The Scarlet Sitdown: Rutgers Men's Basketball with Erica Lafayette

welcome back to the Scarlet sitdown a daily tarum Sports podcast dedicated to covering everything that go is on in Ruckers Athletics in The Scarlet sitdown we bring on special guests every episode to discuss the hottest topics in Rucker Sports I'm head Sports edor traine Josh Myers and I am associate sports editor trainee Camden marle and today we are joined by special guest Erica Lafayette from the Ruckers Women's Basketball team Erica how are you today I'm good how are you I'm very good I'm very good I'm feeling good I'm not feeling good about the traffic though C traffic we were almost late to this almost late almost late but but we prevailed I'm not feeling about the weather outside yeah weather outside is also a little Frid so a little to a little very cold but basketball season is underway and you're now a senior you know guard on the Scarlet nights do you think you've entered a mentor role for the team this year um most definitely I think you know our team needs an Energizer most of the time you know they need someone to bring that fire and that injury and their passing so that's why I feel like I bring and that's just that's hard to manage mentally because not everyone comes with energy not every some people are just dull and some people are just you know regular not saying that they have a problem with everything or they can't but you just need that energy person on your team you know to just uplift the team in times you need about that energy I always see you hyping up the team on the bench always you know making hand signals arm signals I saw you going doing this like let's go uh in the last game and you're just I you're definitely like the hype woman of the team where does that energy come from um just want wanting to see my teammates be successful even if I'm not on the court um and just giving something to them to keep them going I think that's what that stand for I just be so excited like for them every time something happens like but what I was mad I told them I was mad at the end of the day because I didn't get to use one of my celebrations like we got this like sick charge celebration that me and Kenny's going to use yeah so I'm looking for it it's like sick like it's going to make everybody laugh it's going to make ESPN or something like really I'm very excited about we like it's like I'm the I'm the uh she bowling and I'm the pen I'm falling out and stuff like that it's like you know I just be excited for them and excited for you know the accomplishments cuz you know if one person accomplish something we allom something yeah yeah so for sure and with uh you know that that hype role that leadership role uh your freshman year you were coached by a legendary Hall of Famer coach uh C Vivian Stringer how could you say that experience was and maybe like what did you learn from her and how that maybe influences how you are today um that experience was special it was special because like Kring just had this aura about her that was special and like when she walked into the room she meant business and she was all about business it was like straight get to it like she was just took us all down line like you you ready to work you ready to work and it was just like we came with that ready to work mindset every day and it's just like it was like a a domino effect like once she touch one person then they touch another then they touch another and she was just always leading Us in the right way and always had that like hard work mindset and that we're going to win a National Championship like we spoke stuff every day and like we practiced like it and we played like it and that's why like that team her last team that she coached was really like successful for sure yeah I mean she's like the B bich of college basketball woman's college basketball I think she's awesome is great so in that same sense what was it like or what has it been like playing uh under kis Wasington in her second term um I what I love about Coach Co is that she has a business approach to the game like she's very methodical like she thinks everything through and it's like you can tell when what she's really thinking hard cuz you like coach like what do you think about oh I was just thinking about the the game and she's just very methodical and like she just brings a a business a real business approach in the game like sometimes you can't you can't take everything personal like we're here to all have a common goal is win so whatever your role is you have to insert your role and bring your role every day to the team so it's it's really cool is she a fun coach she seems very fun I'm yeah she's she's fun she cuz Co one of coaches like she kind of surprises you sometimes and he like oh man but yeah she's a fun coach like you know she tries to make um practice fun as possible for us and just make and do fun things like one time we skip practice went go C rideing and we just do a lot of those things just out the blue sometimes you don't know when it's coming but you know just expect something every day any any fun memories besides you know go-karting with Co with Co with Coach Co um nah I got to tell you about the go-kart right okay all right the first time we went all us had Whi last next day like neck back everything hurts I made a mistake like I was the one like wrecking into people on the accident though because they was just driving so slow and