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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (12/14/2009)

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Many schools around the country are beginning final exams for the first semester today, so the schedule is light this week in college hoops. The Big East has no games on the schedule for Monday, Thursday and Friday and just one game Tuesday and four on Wednesday this week.

It might be a good thing, as the past weekend was not too kind for conference teams. The conference was just 4-4 on Saturday with Louisville and Notre Dame suffering damaging home losses to their post-season resumes. Providence completed a busy week with four games in seven days and fell to Iona, at home. Marquette lost in their annual rivalry game to Wisconsin in Madison. Georgetown did come up with an impressive win in California as they traveled across country and came up with a win over a ranked Washington club.

Things were the same on Sunday as the conference was 3-3. The Atlantic 10 handed Big East teams two of those losses as unranked Temple upset Villanova and Xavier did the same to Cincinnati in two overtimes. Elsewhere, without Augustus Gilchrist, South Florida lost at home to Central Michigan. On the positive side, Syracuse continued to role, in a game I saw in-person, to a 10-0 start while resting most of their regulars. St. John’s and DePaul also cruised to easy home victories.

Also, it might be three months away, but our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page has the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. With all the excitement recently at Madison Square Garden, Big East Tournament tickets could make a great holiday gift for any Big East fan on your shopping list. Stub Hub and the Big East conference have teamed up to provide fans with quality tickets and you can get tickets to any Big East conference or non-league game by following this link: StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online

Read on below for all of today’s News & Notes…

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Syracuse improved to 10-0, their best start in 10 years, as the Orange Turns Up the Pressure Against St. Francis (Syracuse Post-Standard) in a 75-51 win.

Coming off the big win over Florida on Thursday to close the 2009 SEC/Big East Invitational, Jim Boeheim expected a little dip in defensive intensity as SU Battles Letdown Before Victory (Watertown Daily Times) on Sunday. A few defensive breakdowns gave coach Boeheim teaching moments before the Orange iced this game away.

Arinze Onuaku led the Orange with 14 points and Wesley Johnson added 12 points and 9 rebounds as Syracuse used their decided size advantage to dominate St. Francis. The Orange shot 54% from the field while limiting the visitors to 29% and forcing 17 turnovers.

From my Carrier Dome vantage point on Sunday the aspect of this SU team that stuck out to me was their passing (24 assists on 29 made baskets Sunday). Not only the skill of being one of the better passing teams I have seen in a while, but the unselfish mindset that this team has. The veteran presence of 5th year seniors Arinze Onuaku and Andy Rautins along with 4th year junior Wesley Johnson shows this is a team that ‘gets it’ and they understand their roles. Brandon Triche and ‘Scoop’ Jardine fit the personnel perfectly while running the show. This is also a very BIG Orange line-up, able to fill the backline of the 2-3 zone more impressively than any SU team in recent memory going back to the national championship team with Hakim Warrick and Carmelo Anthony on the blocks. They might be a little thin at guard and not the best three-point shooting team outside of Rautins, but with Kris Joseph and Mookie Jones finding roles off the bench and playing to their role, this team has it going on!

The Carrier Dome should be a very fun place this winter!!
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There has been a lot of exciting battles in the crosstown shootout between Cincinnati and Xavier over the years. In a rivalry that has seemed to have lost some luster in recent seasons, last night’s game might have brought the emotions back as Tempers Flare Like Crosstown Shootouts of Old (Cincinnati Enquirer) before the Musketeers pull off the upset in double overtime, 83-79.

Pushing, shoving and two technical fouls made for a tense atmosphere after Xavier’s Jordan Crawford and UC’s Rashad Bishop got into a scrum with just over seven minutes left in the first half, and each drew a technical foul.

Seconds after the dust-up, Bishop had to be restrained from going after Crawford. A few minutes later, both teams nearly went at it at midcourt during a TV timeout.

After emotions simmered, a classic of a basketball game ensued as 12 ties, nine lead changes and two overtimes followed. Cincinnati rallied in regulation to force OT as Lance Stephenson again showed his enormous potential with a game tying drive to the basket in the final seconds. In overtime, Xavier Rallies to Send Crosstown Shootout into First Ever Double Overtime (Cincinnati Enquirer) before X outscored the Bearcats 9-5 in the second OT.

The big difference in the game was from the foul line. Xavier was 28 of 36 from the stripe while UC was a poor 10-22. Also, Immaturity Helps Doom the Bearcats (CNati.com) as Mick Cronin’s team lost their cool and focus. Stephenson glared down the Xavier bench, repeatedly jawed with Musketeers players, found himself in the middle of an altercation and even spent time talking at Musketeers coach Chris Mack, at least according to XU coach in CNati.com.

