February 2009

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEWS (2/28/2009)

The NBE Blogger has had a deent week, going 6-2 picking Big East games straight up and a strong 6-2 ATS this week. The YTD straight-up record in conference match-ups now stands at 96-25, a smudge below 80%. On the flip side, the ATS record continues to fall well below the acceptable levels at a struggling 59-62 YTD in Big East games, time is running out to pull into plus territory

It is the second-to-last weekend of the Big East regular season and there are four games on Saturday and four more for Sunday. You can follow the links below of the teams to see 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 DePaul (-1), 12 Noon.

Georgetown at Villanova (-6), 12 Noon.

Notre Dame at Connecticut (-11), 2 PM.

Pittsburgh (-10) at Seton Hall, 8:30 PM.

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

Your home for all of the Big East action for the 2008-2009 season!

CLASS OF 2011 INTRO: QUINN COOK

Class of 2011 point guard from famed DeMatha generating major college interest

The always ultra-competitive WCAC tournament kicks off this weekend and top-seeded DeMatha is once again on the prowl for post-season glory. The Stags wrapped up the top-seed with last weekend’s thrilling 68-65 win over the Gonzaga Eagles, avenging an earlier loss. The win moved DeMatha to 16-2 in league play, 25-3 overall, and one game ahead of the Eagles, who finished WCAC play at 15-3.

Sophomore point guard Quinn Cook was the Stags’ star in the victory over Gonzaga as the 6-foot-1, 175-pound floor general poured in 25 points. His three-point barrage after intermission gave DeMatha a comfortable 56-44 lead and they were able to hang on for the win down the stretch.

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (2/27/2009)

With all the pre-game drama and storylines, the actual game between West Virginia and Cincinnati was an expense-filled thrilled down to the wire as the Bearcats got an important win on the night their fans got to salute popular past coach Bob Huggins who returned with his Mountaineers.

Earlier today, Ray Mernagh had his latest Belly of the BE-AST article where he reflected on the career of Dominic James, whose college career at Marquette is over after breaking a bone in his foot in the loss to UConn Wednesday. James is undergoing surgery today…here is to a speedy recovery and best of luck in the future!

Elsewhere, stories on Stanley Robinson and Sam Young hit the links today. Also, an update on Syracuse commits and their season, a look at what is left to be decided in seeding for the Big East Tournament, a couple articles, including one from NBE, on ‘Nova signee Mouphtau Yarou and an introduction to Baltimore’s next great prep point guard. The links also hit an update on Will Regan’s recruitment and we take a look at the list of niminees for the Oscar Robertson trophy.

Hopefully everyone has had a chance to check out our 2009 Primetime Shootout Page, we have added additional pictures from the weekend in Trenton and it covers all the action and recruiting news from the two days there.

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BELLY OF THE BE-AST: DOMINIC JAMES

by Ray Mernagh

Syracuse beat St. John’s 87-58 at the Garden Tuesday night. It was a much-needed win for an Orange team that had hit a rough patch, losing seven of their last ten games. The win gave coach Jim Boeheim a record 31st 20-win season. Then last night in Milwaukee, UConn’s Jim Calhoun became just one of seven coaches in the history of college basketball to win 800 games when his Huskies beat Marquette 93-82.

So this week’s entry could be about the two Jim’s — how they’ve outlasted so many peers and continue to thrive, and prosper, in college basketball’s most ferocious conference. After all, coaches are the real stars in college basketball, the only one’s getting rich for the success they’ve attained through the combined efforts of a group that’s now too large to estimate a proper count — 1,000? 500? How many players, assistants, trainers and tutors actually play or work for a coach over a 30-40 year span?

A lot.

So this week isn’t going to be about a coach. It’s going to be about a player who’s college career ended on Wednesday night. A kid I tried to write about earlier this year after he hit a game-winning shot right before Christmas. I tried a couple of different times to get a phone call set up but after three or four days I gave up. I really regret that, especially now, because Dominic James deserved that column… for a whole bunch of reasons.

Read Rest of article HERE

BRIEF RECRUITING NOTES

While some technical difficulties have sidetracked us today, here are a few brief recruiting updates that we have that are of some interest to Big East fans…

Waverly Austin, a 6-foot-10, 238-pound big man from the class of 2009 is a player to keep an eye on as the spring recruiting period approaches. Austin is currently attending Princeton Day Academy in Latham (MD) and was averaging around 13 points and 12 rebounds a game at last check.

