Pittsburgh News

MERNAGH: ADAMS WILL BE FINE

Steven Adams is almost 7 feet (6’11″ after checking with his coach).

Steven Adams runs like a deer and rebounds out of his area (he tracked one 17 feet before grabbing it). He has incredible raw instincts defensively, knowing when to keep his feet with his arms straight up, when to jump and when to body his man.

Steven Adams makes hard catches look routine.

Steven Adams threw a 75 foot outlet pass to Myles Davis that led the Xavier bound guard perfectly for a breakaway dunk.

Steven Adams attempts to dunk everything he catches within a foot of the rim.

Steven Adams has a nice stroke on his outside shot.

The things that Steven Adams has to grasp about basketball will be easily taught and learned by a kid with so much enthusiasm for the game.

Steven Adams will be fine.

Plus, he’s quite refreshing to talk to.

Rest easy Pitt fans, the kid can play.

WOODALL: I GOT THIS

By Ray Mernagh

Travon Woodall has been the object of scorn from certain groups of Pittsburgh fans over his four years in the program.

Complaints have ranged from he didn’t start for his high school team to he’s too sloppy with the ball to he takes too many chances. Some have even gone so far as to say the redshirt junior isn’t a D-1 caliber player.

Woodall has almost always come through for his team. I’ve witnessed him win games by blocking a shot at the rim, hitting multiple three-pointers or by finding flying teammates for alley-oop dunks or cutters for layups. I’ve watched him guard a 6’8″ post player because nobody else was left to do it, purposely taking an elbow to the chops because it meant a foul on the man he was guarding. He’s always had a really good assist-to-turnover ratio and has never, ever, played with fear. He’s also always been Pitt‘s toughest player.
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MERNAGH: PITT KEEPS HOPE ALIVE HEADING INTO BIG MONDAY SHOWDOWN AT WEST VIRGINIA

Pitt 86 Providence 74 is what the scoreboard read when the buzzer sounded last Wednesday night. It remained there for maybe a half second before the board changed to reflect the record for Pittsburgh inside the Peterson Events Center since it was built. The loss side of that all-time record has grown more in the last month than in the last several years.

Wednesday evening’s result inside the Peterson Events Center brought relief to a program and fan-base in dire need of a fresh breath.

Now all of a sudden, in the span of 72 hours, relief has turned into, dare I say…hope?

What was a slightly encouraging win for Pitt against Providence parlayed itself into an actual conquest over a #10 ranked Georgetown team that came in sporting the resume of a soon-to-be top 3 seed. In movie terms the Pitt Panthers have quickly moved from Waiting to Exhale territory directly into the How Stella Got Her Groove Back neighborhood.
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STEVEN ADAMS DRAWS A CROWD IN PITTSBURGH DEBUT

By Lauren Kirschman

Steven Adams‘ abilities on the basketball court are unquestionable.

He’s 6-foot-11 and already built like a player headed for the NBA. In Notre Dame Prep’s 75-36 victory over Massanutten (Va.) Military Academy in the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Legends Classic at Ambridge High School, he finished with 12 points 14 boards and three blocks. He showed exceptional body control and rebounding ability, while also impressing with his capability to run the floor.

He’s already being billed by Pitt fans as a “savior”.

But by talking to him, you wouldn’t know it. That might be the most impressive thing of all.

Adams seemed genuinely surprised to find a sizable cluster of reporters — some with recorders and other holding cameras — waiting for him outside Notre Dame Prep’s locker room.

“Usually it’s only two people or one person with a notepad,” he said. “No cameras or anything.”
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WOODALL BACK IN THE SADDLE FOR PITT

Junior point guard finishes with 17 points & 9 assists against Providence as Pitt ends 8-game losing streak Tuesday

By Anthony Jaskulski

November 30th of the Panthers basketball season seemed like no big deal.

As per status quo, Pitt knocked off Duquesne, and it just seemed like guard Travon Woodall sprained a muscle or something to a lesser degree.

Present day, that injury turned out to be a major component to what was the longest losing streak for a Pitt basketball team since the 1994-95 season, dropping an unheard of eight straight games, including an 0-7 start to their BIG EAST schedule.

