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Almost single-handedly, the 2001 Parade High School Player of the Year turned a 9-20 nightmare in 2001-02 into a delightful 20-7 campaign this season after having to sit out her freshman year after being declared a partial qualifier by the NCAA.
The turnaround from 9-20 to 20-7 is the greatest this year in Division I.
Now the Scarlet Knights would like to return to the NCAA glory days of the past this week as the tournament gets underway.
After having a streak of four straight tourney appearances halted last year, the Knights return with a No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region and will begin tourney play of Saturday when it faces Western Kentucky (22-8) at Athens, Georgia.
Should the Scarlet Knights get past the Hilltoppers they’ll face the winner of Georgia (19-9) and UNC-Charlotte (21-8). The winner of that bracket might face Duke, which is the top-seed in the bracket. Texas Tech, which defeated the Knights 94-81 earlier, got the No. 2 seed and Mississippi State the third seed.
The reason the Knights, who were ranked as high as 18th in the country, are back being put in the same sentence with the best women’s basketball has to offer is because of Pondexter.
After being a five-time Rookie of the Week in the Big East, she was named the prestigious league’s Rookie of the Year, she was a first-team all Big East selection and a Big East All-Tournament choice.
There isn’t much Pondexter can’t do.
She’s averaging 18.4 points a game, which was second best in the conference, she has led the Scarlet Knights in points 18 times, she has posted 25 double-digit scoring games, 12 times she had 20 or more points and a pair of 30-plus efforts.
Her career high (31) came against Georgetown and her other 30 point game came in the heartbreaking 77-74 loss to Miami in the Big East Tourney. It was disappointing because Rutgers, which was picked to finish sixth in the conference, played its way to the No. 2 seed with 13-3 Big East record losing only to Connecticut by five points, Virginia Tech by two in overtime and Boston College by one.
Disappointing because the Knights battled so hard to reach the No. 2 seed, heartbreaking because of the way it ended.
Down by as much as 12 to Miami in the second half, the Scarlet Knights tied the game with 10 seconds left when Mauri Horton drained a 3-pointer from deep in the right corner. Then when it appeared Pondexter, who else, had stolen the inbounds and was on the floor clutching the ball the official claimed that Pondexter had called time out. A time out Rutgers didn’t have.
Pondexter stated after the game that she never called a timeout and the Big East couldn’t get a clear view on the situation.
The Hurricanes (18-12), who are also in the Midwest bracket and will face New Mexico (22-8), converted the foul shots awarded from the technical and later added another for the margin of victory.
But, now the second season starts and Pondexter and the Scarlet Knights would like a little redemption.
Besides Pondexter, another newcomer Shalicia Hurns has been making her presence felt. She’s had three double-doubles, including 13 points and season best 12 rebounds against Miami.
Horton, the lone senior, averages 11.9 and has a team high 39 3-pointers. Chelsea Newton scores at a 10.4 clip and leads the team in steals with 52.
Michelle Campbell, the former Notre Dame High star, who has started 20 games, will be making her NCAA tourney debut.
But, the difference this year is Pondexter.
