2008-2009 Power Poll

NBE BIG EAST POWER POLL (12/29/2008) & CONFERENCE PREVIEW

Well, the 2008-2009 college basketball regular season is upon us and now it is time for conference play. The Big East conference tips off tonight with Georgetown and Connecticut (see our UConn Team Blog Site for a report from Zach Smart who is in Hartford for tonight’s game as well as the NBE Blogger’s game preview and prediction) squaring off on ESPN2 at 7 PM live from the XL Center in downtown Hartford.

NBE Basketball Report writers and contributors cast their ballots this week to vote on the weekly conference power poll as well as a Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week. Here are the results (with 1st place votes in parenthesis):

NBE Basketball Big East Power Poll:

1) Connecticut (7): 142 points.
2) Pittsburgh (2): 137 points.
3) Georgetown: 122 points.
4) Syracuse: 115 points.
5) Notre Dame: 98 points.
6) Villanova: 97 points.
7) Louisville: 90 points.
8: West Virginia: 89 points.
9) Marquette: 82 points.
10) Cincinnati: 58 points.
11) Seton Hall: 50 points.
12) Providence: 43 points.
13) St. John’s: 42 points.
14) Rutgers: 28 points.
15) DePaul: 21 points.
16) South Florida: 10 points.

Player of the Week: Alex Ruoff (West Virginia)

Freshman of the Week: Mike Rosario (Rutgers)

Your home for ALL the Big East action this week!

Here is a look at the Big East through the pre-conference schedule, courtesy of Chris Dokish (note – stats and records are through games of 12/27/2008 and do not inlcude games of 12/28):

It’s not quite the halfway point of the season. In fact, it’s more like a third of the way through the season. But the out of conference schedule is over for the most part and on December 29th, the first conference game of the season will be played. With that in mind, it’s a good time to see how things are shaping up so far this season, and who has the early lead for some very big honors.

Player of the Year: Luke Harangody, Notre Dame- The junior won the award last year and if he wins it again this year, he has the chance to go down as one of the top Big East players of all-time. Did anybody see that coming when he signed with the Irish? With UConn and Pittsburgh possibly fighting it out for the championship, though, UConn’s Hasheem Thabeet, as well Pitt’s Sam Young and DeJuan Blair, may give him a run for his money.

1st Team:
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame- He doesn’t always look like he’s dominating, but at the end of the game you look at his stats and you marvel at his production. This year he is checking in with a league leading 22.7 ppg, to go along with 12.0 rpg, 1.2 bpg, and 1.2 spg. From the field he has made 51.0% of his shots while also hitting 76.9% of his free throws.

Sam Young, Pittsburgh- He’s not the kind that explodes for 30 points, but he has been consistent all year long with 20.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.3 spg, and 1.1 bpg. He is also shooting 51.1% from the field, an excellent number for a small forward.

DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh- And you thought he was a beast last year. This season Blair seems to get a double-double in every game before he even breaks a sweat. So far, he has been dazzling with 14.7 ppg, a league leading 13.0 rpg, and 2.1 spg, a ridiculous number for a 265 pound center. If that wasn’t enough, he has also shown his efficiency by making 63.3% of his shots.

Hasheem Thabeet, UConn- Many may think the 7’3″ center talks too much, but at least you can say that he backs it up. Through the season, he has been proficient in all aspects of his game with 14.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg, and 3.7 bpg. At his height, you would expect a high shooting percentage and he doesn’t disappoint, hitting 67.4% from the field.

Jonny Flynn, Syracuse- With Donte Greene moving on after just one season, the sophomore is now the undisputed star of the team , and he has responded with 17.5 ppg, 5.3 apg, and 1.8 spg. For a guard, his 51.4% from the field is superb.

2nd Team:
Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall- Pirates fans knew this sophomore was good, but now everybody else knows, too. The second leading scorer in the league at 21.3 ppg, thanks to 37.1% from three point land and 79.7% from the line.

Jerome Dyson, UConn- One of the more underrated and underappreciated players in the conference, the junior is the leading scorer for the Huskies at 15.5 ppg, while also showing his great versatility with 3.6 apg, and 1.7 spg. He is also a lockdown defender.

Jerel McNeal, Marquette- The leading scorer for the Warriors at 17.8 ppg, Mr. Consistency also averages 4.5 rpg, 3.2 apg, and 1.9 spg, all while shooting 41.4% from three point land and 79.5% from the line.

Kyle McAlarney, Notre Dame- By far the best pure shooter in the conference and possibly the best pure shooter in the country (if you’re wondering if he is a better three point shooter than Davidson’s Stephen Curry, know that Curry has made 36.2% of his threes compared to McAlarney’s 47.6%). While teammate Harangody destroys people on the inside, McAlarney has gone off for 17.2 ppg, including making all 14 of his free throws. What makes his three point percentage even more impressive is that he has attempted a lot more of them than anybody else in the league.