Wednesday night was a sign of bliss for the Panthers, as everything seemed back to normal, as the squad bounced back with an 86-74 victory over Providence, and Travon Woodall finished the game with a strong 17 points, 9 assists and just 1 turnover, not to mention going a perfect 4 of 4 from beyond-the-arc.
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PITT LEFT SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS

By Ray Mernagh

Took a break last night from the media section and took in the Pitt vs. Louisville game — with my wife — from some spectacular seats at just about mid-court about 5 rows behind the Oakland Zoo (shout out to my man for the hookup). It’s been a strange month and a half for Pitt basketball as the Panthers were 0-6 in Big East action heading into last night’s Game Day festivities.

Heading into the Pete, and all day long for that matter, I kept going back to one thought: This would be the night that Pitt gets the 1,000 pound gorilla off their backs and actually posts a mark in the W column. Part of the reason for the feeling was the performances Pitt turned in following their beat-down at the hands of Rutgers, a game that finally exposed the Panthers for what they are (not very good) and gave Mike Rice a good three-to-four hours on the phone calling recruits afterwards. Rutgers saw blood in the water, saw prey willing to give up the fight, and pounced like any Shark worth its saltwater does.

The Marquette game gave some hope as the effort was much better and Ashton Gibbs’ shooting returned with the help of a move back to his natural shooting guard position. Still, some quick turnovers in the second half ultimately doomed the Panthers. Syracuse followed about 48 hours later and again, Pitt battled before ultimately losing in a respectable manner. So heading into this weekend, and all the hype that surrounds a campus when Dukie V comes to town, something was telling me Pitt might just hand Louisville an L.

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BIG EAST REGULAR SEASON TIPS OFF

Notre Dame and St. John’s began the BIG EAST portion of the 2011-12 season Tuesday with wins against Pittsburgh and Providence, respectively, on Tuesday night.

Notre Dame extended its homecourt winning streak to 28 games with last night’s win, 72-59 over No. 22 Pittsburgh. The Irish haven’t lost at Purcell Pavilion since Feb. 14, 2010, when they fell 69-68 to St. John’s.

Guard Alex Dragicevich scored a career-high 22 points to lead the Irish on Tuesday night. Dragicevich, who had scored just six points in six previous BIG EAST games before this season, scored 17 of his 22 after halftime, which included making all three of his attempts beyond the three-point arc.

The Irish rallied from a 26-25 halftime deficit by shooting 72% (18-25) after intermission.

“I have been a part of a lot of fun games here,” Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey said after the game. “But this one ranks right up there with the best. To see us play with that swagger in the second half, I guess I just wasn’t sure this group was ready for that.”

Jerian Grant and Eric Atkins also reached double figured for Notre Dame, scoring 15 points a piece. Grant added a game-high nine assists and Jack Cooley helped ND stay close on the boards, grabbing 14 shots off the backboards to go with his eight points.

“We have a week to practice and after a win you always have a little more juice,” said Brey. “It’s just great to be 1-0 in this league, especially at home, that feels good. It’s something to build on and God knows we needed something to build on.”

The Irish play the first of back-to-back road games with a Jan. 4 visit to Cincinnati. Notre Dame has won three straight against the Bearcats, including a pair of wins last season.

For Pitt it was their second consecutive loss after falling to non-conference opponent Wagner on Dec. 23 at the Peterson Events Center.

“We need to play better, we will play better and that’s what we have to work on,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said following last night’s loss. “We are a team that has a lot of things to improve on and we will get there and we know we’ve got things to work on.”

Sophomore Talib Zanna led the Panthers with 13 points and 12 rebounds in the game. Seniors Ashton Gibbs and Nasir Robinson each added 12. Gibbs passed current Pitt assistant coach and former point guard Brandin Knight for 12th place on Pittsburgh’s career scoring chart (1,443 points).

Junior guard Tray Woodall returned to the lineup after missing six games with a groin/abdominal injury, but did not score in 18 minutes.

Last night’s loss was just the seventh time in Jamie Dixon’s nine-year tenure that Pitt had lost back-to-back games. Pitt will try to avoid a third-straight defeat when, like the Irish, they take on Cincinnati in their next game. Pittsburgh has won its last six meetings against Cincinnati. The Panthers are 6-1 against the Bearcats in regular-season BIG EAST play. They will host Mick Cronin’s club at the Peterson Events Center on New Year’s Day.
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Freshman Moe Harkless scored 32 points in his BIG EAST debut to lead St. John’s past Providence last night, 91-67, at Carnesecca Arena. Harkless’ total is the most by a freshman in his first BIG EAST game in league history. The previous mark of 30 points was held by Notre Dame’s Troy Murphy and Georgetown’s Allen Iverson.

