According to one estimate, over 5,600 college basketball games were played in the 2008-09 season. In light of that, being present at just 100 of them doesn’t sound like much of an accomplishment. But consider that it’s physically impossible to be at more than one at a time, and on any given evening there are probably at least a half dozen games being played (many more on Saturdays at all times of the afternoon and evening), and it looks a little better.
As was the case when I topped the century mark two seasons ago, luck plays a role and a lot of things have to work out for this. That was true for me. I’m based in an area loaded with Division I schools that are within an hour from home, with four right around Boston along with Providence, Brown, Bryant, Holy Cross and Rhode Island. New Hampshire and UMass are both a little further away. Geography was a definite plus, but schedules needed to work out just right, especially for the many Saturdays that saw me cover two games, and other factors like weather and health play a role as well. In fact, I definitely felt the latter in mid-February, when a nasty cold left my voice shot for a few days.
This season also brought an additional challenge: technology. As loyal readers know and have surely read, we had some down time during the season. It would have been easy for that time to have been damaging, but we didn’t stop working, and a big thank you goes out to all of the media relations directors who continued to accommodate us during that time. That set the stage for a great month of March to close it out.
Without further ado, here’s a look back at 110 games in 2008-09. Following that is a special look at a few of the best – the top ten games I covered this season.
November 14, 2008
(1) Boston College 80, Central Connecticut State 65: The young Blue Devils gave Boston College a battle early on, but eventually succumbed to the Eagles as Rakim Sanders had the kind of game BC would hope to see more of. CCSU looks very much like a team of the future as its young talent is clear.
November 15, 2008
(2) Northeastern 70, Providence 66: Northeastern finally gets its breakthrough victory after a number of attempts on the road in Bill Coen’s first two seasons at the helm.
November 16, 2008
(3) Holy Cross 73, Saint Joseph’s 69 (OT): A historic day for Holy Cross, one where they honored four legends at halftime and then pulled out a victory in a tremendous game.
November 17, 2008 (NIT Season Tip-Off)
(4) Boston College 90, Loyola (Md.) 57: An easy win for the Eagles over another talented but young team.
(5) St. John’s 86, Cornell 75: Cornell stayed with the Red Storm for a while, but just didn’t have enough in the end without Adam Gore and Louis Dale.
November 18, 2008 (NIT Season Tip-Off)
(6) Cornell 82, Loyola (Md.) 72: Big man Jeff Foote had his way inside against a smaller lineup. The real story came from Loyola head coach Jimmy Patsos, who didn’t join his team after halftime until there was about a minute on the clock, then sat near the corner throughout the game and later gave a post-game rant to the media that included commenting on massive layoffs at a big bank.
(7) Boston College 82, St. John’s 70: The Eagles continue their early season strides with a win that sends them to New York a week later. It was their first win over a Big East team since they left the conference.
November 19, 2008
(8) Albany 76, Bryant 67: Bryant’s first-ever Division I game was at home and against a program that has been in their position fairly recently. Albany won after a challenging stretch of being on the road in the days leading up to this game.
November 20, 2008
(9) Providence 111, Sacred Heart 87: The Friars rolled in this game behind a career-high 30 points from sophomore Marshon Brooks. At this point, Brooks looks like he’s at the beginning of a major breakout season.
November 24, 2008
(10) Jacksonville State 75, Massachusetts 74: This surely wasn’t the way Minutemen fans were hoping Derek Kellogg’s tenure would begin, as they blow a late lead in the home opener. The Minutemen were up by five with about a half minute to go and lost in the final seconds. For young Jacksonville State, it’s potentially a major boost.
November 25, 2008
(11) Boston University 83, Northeastern 75: The crowd made this feel like a rivalry game for a change. Defensive issues and a failure to get someone going on offense besides Matt Janning did in the host Huskies.
November 26, 2008
(12) Brown 80, Army 73: The Bears get 26 points from Peter Sullivan and 15 points and 11 assists from Chris Skrelja. At this point, they’re looking good for a team that lost two excellent guards from last season’s team.
