Marquette News

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…

MARQUETTE, BUZZ WILLIAMS FINALIZE NEW CONTRACT DEAL

release per www.GoMarquette.com:

Marquette University and men’s basketball coach Buzz Williams have finalized a new agreement with the school, Director of Athletics Steve Cottingham announced Wednesday afternoon.

“The new agreement is an acknowledgement of Buzz’s standing as one of the rising stars in collegiate coaching,” Cottingham said. “The current direction of the program under his leadership fits perfectly into the mission and values of the University. Buzz has done a tremendous job guiding the program to successes both on and off the court and we look forward to that continuing for many years to come.”

The Golden Eagles have advanced to the NCAA Tournament each of Williams’ first three seasons as program mentor, including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2010-11. MU is 69-37 (.651) overall during his tenure and 32-22 (.593) in BIG EAST Conference competition. Williams and his staff have collected multiple nationally ranked recruiting classes and attendance at the Bradley Center has reached record numbers since the 2008-09 campaign.

“I was given an opportunity beyond my wildest dreams 1086 days ago and my entire family is extremely humbled and grateful by the opportunity to continue this journey,” Williams said.

“Too much attention is given to my position, but I assure you, it’s the collective ownership of all of those who impact our program daily, who have developed the culture we currently have,” Williams added. “I am thankful to all of those who work so diligently to make our program the success it is today.”

Specific terms of the contract will not be released per University policy.

FIRST HALF BLITZ BY NORTH CAROLINA ENOUGH TO END MARQUETTE’S NCAA RUN

by RAY FLORIANI

NEWARK, NJ- Roy Williams looked at the scoreboard early in the game. It read 10-8 in favor of Marquette. The next time the North Carolina coach looked at the Prudential Center scoreboard it read 40-15, in favor of the Tar Heels. What happened?

First off, UNC went on a 19-0 run the first half that all but sealed their 81-63 victory over Marquette in the Newark Regional semifinal. The run, or blitz, was fueled by transition and forcing turnovers.

“The first half was just very uncharacteristic of us,” Marquette coach Buzz Williams said. “I think we didn’t do some things but you have to give North Carolina a lot of credit.

The first half we were pitiful,” Buzz Williams added. “The second half we shot 52% and they shot 38%. That’s normally what we do but you can’t have that for one half. Not against a team like North Carolina.”
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MERNAGH: FANS NEED TO ENJOY THIS MAGICAL TIME OF YEAR

Quicken Loans Arena has seen its fair share of basketball “moments” over the years.

It used to be called Gund Arena but was changed to the “Q” after one rich guy paid another rich guy to buy the CAVS. I’ve been fortunate to see some of those moments. Yesterday I had to settle for watching another on TV, but it added another chapter to the book of big shots made on that particular piece of hardwood.

There’s a grit about the downtown area where the “Q” is located and I’ve spent a lot of time there over many years watching AAU ball, the MAC tournament, and early round NCAA games. Saw Leon Williams tip in a game-winner that allowed the Bobcats from Ohio University to go dancing. Watched a kid named Doug Penno bank in a 28-foot-three to do the same for Miami (OH) in 2007. West Virginia played a couple of classic NCAA games there.

Last night the court at the “Q” was again privy to a joyous celebration, this time thanks to a kid with initials for a nickname.

Marquette and Syracuse were dead-locked at 59-59 when Darius Johnson-Odom received a gorgeous pass from Jimmy Butler with just under 30 seconds left in regulation. Johnson-Odom rose up without hesitation and stroked a left-handed J so pure that all of Milwaukee knew it was going down.

It was DJO after all. That’s what the young man with the distinguished face does.

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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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MERNAGH: WARRIOR EFFORT BY MARQUETTE SHOWS BIG EAST IS FOR REAL

Marquette locked up Tu Holloway.

Put him in jail.

Without bail.

In fact, the Warriors (as the Golden Eagles will be forever known to me) suffocated Holloway to the point that he’s probably considering another name change.

Maybe he will return to Terrell, or Frank, because Tu Holloway, the A-10 Player of the Year and a deserving first team All American prospect?

He doesn’t exist anymore.

Marquette annihilated him, reduced he and his team to a level where a 2 point per game guy was their best scoring option.

Perfect game-plan.

Better execution.

There will be talk about the Big East today, especially from the Blow Hard they throw money at to crack wise on the NBA, about it being overrated.

Just know this, anyone who thinks the VCU or George Mason wins were upsets is ignorant.

‘Nova and Georgetown haven’t beaten anyone in a really long time.

They were limping to the finish and will be interesting to watch next year to see how big their falls will be. I had both games correct and didn’t have to blink in picking them (I was shocked Villanova stayed so close with Mason).

So, IF the Big East is overrated today and tomorrow will tell that story.

In my opinion though, a big part of the story was told last night in Marquette’s win, when a team that finished 15-1 in the A-10 got decimated by one with better athletes and better players.

That winning team finished 9-9 in the Big East.

Pretty good league.
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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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BIG EAST 11 READY FOR NCAA TOURNAMENT ACTION

The opening (oops, 2nd round) match-ups for the Big East teams in the 2011 NCAA Tournament are almost set after March Madness kicked off last night with the first half of the new ‘First Four’ at Dayton Arena. The ‘First Four’ is now being called Round One and the action this Thursday and Friday will be Round Two in the new format. Georgetown will play the winner of the USC/VCU match-up tonight on Friday in Chicago. The other 10 match-ups are set.

