Big East Conference Notebook
by Jesse Ullmann and Pat DiSalvo
1. Pittsburgh Panthers (5-1 Big East, 17-3 Overall)
Up Next: Wednesday at Cincinnati at 8 p.m., Saturday vs. St. John’s at 4 p.m.
Pittsburgh had two big wins in the past week, before falling to Marquette on Sunday 77-74. The Panthers had beaten Georgetown and UConn in two previous home games, but fell behind early against the Golden Eagles only to surge back and then lose in overtime. The loss dropped Pitt’s record against ranked teams to 0-3. While that blemish can be discouraging, there are plenty of bright signs for the Panthers. Center Aaron Gray seems to have busted out of a slump, scoring in double figures in the last four games. He netted 22 points and 19 rebounds against UConn. Ronald Ramon was also struggling – averaging only 8.8 points per game – but has 38 points in the last two games. While still appearing to be the class of the Big East, Pitt needs to show it can prevail over ranked teams to be seriously considered for a trip to Atlanta.
2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-2, 16-3)
Up Next: Saturday vs. Villanova at 4 p.m. (ESPN), Tuesday @ Syracuse at 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
The Irish continue to be one of the most consistent teams in the league. In their last matchup, they defeated South Florida by 24 points, 82-58. Somewhat similar to the emergence of Demetris Nichols of Syracuse, junior forward Rob Kurz has significantly improved his play. Behind Russell Carter, the Pennsylvania native is second on the team in scoring and Sunday in the win over USF he notched another double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Earlier in the week Notre Dame gave up 102 points in a loss to a surging Villanova squad. The 102 points was the most points scored by a Notre Dame opponent in eight years.
On Monday, the school suspended point guard Kyle McAlarney for the semester, ending his season with the team and putting his future up in the air.
3. Syracuse Orange (4-2, 15-5)
Up Next: Saturday at Louisville at 7 p.m. (ESPN)
After barely holding on for a win against lowly Cincinnati on Wednesday, the Orange sat at 4-1 in the Big East. But the UC game would be a sign of things to come. The Orange came out miserably flat against St. John’s at the Garden on Sunday. The Johnnies prevailed 64-60 as the Orange struggled to get anything going offensively. Sophomore Eric Devendorf netted a game-high 23, carrying the Orange late as the team tried to stay with the Red Storm. But a lackadaisical performance by the rest of the squad led to the loss. Demitris Nichols scored only 12 points, well below his season average of 19ppg. The Orange also shot 4-14 from the charity stripe. Throw that together with numerous missed lay-ups and sloppy ball handling, and the Orange, despite being in the upper reaches of the conference standings, have a lot of work to do.
4. Marquette Golden Eagles (4-2, 17-4)
Up Next: Wednesday vs. Seton Hall at 7 p.m., Sunday at USF at 1 p.m.
Marquette has rattled off four straight conference wins after starting 0-2 in the Big East. The Golden Eagles biggest win to date took place in overtime at No. 6 Pittsburgh this weekend, dealing the Panthers their first home loss of the season. The win raised Marquette’s record against ranked teams to 4-1. Dominic James has woken up after a few poor games, averaging just below 20 points per game in his last four. James was 10-10 free throw shooting in overtime against Pitt, which helped the Golden Eagles to a over second real marquee win this season (they previously defeated Duke). After a tough stretch of playing three ranked teams in four games, Marquette is in great position to be one of the top teams in the Big East, if not the champion by the time the season is over. The Golden Eagles have a few games against some of the Big East’s weaker teams in the next few contests, giving the team a much needed rest.
5. Louisville Cardinals (4-2, 14-6)
Up Next: Monday vs. UConn at 7 p.m. (ESPN), Saturday vs. Syracuse at 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Louisville finally received a boost from an underachieving upperclassman as junior Juan Palacios poured in 21 points to aid the Cardinals in an ugly win over DePaul 59-50 on Saturday. Palacios had not reached double digits in scoring in the past seven games, and had been averaging just nine points per game. Louisville could use consistent scoring from Palacios as the young team continues to struggle in finding an offensive identity. David Padgett is still struggling back from a knee injury and is not close to the player he was at this time last year. Derrick Caracter did not travel to DePaul and his status on the team is still up in the air. But the team finally got some good news as sophomore guard Andre McGee logged 16 minutes against the Blue Demons. McGee had played in only one of the previous seven games due to injury. This week will be a true measuring stick for the Cardinals as they face UConn and Syracuse, both at Freedom Hall.
6. Georgetown Hoyas (3-2, 13-5)
Up Next: Wednesday vs. DePaul at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN 2), Saturday vs. Cincinnati at Noon
Georgetown’s preseason hyped dynamic duo of Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green continue to struggle, or at least can’t produce together. Green scored in double figures in only one of the past four games, and Hibbert is averaging just 12 points and six rebounds per contest. Thankfully for the Hoyas, other players are stepping up to fill the void. In a win Friday against Seton Hall, junior guard Jonathan Wallace netted a career-high 21 points. Freshman forward DaJuan Summers also chipped in 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Hoyas do lead the conference in scoring defense, allowing merely 55.8 points per game. But offensively, the squad may want to look to get Hibbert and Green involved more. Hibbert shoots 71 percent from the field, yet is only averaging 12 points per contest.