November 28, 2008 (NIT Season Tip-Off)
(13) Boston College 83, UAB 77: A good second half gives the Eagles a split in New York. After the game, UAB head coach Mike Davis lit into his team and left the media waiting for him, as he wasn’t finished when Al Skinner had addressed the media.
(14) Oklahoma 87, Purdue 82 (OT): Blake Griffin continued his ridiculous start in the rebounding department with 21 boards, but the Sooners needed Willie Warren and others to help them win this overtime thriller. It was a back-and-forth game at times, and Purdue looked every bit the team they were projected to be as they got solid games from several players.
November 29, 2008 (Philly Hoop Group Classic)
(15) Monmouth 55, NJIT 47: Not exactly a clinic, but Monmouth gets its first win of the season. NJIT had a chance to pull this one out; as they didn’t, the human interest story continued.
(16) Niagara 103, Hartford 63: The Purple Eagles probably played about as good a game as a team could play. The way they played in this game, they probably could have knocked off just about anyone.
(17) Penn State 78, Towson 54: The Nittany Lions bounced back from losing to Rhode Island the night before and showed some of the potential that would put them in the NCAA Tournament discussion later in the year.
(18) Villanova 78, Rhode Island 65: In winning the Philly Hoop Group Classic, Villanova was simply a better team and more physical than Rhode Island. Dante Cunningham continued his strong early play, something he would do later in the season as well.
November 30, 2008
(19) James Madison 73, Fordham 53: The struggling Rams didn’t play well, and the beneficiary of it was improving James Madison. The Dukes had become a better team on defense even in the early going, and it showed in this game.
December 1, 2008
(20) Fairfield 78, Holy Cross 66: Fairfield was playing well at this point, and this win kept them going. You could also see the difference between the two teams at the point guard spot, Fairfield with the steady play of Jonathan Han and Holy Cross having to go without the injured Pat Doherty.
December 2, 2008
(21) Boston College 57, Iowa 55: Let’s just say the Eagles escaped this one. Iowa stayed in the game throughout, as they would do much of the season, but just couldn’t break through at the end.
December 3, 2008
(22) Rhode Island 85, Northeastern 72: The third loss in a row for the Huskies in a bad stretch was aided by poor second-half defense, as they allowed Rhode Island to shoot 68 percent from the field after intermission. The Huskies shot 25 percent at the offensive end, so it wasn’t just one end of the floor where this game was lost.
December 6, 2008
(23) Providence 66, Rhode Island 65: A great game that was everything a rivalry game should be. It was a thriller that came right down to the wire.
(24) Boston College 85, Massachusetts 81 (OT): A good road win for the Eagles in this rivalry, and another tough loss for the Minutemen, who had a few of them early on.
December 8, 2008
(25) Army 59, Bryant 48: You could really see Army’s balance and potential in this game. The Black Knights had a number of players score in double figures at least once this season, and a couple of new players in that department came on this night.
December 9, 2008
(26) Brown 72, Hartford 62: While Brown continues to look solid and won despite shooting under 29 percent in the second half, it wasn’t a good game for the Hawks. Matt Mullery continued his early emergence, scoring 22 points for the Bears.
December 10, 2008
(27) Boston College 80, Bryant 61: The Eagles had this one without too much difficulty, but Bryant head coach Tim O’Shea took things in stride and found some positives for his team.
December 13, 2008
(28) Rhode Island 77, Central Connecticut State 69: The Rams continue a good start, getting another home win. As was the case against Boston College a month earlier, the young Blue Devils show plenty of promise.
December 14, 2008
(29) Boston College 67, USC Upstate 55: The Eagles pick up another home win against a team that’s traveled far and wide early in its transition to Division I.
December 17, 2008
(30) Providence 85, Jackson State 71: In the first half, the Friars didn’t look good at all and were clearly out-played. The second half was another story in their first game back after final exams.
