Connecticut News

2011-2012 BIG EAST HOME & HOME GAMES REVEALED

The official release from the BIG EAST is expected today, but main television partner ESPN has the information already and Andy Katz posted this summary on the college nation blog earlier this morning:

Cincinnati: Villanova, Marquette, St. John’s

Last season: DePaul, Georgetown, St. John’s
Finish: 26-9, 11-7 (NCAA)
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Connecticut: Notre Dame, Seton Hall, Syracuse

Last season: Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame
Finish: 32-9, 9-9 (NCAA)
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DePaul: Louisville, St. John’s, Seton Hall

Last season: Cincinnati, South Florida, West Virginia
Finish: 7-24, 1-17
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Georgetown: Marquette, Providence, St. John’s

Last season: Cincinnati, St. John’s, Syracuse
Finish: 21-11, 10-8 (NCAA)
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Louisville: Pitt, Syracuse, DePaul

Last season: Connecticut, Providence, West Virginia
Finish: 25-10, 12-6 (NCAA)
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Marquette: Cincinnati, Georgetown, Villanova

Last season: Connecticut, Notre Dame, Seton Hall
Finish: 22-15, 9-9 (NCAA)
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Notre Dame: Connecticut, Rutgers, West Virginia

Last season: Connecticut, Marquette, St. John’s
Finish: 27-7, 14-4 (NCAA)
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Pittsburgh: Louisville, South Florida, West Virginia

Last season: South Florida, Villanova, West Virginia
Finish: 28-6, 15-3 (NCAA)
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Providence: Georgetown, South Florida, Syracuse

Last season: Louisville, Rutgers, South Florida
Finish: 15-17, 4-14
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Rutgers: Notre Dame, Seton Hall, West Virginia

Last season: Providence, Seton Hall, Villanova
Finish: 15-17, 5-13
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St. John’s: Cincinnati, DePaul, Georgetown

Last season: Cincinnati, Georgetown, Notre Dame
Finish: 21-12, 12-6 (NCAA)
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Seton Hall: Connecticut, DePaul, Rutgers

Last season: Marquette, Rutgers, Syracuse
Finish: 13-18, 7-11
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South Florida: Pitt, Providence, Villanova

Last season: DePaul, Pitt, Providence
Finish: 10-23, 3-15
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Syracuse: Connecticut, Providence, Louisville

Last season: Georgetown, Seton Hall, Villanova
Finish: 27-8, 12-6 (NCAA)
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Villanova: Marquette, South Florida, Cincinnati

Last season: Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse
Finish: 21-12, 9-9
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West Virginia: Pitt, Notre Dame, Rutgers

Last season: DePaul, Louisville, Pitt
Finish: 21-12, 11-7 (NCAA)
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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (6/29/2011)

College basketball is a year-round sport. In the summer there is news of players coming and going from programs to keep track of, a busy recruiting season and more and more summer leagues that offer the players a chance to stay sharp against high-level competition. While many incoming freshmen just celebrated their high school graduation in the last few weeks and even days, many are already on a college campus and competing in the summer leagues and attending classes with their new teammates.

Today we take a quick run through some of the latest stories in the BIG EAST that touch on each of those subjects…

In Mike Helfgot’s Recruiting Notes in the Chicago Tribune there is an update on 6-foot-2 rising junior Jaylon Tate, who recently confirmed rumors he will be transferring from De La Salle High School to Chicago Simeon. At Simeon Tate will join a loaded roster that includes classmates Jabari Parker and Kendrick Nunn and senior Steve Taylor. All four players are considered sure-fire high-major recruits.

As for Tate, Helfgot reports that has offers from Northwestern, Providence and Xavier, according to his mother, Arisa Johnson, with several other high-majors such as DePaul, Marquette, Tennessee, Florida State and, as of this week, UCLA, expressing serious interest.
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KEY RETURNEES GEAR UP TO DEFEND NATIONAL TITLE FOR UCONN

By Doug Ferguson

One would think that the Connecticut Huskies would be basking in the glory of their National Championship, earned last April capping an improbable post-season run for the ages. In talking with two key cogs in the UConn title run this weekend at the Nike Skills Academies however, that was the furthest thing from their mind.