“I didn’t even know that,” Harkless said following the game on his record-setting performance. “That’s an honor to even be mentioned with those guys. Being able to break the record is a great feeling.”

For the seventh consecutive game the Redstorm was coached by associate head coach Mike Dunlap as Steve Lavin continues his recovery from prostate surgery.

“We were able to play a team that came in pretty hot and has played some good people, so we are very pleased with that win,” said Dunlap. “We’ve still got to work Amir [Garrett] in and now we have a seven-man rotation.”

D’Angelo Harrison added 25 points and 7 assists in the win and Phil Greene also finished in double figures with 12. In all, SJU freshmen combined to score 77 of the 91 points put on the scoreboard for the ‘Storm.

Up next for the Redstorm is a New Year’s Eve date with defending national champion UConn. St. John’s has won its last two meetings
against Connecticut.

The loss snapped a seven-game win streak for the Friars, who also had their worst defensive effort of the season, a trait that has plagued them in recent BIG EAST seasons. SJU scored 91 points and shot 56.5% from the field. PC also hurt themselves by turning the ball over 20 times. All in all it was not the performance Friar head coach Ed Cooley was expecting from his team.

“Our kids were just pathetic today in every imaginable way,” said Cooley afterwards. “I thought we were very selfish today. We weren’t tough at all. We just weren’t tough. I could take losing games. As a coach you’re going to lose a lot of games and you’re going to win some games. But you just have to show that passion to compete and we didn’t show that tonight. I’m very disappointed with our execution and our competitive level.”

Gerard Coleman scored 20 points against the Red Storm for Providence, which will look to avoid an 0-2 BIG EAST start when they travel to Washington DC to take on Georgetown at the Verizon Center Saturday. PC has not won at Georgetown since March of 2005.
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Tonight’s BIG EAST Schedule:
Wednesday, December 28
GEORGETOWN at LOUISVILLE – ESPN2……………………….7:00
SETON HALL at SYRACUSE………………………………..7:00
VILLANOVA at WEST VIRGINIA…………………………….7:00
CONNECTICUT at SOUTH FLORIDA…………………………..9:00

Eight more teams begin BIG EAST play Wednesday, including tough tests for the league’s two unbeaten clubs. Top-ranked Syracuse takes a 13-0 record into a 7 p.m. game against 11-1 Seton Hall at the Carrier Dome. While the Orange and Pirates split their two contests last season, the 90-68 drubbing SHU put on SU at the Dome last season will be certainly on the mind of the Syracuse players. No. 4/4 Louisville (12-0) hosts No. 12/12 Georgetown (10-1) on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. U of L is 2-4 against the Hoyas in BIG EAST play.

West Virginia and Villanova also meet at 7 p.m. in Morgantown, W.Va. The Wildcats hold a 10-9 edge in the series in conference regular-season play. No. 9/9 Connecticut plays its first road game of the season when it visits USF at 9 p.m. The Huskies will be without coach Jim Calhoun, who begins an NCAA-imposed three-game suspension. UConn has an 8-1 edge in its all-time series against the Bulls.
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The 2012 BIG EAST Tournament promises to be one to remember. As usual, tickets will sellout, but fans can get yours early at the best prices by following the links below and get that special holiday gift for YOURSELF that you did not receive from your loved ones. Also, buy with our relationship with TicketNetwork and .

WAGNER VS. PITT: WHAT’S WAGNER GOT?

By Ray Mernagh

The Brothers Hurley make their debut in Pittsburgh this evening and bring a team along with them that’s capable of competing and beating Pitt.

Senior guard Tyler Murray is 6’5″ and an excellent three-point marksman. Murray, despite shooting 1-8 from deep over the last two games for the Seahawks, still has a long-distance percentage of 54.5 % for the season. The Ontario native is a player left over from the Mike Deane coaching era that’s benefitting Dan Hurley in a major way, putting up a line of 13.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while playing 32.5 minutes and taking about 9 shots every outing. Murray also manages to commit legal thievery better than once per game (1.2 steals).

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MERNAGHS WEEKLY WATCH: TOP 3 PLUS SOME OTHER NOTES

1. Kentucky

The reason I had Kentucky #1 going into the season was on full display last night against St. John’s.