“I think I am one of the best big men in the ’09 class at passing,” Austin shared with NBE.

Austin also has plenty of high-major recruiting interest to sort through, from a wide variery of schools and conferences.

“Colleges involved in my recruiting [are] TCU, Florida State, South Florida [and] SMU,” said Austin. “I would like for Oregon to recruit me.”

Currently, Florida State and TCU stand out in his recruitment as they are the schools most often in contact.
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Every spring period, the top JUCO prospects become in high demand as schools look to fill holes in their roster and balance out their classes. Polk Community College sophomore guard Lance Jeter has already once been an athlete in the Big East, attending Cincinnati on a full football scholarship for one season before deciding to get back on the basketball court.

Jeter has been averaging in the vicinity of 15 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists for the top team in the Suncoast Conference. He mentioned schools such as Kent State, South Florida, Duquesne, George Washingston [and] Seton Hall as being involved in his recruitment currently. Visits will be decided upon once the season is over.

“Maybe a little closer to home,” Jeter said when asked what factors would play an important role in his decision. “But also I want to play for champions and play the elite teams in college basketball. So there are a lot of things I’m looking at, but that’s something that me and my coaches and family will talk about.”
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One of our favorite players on the AAU scene in the class of 2010 has always been Daryl Traynham, a 5’9 point guard attending Vance High School in North Carolina. The DC-native is a fixture with the DC Assault program every spring and summer on the AAU scene.

Traynham is having another excellent season for Vance and at last check was averaging nearly 17 points and over 8 assists a game. While recruiting will wait until the summer, Traynham told NBE that UNC-Charlotte, UMass, Miami, Xavier, Texas A&M, South Florida, Fordham, Maryland and Auburn were the schools on his mind.

“I don’t have a timeframe on my decision,” Traynham informed NBE. “After the summer I will narrow it down.”

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW (2/26/2009)

The NBE Blogger was back on track last night in the Big East, going 4-0 in picking the winners straight-up and 3-1 ATS. The YTD straight-up record in conference match-ups now stands at 96-24, an even 80%. On the flip side, the ATS record continues to fall well below the acceptable levels at a struggling 58-62 YTD in Big East games, time is runnign out to pull into plus territory

A very important match-up on Thursday makes up the lone game on the Big East schedule. You can follow the links below of the teams to see 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):

West Virginia (-4 1/2) at Cincinnati, 7 PM.

(college basketball lines are provided by BetUS.com)

Your home for all of the Big East action for the 2008-2009 season!

BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (2/25/2009)

The Providence fans were able to send out their five seniors in grand style last night with a court rush following the Friars’ upset win over No. 1 ranked Pittsburgh at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. It was PC’s first win over a #1 ranked team since they defeated Michigan in 1976.

The win should do wonders for the PC NCAA Tournament resume. The Friars have Rutgers up next with a chance to get to 10 Big East wins, a number that should be hard for the selection committee to overlook.

The other Big East action last night saw Syracuse rebound from a tough home loss Sunday to Villanova by shellacking St. John’s in Madison Square Garden. The Redstorm were never in this one as SU made sure they stayed away from the NCAA Tournament bubble and back on the right side of .500 in conference play.

Complete summaries of both games are included in today’s News & Notes below…

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BIG EAST STOCK REPORT: WEEK #8

By Anthony Jaskulski

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

1.  Connecticut 25-2, 13-2, Stock: UP

National Ranking: 2

Last game: W 64-50 vs. South Florida

Next game: Feb. 25 at Marquette

Current Streak: W 1

Postseason Status: NCAA

Strong Point: Connecticut’s defense made itself heard again on Saturday, holding South Florida to just 32.3% from the field, and a back-to-himself Hasheem Thabeet dropped 21 points, nine rebounds and six blocks, playing 38 minutes with just three fouls.

Area of Improvement: The Huskies shot just a combined 6 of 24 from beyond-the-arc in their last two games against USF and Pittsburgh.

Overall Analysis: Connecticut is back to the top of the charts once again, but proving why they are the best will be another difficult task, as games at Marquette and at Pittsburgh are up on the docket.  The Huskies have shot under 45% and have been held to under 70 points in the three games without guard Jerome Dyson, but the defense, which is still giving up a league-best 36.5% does not seem to be shaken.  Defending the ball may be their best shot at stealing these final three games down the stretch.

