mark duncan / the associated press 2007

Other articles by Tom Canavan:

Giants beat Redskins, begin defense of title One ring is not enough Ochoa procurará disfrutar su último año ante Sorenstam Shaq's free throws on the mark Manning reivindica a directivo que lo contrató Dallas takes control behind Romo, T.O. Dallas, Giants battle for 'JV' supremacy Lee stands up to Ochoa, leads ex-Cat by 2 shots Traveling or not, Hoyas moving on Romo empire on rise

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PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The disappointment of losing last year's title game to Tennessee and the pain caused by Don Imus' racist and sexist comments were put to rest long ago by the Rutgers women's basketball team.

It's a new tournament and a fresh focus for C. Vivian Stringer and the Scarlet Knights (24-6) as they prepare for their first-round game on Saturday against Robert Morris (23-9) in Des Moines, Iowa.

They want to be the talk of the nation for the right reasons this year.

"Our biggest task is not so much the physical side, it's the mental side," Stringer said Wednesday. "We just have to believe no one stops us."

All five of last year's starters — Matee Ajavon, Epiphanny Prince, Kia Vaughn, Heather Zurich and Essence Carson — are back. They are tested, too: Rutgers played 15 games against teams in the tournament.

The second-seeded Scarlet Knights beat No. 1 seeds Connecticut and Maryland and they dropped a one-point game at Tennessee in a contest where a late clock malfunction practically gave the Vols time to win.

"I wouldn't say we feel pressure," Carson said. "We have a level of expectation. I am not sure what anyone else thinks around the country. At this point, it's really not important what anyone else thinks. It's what we think. As long as we remain confident and know what we have to do to get back, we'll be OK. As long as we go the extra mile, we will be successful."

The biggest concern is depth. Season-ending injuries to Myia McCurdy and Khadijah Rushdan have left eight healthy players. Stringer believes the inability to practice at full strength has prevented the team from reaching its potential.

"I already have seen how we reacted (this season) and it's not good," Stringer said. "We've won games, but we are struggling. We are struggling."

Senior point guard Ajavon isn't worried.

"The run last year showed us we are capable of anything," Ajavon said. "This year everyone knows we are capable of it. It's just a matter of us putting it together, getting it done."

There was a 20-point loss to No. 1 Connecticut late in the season, but Rutgers' five other losses have been by a total of 18 points. The losses to Stanford, Tennessee and Louisville were by a combined total of four.

"Everyone has given us their best shot throughout the entire year," Carson said. "It helped us in the long run. It has us ready for March. We would hate to be one of those teams that played a lax schedule throughout the year and gets surprised in March going against a top team and you don't know how to handle it. We know had to handle it. We know what to expect."