Summer Reports

PITTSBURGH SUMMER REPORT

Panthers look to re-load in 2009-2010 following Elite 8

by Zach Smart

DeJaun Blair’s rapid ascension to surefire stardom came at both the right and wrong time for Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon. While Blair posted eye-opening numbers (15.2 points, 12.3 boards per) and cooked Hasheem Thabeet to the recipe of 23 points and 22 rebounds during one of the best individual performances by a collegiate player last season, the NBA scouts lured in the homegrown product.

So, the services of the double-double machine are no longer, and that’s one piece of a vaunted triumvirate that also featured LeVance “Mr. Big Shot” Fields and Sam Young, who’s also in the league now.

Fields was an innate floor general who never wilted under pressure. Throughout his stay at Pitt, he was a composed customer who could put teams away from beyond the arc. When the intensity and pressure is ratcheted up a notch, Fields was the answer. Young, who sprouted into one of the Big East premier forwards, leaves his mark as the fourth leading scorer in program history. The kid who loves to play above the rim joins some elite company.

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VILLANOVA SUMMER REPORT

Could a return trip to Final Four be possible for 2009-2010 Wildcats?

by Zach Smart

Scottie Reynolds is back after watching his 2009 draft stock crank up a notch. What does this mean for Villanova, which rose to the top of the guard-geared Big East with a final four berth?

They will have one of the country’s elite backcourts led by the savvy veteran Reynolds whose been making headlines since his freshman season running the show. The Wildcats will have considerable balance in this top-tier backcourt, strengthened by the arrival of blue chips Dominic Cheek and Maalik Wayns and return of junior Corey Fisher, who could be on the cusp of a breakout campaign.

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GEORGETOWN SUMMER REPORT

Hoyas hope to pass chemistry class during 2009-2010 season

By Zach Smart

After jumping out of the gates sizzling, the Hoyas faltered and stumbled, eventually teetering on the edge of aseason explosion. Needless to say, the high note the season started out soon evolved into an afterthought in a down year for the program.

Georgetown rolled out to a 10-1 start, one they capped off with a marquee 74-63 over previously untouchable UConn on the road. It was a performance that saw freshman wunderkind Greg Monroe stamp his imprint to the Big East world. Monroe dropped 16 points, including two timely treys, in a yardstick game that turned out to be an on-the-road thumping.

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RUTGERS SUMMER REPORT

Critical season ahead for Scarlet Knights basketball program in 2009-10

By Zach Smart

In a matter of days, Mike Rosario went from callow freshman to scoring savior.

Without question, Rosario’s blink-quick evolution was a major silver lining of the Scarlet Knights’ dismal 2008-2009 campaign.

The first McDonald’s All-American to pen with Rutgers, Rosario led the team in scoring and became a surefire selection for the conference’s All-Freshman team.

He’s spent this summer on Puerto Rico’s national team and his dominance hasn’t halted. He’s been lighting up the scoreboard and recently shot 18-of-29 from the field, including nine-of-13 from behind the three-point arc, to score a tournament-best 54 points in Puerto Rico’s 90-89 defeat of France at the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championships earlier this summer.

Optimism might have been in the air, despite an abysmal 2-16 record in conference play and another season spent in the Big East’s lowest percentile. With a solid core coming back, headlined by a scoring cyborg in Rosario and a defensively active big man in Gregory Echenique and the addition of JUCO point guard target James Beatty, Rutgers could have potentially re-wrote the script of their losing ways under Hill.

However, just days before the fall semester began, the Rutgers’ program took a hit in personnel with the dismissal of guard Corey Chandler and a hit in perception with the ‘demotion’ of assistant Craig Carter. The local backlash has been intense and continues to keep RU in the news for the wrong reasons, making another lower-percentile finish for Hill, who is 8-41 in Big East play as a head coach, very tough to overcome under the watch of a new athletic director. Remember, Gary Waters was deemed unacceptable after winning 7 Big East games and reaching the NIT in his last season…

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WEST VIRGINIA SUMMER REPORT

Bob Huggins and Mountaineers enter 2009-2010 among favorites in Big East

By Zach Smart

You may have witnessed the “Point Guard Needed” advertisement on Craigslist.com, located under the “Labor Gigs” category.

I think Bob Huggins and the West Virginia coaching staff posted that one.

Following the arrest of Joe Mazzula and the suspension of sophomore Darryl “Truck” Bryant, Huggins has a major decision cooking on his front stove. He could have the issue resolved as early as the fall.

