It has "trap" written all over it: top-notch teams getting so immersed in talks of big games and forgetting all about the little guy in the corner.
Often the result can be very much a "David and Goliath meets the tortoise and the hare."
For the Rutgers women's basketball team, it will be difficult not to brush aside Seton Hall and focus instead on the homecourt rematch with Connecticut.
Sunday looms only four days away, and the Knights will desperately be seeking vengeance on the Huskies.
"[Thinking ahead] is the easiest thing to do, but it's not hard for us because we're a team full of upperclassmen and we know better," junior forward Michelle Campbell said. "We've learned in the past not to do that, and we know we have to take every game one at a time. Anybody can win or lose on any given day and I think the Big East is one of the best examples of that. Unranked teams beat ranked teams all the time, so we know better."
The two crucial UConn contests flank the Scarlet Knights' outings against unranked Syracuse and Seton Hall teams, both of which - although devoid of hype - are important momentum builders for the Knights.
"You definitely have to capitalize... and also gain the confidence back in yourself that you can do the things you know you can," Campbell said. "It's important for confidence and then you build on that and take it into the big games."
In Sunday's game against Syracuse, Rutgers came out playing down to the level of the Orange from the beginning - and the result was a mere one-point halftime lead against a squad the Knights could have and should have dominated.
"We played nowhere near our best," Campbell said after the game. "We need to keep picking it up at our level, not the other team's."
It was only a 14-5 run deep in the second half that finally allowed the Knights to break away and down the Orange, 69-61. Rutgers received big boosts from senior guard Cappie Pondexter and Campbell with 21 and 18-point performances respectively, with the other bright spot in the lackluster contest being the turnover ratio - 26 for Syracuse next to a mere 11 for the Knights.
Rutgers goes into the game against local rival Seton Hall with a 16-5 record, winners of 11-of-14, despite slipping four spots in the AP poll this week down to No. 11.
Seton Hall is in the midst of a three-game winning streak, including a 53-50 thriller over Villanova their last time out. The Pirates - led by senior guard Ashley Bush's 13.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game - are currently sixth in the Big East with a 13-8 record.
Bush is hot as of late, posting an average of 18.4 points in her last five games. She also has six double-doubles on the year.
Sophomore forward Monique Blake has also chipped in 12.3 points and 7.5 rebounds this year for the Pirates.
The all-time series stands at 23-8 in Rutgers favor, and SHU hasn't prevailed since February of 2002.
For the Knights, Matee Ajavon still leads in scoring, posting 13.1 points per game. She's followed closely by Michelle Campbell's 12.7 points, to go along with her team-best six rebounds.
The Knights saw a drastic lineup change for the last game, brought on in part by the absence of senior Chelsea Newton, who missed her second straight game with a concussion. Stringer - who started four freshmen that day - insisted that the change was a one-time deal, although it did reflect the pride she takes in her bench.
"We need to demonstrate that we can use everybody," Stringer said. "When you start having Big East games back-to-back, nobody can play all 40 minutes. That's where the depth comes in."
Seton Hall is drawing a meager 424 fans per game at the Walsh Gymnasium in South Orange, but the short distance between schools has resulted in a sell-out for tonight's showdown between the two Big East rivals.
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