2007-2008 Game Previews

SATURDAY BIG EAST GAME PREVIEWS

The NBE Blogger continues to scuffle along with his predictions.  Another up and down week leaves the season to date record at 50-26 in Big East games predicting the winners outright and just 37-38-1 against the posted spread.  Not too impressive.

 In the third year of the ‘New Big East’ era, their has never been so many games that you sit there and have a list of reasons why both teams should and could win a match-up.  This league is remarkably balanced.  with the injuries, suspensions and even some of the defections in the league, the middle has become jumbled and expanded, making it a prognosticators’ nightmare!!

 Well, enough with the excuses and onto the games:

As usual, follow the links to our Big East Team Pages for our match-up analysis and a prediction from the NBE Blogger. As game stories are posted, we will add them as well:

Providence @ St. John’s

Marquette @ Notre Dame

South Florida @ DePaul

Cincinnati @ Rutgers

Seton Hall @ Villanova

Georgetown @ Louisville

Have a great weekend!

THURSDAY BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW (2/7/2008)

The Backyard Brawl is highlighted tonight by ESPN during their Rivalry Week theme and the Pittsburgh Panthers welcome Bob Huggins and the West Virginia Mountaineers to the Peterson Events Center on the University of Pittsburgh campus.

 Last night in the Big East, the NBE blogger struggled again, going 1-2 outright and against the spread as the road teams dominated, winning all three match-ups.  West Virginia will look to continue the road team surge tonight.

 For links to the local media game stories and previews, as well as our match-up preview and a prediction from the NBE Blogger on the outcome of the Backyard Brawl on the hardwood, check out our West Virginia Team Page or our Pittsburgh Team Page.

 Thanks for visiting!

WEDNESDAY BIG EAST GAME PREVIEWS (2/6/2008)

Last night the NBE Blogger was 2-0 in picking games outright as Georgetown and Providence picked up wins at home. Against the spread, the NBE Blogger split as DePaul could not keep the contest close against the Friars.

Tonight, three more games are on the Big East schedule highlighted by the Rivalry Week match-up between Connecticut and Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. Another key match-up in the conference is between Seton Hall and Notre Dame. The Irish look to stay a game behind Georgetown in the standings while Seton Hall looks to make the case for their NCAA chances stronger. Wrapping up tonight’s action is a contest between St. John’s and Rutgers. These teams both have some serious work to do if they plan on joining the conference party at Madison Square Garden this March.

Read on below for links to the local media previews and stories on tonight’s games, our brief match-up analysis and a prediction from the NBE Blogger for each contest.

Read more

TUESDAY BIG EAST GAME PREVIEWS (2/5/2008)

A little bit of tough luck for the NBE Blogger last night. After going back and forth and flip-flopping again, he took Marquette to win at home last night, but Louisville to definitely keep the score within the posted line of 3.5. Of course, once the news was out that Dominic James missed the shootaround as he suffered from the flu, this one pointed clearly at Louisville, but nonetheless, it goes down as an outright loss.

The YTD record in picking games outright in the Big East this season is now 46-24, just 66%. Against the posted Vegas spread, things aren’t much better, just 35-34-1. Maybe it is time to go on a long winning streak…

To see the NBE Bloggers’ predictions on tonight’s games and for the links to the local media articles on the games as well as a brief match-up preview from us, you can visit either the DePaul Team Page or the Providence Team Page for the match-up between the Blue Demons and Friars, with is a rematch from a January 5th game won by DePaul. You can also visit our Georgetown Team Page for the Hoyas meeting with South Florida at the Verizon Center.

We will have a Big East News & Notes article later this morning which will include an updated look at Big East conference RPI’s and an added feature analyzing the strength of remaining schedules for Big East teams. Also, Brian Crownover has filed a report on the action from last Friday night at the Primetime Shootout, so do not miss his player evaluations of Big East commits and targets coming later this afternoon.

BIG MONDAY GAME PREVIEW (2/4/2008)

On Saturday, the NBE Blogger was 5-3 picking games outright in the Big East and 4-4 against the posted spread. The pecking order in the Big East is starting to be established and two teams that are right in the mix for 1st round conference tournament byes are in action tonight.

For links to the local media game stories, as well as out match-up preview and a prediction on the outcome from the NBE Blogger, be sure to visit either our Louisville Team Page or our Marquette Team Page.