December 20, 2008
(31) Boston College 81, Providence 76: Both teams came into this game hoping to get a boost as the jury was out on both of them. The Eagles were the better team, with the Friars’ biggest flaws being as evident in this game as any other.
December 21, 2008
(32) Delaware 70, Boston University 68: The Blue Hens didn’t have an easy trip to Boston, but they got there and then picked up a good win as they tried to head into the CAA portion of the schedule playing well.
December 22, 2008
(33) Providence 91, Bryant 64: This may have been a blowout, but for several of Bryant’s players, the chance to play a college game at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center was a dream come true.
December 23, 2008
(34) Boston College 99, Maine 61: This was never really a competitive game, as the Eagles cruised right from the outset.
December 27, 2008
(35) Hofstra 62, New Hampshire 57: The Pride head into CAA play by pulling out a tough win. They had a good record, but the jury was still out on a team with a lot of options up front to go with a backcourt not as deep but that did most of their scoring.
December 28, 2008
(36) Harvard 94, Daniel Webster College 51: Not surprisingly, this game was a blowout, but I had not been able to see Harvard all season to this point. One thing that was abundantly clear already was how Jeremy Lin made this team go, and it would be shown again later.
December 29, 2008
(37) Brown 89, Quinnipiac 73: Adrian Williams had the hot hand in this rare weekday afternoon game, going for 29 points and leading a tremendous shooting effort as the Bears went 14-17 from long range.
(38) Boston College 84, San Francisco 62: San Francisco goes home with two losses on its east coast road trip, having lost two nights earlier at Holy Cross. Neither game was one for the books defensively, as they gave up 97 points against the Crusaders, a team not known for putting big numbers on the board.
December 30, 2008
(39) Siena 83, Holy Cross 71: This game will be remembered most for what happened at the end, as Siena head coach Fran McCaffery had his players head straight to the locker room without shaking hands once the game was over. With the win, the Saints capped a good month of December and looked like a better team than a month earlier when they went 0-3 in Orlando.
December 31, 2008
(40) Boston College 89, Sacred Heart 76: The Eagles head into ACC play (albeit still having one more non-conference game mixed in) with another win. You could see some progress, but the jury was still out on them at this point.
January 2, 2009
(41) Harvard 73, Santa Clara 68: The Crimson didn’t have much size, and Bronco big man John Bryant had an efficient double-double (14 points on 7-11 shooting, 11 rebounds). But turnovers doomed the Broncos in this one as Harvard got the win.
January 3, 2009
(42) Northeastern 60, William & Mary 44: Matt Janning and Chaisson Allen combine to shoot 12-17 from the field to help the Huskies go to 2-0 in CAA play. The defense shut down the Tribe guards as well, as their three perimeter starters went 5-22 from the field.
(43) Providence 62, DePaul 54: The Friars go to 2-0 in early Big East games with this win, a good start. The young Blue Demons, on the other hand, didn’t look good at all.
January 4, 2009
(44) New Hampshire 58, Santa Clara 54: This game had the look of a mismatch all along, with Santa Clara big man John Bryant going up against the smaller UNH front line. But a big game from Alvin Abreu helped the Wildcats finally pull out a close game with conference play right in front of them.
January 5, 2009
(45) Northeastern 73, Hofstra 50: The Huskies set a tone early in this game and were never challenged thanks to their defense. They forced 25 turnovers and held Hofstra to 38 percent shooting.
January 7, 2009
(46) Harvard 82, Boston College 70: Just days after going to Chapel Hill and coming out with a stunning win, the Eagles come home and lay an egg, looking like a team that didn’t want to be on the court. To their credit, Harvard took advantage and played well, especially Jeremy Lin, who was scintillating with a number of big shots.
January 10, 2009
(47) Northeastern 68, Towson 53: Once again, the Huskies ride solid defense, especially early on, to a CAA win. They started off with leads of 17-2 and 23-4, and finish a stretch of four games in eight days by going to 5-0 in CAA play.