Mazzula was arrested on charges of domestic battery in the spring. He was excused from the team almost immediately as it was his second arrest in less than 12 months.

Bryant was issued a suspension for his role in a traffic accident during which he fled the scene. He was charged with four misdemeanors.

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MARQUETTE SUMMER REPORT

Buzz Williams tackles the rebuilding task at Marquette following graduation of guard trio

BY ZACH SMART

There’s been a mass exodus at Marquette this summer, with a bevy of veteran talent moving on to explore the next chapter in their lives.

Yes, the departure of a pro-ready triumvirate may damage the Golden Eagles’ chances next season.

Yes, Jerel McNeal, Wesley Matthews and Dominic James accounted for a staggering 62 percent of the Golden Eagles’ total offensive output in 2008-09.

Yes, they were a poised pack that led by example and manufactured offense at a torrid pace.

The loss of a high-scoring, tough and cerebral three-man wrecking crew offers a steep challenge to the Golden Eagles. Still, nobody is hitting the panic button.

Not with a young nucleus of talent that can right the ship while potentially upgrading the boat in particular categories.

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DEPAUL SUMMER REPORT

Blue Demons look to escape Big East basement in 2009-2010

by ZACH SMART

Following a humiliating 0-18 Big East campaign, left for dead DePaul developed a pulse during the all-inclusive 2009 Big East tournament.

The core of young guns, spearheaded by high-scoring forward Dar Tucker, managed to scrape the embarrassing monkey off their backs.

On the biggest stage, DePaul sent reeling Cincinnati home early and drove the final coffin in their NCAA Tournament hopes.

In the ensuing round, DePaul’s vital signs remained intact. An upset-bid of Providence ultimately fell by the wayside.

It was an interesting experience, witnessing a team who avoided its tombstone prolong a post-season power surge. They gave the surplus of black-and-white clad fans early jitters.

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ST. JOHN’S SUMMER REPORT

The Redstorm look to turn the corner under Norm Roberts in the Big East in 2009-2010

By Zach Smart

Is Norm Roberts on the hot seat this year?

If St. John’s fails to attain a winning season, that seat could be burnt to pieces.

The general knock on Norm has been has failure to lure in local talent. A paltry record the past few years has also stained Roberts’ resume, further weakening his job security in Queens.

For the upcoming season, however, optimism is in the air.

Roberts didn’t need a GPS system as much as he did a train, bus ticket, or thick-tired bicycle to find this season’s recruiting class.

Roberts scoured the big apple and the national basketball real estate, drawing highly-regarded guard Omari Lawrence.

Lawrence is a full basketball package, if he pans out. He can shoot, slash, defend, handle the rock, and become a presence in the passing lanes.

He could make an immediate impact. The return of a healthy Anthony Mason Jr. will also alter the perception of a team that finished in the Big East’s lower percentile last season.

The pieces make for a good puzzle.

Do Roberts and the Johnnies have the insatiable thirst for victory, enough to produce a winning formula in a Big Eas that, as always, is soaking with talent?

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PROVIDENCE SUMMER REPORT

Friars rebuilding process begins in earnest under Keno Davis

by Zach Smart

The chorus of boos resonated throughout the Dunkin’ Donuts Center the first game of the 2008-09 campaign, as a program striving for turnaround suffered an embarrassing four-point loss to Northeastern on their home floor. It was not the debut a new coach, still relatively wet behind the ears, was looking to have. After the exodus of Tim Welsh, Keno Davis took a veteran Providence squad and persevered some early ups and downs and did a commendable job of helping the Friars springboard back into the realm of respectability.

Though the Friars were again denied access to the NCAA Tournament, they ended up 19-14, 10-8 in Big East play. Their season was highlighted by a 81-73 victory over then-smoking, #1 ranked Pitt. The Friars won six of their first eight on the Big East slate, though their momentum rush was stymied by a crushing 33-point drubbing at the hands of UConn.

Still, Providence made significant sides in the country’s most evenly-matched, unpredictable conference. However, the graduation of five seniors leaves a rebuilding task ahead.

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CINCINNATI SUMMER REPORT

‘Born Ready’ adds to Bearcats’ hype, but solid nucleus is also in place for UC in 09-10

By Zach Smart

With the late signing of New York City phenom Lance “Born Ready” Stephenson, the Cincinnati Bearcats may have weathered the storm while righting the backcourt ship.

Stephenson’s recruiting process was heavily-scrutinized and as topsy turvy as they come, with the talking heads questioning his eligibility and amateur status. With the NCAA in private investigator mode–cracking down on high-majors like UConn, Memphis, and suddenly baller-barren USC–the circus may be heading to the Ohio River before we know it.