We’d love to see the fan’s predictions…leave a comment on what YOU think will happen!

SATURDAY BIG EAST GAME PREVIEWS

February 2, 2008

The Big East is jamming eight games in on Saturday to get all 16 teams in action prior to Superbowl Sunday. It is a Big East junkies dream!

it has been another mediocre week for the NBE Blogger as he has gone 5-3 in picking winners outright and just 3-5 against the spread. For the season, in Big East games, the NBE Blogger is 41-20 picking games outright (67%) and 30-30-1 against the spread. Not very impressive.

Below you can visit either team page for each school to see the NBE Blogger’s prediction for the contest as well as our brief preview match-up.

Enjoy the games:

Marquette @ Cincinnati

Seton Hall @ Georgetown

Syracuse @ Villanova

Pittsburgh @ Connecticut

Rutgers @ Louisville

DePaul @ Notre Dame

West Virginia @ Providence

St. John’s @ South Florida

Have a Great Weekend!

BIG MONDAY GAME PREVIEW (1/28/2008)

January 28, 2008

The Big East conference remains topsy-turvy and now the road teams are starting to make some headway. The NBE Blogger had a rough Saturday going 2-3 outright and against the spread. The conference action has had his head spinning and he was down for the count on Sunday and did not find the strength to post his predictions.

He is back for tonight’s Big Monday contest and for all the links to the local media previews, and an update on the UConn suspensions, a brief preview and the NBE Blogger’s prediction, you can visit either our Louisville Team Page or our Connecticut Team Page.

We will run down the conference News and Notes later this morning and have a Big East Blogger’s Power Poll and Notebook late this afternoon!

Thanks for visiting!

BIG EAST SATURDAY GAME PREVIEWS (1/26/2008)

January 26, 2008

It was an up and down week for the NBE Blogger as he was 4-2 picking games outright and 3-3 against the posted Vegas spreads. It is a busy Saturday in the Big East, follow the links below to a brief preview on each league contest and the predicted score by the NBE Blogger:

Notre Dame @ Villanova.
  Irish Coach Expects Wildcats are Riled (Inquirer)
  Peoples Finally Providing Some Energy for Notre Dame (Chicago Tribune)

St. John’s @ Louisville
  St. John’s a Pasty? Don’t Bet on It (Courier-Journal)
  Louisville Guards Against Slip-Up (Kentucky.com)

Rutgers @ Pittsburgh
  Pitt Not Taking Rutgers Lightly (Tribune-Review)
  Freshman Coburn Growing as Season Goes Along (Courier News)
  Doubters Motivate Surprising Sam Young (Post-Gazette)

Georgetown @ West Virginia
  WVU Will Have Hands Full with Hibbert, Hoyas (Charleston Gazette)
  Junior Guard Sapp is Tough All Over for Hoyas (Wash. Post)
  Ruoff Back in New Role (Hernando News)

DePaul @ Marquette
  McNeal Simply Dominant Defender (Tribune)
  Burns Honing in on Marquette (Sun-Times)
  DePaul to Test Marquette’s Speed (Daily Herald)
  Trouble at Post Position (Journal-Sentinel)

Enjoy the action!

THURSDAY BIG EAST GAME PREVIEWS (1/24/2008)

January 24, 2008

The NBE Blogger bucked the trends last night and went 3-1 outright and also 3-1 against the posted Vegas lines. The one game outright he missed was picking Villanova over Rutgers, although it was definitely considered as an upset special. Against the spread he missed UConn/Cincinnait as the Huskies only won by a point.

For the season in Big East action, the NBE Blogger is now 34-13 overall in picking the winner outright and 25-21-1 against the spread.

Will the road team revivial continue in tonight’s load contest?

For links to local media previews, our brief analysis on the game and the NBE Blogger’s prediction on the outcome in the Seton Hall/Providence match-up, you can visit either our Seton Hall Team Page or our Providence Team Page.

We are in the process of putting together today’s News & Notes post with a look back at last night’s action and other notes from around the Big East.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEWS (1/23/2008)

January 23, 2008

It has been a rough go of late for the NBE Blogger as he has gone just 4-4 in his last 8 predictions outright and 3-5 against the posted spread in those games. In fact, he is not 3-9 in the last 12 against the spread, leaving him at 22-20-1 in Big East games YTD. Out right, the NBE blogger is 31-12 (72%) so far this season in Big East games.