7. Providence Friars (3-2, 13-5)
Up Next: Saturday @ Connecticut at 12 p.m., 2/3 @ Marquette at 2 p.m. (ESPNU)
Herbert Hill put on another solid show, as did Geoff McDermott in a convincing 78-63 victory over Rutgers. In past years these games were a problem for PC. They would win a big game and then there would be a letdown facing one of the lower-tier teams in the league such as Rutgers. Not this year. Tim Welsh seems to have a great mixture of veterans and inspired, fresh underclassmen. There have been subtle injuries here and there on the PC roster. After missing a game with a bum right ankle Ray Hall is available again. Hall is averaging 11 minutes per game this season, and was only able to play 5 minutes versus the Scarlet Knights as he tries to get healthy. Back spasms have caused Charlie Burch to miss time as he did not play Saturday. Meanwhile versus Rutgers Herbert Hill had 23 points, 13 rebounds while McDermott added 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists in a full 40.
8. West Virginia Mountaineers (4-3, 14-4)
Up Next: Wednesday vs. Marshall at 8 p.m., Sunday vs. DePaul at 2 p.m.
After a quick 3-0 start in conference play, the Mountaineers have dropped three of their last four. One game was a three point loss at Notre Dame, and on Saturday WVU blew a 17-point lead against Cincinnati. The team made only six of 28 three point attempts after halftime against the Bearcats. The 96 points scored by Cincy was by far the most the Mountaineers have given up all season. More young Mountaineers made their mark as sophomore guard Alex Ruoff led WVU with 21 points and freshman Da’Sean Butler added 14 points and 8 rebounds. West Virginia seems to have a talented group of youngsters, but is facing a daunting challenge in the next few weeks as Pitt and UCLA come to Morgantown. If the team plays solid defense, takes care of the ball (they currently lead the Big East in +7.7 turnover margin) and is on from three point range, WVU could still shock anyone in the league.
9. Seton Hall Pirates (3-3, 11-7)
Up Next: Wednesday @ Marquette at 8 p.m. (ESPN360), Saturday @ Rutgers at 2 p.m. (YES)
A tough blow to this season’s chances towards the goal of making the Big East tournament came when Grant Billmeier, a rare two-time Seton Hall captain, tore his left ACL against Providence. He is out for the season and, with the red shirt rule of 20 percent or less, Billmeier is done for his career. The senior veteran Pirate, despite low scoring and rebounding averages, is a presence inside especially nowadays when a big man is tough to come by. Billmeier was the first guy on the bench to applaud his teammates when they executed well. The Pirates will have to try and find a way to move forward from here.
The Pirates are 2-3 in their last five outings, the latest defeat coming at home to Georgetown by 74-58.
10. DePaul Blue Demons (3-3, 12-8)
Up Next: Wednesday at Georgetown at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN 2), Sunday at West Virginia at 2 p.m.
The Blue Demon roller coaster ride continued this weekend against Louisville. After winning three of its last four games, DePaul took what appeared to be a step backward in a loss to Louisville 59-50 on Saturday. The team has beaten teams such as Kansas and Villanova, but has also faltered to St. John’s and put up 39 points in a loss to Northwestern. The inconsistency continued against the Cardinals as DePaul struggled offensively, shooting 1-7 from the stripe and 26.7 percent from the field in the second half. Sophomore Wilson Chandler continued his superb play with 19 points and 10 boards, but fellow star Sammy Mejia was limited to just four points. The missed free throws killed the Demons at crucial points when the team could have taken the lead or tied Louisville. DePaul will likely fall under .500 in conference play in the next six games, as the team faces Georgetown, West Virginia and Syracuse on the road, and hosts UConn, Notre Dame and Marquette. But if Mejia and Chandler perform well in the same game, look for the Demons to shock one or two of the above.
11. Villanova Wildcats (2-3, 13-5)
Up Next: Tuesday at Providence at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at Notre Dame at 4 p.m. (ESPN)
If it weren’t for a deep bone bruise to Curtis Sumpter’s leg, Villanova may have had a perfect week. While the outstanding senior had to sit against Texas on Saturday, his Wildcats prevailed 76-69. Earlier in the week, Villanova topped Notre Dame 102-87. The two wins over ranked teams were big for the ‘Cats as they look to get back on track in the Big East. After losing their fabulous three guard combo to the NBA last season, there has been a void in the ‘Nova backcourt. Until now. Freshman Scottie Reynolds has decided to ditch being the polite freshman, and start shooting the rock. While he only shot 4-15 a few weekends ago at Syracuse, he lit up Notre Dame for 27, and Texas for 26. In Sumpter’s absence, sophomore Shane Clark added 11 points and 12 boards. But Reynold’s contributions are especially important. Outside of Nardi and Sumpter, the team was searching for an offensive threat, and now has found what may be the best out of the three if he stays hot. Shadowed by Reynolds’ outburst was a great defensive effort by the Wildcats, who held freshman sensation Kevin Durant to just 12 points (he had been averaging 34 per contest in the four previous games).