“True toughness is dealing with the environment and winning the game,” Cronin told CNati.com.

It is a lesson for the Bearcats, one that will serve them well, despite the loss, once the Big East battles begin later this month.

Stephenson finished with 22 points for UC. Yancy Gates came off the bench to score 18 in 40 minutes and Deonta Vaughn added 13. Vaughn, however, was just six of 19 from the floor and one of seven from three-point range. He finishes his Crosstown Shootout career with a 1-3 record against XU as the Musketeers have now won three in a row in the series.
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South Florida found life without Augustus Gilchrist tough as the Bulls Were Upset by Central Michigan, 59-56 (Tampa Tribune) Sunday at the Sun Dome.

The lack of depth for USF was evident as Stan Heath used just six players for 197 of the 200 available minutes. Without leading scorer Gus Gilchrist due to torn ligaments in his right ankle, USF (7-2) struggled offensively against a Central Michigan (4-5) team that played with more energy and determination.

Gilchrist is expected to be out another four-to-six weeks. Dominique Jones scored 24 in the loss, but someone is going to have to help him out with Gilchrist unavailable.
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In the ‘City Series’, more commonly known as Big 5 basketball, anything can happen. Even with the way Villanova has dominated the series in recent years, yesterday’s result was not all that shocking to those following Big 5 hoops closely.

Temple Topples No. 3 Villanova (Philadelphia Inquirer), 75-65, before 8,449 fans at the Liacouras Center.

The Owls rode the hot shooting of Juan Fernandez, who scored 33 points, and a tough defense that limited ‘Nova to 28 second half points for the win.

Temple outscored the Wildcats 44-28 after intermission to rally from a 37-31 deficit. Scottie Reynolds scored 23 to lead ‘Nova.
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DePaul and Illinois-Chicago tried their best to breed some Chicago passion in their rivalry game Sunday. When UIC’s K.C. Robbins elbowed Mario Stula in the face late in the first half, UIC led 22-21 as Robbins was banished to the locker room after he was ejected for the flagrant foul. The foul seemed to awaken the Blue Demons who rolled from there as DePaul Tops UIC 77-56.

Will Walker scored 18 in the win and Mike Bizoukas came off the bench, limited UIC’s top scorer Robo Kreps defensively while scoring 5 points, grabbing 9 rebounds and dishing out 8 assists (without a turnover) in 34 minutes of stellar play for the Blue Demons.
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Despite 32 points and 15 rebounds from Chris Gaston and still without Anthony Mason and Justin Burrell, St. John’s had little trouble with city foe Fordham in a 73-56 win.

‘Old Man Speed’ Kills for the Johnnies (NY Post) as Justin Brownlee Helps St. John’s Rout Fordham (Newsday). The JUCO transfer had 14 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks in 25 minutes off the bench.

Paris Horne added 14 points and DJ Kennedy also scored a double-double with 13 points and rebounds in the game.
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Notre Dame did serious damage to its NCAA tournament hopes on Saturday night by dropping an 87-85 decision to Loyola Marymount at home. The Loss May Haunt the Irish All Season (South Bend Tribune) as LMU came in as losers of four of their last five, falling to Tulsa, UCSB, Montana and Wyoming, and just 3-7 overall.

Of course, being outrebounded (40-33), allowing LMU to shoot 52% and only forcing 7 turnovers shows the Irish shortcomings are very similar to the shortcomings of last year.
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Other weekend observations:

WOW…Seton Hall goes for 134 in win over VMI. The point total for the Pirates, believe it or not, was not all that shocking with how VMI plays (also gave up 115 to UNC-Wilmington, 111 to Coastal Carolina and 103 to Richmond, but Jamel Jackson exploded for 40 points in the win. Jackson had scored 49 points in the seven previous games this year!
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Good win for Georgetown over Washington in the Wooden Classic on Saturday. If Julian Vaughn (18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks in 24 minutes) can continue to give Greg Monroe consistent help offensively, defensively and on the boards it will go a long way to cementing the Hoyas in the conference race.
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Louisville gave up 57 second-half points, on their home floor, to Western Carolina in a 91-83 loss. The Cards turned the ball over 21 times, which turned into 28 points and watched the visitors go to the line 41 times as UL was defenseless. Something that will catch Rick Pitino’s attention; Samardo Samuels grabbed two rebounds in 26 minutes.

Check back later today for more of the latest Big East news, notes and recruiting information.

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