“We’re just always trying to get better” said guard Shabazz Napier.

Napier spoke of how he would have big shoes to fill with the loss of Kemba Walker, but he is confident that they can achieve great success again this upcoming season as well. Napier averaged 7.8 points a game in his freshman season and was second on he team with 3.0 assists a game. The 6-foot guard was often paired in the backcourt with Walker and will take on a much larger role in his sophomore season.
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BIG EAST/SEC CHALLENGE MATCH-UPS & SCHEDULE

(release per SEC conference)

The Southeastern Conference will match up against the Big East Conference for 12 games over three days in early December for the Big East/SEC Challenge. Every SEC member will be a part of the event while 12 of the 16 Big East schools will participate. Six of the games will be played at SEC home arenas while six will be played at home facilities for Big East schools. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will combine to televise all 12 games of the three-day event.

This year’s event features the defending national champion (Connecticut), another Final Four participant (Kentucky) and an Elite Eight team (Florida) from last year’s NCAA Tournament. Nine of the schools are ranked in an early preseason top 25 by ESPN.com’s Andy Katz, including seven of the top 15 teams: No. 2 Kentucky, No. 4 Syracuse, No. 6 Connecticut, No. 7 Vanderbilt, No. 9 Louisville, No. 12 Florida and No. 14 Alabama.

Last year the SEC finished with a 3-1 record in the annual event. Arkansas and Kentucky earned victories over Seton Hall and No. 23 Notre Dame, respectively, on Wednesday, Dec. 8, in Louisville, Ky. Tennessee upset No. 3 Pittsburgh while Auburn fell to Rutgers at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh on Dec. 11. In the event of a 6-6 tie this year, the Challenge trophy will remain with the conference that won the previous year.

This is the fifth year that the SEC and Big East have played each other as a part of an in-season event with the overall series tied 8-8. Previously known as the SEC/Big East Invitational, the first four years of the event (2007-2010) featured four matchups between the two conferences from two neutral sites.

The event title will alternate to the SEC/Big East Challenge in 2012 and be played Thursday, Nov. 29 through Saturday, Dec. 1. SEC teams will alternate home and away games.

Marquette, Notre Dame, South Florida and Villanova are not part of the 12-team field for the BIG EAST in 2011.

2011 BIG EAST/SEC CHALLENGE (times and networks are to be determined)

-Thursday, Dec. 1:
Georgetown at Alabama
Providence at South Carolina
St. John’s at Kentucky
Ole Miss at DePaul

-Friday, Dec. 2:
Auburn at Seton Hall
Florida at Syracuse
Cincinnati at Georgia
Vanderbilt at Louisville

-Saturday, Dec. 3:
Arkansas at Connecticut
West Virginia at Mississippi State
LSU at Rutgers
Pittsburgh at Tennessee

Lose the challenge to the SEC and the BIG EAST might be in need of looking into payday loans to build some conference equity come NCAA Tournament time!

2011-2012 BIG EAST EARLY SEASON TOURNAMENT PARTICIPATION SCHEDULE

Last November and December the BIG EAST made quite a statement in the non-conference schedule and those results will be hard to duplicate when the 2011-2012 season gets underway. Six BIG EAST teams won their 2010 pre-conference national tournament draws and took home titles against tough fields. Two others finished as runners-up in multi-team bracketed events. The six BIG EAST tournament winners defeated teams from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10, and SEC in championship games. No other conference won more than two of the early season tournaments in November.

Pittsburgh won the 2K Sports Classic Benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer at Madison Square Garden early in November by beating both Maryland and Texas. Georgetown took home the championship in the Charleston Classic with a win over NC State. Connecticut was the winner of the EA Sports Maui Invitational in Hawaii as the Huskies knocked off a pair of top-10 teams, Michigan State and Kentucky, on their way to the title. Syracuse took the title of the Legends Classic in Atlantic City with wins over Michigan and Georgia Tech. St. John’s bested the field at the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout with a victory over Arizona State and Notre Dame won the Old Spice Classic championship in Orlando with a win against Wisconsin.

