Asked whether it was fair to expect her Rutgers women's basketball team to return to the NCAA Tournament before the season, C. Vivian Stringer didn't hesitate with a response.
"Is it possible? Yeah, it's possible but it's going to be tough. Really tough,'' Stringer said. "I sure enough hope that we're able to do that.''
That hope turned into disappointment Monday night as the Scarlet Knights were left out of the 64-team NCAA Tournament field.
Rutgers missed out on the big dance despite boasting the third-best Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) -- a key stat the NCAA selection committee uses to pick the field -- among the eight bubble teams vying for the final four spots in the tournament.