NBE Basketball Report
Connecticut News

LANCE STEPHENSON AT HOME UNDER GARDEN LIGHTS

March 11, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

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While an extended stay in New York City and Madison Square Garden is something new to most of the Cincinnati Bearcats on Mick Cronin’s roster, there is one player that is an old pro at playing under the bright lights and scrutiny that the Garden brings.

The NBE Big East Freshman of the Year Lance Stephenson was a New York City basketball prodigy since he was in 6th grade and the legend of the player known as ‘Born Ready’ grew to a climax as Stephenson led Lincoln High School to four consecutive PSAL championships on the Garden floor. This week he returned home hoping to help the Bearcats turn around a season that has not lived up to the preseason expectations heaped upon them by adding Stephenson to an experienced returning cast.

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BIG EAST TOURNAMENT COVERAGE: MERNAGH’S THOUGHTS ON DAY I

March 10, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

by RAY MERNAGH

USF 58 DePaul 49

A lot is being made about South Florida winning without scoring from outside a few feet and I’ll concede it’s one of the more stranger things I’ve seen in a long time.

But it also points to the control that Stan Heath has over this squad. The Bulls finished 0-8 from three but only took two of those in the second half.

Why? Because they didn’t have to make three’s or a lot of jump shots to beat DePaul. Heat told them that and they executed their game plan of getting to the rim.

Today against Georgetown they’ll have to hit some J’s, but because they realized they didn’t need to yesterday they got to today.

It’s all about advancing folks.

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BIG EAST TOURNAMENT COVERAGE: DAY ONE RECAP

March 10, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

by RAY FLORIANI and MATT WHITFIELD

NEW YORK CITY – The first round of the 2010 Big East Tournament is in the books. Four games, one upset with St. John’s over UCONN in a surprisingly lopsided contest . The scores:

South Florida 58, DePaul 49

St. John’s 73, Connecticut 51

Seton Hall 109, Providence 106

Cincinnati 69, Rutgers 68

—Be sure to visit NBE’s 2010 Big East Tournament home page (HERE!) for the full schedule and links to get tickets to each session—

Ray’s ten points of emphasis from this first day:

1. Loved the attitude of South Florida coach Stan Heath. His Bulls defeated DePaul and are 20-11. Rather than discuss the bubble Heath simply tells his players to keep playing. “We win we get to keep playing,” Heath said, “and that takes care of itself.” Bulls jumped out to a 30-15 halftime lead and outside of a late run fueled by DePaul’s Will Walker (20 points), did a good defensive job.

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SNY TOP 10 ALL-TIME BEASTS OF THE BIG EAST; BRANDEN FRAZIER PICKS HOFSTRA

March 9, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

Last night SNY had a special where they took a look at the Top 10 All-Time players of the Big East. It was an entertaining hour program with in-studio commentary by the coverage crew at SNY, including former Big East Player of the Year and Pitt Panther Charles Smith, former Big East head coach Tim Welsh, Lenn Robbins of the NY Post and SNY college basketball expert Brandon Tierney and hosted by Gary Apple.

Nine of their top 10 were also included in the top 10 of NBE’s All-Time Top 50 Big East players of all-time that we released in the fall of 2008.

Here is SNY’s Top 10 with the NBE ranking in parenthesis:

10) Kerry Kittles (9)
9) Richard Hamilton (7)
8] Walter Berry (5)
7) Alonzo Mourning (14)
6) Allen Iverson (3)
5) Pearl Washington (6)
4) Ray Allen (8)
3) Derrick Coleman (4)
2) Chris Mullin (2)
1) Patrick Ewing (1)

The show included some passionate debate, especially in regards to players who played just a year or two in college compared to their four-year counterparts and the weight a national championship carried in their consideration.

Brandon Tierney agreed that Alonzo Mourning was placed too high in the SNY rankings. Another Hoya, Eric ‘Sleepy’ Floyd was the only from the NBE top 10 not to make the SNY top 10.

Always good debate when looking at all-time lists…
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Branden Frazier, the 6′3″ shooting guard from Bishop Laughlin (2010) and New Heights just committed to Hofstra. Frazier can get buckets in a hurry from deep and also possesses a step-back J and penetration game that should make him a very good player at the next level. Frazier chose Hofstra over a who’s who of mid major powers according to Kimani Young, the New Heights AD.

“Branden picked Hofstra over Kent State, Southern Illinois and La Salle,” said Young over the phone just this morning.