Yes the Wildcats have the most talent.

Yes, they have great athleticism and skill on offense.

But did you catch what they were able to do defensively?

Our Good Lord, Yahweh, Sweet Jesus, whoever Atheists worship (Bill Maher?) and Allah couldn’t have scored on Kentucky last night.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marquis Teague and Anthony Davis bring an impact on D and the rest of the Wildcats all follow suit to avoid having to hang their heads in shame (or hear Cal call them bad names). The amount of late clock situations that they forced the Johnnies into was ridiculous, and yes I know the undermanned group from Jamaica was trying to control their pace some, but there’s a big difference between that and not being able to get a shot off on multiple possessions.
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MERNAGH: PITT PREVAILS IN SLOPPY CITY GAME

15,880 fans showed up to the Consol Energy Center.

That number was a City Game attendance record.

And they left, unless they were die-hard Pitt fans, unfulfilled.

There weren’t a million turnovers in this game — the number was actually 35, 23 from Pitt — but it sure seemed like it.

Duquesne needed Pitt to turn it over a lot.

Pitt complied, but the Dukes couldn’t, for whatever reason, get over the hump.

T.J. McConnell, who finished with 15 points on 6-9 shooting for the Dukes, pointed to a late game back-breaking play as the moment the Dukes were finally broken.

“We were down four, they missed a free throw and then got the rebound and kicked it back out for a three,” said McConnell, “that pretty much killed us.”

For Pitt, this was the first time in three games that they had the services of center Dante Taylor and small forward Lamar Patterson. That fact seemed to take away from the flow and ball movement that Pitt enjoyed in its previous outing because the rotation that had produced was again in flux.

Taylor made the most of his return against the much smaller Dukes and had what amounted to a perfect stat-line — 6-6 from the field and 3-3 from the line for 15 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman John Johnson was huge for Pitt going 3-3 from distance for 9 points in his 14 minutes. Ashton Gibbs added 18 while Patterson finished with 10. Pitt destroyed Duquesne on the boards 39-15.

“It’s what we do,” said Jamie Dixon when asked about the rebounding advantage.

What promised to be a tight, exciting finish with about 9:00 left on the clock sagged to the final buzzer as turnover after turnover blinded the record crowd into a a stupor similar to that of a punch-drunk boxer in his final career bout.

It’s a win for Pitt and a missed opportunity for a game Duquesne squad.

But about as sloppy as a basketball game could be.

Mernagh: Birch Makes Pitt Better

Khem Birch, according to one national expert on a podcast following Pitt’s loss to Long Beach State, isn’t ready.

How that expert would know that is up for debate, but when you connect the dots you can probably figure it out — someone he knows on the Pitt staff probably told the guy that. Birch had not gotten any kind of consistent burn up to that point so the opinion certainly wasn’t based on any performance critiques.

Following the loss to Long Beach I was of the opinion that Birch needed to play no matter what, along with J.J. Moore, if Pitt wanted to give themselves their best chance to win. Some folks echoed the feeling that Birch wasn’t ready while also stating that Moore “doesn’t get” whatever it is that allows a Pitt Panther to find success on the court. My opinion on Birch was an easy one — I’d watched the kid enough to know he could at least defend the rim and rebound and that was something that neither Dante Taylor nor Talib Zanna were giving Pitt in their first few games (and maybe getting him some consistent run would light a fire under Zanna and Taylor). I also felt that Birch was more talented offensively — he can face up and he has a nice stroke — than people were giving him credit for while also needing minutes to get in the flow of a game. Some of the most impressive plays I’ve seen Birch make in the past have come late in games, when his athleticism and IQ kick in automatically. My conclusion on Moore needing more minutes was almost as simple.

Moore can make plays once someone gets him the ball. Pitt doesn’t have any of those guys on the wing. Lamar Patterson is a very good facilitator who apparently “gets” what it takes to earn playing time — mainly, from what I hear, he kicks Moore’s butt everyday in practice. But Patterson is not a guy that can make the difficult look easy. He can’t catch at the three line, shot-fake, dribble and raise up like it’s an old habit. He can be the guy that delivers the pass to the guy at the three point line but not the guy that can figure out what to do fast enough when his open look is sealed off.