(48) Miami 77, Boston College 71: The Hurricanes even their ACC mark at 1-1 and break a long losing streak in Chestnut Hill, as they had not won there in ten years.
January 11, 2009
(49) Boston University 68, New Hampshire 37: This was never much of a game, as the Terriers continue their domination of the Wildcats, especially at home.
January 12, 2009
(50) Cornell 69, Bryant 46: In their final non-league game, the Big Red play very well and enter Ivy League play arguably looking stronger than a year earlier.
January 14, 2009
(51) Wake Forest 83, Boston College 63: This might have been where Wake Forest peaked, in retrospect. Fresh off a win over North Carolina, the Demon Deacons headed north and played a tremendous game to blow out Boston College. Though young, they appeared to be growing up quickly.
January 15, 2009
(52) Xavier 67, Rhode Island 65: These two teams hooked up for a dandy last year, and this was no different. Rhode Island led at the last media timeout, but this group of Musketeers simply knew how to win, and it showed down the stretch in this game.
January 16, 2009
(53) Yale 70, Brown 62: Yale had some struggles in non-league play, but seemed to be coming alive once the calendar turned to 2009. With this, they opened Ivy League play with a road win.
January 17, 2009
(54) Bryant 56, Fairleigh Dickinson 43: The Bulldogs get their third Division I win, seeing a reward for their hard work and resiliency after some blowouts in December could easily have crushed their spirits.
(55) Marquette 91, Providence 82: The Golden Eagles’ experience made all the difference. They trailed for a lot of this game, but once they tied the game and then took the lead, you had a feeling they were going to win. This game was also infamous for Jeff Xavier’s brother coming on to the court after Jeff was hit in the eye in a freak accident on a play moments earlier.
January 19, 2009
(56) Providence 72, Cincinnati 63: A Friars team that all too often lived and died by the three-pointer got some good results when they went inside in this game.
January 21, 2009
(57) Northeastern 58, George Mason 57: A tremendous game in the final few minutes after John Vaughan went down with a concussion. While he was on the floor for several minutes, there was a lot of concern, and fortunately he was okay.
January 22, 2009
(58) Boston University 80, UMBC 77 (2 OT): Fresh off a four-overtime game a few days earlier, the Terriers win another game with extra sessions. Both teams were down in numbers for this game.
January 24, 2009
(59) Boston College 79, North Carolina State 68: The Eagles wanted this game more against an NC State team that had some trouble playing a full 40 minutes during the season. On this day, that was understandable as they were playing with heavy hearts after learning of the passing of legendary women’s coach Kay Yow.
(60) Dartmouth 75, Harvard 66 (OT): This was a game Harvard had their chances in, but couldn’t make key defensive stops. Then Alex Barnett took over late in regulation and in the extra session, starting what would be an impressive run through Ivy League play.
January 28, 2009
(61) Providence 100, Syracuse 94: For a while, this was the Friars’ biggest win, although it came against an Orange team that was banged up. Jonny Flynn had a great game, but Sharaud Curry was even better in a game that might have seemed like a pipe dream a year earlier.
January 30, 2009
(62) Penn 66, Harvard 60: The Quakers had some non-league struggles, but opened up Ivy League play with this road win. They looked more like the Penn teams of old, ones that win a lot of games.
January 31, 2009
(63) Northeastern 73, Delaware 59: Back home after a huge road win at VCU to conclude a big three-game stretch, the Huskies pick up another win, although at times they didn’t look as sharp as they did for much of January.
(64) Boston College 67, Virginia Tech 66: The Hokies lost their share of heart-breakers this season, including this game. Rakim Sanders tipped in a miss with 0.1 second left to give the Eagles the victory.
February 4, 2009
(65) Villanova 94, Providence 91: The Friars made this look like a game, but the Wildcats were clearly a better team. Villanova isn’t loaded with star power, but in this game and several others, it was glue guys like Dwayne Anderson and Reggie Redding that came through for them.