BIG EAST Postseason Notes:

BIG EAST RECEIVES 11 INVITATIONS:
The BIG EAST Conference received a record 11 bids to the NCAA Championship. The BIG EAST had held the previous record of eight in 2006, ‘08 and ‘10. Pittsburgh, the league regular-season champion, received a No. 1 seed in the Southeast Region. Nine of the 11 teams received a No. 6 seed or higher.

20 WINS REMAINS A GOOD YARDSTICK:
When a BIG EAST team reaches 20 wins by the end of conference tournament play, it has an excellent chance of receiving an NCAA invitation. Since the BIG EAST began in 1979-80, 147 of 152 (96.7%) teams with 20 wins received NCAA bids. This year, all 11 BIG EAST teams in the NCAA Championship have at least 20 wins. Last season, the BIG EAST had nine 20-win squads, with South Florida missing out on the NCAA Tournament following a 20-win regular season.

ST. JOHN’S, CINCINNATI RETURN TO THE BIG DANCE:
The St. John’s Red Storm and the Cincinnati Bearcats, two programs steeped in NCAA tradition, are back in the NCAA Championship after absences of several years. St. John’s, which is 21-11 and the No. 6 seed in the Southeast Region under first-year coach Steve Lavin, is in the NCAAs for the first time since 2002. Cincinnati’s last NCAA appearance was in 2005. This season, the Bearcats are 25-8 under coach Mick Cronin.

PITTSBURGH HAS THE LONGEST NCAA STREAK:
The longest current streak of NCAA tourney bids among BIG EAST teams belongs to Pittsburgh. The Panthers have been to the last 10 NCAA Championships, including eight in a row under Jamie Dixon. The Panthers are 14-9 (61%) in NCAA Tournament games the last nine seasons, making it to at least the Sweet 16 in five of those appearances. Pitt is also the only BIG EAST team to win at least 10 conference regular-season games over the last nine seasons.

BIG EAST 12-9 AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS:
BIG EAST teams compiled a 12-9 record against ranked opponents during the regular season. They were 6-1 against top 10 squads.

NON-CONFERENCE RECORD BEST SINCE 1988-89:
BIG EAST teams amassed a 159-41 (.795) record against non-conference competition in the regular season. That is the league’s best mark since 1988-89.

BIG EAST LEADS IN SWEET 16 APPEARANCES:
With two NCAA Sweet 16 teams last season (West Virginia and Syracuse) and with an NCAA record five Sweet 16 teams in 2009 (Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Villanova) the BIG EAST has had the most teams reach the regional semifinal round over the last eight seasons.

REGIONAL SEMIFINALISTS (2003-10)

BIG EAST – 25
Big 12 – 18
ACC – 15

ALL-TIME NCAA RECORDS:
Since the league began play in 1979-80, BIG EAST teams own a 263-160 (.622) record going into the 2011 NCAA Championship. The BIG EAST has had only one season when its teams had a combined losing record in the NCAAs. In 1992-93, the league was 2-3.

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE:
Second Round • March 17:
–East Region; Tampa, Fla.
-No. 5 West Virginia vs. Clemson winner (CBS)………… 12:15

–Southwest Region; Denver, Colo.
-No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 13 Morehead State (TBS)……………… 1:40

–Southeast Region; Washington, D.C.
-No. 1 Pittsburgh vs. UNC-Asheville (TRU)…….. 3:10

–Southeast Region; Denver, Colo.
-No. 6 St. John’s vs. No. 11 Gonzaga (CBS)……………………….. 9:45

–West Region; Washington, D.C.
-No. 3 Connecticut vs. No. 14 Bucknell (TNT)……………………. 7:20
-No. 6 Cincinnati vs. No. 11 Missouri (TNT)………………………. 9:50

Second Round • March 18:
–Southwest Region; Chicago, Ill.
-No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 15 Akron (TBS)……………………….. 1:40

–East Region; Cleveland, Ohio
-No. 8 George Mason vs. No. 9 Villanova (TNT)…………………. 2:10
-No. 6 Xavier vs. No. 11 Marquette (TRU)………………………… 7:27
-No. 3 Syracuse vs. No. 14 Indiana State (TRU)…………………. 9:57

–Southwest Region; Chicago, Ill.
-No. 6 Georgetown vs. USC/VCU winner (TNT)………… 9:40

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, Razorgator 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:

2010-2011 BIG EAST AWARD WINNERS:

-BIG EAST Player of the Year: Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame, Sr., G

-Oppenheimer Funds/BIG EAST Coach of the Year: Mike Brey, Notre Dame

-BIG EAST Rookie of the Year: Cleveland Melvin, DePaul, Fr., F

-BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year: Rick Jackson, Syracuse, Sr., C

-BIG EAST Most Improved Player: Dwight Hardy, St. John’s, Sr., G

-BIG EAST Sixth Man Award: Justin Burrell, St. John’s, Sr., F

-BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award: Brad Wanamaker, Pittsburgh, Sr., G

-BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame, Sr., F

ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM:
Kemba Walker, Connecticut, G, Jr., 6-1, 172, Bronx, N.Y.
Austin Freeman, Georgetown, G, Sr., 6-3.5, 227, Mitchellville, Md.
*Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame, G, Sr., 6-3, 206, Poplar Bluff, Mo.
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh, G, Jr., 6-2, 190, Scotch Plains, N.J.
Marshon Brooks, Providence, G-F, Sr., 6-5, 200, Stone Mountain, Ga.
Dwight Hardy, St. John’s, G, Sr., 6-2, 195, Bronx, N.Y.

ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM:
Preston Knowles, Louisville, G, 6-1, 190, Winchester, Ky.
Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette, G, Jr., 6-2, 215, Raleigh, N.C.
Brad Wanamaker, Pittsburgh, G, Sr., 6-4, 210, Philadelphia, Pa.
Rick Jackson, Syracuse, F, Sr., 6-9, 240, Philadelphia, Pa.
Corey Fisher, Villanova, G, Sr., 6-1, 200, Bronx, N.Y.

ALL-BIG EAST THIRD TEAM:
Chris Wright, Georgetown, G, Sr., 6-1, 208, Washington, D.C.
Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame, F, Sr., 6-8, 235, Unionville, Ct.
Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall, G, Sr., 6-5, 188, Bronx, N.Y.
Kris Joseph, Syracuse, F, Jr., 6-7, 207, Montreal, Quebec
Corey Stokes, Villanova, G, Sr., 6-5, 220, Bayonne, N.J.

BIG EAST HONORABLE MENTION:
Peyton Siva, Louisville, G, So., 5-11, 180, Seattle, Wash.
Jimmy Butler, Marquette, F, Sr., 6-7, 220, Tomball, Texas
Scoop Jardine, Syracuse, G, So., 6-2, 190, Philadelphia, Pa.
Kevin Jones, West Virginia, F, Jr., 6-8, 255, Mount Vernon, N.Y.

BIG EAST ALL-ROOKIE TEAM:
Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati, G, Fr., 6-4, 215, White Plains, N.Y.
Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut, G-F, 6-5, 185, Norcross, Ga.
Shabazz Napier, Connecticut, G, Fr., 6-0, 170, Randolph, Mass.
*Cleveland Melvin, DePaul, F, Fr., 6-8, 210, Baltimore, Md.
Brandon Young, DePaul, G, Fr., 6-3, 175, Washington, D.C.
Gilvydas Biruta, Rutgers, F, Fr., 6-8, 230, Jonava, Lithuania

* unanimous selection
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2011 NCAA TOURNAMENT (& TICKETS) AT A GLANCE

The BIG EAST shattered the record for most schools from one conference making the NCAA Tournament field with 11 bids when the field was announced earlier this evening.

“On the heels of a groundbreaking performance by Connecticut in the BIG EAST Championship, I’m thrilled by the news of yet another record-setting accomplishment by our men’s basketball programs,” said BIG EAST Commissioner John Marinatto in a statement released by the conference. “Placing 11 teams into the NCAA Championship doesn’t happen by accident. It takes a concerted, consistent and focused effort on the part of our coaches, administrators and student-athletes and I’m thrilled to see them rewarded in this manner.

“I look forward to following the progress of our men’s teams through the NCAA Championship and expect to break even more new ground tomorrow when the women’s bracket is revealed.”

In addition to UConn, which earned the conference’s automatic bid by winning he conference tournament, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Louisville, Syracuse, St. John’s, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Marquette and Villanova made the field among the 37 at-large invitations.

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PITT LEFT MCGHEE ON AN ISLAND

by RAY MERNAGH

The UConn/Pitt game, a classic thriller featuring a back and forth battle between two of the best guards in the country in Kemba Walker and Ashton Gibbs, ended when Walker — not giving Gibbs a chance to retaliate as he did all night long — sank a cold-blooded step-back J at the buzzer that killed Pitt’s dreams of sweeping both the regular season and Big East Tournament titles. The last possession was curious for a number of reasons.

First, Connecticut got another chance at the game winner because Pitt didn’t get a body on Jamal Coombs-McDaniel after a missed shot by Walker from ten feet just seconds before. On that play UConn ran the same high ball screen for Walker and Gary McGhee hedged hard, then recovered to his man and Brad Wanamaker got back on to Walker. Pitt would’ve had the ball if Nasir Robinson had been able to block out McDaniel but he didn’t get to him.

Second, Walker admitted he was taking the final shot to me afterwards..”no matter what,” was the way he put it. He also admitted that he knew McGhee was going to switch the screen and he’d be isolated on the 6’10″ behemoth in a colossal mismatch of epic proportions. You have to figure Pitt knew Walker was going to take the shot as well.

After all, this is the kid I dubbed “Young Kemba the Lion” as a freshman, and he’s transformed into just that, a basketball killer in late-game situations no matter how chaotic they may be. He’s won a handful of games this season alone by making shots in crunch time. I go through all these things because it makes you wonder why Pitt allowed the situation to play out the way it did. If everyone knew Walker was going to take the shot, and that Pitt was going to switch in that late-game situation, why do what everyone knows you’re going to do when you have an NBA-level shot-maker on the other side and you know he’s not giving the rock up even to an Uzi-toting thug let alone Jeremy Lamb, Shabazz Napier or Jamal Coombs-McDaniel?

Because that was the gameplan according to Gibbs and everybody else in the somber Pittsburgh locker room afterwards. “That was the gameplan, switch everything 1 thru 5,” said Gibbs before adding, ” not sure it should’ve been” in a near-whisper. I’m positive it shouldn’t have been. Sure hindsight is 20/20, but if you let my 9-year-old niece ‘Lyse watch Kemba Walker on film, then show her clips of Gary McGhee and Brad Wanamaker, she’s gonna tell you with great affirmation that “Bradley should guard Kemba because he’s fast and he’ll probably make the big guy fall down!”

