Guru Report: Memorable Moments For Rutgers' Stringer and Ex-Manager

By Mel Greenberg

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The outcome of Wednesday night’s 90-56 triumph by Rutgers over New Jersey national Division III power Kean was decided quickly when a surge of April showers in the manner of three three-pointers by April Sykes got the Scarlet Knights (7-4) well on the way against the Cougars (7-1) at the Louis A. Brown Athletic Center.

Wilmington’s Khadijah Rushdan had 22 points, while Chelsey Lee scored 16, Erica Wheeler had 14 and Sykes had 11.

For the home crowd, the contest was more notable at the finish than for anything during the game that was a tune up for Sunday’s tilt in Madison Square Garden in New York in the Maggie Dixon Classic opener at noon.

The second game will feature top-ranked UConn going against No. 11 Ohio State in an attempt by the Huskies to tie the Division I basketball streak record of 88 games set by the UCLA men’s teams under John Wooden in 1971-74.

As for Wednesday’s action, the final points on the scoreboard, which were flashed on Rutgers’ side, were provided when 5-foot-7 guard Brittany Lapidus, a walk-on sophomore guard who had been a team manager, nailed a jumper with two seconds remaining for her first collegiate points.

“It was exciting,” she said later about making the shot followed by a loud cheer from the Rutgers crowd.

The result also marked a milestone for Hall of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer, who reached career victory total number 850.

Stringer said she was unaware of the impending number and other than the total worth noting, there was much less fanfare than several years ago when she joined the 800 club.

That group could get a little more crowded Thursday night if No. 3 Stanford wins at DePaul because Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer would follow Tennessee’s Pat Summitt, who has over 1,000 wins, retired Texas coach Jody C. Conradt, Stringer and North Carolina’s Sylvia Hatchell into the elite circle.

Ironically, DePaul coach Doug Bruno was on the opposing side for both Summitt’s and Stringer’s 800th victories.

Stringer is only the third of the group and ahead of Hatchell to reach the number.

Though downplaying the milestone, Stringer said, “I particular group, so it was special to get this milestone with this particular group.

“Having said that, I just realize that it really takes a long time and a lot goes into it,” she continued. “I remember when I first got 100 and I thought, `Wow, that’s a lot of games.’”

Stringer reached that total at Cheyney in suburban Philadelphia before moving on to Iowa in the mid-1980s and then Rutgers in the mid-1990s.

Stringer and Rushdan also commented on Lapidus’ special moment.

“I was so happy for her, Rushdan said. “I know when I was in there for the first half, I must have called four plays for her to try for her to get her shot.

“She works really hard at practice. `Coach is on her just the way she is on us. She just doesn’t take off because of who she is. But I’m just so proud of her to see her be happy like that.

“By the way, she always makes that shot in practice,” Rushdan said. “We (the starters) get in trouble because she makes that shot.”

Stringer echoed Rushdan about how hard Lapidus works.

“We were doing one drill that she didn’t want to do because she knew she probably would miss and the team would have to start over,” Stringer said, admiring Lapidus for not wanting to hurt the team.

“But then she wanted to run with the rest of the team, she works so hard.”

Hard work is also ahead for Rutgers well after the Texas A&M game Sunday gets things tougher. The Scarlet Knights will break for the holidays and then head to Knoxville, Tenn., Dec. å30 to meet Tennessee.

And so with the news of the night dispensed, to continue with the celebration of 600 weeks of AP voting, here is the elite list of coaches’ appearances in the poll, both overall and those still active in Division I.

That will be followed by a list of coaches who have had two teams in the poll.

Stringer heads a group that includes Ohio State’s Jim Foster and has had three teams, which appears in the first set of compilations.

Coming Friday, the Guru has re-crunched the numbers and will re-do the set in the previous post to show UConn’s performance since 1999-2000 when the Huskies really got good.

How good?

They’ve been number one more than half the weeks that cover the entire period of 214 weeks up till now. – Mel

AP Poll Coaching Performances
By Mel Greenberg
Women’s Hoops Guru

Quick hits on AP poll (week 6 – for coaches’ appearances week No. 6)
(This is 600th poll after week 6). (Records on pages through week 6, 12/13/10)