like we have hour I she doesn't know how to drive right so like one time she got in front of me and she was just going so slow but she didn't know how to drive gotp in there you got I bumped her and her whole helmet came off like whole helmet came off like it was just a competitive day and like we just woke up the next day like ooh my back my neck hurt cuz we all we was doing is bumping and bumping and bumping it's like your neck going into that was really crazy and fun but coach Cole is never going to get on a go-kart maybe you got to persuade her you got to it's no persuading her she feel like she didn't done it all she only getting water cuz she like she been in water and okay done all the water now I kind of respect that I kind of respect that mentality a little bit was was the go-karting more grueling than a practice it sounds like y'all were hurting after that it was it was competitive you know we was all everybody wanted to win so like you had coach John talk about he was going wi then you had coach like every other coach is adventurous so we just like okay we can't let them win so it was like it wasn't tougher than the practice but it had my neck feeling worse in the practice for sure for sure all right so we got uh Big 10 plays on the horizon I believe was it 17 10 games coming up crazy schedule uh is there any team in the conference that really strikes you as a team that you've loved to compete against in past years or maybe specifically this year um honestly no team strikes me not even Indiana no no okay all right Indiana was a beautiful team yeah no it was yeah I just feel but I feel like Ruckers has a rivalry with Indiana just in general and I feel like it I feel like it transcends in all the sports you know what I mean you think so in a little bit yeah I mean definitely in B in B basketball football I feel like everywhere yeah yeah I I think it be Penn State cuz last time we played we went overtime and then and I thought I was I thought I hit the winning bucket then we went they came back in score then we had to do another we had like two overtimes T night oh that was a crazy game yeah that was like a that was like a live game so I think it's like Penn State yeah Penn State definitely I mean football it's been different teams for a lot of years but and Maryland 2 is also like a oh yeah Maryland was was always since I've been here was always a good match up for us yeah you know what I'm saying but striking me I think I think our team is our like we the strike to us okay it depends on like how we what team are we that day I like it you know it mostly it it really not about the other teams it's about what are we going to do and that's just how I look at it like it's not really about them it be about us cuz it be our mistakes that cost us to moves it don't be much as what the other team is doing because they're going to be them they're going to do their own thing but we have to it it will be how we come out right yeah so you've done a lot of traveling obviously to a lot of stadiums is there any Stadium you really like like to play in ooh I like to play in that I like I really I really like we do kind of okay cuz it's kind of like black and dark it's like you in a dungeon it's like you in there and they they they they suck I feel like it's like playing that it's like playing that our you know how like the boys have like a lot of people can't play them home yeah cuz it's hard yeah and the rims are cursed yeah yes and I they they do they do say the RS are cursed yeah but I feel like like Purdue is one of them places like you just in there and Indiana cuz Indiana like last time Indiana they had like 20,000 people there and we like oh my God and it's like you people are sitting on top of you literally yeah so yeah some you ever you ever walk in any of those Arenas and kind of feel like that that villainous role as the opposing team yeah I mean everyone every everyone I walk in I feel like oh yeah we got them like I look at I look at everything I look at okay are they walking around I look at how they warming up I look at see if they playing I be like okay they taking us like we got them for sure yeah I mean I I kind of could feel it in the atmosphere I can smell it right like I can smell it when I when I got somebody yeah I could smell it like there you go that's the rck mentality right I got you today uh and so what has been your favorite memory playing for Ruckers could be on the court off the court maybe it's maybe it's home on the banks maybe it was in a way game something anything I think my favorite M was like really pin State game like I think that game was really fun last year right yeah I think that game that was a really fun game cuz we woke up the next day and like a we was like man we had so much fun playing that game that night because it was just so competitive and we like oh we're going to win like we I think we just had that mentality that we were going to win and we just all won equally and we shared the ball so well together and it was just a fun game from everybody cuz you didn't know who was going to do something next like it was really fun yeah I mean it it's got to feel more rewarding to feel a like a big payoff after such a competitive game rather than you know you beat a team by 40 like yeah that's something yeah I I mean you know it's always good to give a whooping like by 40 it's always good to give a good whooping you know cuz some people just need to