January 2009

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEWS (1/31/2009)

The NBE Blogger has had a strong week, going 7-1 straight up and 6-2 ATS. For conference play to date, the record is 49-14 outright and still a poor ATS record of 31-32 record.

As usual, it is a busy Saturday with five games on the schedule. You can follow the links below of the teams to find links to pre-game stories and previews found on the web as well as our preview of the game and a prediction from the NBE Blogger (and, remember to leave your prediction, thoughts and analysis in the comments while there):

Notre Dame at Pittsburgh (-11 1/2), Noon.

West Virginia at Louisville (-6 ½), Noon.

Georgetown at Marquette (-6 1/2), 2 PM.

Providence at Connecticut (-12 1/2), 4 PM.

DePaul at Rutgers (-3 ½), 8 PM.

(NCAA basketball odds are provided by BetUS.com)

BIG EAST DANCE CARD (1/30/2009)

by Jeff Borzello

Well, if you didn’t think the Big East could get anymore confusing and muddled, this week just made it much tougher to figure out. As we enter February and the stretch run towards Selection Sunday, the conference has three national title contenders in Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Louisville; one of the hottest teams in the country in Marquette; and a major drop-off to the rest of the conference. Just a few short weeks ago, many thought there was little difference between the top seven teams in the league. Now, there is a clear-cut gap between the top teams and the middle-of-the-pack clubs. How does that affect the NCAA Tournament picture for the conference? Let’s take a look. Starting next week, I will project the seed for each team.

Connecticut: With Duke’s loss Wednesday at Wake Forest, does this position the Huskies to be the overall No. 1 seed come Monday if they beat Providence at home? The RPI went down slightly due to playing DePaul, but Connecticut keeps winning and the fellow top-seed candidates keep falling. The Huskies are 9-1 against the top-100 and have won eight in a row since their loss to Georgetown. They have a showdown Monday at Louisville.

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UPDATE ON…DASHONTE RILEY

Unsigned 2009 big man not rushing decision, Big East schools considered

DaShonte Riley is still on the board for the class of 2009. And, as expected with a 6-foot-11 prospect, the interest in his services is quite intense from several high-major programs across the country.

Playing for the USA Today’s Super 25‘s 5th-ranked team, Detroit Country Day, Riley is averaging about 11 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks for the 12-0 team.

It was not expected that Riley would be open at this stage of the game for schools looking to add the much-desired element of height and athletic ability. Last May, Riley made a verbal commitment to Georgetown and it looked like he had the potential to be the next in a long line of top big men to play for the Hoyas.

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (1/30/2009)

The Big East’s battle of New Jersey came down to the final seconds as Seton Hall extended the Rutgers’ losing streak, which has now hit nine game.

There is a night off from games in the Big East on this Friday, but the action will be hot again this weekend. Around the league we take a look at the Louisville defense that is propelling their run into the conference lead. One UL player has big dreams and plans for after college, and it is NOT the NBA. Pittsburgh looks to avoid the similar ingredients that have led to their two losses. It is a big battle ahead on Saturday for the Panthers with Notre Dame as the big men take center stage. Injury updates at Syracuse and UConn and the Huskies hope to snap a streak of losing at home to Providence this weekend. They may need more production from Stanley Robinson to do so. Cincinnati is also getting the job done of late with defense.

One 2010 Big East prospect from NYC made his college decision yesterday and opted to stay close to home, but not with a Big East school. Elsewhere, Maalik Wayns’ high school career could possible be over a little earlier than expected.

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (1/29/2009)

It was a busy night in the Big East with six games on the schedule. Three teams ranked in the most recent Top 25 went down to defeat on the road and Connecticut looks to be one-step away from their turn as the #1 team in the country. Louisville and West Virginia picked up easy wins on the night. Read on below for a recap of ALL the action…

Also, a few news and notes on the recruiting front as a NYC Big East target looks to make a decision on his future today, an article on Lamar Patterson is on the NBE network and a summary of a recent Oak Hill-National Christian Academy match-up that had a few future Big East players look very good in. Also, Rutgers has their eyes on a possible future point guard.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW (1/29/2009)

The NBE Blogger had it working last night, going 5-1 straight up and ATS on Thursday. The only blemish was Pittsburgh falling to Villanova. For conference play to date, the record is 48-14 (77%) outright and the ATS record has climbed back to .500 at 31-31 record.