J.J. Moore can. JJ Moore’s a thoroughbred. Lamar Patterson’s an Ox. They both are very effective, just at different tasks. I was starting to wonder if we might never see Birch or Moore get a meaningful shot on the floor together this season.

Then Dante Taylor got a headache.

And Lamar Patterson did something wrong (not sure what) and got suspended for two games.

And Jamie Dixon started Khem Birch and JJ Moore.

The first half tonight is the hardest I’ve seen Pitt play this season.

The first half tonight is the crispest I’ve seen the Pitt offense operate this season.

The first half tonight is the first time I’ve seen a lineup with Birch and Moore together for extended time (I didn’t see the Penn game).

“I just play defense at the start of games,” Birch told me after he registered 8 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks in 29 minutes. “The offense kind of just comes to me after I get in the flow, I just let it happen and focus on defending and going to the boards.” You listening Dante Taylor? Talib Zanna surely is because the Nigerian stud played his best basketball in over a year, grabbing 15 rebounds (7 offensive) and scoring 10 points on 5-8 shooting in 24 minutes.

J.J. Moore made a difference, even more than his numbers suggest, just by being on the court. He ran the floor. He defended and he was always a threat that the other team had to account for. Cameron Wright seized his opportunity and made the most of his 18 minutes by morphing into a Pitt version of Scottie Pippen, locking down Robert Morris star Velton Jones (1-14) while getting into the passing lanes. Wright shot 6-7 and gained confidence throughout.

All of these guys have one thing in common, they all ooze athleticism.

It starts with Birch and Moore, but their effect on the game impacts their teammates as well. Ashton Gibbs’ job is much easier. Ditto Tra Woodall’s, when those guys are on the floor.

Birch says the difference in his play comes down to one thing: “Consistent minutes is the main reason I’m producing the last few games,” he told me, “I’m getting a chance and trying to take advantage of it and help the team win.”

Dante Taylor and Lamar Patterson are both likely to return Wednesday night against Duquesne.

Khem Birch and J.J. Moore will also be there.

It should be an interesting evening.

COULD LONG BEACH STATE BE NEXT MARCH DARLING TO ADORE?

By Anthony Jaskulski

Falling in love with Cinderella is nothing to be ashamed of.

We allowed Butler to capture our imaginations when they did the impossible and came just two games shy of winning two back-to-back National Championships the last two years.

Last season we adored watching Shaka Smart take a “no-name” Virginia Commonwealth squad, who wasn’t even picked to win their conference—the CAA—to the Final Four.

And while it is only November, Long Beach State is an under the radar team that may just be working its way right into all of our hearts this basketball season.

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MERNAGH: CASPER WARE LEADS HIS TEAM…AND THEY FOLLOW

By Ray Mernagh

Casper Ware, Long Beach State’s stud point guard said it very clearly so that everyone would understand.

“We knew we were going to win,” Ware told me after scoring a career high 28 points in LBSU’s 86-76 victory at Pitt, “we expected it.” The 49′ers certainly played like it.

Loose balls — got ‘em.

Offensive rebounds –got 4 or 5 on one possession in the second half.

Big shots — cue Ware, a 5’9″ dynamo that on separate occasions met Pitt frontcourt players Nasir Robinson and Talib Zanna’s bodies in front of the rim, absorbed the contact, and then finished through that contact like it was a walk in the park. Ware also dropped bomb-like three pointers, with defenders draped on him, throughout the game on his way to that career high. But please don’t misunderstand that last phrase (career high).

Don’t dare get it twisted.
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MERNAGH: PITT VS. LONG BEACH PREVIEW/PRIMER

Pitt’s defense has been a work in progress thus far and even that is being kind.

Rider got whatever they wanted against the Panthers last Sunday and I’m sure that performance was critiqued and clipped to death by Jamie Dixon and his staff the last few days. The emphasis on the missteps is not without good reason as the Nate Dogg’s of the college basketball world enter the Pete with the clear intent to regulate, while at the same time taking a big step towards a possible tasty at-large type consideration OOC win.

The 213 — screw the 49ers nickname, go with the roots-respecting moniker that oozes swag — brings a lack of depth but an incredibly productive guard tandem into one of the hardest arenas in college basketball to get a win. History has shown though that this model, a mid-major team with some recent success along with Sam Cassel-type confidence, can indeed get the job done on this court early in a season against a highly ranked but untested group of Panthers.

Do I see it happening?

No.