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CLASS OF 2011 INTRO: MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS

With Game Beyond His Years, Carter-Williams Stock Is Growing

By Zach Smart

Similar to the ultra-popular rapper Lil Wayne, Michael Carter-Williams’ skills blew up before he grew up.

Ask most, and the story on Carter-Williams isn’t exactly atypical. A young kid born with the ball in his hands, spends half his life on the court, shooting, shooting, shooting—for a big shot, a big victory, and when all’s said and done a big scholarship to a big-time school.

It looks as if that school very well could be in the Big East.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEWS (2/25/2009)

The NBE Blogger was 1-1 both ATS and straight-up on Tuesday night. The YTD straight-up record in conference match-ups now stands at 92-24. On the flip side, the ATS record continues to fall well below the acceptable levels at a putrid 55-61 YTD in Big East games.

Four Big East games for this Wednesday evening as march gets closer and closer. You can follow the links below of the teams to see 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):

Connecticut at marquette (-1 1/2), 7 PM.

South Florida at Seton Hall (-7 1/2), 7:00 PM.

Rutgers at Notre Dame (-14 1/2), 7:00 PM.

Villanova (-13 1/2) at DePaul, 8:00 PM.

(college basketball odds are provided by BetUS.com)

Your home for all of the Big East action for the 2008-2009 season!

DORON LAMB HAS BIG EAST OFFERS

2010 Native New Yorker has a long list from Big East while sharpening game at Oak Hill

by Matt Whitfield

Following in the wake of the ‘Born Ready’ hype machine, Doron Lamb found himself being labeled by some as New York City’s next great player. Lamb now finds himself 568 miles to the south of the Big Apple at prep juggernaut Oak Hill Academy. Now living miles away from city life, Lamb finds himself playing basketball harder and more than ever. NBE caught up with Lamb after Oak Hill’s impressive victory over St. Patrick’s in the recently completed 2009 Primetime Shootout in Trenton (NJ). Lamb discussed many things from the reasons he left Bishop Loughlin, to his recruitment, to what it’s like playing basketball at Oak Hill Academy.

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (2/24/2009)

In the Big Monday match-up last night, Georgetown dropped another home game to a league contender as Louisville dealt the Hoyas another blow to their NCAA Tournament chances. Louisville is in a tie for first place in the Big East with UConn, 1/2 game ahead of Pittsburgh and Marquette.

Hopefully readers will find time to check out our comprehensive 2009 Primetime Shootout Recap as it details nearly all of the action from the weekend in Trenton. It contains game write-ups, player evaluations and recruiting updates. We will be adding more content as some follow-up stories and interviews are completed.

Elsewhere in the Big East, while the conference is represented well in this week’s top 10, one Big East coach feels his team is not being respected enough by his peers. Also, Notre Dame looks to finish strong and Fred Hill hopes he is not finished with a new AD coming on board.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEWS (2/24/2009)

The NBE Blogger swept the Big Monday contest last night, winning straight-up at ATS as Louisville cruised past Georgetown. The YTD straight-up record inconference match-ups now stands at 91-23. That is still at the 80% mark. On the flip side, the ATS record continues to fall well below the acceptable levels at a putrid 54-60 YTD in Big East games.

Two games for this Tuesday evening in the Big East and you can follow the links below of the teams to see 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):

Pittsburgh (-8 1/2) at Providence, 7 PM.

Syracuse (-5 1/2) at St. John’s, 7:30 PM.

(college basketball odds are provided by BetUS.com)

Your home for all of the Big East action for the 2008-2009 season!

ALMOST FAMOUS: JARRID FAMOUS UPDATE

Westchester CC soph big man getting lots of Big East attention

By Zach Smart

These are fast and famous times in the history of Westchester Community College basketball.

Situated in the New York City suburb of Valhalla, N.Y., Westchester Community College was never known as a basketball breeding ground.

WCC’s squad hadn’t surfaced as much of a perennial power on the JUCO scene and were never defined by one, dominant 6-foot-11 senior who’s instigated a whirlpool of drool from a plethora of major Division-I coaches.

Enter, Jarrid Famous.

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NBE BIG EAST POWER POLL (2/23/2009)

After a one-week hiatus, the NBE Big East Power Poll is back! It is hard to believe the Big East regular season is already down to the final two weeks and four teams look to be making their case for the conference title.

