March 8, 2010 –
by Brendon
If the Big East Tournament were a United States metropolis, it would be Atlanta. The five-day, 16-team, 15-game goliath sprawls across Championship Week from noon on Tuesday until almost midnight on Saturday, giving nary a breath to the other conferences tournaments trying to grab a bit of air in the league’s stifling wake.
It’s really the perfect setup for ultimate exposure. When the Big East Tournament starts on Tuesday, the only real competition for media attention is the Horizon, Sun Belt and Summit finals (unless you fancy some Atlantic 10 pre-quarters). By Friday and Saturday, when the other big leagues are giving fans their first tastes of quality games, the Big East trumps them with matchups of top teams in its semis and final. The Big East finally relents on Sunday for a few hours, but then comes the selection show, in which Big East teams are likely to make up at least an eighth of the field. The conference may not end up owning the NCAA Tournament, but it has property rights to most of this seven-day period of college hoops gluttony.
With an unrivaled media footprint — especially now that either ESPN2 or ESPNU is carrying the games on Second Division Day (Tuesday) — what can college hoops fans expect from the Garden this week? Read More »
Posted in Big East, Reviews/Previews
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Tagged Austin Freeman, Big East, Big East Tournament, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Deonta Vaughn, DePaul, Gavin Edwards, Georgetown, Jeremy Hazell, Jerome Dyson, Jim Calhoun, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, Seton Hall, South Florida, St. John's, Stanley Robinson, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia
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December 30, 2009 –
by Brendon
The Big Ten opened conference play on Tuesday night with a pair of matchups between teams aiming for the top of the league and teams hoping to avoid its very bottom. The top teams one, though without the ease one might have expected.
You can forgive Purdue for its sloppy start against an Iowa team, which — in my mother’s words — stinks to high heaven. With undefeated West Virginia ahead on Friday in West Lafayette, the Boilermakers looked disinterested in a first half that saw them make just 11-of-30 shots, including 1-of-6 3-pointers. Still, Iowa led by just one at the half, and the handwriting was on the wall for the second half, as Purdue pulled away for a 67-56 win.
| Team |
Poss |
PPP |
eFG |
Turn |
Reb |
FTR |
| Purdue |
60 |
1.11 |
0.528 |
0.116 |
0.281 |
0.208 |
| Iowa |
60 |
0.93 |
0.471 |
0.265 |
0.344 |
0.157 |
Robbie Hummel and E’Twaune Moore had hot second halves, but what might have been most surprising was JaJuan Johnson’s indifferent night. The junior had just six points and no free-throw attempts against one of major conference’s worst interior defenses. Johnson’s quiet night made no difference though, since Iowa couldn’t hold on to the ball on offense or stop the rest of the Boilers on defense. Considering the strengths and weaknesses of these two teams, Purdue’s far superior percentage on 2-pointers (52.4 to 42.9) and nine fewer turnovers were as predictable as they were devastating. Read More »
Posted in Big Ten, Reviews/Previews
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Tagged Al Nolen, Andrew Jones, Big Ten, Blake Hoffarber, Colton Iverson, Damian Johnson, David Jackson, Devoe Joseph, E'Twaune Moore, Illinois, Iowa, JaJuan Johnson, Jeff Brooks, Keaton Grant, Lawrence Westbrook, Matt Painter, Miam (Fla.), Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Portland, Purdue, Ralph Sampson, Robbie Hummel, Royce White, Talor Battle, Texas A&M, Tubby Smith, West Virginia, Wisconsin
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December 29, 2009 –
by Brendon
The schedule-makers did Seton Hall no favors with Big East openers against West Virginia and Syracuse. On Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, Bobby Gonzalez’s Pirates pushed undefeated West Virginia to overtime with a last-minute surge before succumbing, 90-84. It will take an equally strong effort to defeat also-undefeated Syracuse on Tuesday night.
Despite the loss to the Mountaineers, there was plenty of good news for Seton Hall fans based on the performance, news that should boost hopes at a big upset on Tuesday. The biggest bit of optimism stems from Seton Hall’s ability to hold its own — and thensome — on the glass against WVU.