Tonight, four games are on tap. Looking at these games and knowing that road teams are 10-35 so far in conference play has me worried…very worried…

For the links to the local media previews on the games, a brief preview by us and the NBE Blogger’s prediction, please follow the links to each team page below:

Pittsburgh @ St. John’s.

Louisville @ South Florida.

Villanova @ Rutgers.

Connecticut @ Cincinnati.

We’ll be back with a News & Notes Update early this afternoon.

BIG MONDAY GAME PREVIEW (1/21/2008)

January 21, 2008

One of the best rivalries of the Big East is renewed tonight as Syracuse travels to the Verizon Center in Washington, DC to meet Georgetown. The Hoyas look to extend their conference lead while the Orange look for a statement win in their quest to climb out of the pack in the middle of the standings.

For links to the local media previews, our brief preview and a prediction from (the slumping) NBE Blogger, please visit either our Syracuse Team Page or our Georgetown Team Page.

Later this morning we will have our regular Big East News & Notes post and this afternoon will be our Weekly Big East Bloggers Power Poll and Conference Notebook.

Over the weekend, the NBE Blogger was just 3-4 picking games outright as well as 3-4 against the spread. Hopefully this is a better week…

SATURDAY BIG EAST GAME PREVIEWS

January 19, 2008

On Thursday, the NBE Blogger was 3-1 picking games outright, however, it was a miserable night when picking the games against the posted Vegas spread as the NBE Blogger had the same percentage as the Marquette Golden Eagles from beyond the arc on the night, 0.00%. Luckily, we only missed on four while Marquette went 0-12…

Thus far in the Big East regular seson, the NBE Blogger is 27-8 picking games outright. Good for a 77% winning clip. The Thursday Night 0-fer against the spread leaves us at 19-15-1 (56%) in Big East play this year.

Saturday is another busy day in the conference with five Big East games:

Notre Dame @ Georgetown
Villanova @ Syracuse
Rutgers @ DePaul
Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati
Louisville @ Seton Hall

Click on ‘Read More’ below to view a brief preview on each game and a prediction from the NBE Blogger on the outcome!

Read more

THURSDAY BIG EAST GAME PREVIEWS (1/17/2008)

January 17, 2008

The NBE Blogger was 2-0 outright last night in his predictions and 1-1 against the spread. Tonight, follow the team links below for links to the local media previews, our brief preview on the games and a prediction from the NBE Blogger on tonight’s action.

Enjoy the games:

Providence @ Connecticut

Marquette @ Louisville

St. John’s @ West Virginia

South Florida @ Seton Hall

Our daily News and Notes post is coming up early this afternoon.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: ST. JOHN’S @ WEST VIRGNIA

January 17, 2008

St. John’s kicks off a stretch of games with West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Louisville and Georgetown tonight with a trip to Morgantown. The Redstorm are 1-3 in Big East play and their young squad will really begin to learn about life in the Big East the next couple of weeks.

West Virginia loves to play in the Coliseum and they are home tonight, fresh off an 81-61 win over Syracuse last Sunday. The Mountaineers average just 55 PPG on the road (0-2) in conference play, but at home it is a different story as they average 80 PPG (2-0) with wins over SU and Marquette.

Here are the local media previews on tonight’s game:

WVU Win Streak on Line vs. St. John’s (Times West Virginian)
Streaks at Stake as WVU Welcomes St. John’s (Journal Gazette)
WVU’s Butler Has to Play Smarter (Daily Mail)

This one looks to be a big mismatch. West Virginia is an experienced and deep group that excels on their home court. St. John’s does play up to 11 players, however, seven of them are freshmen and life away from home has been difficult.

St. John’s will scrap and compete, especially on the defensive end. They have some length and athleticism, but their youth can cause breakdowns and WVU will make you pay for breakdowns with lay-ups and 3-pt shots.

The Redstorm will look to get points in the middle, the soft spot of West Virginia. Freshman Justin Burrell could have a big game with points and rebounds, but they will need someone else to step up offensively and keep pace with West Virginia. Anthony Mason Jr is certainly capable, but he will likely be the one guy Bob Huggins game plans against, forcing someone else to step up, with the Redstorm, I am not sure if there is anyone else at this point.

West Virginia will likely have four or five offensive weapons on the floor at all times, led by 3-pt marksman Alex Ruoff and the athletic Joe Alexander. Darris Nichols will run the effecient offense and WVU should cruise, again, on their home floor as 16-pt favorites.