Coaches With Three Ranked Teams

C. Vivian Stringer (Cheyney-85), (Iowa-155), (Rutgers-148), 388
Jim Foster (St. Joe-35), (Vanderbilt-164), (Ohio St.-139), 338
Gary Blair (Stephen F. Austin-79), (Arkansas-67), (Texas A&M-87), 233
Marianne Stanley (Old Dominion-141), (Southern Cal-24), (Stanford*-18), 183
Lin Dunn (Miami-2), (Mississippi-1), (Purdue-130), 133
Don Perrelli (Northwestern-52), (S. Conn.-20), (St. John’s-1), 73
Sharon Fanning-Otis (Kentucky-4), (Miss. St.-48), (Tenn.-Chattannoga-4), 56
Tom Collen (Colorado St.-34), (Louisville-17), (Arkansas-2), 53
Debbie Yow (Florida-2), (Kentucky-21), (Oral Roberts-1), 24

Co-Coaches

Kittie Blakemore, Scott Harrelson – West Virginia 8
Sonja Hogg, Leon Barmore – Louisiana Tech 51
Jill Hutchison, Linda Fischer – Illinois St. 3
Jim Jarrett, Joyce Patterson – Georgia St. 1
Marianne Stanley, Amy Tucker – Stanford 18
Jim Bolla, Sheila Strike – UNLV 18

Coaches All Time Ranking Appearances

1. Pat Summitt, Tennessee – 586 (missed just 14 polls in entire AP history)
2. Andy Landers, Georgia – 455
3. **-Jody Conradt, Texas – 395
4. Tara VanDerveer (2 schools – Ohio St., Stanford) – 394
5. C. Vivian Stringer (3 schools – Cheyney, Iowa, Rutgers) – 388
6. Geno Auriemma, Connecticut – 354
7. Jim Foster (3 schools – St. Joseph’s, Vanderbilt, Ohio St.) – 338
8. **-Rene Portland (2 schools – St. Joseph, Penn St.) – 336
9. Debbie Ryan, Virginia – 328
10. **- Kay Yow, North Caro. St. – 326
11. **-Leon Barmore, Louisiana Tech (51-shared with Sonja Hogg) – 325
12. Sylvia Hatchell, North Carolina – 299
13. **-Joe Ciampi, Auburn – 290
14. Gail Goestenkors (2 schools – Duke, Texas) – 285
15. **-Sue Gunter (2 schools – Stephen F. Austin, LSU) – 270
16. XX-Joan Bonvicini (2 schools – Long Beach, Arizona) - 267
17. **-Marsha Sharp, Texas Tech – 264
18. Van Chancellor (2 schools – Mississippi, LSU) – 261
19. Gary Blair, (3 schools – Stephen F. Austin, Arkansas, Texas A&M) – 233
20. **-Chris Weller, Maryland - 227
21. **-Theresa Grentz (2 schools – Rutgers, Illinois) – 225
22. Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame - 203
23. **-Marianne Stanley (3 schools – Old Dominion, Southern Cal, Stanford*) – 183
24. **-Paul Sanderford (2 schools – W. Kentucky, Nebraska) – 182
25. Sherri Coale, Oklahoma 180
26. **-Marian Washington, Kansas – 176
**-Not in college or not in as a head coach

Active Coaches-All Time AP Ranking Appearances

1. Pat Summitt, Tennessee – 586 (missed just 14 polls in entire AP history)
2. Andy Landers, Georgia – 455
3. Tara VanDerveer (2 schools – Ohio St., Stanford) – 394
4. C. Vivian Stringer (3 schools – Cheyney, Iowa, Rutgers) – 388
5. Geno Auriemma, Connecticut – 354
6. Jim Foster (3 schools – St. Joseph’s, Vanderbilt, Ohio St.) – 338
7. Debbie Ryan, Virginia – 328
8. Sylvia Hatchell, North Carolina – 299
9. Gail Goestenkors, (2 schools – Duke, Texas) – 284
10. XX-Joan Bonvicini (2 schools – Long Beach, Arizona) - 267
11. Van Chancellor (2 schools – Mississippi, LSU) – 261
12. Gary Blair, (3 schools – Stephen F. Austin, Arkansas, Texas A&M) – 233
13. Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame – 203
14. Sherri Coale, Oklahoma – 180
15. Kim Mulkey, Baylor – 156
16. Wendy Larry, Old Dominion – 146
17. Melanie Balcomb (2 schools – Xavier, Vanderbilt) – 145
18. Joanne P. McCallie (2 schools - Michigan St., Duke) – 134
19. Kristy Curry (2 schools – Purdue, Texas Tech) – 124
20. Bill Fennelly, (2 schools – Toledo, Iowa St.) – 120
21. %%- Joe McKeown (2 schools – New Mexico St., George Washington) – 116
22. Doug Bruno, DePaul – 108
22. Brenda Frese (2 schools, Minnesota, Maryland) – 108
23.)))-Chris Gobrecht (Washington) - 104
25.@@@@- Cathy Inglese (2 school, Vermont, Boston College) – 98
26. !!!- Jane Albright (2 schools – N. Illinois, Wisconsin) – 96
27. Debbie Patterson, Kansas St. – 91
28. Kurt Budke (2 schools -Louisiana Tech., Oklahoma St.) – 80
29. Pam Borton, Minnesota – 75
30. Charli Turner Thorne, Arizona St. – 74
31. Joanne Boyle, California – 60
32. Sharon Fanning-Otis (3 schools – Tenn.-Chattanooga, Kentucky, Miss. St.) – 56
33. Tom Collen, (3 schools, Colorado St., Louisville, Arkansas) – 53
34. ***-Kathy Olivier, UCLA 52
35. Bonnie Henrickson, (2 schools -- Virginia Tech, Kansas) – 45
36. Harry Perretta, Villanova – 44
37. Sue Semrau, Florida St. – 42
38. Jeff Mittie, TCU – 38
39. Agnus Berenato (2 schools – Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh) – 37
40. Mike Carey, West Virginia – 37
40. Kevin McGuff, Xavier – 37
40. Lisa Stockton, Tulane – 34
43. $$$- June Daugherty (2 schools – Boise St.,Washington) – 32
44. Nell Fortner (2 schools – Purdue, Auburn) - 30
45. Don Flanagan, New Mexico – 29
46. Suzy Merchant, Michigan St. – 28
46. () - Dawn Staley (Temple) – 26
46. Connie Yori (Creighton, Nebraska) – 26
49. Sharon Versyp, Purdue – 25
49. Jeff Walz, Louisville – 25