The Pirates have been exploited on the defensive backboard during Gonzalez’s entire tenure thanks to a lack of size and frontcourt depth. But with Herb Pope, Jeff Robinson and John Garcia as a starting frontline, the Pirates can actually play three real frontcourt players at once. While it’s true that guards Jordan Theodore and Jamel Jackson both played more than Robinson and Garcia on Saturday, the 89 minutes that Seton Hall got out of the starting frontcourt plus Ferrakohn Hall meant that the Pirates actually matched up with the long, athletic Mountaineers. Holding West Virginia, an exceptional offensive-rebounding team to just a 28.6 percent rate on that glass is borderline phenomenol. WVU is fourth in the nation in offensive-rebounding rate at 43.3 percent. Read More »
Posted in Big East, Reviews/Previews
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Tagged Arinze Onuaku, Big East, Bobby Gonzalez, California, Ferrakohn Hall, Herb Pope, Jamel Jackson, Jeff Robinson, Jeremy Hazell, Jerome Randle, John Garcia, Jordan Theodore, New Mexico State, Rick Jackson, Seton Hall, St. Bonaventure, Syracuse, Wesley Johnson, West Virginia
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December 2, 2009 –
by Brendon
The ACC-Big Ten Challenge is closing its 11th edition Wednesday night, and the conference from the Midwest has yet to win it. Five times — including last year — the Big Ten has come up just a game short. Someday the National League will lose the All-Star Game to the American League again, and someday the ACC will fall to the Big Ten. Could that day be today? The oddsmakers put it at just about even money.
The two conferences enter the last day of the challenge with three wins each. The Big Ten took a 3-0 lead in the series when it swept the 7:00 games on Tuesday night, Purdue pulling away from Wake Forest, 70-59, and Northwestern going down to Raleigh and schooling NC State, 65-53. This after Penn State squeaked past Virginia in Charlottesville on Monday night.
The ACC, though, is a resilient league, and the later tip-offs on Tuesday all went its way. Maryland visited hapless Indiana and won by 12. North Carolina hosted Michigan State in a rematch of April’s national title game, and the Tar Heels prevailed again behind Ed Davis, 89-82. Iowa hung with Virginia Tech for most of Tuesday’s final game, but the Hokies slipped away at the end, 70-64. Read More »
Posted in ACC, Big Ten, Reviews/Previews
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Tagged ACC, ACC-Big Ten Challenge, Al Skinner, Alabama, Big Ten, Bo Ryan, Boston College, Bradley, Brian Zoubek, California, Clemson, Connecticut, Duke, Ed Davis, Evan Turner, Florida State, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Marquette, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rakim Sanders, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Utah, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Wisconsin, Wofford
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November 25, 2009 –
by Brendon
For the fourth time in five years, a Big East team will play in the final of one of the best early-season tournaments, the Maui Invitational. While the tournament isn’t officially seeded, the Cincinnati came in as the presumptive No. 5 seed and has since defeated nationally-ranked Vanderbilt and Maryland in impressive fashion.
In the final for the Maui Invitational, the Bearcats will take on Gonzaga, who squeaked by Colorado and then took down Wisconsin in the semis. Disparities in free-throw shooting and rebounding could determine the outcome. Here’s a preview of what could be the Big East’s third major tournament victory of the young season.
Cincinnati is off to a 4-0 start because of its interior. The Bearcats have dominated both glasses, especially the offensive one, in the early going. Yancy Gates (15.2 percent offensive-rebounding rate), Steve Toyloy (12.9) and, surprisingly, 6-foot-3 Dion Dixon (10.1) have been terrific in getting the Bearcats second chances, and it’s a good thing, because UC is shooting at just a 48.7 percent eFG. They’ve needed the extra possessions that offensive rebounding brings. Read More »
Posted in Big East, Mid-Majors, Reviews/Previews
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Tagged A.J. Ogilvy, Adam Morrison, Big East, Cashmere Wright, Cincinnati, Colorado, Demetri Goodson, Deonta Vaughn, Dion Dixon, Elias Harris, G.J. Vilarino, Gonzaga, Jeffrey Taylor, Lance Stephenson, Larry Davis, Mark Few, Maryland, Matt Bouldin, Maui Invitational, Mick Cronin, Rashad Bishop, Robert Sacre, Steve Gray, Steve Toyloy, Vanderbilt, West Coast Conference, Wisconsin, Yancy Gates
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November 23, 2009 –
by Brendon
Sunday
Sunday’s slate featured a pair of tournament championships, but the SEC teams lost in both. The better chance for a win was probably in Charleston where South Carolina took on the Miami Hurricanes. Despite committing 14 more turnovers than South Carolina, Frank Haith’s team shot the lights out to win.
|
Poss |
PPP |
eFG |
Turn |
Reb |
FTR |
| Miami |
80 |
1.06 |
0.607 |
0.298 |
0.424 |
0.304 |
| South Carolina |
80 |
0.87 |
0.414 |
0.124 |
0.218 |
0.092 |
The big difference was in 2-point shooting where the shorter Gamecocks struggled to keep Miami away from the rim. Miami outshot South Carolina on 2-pointers, 61.5 percent to 32.4, and outscored South Carolina by 14 points on twos and 10 free throws. These are the problems a team can run into with a 6-foot-7 center.