West Virginia was the runner-up of the Honda Puerto Rico Shootout in San Juan, falling to Minnesota 74-70 in the championship game. Villanova finished second in the Dick’s Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off at Madison Square Garden, losing to Tennessee 78-68.

The BIG EAST will hope to get off to another strong start this coming season and below are the list of early season tournaments to watch as the conference will hope to establish itself once again:
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BIG EAST SPRING COMINGS & GOINGS

Connecticut:
–Junior point guard Kemba Walker declared for the NBA Draft. Walker is expected to be a lottery selection in June’s draft.

DePaul:
–Big forward Donnavan Kirk will be eligible after the first semester during the 2011-2012 season. Kirk enrolled at DePaul last January after transferring from Miami.
–Point guard Michael Bizoukas has another year of eligibility remaining, but he will not return to DePaul for the 2011-2012 season.

Georgetown:
–Sophomore G/F Hollis Thompson declared for the NBA Draft. Thompson, who is not expected to be drafted should he remain in the draft, can still withdraw from the draft and return to the Hoyas for his junior season.
–Sophomore guard Vee Sanford announced he was leaving the program and pursuing a transfer this spring.

Louisville:
–Junior center Terrence Jennings declared for the NBA Draft. Jennings, a second round-to-undrafted prospect, can return for his senior season if he withdraws from the draft prior to the May 8th deadline.

Marquette:
–6’7 forward Jamil Wilson will be eligible for the Golden Eagles after sitting out the 2010-2011 season as a transfer student from Oregon.

Notre Dame:
–Junior forward Carleton Scott declared for the NBA Draft. Although listed as a senior last season, Scott has another season of eligibility and can return to the Irish next season if he withdraws from the draft prior to the May 8th deadline. Scott is not expected to be drafted at this time if he were to stay in the draft.

Pittsburgh:
–Junior guard Ashton Gibbs declared for the NBA Draft. Gibbs has not signed with an agent. Projected as a 2nd round-to-undrafted prospect, Gibbs can still withdraw from the draft by the May 8th deadline and return for his senior season.
–Sophomore forward J.J. Richardson announced he will leave the program this spring and transfer somewhere closer to home.

Providence:
–The Friars fired head coach Keno Davis following the season. Former Boston College assistant and recent Fairfield University head coach Ed Cooley was hired as his replacement. Cooley is a Providence (RI) native.

Seton Hall:
–Freshman forward Anali Okoloji announced he was leaving the program and will seek a transfer this sprint.

South Florida:
–Junior forward Augustis Gilchrist declared for the NBA Draft. Gilchrist, projected as a second round-to-undrafted prospect has not signed with an agent and can return to USF if he withdraws his name from the draft prior to the May 8th deadline.
–Sophomore guard Mike Burwell was released from his scholarship and will transfer to another program. Burwell averaged 1.7 PPG last season.
–Junior point guard Shedrick Haynes left the program. Haynes played sparingly in his one season with the Bulls, averaging 1.1 PPG.
–The Bulls will receive the services of 6’7 forward Victor Rudd, who sat out the 2010-2011 season after transferring from Arizona State.

West Virginia:
–Junior forward Kevin Jones declared for the NBA Draft. Jones, a second round-to-undrafted prospect, can return to WVU for his senior season if he withdraws from the draft prior to the May 8th deadline.
–Forward Dan Jennings officially was granted his release from scholarship and will transfer this spring.

We will update the spring recruiting signings tomorrow night…

CHAMPIONSHIP RUN FOR CONNECTICUT BEGAN MORE THAN 27 DAYS AGO

By Raphielle Johnson

To say the least, the national title game between Butler and Connecticut was no work of art for the casual observer, as the Bulldogs shot a record-low 18.8% from the field and UConn wasn’t much better (34.5%). But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone connected with the University of Connecticut willing to replay the game to see if something a bit more artistic transpires. But how did UConn, a team picked to finish tenth in the Big East back in October, get to this point?

The first seed was planted following their season-ending loss in the second round of the Postseason NIT at Virginia Tech, capping a disappointing 18-16 campaign. That group had three seniors in Jerome Dyson, Gavin Edwards and Stanley Robinson, none of whom were the vocal type. And as the season wore on it became apparent that the leaders by example were lacking as well. The nadir: getting whipped by St. John’s in the first round of the Big East Championship and looking like a team desperate for spring break.