NBE Blogger Prediction: West Virginia 78 St. John’s 59

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SOUTH FLORIDA @ SETON HALL

January 18, 2008

South Florida was looking poised for improvement this season in the Big East, but after a conference opening win over hapless Rutgers, the Bulls have dropped three straght, all by double digits.

It is tough to judge Seton Hall yet as they have lost their three conference contests to teams most-likely to finish among the top handful in the conference and two of them were on the road. This game, especially since it is at home, is a MUST for SHU.

Here are the local media previews on tonight’s game:

Bulls Hope to End Conference Futility on the Road (Tampa Tribune)
Men’s Hoops: SHU Up Next (St. Petersburg Times)
All at the Hall Glad Laing Decided to Stay (Star-Ledger)
Scouting Seton Hall and South Florida (Courier News)

If South Florida ever wants to make the Big East Tournament before the conference opens the doors to all 16 teams in the 2008-2009 season, they better find a way to win on the road in conference play. The Bulls are 0-18 in their 2+ seasons in the Big East away from home. Tonight, they get a chance to end that streak when they travel up to Newark (NJ) to meet the Seton Hall Pirates.

First year coach Stan Heath will try to take advantage of his biggest weapon, Kentrell Gransberry, against a small SHU line-up. The Pirates will try to counter Gransberry by rotating John Garcia, Mike Davis and Augustin Okosun in the post. The revolving door of fresh bodies, led to the burly Garcia, will hopefully wear down Gransberry along with the frantic style Seton Hall hopes to impose on the game.

The Pirates quest for a frantic game has been limited of late with the injury to Paul Gause. The junior defensive dynamo has a broken bone in his non-shooting hand and he is still out of action. With Gause out of the mix, the SHU perimeter defense suffers quite a bit. The Pirate backcourt is still strong, but their line-up of four guards can take a toll in conference play. Using Brian Laing, who is closer to 6’4, as their biggest forward is definitely taking a toll as opposing forwards continue to have good games against SHU. Eugene Harvey is an offensive threat at the point, attacking the basket off the dribble and getting to the line often. Jamar Nutter and Jeremy Hazell provide a pair of deep threats, but their inconsistency will be a fact of life for coach Bobby Gonzalez. Larry Davis is a versatile guard off the bench that does a little bit of everything, but nothing outstanding to make him stand above the rest.

South Florida is also weak at the power forward position and have been victimized by Sam Young, Geoff McDermott and Dante Greene in their last three games. Orane Chin is a tad over his head at this point in a starting role in the Big East, but the SHU line-up could allow Stan Heath to go small as well and use Aaron Holmes, Ade Saaka and Solomon Bozeman more often as Jesus Verdejo and Dominique Jones have pretty good size for wings in the league. Jones is a dynamic offensive threat, but life on the road for a Big East freshman is tough.

I look for Seton Hall, a 5-pt favorite, to collect the first win for New Jersey in Big East action tonight, riding a big game from Brian Laing to hold off the Bulls.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Seton Hall 75 South Florida 72

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: MARQUETTE @ LOUISVILLE

January 17, 2008

The highlight of tonight’s schedule brings together two former rivals from Conference USA as Marquette travels to Freedom Hall to take on the Louisville Cardinals.

After dropping their conference opener at home against Cincinnati, Louisville has won their last two Big East games, beating West Virginia at home and getting the win at Rutgers last weekend.

Marquette is one of the many tied atop the conference at 3-1 and looks to make their break from the pack. The Golden Eagles are coming off a 92-66 thumping of Notre Dame and also owns home wins over Seton Hall and Providence. Their lone conference defeat came at West Virginia.

Here are the local media previews of tonight’s game:

Marquette Will Try to Steal One (Louisville Courier-Journal)
Marquette Men’s Basketball Preview (post-Crescent)
Eagles Can Make Move in Big East (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
Looking at louisville (Journal-Sentinel)
cards Eyeing ‘Big-Time’ Win Over Marquette (Kentucky.com)

We are waiting for someone to make a statement in the Big East and show they are serious about winning this conference. Marquette has just that opportunity tonight when they travel to face Louisville in a Big East conference game.

For the Cards, if they hope to compete for the conference crown, these are they games they must win, on their home floor against other good teams. We are still waiting for Louisville to show us how good they are, but with David Padgett and Juan Palacios back in the line-up, the Cards could be hitting their stride soon.