On Thursday night, the Big East gives us one game as the Rutgers-Seton Hall rivalry is renewed at the Prudential Center in Newark. You can follow the links below of the teams to find links to pre-game stories and previews found on the web as well as our preview of the game and a prediction from the NBE Blogger (and, remember to leave your prediction, thoughts and analysis in the comments while there):

Rutgers at Seton Hall (-7 ½), 9 PM.

(college basketball betting odds are provided by BetUS.com)

NEWARK INVITATIONAL RECAP

Intro by Ray Floriani
Recaps by Matt Whitfield

NEWARK, NJ- The first Newark National Invitational proved to be a well-received, successful event. It was not a tournament per se. The event matched up a New Jersey power against a strong program from out of state. There were six games and the one girls matchup saw a battle of Garden State powers. Actually, these were elite programs that call the City of Newark home. Shabazz and Bloomfield Tech squared off in that lone girls meeting.

This invitational originally started as the Brian Doherty classic and was held at St.Benedict’s. It expanded this season and with a national theme was held at the Prudential Center. Doherty was a member of the St.Benedict’s class of 1966. He passed away in 2001 but for many years was a friend of the St.Benedict’s and St.Anthony’s programs. Simply, Doherty was a special person whose achievements and impact would take a great deal more space.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEWS (1/28/2009)

The NBE Blogger took care of business on Monday night going 1-0 straight up and against the spread as Marquette continued the Notre Dame slids. For conference play to date, the record is 43-13 outright and still a poor ATS record of 26-30 record.

Wednesday night is a busy one in the Big East with 12 of the 16 conference teams in action as six league games are on the schedule. You can follow the links below of the teams to find links to pre-game stories and previews found on the web as well as our preview of the game and a prediction from the NBE Blogger (and, remember to leave your prediction, thoughts and analysis in the comments while there):

St. John’s at West Virginia (-16 1/2), 7 PM.

Pittsburgh (-3 1/2) at Villanova, 7 PM.

South Florida at Louisville (-17 1/2), 7 PM.

Syracuse at Providence (-1 1/2), 7 PM.

Georgetown (-5 1/2) at Cincinnati, 7:30 PM.

Connecticut (-13 1/2) at DePaul, 9 PM.

(NCAA basketball odds are provided by BetUS.com)

BIG EAST STOCK REPORT: WEEK #4

By Anthony Jaskulski

*All stats provided are conference games only unless otherwise noted.

1. Connecticut 18-1, 7-1, Stock: UP

National Ranking: 2

Last game: W 69-61 at Notre Dame

Next game: Jan. 28 at DePaul

Strong Point: Forward Jeff Adrien has been a monster for Connecticut, and his 12 points and season-best 19 rebounds helped snap Notre Dame’s 45 game home winning streak on Saturday.

Area of Improvement: The Huskies don’t need much, but an area that could hurt them later down the stretch is their -1.12 turnover margin, with a 3^rd worst 101 turnovers surrendered in league play this year.

Overall Analysis: Connecticut may be averaging a 2^nd conference best 37% from beyond-the-arc, but don’t be fooled, it’s their astounding Big East best 28 rebounds per game and +8.7 rebounding margin that has kept them at the top of the charts for a second week in a row.