Big East programs such as St. John’s, Rutgers and a few others also evaluated Frazier at times last summer. Frazier was very impressive in last year’s Primetime Shootout (2009) and here is an NBE evaluation by Brian Crownover from the event:

This lanky guard exploded onto the scene for the Lions. Branden had a stellar afternoon as he used a smooth stroke to bury 6 three pointers en route to a 36 point performance. Branden hit from deep both off the dribble, as well as the catch and shoot variety. He ran the floor well too and converted on several lay-ups. Branden threw a nice pass and blocked a shot. His ball handling looked okay, but he didn’t attack much in this contest. Not surprisingly, he was named Player of the Game for his team in the victory. Branden will definitely be a player worth keeping an eye on this summer.




2010 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT: TUESDAY PRIMER

March 9, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

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Let the Madness begin!! The 2010 Big East Tournament tips off today at high noon with a double-header this afternoon at Madison Square Garden.

16) DePaul vs. 9) South Florida, 12 noon.
13) St. John’s vs. 12) Connecticut, 2 PM.

It is not to late to find tickets, but you have to act fast for this afternoon’s session:


Big East Basketball Tournament Tickets – Session 1 March 9 2010 (DePaul/USF & UConn/SJU)

The nightcap doubleheader for the opening day:

15) Providence vs. 10) Seton Hall, 7 PM.
14) Rutgers vs. 11) Cincinnati, 9 PM.

Again, tickets are still available and for great prices:


Big East Basketball Tournament Tickets – Session 2 March 9 2010 (PC/SHU & RU/UC)

All three NYC/NJ-area teams are in action today, as well as UConn. South Florida and Seton Hall desperately need wins to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive and kicking.

For tickets to any session of the Big East Tournament, or to purchase a full tournament ticket package, please visit our 2010 Big East Tournament and Tickets page for the complete schedule and links to purchase tickets. Stub Hub and the Big East conference have teamed up to provide fans with quality tickets and your tickets are guaranteed to be in hand before the game, even when purchasing for the early sessions of the BET: StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online.

Read on below for more News & Notes on today’s action as well as other notes regarding the Big East Tournament…

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NBE POST-SEASON ALL-BIG EAST TEAMS & AWARDS

March 8, 2010 by NBE Blogger · 2 Comments 

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The regular season is complete and the Big East Tournament tips off Tuesday so be sure to visit our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page for the full tournament schedule and the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions.

Throughout the day the majority of NBE writers and contributors contemplated, debated and discussed our post-season awards for the Big East conference. Its been another great season with 16 teams battling it out for 18 games each through the 71 days of Big East action from December 26th through this past Saturday. After much deliberation…here are the NBE Big East 2009-2010 season awards:

NBE Big East Player of the Year: Scottie Reynolds, Villanova

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (3/8/2010)

March 8, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

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The regular season is complete and the Big East Tournament tips off tomorrow so be sure to visit our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page for the full tournament schedule and the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big East fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. They still have plenty of seats, and inexpensive options, for the early sessions as well as the entire tournament.

Stub Hub and the Big East conference have teamed up to provide fans with quality tickets and your tickets are guaranteed to be in hand before the game, even when purchasing for the early sessions of the BET: StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online.

Before we dive into the stories of the Big East Tournament and the post season awards and the latest on this coach’s future and who doesn’t like this coach, which is all below, we urge everyone to check out Keith Sargeant’s blog post at Scarlet Scuttlebutt titled Caring for Brayden and see the stories he wrote on Rutgers men’s basketball recruiting coordinator Jim Carr. His son, Brayden, has been battling epilepsy for most of his 18-month old life and the efforts of the Carr family and those close to them and young Brayden to find a cure.

Now, onto today’s News & Notes around the Big East…

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2010 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE & TICKETS

March 6, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

Madison Square Garden in New York City is the place to be beginning next Tuesday

After 18, hard fought regular season contests all 16 teams head to New York City and Madison Square Garden for the 2010 Big East Tournament as this year’s ‘Garden Party’ tips off at high noon, Tuesday, March 9th.

There is a lot at stake once again in MSG as teams fight for NCAA Tournament seeding and a few fight for their postseason lives. This year’s conference tournament promises to be as wide open as any in recent memory. Below we map out the week’s schedule and offer fans links to buy tickets through StubHub.com and your tickets are guaranteed to be in your hand prior to the games with StubHub’s guarantees.

Enjoy the week…March Madness is here!