sming but the games that you you know you got to you have ups and downs and and you pull away and you still get the W those like okay we can do anything now battle test yeah like it's like okay uh like in P would never forget I turn over the ball in the clutch his play I turned over I I did a pump flake and I traveled I'm like man like that could have been the game then I came back and I almost H the game winner like it was a shot before the game winner so we couldn't let them get another shot so it just I just like them gamesz just show you like a lot of stuff is going to happen in the game mistakes you're going to make mistakes in the game what are you going to do like are you going to come out with the win like or you just going to shut down so I like the competitive games more than a 40 piece because you get you get comfortable right in a 40 piece like once you up by certain mon y'all just playing like at this point you just hooping I ain't even running to play no more let's just do all you start doing Al Hoops behind the back you know but man when it's really on the line I like to see how people or like how this team how myself like react to it like what are we going to do yeah I remember you hit a big shot in that game at the end right around there yeah I mean that that must be awesome hitting you know hitting those big shots in the big moments I mean I I get chills thinking about it in my in my dreams I I have these dreams about it it's like I get chills and then I wake up I'm like oh dang but I mean you lived it I mean that's awesome that's so cool yeah like you know it is cool it is cool cuz you don't even think about it just happens it just happen you just like I didn't think about this sh I just KB just seen me I was like I'm just about to shoot it like then I made it you know so yeah what's the uh Bond like between you know you and your teammates how how strong is it and and how does that help you you know I'm the funny person on the team yeah yes I'm the one that make everybody laugh yes I'm the one that you know just bring all this energy and bring this like different personality toward to our team that it's like everybody's warning what I would say next they be like e what they just be crack it up like I we just crack up and I make them laugh all day it could just be how I'm looking like I'm not the one to be looking at when it's when stuff like going wrong cuz I'm be like my face expression is going to be like they G to just start laughing I'm like the clown on the team you know what I'm saying like a couple times I just we have bad practice I be like man y'all just laugh like we boring like you know I just say stuff like that to like kind of get us going because I feel like you know nothing beats a good laugh yeah so so I guess as a team do you guys have any fun memories off the court you know this year maybe could be in last year in previous years yeah all right give me one I need to hear it I remember um it was like the day coach Nikki passed away was like a hard day for us and like we was just together all that night like all day so we had went to uh w we had went to shop right and I just needed a couple groceries so I just started getting everybody like okay you go get this everybody was just had my grocery list and they was just going to get different groceries and then you see people falling and I was like okay what how much time can we get it and we was just like running and shower it was like about to close in 30 minut and we just had fun that whole day like just riding around singing in the car and we just like it was just a fun day I feel like it's like the most unexpected moments that you know become like the best moments yeah like you know we we didn't think that morning than we was going to get that that call but you know it just turned out to make us closer so you think you have a you know you're a big family on the Ruckers ones basketball team you have a big family all right like are you a big family on the team is is the whole team a big family yes I think I think it starts off you know kind of a lot with our coaches cuz they bring their families around so much so when you when you know that your coaches like have wives and husbands and like have foundations and have that it's just easier for it to be a family or place cuz we have your kids we got your kids coming all the time so I'm like okay hey e iy we got uh annaya coach coach porner children like it just they're always around so it's just so need to grasp that family aspect because that's all they that's really like what they love that's like they heart and soul they bring everywhere yeah I love that that's awesome always you always got to be a family if you you know want to come together and do something with the team and want to win have success got to be connected as a family for sure right and so kind of on that topic uh off the court discussing your memories maybe this is with the team or without it but do you have a favorite place to eat around New Brunswick oh yeah Deltas Deltas you know what Deltas is Del you never been to Deltas what do they have what food like s Del s Delta is like five minutes R wait around like Eon or like like no like right here it's in Brun it's in Brun you just got to go like that way okay like three minutes I got look it too my roomates Del are always looking for y want to go to delas I would go telling you all right that's a crazy it's a good spot yeah oh how