Now Lyse’s a smart cookie, not to mention the daughter of a coach, so she watches a ton of hoop, but she’s 9 and she would definitely know that matchup would not be beneficial for her Mama’s Panthers (her mom is a Pitt grad). Even Wanamaker didn’t want to switch. You can see he’s trying to get back on Kemba but McGhee is locked into his assignment. McGhee isn’t at fault. He’s doing what he’s been told to do.

There was lots of talk last night that Pitt lost the game because of rebounding and defense and blah blah blah. And to be sure all of the blahs didn’t help in their eventual defeat. Late in the first half they needed a timeout and didn’t take one — they had 3 30′s and a full left — until UConn’s run cut a 7-point Pitt lead to basically nothing.

But Pitt lost on that last shot by Walker because they left Gary McGhee on an island that needed to be inhabited by Wanamaker or Brown or any number of other Panthers. The one Panther that never should’ve been on it was McGhee.

And Young Kemba most definitely voted him off.

Notes On Last Night:

Was in the tunnel talking to UConn and Pitt when two St. John’s players carried DJ Kennedy past us with a doctor quickly following behind. The Pittsburgh kid has suffered through three very tough years and always played hard as teammates all around him transferred or lost interest in the losing they were going through. Finally this year, Kennedy has been a member of a winning team, an NCAA team, and he won’t be able to participate because he tore his ACL. Cruel game sometimes.

Notre Dame looked super-crisp against Cincinnati, winning by 38. The Irish are a joy to watch even in a blowout like last night because they all know how to play the game and are pretty skilled. Everyone around Ben Hansbrough is a threat to hit shots and the Cooley kid gives them interior defense and rebounding. Carlton Scott has a bright future with his skills, toughness and size IMHO. And Hansbrough is just so good both on and off the ball.

Louisville did what Louisville does and that’s make things frantic. They are really good athletes with speed. Marra and Kuric (especially Kuric) really battle against bigger bodies defensively and punish those bigger bodies offensively with their athleticism and shot-making prowess. Knowles can get his shot off with a centimeter of space, while Siva has sick-quickness.

There was a Fab Melo sighting! Melo, the Brazillian big that the coaches voted as preseason Rookie of the Year, scored 12 points and made some big plays in the ,a href=”http://www.nbebasketball.com/w3/big-east-team-pages/syracuse/”>Syracuse close win over the Johnnies. Great stuff from the formerly frustrated big man and credit to the ‘CUSE staff, especially assistant Hopkins, for continuing to coach him and rebuilding his confidence to the point that he’s contributing significantly in a postseason win after not ven playing down the stretch of regular season play.

Marquette finally kind of wore out I think but they equipped themselves well. they have tough kids who play hard. They need Jae Crowder to be tougher and come to play from here out though if they want to win some games in the NCAA’s. They need much more from Crowder than what he’s been giving them. He came off the bench last night and played hit shots early. Louisville had too much in almost every area for Marquette though.
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For travel deals and arrangements, click here: Book Air and/or hotel for NYC and 2011 BIG EAST Tournament

The tournament made be sold out to the general public, but below you can STILL buy tickets through our unique partnership with TicketNetwork.com. Below is the schedule for tonight and tomorrow with links to view and buy available tickets.

2011 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT PRIMER & NOTES – - SEMIFINALS

Notes (and pictures) provided by Ray Floriani

NEW YORK CITY – Day three, the quarterfinals at the 2011 Big East Tournament. Notes and thoughts…

Jim Boeheim admitted he could not complain. His Syracuse club outlasted St. John‘s in a hard fought 79-73 decision. The second game of the afternoon doubleheader saw the Orange get the key stops and make the crucial plays down the stretch. Score was tied at 68 with two minutes to play.

Boeheim has admitted not being a fan of the double bye. He would rather play than sit around and wait while others are getting past the early nerves and finding a groove.

The double bye did not affect Syracuse in this contest. Still, Boeheim is no fan of it.

Boeheim was asked about facing a Connecticut team that will be playing its fourth game in four days. “They (UCONN) are deeper,” Boehiem said. “Plus I think Kemba Walker could go forty minutes eight straight days.” Walker was outstanding, scoring 24 points and canning the winning buzzer beater.

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MERNAGH: QUICK UCONN/PITT PRIMER

IMHO you can throw out just about everything about the first game between these two, a 78-63 Pitt win at home.

Just about everything, but not everything.

Pitt would love for the game to get to a point where Kemba Walker feels like he has to take 27 shots to give his team a chance to win. Walker scored 35 in that game but UConn, despite the fact that they were always within a run of winning the game until late, never once threatened to win it.

But that UConn team hasn’t existed for quite some time.

Walker was magnificent yesterday and made the most impressive play I’ve seen so far in this tournament when he closed on the much bigger Hollis Thompson of Georgetown, tracked Thompson as he drove to the elbow area and then elevated to block the 6’8″ forwards shot and gain possession all in the span of maybe 2 seconds. That in itself would’ve been impressive enough but the human jet then went coast to coast and finished through contact for the and one.

Walker is making those kinds of plays but the difference is the young bucks around him, at least yesterday, are playing with a great deal of confidence and have the requisite talent to make that confidence scary. If freshmen Jeremy Lamb, Shabazz Napier, Roscoe Smith play freely and smart, and sophomore Alex Oriahki continues to go to the glass with a possessed mind state they are capable of beating anyone…including a Pitt team that’s coming into a noon game a bit cold compared to the Huskies.