February 5, 2009
(66) Boston University 77, Albany 67: Still down in numbers, the Terriers continue to pick up good wins. This one came against an Albany team that had just had a long layoff and proved to be a little streaky this season.
February 6, 2009
(67) Yale 87, Harvard 66: After a tough weekend, Yale bounced back with a strong offensive outing to pick up a convincing road win.
February 7, 2009
(68) Northeastern 77, UNC-Wilmington 65: A valiant effort by the undermanned Seahawks, who were beset with injuries all season but kept competing. The Huskies, meanwhile, got back on track after a tough loss a few nights earlier and won with contributions from several players.
(69) Harvard 64, Brown 63: After losing four straight at home, the Crimson finally pulled one out behind their seniors. Brown, meanwhile, suffered another tough loss, which they had a few of in Ivy League play.
February 8, 2009
(70) Saint Joseph’s 68, Massachusetts 64: A bigger win for the Hawks than many might figure, as it came on the road and in the kind of game they had not won during the season as they trailed at halftime and with ten minutes left to play.
February 10, 2009
(71) Clemson 77, Boston College 67: This was about the time that Clemson peaked, as it turned out. They were playing very well at this point, and it gave them their 20th win for the third straight season, a program first.
February 11, 2009
(72) Drexel 62, Northeastern 58: How the Dragons pulled this one out is tough to tell, as at times they didn’t look good at all. But tough defense and some clutch shots by Scott Rodgers went a long way to getting the win for a team that was a pleasant surprise.
February 13, 2009
(73) Penn 73, Brown 52: The Quakers were swept in a home Ivy weekend for the first time in 41 years a week earlier. That meant that a big effort was needed to bounce back, and they did just that in this one.
February 14, 2009
(74) Bucknell 72, Holy Cross 66: It wasn’t a season for the books for Bucknell, as a coaching change and then several injuries posed major challenges. But on this day, against their arch-rivals, the Bison came up with a solid effort for a road win.
(75) Providence 78, Rutgers 68: This game had the makings of a blowout early, as it wasn’t a ballgame in the first half. But the Scarlet Knights rallied steadily in the second half, never quite getting over the hump.
February 15, 2009
(76) Boston College 80, Duke 74: The Eagles break a nine-game losing streak against Duke with a better second half, especially in the final minutes. Jared Dudley was in the house, as he was the last time the Eagle faithful rushed the court after a win.
February 17, 2009
(77) Bryant 70, NJIT 46: When these two teams last met, NJIT broke a long losing streak by knocking off the Bulldogs. This time around, with the seniors doing the scout, the Bulldogs had this one right from the start.
February 18, 2009
(78) Georgia State 70, Northeastern 68: Another tough loss for the Huskies, this one the result of some bad defense in the second half and at times a slow offense. The Panthers, who were starting to find themselves by this point, won it on a buzzer-beater by an unlikely player, walk-on forward Ousman Krubally.
February 19, 2009
(79) St. Francis (NY) 82, Bryant 66: On Senior Night, a big shooting game for the Terriers led them to a win. Leading the way was Stefan Perunicic, who hit seven three-pointers, a few from beyond NBA range.
February 20, 2009
(80) Columbia 70, Brown 57: A strong defensive outing by the Lions set up a showdown the next night for second place in the Ivy League. Patrick Foley, who had missed a lot of time in the past calendar year, had his best game of the season.
February 21, 2009
(81) Notre Dame 103, Providence 84: Mike Brey knew his team needed some offense, and they gave him just that in handing the Friars a costly home loss.
(82) Cornell 85, Brown 45: In the second half, this was never a competitive game as the Big Red coasted, while Brown continued to struggle.
February 24, 2009
(83) Boston College 72, Florida State 67: With this win, the Eagles put themselves very close to NCAA Tournament “lock” status. The Seminoles turned the ball over too often and didn’t overcome them well.