Wesley Matthews, Marquette- Another highly versatile player who probably doesn’t get the recognition he deserves, but that’s unfortunate considering on the season he is averaging 19.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.6 apg, and 1.8 spg. Throw in his 37.1% from three and 83.3% from the line, and he is having just as good of a season as anybody on the first team.

Rookie of the Year:
Gregory Echenique, Rutgers- Samardo Samuels, Kemba Walker, Mike Rosario, Devin Ebanks, and Greg Monroe got most of the publicity entering the season, but the burly 6’8″ Venezuelan has quietly been better than them all so far this season.

All-Rookie Team:
Gregory Echenique, Rutgers- There’s no doubting his talent, but I don’t know if anybody was expecting 9.8 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2.7 bpg, and 63.1% from the field. Not only are his numbers good for a freshman, but considering he is fifth in rebounding, third in blocks, and fourth in field goal percentage, he is already one of the best big men in the conference, period. And to think, he wasn’t even supposed to be in the league this year.

Mike Rosario, Rutgers- Even though I give the nod to his teammate for the mid-season Rookie of the Year Award, Rosario has also played extremely well this season. The New Jersey native leads the squad in scoring with 16.8 ppg, thanks mostly to his 86.8% from the line. That number would lead the league if he only attempted 10 more this season.

Samardo Samuels, Louisville- He has won a lot of Rookie of the Week honors already this season and because of his high profile, he may be tough to beat out at the end of the season. He leads the Cardinals in scoring with 15.0 ppg, while also adding 6.6 rpg and 1.3 bpg.
Greg Monroe, Georgetown- Like most Hoyas who play for John Thompson III, his offensive numbers will not pop out at you, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t having a great season. His 12.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, and 57.6% from the field on offensive is complimented on the defensive side by 1.7 spg and 2.1 bpg.

Kemba Walker, UConn- He’s ready for stardom, but unfortunately for him, upperclassmen stars A.J. Price and Jerome Dyson are cutting into his minutes. That hasn’t stopped him from still having a very good debut season, however, as he has accumulated 9.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.0 apg, and 1.5 spg. He has also shot extremely well for a freshman with 51.6% from the field and 84.8% from the line.

State of the league

Major Contenders:
UConn- The Huskies have to still be the favorite to win the league and nobody in the conference can approach their combination of talent and depth. In fact, they may be the best chance the rest of the NCAA has to derail the North Carolina juggernaut come the Spring. The Huskies have three players in Hasheem Thabeet, Jeff Adrien, and Jerome Dyson, who could contend for All-American honors with Thabeet seemingly destined for the recognition. And that doesn’t include A.J. Price, who may be the most talented one of them all, and future All-American Kemba Walker. Throw in top notch guard reserve Craig Austie and the highly talented Stanley Robinson, who is just getting into playing form, and you can see just how talented this squad is.

Pittsburgh- The Panthers have the best frontcourt one two punch in the league in Sam Young and DeJuan Blair. Young has been consistently excellent all season, but the bruising Blair has maybe been even more consistently dominant. The rest of the squad is far off from the dynamic duo, though senior Levance Fields should be much improved if he can stay healthy and gets in shape. The Panthers also boast their usual suffocating defense and the great coaching of Jamie Dixon. After Young and Blair, the Panthers don’t come close to the talent level of UConn, but would anybody really be surprised if they were the team on top of the conference when it all ended? If you would be then you haven’t been paying attention for the last eight years.

Strong Contenders:
Georgetown- The Hoyas never look pretty, but John Thompson III is an excellent coach who will always have the Hoyas contending. Swingmen DeJuan Summers and Austin Freeman are the leading scorers, but sophomore point guard Chris Wright and freshman center Greg Monroe are both highly talented players that are only going to get better as the season progresses. Their methodical offense and tough defense will cause problems when the games get tougher late in the season.

Notre Dame - Nobody in the conference can come close to the great inside/outside game of reigning Player of the Year Luke Harangody and sharpshooting Kyle McAlarney. In the rare instance that Harangody has an off game, McAlarney can, and has, simply stepped up his scoring even more. Forward Randy Ayers has also proven that he can score and point guard Tony Jackson is the prototypical point guard with his high totals of assists and steals. Offensively they can be a Final Four team, but must step it up defensively.

Louisville- Even though the Cardinals have only lost two games, the fact the games were against the good, but lesser talented, Western Kentucky and Minnesota programs, makes them somewhat underachieving thus far. While the talent level is high, the top three of Samardo Samuels, Terrence Williams, and Earl Clark have yet to dominate on a consistent basis. Throw in the fact that point guard Edgar Sosa has not stepped up his game and you can see why the Cardinals have not lived up to expectations. On the other hand, the top three have loads of talent and they could be dangerous come tournament time, both in conference and in the NCAAs. Plus, they also have some guy named Rick Pitino.

Syracuse- The Orange have struggled in the past few years, but it looks like they are headed back to the NCAA tournament. Sophomore point guard Jonny Flynn has been great and he has gained great support from Eric Devendorf, bruising Paul Harris, Arinze Onuaku, and Andy Rautins. Onuaku’s inside presence, complete with a startling 74.7% from the field, is especially welcome to a team that has been missing that lately. If Devendorf’s off the court problems don’t prove to be a distraction, then the Orange should be tough all season long.

