Notre Dame

2010 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT COVERAGE: THURSDAY PRIMER

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The 2010 Big East Tournament has reached the quarterfinal round and what better way to tip-off the action than with a match-up between Syracuse and Georgetown at high noon in Madison Square Garden. I am sure many fans will be joining Digger Phelps on a long lunch today. If you can get to NYC, there are still tickets available to be purchased and the links below provide the resources to find seats with Stub Hub’s guarantee for fans to have their tickets in hand prior to the game, even at this last minute…

The remaining Big East Conference Tournament Schedule…

QUARTERFINALS: THURSDAY, MARCH 11th:

Big East Basketball Tournament Tickets – Session 5 March 11 2010

1) Syracuse vs. 8] Georgetown, 12 noon.
4) Villanova vs. 5) Marquette, 2 PM.

Big East Basketball Tournament Tickets – Session 6 March 11 2010

2) Pittsburgh vs. 7) Notre Dame, 7 PM.
3) West Virginia vs. 11) Cincinnati, 9 PM.

Semifinals, Firday March 12th:

Session 7:

Big East Basketball Tournament Tickets – Session 7 (Semifinals) March 12 2010

Championship, Saturday March 13th:

Session 8:

Big East Basketball Tournament Tickets – Session 8 (Championship) March 13 2010

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2010 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT COVERAGE: DAY TWO RECAP

by RAY FLORIANI and MATT WHITFIELD

NEW YORK CITY – Day two at the 2010 Big East Tournament is complete and one thing is definitely certain, we will have a new champion.

The scores:

Georgetown 69, South Florida 49

Marquette 57, St. John’s 55

Notre Dame 68, Seton Hall 56

Cincinnati 69, Louisville 66

Ray’s ten points of emphasis from Wednesday…

1. Georgetown did it the old fashioned way. They defended the heck out of South Florida. Dominique Jones of USF had 21 points to lead all scorers but the Bulls outstanding junior talent had no one to lend a helping hand. Credit the Hoya defense that forced South Florida into a 29% afternoon from the field.

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

by RAY MERNAGH

USF 58 DePaul 49

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

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

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

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

It’s all about advancing folks.

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2010 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT COVERAGE: WEDNESDAY PRIMER

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After a thrilling doubleheader Tuesday to close the first day of action of the 2010 Big East Tournament, we roll on into Wednesday with four more games as the action will continue to heat up into the weekend at Madison Square Garden.

Here is Wednesday’s schedule (and your chance to get tickets to the games):

9) South Florida vs. 8] Georgetown, Noon.
13) St. John’s vs. 5) Marquette, 2 PM.

Big East Basketball Tournament Tickets – Session 3 March 10 2010 (USF vs GTown & SJU vs. MU)

10) Seton Hall vs. 7) Notre Dame, 7 PM.
11) Cincinnati vs. 6) Louisville, 9 PM.

Big East Basketball Tournament Tickets – Session 4 March 10 2010 (SHU vs. ND & UC vs. UL)

The rest of the schedule this week (and your chance to buy tickets to see the action live at MSG):

QUARTERFINALS: THURSDAY, MARCH 11th:

Big East Basketball Tournament Tickets – Session 5 March 11 2010

1) Syracuse vs. GTown/USF, 12 noon.
4) Villanova vs. MU/SJU, 2 PM.

Big East Basketball Tournament Tickets – Session 6 March 11 2010

2) Pittsburgh vs. ND/SHU, 7 PM.
3) West Virginia vs. UL/UC, 9 PM.

Semifinals, Firday March 12th:

Session 7:

Big East Basketball Tournament Tickets – Session 7 (Semifinals) March 12 2010

Championship, Saturday March 13th:

Session 8:

Big East Basketball Tournament Tickets – Session 8 (Championship) March 13 2010

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NBE POST-SEASON ALL-BIG EAST TEAMS & AWARDS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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2010 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE & TICKETS

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

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

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

Enjoy the week…March Madness is here!

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (3/5/2010)

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Here is a quick Happy Hour fix of the news and notes around the Big East as we take a quick glance back at last night’s action and preview the first game of the weekend tonight that kicks off the final games of the Big East regular season. Also in the news today is the visit list for tomorrow’s Freedom Hall finale as the host cards look to stamp that NCAA Tournament resume. The season has not gone quite as well as planned for Mick Cronin and Cincinnati, but the UC coach can expect to give it at least another try next year with the Bearcats. South Florida and Notre Dame enter this last weekend with hopes remaining of NCAA Tournament bids.

Speaking of tournaments this time of year, a good luck shout out goes to the girls team at Northwest HS in Wichita, Kansas as they play in the sub-state final tonight. Good luck to the Grizzlies in their quest to earn a spot in the state tournament.

It is now less than a week away, so be sure to visit our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page for the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big East fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. Stub Hub and the Big East conference have teamed up to provide fans with quality tickets and you can get tickets to ANY Big East conference or non-league game by following this link: StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online

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

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2010 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT PROJECTED SEEDS/SCHEDULE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It is now less than a week away, so be sure to visit our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page for the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big East fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. Stub Hub and the Big East conference have teamed up to provide fans with quality tickets and you can get tickets to ANY Big East conference or non-league game by following this link: StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online

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

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

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

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

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

Also, it is now less than a week away, so be sure to visit our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page for the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big East fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. Stub Hub and the Big East conference have teamed up to provide fans with quality tickets and you can get tickets to ANY Big East conference or non-league game by following this link: StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online

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

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TARIQ CAREY UPDATE; LAWHORN DECIDES, HANNER CLOSE

by JEFF BORZELLO

One of the more underrated players nationally in the class of 2012 is New Jersey product Tariq Carey.