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2010 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT PROJECTED SEEDS/SCHEDULE

March 5, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

The last days of the 2009-2010 regular season are here as we prepare for the conference tournament

All 16 Big East teams will conclude their regular season with a conference game beginning tonight and finishing on Saturday We go through the scenarios and break down the seed possibilities for the 2010 Big East Tournament as this year’s ‘Garden Party’ tips off at high noon, March 9th, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. There will be a lot riding on these final regular season games, but the real action will begin next week a teams will be fighting for their collective seasons and trying to make their final cases in impressive the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. Selection Sunday is just nine days away…are you ready?

Below we break down the scenarios and lay out the Big East Tournament seeding landscape in the conference. Also, we provide links for fans to secure tickets to all the action, closing the regular season and opportunities to buy 2010 Big East Tournament Tickets. This year’s tournament promises to be wide-open and exciting, secure your seats today!

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (3/4/2010)

March 4, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

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There was one lone Big East game on the Wednesday Night schedule and it was an important meeting in South Bend (IN) between UConn and Notre Dame. Riding Tory Jackson, the Irish picked up another resume padding late-season win while UConn is dealt a critical blow to their NCAA Tournament chances. Tonight, Pitt looks to lock down the final double bye into the 2010 Big East Tournament quarterfinals when hosting Providence and the Seton Hall/Rutgers rivalry commences for round two in nine days.

Austin Freeman returned to the practice floor for Georgetown on Wednesday, but the Hoya junior also released the news he has developed diabetes. It will not impact his long-term basketball career, but the immediate impact is still to be determined in regards to his availability on the court in upcoming Georgetown games of the next week or so.

Also, Pat Stevens updates us on some of the happenings in the NEPSAC playoffs with several Big East commits and targets looking to extend their seasons. Finally, Rutgers to the Big 10 looks like a possibility and a good fit for the Scarlet Knights if an offer is extended to them in the future.

It is now less than a week away, so be sure to visit our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page for the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big East fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. 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

Now, onto today’s News & Notes around the Big East…

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (3/3/2010)

March 3, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

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Four games were on last night’s Big East schedule and Marquette made quite a statement, and it was loud and clear. The Golden Eagles are GOOD! MU ran Louisville out of the Bradley Center and the loss puts the Cards back onto the bubble, at least according to Rick Pitino who believes they need a win this weekend to give them enough breathing room before NYC. In other action, South Florida kept their postseason dreams alive while Cincinnati’s looks to be just about shattered. In the process, DePaul gets closer to commencing their job search full steam ahead, but one of their top candidates looks to be off the board. Villanova held on to, at least temporarily, right their ship while Syracuse had a laugher in the Carrier Dome over St. John’s allowing the Orange to celebrate their outright regular season Big East championship.

Tonight is a big game as Notre Dame and UConn put their NCAA Tournament hopes on the line in South Bend. No Luke Harangody again for the Irish…

In other news, Dane Miller is drawing comparisons to another former Big East star from his home area and Jermaine Dixon looks to reach a milestone of his own in his Pitt career. Also, more talk on the Big 10 expansion heats up after the initial report comissions by the conference says it is a feasible plan to move ahead…

Also, it is now less than a week away, so be sure to visit our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page for the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big East fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. 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

Now, onto today’s News & Notes around the Big East…

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (3/2/2010)

March 2, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

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Da’Sean Butler went out as a winner in his West Virginia final home game as the Mountaineers dealt slumping Goergetown another loss. The Hoyas were without Austin Freeman, who is battling an illness, and their lack of depth makes it very tough to overcome.

Tonight on the Big East schedule is four games. Deonta Vaughn hopes to go out as a winner in his final regular season home game at Cincinnati and the Bearcats hopes to finish strong while Villanova, losers of three of their last four, hope to make some short-order repairs in time for the post-season. Syracuse hopes to wrap-up the regular season conference title outright with a win over St. John’s as the Carrier Dome crowd gets to cheer 5th year seniors Andy Rautins and Arinze Onuaku one last time. South Florida looks to keep their hopes for a .500 Big East season alive when they visit DePaul and Louisville and Marquette have an intriguing nightcap with several post-season implicatons tied to the outcome.

In other news, Lenn Robbins gives it to a couple Big East coaches following their weekend losses. Notre Dame is likely without Luke Harangody at least one more time as UConn and the Irish battle tomorrow in a game that has very big post-season ramifications. Carleton Scott has given ND a lift during ‘Gody’s absence. Pitt coach Jamie Dixon is a candidate for coaching awards as the Panthers look to sew up a double-bye in the Big East Tournament in their last two games this year.