The end of the Virginia Tech game marked the passing of the keys to Kemba Walker and Donnell Beverly, and they went to work quickly in getting all other on board to understand how hard they’d have to work. Beverly, one of three seniors (Kyle Bailey and Charles Okwandu), is a guy who gets left out by many due to his lack of playing time.

But that didn’t stop him from being a leader, and guys like him are almost as important as the stars when it comes to winning basketball. But Walker will be the play people think of immediately when discussing the national champions. And as important as his play was, the junior’s willingness to lead is what got the Huskies rolling.
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BIG EAST LESSONS PROVE FRUITFUL FOR NATIONAL CHAMPION UCONN

The BIG EAST conference took its share of hits over the past three and a half weeks, and deservedly so. The conference sent an NCAA Tournament record 11 teams into the Madness and after the first weekend only two teams were left. Making matters worse Connecticut and Marquette advanced into the second week of the tournament by beating fellow conference rivals. In other words, the BIG EAST was 0-3 in Round Two against non-BIG EAST foes.

After that first weekend the conference was bruised and battered with a cumulative record of just 9-9. The top eight finishers in the league’s regular season all saw their season’s end without reaching the Sweet 16. All that was left was Marquette and Connecticut, two teams that finished 9-9 in regular season BIG EAST play.

“I heard some comments about our league,” said UConn coach Jim Calhoun Monday night in Houston after the Huskies beat Butler 53-41 to earn the National Championship. “I’m a Big East parochial guy, and I have a reason to be.”

When Marquette was trounced by North Carolina in the Sweet 16 in Newark (NJ), Connecticut was left all by alone to carry the conference’s banner deep into the NCAA’s. A win over San Diego State in Anaheim put Jim Calhoun in position to reach his fourth final four since 1999 with one more victory. After surviving a last second attempt to win the game by Arizona, the Huskies moved on to Houston and two more victories later they were national champions for the third time.
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SPECIAL JOURNEY FOR UCONN ENDS WITH THIRD NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2010-2011 college basketball season came to a conclusion Monday night in Houston with Connecticut earning a 53-41 victory over Butler. It was not the most visually entertaining final for basketball fans, but it was just what UConn Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun needed, in this game and for this season.

“Very honestly, this group to me will always be incredibly special,” said Calhoun after the game. “They’re all special in their own way, but I needed this team. I need this team every day for 109 practice sessions, for their walk-ons, for everybody involved, they truly were brothers, they truly were trusting of each other and very, very special.”

The Huskies survived their own slow start offensively by holding Butler to just 41 points and 19% shooting from the field (12-64). The Bulldogs were an incredibly poor 3-31 inside the arc on two-point field goal attempts.

“I think eventually our quickness and length got to them,” said Calhoun.

Even though Monday’s final might go down in history as one of the ugliest games on the big stage of the Final Four, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and both teams gave it everything they had.

“Butler really plays defense…and I think we play defense,” Calhoun said. “But from a purist’s standpoint, you want to teach them defense, take a clip of both teams, you’d see some terrific defense.

“When I saw the kid (Matt) Howard hurt, I didn’t like that. I’m serious. I didn’t like that. Because he gave so much during the game. Both teams were matching that. To me that’s beauty. That’s what this game should be about.

“Damn, I loved it in the sense of the fact of the fight, competitiveness between the two teams.”
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MERNAGH: KENTUCKY/UCONN NATIONAL SEMIFINAL PRIMER

Much like the first game I believe this one hinges on the play of one point guard (Brandon Knight of Kentucky) but with a twist.

I also think Alex Oriakhi in the post holds a similar key.

If Knight can go for 17-20 points, have 7 assists and 6 rebounds it gives Kentucky a fantastic chance to counter the dynamic duo (Kemba the Lion and Jeremy the Lamb) on the opposing side of the court.

If Oriakhi can match Josh Harrellson’s effort and physicality, UConn can give Jim Calhoun a chance to win his 3rd title Monday night and possible walk off into the sunset.

If Knight can have a productive game in all facets while sharing the ball Kentucky has a chance to win despite any Walker/Lamb heroics.