12. Connecticut Huskies (2-4, 13-6)
Up Next: Saturday vs. Providence at 12 p.m., Wednesday @ DePaul at 9 p.m.
Uncharted territory for a struggling Connecticut Huskies program, which after a 68-54 loss at Freedom Hall, have now lost three straight. Freshman guard Doug Wiggins started over a disappointing AJ Price versus Indiana and he looked good. Wiggins is averaging 19 minutes per game, Price just 26. Price (10.7ppg) did play well scoring 17 points in a 68-54 loss at Louisville. On the season he is averaging double figures in scoring but Wiggins (8.4) is right behind so it really would not make a significant difference if Jim Calhoun decides to flip-flop midseason. The only question is whether or not you kill Prices’ confidence in the long run and in the big picture. Wiggins is explosive and can shoot. He passes well, is a little out of control at times but can be the Huskies floor general if given the role.
The Huskies blew a late game lead against IU. Two Stanley Robinson free throws gave them a 62-60 advantage. But some excellent three point shooting and late game heroics the Hoosiers helped the Hoosiers to a 77-73 victory.
13. Saint John’s Red Storm (2-4, 11-8)
Up Next: Saturday @ Pittsburgh at 4 p.m. (MSG)
The Knicks and Rangers have provided plenty of entertaining games at the Garden so far this season. This past Sunday, however, it was St. John’s stealing the spotlight with an impressive victory over Syracuse, 64-60. A four-point play from JuCo transfer Avery Patterson gave the Red Storm a 61-58 lead with 1:28 to play. Patterson came back at the one-minute mark on the ensuing possession and drained another three pointer. Daryll Hill and Ricky Torres were inactive, Hill with recurring knee problems. While the two were absent, Larry Wright came off the bench notching 6 points, 4 rebounds. The six points by Wright off the bench matched the whole Syracuse bench combined. Starting forward Anthony Mason, Jr. scored a team high 16 points on four three pointers.
The win over the Orange was a needed boost for the St. John’s ego, especially since back-to-back contests against Georgetown and Pittsburgh are next with just two days off to follow and then a trip to Cincinnati.
The Red Storm received a mid-season verbal from Mike Cavataio, a St. Francis Prep kid who leads the NYCHSAA in scoring, averaging 25.3 points per game through nine games this season.
14. Cincinnati Bearcats (1-3, 10-8)
Up Next: Wednesday vs. Pittsburgh at 8 p.m., Saturday @ Georgetown at 12 p.m.
This is the toughest stretch the Bearcats face all season with West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Georgetown piled up on top of the Cincy schedule. The stretch started off well, however, as the Bearcats overcame a 17-point deficit to defeat the Mountaineers 96-83. The Bearcats are one of four Big East teams still in search of a conference road win. That chance will come in a Saturday matinee game versus the Georgetown Hoyas. Mick Cronin and crew cannot even think about that game yet as the first concern is Pittsburgh Wednesday night. Freshman guard Deonta Vaughn now leads the team in scoring averaging 13.6 points per game and is second to only Seton Hall’s Eugene Harvey amongst the league’s freshmen. A win over a struggling Pittsburgh team would do wonders for their confidence.
15. South Florida Bulls (1-5, 10-10)
Up Next: Wednesday vs. Rutgers at 7 p.m. (FSNY), Sunday vs. Marquette at 2 p.m.
USF was on the verge of pulling off what would have been considered the biggest upset of the early Big East season as they led Notre Dame 24-21 in the first half in South Bend. It wasn’t to be though as the Irish spurred a 21-2 run into a 82-58 win. The Bulls have lost four of their last five and, in a game which will pit the bottom feeders of the conference, they will host Rutgers Wednesday night at the Sun Dome. USF has never beaten the Scarlet Knights.
Center Kentrell Gransberry notched 23 points, 11 rebounds, both of which were game-highs, in the loss to the Irish. While four players average double figure scoring with Gransberry and either McHugh Mattis or Melvin Buckley usually taking on the offensive load, poor bench play has hindered USF. Against Notre Dame the Bulls bench was outscored 23-2.
16. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-5, 8-11)
Up Next: Saturday vs. Seton Hall at 2 p.m. (YES), Wednesday vs. West Virginia at 7 p.m. (SNY)
Adrian Hill was in foul trouble all night, which summed up another tough one for Rutgers as they fell 78-63 in a game in which the Scarlet Knights trailed by as much as 30-14 in the first half. The Knights have been at times stagnant offensively, desperately searching for someone to provide any offense. Against the Friars, Marquis Webb and Anthony Farmer were the only two to score in double figures. JR Inman, who currently leads the team in scoring, went 2-for12 from the floor and scored just five points. Once again if Rutgers has any intention of making the Big East Tournament, then South Florida and Seton Hall are virtual must-wins.