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FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE PRIMETIME SHOOTOUT

by Matt Whitfield

The Primetime Shootout continues to expand and evolve as one of the nation’s best high school events. The 2009 PTS Game Schedule features 28 boy’s high school match-ups, featuring at least 15 of the top 25 teams in America. The action takes place on five days over the course of three weekends with the festivities getting under way last Friday on the campus of Rutgers University, let’s take a look at the game-action from the first leg of the 2009 Primetime Shootout:

De Marcus Cousins Too Much For Duncanville

Out-of-state programs Duncanville (TX) and LeFlore (AL) squared off on the Rutgers campus in New Brunswick (NJ), a far way from home. This game featured several high-end division one prospects, including heralded 6’9 behemoth and top five overall recruit DeMarcus Cousins. Despite the matchup of two, top-ranked teams, this game was a defensive battle, as the final score ended up looking like a halftime score.

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CLASS OF 2011 INTRO: SIDIKI JOHNSON

St. Ray’s sophomore big man showing early signs of promise as next high-major Raven

by Zach Smart

NEW YORK—Just a high school sophomore, Sidiki Johnson is already a highly sought after player on the recruiting radar.

Johnson is getting considerable looks from Providence, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh, amongst many other potential major suitors.

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (1/27/2009)

Marquette continued to roll and their win at Notre dame last night has put the Irish on the ropes with a tough road ahead in the Big East.

Elsewhere around the league are some injury updates from Syracuse, where a big man needs to improve his foul shooting, Louisville and USF says good-bye to another player.

Pittsburgh and Villanova will play the last basketball game ever at the Spectrum. The Wildcats will have to contend with the nation’s #1 offensive rebounder. At DePaul, Jerry Wainwright is hearing the catcalls and taunts from the stands, but his AD is still in full support of his direction with the program. Also, an article on what WVU needs to do to get wins and a look at the main coaching influence on Mick Cronin, whic extended past a couple Big East legends that he once worked for.

Also, recruiting stories on Tom Droney and a look at Dominic Cheek and his life in Jersey City. An update on terrence Boyd that we try to sort out as well as a look at what Bob Hurley thinks the local Big East schools need to compete…sounds pretty simple, but maybe easier said than done in this league.

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NEXT AT MT. VERNON: JABARI HINDS

2011 guard shines at SNY Invitational, Big East schools watching

by Zach Smart

NEW YORK—Bob Cimmino’s Mount Vernon Knights basketball program has been a steady pipeline to the Division 1-A ranks in recent seasons. This year’s hot prospect is Sherrod Wright, who followed Kevin Jones, who followed Jonathan Mitchell and there was also Keith Benjamin, Ben Gordon and on and on. From all indications, current sophomore point guard Jabari Hinds is next in line.

Click HERE to read rest of article

NBE BIG EAST POWER POLL (1/26/2009)

Here is the NBE Basketball Report Power Poll for January 26, 2009. Each week, writers and contributors of the NBE Basketball Report cast their ballots and rank the Big East teams 1-16 and votes are tallied in the same manner of the AP and Coaches polls. Everyone also submits a vote on the Player and Freshman of the Week and those results are below as well.

Here is this week’s poll (with first place votes in parenthesis):

1) Connecticut (4): 122 pts.
2) Pittsburgh (1): 118 pts.
3) Louisville (2): 116 pts.
4) Marquette (1): 108 pts.
5) Syracuse: 93 pts.
6) Georgetown: 80 pts.
7) West Virginia: 76 pts.
8: Villanova: 75 pts.
9) Notre Dame: 66 pts.
10) Providence: 65 pts.
11) Cincinnati: 47 pts.
12) St. John’s: 39 pts.
13) Seton Hall: 32 pts.
14) South Florida: 26 pts.
15) Rutgers: 16 pts.
16) DePaul: 9 pts.

Here are the contributors:

NBE Blogger
Nathan Wollack
Chris Dokish
Matt Whitfield
Doug Ferguson
Ray Mernagh
Anthony Jaskulski

Jeff Borzello

PlayerS of the Week: Terrence Williams, Louisville and Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall

Freshman of the Week: Augustus Gilchrist, South Florida

Here is the NBE BIG East Power Poll from 1/19/2009.

BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (1/26/2009)

The top four teams in the Big East seem to be separating themselves from the pack. On Saturday we saw Marquette get past DePaul to move to 6-0 in the conference and Connecticut ended the Notre Dame 45-game home win streak to improve to 7-1 in the Big East.

On Sunday Louisville and Pittsburgh hit the road to try and stake their claim among the conference title contenders as we near the halfway mark of conference play.

Hopefully this weekend readers were able to catch Zach Smart’s coverage of the SNY Invitational which included several recruiting notes on the event’s top players with Big East relevance. Here is his SNY Invitational – Friday coverage and his SNY Invitational – Championship Game coverage with Mount Vernon and Sherrod Wright claiming the title.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW (1/26/2009)

The NBE Blogger took it on the chin Sunday going 0-3 picking the winner straight-up and another losing day ATS at 1-2. For conference play to date, the record is 42-13 (76%) outright and the slump continues ATS with a 25-30 record.

Big Monday returns today and there is a very intriguing match-up in South Bend to tune into this evening with Notre Dame hosting Marquette. You can follow the links below of the teams to find links to pre-game stories and previews found on the web as well as our preview of the game and a prediction from the NBE Blogger (and, remember to leave your prediction, thoughts and analysis in the comments while there):

Marquette at Notre Dame (-3 ½), 7 PM.

(NCAA basketball betting odds are provided by BetUS.com)

MOUNT VERNON EARNS SNY INVITATIONAL TITLE

by Zach Smart

NEW YORK—A night after turning in an impressive, 32-point performance that he assessed as “alright,” the beat continued for Mount Vernon senior Sherrod Wright.

Wright poured in a game-high 28 points, helping big Knights ship cruise to a convincing 70-54 victory over Bronx power St. Raymond’s in the SNY Invitational championship at NYU’s Coles Center.

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MARCUS JORDAN, AIR TO THE THRONE?

Son of basketball legend plays in Newark Invitaitonal

By Matt Whitfield

Michael Jordan’s basketball playing days are over while his highlights and accolades will never to be forgotten. However, following in his footsteps are his two sons Jeffrey, a former walk-on sophomore now on scholarship at Illinois averaging 1.2 points and 1.2 assists a game in 19 contests, and Marcus, a senior at Whitney Young High School in Chicago. Marcus Jordan is said to be the better of the two brothers at basketball, and recruiting services rank him as a mid-level prospect. Even if Marcus wasn’t even a basketball player, his life would be interesting, but put the son of the greatest basketball player ever to play the game on the hardwood and that takes things to a whole different level.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEWS (1/25/2009)

The NBE Blogger was 3-1 in picking the winner straight-up on Saturday in Big East play, but just 1-3 ATS. For conference play to date, the record is 42-10 outright and the slump continues ATS with a 24-28 record.

Three games are on the Sunday schedule in Big East action. You can follow the links below of the teams to find links to pre-game stories and previews found on the web as well as our preview of the game and a prediction from the NBE Blogger (and, remember to leave your prediction, thoughts and analysis in the comments while there):

Louisville at Syracuse (-2 ½), 12 Noon.

Georgetown (-8 ½) at Seton Hall , 2 PM.

Pittsburgh at West Virginia (-1 ½), 4 PM.

(college basketball betting odds are provided by BetUS.com)

FRIDAY AT THE SNY INVITATIONAL

Four of the nation’s top-ranked high school teams—all hailing from the New York area landscape—performed before a live audience at NYU’s Cole Center during the SNY Invitational this weekend. Sherrod Wright, the latest in Mount Vernon’s rich history of highly-sought after recruits, stole the show in the first game of the tourney.

Here is a look at Friday’s action as well as some updated recruiting notes from the event…

All The Wright Moves

By Zach Smart

New York—Whether he was netting jumpers, knifing through the teeth of the defense, tantalizing along the baseline, or getting out in transition and finishing, Thomas Jefferson High had no answer for Sherrod Wright Friday.

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