And that’s the key for Pitt IMHO –to get off to a decent start so they don’t find themselves in a hole early.

Has the makings of a helluva game…and a helluva day.

Main Note On Last Night:

Marquette’s Junior Cadougan was incredible, coming up with clutch baskets each time the Warriors needed one and being an intelligent, calmning influence when it seemed his mates might succumb to the chaos that results when all hell breaks loose in a 1-2 possession game this time of year. Marquette bounced WVU mainly because of Cadougan’s play, he was that big. Now Buzz Williams and his bunch get another shot at Louisville, a team that they self-destructed against earlier this season. I said on radio two days ago that Marquette was my darkhorse to go deep into the week. A win tonight against the Cards will make them the people’s favorite no doubt.
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Still need your BIG EAST Tournament tickets? We have YOUR seat below! Follow the links below to the individual sessions you desire or buy for the entire event. Even with the games starting in less than three hours today it is not too late and still GREAT prices and GREAT seats available! The quarterfinals are only the warm-up to great action ahead for Friday and Saturday in this historic event!

Need a place to stay in NYC for the weekend, click here to Book Air and/or hotel for NYC and the 2011 BIG EAST Tournament

For travel deals and arrangements, click here: Book Air and/or hotel for NYC and 2011 BIG EAST Tournament

2011 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT PRIMER – - QUARTERFINALS

As if the 2011 BIG EAST Tournament did not need any more attention…the events of Wednesday transpires. The officiating meltdown of the last minute in the St. John’s/Rutgers game will take away from the excellent college basketball competition that we saw in that game, as well as the day’s nightcap with West Virginia/Marquette. No doubt the controvoersy will continue to overshadow the event today, which features a tremendous pair of double-headers in both the afternoon and evening sessions. Eight NCAA Tournament teams will compete on the Madison Square Garden court today and expect the Garden to be full from start to finish for these four games:

QUARTERFINALS: THURSDAY MARCH 10th:

–No. 9 Connecticut vs. No. 1 Pittsburgh, 12 noon.
–No. 5 St. John’s vs. No. 4 Syracuse, 2 PM.

Season Series: The Panthers and Huskies opened the 2010-2011 BIG EAST conference schedule with a December 27th date at the Peterson Events Center on the Pitt campus. Jamie Dixon’s club welcomed the young pops of UConn to the BIG EAST with a 78-63 thumping. Kemba Walker was the lone Husky in double figures, scoring 31, but he needed 27 shots to do so. The rest of the team was just 9-33 (27%) from the field. On the other hand, Pitt got 21 points from Ashton Gibbs, 14 from Brad Wanamaker and double-doubles from Gary McGhee (11 points, 11 rebounds) and Nasir Robinson (11 points, 10 rebounds). The Panthers also assisted on 19 of their 24 made field goals while UConn was credited with just 6 assists as a team. The Huskies have matured a lot since that game as the five freshmen have now been through 20 games of BIG EAST competition, including their two wins at MSG already in the 2011 BIG EAST Tournament.

While the talk all week has been how good the Red Storm have been in Madison Square Garden this season, SJU has not forgotten the 76-59 shellacking they took at the hands of the Orange on this very floor back on January 12th. SU came into the Garden and shot 57% from the floor and 45% from beyond the arc as they blew Steve Lavin’s crew out. Kris Joseph led four Syracuse players in double figures with 18 points. SU also held a 40-32 edge on the boards, with Rick Jackson posting a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Red Storm was able to force 20 turnovers and that pressure defense will have to be turned up another notch this afternoon. Expect SU to sit in their patented 2-3 zone and see if SJU can make them pay from beyond the arc.

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–No. 7 Cincinnati vs. No. 2 Notre Dame, 7 PM.
–No. 11 Marquette vs. No. 3 Louisville, 9 PM.

Season Series: The Irish got past UC 66-58 at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend (IN) back on January 19th. ND used a balanced attack with five players in double figures to come away with the victory. That contest saw Carleton Scott return from injury, snapping a two-game losing streak for the Irish and would kickstart a seven game winning streak and Mike Brey’s club has won 11 of 12 since. Redshirt freshman Sean Kilpatrick had a team-high 16 for UC in the loss. The Bearcats are playing well, winning six of their last seven, and look poised for their first NCAA Tournament appearance under Mick Cronin.

The day’s nightcap features the Golden Eagles and Cardinals, two former Conference USA rivals. The two teams played a classic at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville back on January 15th as UL came out on top 71-70. Fans will remember the story as Rick Pitino’s club finished the game on a 24-5 run in the final 5:44 to erase a 65-47 deficit for the win. Preston Knowles buried four three-pointers in the run and his ability to find Kyle Kuric open for the winning layup with four seconds left completed the remarkable comeback. Knowles finished with a game-high 17 in the win. Darius Johnson-Odom scored 16 for MU in the first meeting.
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Still need your BIG EAST Tournament tickets? We have YOUR seat below! Follow the links below to the individual sessions you desire or buy for the entire event. Even with the games starting in less than three hours today it is not too late and still GREAT prices and GREAT seats available! The quarterfinals are only the warm-up to great action ahead for Friday and Saturday in this historic event!

Need a place to stay in NYC for the weekend, click here to Book Air and/or hotel for NYC and the 2011 BIG EAST Tournament

For travel deals and arrangements, click here: Book Air and/or hotel for NYC and 2011 BIG EAST Tournament

WEDNESDAY EVENING NOTES FROM BIG EAST BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

by RAY FLORIANI

NEW YORK CITY – Notes and thoughts from day two, the evening session, at the 2011 BIG EAST Tournament.