On the other side of the coin, the 6-foot-6 guard from Brooklyn could ressurrect an ailing program. He forms a dynamic 1-2 punch with 6-foot-1 senior Deonta Vaughn (15.3 PPG, 4.7 APG), who’s long carried the tag of go-to-guy. The Bearcats also plug a blossoming young forward in sophomore Yancy Gates (10.6 PPG, 48% FG), a dependable beneficiary of Stephenson’s flashy dishes inside.

If the controversial Stephenson can circumvent the ever-growing NCAA investigation process and shed oft-noticed attitude issues, a Bearcat resurgence may be in the cards.

It all adds some buzz to a Big East that’s overflowing with the nation’s top-tier players.

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CONNECTICUT SUMMER REPORT

Cupboard far from bare in Storrs after a Final Four run to Detroit last season

by ZACH SMART

The 2008-2009 season began with much promise for Connecticut as a preseason favorite to challenge for the Final Four in Detroit The Huskies lived up to that promise as the season ended right where they had hoped, with a trip to the Final Four. However, in between the season might have been as challenging as any for Hall of Fame head coach Jim Calhoun.

Controversy around the Huskies began early as prized recruit Nate Miles was expelled from UConn barely a month into his time on campus for violating a restraining order just minutes after it was issued. Miles had a restraining order palced against him after allegations of abusing a female student were placed against him.

At the same time, the NCAA Clearninghouse was evaluating the academic record of talented 6′9 forward recruit Ater Majok. The NCAA cleared Majok’s way to enroll at UConn in December, but they ruled he would not be eligible until December of 2009 to play for the Huskies.

Throughout the first semester of the season, Stanley Robinson was not with the program, instead he was working in a sheet metal factory outside of Storrs, hoping to rejoin the program after the first semester. He did and UConn looked to be rolling, but then in February, Jerome Dyson was lost to a season-ending knee surgery after colliding with a Syracuse Orange player in a Big East conference game.

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SOUTH FLORIDA SUMMER REPORT

Bulls have long climb up, hoping for progress in right direction in 09-10

by Zach Smart

Life in the Big East’s gutter could improve drastically this season. The Bulls moved fast in restocking the system, reeling in a revived recruiting class that features 6-foot-11 center Jarrid Famous and Jordan Dumars, so of former Piston great Joe Dumars.

Famous, a transfer by way of Westchester Community College (Valhalla, N.Y.), averaged 25 points and a NJCAA-leading 15 rebounds en route to leading the Westcoes to back-to-back Mid-Hudson championships. Shaped by WCC assistant Dave Vandiver, a local area coach who turned Woodlands High School (Greenburgh, N.Y.) into a formidable Section I/N.Y.S. foe, Famous turned heads his sophomore season.

His game met the fancy of several top-tier Big East programs. Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Villanova, UConn, and West Virginia were all in heavy pursuit of the hunted one that got away to Tampa, Fla.

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SYRACUSE SUMMER REPORT

Orange hoping to reload in backcourt following exodus of talented guards

by ZACH SMART

Big East critics await a sequel of a film that’s lost a significant chunk of its luster from the original last season.

Picture Next Friday (without Chris Tucker), The Lost Boys sequel (without Corey Haim), Predator 2 (without Schwarzenegger). Will the Syracuse Orange version of 2009-2010 suffer a similar fate?

The supporting actors from last season suddenly shoulder the high-order duty of replacing the high-end stars. No doubt, the loss of Jonny Flynn to the NBA takes some of the showtime out of the 2009-10 Orange squad. The Orange have a highly-touted freshman from similar stomping grounds as Flynn in 2009 NYS Co-Player of the Year Brandon Triche.

On paper, the Orange face the music of a transition season following the loss of a potent triumvirate in Flynn (17.4 PPG, 6.7 APG), guard Eric Devendorf (15.0 PPG, 3.0 APG), and pitbull small forward Paul Harris (12.0 PPG, 8.1 RPG). The trio accounted for more than half of Syracuse’s offensive output in 2k8-2k9, averaging a combined 45.1 points per.

While the Orange restore some firepower in fifth-year senior Andy Rautins and jumbo forward/center Arinze Onuaku, it’s not enough to set off a pyrotechnic display over Onondaga Lake. In a Big East drenched with talent and gritty guard play, Jim Boeheim will look to catapult the patchwork gang of tyros and savvy veterans into a challenger.

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