I’m of the opinion that there’s not enough depth on the LBC sideline and if Pitt is patient and attacks the offensive glass the way a young Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr once attacked the mic, they’ll eventually wear their West Coast opponents down until they drop like skirts did whenever Nate Dogg started crooning (RIP).

If the crew from Long Beach somehow accomplish what they’re dead set on doing — getting a resume-boosting dub — I expect it to be because Casper Ware and Larry Anderson both go bananas (and by bananas I mean like 30 each).

We’ll see what happens, but I fully expect a Pitt guy with some length and strength — JJ Moore, Talib Zanna, Khem Birch or Dante Taylor — to compliment the guys that have been reliable so far in the young season and be the difference in a Pitt win, along with the message that the Panthers have no doubt had pounded into their heads the past few days in practice.

ESPN, well, ESPNU, is in the house.

The lights are bright and the MVP of the Drew League has something to prove on a national stage.

Time for the next episode….throw the rock up ref.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL EXPERIENCE NOTES – AROUND THE BIG EAST 11.16.2011

BIG EAST teams are a combined 31-2 in the early going this season, with both losses coming yesterday.

West Virginia got the day started off early for BIG EAST watchers with a 10 AM game hosting Kent State as part of the ESPN College Hoops Tip-ff Marathon. The young Mountaineers fell to one of the MAC pre-season favorites 70-60 in Morgantown.

WVU had a 5-point lead at the half, but it quickly disappeared and Rob Senderoff earned his first win as the new head coach of Kent Statet. A 19-4 run midway through the second half seized control of the game for the Golden Flashes. Bob Huggins did not want to use youth as an excuse.

“We throw the ball to them; we throw the ball to them for layups, we don’t get back and today it wasn’t just the freshmen,” said Huggins to msnsportsnet.com. “Today we had seniors who didn’t do their job.”
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Mernagh’s Big East Experience Part Two: Three That Can Win (First Up Pitt)?

By Ray Mernagh

In the first installment of our Big East Preview I gave you the two teams, based on what’s known from last year’s results and the talent coming in, that should win the league’s regular season championship.

In case you missed it the two I pegged were Syracuse and UConn.

Today I look at three teams that can win it, and truth be told, injuries have made me consider making this a foursome or switching out one team for another.

First in line is Pittsburgh (Pitt Tickets).

The Panthers won this thing last year and they return a National Player of the Year candidate in Ashton Gibbs. My two viewings of the Panthers thus far, especially the last one vs a D3 foe, have made me more of a believer than I was beforehand (and they were going to be my third pick regardless). Pitt has a program built on winning Big East games, it’s what the staff expects and that expectation is drilled into kids the second they move into their first-year dorm in Oakland. That’s all well and good but this years squad features some pieces, some sure to be backup pieces, that would tend to make me feel giddy were I an Oakland Zoo resident. This year the rookies possess, along with one vet without a lot of playing experience, talent that gives the Panthers a squad that potentially can roll as deep and thick as ONYX used to back in the day while scaring opposing coaches as much as Sticky Fingas scared the parents of daughters who loved his crew.
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AFTER A YEAR TO WATCH & LEARN, EPPS & WRIGHT READY TO HELP PITT

By Lauren Kirschman

When Isaiah Epps and Cameron Wright arrived at Pitt (Pitt Tickets) last season, Wright said that neither guard expected to redshirt.

But instead of playing college basketball as freshmen, the two sat out their first year of eligibility. They spent the year on Pitt’s bench—watching and waiting and learning—so that this season, they would be ready to make an impact.

“It was difficult for me,” Epps said. “It was a learning experience…I’m glad I sat out and learned before I got on the court to play.”

Wright said that they both used the redshirt season as a chance to develop.

“We had to know that we had great guards in front of us last year and we respected that, we paid our homage,” Wright said. “This year we are just trying to work hard so we can be out there together.”

Wright still keeps in contact with former guard Brad Wanamaker, a player he said he “learned everything” from.

“I watch film on Brad everyday,” he said. “The things he did for this University both on the basketball court and off the court were tremendous and I respect him a lot.”

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NORTH CAROLINA DOMINATES ACC PRESEASON POLLING

Roy Williams knows people have been talking about how good his team is going to be this season. Time is nearing for his Tar Heels to show it on the court.