Entering the press room for the evening doubleheader the big news concerned the ending of the Rutgers-St. John’s game. And that ’buzz’ and debate seemed to last through the games, and I’m sure into the night.

As a veteran of years of officiating I will not comment on the crew’s performance. Suffice to say they weren’t looking forward to getting to the locker room with the prospect of Art Hyland, the Big East Supervisor, in all likelihood there to ask a few tough questions.

Is there another 25 win team with less respect than Cincinnati? All the Bearcats do is win, and fail to get respect by the pollsters. Bearcat coach Mick Cronin is not pleased with the constant oversights and lack of mention. The Cincy mentor did sum it all up saying, “I tell my team you want respect, win tomorrow and you will get it.”

‘Tomorrow’ is a quart final date with a powerful Notre Dame team in the quarterfinals.

Cincy very impressive in their 87-61 win over South Florida. They limited the Bulls to 37% two point range shooting while hitting 67% on their end.
T
The numbers from the two evening contests:

Team……………………Possessions……………………..Offensive Efficiency
South Florida………………..65……………………………………..94
Cincinnati…………………….67……………………………………130

In the last game of the evening Marquette defeated West Virginia 67-61 guaranteeing a new Big East champion this year.

Team…………………………………Possessions……………………….Offensive Efficiency
Marquette………………………………….61……………………………………..110
West Virginia……………………………….61…………………………………….100

Thought Bob Huggins going to a 1-3-1 late was a good move. Show something different. One problem, Darius Johnson-Odom found an opening in the zone and buried two crucial treys. Right after the second trey, Huggins went back man to man.

Steve Masiello was a press row neighbor. A Louisville assistant, Masiello advanced scouted both games for Rick Pitino’s staff. Reminded Steve of the story he told me about holding Mike Bibby scoreless in the NCAA finals back in ‘97. Masiello was a Kentucky reserve and saw about 30 seconds of action. During that time Bibby did not score. But his Arizona club did win the national championship.

Met the Mountaineer as he was polishing his rifle in the cheerleader holding area on the way to the interview room. He assured me he does not carry the rifle on the New York streets, opting for a musical instrument case instead. Very judicious move.

Junior guard Anthony Crater only played 19 minutes for South Florida. Crater was injured the latter part of the first half. Bulls trailed by only 8 at the half and coach Stan Heath felt they did not play that well. Minus Crater, South Florida struggled.

Heath is encouraged as for he second straight year, his club won a first round game before being eliminated.

During time outs is there anyone in the stands NOT texting or checking messages?

Yancy Gates of Cincinnati probably had the best all around game of the evening doubleheader. The 6-9 junior had 25 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Gates shot 10 of 11 from the floor.

St. Peter’s coach John Dunne was at the evening session receiving congratulations from a number of well wishers. NicK Mariniello, doing a great job at Hudson Catholic(NJ) High School was also on hand. Mariniello coached St. Peter’s’ Wesley Jenkins while at Bloomfield Tech.

West Virginia scored only two field goals the final eight minutes of the game. Both were by senior forward John Flowers. Score was tied at 53 with eight minutes to go.

Quarterfinals naturally feature four solid matchups. Definitely feel St. John’s-Syracuse will be a lot closer than their January meeting won easily by the Orange at MSG. Steve Lavin’s club has defeated a number of high profile opponents since then and will be a tough out.

For the sixth consecutive year, all tickets to the BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship have been sold in advance. All ticket packages for the 2011 Championship have been purchased by the 16 member institutions, negating the need for a public sale at Madison Square Garden, also possibly making it the toughest ticket in town.

Still need your BIG EAST Tournament tickets? We have YOUR seat below! Follow the links below to the individual sessions you desire or buy for the entire event. Even with the games starting in less than three hours it is not too late and still GREAT prices and GREAT seats available!

Need a place to stay in NYC for the tournament, click here to Book Air and/or hotel for NYC and the 2011 BIG EAST Tournament

For travel deals and arrangements, click here: Book Air and/or hotel for NYC and 2011 BIG EAST Tournament

2011 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT PRIMER – - DAY TWO

* Day One Notes Below provided by Ray Floriani

Today’s Schedule (and tickets):

ROUND TWO: WEDNESDAY MARCH 9th:

–No. 9 Connecticut vs. No. 8 Georgetown, 12 noon.
–No. 13 Rutgers vs. No. 5 St. John’s, 2 PM.

Season Series: In their lone meeting on February 16, UConn scored a 78-70 win at the Hartford Civic Center. Kemba Walker pored in 31 points and also added 10 assists and 7 rebounds and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel added 23. The Hoyas got a team-high 19 points from point guard Chris Wright as the senior guard connected on five shots from three-point range. Wright will miss today’s game with a broken left (non-shooting) hand. Wright was injured early in the 2nd half of their Feb. 23 58-46 loss to Cincinnati which began a three-game losing streak for the Hoyas entering the 2011 BIG EAST Basketball Tournament.

In their lone battle this season, the Red Storm snuck past Rutgers at Carnesecca Arena, 58-56, back on Feb. 2. The Scarlet Knights turned the ball over 23 times in the contest. Dwight Hardy led the winners with 15 points while Jonathan Mitchell scored 21 for RU in the loss.
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–No. 15 South Florida vs. No. 7 Cincinnati, 7 PM.
–No. 11 Marquette vs. No. 6 West Virginia, 9 PM.