Also, it just a week away, so be sure to visit our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page for the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big East fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. 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

Now, onto today’s News & Notes around the Big East…

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EVERYDAY MESSAGE RESONATES FOR MARQUETTE

March 1, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

Latest evidence is in Golden Eagles overtime win over Seton Hall on Sunday afternoon

by RAY MERNAGH

A simple message can have amazing results. Especially when that message never changes or wavers –circumstances be damned.

“The message is always the same to our guys,” said Buzz Williams, in response to my query of whether he changes his approach depending on situations, in this particular case I was asking about overtimes.

“Whether it’s at halftime, the day before a game or the first day of individual workouts, it’s the same,” said Williams.

On February 18th, Marquette lost 58-51 to Pitt in Milwaukee. The loss ended a five-game winning streak by the Golden Eagles. It made them 7-6 in the Big East and facing a three-game road trip to Cincinnati (a desperate team hoping to stay alive), St. John’s (a team starting to win some games) and Seton Hall (see Cincinnati).

Back to that message.

“This is not for everyone, we need everyone but we don’t need anyone,” said Williams. “We are going to be everyday tough, not just game tough, not fake tough, not rivalry tough, we are going to be everyday tough.”

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SOSA’S LATE SCORE LIFTS LOUISVILLE TO BIG WIN

March 1, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

UL senior Edgar Sosa helps Cards steal one in Storrs to help NCAA Tournament chances

by MATT WHITFIELD

If you wanted to, you could make a scrap book with quotes from college coaches on how tough the Big East is. Sunday’s game between Connecticut and Louisville proved to be just another dog fight as the stakes were high with both teams fighting for their NCAA Tournament lives. The Huskies and Cardinals were both #1 seeds last year and now both entered Gampel Pavilion on Sunday just hoping their names would be called on Selection Sunday in two weeks.

Early in the game all signs pointed to a UConn win as Jim Calhoun’s club came out with a lot of energy and emotion trying to send off their three scholarship seniors, Jerome Dyson, Stanley Robinson and Gavin Edwards, as winners in their final regular season home game. The Huskies raced to an 11-2 lead out of the gates and pushed the lead to as much as twelve points, 28-16, on a three-pointer by point guard Kemba Walker with 8:29 left in the first half.

The Huskies began the game dominating the boards, outrebounding the Cards 18-7, including six on the offensive glass, in the opening eleven and a half minutes.

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UPDATED 2010 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT SEEDING SCENARIOS

March 1, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

Calendar flips to March and the last week of the regular season is upon us as teams jockey for position

All 16 Big East teams were in action with eight highly competitive conference match-ups this past weekend. This year’s conference tournament is shaping up to be as wide-open and as important as ever with NCAA Tournament seeding and bids on the line for several teams. We go through the scenarios and break down the seed possibilities for the 2010 Big East Tournament as this year’s ‘Garden Party’ tips off at high noon, March 9th, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Between tonight’s Big Monday contest (3/1) and next Saturday (3/6), everyone in the Big East will close their regular season with two conference games. Everyone is jockeying for position with conference tournament seeding up for grabs, NCAA Tournament bids and NCAA Tournament seeding riding on the outcomes of these games.

Below, we break down the scenarios and lay out the Big East Tournament seeding landscape in the conference. Also, we provide links for fans to secure tickets to all the action, closing the regular season and opportunities to buy 2010 Big East Tournament Tickets. Later today we will do the same with the NCAA Tournament and how the Big East teams are shaping up for their shot at making, or earning a top seed, in the Big Dance.

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BIG EAST TEAMS JOCKEYING FOR NCAA TOURNAMENT SEEDING & BIDS DOWN THE STRETCH

February 26, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

Many key games will highlight the last eight days of the Big East regular season with NCAA implications

Earlier today we took a look at how the 2010 Big East Tournament Seeding is shaping out and how the last three games for each team in the regular season can still determine quite a bit of the match-ups for Madison Square Garden beginning March 9th.

Now, we take a look at the bigger picture and how the last week will impact the Big East and the NCAA Tournament. At this point, everyone is pretty much agreed that five teams are locks from the Big East to earn NCAA bids: Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia, Georgetown and Pittsburgh.

Over the course of the next eight days, beginning tomorrow, six other Big East teams will have the opportunity to play themselves into (or out of) the NCAA Tournament or onto (or off of) the infamous tournanent bubble. An argument could be made that a seventh team could make a case for themselves if they run the table this last week as well. Below we will go over some of the key scenarios yet to play out in the final days of the Big East regular season before all 16 teams hit NYC for one last shot and the 2010 Big East Tournament.