The strength of the Marquette squad is obviously in their guards. With Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Mathews the Marquette guard trio is among the best in the country. It doesn’t stop there, Maurice Acker and David Cubillan are very capable back-ups each adding a distinct role to the rotation.

At the forward spot, Lazar Hayward and Dan Fitzgerald are far from proto-type Big East power forwards. However, they each create match-up problems for most opponents with their inside-out talents. That probably will not be as much of an advantage against a team like Louisville who also has a pair of versatile big forwards in Juan Palacios and Earl Clark to match-up with Hayward and Fitzgerald. The Cardinals are still trying to sort out their rotation with the talent they possess, so they have not been as consistent as they should since the return of Palacios and David Padgett from injuries. Padgett teams up with Derrick Caracter in the post for coach Rick Pitino and Marquette counters with their two-headed center tandem of Dwight Burke and Ousmane Barro. On paper, Louisville should be able to take full advantage in the paint with their depth and talent.

That leaves the Louiville guards. The trio of Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith and Andre McGee will have their hands full with Marquette. Terrence Williams should do well against Wesley Mathews and find his opportunities to shine, but coach Pitino will need his guards to be at their best in terms of decision making and shot selection. Louisville has some clear advantages in the game and it will be up to their guards to take take advantage of the opportunities.

I expect the Cards to learn from other teams that have played Marquette and use several different defenses, but mostly find themselves in a zone. The zone will cut down on the MU dribble penetration and force them to make perimeter shots on the road, a tough task.

This promises to be a very good game. Marquette will try to steal this one with pressure on the ball from their guards, but Louisville, a 2.5-pt home favorite, knows the importance of winning at home in the conference, especially after letting the game with Cincinnati get away.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Louisville 66 Marquette 64

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: ST. JOHN’S @ WEST VIRGINIA

January 17, 2008

St. John’s kicks off a stretch of games with West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Louisville and Georgetown tonight with a trip to Morgantown. The Redstorm are 1-3 in Big East play and their young squad will really begin to learn about life in the Big East the next couple of weeks.

West Virginia loves to play in the Coliseum and they are home tonight, fresh off an 81-61 win over Syracuse last Sunday. The Mountaineers average just 55 PPG on the road (0-2) in conference play, but at home it is a different story as they average 80 PPG (2-0) with wins over SU and Marquette.

Here are the local media previews on tonight’s game:

WVU Win Streak on Line vs. St. John’s (Times West Virginian)
Streaks at Stake as WVU Welcomes St. John’s (Journal Gazette)
WVU’s Butler Has to Play Smarter (Daily Mail)

This one looks to be a big mismatch. West Virginia is an experienced and deep group that excels on their home court. St. John’s does play up to 11 players, however, seven of them are freshmen and life away from home has been difficult.

St. John’s will scrap and compete, especially on the defensive end. They have some length and athleticism, but their youth can cause breakdowns and WVU will make you pay for breakdowns with lay-ups and 3-pt shots.

The Redstorm will look to get points in the middle, the soft spot of West Virginia. Freshman Justin Burrell could have a big game with points and rebounds, but they will need someone else to step up offensively and keep pace with West Virginia. Anthony Mason Jr is certainly capable, but he will likely be the one guy Bob Huggins game plans against, forcing someone else to step up, with the Redstorm, I am not sure if there is anyone else at this point.

West Virginia will likely have four or five offensive weapons on the floor at all times, led by 3-pt marksman Alex Ruoff and the athletic Joe Alexander. Darris Nichols will run the effecient offense and WVU should cruise, again, on their home floor as 16-pt favorites.

NBE Blogger Prediction: West Virginia 78 St. John’s 59

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: MARQUETTE @ LOUISVILLE

January 17, 2008

The highlight of tonight’s schedule brings together two former rivals from Conference USA as Marquette travels to Freedom Hall to take on the Louisville Cardinals.

After dropping their conference opener at home against Cincinnati, Louisville has won their last two Big East games, beating West Virginia at home and getting the win at Rutgers last weekend.

Marquette is one of the many tied atop the conference at 3-1 and looks to make their break from the pack. The Golden Eagles are coming off a 92-66 thumping of Notre Dame and also owns home wins over Seton Hall and Providence. Their lone conference defeat came at West Virginia.

