Rutgers News

OBSERVATIONS FROM GEORGETOWN/RUTGERS

By Matt Whitfield

A paid attendence of 12,852 saw No. 10 Georgetown rally late to edge upset-minded Rutgers Saturday at the Verizon Center. An Eli Carter three-pointer gave the Scarlet Knights a 50-45 with 2:35 to play in the second half. The Hoyas would finish the game on a 7-0 run with freshman Otto Porter scoring the last six of those points, including two free throws with 8 seconds left to lift Georgetown to victory. Here are my observations from the game…

Rutgers distributes the ball fairly well. Players from Rutgers often continuously move the rock on the offensive side setting up many open looks or decent shots. Knocking down the shots proved difficult as RU shot just 37.7% (20-53) from the field and only four of seven from the foul line.
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BIG EAST REPORT – CINCINNATI EXTENDS POST-FIGHT WIN STREAK; RU STUNS NO. 10 FLORIDA

BIG EAST teams went 2-1 on Thursday against non-conference opponents. As a whole, the BIG EAST is 153-44 in non-conference contests, good for a 78% winning percentage.

The highlight was Rutgers’ thrilling 85-83 double overtime victory over No. 10 Florida at the RAC. The Scarlet Knights rallied from deficits in regulation and the first overtime to earn the victory.

“This is what happens when you don’t think impossible is impossible,” said RU coach Mike Rice following the game. “This is what happens when young men are determined to follow the formula and play for one another.”

Freshman guard Eli Carter scored a career-high 31 points to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists. Dane Miller posted 16 points, Myles Mack had 14 and Jerome Seagears added 13. Carter, Mack and Seagears are freshmen. Classmate Derrick Randall added four points and eight rebounds in 17 key minutes as well. Kadeem Jack, returning from a foot injury, played three minutes in his first college experience for RU.
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MERNAGH: FUTURE ARRIVES EARLY AS RUTGERS BEATS NO. 10 FLORIDA IN OT THRILLER

Eli Carter made plays, enough plays in a pulsating second half — plus twin overtimes — that he finished with a career high 31 points.

Myles Mack made plays, 14 points 2 assists and 2 steals in 37 minutes… wait, he just hit another J as a Florida defender went under the screen on him.

Jerome Seagears made plays, what speed (“Gears for days?”) and fearlessness the young guard showed for Rutgers.

Derrick Randall was one of the few Scarlet Knights to show in the first half, as the young big man (who I’ve loved since day one) kept his squad in the game with 10 first half points, interior defense and several hustle “wins” on 50-50 balls.

All four of the above players are in their first year, young bucks ready to change the culture of Rutgers basketball forever by the time they’re done. And it all started earlier this evening with a dramatic 85-83 double overtime win over #10 Florida.

“I’m proud as hell of ‘em,” Mike Rice told Bill Raftery afterwards on national television, “they’re all freshmen, the future is bright!”

Yes Mike, yes it is.

Great win for Rutgers (RU Tickets) and just a fantastic game to watch.

Mike Rosario?

Please.

Non-story from a long ago period. Rutgers (RU Fan Shop) is moving on, led by a fresh-faced pack of baby assassins.

This group, if it plays with the edge and pace it did tonight, will make noise in the Big East this year.
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Your ticket to the fun awaits…

SLOW STARTS FOR RUTGERS & ST. JOHN’S SHOW NO QUICK FIX REMEDY

Fans of BIG EAST programs Rutgers and St. John’s were looking forward to the 2011-2012 basketball season for months. Both schools landed impressive recruiting classes not only rated among the best in the BIG EAST but the country.

Now just a month into the season both teams find themselves with identical 4-5 records at the bottom of the current BIG EAST standings. The Redstorm have lost 5 of their last 6. While their schedule has been brutal their stebacks also include a 14-point loss to Northeastern and a loss at Detroit in their most recent outing Monday night. In the days following that loss news surfaced that JUCO transfer Nurideen Lindsey was leaving the team and would find another destination to continue his basketball career.

Lindsey started off quickly for St. John’s as their leading scorer through the first seven games but struggled in the last two, losses to Kentucky and Detroit, with just five points and 11 turnovers. Still on a team with just seven scholarship players the loss of Lindsey will be an impact. In his brief nine-game career he was averagign 12 points, 5 rebounds and a team-high 3 assists a game trying to fill the point guard roll for a player known as a big-time scorer coming out of the West Philly prep ranks and Redlands CC. The timing of the decision sparked criticism from fans, but head coach Steve Lavin indicated it was a mutual decision from both sides to local media.
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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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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:

MERNAGH: THIS BIG EAST MEANT A LOT…SO DON’T SAY IT DIDN’T

by Ray Mernagh

I’m not sure what to make of this feeling that’s come over me after allowing all this conference realignment mess to sink in. After all, my initial reaction (Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes) was so mature, so enlightened, that it made me feel what’s best described as false pride about how adult my response was. Then a funny thing happened on my journey to accepting this with a rational level of, dare I say, Bilas-like comportment — I got stuck.