Season Series: The Bearcats defeated USF 74-66 at Fifth Third Arena back on January 12th. Sean Kilpatrick led four Bearcats in double-figures with a game-high 18 points. UC turned the Bulls over 18 times in that contest. Ron Anderson Jr. led USF with 13 points in that contest.

The Golden Eagles and Mountaineers met on New Year’s Day in Milwaukee with Marquette coming out on top, 79-74. Jae Crowder had 29 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals in that contest with Darius Johnson-Odom adding 21. In a losing cause, ‘Truck’ Bryant scored 25 for WVU. Buzz Williams’ crew won the battle of the boards 36-24 in the first meeting.
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Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Louisville and Syracuse await Wednesday’s winners in the quarterfinal round Thursday at MSG. Teams with double-byes are just 3-5 in the quarterfinals the last two seasons since the 16-team format was introduced.

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2011 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT PRIMER – - DAY ONE

Intro by Ray Floriani

LYNDHURST, NJ – The Big East Tournament will tip off in a few hours at Madison Square Garden. Five days of new stories to be written, a mix of the surprising, disappointing. The ’what happened to’ and a Cinderella usually added for good measure.

Game two in this afternoon’s session will be the ’rubber’ match of the battle between New Jersey’s two Big East schools. When Rutgers faces Seton Hall in the tournament’s second game of the schedule, approximately 2:30, a former officiating partner will be there. Not on the floor, the bench.

About six years ago a call came on a Summer morning asking if I could get to College of New Jersey. The Eastern Camp needed more officials. Instantly accepted but reminded the caller, the trip would be about an hour. No problem.

Arrived at TCNJ late morning and was told by the coordinator, “you will work with a camp counselor. Do you know Mike Rice?” Of course I did having covered his games as a Fordham point guard and following his coaching career. Mike knew me, more from the journalistic end. We were scheduled and worked three games. Told him to forget the signals, coaches just want the calls and don’t worry about positioning as much, I could work and adjust off his court location. Most important, I told Mike he played at a high level in college so officiating wouldn’t be impossible for him. In other words, he knew the game.

It was a high school team camp. We had some competitive clubs as one from Virginia as well as Neptune and CBA, two strong New Jersey programs. The games went well. Mike put his intensity seen these days on the Rutgers sideline, and conscientiousness into the effort. He was good with the coaches who may have questioned a call or no call. Showed a lot of patience in working the games and was impressive with his judgment. As noted, playing at the high level of DI, gave him the ability to decide on a call or pass on a ‘no call’. It was just a thrill and pleasure to work with him.

Not long after I mentioned the experience in my Eastern Basketball Magazine column, Mike was starting on Phil Martelli’s staff at St. Joseph’s. Mike told me later he copied the column to send to recruits. Why? To show prospects that coaches at St. Joseph’s will do anything and go the extra mile to help the kids in their program.

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2011 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

The 2011 BIG EAST Tournament is upon us, tipping off at high noon Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. All 16 teams from the conference converge on New York City for a five day basketball festival that promises to capture the attention of college basketball fans across the country.

In a season unlike any other seen before in the BIG EAST, Jamie Dixon and his Pittsburgh club led the regular season wire-to-wire after being pegged as the favorites by the league’s coaches last fall. The Panthers tied their school-record with 15 league wins, the same number the Sam Young, DeJuan Blair-led Pitt squad of 2008-2009. That club went on to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament, this team is looking for more.

“We really want to make this special for the seniors, especially with the team we have,” said senior Gilbert Brown following the regular season finale against Villanova. “We have a special group of individuals. I think we’re capable of doing a lot of great things. This is just the first step. I feel really confident going into the postseason.”

Brown was a key contributor off the bench for the 2008-2009 team as a sophomore and played a key role in Pitt’s BIG EAST Tournament championship win in 2008 against Georgetown, scoring 12 points as a redshirt freshman in that game.

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MERNAGH’S FIRST DAY BIG EAST TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

by RAY MERNAGH

Below is my first day preview/breakdown/analysis of the 2011 Big East Tournament. I’m writing this at midnight Sunday, five or six hours before I hit the road for the trip to NYC.

We kick things off Tuesday with No. 16 DePaul vs. No. 9 Connecticut at 12 Noon. Syracuse scored something like 195 points against DePaul on Saturday. UConn should be able to score at least 85 and win easily. If they don’t, Jim Calhoun’s post-game presser will be legendary and Oliver Purnell might go into shock.

The second game features #13 Rutgers against #12 Seton Hall. Neighborhood battle here. The Hall is on a run having beaten St. John’s and Marquette in back-to-back home games. Jeremy Hazell could go for 30, Jordan Theodore has looked very good and Jeff Robinson and the (Herb) Pope are always dangerous. Mike Rice will have a plan to limit Hazell’s touches and to make him hit tough shots.

The Scarlet Knights will be ready and each team won on the others floor in the regular season in two closely contested games. I expect the same thing here. Look for this to be a one possession game with five minutes left to play. Whoever makes more plays in that five minutes will get the win and move on to face St. John’s in Wednesday’s 2pm game. Rutgers needs Dane Miller to have an efficient game offensively and rebound the ball while also needing Gil Biruta to stay out of foul trouble to win. Seton Hall needs to limit turnovers and share the ball. They would also be helped by getting out in transition.