February 25, 2009
(84) Rhode Island 93, Dayton 91 (OT): One of the best games of the year, and on a wild night in college basketball. It was close throughout between two of the best teams in the Atlantic 10, and Dayton had to come back late on a couple of key plays to send it to overtime, where Marquis Jones beat the buzzer. A year ago, the Rams might not have won this game.
February 26, 2009
(85) Boston University 76, Maine 65: The Terriers withstood a second half rally by the Black Bears to keep rolling late in the season.
February 27, 2009
(86) Harvard 72, Columbia 63: The injury-riddled Lions had to play small, much like the Crimson, and the home team came out on top in this one.
February 28, 2009
(87) Old Dominion 57, Northeastern 54 (OT): Gerald Lee was playing on a bad wheel, but for a stretch in the second half he carried the Monarchs, who were playing well down the stretch and ended the regular season with this nice road win over the fading Huskies.
March 1, 2009
(88) New Hampshire 58, Stony Brook 57 (OT): A well-played game between two teams battling for the No. 4 seed in the America East Tournament, and two very improved teams. Despite some struggles on the day, Tyrece Gibbs was not going to be denied on his Senior Day.
March 4, 2009
(89) Massachusetts 77, George Washington 62: It had been a tough season for the Minutemen, but this win on Senior Night helped salvage the season a little, especially for the three seniors.
March 6, 2009 (Ohio Valley Conference Tournament – Semifinals)
(90) Morehead State 63, UT-Martin 55: Lester Hudson had a huge game, but got no help as the top-seeded Skyhawks were knocked off in the semifinals by a tough Eagle team, aided by a monster game from Kenneth Faried.
(91) Austin Peay 67, Murray State 50: Another trip to the championship game for Austin Peay in a battle of two traditional powers in the conference. The Governors set a tone early in the game with aggressive play, and it continued throughout the game.
March 7, 2009 (Ohio Valley Conference Tournament – Championship)
(92) Morehead State 67, Austin Peay 65 (2 OT): In the championship game for the first time in 25 years, Morehead State pulls out a thriller to get back to the NCAA Tournament.
March 8, 2009
(93) Vanderbilt 75, Arkansas 58: The improving Commodores finished the regular season with an 8-8 SEC mark, which was pretty good considering how they started. The young Razorbacks had a lot of promise heading into SEC play, but wound up 2-14 in conference play.
March 12, 2009 (ACC Tournament – First Round)
(94) Virginia Tech 65, Miami 47: The Hurricanes, thought to be an NCAA Tournament-caliber team before the season, were relegated to the NIT with this loss. Virginia Tech played nice and loose, and it showed as they were clearly the better team.
(95) Georgia Tech 86, Clemson 81: All year long, the Yellow Jackets were right there despite struggling to win games. This time, they came through, and ensured that the No. 12 seed would finish 2009 still having at least a .500 record in ACC Tournament history all-time. Clemson, meanwhile, looked more and more like a team that peaked about a month ago.
(96) Maryland 74, North Carolina State 69: Eric Hayes got the Terrapins going, and once that happened they were on their way to a win.
(97) Boston College 76, Virginia 63: A difficult season ends for the Cavaliers, and not long after we would learn that it was the final game of Dave Leitao’s tenure in Charlottesville. The Eagles got a much-needed effort from a player who didn’t always give them that on the low post.
March 13, 2009 (ACC Tournament – Quarterfinals)
(98) North Carolina 79, Virginia Tech 76: A dandy ballgame that the Hokies needed for their NCAA Tournament hopes, and they had chances to win it. In the end, it was just like many other games for them this season. It was a little different for the Tar Heels without Ty Lawson and without doing much running.
(99) Florida State 64, Georgia Tech 62: The Yellow Jackets nearly pulled off another stunner, but the Seminoles kept that from happening in pulling out another close one. It was really a fitting end to a season full of such games for Georgia Tech.
