thursday.
“It’s a mystery to me,” Waters said.
Which needs to be solved if 20 wins are to become a reality before the Big East Tournament.