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2010 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT SEEDING AT A GLANCE

February 26, 2010 by NBE Blogger · 1 Comment 

Plenty left to play for in the Big East over the final eight days of the regular season beginning tomorrow

A rare two-day break from conference action allows us to go in-depth and analyze where everyone stands with three regular season games left before the postseason gets underway. We go through the scenarios and break down the seed possibilities for the 2010 Big East Tournament, which promises to be as exciting and as wide-open as a game of online roulette. This year’s ‘Garden Party’ tips off at high noon, March 9th, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Between tomorrow (2/27) and next Saturday (3/6), everyone in the Big East will close their regular season with three conference games. Everyone is jockeying for position with conference tournament seeding up for grabs, NCAA Tournament bids and NCAA Tournament seeding riding on the outcomes of the games.

Below, we break down the scenarios and lay out the postseason landscape in the Big East. Also, we provide links for fans to secure tickets to all the action, closing the regular season and opportunities to buy 2010 Big East Tournament Tickets. Later today we will do the same with the NCAA Tournament and how the Big East teams are shaping up for their shot at making, or earning a top seed, in the Big Dance.

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UNFINISHED BUSINESS FOR UCONN’S DYSON

February 25, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

Connecticut senior guard has plenty left to play for in final season in Storrs

Since Jim Calhoun took over the Husky basketball program in May of 1986, the Hall of Fame coach has put Connecticut basketball on the national map. With a pair of national championships under his belt and a third trip to the Final Four last season, players that pass through his program are not judged by how many points they score or rebounds they grab, but by their legacy of success in the postseason.

By any standard of judgment, Jerome Dyson is a college basketball star. He has had a career at UConn that ranks among some of the very best to play under coach Calhoun. However, he understands he has some unfinished business to take care of as he tries to solidify his own UConn basketball legacy. That is why a strong finish to the 2009-2010 season and playing in the NCAA Tournament weighs heavily on Dyson’s mind.

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MERNAGH’S TALES FROM THE TAPE: UCONN’S ROBINSON RESPONDS

February 23, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

by RAY MERNAGH

It started, like so many things do with this Connecticut team as of late, with a tongue-lashing from Jim Calhoun.

Calhoun wasn’t happy with senior Stanley Robinson’s play defensively that resulted in a put back off his own miss by Devin Ebanks of West Virginia during the second half of last night’s Big East conference contest. The decision to call the timeout was made the second Ebanks floated the ball in to cut the UConn lead to 53-52 with 8:48 left in the game. My first thought was Robinson was being chastised for not boxing out or grabbing the board, but looking at the tape this morning I saw his real sin. He half-stepped it defensively against Kevin Jones and that allowed Jones to catch the ball on the right wing freely — resulting in an easy pass to Ebanks on the block. He then added on to his initial miscue by not attacking the first miss in the air but kind of flying by it off balance and out of the play, giving Ebanks a clear path to catch and score the initial miss.

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (2/23/2010)

February 23, 2010 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment 

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Here come’s UConn! Jim Calhoun has directed the Huskies to three straight wins just as it looked like they were headed towards missing ghe NCAA Tournament. Now last year’s Final Four participant and #1 seed is right in the mix of the bubble talk. Work is still needed, but suddenly a season left for dead just 9 days ago after an ‘embarassment’ is very much alive with a team that could be very dangerous in March.

Three games on the Big East schedule tonight with the battle of Jersey bewteen SHU and RU taking palce at the ROC. A very big game on the conference schedule features Louisville and Georgetown as the two teams have been heading in opposite directions in recent weeks, but the Hoyas are still possessing a lofty national rank and the Cards are hoping to get off the bubble, even though it is Georgetown looking up at UL in the league standings. Syracuse looks to avoid looking ahead to ‘Nova this weekend when they travel to Providence, who has been run through the wringer of the Big East schedule.

In other news, Notre Dame has to go deeper on the bench that Mike Brey might be comfortable with whil Luke Harangody has been out. Now, it looks like Harangody will be out longer than anticpated. The heat is rising against Mick Cronin as UC stumbles again down the stetch. With four years left on his contract, it has the Cincinnati athletic department in a tough spot. Of course, making a few free throws and this situation could be looking MUCH better. Buzz Williams is back to his aerodynamic hair style after growing out a little fuzz during a five-game winning streak. Mouphtau Yarous is adjusting to life on the Philly Main Line and hopes to make the impact he had hoped before this season is done.

In recruiting, Maurice Walker and Gorgui Dieng are 2010 uncomitted big men that Big East schools are actively recruiting into the spring signing period.

Also, it might still be another few weeks 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. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big East fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. 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

Now, onto today’s News & Notes around the Big East…

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