But if Knight has a poor shooting game it says here the Wildcats will be in no position to put the ball in his hands down the stretch in a one-possession game (a scenario Knight’s proven to be a cold-blooded killer in).

X factor is Terrence Jones. He goes postal — in a good way — and all of the above could be meaningless

Enjoy the game!

2011 BOB COUSY AWARD WINNER: KEMBA WALKER

Full Press Release

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today that KEMBA WALKER from the University of Connecticut is the winner of the 2011 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award. This annual award is given to college basketball’s top point guard and is named after Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtics guard Bob Cousy. An original list of more than 70 candidates made up of players from all around the country was trimmed by a Hall of Fame appointed, nationally based committee to 20, down to 11, and a final five before voting on the winner of one of college basketball’s most prestigious awards.

“The Hall of Fame is proud to present one of college basketball’s premier awards to Kemba Walker from the University of Connecticut,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “Kemba represents the best in the game at his position and truly represents Bob Cousy’s vision for this award.”

“We are honored to present Kemba Walker the 2011 Bob Cousy Award,” said Ken Kaufman, Chairman of the Bob Cousy Award. “Kemba’s work on the floor has clearly been the driving force of the successful Connecticut season and we could not think of a more deserving candidate for this year’s award. We look forward to honoring Kemba in Houston on April 4th.”
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FINAL FOUR SET; UCONN-UK REMATCH IN ONE SEMI, BUTLER/VCU IN OTHER

It could very well be the most unlikliest Final Four ever.

The much-maligned BIG EAST, who only saw two of their 11 NCAA Tournament participants make it out of the first weekend will be represented by Connecticut. The Huskies were only 9-9 in the BIG EAST regular season, losing four of their last five to close the regular season, but have now won nine in a row as they try to win the first national title for the conference since their title in 2004.

The SEC was almost a forgotten entity among the high-major conferences this past season. At times Kentucky looked too young, but John Calipari’s club is now on a 10-game winning streak and survived close encounters with Princeton and Ohio State along the way to reach Houston.

The cries were strong and consistent from all the analysts when the brackets were announced. VCU had no business being part of the Field of 68 was the message they fed the viewing public on every bracket show for 48 hours until the ‘First Four’ tipped off in Dayton. Afterall, the Rams finished 4th in the CAA regular season. Since that time Shaka Smart and his crew have sent a team from the Pac 10, BIG EAST, Big 10, ACC and Big 12 home to advance to Houston. Will they get a shot to complete the BCS conference sweep against a team from the SEC?

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THE LION AND THE LAMB COME TOGETHER IN MARCH TO PROPEL UCONN TO ELITE 8

Kemba the Lion has been a constant for Connecticut all season long. On Thursday night his running mate, Jeremy Lamb, showed he was ready to step his game up in March to another level to help the Huskies advance in the NCAA Tournament. Kemba Walker scored 36, Lamb 24, and UConn used a late run to move past San Diego State, 74-67, in the West Regional semifinals at the Honda Center in Anaheim (CA).

March is supposed to begin like a lion and end like a lamb, or vice versa, in these parts. Last night for UConn the Lion (Kemba Walker) and the Lamb (Jeremy Lamb) came together in March to help Jim Calhoun and his program advance to their 10th regional final in their history. UConn will meet No. 5 seed Arizona Saturday night. The Wildcats were a 93-77 winner of top-seeded Duke last night.

Down 54-53 with 8:10 left, Walker took over. The junior guard from New York scored all 12 points in a 12-2 run over a 2:54 span to push the Huskies to a 65-56 lead with just under 5 minutes to go. When the Aztecs mounted a rally, scoring 8 in a row of their own, it was Lamb delivering a dagger with a three-pointer with 1:42 left for a 68-64 lead.

“I’ve never been in an environment like this,” said Lamb after the game. “Kemba hit some big shots, I hit some big shots, and we were able to pull it out. They had a lot of fans. I’ve never played in a game like it.”

Lamb would then seal the deal with a steal and then receive a pass from Shabazz Naper to slam it home for a 70-64 lead with 23 seconds left. After a pair of free throws from Walker, Lamb provided the exclamation point with another dunk and the final points in a 74-67 win.