(100) Maryland 75, Wake Forest 64: A big defensive effort by the Terrapins gave them a win that probably sealed their spot in the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, the Demon Deacons entered the NCAA Tournament looking very much like a “feast or famine” type of team.
(101) Duke 66, Boston College 65: Although neither team ever led by much, there was a point in this game where Duke looked to be taking over and on the verge of running away. But BC had their chances late in the game, ultimately unable to pull it out.
March 14, 2009 (ACC Tournament – Semifinals)
(102) Florida State 73, North Carolina 70: A big win for the Seminoles, which put them into the ACC title game for the first time ever. This made some people take notice, even though the Tar Heels were without Ty Lawson.
(103) Duke 67, Maryland 61: Maryland’s good run ended, while Duke moved on to another ACC title game.
March 15, 2009 (ACC Tournament – Championship)
(104) Duke 79, Florida State 69: Don’t let the final score fool you; this wasn’t a very competitive game. This continues the dominance of Duke and North Carolina in the ACC Tournament.
March 18, 2009 (NIT)
(105) Miami 78, Providence 66: Keno Davis’ first season at Providence came to end in a game that the Hurricanes were pretty much in control of early on. Jack McClinton came back to life in this game after being hampered for several weeks by a bum knee.
March 26, 2009 (NCAA Tournament East Regional Semifinals)
(106) Pittsburgh 60, Xavier 55: A well-played game that once again showcased the ability of Levance Fields to make a clutch shot after not shooting well all game long.
(107) Villanova 77, Duke 54: In the second half, the Wildcats dominated the Blue Devils to break the game open and run away in a matchup of similar teams. You could see that the Wildcats were still getting better at this late stage.
March 28, 2009 (NCAA Tournament East Regional Final)
(108) Villanova 78, Pittsburgh 76: A thriller between two conference rivals that was close for just about all of the game. It was a long road back to the Final Four for Villanova, the first since their national championship in 1985. Scottie Reynolds’ winning basket will be talked about for a long time.
March 31 (NIT Semifinals)
(109) Baylor 76, San Diego State 62: The Bears advance to the final by riding the offense of Curtis Jerrells and Lacedarius Dunn, the latter of whom topped 1,000 career points in this game as a sophomore.
(110) Penn State 67, Notre Dame 59: With a number of fans on hand that made Madison Square Garden feel like it was in Happy Valley, Penn State neutralized Luke Harangody en route to a win that advanced them to the final. The post player who shined wasn’t Harangody, but rather, Penn State emerging sophomore Andrew Jones.
Top 10 Games
1. March 28, 2009 – Villanova 78, Pittsburgh 76: Nothing more needs to be said about this one, a regional final that will be talked about for years.
2. March 7, 2009 – Morehead State 67, Austin Peay 65 (2 OT): This game had a number of heart-stopping moments late in regulation and in both overtimes.
3. February 25, 2009 – Rhode Island 93, Dayton 91 (OT): A great game on a wild night in college basketball, one that was close throughout and ended on a buzzer-beater.
4. January 21, 2009 – Northeastern 58, George Mason 57: This was already a good game, but the final minutes provided several major momentum swings as well as changes to the potential storyline.
5. December 6, 2008 – Providence 66, Rhode Island 65: Everything a good rivalry game should be, this came right down to the end.
6. November 28, 2008 – Oklahoma 87, Purdue 82 (OT): A great way to end the NIT Season Tip-Off.
7. January 22, 2009 – Boston University 80, UMBC 77 (2 OT): Just days after the Terriers played four overtimes, they play two more in a game where both teams were low in numbers.
8. March 13, 2009 – North Carolina 79, Virginia Tech 76: A well-played game in which the Hokies certainly had their chances on a number of occasions.
9. March 26, 2009 – Pittsburgh 60, Xavier 55: Easily the better of the two regional semifinal games in Boston on that night.
10. January 15, 2009 – Xavier 67, Rhode Island 65: The Musketeers pulled it out after trailing late in the game.