Yesterday’s voting by media members at the ACC’s annual Operation Basketball on Wednesday in Charlotte only demonstrated how dominant many expect UNC to be this season as North Carolina was selected first in the poll, garnering 57 of the possible 59 first place votes and 706 total points.

North Carolina sophomore forward Harrison Barnes was selected as the preseason Player of the Year and joins teammates John Henson and Tyler Zeller on the preseason all-conference team.

Duke was selected second in the preseason media poll, with the other two first place votes and 649 points. Blue Devils’ freshman Austin RIvers was pegged as the preseason Rooke of the Year in the voting.

The rest of the voting rounded out in this order:

3) Florida State, 560 points
4) Virginia, 463 points
5) Miami, 455 points
6) Virginia Tech, 411 points
7) Clemson, 403 points
8} NC State, 316 points
9) Maryland, 264 points
10) Georgia Tech, 176 points
11) Wake Forest, 109 points
12) Boston College, 90 points

Miami’s Malcolm Grant, Seth Curry of Duke and Mike Scott of Virginia joined the trio of Tar Heels on the preseason all-conference team.

The word from media day yesterday was the ACC is beginning internal discussions over changes it will make to the conference tournament when Syracuse and Pittsburgh join the league. Like the BIG EAST which spreads their end of the season conference festival over five days to include all 16 teams, the ACC will likely follow a similar format to include all the programs.

ACC commissioner John Swofford also told media members it’s likely the ACC will go to an 18-game regular-season conference schedule when the league expands, which might not be until 2014-15 if Syracuse and Pitt are held to the 27-month exit notice by the BIG EAST.

RANDOM BIG EAST REALIGNMENT RAMBLINGS

By Raphielle Johnson

Wednesday was a big day for the Big East Conference with Men’s Basketball Media Day being held at the New York Athletic Club with Madison Square Garden still being renovated. Of course the topic du jour had little to do with the upcoming action on the courts around the league but rather what the next step will be for a conference hit hard by realignment. Tuesday’s teleconference with commissioner John Marinatto, which was supposed to clear up matters and leave this stage to the players and coaches, did little in that regard.

Media from around the country wanted to hear directly from the coaches how the lack of stability is affecting them from a recruiting standpoint as well as what options may be available to them in the near future. Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey essentially said that regardless of what may happen (Big East expansion to 12 football-playing members or a Big 12 expansion that includes current Big East members) the Irish will be alright, which is to be expected of a school with such a storied football program.

Louisville head coach Rick Pitino minced no words on the subject, saying that while he couldn’t imagine the Big East without charter member Syracuse he could imagine the conference without Pittsburgh. And then came the unfortunate analogy that sparked numerous “pot meet kettle” reactions given the coach’s own issue a couple summers ago.
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BIG EAST COACHES’ POLL RESULTS

From the BIG EAST Basketball Men’s Media Day in NYC:

Big East preseason coaches’ poll (First place votes in parenthesis):

1. Connecticut (7) 209 points
(tie) Syracuse (5) 209 points
3. Louisville (3) 201 points
4. Pittsburgh (1) 188 points
5. Cincinnati 169 points
6. Marquette 155 points
7. West Virginia 132 points
8. Villanova 127 points
9. Notre Dame 114 points
10. Georgetown 104 points
11. Rutgers 75 points
12. St. John’s 71 points
13. Seton Hall 56 points
14. South Florida 43 points
15. Providence 40 points
16. DePaul 27 points

Preseason awards:

Big East Preseason Player of the Year: Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh

Big East Preseason Rookie of the Year: Andre Drummond, Connecticut

Big East Preseason First Team: Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh; Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut; Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette; Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame; Kris Joseph, Syracuse; Kevin Jones, West Virginia.

Big East Preseason Second Team: Yancy Gates, Cincinnati; Alex Oriahki, Connecticut; Peyton Siva, Louisville; Scoop Jardine, Syracuse; Maalik Wayns, Villanova.

Big East Preseason Honorable Mention: Andre Drummond, Connecticut; Shabazz Napier, Connecticut; Cleveland Melvin, DePaul; Jae Crowder, Marquette; Augustus Gilchrist, USF

Today is only media day, but you can get your 2012 BIG EAST Tournament Tickets for yourself or that special fan this upcoming holiday season. The tournament is certain to sell-out to the general public, but all season great seats at great prices will be available through our 2012 BIG EAST Tournament Page. You can begin browsing below:

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