Big East Conference Notebook
by Jesse Ullmann and Zach Van Hart
Top 25? Let’s stay focused on the Top 15 for now or at least one third of it.
As for Charles Barkley’s proclamation during TNT’s “GameBreak” last weekend that “Those guys up there in Storrs can beat the Timberwolves,” this is far-fetched but you get his point. UConn is steamrolling through perhaps what could be considered the strongest Big East ever.
Which four teams will get a bye in the Big East Tournament, and which four teams will be left out? Louisville, welcome to the Big East. Nine mid-season finalists for the Wooden Award. Lowry, Krauser and G-Mac have been named to the mid-season list for the Bob Cousy Award. This is getting good.
1. Villanova Wildcats (10-1 Big East, 20-2 overall)
Up Next: Sunday vs. Georgetown at noon
If the (Armani) shoe fits…
Villanova is clearly one of the smartest kids in the room. In the first half versus Connecticut, Kyle Lowry was unstoppable, scoring at will. Lowry finished with 18 points. “We have a lot of heart”, said coach Jay Wright following a thrilling 69-64 victory in a game featuring the No. 1 and No. 4 ranked teams in the country. Ray, who did not play against South Florida, also looked great finishing with a game-high 25 points on 9-of-20 shooting. It is very likely the Wildcats will be granted one of those all-important four first-round byes in the Big East Tournament.
2. West Virginia (8-0, 17-4)
Next: Sunday at Georgetown
The Mountaineers are about to find out how tough they really are. Starting with Thursday’s game at Pittsburgh, they begin a four-game stretch that includes traveling to Georgetown, Seton Hall and hosting top-ranked Connecticut. Entering the Pittsburgh game as the last remaining unbeaten in Big East play, WVU has assured itself a high seed going into the NCAA Tournament. Having won 15 of its last 16 – that lone loss coming against instate rival Marshall – many could argue the Mountaineers deserve a higher ranking than ninth this week. If it runs the table during this four-game stretch, or goes 3-1, expect West Virginia to crack the top five.
3. Connecticut Huskies (9-2, 22-2)
Up Next: Saturday at West Virginia at 3:45 p.m. (CBS)
Connecticut’s 11-game win streak came to a close Monday night after dropping a thriller at the Wachovia Center to Villanova 69-64 and also bringing to a close their number one ranking by next week. With 15 seconds to play, Mike Nardi missed a free throw and UConn, down 67-64, had a chance to tie. There was, however, some confusion on the offense as the ball was brought over the timeline. Marcus Williams and Rashad Anderson collided, forcing a turnover and the loss.
If Connecticut is to make a run at another national championship, they’ll have to rely, at some point, upon their two backup point guards, Craig Austrie and Rob Garrison, who are both freshmen. Austrie has seen his minutes steadily decline since the return of Marcus Williams, who has so far been hit-and-miss. Garrison’s minutes haven’t just declined, they have disappeared. Garrison is no longer qualified to be a backup point guard. Williams and Austrie will now have to go it alone the rest of the way as the only true ball-handlers.
4. Georgetown (7-2, 16-4)
Next: Sunday vs. West Virginia
The cute, getting-to-know-them phase for the Hoyas is over. After Sunday’s win against No. 9 Pittsburgh 61-58, Georgetown is not only one of the top teams in the country, it’s a legitimate Final Four contender. Forward Jeff Green is positioning himself for making one of the All-American teams and senior Brandon Bowman is leading his team by example. Like West Virginia, the Hoyas are about to embark on their own tough stretch. After playing WVU, they travel to Marquette and Villanova. With its berth in the big dance now assured, Georgetown is now focusing on positioning for a higher seed. Not a bad job by coach John Thompson III.
5. Pittsburgh Panthers (8-3, 19-3)
Up Next: Wednesday at Providence at 7:30 p.m.