on like the East area any any good placees there I like and oh oh my God I love that I just discovered that this year actually I've never had it before you you know what I really like Y and I get the same thing Henry's Diner Oh Henry is great I go to Henry din get the same them people be like oh man are you going to get something different I like no ma'am what do you order um I order sunad of eggs and I put the eggs on the toast with the Canadian bacon okay that's and then I have like the home fries and I put ketchup on home fries it be so great like then you got to dip the uh the bread and the Egg Yol and stuff of course it's always packed though I can I've only gone twice like throughout my three years of you know you got to go around like 4:00 I know yeah you got to go around like 4:00 where a line huge line by like one I'm like all right I'm I'm not one of the people to be waiting but you got to go by yourself though see when you're a one she be like all the ones come oh yeah that's true cuz don't be going with a group see that's what you get you want to go with your friends you got to go by yourself to you know just enjoy some things by yourself so I go with myself yeah no but handome G again I just discovered that this year somehow only cuz I live near handsone gdle like I've never like lived near there until like now I always get the uh the barbecue chicken why last last time I got the barbecue chicken crisp unreal I was about to say have have we all gotten the crisps before Oh the crisps are the crisp the crisps are amazing I get the C and chicken R oh yeah that's good too and then you always got to get the you always got to get a flip like a oh the banana flip the the Smoothie the banana flip is amazing never tried it's banana peanut butter CH kiss beautiful so good I got to try it you know we we we got to go eat guys I am hungry I'm we're a little hungry it sound like we a little hungry my stomach's growling a little bit I can failure it's crazy all right so one of the last questions we have is what's the uh biggest artist you guys play what's what's on the aux in the team locker room and on the buses to the road games oh man we' be switching it up you know cuz we got like a different lot of different personalities so you got Ken like with the New York stuff all the time like the little the little what is it called drill drill I was asking this the other day you know the hip dance right the little hip Dan I said what is that dance called they did not know the like the yeah it's no name for it it's no name for people just say it's the I just want to rock or cuz that's always what it's played with it's no name for I mean it's kind of the Isaiah PCO dance it's like the pop like you know how we got the douge you know you got the the chaa slide you got the cha got the chaa slide I like the chaa slide you got a lot of stuff but it's no name for it I said how y'all make up a dance don't have a name yeah but you got kayen you know playing that then you got Tony on the like siss era then you got this and um KB on like the Rob wave KB on like the Dirk you know then you got Lisa playing like a bunch of Chicago stuff we don't know then he got uh China playing sexy red so that's a lot a lot of variety here it's just so much any Detroit rap from from Maya P Maya be on NBA young boy like me kind I like it I like listening to my Movic so what what's like the the biggest hype song you like need to listen to before going on the court is there a signature one or is it oh it's just what I'm feeling like it's am I'm feeling like at home I probably go like with a booy little booy I know what little booy is I I have to look into it though that in in that restaurant you know they sound like wipe me down maybe rings the bell a little bit WIP me down you want to WIP me down little bit it rings the bell oh man y'all got to come y'all got to come me a lot of place you got to come me home y'all got to come me the answer but no it just depending on what type of mood I'm feeling like for real that I feel like that's the best way like you can't always be got to feel the Vibes yeah right exactly if you if you play a couple different songs at the start of like a like a practice or a road trip by like the third or fourth one I think you kind of pick up the vibe yeah like what am I on today right cuz I might just need something hard but I might like end with some like a little slow that like really get me in that Focus like you know I might come out with a MC Mill Dreams and Nightmares I might you know I might come with some little Dirk I might come I don't know it just depend on Who real facing and how hard I just want to beat them that day oh I might listen to something I want to stump on your neck like you know what I'm saying just get me in that mindset of you know it's go time again that's the the Rucker's mindset right there the Rucker's attitude always stomping on the throats you know know putting it to the man that's Ruckers right there that's it's Ruckers basketball Ruckers basketball basketball all right so I think that's a great way to end this thanks for watching and listening to the Scarlet sit down your podcast for everything Ruckers Athletics thank you Erica for coming on and good luck the rest of the season don't forget to follow the Scarlet sitdown podcast on Spotify and YouTube at the daily tarum and Instagram at Scarlet sitdown Ru stay tuned for more podcast in the coming [Music] weeks he