This week, eight NBE contributors and writers cast their ballots, voting on the teams 1-16 and also selecting a Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week. Let’s see how they voted (first place votes in parenthesis):

1) Pittsburgh (8): 128 points.
2) Connecticut: 120 points.
3) Louisville: 108 points.
4) Marquette: 106 points.
5) Villanova: 98 points.
6) West Virginia: 88 points.
7) Syracuse: 80 points.
8: Cincinnati: 67 points.
9) Notre Dame: 62 points.
10) Providence: 58 points.
11) Georgetown: 53 points.
12) Seton Hall: 38 points.
13) St. John’s: 32 points.
14) South Florida: 26 points.
15) Rutgers: 16 points.
16) DePaul: 8 points.

Player of the Week: DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh

Freshman of the Week: Devin Ebanks, West Virginia

This week’s voting contributors:

NBE Blogger
Matt Whitfield
Jeff Borzello
Ray Balter
Ray Mernagh
Chris Dokish
Nathan Wollack
Doug Ferguson

BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (2/23/2009)

Three games ont he schedule yesterday, all with implications in the standings, especially the Villanova and Syracuse outcome wish clearly showed the dividing point in the standings between the top third and middle third of the conference. West Virginia looked to make their case to be included in the top third as they visited Rutgers with a roster full of players Fred Hill wishes he had dressed in scarlet. Seton Hall and St. John’s played to make a statement to area recruits they are both after.

Its been a big week for DeJuan Blair as Pitt returns to the top of the polls. UConn looks to regroup and move on without Jerome Dyson. Also, a recruiting update on JUCO big man Jarrid Famous.

Check back later this afternoon for our NBE Big East Power Poll.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW (2/23/2009)

It was a rough weekend for the NBE Blogger and the YTD record in picking games straight-up in Big East conference match-ups now stands at 90-23. That is still at the 80% mark. On the flip side, the ATS record continues to plummet and now stands at a putrid 53-60 YTD in Big East games.

Big Monday returns to kick off a new week and you can follow the links below of the teams to see 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):

Louisiville (-1 1/2) at Georgetown, 7 PM.

(college basketball odds are provided by BetUS.com)

Your home for all of the Big East action for the 2008-2009 season!

BIG EAST DANCE CARD (2/23/2009)

by Jeff Borzello

With the last week of February set to begin and the always-fun month of March right around the corner, all eyes are on the final few games of the regular season in the Big East. After last week’s win at Connecticut by Pittsburgh and a few other key games from around the conference, four teams are tied in the loss column at the top of the standings, with Villanova just two games back. After West Virginia and Syracuse, there are four teams fighting for at-large spots at the back end of the NCAA Tournament pool. Sure, there are only a couple of game left for each team in the Big East, but there is plenty of basketball to be played and postseason destinations to be determined.

Pittsburgh: After the Panthers win over Connecticut on Monday and losses by North Carolina and Oklahoma, Pittsburgh is now arguably the top overall seed in the country. They have the No. 1 RPI in the country, a top-15 SOS and six wins against the top-25 – the most in the country. The Panthers face winnable road games against Providence and Seton Hall before coming home and finishing with a tough two-game stretch against Marquette and Connecticut. Projected Seed: 1

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RECRUITING RIVALS REUNITE TONIGHT

St. John’s and Seton Hall more than rivals on the court
By Zach Smart

While the rivalry is no where near the same plane as Calhoun/Calipari or anything of that type, St. John’s coach Norm Roberts and Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez are often competing against each other.

I’m talking beyond the two times a year the teams meet in conference play.

A science that is light years from exact, recruiting has built up continuous competition for the two Big East game generals. Both shoulder the onus of salesman on a 24-hour, 365 days a year schedule. They scout the New York and New Jersey area for talent, looking to sell young stallions on their respective Universities.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEWS (2/22/2009)

The NBE Blogger was 3-2 on Saturday picking the winners outright but 1-4 ATS. The NBE Blogger is now 89-21 outright, but still a terrible 52-58 ATS this season in Big East conference games.

It is a busy weekend in the Big East, all 16 teams are in action in eight conference games, three of them take place on this Sunday. You can follow the links below of the teams to see 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):

Villanova at Syracuse (-2 1/2), 1 PM.

West Virginia (-10 1/2) at Rutgers, 3 PM.

Seton Hall at St. John’s (pick), 5 PM

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

Your home for all of the Big East action for the 2008-2009 season!

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