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UCONN LOOKS TO EXTEND RUN IN ANAHEIM AGAINST SDSU

Nobody saw this coming.

After losing four of their last five games in the BIG EAST regular season Connecticut looked like a team that was finished.

Kemba Walker looked tired from carrying a young squad through the rigors of an 18-game conference schedule and challenging non-league slate.

The four freshmen seemed to have hit the freshman wall. The two sophomores in the rotation combined to score just seven points in their season-ending home loss to Notre Dame, leading exasperated fans believing they had regressed in their second season with the Huskies.

Despite playing a non-conference schedule that included beating Michigan State and Kentucky on a neutral floor in Maui and going to Texas and beating a red-hot Longhorns club, the BIG EAST schedule looked like it had taken a toll on UConn. Finishing league play at 9-9 the Huskies were limping into New York City and the BIG EAST Tournament as the conference’s 9th seed.

All of that seems like a LONG time ago because my how things have changed.

In a stretch of 12 days Jim Calhoun’s club has run off seven consecutive wins. In a league that sent a record 11 teams to the NCAA Tournament, they are one of just two remaining as they enter Thursday night’s Sweet 16 showdown against No. 2 seed San Diego State in the West Regional semifinal at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Even with the tough finish, Walker and his teammates knew they were good enough to compete with the top teams in the county.

“Maui tournament gave us the confidence to compete with the big dogs in college basketball,” said Walker on Wednesday.

Their run in the BIG EAST Tournament was unprecedented. After a Tuesday victory over DePaul, Connecticut would easily defeat Georgetown on Wedneseday. The Hoyas were a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Walker’s step-back jumper at the buzzer Thursday completed a rally against Pittsburgh, who earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. On Friday night the Garden was alive as UConn survived in overtime to defeat Syracuse, a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies capped off the run with a thrilling win over Louisville, a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, on Saturday night, 69-66.

“[We] caught fire in the Big East Tournament and won five games in five days and here we are,” said Coach Calhoun. “And we’re playing the best basketball right now and everything that could happen good has happened good.”

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2012 BIG MAN GAVIN WARE HAS THREE MAIN SUITORS

The pool of available big men in the Class of 2012 already seems to be thinning out quickly. One target likely to draw a great amount of interest on the spring and summer AAU circuit is Starkville (MS) High School big man Gavin Ware. The 6-foot-8, 252-pound center has been out of action since just after the Christmas holiday because of a knee injury, but he is looking forward to getting back into competition next month when the AAU season gets going.

“Now my doctor has me in therapy working hard to get my knee better,” Ware told NBE last week. “I should be ready by the beginning of April.”

Ware looked like he would be on his way to a big season with his impressive performance against Brandon (MS) High School and their Class of 2011 Georgetown signee Tyler Adams. Ware scored 17 points, in just the first three quarters in a 57-37 win.

“My most favorite highlight dates back to when I played 6’10″ senior Tyler Adams, I had 17 points and I held him to a season low 4 points,” Ware told NBE.

Unfortunately Ware did not get to build much on that performance as he suffered a hyper-extended knee injury shortly after. Once weighing over 300 pounds, Ware has worked hard to get into better shape and make himself into a top prospect in the Class of 2012. His plans this spring and summer are to hit the AAU tour with the Southern Phenoms out of Meridian (MS) and earn their way in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League and top events.

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BIG EAST’S MARCH FALL IN NCAA TOURNAMENT HARD TO COMPREHEND

‘The Big Least.’

‘The Itty Bitty East.’

The pundits and commentators are having their fun at the expense of the BIG EAST conference.

With the results of the first weekend of the 2011 NCAA Tournament it is expected and earned.

With the conference receiving a tournament record 11 bids the BIG EAST was in a no-win situation. Anything short of a dominating March run by the league would leave it open to criticism and skeptics piling on.

But nobody saw this coming.

Nine of the 11 BIG EAST teams are done. The only two still alive moved into the Sweet 16 by beating other BIG EAST opponents. The conference did not beat a single school from another league in the Round of 32.

WOW!

What happened?

