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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (2/4/2008)

Earlier today we posted the links from the local media on tonight’s game, as well as our match-up preview and a prediction from the NBE Blogger on Big Monday’s match-up between Louisville and Marquette at the Bradley Center.   You can view these at either our Louisville Team Page or our Marquette Team Page.

Villanova is also in action tonight as they put their Big 5 streak on the line when they meet St. Joseph’s at the Palestra in the ‘Holy War’ of Philadelphia.

Several other news and notes around the Big East as Hasheem Thabeet is growing in to the 7’3 force he was expected to. Pitt misses the leadership of Levance Fields in the clutch and the seats under Norm Roberts and Tim Welsh are getting quite toasty.

Notre Dame is getting basketball crazy, Bob Huggins is putting a suit back in the closet…(for) good! Also, Sherrod Wright received some high praise from his coach at Mount Vernon.

Don’t forget, later today our Weekly Big East Bloggers Power Poll & Conference Notebook will be posted. We will also have some reviews from the Kobe Bryant Classic and the early parts of the Primetime Shootout coming your way as well…

Recently, Villanova has owned the City Series, winning a record 14 straight Big 5 games, but heading into tonight’s ‘Holy War’ with St. Joseph’s at the Palestra the Wildcats are the underdogs. Villanova Might Not Have the Wright Stuff to Continue Big 5 Streak (Philadelphia Daily News) and also must overcome the weight of their own four-game losing streak to do so. St. Joe’s has won 10 of 11, and will look to avenge the whipping of last year.

Although the game is at the Palestra, the Wildcats Face a Wild Reception (Philadelphia Inquirer) as it will be a home game for St. Joe’s. Villanova receives only 350 tickets for the game.
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Levance Fields is not expected to return to the Pittsburgh line-up for at least another 11 days. For his Panther teammates, it won’t be a moment too soon as Recent Losses Show Pitt is Missing its Leader Fields (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), especially in the clutch.

It does not get more clutch than the shot that Fields hit in December to beat Duke in Madison Square Garden. The Panthers have been unable to find someone to shots like that in the clutch since Big East play has begun.
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More and more this season you can see Hasheem Thabeet Grown into a Defensive Force (Hartford Courant) be-fitting his 7’3 frame. On Saturday, the numbers might have been pedestrian with 6 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks in 38 minutes, but DeJuan Blair and Sam Young finishing just 12-35 from the field showed a cleared illustration of Thabeet’s impact.

Also at UConn, Doug Wiggins believed he was treated unfairly by UConn police during his arrest for possession of alcohol by a minor. The story continues…
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Tim Welsh and Norm Roberts are feeling the heat. In the 16-team behemoth of a conference, competition is fierce on the court and in the game of recruiting. Neither coach has his team and staff performing up to the expectations of fans in either area. Welsh is Rapidly Falling out of Favor (Providence Journal) as the Friars’ downward spiral through the Big East standings continued Saturday against West Virginia before a home crowd that’s clearly growing tired of its team and its coach. As PC fumbled away a 12-point lead to be run out of their own building in the last 10 minutes, fans began to boo and make their feelings toward the head coach known clearly.

St. John’s, which once viewed itself as an elite program, is continuing its downward spiral into the abyss in this, its 100th year of basketball. Under Norm Roberts, St. John’s Downward Spiral Continued (NY Daily News) last week as they suffered their worst Big East loss ever, a 74-42 thumping by Georgetown at Madison Square Garden. That came a week after a similar defeat on their home floor to Pittsburgh. The Redstorm did manage to defeat South Florida over the weekend, on the road nonetheless, but it seems like nobody in New York City cares too much at this point.
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Don’t look now, but things are a little crazy at Notre Dame…for BASKETBALL?? Hoops is the New Football at ND…for now (Post Tribune) as the Irish ballers are making some fans, at least, forget about the bowl-less football season as the Irish race to the Big Dance behind a basketball player built like one of their lineman, Luke Harangody.
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The fashion police of college basketball will be happy, West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins is Putting the Gold Suit Way (Register-Herald). Huggs made quite a splash on the sidelines against Cincinnati with the gold suit and matching shoes. Apparently, his own players could not adjust their eyes, shooting a dismal 10-50 from the floor and 1-20 from the arc in a 62-39 loss on their home court.
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Sherrod Wright of Mount Vernon, who is being recruited by several Big East schools, had a big weekend with back-to-back 30-pt outings and on Saturday Wright’s 31 Points Propel Mt. Vernon (Journal News) to an 81-71 win over Long Island Lutheran. Wright also scored 30 in a win over New Rochelle on Thursday and coach Bob Cimmino compared the dominating performance to those that Ben Gordon used to turn in. What is more impressive, Wright has played the last four games with a heavily taped left wrist to protect torn ligaments.

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