I couldn’t write a damn thing about the upcoming season, completely paralyzed regarding any news coming out of the entire world of college basketball. In fact I think I conned myself into thinking it was just my extraordinary amount of work on other sports the last few weeks (freelance variety) that had kept me from my usual barrage of words this time of year.

But that was just me kidding myself.

Denial.

Then Thursday night, while watching college football of all things, it hit me.

This hurts.

I mean, it’s ridiculous to blow up this conference.

Nobody really knows what the end game will be here but one thing is obvious — the Big East that we’ve known for the last several years is soon to be no longer.
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CH-CH-CH-CHANGES

By Ray Mernagh

Talk about a no news weekend with Big East basketball huh?

Yes, that first sentence is dripping with sarcasm.

As we all know by now Pitt and Syracuse have jumped to the ACC. UCONN and Rutgers are probably next. West Virginia, rest assured, has some plans of their own.

Without a doubt it’s the end of something very special. The end of an era in which Big East Basketball was synonymous with best/greatest/elite or whatever term you choose to go with to describe the league that last season saw it’s 9th place finisher win the National Title. Even Coach K, now that he knows Pitt and Syracuse (and UConn?) are coming, has admitted that maybe the ACC wasn’t as great as his comments the last few years would have led us to believe.
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2011-12 BIG EAST CONFERENCE COMPOSITE MEN’S BASKETBALL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

The BIG EAST basketball conference released their 2011-2012 composite Men’s Basketball Schedule this afternoon. All 144 conference games will be televised either nationally or be ESPN regional. With an incredible 91 percent of all conference games in 2011-12 including a team that played in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, more than half of the league games will be televised nationally by ESPN or CBS.

It is the fifth consecutive season that all 144 league games will be televised.

“Last year’s historic success proved once again that the BIG EAST Conference continues to be among the most competitive conferences in the country from top to bottom,” said BIG EAST Commissioner John Marinatto in a statement released by the league today. “With a record 11 teams earning their way into last year’s NCAA Championship, our coaches and players reaffirmed the fact that BIG EAST basketball and excellence are synonymous. Our schools continue to take great advantage of the unparalleled media exposure they are afforded annually from both ESPN and CBS Sports – which is one of the reasons why we are confident that the 2011-12 season will be as exciting as any in our history.”

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2011-2012 BIG EAST TEAM CAPSULE: RUTGERS

Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Head Coach: Mike Rice (2nd year at Rutgers, 15-17 record)
2010-2011: 5-13 BIG EAST, 15-17 overall

Returning Players:
- Jr. F/G Dane Miller (9.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg)
- Jr. F/C Austin Johnson (4.5 ppg)
- So. C/F Gilvydas Biruta (9.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg)
- So. G/F Mike Poole (5.6 ppg)
- So. G Austin Carroll (2.7 ppg)
- rFR F Kadeem Jack

Incoming Players:
- Fr. G Myles Mack (Paterson, NJ)
- Fr. G Eli Carter (Willingboro, NJ)
- Fr. G Jerome Seagears (Silver Spring, MD)
- Fr. F/C Derrick Randall (Brooklyn, NY)
- Fr. F Greg Lewis (Randallstown, MD)
- Fr. F/G Malick Kone (Conakry, Guinea)

Players Moved On:
- Jonathan Mitchell (Graduation)
- Mike Coburn (Graduation)
- James Beatty (Graduation)
- Robert Lumpkins (Graduation)

Stat Notes:
- Rutgers hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 1991 and has gone without a post-season berth since the 2005-2006 season when they lost in the first round of the NIT.
- The Scarlet Knights will lose 53% of their scoring from last season but welcome possibly the best recruiting class in school history.

Star Watch:
- Playing with the Lithuanian U20 National Team is how sophomore big man Gilvydas Biruta spent a large portion of his summer and the 2010-2011 Big East All-Rookie Team pick could have a breakout year for the Scarlet Knights. The 6-8 Biruta is the squad’s leading returning scorer.

Newcomer to Watch:
- It’s difficult to pick one player from the impressive crop of Rutgers newcomers but Myles Mack, the 5-9 highly touted jet-quick point guard, appears to be the favorite to take over the reigns from day one. Second year head coach Mike Rice will likely look for Mack to score the ball as well as make plays for his teammates.

Notes: The Scarlet Knights will be tested early in the Triple Crown Cancun Challenge (11/23-11/24) and are also scheduled for out-of-conference games at Miami (11/15), against LSU (12/3) in the Big East/SEC Challenge, and against Florida (12/29). Kansas State transfer Wally Judge must wait a year and will sit out the 2010-2011 season while practicing with the team.

– team capsule compiled by Brian Batko

2011-2012 BIG EAST HOME & HOME GAMES REVEALED

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

Cincinnati: Villanova, Marquette, St. John’s

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Last season: DePaul, Louisville, Pitt
Finish: 21-12, 11-7 (NCAA)
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BIG EAST/SEC CHALLENGE MATCH-UPS & SCHEDULE

(release per SEC conference)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2011-2012 BIG EAST EARLY SEASON TOURNAMENT PARTICIPATION SCHEDULE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We will update the spring recruiting signings tomorrow night…

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 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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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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