&&-Active at Seattle; )))-Active at Yale; $$$-Active at Washington State.; %%-Active at Northwestern; () - Active at South Carolina; !!!-Active at Nevada; XX-Active at Seattle; @@@@-Active at Rhode Island; ()()-Active at Michigan.

Coaches Who Have Had Two Different Teams In The AP Poll
Compiled By Mel Greenberg
Women’s Hoops Guru
(Recent school listed second)

1. Tara VanDerveer (Ohio St. – 27, Stanford – 367) – 394
2. Rene Portland (St. Joseph’s – 22, Penn St. – 314) – 336 #
3. Gail Goestenkors (Duke – 229, Texas 55) – 285
4. Joan Bonvicini (Long Beach St. – 202, Arizona 65) – 267*
5. Van Chancellor (Mississippi U. –221, LSU 40) – 261
6. Theresa Grentz (Rutgers – 181, Illinois 44) – 225#
7. Paul Sanderford (W. Kentucky – 158, Nebraska 24) – 182
8. Marianne Stanley (Old Dominion – 141, Southern Cal) – 165#
9. Melanie Balcomb (Xavier – 17, Vanderbilt – 128) – 145
10. Joanne P. McCallie (Michigan St. – 71, Duke – 63) – 134
11. Kristy Curry (Purdue – 123, Texas Tech – 1) -- 124
12. Bill Fennelly (Toledo – 2, Iowa St. – 118) -- 120
13. Carol Ross (Florida – 111, Mississippi U. – 3) -- 114
14. Brenda Frese (Minnesota – 8, Maryland – 100) – 108
15. Cathy Inglese (Vermont – 13, Boston College – 85) – 98*
16. Jane Albright (N. Illinois – 17, Wisconsin – 79) – 96*
17. Billie Moore (Cal-St. Fullerton – 10, UCLA – 75) – 85#
18. Kurt Budke (La. Tech – 42, Oklahoma St. – 38) – 80
19. Lynn Hickey (Kansas St. – 63, Texas A&M – 1), 64#
20. Pam Parsons (Old Dominion – 7, South Carolina – 42) – 49#
21. Bonnie Henrickson (Va. Tech – 36, Kansas – 9) – 45
22. Agnus Berenato (Georgia Tech – 5, Pittsburgh – 32) – 37
23. June Daugherty (Boise St. – 10, Washington -- 22) – 32*
24. Nell Fortner (Purdue – 1, Auburn -- 29) – 30
25. Carolyn Peck (Purdue – 25, Florida -- 4) – 29#
26. Connie Yori (Creighton – 3, Nebraska -- 23) – 26
27. Marynell Meadors (Tennessee Tech – 17, Florida – 4) – 21#
28. Ellen Mosher (UCLA – 10, Minnesota – 10) – 20#
29. Maura McHugh (Oklahoma – 17, Arizona St. – 1) – 18#
30. Jim Izard (DePaul – 1, Indiana –1) – 2#

# -- Not in college coaching; * -- Coaching elsewhere in college