You can only talk about former Pitt center Mark Blount going from Boston to Minnesota so much at the water cooler. Well the Pittsburgh faithful finally had something a little more newsworthy last week as a hot West Virginia team came to town. In a classic that came down to the wire, Pittsburgh defeated the Mountaineers in a huge Thursday night game 57-53, a win that definitely earned the Panthers a spot as one of the country’s top 10 programs this week. Pitt’s backcourt, at times, shows flashes of brilliance with Carl Krauser, Levance Fields and Ron Ramon. Combine that with Gray and Pitt is a team that, if and when they fully get together, will be a formidable contender.
6. Seton Hall Pirates (6-4, 15-7)
Up Next: Saturday vs. Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m. (YES)
The Pirates won at Providence, beat heated in-state rival Rutgers, took care of business versus USF, knocked off NC State, and then none of it meant anything because they lost to UConn by 50. They really lost by 42, but you get my drift. After an impressive six-game win streak, the Pirates took it on the chin at home losing by 99-57 in front of one of their biggest crowds all season at the Meadowlands. Coming off a big game versus Rutgers, Jamar Nutter scored 13 and continued to impress. For Nutter it all seemed to have started at the Carrier Dome when he caught fire in the second half from downtown en route to the upset win over Syracuse. Stan Gains is reportedly going to make his return sooner than expected.
7. Marquette (6-4, 16-7)
Next: Sunday at Rutgers
Before the season started, most would have guessed Louisville or Cincinnati would have the best season of the new teams from Conference USA. But that honor belongs to Marquette, which has positioned itself for a surprise return to the NCAA Tournament. Though the Golden Eagles lost their last game, it was a five-point defeat on the road against No. 4 Villanova. Freshman Dominic James is becoming a bona fide star, averaging 15.1 points per game. Senior Steve Novak is finally embracing his role as team leader, averaging 16.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. But, as seems to be the common theme, Marquette’s next few games will test its mettle. After traveling to Rutgers, always a tough win on the road, the Eagles host Georgetown and Pittsburgh. Two wins out of that run should almost lock up a tournament bid.
8. Syracuse Orange (5-5, 17-7)
Up Next: Wednesday vs. Cincinnati at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Lou McCroskey and Gerry McNamara both seem to be back on track. McCroskey left the team and missed more than a week after “blowing up” at coach Jim Boeheim over a lack of playing time. The dispute has apparently been put to rest. McNamara, after missing minutes versus Connecticut due to an ankle injury sustained earlier in the game, bounced back against St. John’s. He dropped in 23 points, racking a little less than the number of inches of accumulated snow on the ground.
Before that, for just the third time in Boeheim’s coaching career, Syracuse lost four games in a row. Last week McNamara passed former Syracuse superstar Dave Bing on the school’s all-time scoring list at eighth.
9. Cincinnati (5-5, 16-8)
Next: Sunday at Pittsburgh
Monday’s game against Louisville was one of the biggest in memory for Cincinnati, but for a new reason. A loss would have made a 15th-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament a near impossibility. Luckily for the Bearcats, they passed the test, beating their rivals 74-68. Still, Cincinnati is not out of the woods. With road games at Pittsburgh, Seton Hall and Syracuse and home dates against West Virginia and Villanova, the Bearcats likely need to finish 3-3 down the stretch to ensure a tourney bid. Jihad Muhammad’s shooting may be the key to the Bearcats’ chances. He scored 17 points on five 3-pointers against the Cardinals.
10. Providence Friars (4-6, 11-10)
Up Next: Friday at Cincinnati at 8:00 p.m.
PC picked up an encouraging win on the road by defeating DePaul 61-60 on a Sharaud Curry running jumper down the lane. The Friars have looked sluggish defensively against Big East opponents but after beating St. John’s, have strung together a couple of wins going into their final stretch, which by the way includes visits to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Marquette. There are three very realistic opportunities for the Friars. Donnie McGrath is starting to get comfortable from behind the arc including three 3-pointers in an 81-73 win over SJU. In a time when big guys are getting harder and harder to come by, PC has added 6-foot-11, 265-pound center Ray Hall of Denver. San Diego State and UCLA also showed interest. A good sign for Tim Welsh, Steve DeMeo and crew.
11. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-7, 14-10)
Up Next: Saturday at South Florida at 7 p.m.
Potentially very bad news on the Rutgers front. Reserve Adrian Hill underwent surgery on his knee last week and will be out for the season. Starting forward J.R. Inman, who strained his ankle in the Seton Hall loss, has been sidelined 4-6 weeks with a fractured fibula and freshman Anthony Farmer and Center Byron Joynes are also banged up. And just as all this is going down what does Gary Waters do? Knowing full well a massive snowstorm is on its way, he risks missing Sunday’s game by flying to his former school (Kent State) Saturday to be honored. He indeed missed the game and former Villanova assistant Fred Hill stepped in. That’s an image of what’s to come by the way; it’s inevitable. Interesting stat: Gary Waters is 3-31 in league games on the road.
12. Louisville (3-7, 15-8)
Next: Saturday vs. South Florida.
What a difference two weeks make. That’s all it took for Louisville to go from ranked to out of the tournament picture. And not just the NCAA Tournament. If the season ended today, the Cardinals would not even qualify for the Big East Tournament. Taquan Dean is finally healthy for Louisville, but that has not prevented the team from losing three of four, the lone win coming thanks to Dean’s heroics at home against lowly Notre Dame. With road games remaining at West Virginia and Connecticut, the future is not bright for coach Rick Pitino’s bunch.
13. St. John’s Red Storm (3-8, 10-12)
Up Next: Wednesday at Rutgers at 7:30 p.m.
Skydiving. What must it feel like when jumping out of an airplane from thousands of feet from up above in the sky? I don’t know because I’ve never done it. I did, however, watch St. John’s play Georgetown the other night and I’d have to imagine that the feeling would strike a familiar chord.
Since the departure of Dexter Gray, who left St. John’s for unspecified reasons, the Red Men have taken a tumble. They are spiraling downwards, down towards the bottom of the Big East’s 16 teams, and they’re falling fast. Don’t count SJU out yet. It’s unfortunate because it was just a couple weeks ago when the Red Men welcomed West Virginia to the Big Apple and with 3:57 left, trailing by 13, SJU made a ferocious comeback proving they can hang. Maybe this season will just turn out to be a microcosm of that game. SJU still has a better record than Notre Dame and DePaul but probably not for long.
14. DePaul (2-8, 9-12)
Next: Saturday vs. Villanova
It’s been a rough season for the Blue Demons, and the cruelest loss yet came Tuesday, as they lost 61-60 at home to Providence. Sharaud Curry’s jumper with 10.7 seconds left game them a one-point lead. Sammy Mejia got a good look in the paint with 2 ticks left, but it missed off the rim. It was DePaul’s second one-point loss to Providence this season, making the difference in their 2-8 and 4-6 conference records. It was also the Blue Demons’ best shot at another win this season, minus their regular-season finale at Notre Dame.
15. Notre Dame (2-8, 11-10)
Next: Wednesday vs. South Florida
No team in the country has endured more heartbreak from close games this season than Notre Dame. Wednesday, the Fighting Irish atoned for the season in grand fashion. After losing six of its eight conference games by three points or less, Notre Dame destroyed Rutgers 90-63. The 27-point win matched the team’s largest win in its Big East history, as Torin Francis led the Irish with 21 points. Despite their 2-8 Big East record, a solid finish could position the Irish for an NIT berth. With home games against DePaul, South Florida and Marquette and a road game against Providence, four wins is attainable.
16. South Florida (0-9, 6-16)
Next: Saturday at Louisville
While not as dramatic as Notre Dame’s season, South Florida has suffered its fair share of close losses in conference play. But unlike the Irish, the Bulls’ remaining stretch is brutal and there should be doubt in Tampa if the team will register a Big East win this season. Solomon Jones’ scoring has declined in recent weeks, and the South Florida bench is non-existent. A Feb. 18 home game against Rutgers is the Bulls’ last decent shot at avoiding an 0-for-the-season start in the Big East.