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2011 NCAA TOURNAMENT UPDATE – - 3/18/2011

Only three ‘upsets’ were registered on the first full day of the 2011 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and the BIG EAST were victims in two of those. The Southeast Region’s No. 6 seed St. John’s was ousted by Gonzaga, the 11-seed in the region, 86-71. In the Southwest Region, the upset of the tournament so far was registered as No. 13 seed Morehead State sent Rick Pitino and Louisville to an early exit with a thrilling 62-61 victory.

Pittsburgh (No. 1 in the Southeast), Connecticut (No. 3 in the West), Cincinnati (No. 6 in the West) and West Virginia (No. 5 in the East) were victorious in their opening games of the 2011 ‘Big Dance.’

The final five of the BIG EAST’s record-setting 11 invites to the tournament will be in action today and the set schedule is below for the next two days:

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2012 PROSPECT DEJUAN MARRERO UPDATES RECRUITMENT & MORE

DeJuan Marrero is a versatile forward in the Class of 2012 that has drawn a solid following over the years playing with the Spiece Indy Heat AAU program in the Midwest. Marrero, who currently stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 205 pounds, is difficult to defend due to his inside-outside ability at the offensive end. The forward out of Gary (IN)’s Bowman Academy has a strong body and is relentless inside. He is a factor on the backboards at both ends and can make plays in the lane. What makes him even tougher is that he has solid ball-handling ability and can beat defenders off the dribble to finish at the rim inside which he showed NBE on the AAU trail last season.

Marrero’s Bowman club played a tough schedule this season that included Chicago powers Simeon, Whitney Young and De La Salle. Despite losing in the sectional finals to Morgan Township, 53-49, the young Eagles had a season that Marrero was satisfied with and hopes to build on next year.

“I enjoyed this season even though we lost in Sectionals,” said Marrero. “The highlight game that I enjoyed the most was when we play against Chicago Simeon, which was the first game of the season. Going into my senior year my goal is to win one more state championship.”

Expect Marrero to be a highly visible player on the spring and summer AAU circuit running with the Spiece Indy Heat program. Many schools will likely pay close attention when the evaluation period in July rolls around to get a look at the versatile and energetic forward in action to see if he will fit in their programs. Marrero is looking forward to the chance to play agains the top competition across the country.

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PITT, UCONN IN DC READY FOR 2011 NCAA TOURNAMENT OPENING TODAY

by RON BAILEY

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Wednesday was interview/shoot around day at Verizon Center, as teams prepared for the second round of NCAA Tournament action. Teams essentially prepped themselves and the media for their contests on Thursday. The BIG EAST regular season champion and conference tournament champion are both calling this BIG EAST city and venue (Verizon Center) ‘home’ for the second and (hopefully) third round contests.

Following are brief notes on some of the participating teams:

Connecticut:

The Huskies (26-9) went through a brisk shoot around, including layup lines and move-based drills, designed to work fundamentals, particularly offensive skill. Assistant coach Andre LeFleur led the bigs, while his contemporary, Kevin Ollie, put perimeter players through their paces and was especially impressive, alternately instructing, supporting and cajoling the smaller Huskies.

On playing in the Big Dance, Jeremy Lamb, a freshman UConn forward indicated “I’m excited, I’ve been watching NCAA Tournament since I was young, so it’s going to be fun to play in one” when asked to share his feelings on the tourney. His was a business-like approach, befitting a team ready to take handle it tomorrow against the Patriot League’s Bucknell (25-8), saying “I don’t feel pressure” playing in this one and done environment.

Lamb’s freshman season has been solid, as he’s averaged 10.3 points and 4.4 rebounds, in addition to being named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team. Coming out of Norcross H.S. (GA), people knew he was talented, but didn’t expect such a splash in the nation’s toughest conference.

Lamb on the coaching he has received in his freshman year: “Well, my coach (Jim Calhoun), had faith in me. He was always pushing me in practice. He’s bringing out the best in me”.

Pittsburgh:

The Panthers (27-5), the regular season BIG EAST champs set to play UNC-Asheville, are known for just getting it done, primarily with players that are talented yet many times under appreciated. For instance they only have one McdDnalds’ All-American, sophomore Donte Taylor, the first in that program during coach Jamie Dixon’s 12 year tenure as head coach (8 years) and assistant. Pitt has had tremendous regular season success without the highly heralded guys.