The final in Puerto Rico was very sloppy — it seems like most games there are. Mississippi and Villanova combined for 45 turnovers, and neither shot even 45 percent eFG. The difference in this game came inside where the Wildcats had the advantage. Villanova turned five more offensive boards into 16 more second-chance points and outscored the Rebels by 18 points in the paint. Read More »
Posted in Reviews/Previews
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Tagged Corey Stokes, Dayton, Frank Haith, Georgia Tech, Kansas State, Miami (Fla.), Mississippi, Mouphtaou Yarou, Rutgers, Scottie Reynolds, SEC, South Carolina, Vermont, Villanova
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November 23, 2009 –
by Brendon
Saturday
Saturday’s slight was highlighted by a mid-major battle in Philadelphia between Siena and Temple. The Owls won, 73-69, in what has to be a frustrating loss for Fran McCaffery’s team, since the Saints won three of the Four Factors.
|
Poss |
PPP |
eFG |
Turn |
Reb |
FTR |
| Siena |
70 |
0.99 |
0.483 |
0.158 |
0.324 |
0.203 |
| Temple |
70 |
1.05 |
0.557 |
0.201 |
0.273 |
0.082 |
As we continue to see, eFG is the trump card to override deficiencies in the other areas. Siena made seven more free throws, had three fewer turnovers and two more offensive rebounds, but none of that mattered because of the disparity behind the 3-point arc. Siena hit 1-of-9; Temple made 6-of-19. Juan Fernandez was especially big for the Owls, making 4-of-6. Read More »
Posted in Reviews/Previews
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Tagged Atlantic-10, Butler, Craig Robinson, Drake, Evansville, Fran McCaffery, Jeff Capel, Juan Fernandez, Kevin O'Neill, Larry Sanders, Loyola Marymount, Missouri Valley, Nik Raivio, Oregon State, Pac-10, Portland, Sacramento State, Shaka Smart, Siena, Southern Cal, Southern Illinois, Steven Pledger, Temple, UNLV, VCU, Willie Warren
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November 23, 2009 –
by Brendon
After perusing all of the scores from this weekend, I count 36 that were particularly meaningful, and I’m probably underselling others. While the opening weekend of the college basketball was exciting because it was new, we definitely learned a lot more over the last three days simply because there were games that could go either way. We saw the Big East get its first loss — four of them, in fact. We saw Big Ten teams place seventh and eighth in eight-team tournaments. And at Madison Square Garden on Friday, we saw Syracuse complete the most impressive two-game stretch of the season.
Most of the interesting games were on Friday, so, it’s Friday’s games that account for most of my words on this Monday. I’ll be looking at Saturday and Sunday in subsequent posts.
Friday
Syracuse’s 87-71 win over North Carolina headlined the night’s action and rightfully so. Syracuse is a team that lost Jonny Flynn and two other key players from last year’s Sweet 16 team, and prior to last season, Syracuse had narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament twice in a row, so the Orange no longer give off the scent of a program that can simply reload.
Enter Wesley Johnson. Well acknowledging that his length and diverse skillset would be a huge asset for a team lacking both, I was very cautious about those who saw Johnson as an immediate star and potential Big East Player of the Year in his first season at Syracuse after transferring from Iowa State. Johnson had 25 points and eight rebounds on Friday, and that doesn’t convey the length he adds to Jim Boeheim’s 2-3 zone.
|
Poss |
PPP |
eFG |
Turn |
Reb |
FTR |
| North Carolina |
76 |
0.93 |
0.413 |
0.250 |
0.432 |
0.302 |
| Syracuse |
76 |
1.14 |
0.610 |
0.210 |
0.343 |
0.059 |
When you look at Syracuse’s figures above, notice that this one game is a replica of the Orange’s season thus far. Syracuse’s offense has been exceptional at hitting shots, especially 2-pointers — the Orange hit an incredible 59.6 against that imposing UNC frontcourt. The rest of the offensive for Syracuse, however, has been nothing special. Syracuse continues to turn the ball over too much, has not been great on the offensive glass and has not gotten to the line. It’s important to remember, though, that shooting is the overriding factor in an offense’s success and that the type of 2-pointers Syracuse has been making are not as beholden to fate as the 3-point shot. Read More »
Posted in Reviews/Previews
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Tagged Alabama, Andy Kennedy, Appalachian State, Arkansas, Atlantic-10, Auburn, Big East, Big Ten, Boston College, Boston University, Brown, California, Central Florida, Chris Warren, Chris Wright, Cornell, Davidson, Dayton, DePaul, Drexel, George Mason, Indiana, Iowa State, JaMychal Green, Jeff Lebo, Jim Boeheim, Joe Trapani, Jonny Flynn, Kansas State, La Salle, Mac Koshwal, Mikhail Torrance, Mississippi, Missouri Valley, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Northern Iowa, Ohio State, Penn State, Providence, Rakim Sanders, Reggie Jackson, Rutgers, SEC, Seton Hall, South Carolina, St. John's, St. Joseph's, St. Mary's, Syracuse, Talor Battle, Tennessee, Terrico White, Tulane, USF, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Wesley Johnson
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