Here are the local media previews of tonight’s game:

Marquette Will Try to Steal One (Louisville Courier-Journal)
Marquette Men’s Basketball Preview (post-Crescent)
Eagles Can Make Move in Big East (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
Looking at louisville (Journal-Sentinel)
cards Eyeing ‘Big-Time’ Win Over Marquette (Kentucky.com)

We are waiting for someone to make a statement in the Big East and show they are serious about winning this conference. Marquette has just that opportunity tonight when they travel to face Louisville in a Big East conference game.

For the Cards, if they hope to compete for the conference crown, these are they games they must win, on their home floor against other good teams. We are still waiting for Louisville to show us how good they are, but with David Padgett and Juan Palacios back in the line-up, the Cards could be hitting their stride soon.

The strength of the Marquette squad is obviously in their guards. With Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Mathews the Marquette guard trio is among the best in the country. It doesn’t stop there, Maurice Acker and David Cubillan are very capable back-ups each adding a distinct role to the rotation.

At the forward spot, Lazar Hayward and Dan Fitzgerald are far from proto-type Big East power forwards. However, they each create match-up problems for most opponents with their inside-out talents. That probably will not be as much of an advantage against a team like Louisville who also has a pair of versatile big forwards in Juan Palacios and Earl Clark to match-up with Hayward and Fitzgerald. The Cardinals are still trying to sort out their rotation with the talent they possess, so they have not been as consistent as they should since the return of Palacios and David Padgett from injuries. Padgett teams up with Derrick Caracter in the post for coach Rick Pitino and Marquette counters with their two-headed center tandem of Dwight Burke and Ousmane Barro. On paper, Louisville should be able to take full advantage in the paint with their depth and talent.

That leaves the Louiville guards. The trio of Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith and Andre McGee will have their hands full with Marquette. Terrence Williams should do well against Wesley Mathews and find his opportunities to shine, but coach Pitino will need his guards to be at their best in terms of decision making and shot selection. Louisville has some clear advantages in the game and it will be up to their guards to take take advantage of the opportunities.

I expect the Cards to learn from other teams that have played Marquette and use several different defenses, but mostly find themselves in a zone. The zone will cut down on the MU dribble penetration and force them to make perimeter shots on the road, a tough task.

This promises to be a very good game. Marquette will try to steal this one with pressure on the ball from their guards, but Louisville, a 2.5-pt home favorite, knows the importance of winning at home in the conference, especially after letting the game with Cincinnati get away.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Louisville 66 Marquette 64

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: PROVIDENCE @ CONNECTICUT

January 17, 2008

The Big East’s version of the battle of New England pits two original conference members against one another at the Hatford Civic Center. Each team comes in with identical Big East records of 2-2 and the Huskies will look to end a series streak of the road team winning these match-ups.

Here are the local media previews found on the internet this morning:

UConn Eager to Put Providence Loss in Past (Connecticut Post)
Friars Another Measuring Stick for UConn Men (Waterbury Rep-Am)
Friars, Huskies Expect Usual Barn-Burner (Providence Journal)
Game Preview: PC @ UConn (Providence Journal)
Calhoun Back With Huskies (Hartford Courant)

We are just 22% into the Big East schedule, but this is a very important game for both teams. The Providence Friars always bring one of their better efforts to the table when they play Connecticut, and this trip to hartford should be no different. The Friars are 2-0 at home in conference play (beating RU, USF) and 0-2 on the road (losing to Marquette, DePaul). The Friars hit a rough patch with Sharaud Curry and Dwain Williams out, their lone point guards, and started conference play 0-2. Williams is back and gives the offense some more direction and allows a talented perimeter group including Weyinmi Efejuku, Brian McKenzie and Jeff Xavier freedom to produce points.

Where Providence can struggle is along the front line. Randall Hanke is effecient on offense when he gets the ball in position to score, but he can struggle mightily with bigger, stronger player. That is exactly what he will see tonight when matched up against Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien in the post. Geoff McDermott will battle from tip to horn, but the lack of confidence the Friars have in their post play will likely push them to play smaller and press. Unfortunately, UConn loves to see the tempo revved up and this could play into their hands as well.

The Huskies are 2-2 in Big East play. They have played three of their four games in conference play on the road, winning at Seton Hall and dropping tough games at Notre Dame, where a huge second half rally was thwarted by the Irish, and Georgetown, where Roy Hibbert hit a game-winning three-pointer in the waning seconds. Their lone home contest in league play resulted in an easy win over St. John’s.

