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Knight Caps: Stuff to know from around Scarlet Nation

Swimming, wrestling, soccer. Where to start? And, just to remind everyone [looking at you, Syracuse] NYC is ours!

By rvc73
Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports

Swimming & Diving

The winter season is underway and swimming & diving has gotten off to a hot start.  The team secured dual victories over UConn, 244-109, and Boston University, 242-111, on December 5 at the RU Aquatics Center. The Scarlet Knights produced 15 event titles during the two sessions.

"I'm proud of the team and our performances here at home," said head coach Petra Martin. "We were attacking things today the way we need to and translated our practice efforts into our racing. We have more work ahead, but I'm happy with where we are at this point in the season."

From Tom Luicci's article at scarletknights.com:

Both Rachel Stoddard and Joanna Wu have produced Olympic Trials cut times - Stoddard doing so in the 100 breast, Wu in the 100 back. It's the second time Wu, a senior, has qualified for the Olympic Trials during her career, having done so as a high school senior in the 100 back and 200 back.  It's the first time in recent memory that two Scarlet Knights swimmers have produced Olympic Trials cut times in the same season.

We are, after all, a soccer wrestling school

A huge home win in conference over Nebraska on Saturday had the RAC exploding. And the team win, along with key individual wins, propelled seven Knights into the national rankings.

On the Banks will have a full wrestling run down tomorrow.  For now, enjoy the fact that Rutgers is a Top Ten wrestling school.

WE are in the media capital of the world

It is just 30 miles in a straight line from Times Square to Old Queens.  It is 193 miles from Times Square to the Carrier Dome.  Your honor, the prosecution rests.

Last week's Heisman Award ceremony did not feature the Syracuse marching band.  It did have the Marching Scarlet Knights on hand. Stick it, Cuse.

Men's Soccer lands three on All-Region Team

The Rutgers men's soccer program landed three Scarlet Knights on the NSCAA All-Region Team with sophomore forward Jason Wright earning first team honors and senior defender Mitch Lurie and senior midfielder Mitchell Taintor bestowed second team accolades.

"Anytime you get these individual awards and recognition, it's great for those players, but even more so for the program," said head coach Dan Donigan. "We were able to enjoy team success this year within the Big Ten conference, earned an NCAA tournament bid and advanced to the second round. Jason got great recognition within the conference with the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year along with others guys getting well deserved recognition, which never comes without team success. I am proud of these guys and more so of this team and where our program is going within the Big Ten and nationally."

And a final ranking to boot

After accumulating 12 wins during the 2015 campaign, the most for the program in 14 seasons, and returning to the NCAA Tournament, the Rutgers men's soccer program landed in the Top 25 of the final NSCAA and College Soccer News Polls. The Scarlet Knights were ranked at No. 25 in both polls.

You gotta bELieve

Cool item I just came across and worth a look.

On academics and athletics

Without much argument, the Big Ten considers itself the premier academic and athletic conference in the nation.  And academics are a big part of the conference.  Yet there are those who challenge the ability of both to co-exist.  From the Sports Business Journal forum last week comes this comment from a guy who used to hang around Rutgers.

Point, Mr. Pernetti.  Professor, any response?

Speaking of Tim.....

I did not, however, see a congrats to his alma mater's new head coach.  Just an observation.

Rutgers 250

I don't always drink cola, but when I do, I tend to drink Coke.  However.....

Stay thirsty, my friend.  Full story here.

We need more Zuzus

If you read this blog, you know we (okay, I) have a favorite reader in ZuzuFire108.  She is a senior at RU and in the band.  And she, like me. loves Rutgers.  And she wrote a letter to the New York Times (cue heavenly music) in response to an article the published that, to her, seemed unfair and unnecessary in its attack on Rutgers.  She's a tough one, and we need more people like her.  She shared that letter, and it's worth a read.

Big time hoops, big arena, small fans

The Seton Hall men are 8-2 and in another universe of play compared to Rutgers.  They play at the Prudential Center and its 18,500 seats.  Impressive.  Then I saw this tweet from Jerry Carino before their game against Troy.

Didn't sound like a very good crowd for a Friday night.  So I decided to see just what the Hall was drawing.  For that game against Troy, the final count was 5,549.  Or about 13,000 fans disguised as empty seats.  Okay, it was Troy.  But despite the fact that SHU is a small Catholic school, it does have a following....doesn't it?  At The Rock (they played one game at Walsh Gym vs Wagner) they are averaging 6,165, which is only 2,136 more than Rutgers.

For the Hall, the Big East schedule might help, especially if they can maintain their current run into the conference part of the schedule.  For Rutgers, the Big Ten schedule could be brutal and ugly.  The question is, will anyone care to watch it?