Sophomore point guard Travon Woodall, when asked to comment on this phenomenom, opined “It think Coach (Jamie) Dixon does an excellent job thinking you can get better, every day. Some people think you can get better each summer. Other people say you have to get better each month. Coach Dixon instills in his players you have to get better every day by working hard. By playing hard in practice”.

He later added, “Team comes first. Individual accolades comes second. If then”.

UNC-Asheville:

Due to playing last night in what’s been dubbed a ‘play-in’ game and subsequent travel demands, UNC-Asheville (20-13) actually ran some plays during their Verizon Center practive, before doing common drill stuff. You could hear players calling the name of Pitt’s guys, emulating them in four on four and four on five, half court action.
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NBE will also like to take a moment to introduce our new ticket solution for sports fans. TiqIq.com is BY FAR the most intelligent, sophisticated and convenient ticketing solution we have come across on the internet and we had to have this set up for our fans in time for the NCAA Tournament. It is a ticket aggregator which searches for the BEST prices on the internet from all the ticket providers used by fans. We are talking StubHub, EBay, TicketsNow and more. The best prices are shown with links to get your tickets. Additional features fans will find VERY useful include:

1. Aggregated Listings: They aggregate all major sellers in the market so you can find the best deal.
2. TiqZone Categorization: They break each venue up into TiqZones, which are groupings of sections that we’ve determined are comparable in value.
3. TiqIQ Statistics: They provide ticket-level buying intelligence through their IQ rating and TiqIQ Statistics.
4. E-Ticket Filter: Want tickets last minute? You can find all the available e-tickets so you can print your tickets from home or the office.
5. All-in Pricing Option: Before you complete your sale you’ll be able to tell exactly how much your tickets will cost including all service and shipping fees.

Here it is in action for the NCAA Tournament with GREAT seats still available for this weekend:

2012 OAK HILL’S JORDAN ADAMS ONE TO WATCH THIS SPRING

Jordan Adams showed in January to NBE at the HoopHall Classic in Springfield (MA) that he has continued to improve his game on the offensive end of the floor. Playing with coach Steve Smith’s powerful Oak Hill Academy club, Adams clearly stepped up his 3-point shooting accuracy, knocking down several outside shots. Moreover, he was a solid defensive rebounder in the paint, using his 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame well.

Adams also provided one of the most memorable shots of the 2010-2011 High School basketball season with his near full court heave early in the season. This isn’t exactly what we are talking about with his improved range, but it was still a very impressive moment for the Georgia native that called the play the highlight of the season he will remember the most.

In a nutshell, that is what Jordan Adams brings to the table, the ability to score the basketball in a variety of ways. Not the most explosive athlete or a great run and jump wing, Adams is a crafty scorer that gets it down offensively inside and out. That ability, playing with Oak Hill and the Atlanta Celtics on the AAU scene, has drawn a lot of interest from college coaches and he has an impressive listing of schools actively recruiting him that he is considering.

“Georgia, Florida State, UCLA, Tennessee, Miami, Memphis, Marquette [and] Georgetown,” replied Adams to a message asking for his current list of suitors he has interest in, adding, “I have no leaders.”

While Oak Hill is still in action this season, Adams hopes to bring a national championship to the storied program before he heads to college as part of the Class of 2012 and this summer he is looking forward to “compete against the best players in my class” on the AAU and summer camp circuit.

Adams will let the recruiting process play out and see how things go this year into next before making a decision on a school.

“I will make my decison…during my senior year and just how their season is going,” said Adams.

Like many of his peers across the country, Adams will be following along as the 2011 NCAA Tournament gets in full swing tomorrow. When asked for his prediction on who will be cutting down the nets in Houston at the conclusion of the Final Four, Adams thinks the national champion will come from the BIG EAST.

“UConn,” replied Adams when asked to pick this year’s champ.

It will be fun to follow along to see if Adam’s prediction of a third National Title for Jim Calhoun and his Huskies comes to be true. We will also continue to follow Jordan Adams with Oak Hill and the Atlanta Celtics in the next year and report back on his development, recruitment and performance on the court.

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