You can STILL get your tickets, see link below…

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Session 2 on Tuesday starts with #15 South Florida against #10 Villanova in a 7pm tip. The Bulls have a skilled frontcourt that’s got a world of talent. It baffles me that they’re so bad. I watched them get whatever they wanted offensively against Pitt last month only to fade in the last 10 minutes because they started getting out of their offense (and likely because the Panthers turned things up defensively). Still, this team, if focused and taking care of the ball while playing through Gilchrist, Famous and Fitzpatrick, could give the banged up Wildcats a game. Of course they haven’t been able to do that since the first few weeks of the season so…’Nova probably finds a way to get through and face a hot Cincinnati club at 7pm on Wednesday.

The nightcap of the first day has a batch of offensive fireworks ready to explode all ove the Garden floor as #14 Providence battles #11 Marquette. I was wrong regarding the Golden Eagles by the way. I thought there was no way this group finished 8th and they finished three spots below that and find themselves fighting for their tournament life. DJO, Jimmy F. Butler and Jae Crowder have to rise up in this one. PC will counter with Marshon “Fitty2″ Brooks who admittedly hasn’t been the same since he almost put the entire Notre Dame staff on Psyche Leave that memorable night (the Irish won, saving any potential commitments). Buzz Williams and crew needs this one bad. IMHO the Warriors (as I will always know them as) show up ready, while PC packs it in…unless of course Brooks goes all Chris Jackson circa ’88 on them. In that case, anything’s possible. Something tells me this has the chance, along with the Jersey Game, to be the most entertaining contest of Day 1.

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Somebody’s honking their horn. I think it’s my ride. I’ll most likely be doing daily guest spots with Joe Bendel on ESPN 970 during the week. Joe’s on from 4-7 each afternoon and you can listen live at this link. For updates all week, including what times I’ll be going live with Joe, follow me on twitter @raymern or follow NBE Sports on Twitter ( http://twitter.com/NBESports) and the NBE facebook page.

Don’t forget, you can join us this week in NYC, too. For travel deals and arrangements, click here: Book Air and/or hotel for NYC and 2011 BIG EAST Tournament
.

Back at you soon!

As a side note…the potential (I stress potential as teams like SHU/RU and Georgetown hope to have something to say about this) Thursday afternoon match-ups for the Quarterfinals has become one of the hottest MSG tickets I can remember for a mid-week afternoon BIG EAST Tournament ever. Everyone knows how well Syracuse and Connecticut (if they get past DePaul AND Georgetown) draw at MSG, throw in a revitalized St. John’s and #1 seed Pittsburgh and you have a tremendous matinee of basketball that will have the attention of the nation. Don’t miss your chance to be there live…but the prices are going up by the minute each time I check…so, buy now…

ALL-BIG EAST TEAMS ANNOUNCED; HANSBROUGH UNANIMOUS 1ST TEAM SELECTION

BIG EAST press release

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Notre Dame senior Ben Hansbrough is the only unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team, the league announced. The conference’s head coaches choose the all-conference teams. The coaches are not permitted to vote for their own players. The league announced the All-BIG EAST First, Second and Third Teams in addition to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team.

DePaul forward Cleveland Melvin was the lone unanimous pick on the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team.

Six players were named to the All-BIG EAST First Team. The BIG EAST Player of the Year will come from that group. The conference will announce Player of the Year, Oppenheimer Funds/BIG EAST Coach of the Year, BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and American Eagle Outfitters BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Tuesday, March 8. The announcement will be made between sessions of the first day of The BIG EAST Championship Presented by American Eagle Outfitters at Madison Square Garden. The press conference will begin after the postgame interviews of the afternoon doubleheader have been completed. The other individual awards will be announced Monday, March 7.

The six first-team players are also the top six scorers in the BIG EAST. The other first-team selections are: Kemba Walker of Connecticut, Austin Freeman of Georgetown, Ashton Gibbs of Pittsburgh, Marshon Brooks of Providence and Dwight Hardy of St. John’s.

Hansbrough, a 6-3 guard, led Notre Dame to a second-place finish in the BIG EAST regular season with a 14-4 record. He led the Irish in scoring with an 18.5 average, which was third in the league. He also was third in the BIG EAST in 3-point shooting, making 45.1 percent.

Walker was the unquestioned leader for Connecticut, The junior guard finished the regular season second in the BIG EAST in scoring at 23.1 ppg. He has scored at least 24 points in a game 13 times this season. Walker was an All-BIG EAST Third Team selection last year.

Freeman, the Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, is fifth in the conference in scoring, averaging 17.8 points while helping the Hoyas to a 21-9 record. The senior guard was an All-BIG EAST Second Team pick last season.

Gibbs, who also was a second-team All-BIG EAST selection in 2009-10, helped lead Pittsburgh to the BIG EAST regular-season crown with a 15-3 record. The league’s top 3-pointer shooter at 46.6 percent, he finished sixth in scoring with a 16.4 average.

Brooks was the BIG EAST scoring champion with a 26.0 scoring mark in league games. In all games, he also was first, averaging 24.8 ppg. The 6-5 senior improved his scoring mark from 14.2 ppg last season.

Hardy provided the critical offensive punch to help fuel the resurgence at St. John’s. The senior guard averaged 17.9 ppg which ranked fourth for the regular season. The Red Storm’s 12-6 mark was their best since a 12-4 record in 1999-2000.

Melvin, a 6-8 forward, was DePaul’s top scorer and the leading freshman scorer in the BIG EAST with a 14.2 average. He also averaged 5.0 rebounds.

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