Marquette- Loaded with top end talent in Wesley Matthews, Dominic James, Jerel McNeal, and Lazar Hayward, but after those four, the level drops off sharply. The skinny 6’6″ Hayward has been forced to be a low post presence and he has responded with 9.4 rpg. It looks like they will go as far as their top four will take them, but, as evidenced by their 4-20 three point shooting night in a 14 point home loss to Dayton, they rely too much on perimeter players.

Villanova- Has quietly got off to an 11-1 start, but the lack of an elite player may prevent them from having a monster season. Stalwart Scotty Reynolds has been shooting well this year, but the most impressive player thus far has been Dante Cunningham, who has come out of nowhere as a senior to lead the team with 17.3 ppg and 7.8 rpg. Corey Stokes has also been playing well, and Cory Fisher, Antonio Pena, Reggie Redding, and Shane Clark has provided nice support.

West Virginia- The Mountaineers are perhaps a season or two away from being a major contender, but they are pretty good this year, too. Wings Alex Ruoff and Da’Sean Butler have led the way, but freshmen Truck Bryant and Devin Ebanks have also proven themselves early. Bob Huggins is a great coach and the Mountaineers are always tough and pesky, so there’s no doubt that they will make a lot of teams frustrated this season.

On the Fence for the Big Dance:
Cincinnati- With nine teams from the conference virtually guaranteed to make it, the Bearcats are going to have to be very impressive to get a tenth bid. They have started 10-2, thanks to Deonta Vaughn and freshman big man Yancy Gates, but they are going to have to beat some of the conference heavyweights if they want to play in the NCAAs.

Seton Hall- The Hall started off 8-1 with wins over USC and Virginia Tech, but bad losses to IUPUI and James Madison have dropped the Pirates to 9-3. Jeremy Hazell is a star, and Robert Mitchell, Eugene Harvey, John Garcia, and Paul Gause are all talented players. If they want to right the ship, they better do it quickly, however, because the NCAA Selection Committee will not give a tenth Big East team the benefit of the doubt.

Outside Looking In:
St. John’s- The Johnnies have started the season 9-3 and five players- Anthony Mason, Jr., D.J. Kennedy, Paris Horne, Justin Burrell, Sean Evans- are averaging in double figures. In addition, point guard Malik Boothe has also been playing well. But without a bonafide star, this league looks too tough for them to do any better than the NIT. But with the program being so down in the past few years, even that could be looked at as a major accomplishment.

Providence- Starting the season with a loss to Northeastern made it look like the Friars were going to be one of the disappointing teams this season, but the other three losses in their 8-4 start were to Baylor, St. Mary’s, CA, and Boston College, three talented teams that could be in the NCAA tournament. They are a good team that goes a legit eight deep, but if they already have four losses, the Big East is going to treat them even more harshly. They will, however, be competitive like always, and upset a few teams.

Rutgers- The 9-3 start looks deceiving because the three losses were to St. Bonaventure, Lehigh, and Binghamton. Yes, you read that right. The best thing that could happen to the program is to get to the NIT so that young stars Mike Rosario and Greg Echenique can develop their already burgeoning talent. After those two, however, there isn’t much.

DePaul- Hard to believe that at one time the Blue Demons were a force in the college basketball world. Dar Tucker and Mac Koshwal would be on any All-Underrated Team in the Big East, and both are excellent, but a 7-5 record will be too hard to overcome this year. With four of the losses to California (10-2), Northwestern (7-2), UCLA (9-2), and Creighton (10-2), they may not be as bad as many think, however.

South Florida- One of these days South Florida may be good. But it won’t be this year. Despite talented players like Dominique Jones, Jesus Verdejo, Mike Mercer, and Augustus Gilchrist, the Bulls still managed to start the season 5-7. The good news is that only Verdejo will graduate so maybe things will finally be better in Tampa next season.

Here is our link to last week’s poll: NBE BIG EAST POWER POLL (12/22/2008)

Here is the list of participants in the pollvoting:

NBE Blogger, Publisher of the NBE Basketball Report.

Ray Mernagh, College Basketball Editor of the Pittsburgh Sports Report and Publisher of Hoop Wise.

Nathan Wollack, Publisher/Founder of BlueDemonsNation.com and helps out as co-Publisher of our DePaul Team Blog Site.

Matt Whitfield, NBE Reporter and co-Publisher of our West Virginia Team Blog Site

Jeff Borzello, Publisher of March Madness All Season.

Ron Bailey, publisher of i95Ballerz.com.

Chris Dokish, Contributing editor of the Pittsburgh Sports Report and author of the NBE Basketball’s Big East All-Time Top 50 Players. Chris is also co-Publisher of our Pittsburgh Team Blog Site.

Doug Ferguson, Midwest Editor and NBA Analyst for NBE Basketball Report.

Zach Smart, who is in Hartford tonight, and covers a variety of events for NBE in New England and NYC.

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