Chandler looks sharp in debut

BY ALEX DELANIAN

Star-Ledger Staff

Rutgers coach Fred Hill hoped for early maturation and growth from his incoming freshmen this season, and Corey Chandler delivered last night.

The 6-2 guard from East Side High School in Newark scored 16 points in his college debut, the most by a Rutgers freshman in a season opener since Charles Jones had 19 points against Manhattan in 1993.

Chandler added three steals, two assists and two rebounds on 7-of-9 shooting, playing with a maturity that had Hill excited after the game.

"I guess that's pretty early, huh?" said Hill, referring to Chandler bursting out of the gate with nine of the team's first 11 points. "Corey's got a chance to be a really good player, he was certainly the guy that did some good things for us tonight."

And Chandler knew it. "I came out ready to play, intense, I kept my composure," Chandler said. "I really didn't play like a freshman."