The Huskies are led offensively by the much improved AJ Price and the strong two-guard Jerome Dyson. Inside, Jeff Adrien can still bull his way to a double-double nearly every night, but improvements on offense by Hasheem Thabeet has complimented his game. They are still waiting for Stanley Robinson to use his tremendous talents to become a consistent threat offensively. Like most Husky squads under Jim Calhoun, this rendition is athletic, tall and loves to push the tempo. They can still hit some rough patches, but this year, led by Price, they do not have droughts for as long of periods of time on offense as the execution has improves. Defensively, the effort is improving each time out and the team keeps improving.

Connecticut still lacks a ‘big win’ on the season, and a home game against Providence would hardly qualify as such at season’s end, but the Huskies need to win all of their games like this. The Friars are in need of a big win and road wins in general for them to make an argument for inclusion in the Field of 65 this March.

This seems like a game that Connecticut will try to make a statement in. After the sting of a disappointing loss at Georgetown and with the return from illness of Jim Calhoun, look for the Huskies, as 9-pt favorites, to put things together tonight and flex some muscles.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Connecticut 82 Providence 69

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: PROVIDENCE @ CONNECTICUT

January 17, 2008

The Big East’s version of the battle of New England pits two original conference members against one another at the Hatford Civic Center. Each team comes in with identical Big East records of 2-2 and the Huskies will look to end a series streak of the road team winning these match-ups.

Here are the local media previews found on the internet this morning:

UConn Eager to Put Providence Loss in Past (Connecticut Post)
Friars Another Measuring Stick for UConn Men (Waterbury Rep-Am)
Friars, Huskies Expect Usual Barn-Burner (Providence Journal)
Game Preview: PC @ UConn (Providence Journal)
Calhoun Back With Huskies (Hartford Courant)

We are just 22% into the Big East schedule, but this is a very important game for both teams. The Providence Friars always bring one of their better efforts to the table when they play Connecticut, and this trip to hartford should be no different. The Friars are 2-0 at home in conference play (beating RU, USF) and 0-2 on the road (losing to Marquette, DePaul). The Friars hit a rough patch with Sharaud Curry and Dwain Williams out, their lone point guards, and started conference play 0-2. Williams is back and gives the offense some more direction and allows a talented perimeter group including Weyinmi Efejuku, Brian McKenzie and Jeff Xavier freedom to produce points.

Where Providence can struggle is along the front line. Randall Hanke is effecient on offense when he gets the ball in position to score, but he can struggle mightily with bigger, stronger player. That is exactly what he will see tonight when matched up against Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien in the post. Geoff McDermott will battle from tip to horn, but the lack of confidence the Friars have in their post play will likely push them to play smaller and press. Unfortunately, UConn loves to see the tempo revved up and this could play into their hands as well.

The Huskies are 2-2 in Big East play. They have played three of their four games in conference play on the road, winning at Seton Hall and dropping tough games at Notre Dame, where a huge second half rally was thwarted by the Irish, and Georgetown, where Roy Hibbert hit a game-winning three-pointer in the waning seconds. Their lone home contest in league play resulted in an easy win over St. John’s.

The Huskies are led offensively by the much improved AJ Price and the strong two-guard Jerome Dyson. Inside, Jeff Adrien can still bull his way to a double-double nearly every night, but improvements on offense by Hasheem Thabeet has complimented his game. They are still waiting for Stanley Robinson to use his tremendous talents to become a consistent threat offensively. Like most Husky squads under Jim Calhoun, this rendition is athletic, tall and loves to push the tempo. They can still hit some rough patches, but this year, led by Price, they do not have droughts for as long of periods of time on offense as the execution has improves. Defensively, the effort is improving each time out and the team keeps improving.

Connecticut still lacks a ‘big win’ on the season, and a home game against Providence would hardly qualify as such at season’s end, but the Huskies need to win all of their games like this. The Friars are in need of a big win and road wins in general for them to make an argument for inclusion in the Field of 65 this March.

This seems like a game that Connecticut will try to make a statement in. After the sting of a disappointing loss at Georgetown and with the return from illness of Jim Calhoun, look for the Huskies, as 9-pt favorites, to put things together tonight and flex some muscles.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Connecticut 82 Providence 69

« Previous Page — Next Page »