College coaches know all about the 6-foot-1 sophomore guard, though.

Carey is getting plenty of early attention from Big East schools and he has a ‘dream school’ out of the ACC showing him interest. NBE gets the latest update from the 2012 prospect that is sure to become a well-known name in recruiting circles in the near future…

Also, Danny Lawhorn contacts NBE about his commitment and a source updates Jamir Hanner who might be closing on on his…

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

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

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

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

Also, it just a week away, so be sure to visit our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page for the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big East fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. Stub Hub and the Big East conference have teamed up to provide fans with quality tickets and you can get tickets to ANY Big East conference or non-league game by following this link: StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online

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

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UPDATED 2010 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT SEEDING SCENARIOS

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

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

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

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SYRACUSE IS REGULAR SEASON BEAST; NOTRE DAME MAKING STATEMENT

By RAY MERNAGH

The Orange can be beasts in the NCAA tournament, too

Their rotation has everything a potential champion needs.

Size and the ability to score in the post — check.

Speed — check.

Ability to share the ball — check.

Ability to shoot the ball and score on the perimeter — check.

Ability to shut down opponent defensively — 2/3 of a check (I’m clever).

Ability to drive the ball — check.

All of these are big things for a team that wants to cut down the nets the first Monday in April, but none of them are the reason, at this moment after watching them dismantle Villanova last night, that I feel so positively about Syracuse. The thing, make that player, that’s making me heart the Orange so strongly right now is Kris Joseph.

No team in the country has a guy like him coming off the bench.

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

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

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

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

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

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2010 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT SEEDING AT A GLANCE

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

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

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

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LUKELESS IN SOUTHE BEND/THE BUTLER DOES IT IN QUEENS

by RAY MERNAGH

Two huge wins for Big East rivals Notre Dame and Marquette.

The Irish, without Luke Harangody, looked as good as I’ve seen an ND team look in the last two years in their dominating 68-53 win over Pittsburgh. Notre Dame’s ball movement on offense was a thing to behold and they shot the shinola out of it from deep (10-18) while controlling the boards too. Even though Pitt never stopped playing they could never get close after ND jumped out in the second half to a big lead. Tim Abromaitis (17), Ben Hansbrough (15), Tory Jackson (14 and 7 assists) and Tyrone Nash (13) led a balanced Irish attack offensively. Notre Dame is now 18-10 overall and 7-8 in the Big East. Freshman big Jack Cooley helped contribute with 4 rebounds and some really good defense inside during his 13 minutes.

No ND player took over ten shots.
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Over in Jamaica Queens, I tuned in for the last 4 minutes of OT featuring Marquette and St. John’s. Marquette gained possession of the ball with 25 seconds left and Buzz Williams called a timeout to talk about who he wanted to take the last shot.

Jimmy Butler went to the rim and was stripped of the ball. Butler had the wherewithal to chase down he ball in the corner, get possession, turn and drill a jumper at the buzzer for a 63-61 Marquette win. Butler finished with 18 and 8 and his shot pushed Marquette’s overall mark to 18-9 with a 9-6 record in the league. Huge win for the ex-Warriors.

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It might a few more weeks away, but our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page has the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big east fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. Stub Hub and the Big East conference have teamed up to provide fans with quality tickets and you can get tickets to ANY Big East conference or non-league game by following this link: StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online
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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (2/24/2010)

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Its a busy week as the stretch run in college basketball is fully underway. The Big East had a trio of games last night and four more tonight and we recap/preview all the action below.

Also, Providence has a player leave their team with just three weeks left in the season, Lance Stephenson announces his intentions, as of now, for next season and a former city rival coach takes a shot at Mick Cronin from afar…interesting…

Also, it might still be another few weeks away, but our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page has the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big East fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. Stub Hub and the Big East conference have teamed up to provide fans with quality tickets and you can get tickets to ANY Big East conference or non-league game by following this link: StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online

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

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WHERE I COME FROM: TORY JACKSON EDITION

by RAY MERNAGH

Tory Jackson is Notre Dame’s leader. The point guard out of Michigan has played harder than any other Irish player from the first day he stepped on campus. He often finds his teammates at the perfect time, when they’re in the perfect position for them to score. His game against Syracuse earlier this season is still the best passing game by any player I’ve seen this season. Jackson picked the Orange zone apart and dealt so many exquisite dimes it had me thinking he should have just retired after the loss — because I’m not sure he, or anyone else, can ever top that display for pure passing wizardry. He was that good on the afternoon of January 18th, finishing with 15 assists (he could have had 5 or 6 more if teammates converted) and only 3 turnovers.

Similar to some previous seasons, things have taken a turn south for the Irish as they head into the final stretch. February has not been kind and consequently, it’s desperation-time again. The Irish stand at 17-10 overall and 6-8 in the Big East, having lost three straight tight games and “star” Luke Harangody to a knee injury. Included in the stretch is a three-point loss at Seton Hall (90-87), a one-point loss to St. John’s (69-68) and a double overtime heart breaker at Louisville 91-89. Tonight they host a red-hot Pitt team that has set sights on a Big East championship. If Notre Dame somehow defends it’s home court and gets a win tonight, chances are that Jackson will have a big part in it. The 5-11 guard is the heart and soul of Notre Dame basketball. The pride Jackson takes in being a student-athlete at Notre Dame is refreshing, as if he’s found Nirvana in, of all places, South Bend, Indiana.

The truth is Notre Dame is heaven to Jackson, especially when compared to the community he was raised in — Saginaw, Michigan.

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