Scaife prototypical ‘Rutgers guard’
FAYETTEVILLE — Rutgers guard Tyler Scaife said life moves at a different pace in the Northeast than it does back home in Arkansas.
Scaife, a sophomore from Little Rock Hall, plays for a university located in Piscataway, N.J., 35 miles southwest of New York City and 70 miles to the northeast of Philadelphia.
“It’s great l iving here near the big cities,” she said. “The only thing that’s different is that people just move a little faster and quicker. My style is more slow and relaxed, but up here everybody is in a rush.”
Few on the basketball court move faster or quicker than Scaife.
“She’s quick as lightning,” Rutgers Coach C. Vivian Stringer said. “We’ve seen people fall over themselves trying to guard her. I mean, really fall down.”
The No. 25 Arkansas Razorbacks (6-1) will try to slow Scaife when she leads No. 18 Rutgers (6-1) into today’s 2 p.m. game in Walton Arena.
Scaife, 5-9, is averaging a team-high 17.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists. She scored 25 points Thursday night in the Scarlet Knights’ 96-93 double overtime loss to No. 6 North Carolina.
“Tyler’s a terrific player, and she’s going to be a tremendous challenge for us defensively because she can really go,” Arkansas Coach Jimmy Dykes said. “She has the ability to take the ball about anywhere she wants on the court and create offense for herself or her teammates.
“Coming back home, I know we’re going to get the best shot she can give us.”
Dykes talked about the need to keep top players from leaving the state when he was hired as Arkansas’ coach last spring after Tom Collen’s firing. Scaife, the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year when she averaged 14.5 points, was at the top of the list of those who got away.
“I wish she hadn’t left Arkansas,” Dykes said. “She’s one of the best players in the country.”
Scaife said she grew up a Razorbacks fan, but her final four choices were Rutgers, Tennessee, LSU and Ohio State.
“Arkansas was definitely an option for me,” said Scaife, a McDonald’s All-American. “I just thought there was a little communication problem between us. I’m not really sure what happened. Things just kind of went how they did. I don’t even really know how to explain it, but I definitely like the Hogs.”
Scaife said she was drawn to Rutgers by Stringer’s history of success and her track record for developing guards.
Stringer was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009, has a career record of 935-342 in her 44th season as a college coach and is the only coach to lead three women’s programs to Final Four appearances at Cheyney State, Iowa and Rutgers.
Several guards coached by Stringer have enjoyed lengthy professional playing careers, led by Cappie Pondexter, who is now with the New York Liberty. Pondexter was Scaife’s favorite player growing up.
Stringer said after seeing Scaife play that it was obvious she fit Rutgers’ style.
“We knew she was a Rutgers guard,” Stringer said. “We told her that, and thank goodness she listened to us and wanted to be here.”
Scaife capped her freshman season by driving the length of the floor for a basket with two seconds left to lift Rutgers to a 56-54 victory at Texas-El Paso to win the Women’s NIT championship before a sellout crowd of 12,222.
“Many players don’t want the ball in those big situations, but Tyler leaves no doubt in your mind that she can get it done,” Stringer said. “She’s going to tap you on the shoulder and say, ‘Let me have it. I’m the one.’
“A lot of people fold under pressure, but Tyler feeds off it. I like that very much about her.”
Stringer said she’ll be “on high alert” today to make sure Scaife doesn’t get out of her normal game trying to do too much in her return to Arkansas.
“We take all games really seriously, so she doesn’t have to do anything out of the ordinary,” Stringer said. “As long as she functions the way she needs to function, then she’s going to be fine. That’s what we expect her to do.”
Scaife said she’s doing her best to take a normal approach.
“It’s going to be good to be back in Arkansas with my family and friends,” she said. “There’s going to be some excitement, but I don’t feel extra nerves right now.”
Stringer said Scaife has done an admirable job handling success at Rutgers and staying true to herself and her Arkansas roots.
“She received so many honors last year, but she’s still easy-going and carefree and smiling and laughing,” Stringer said. “She’s a fun-loving kid. She endears herself to people so they want to be around her, because she doesn’t change who she is. She’s humble. She’ll say, ‘I’m from the country, I’m from Arkansas.’
“Everybody loves her.”