Villanova

NEW HEIGHTS AAU RECRUITING NOTEBOOK

Jermaine Sanders, Corey Edwards could keep New Heights AAU to Big East/D-1 pipeline flowing

by JEFF BORZELLO

Branden Frazier was the just the latest in a long line of New Heights prospects to commit to Division-I schools, joining Jayvaughn Pinkston (Villanova), Devon Collier (Oregon State), Ashton Pankey (Maryland) and Malik Thomas (Boston University) as committed seniors.

Naturally, the trend will continue in the next couple of years, as there are plenty of talented players in the New Heights program.

Frazier picked Hofstra recently and Tom Pecora may have gotten his next under-the-radar future Pride star.

“Tom Pecora did an excellent job recruiting him, and Branden liked the idea of playing in front of his family and friends,” said Kimani Young, the director of New Heights, Frazier’s AAU program. “It was the best place for his development.”

Frazier chose Hofstra over Southern Illinois, Fordham, La Salle and Kent State.

“At the end of the day, he’ll be a 1200-1500 point scorer at Hofstra,” Young said. “[Pecora] was excited, he knows how important it is recruiting New York City.”

many other college programs in the United States are also aware of the importance of recruiting New York City talent and Young’s New Heights program will certainly be one to watch this spring and summer once the AAU season gets underway. Young recently filled in NBE with the latest in the recruitment of 2011 prospects Jermaine Sanders and Corey Edwards, who are high on the radar of several Big East schools, as well as some new names that schools like Hofstra, Drexel, Delware, Siena and others are tracking early in the process.

You can sign up for NBE Premium access and SUBSCRIBE (HERE) to read on below for the latest on recruiting notes on the New Heights AAU program provided by Kimani Young recently…

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NATIONAL PREP CHAMPIONSHIP RECRUITING NOTES

Lost in the shuffle of last week’s excitement with the Big East Tournament was the National Prep Championships that were held at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven (CT). Eight of the top prep schools in the country came together to battle it out over the course of two days last week and the action culminated with Brewster Academy taking the title with an overtime victory of Northfield Mount Hermon.

Big East coaching staffs were represented throughout as Villanova assistant Jason Donnelly was on hand Tuesday and Wednesday saw Rutgers’ Fred Hill and Darren Savino make the trip along with Connecticut’s Pat Sellers and Providence’s Pat Skerry.

2010 Big East commits in action included Isaiah Epps (Pittsburgh/Hargrave Military Academy), Gerard Coleman (Providence/Tilton), Ron Giplaye (Providence/Notre Dame Prep), CJ Fair (Syracuse/Brewster), Austin Carroll (Rutgers/Brewster) and Markus Kennedy (Villanova/Winchendon) and several potential spring targets of Big East schools in the class of 2010 were also in action. NBE has recruiting updates on Cleveland Melvin, Bryon Allen, Maurice Walker, who now has a list of six favorites out of the Big East and is looking to set up visits to three of them, and Majok Majok along with underclassman Naadir Tharpe.

To see the latest you can sign up for NBE Premium access and SUBSCRIBE (HERE) to read on below…

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NCAA TOURNAMENT AT A GLANCE FOR BIG EAST

NCAA Tournament pairings information and ticket resources for Big East teams

The tournament selection committee has set the field of 65 and now the action of March Madness truly gets underway beginning on Tuesday with the play-in game and Thursday and Friday with the first round of the 2010 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Once again the Big East led all conferences with eight teams selected including the No. 1 seed in the West Region, Syracuse. The Orange open their quest for Jim Boeheim’s fourth Final Four appearance in Buffalo on Friday against 16th seed Vermont. Of course there is some NCAA Tournament history between the two schools as the Catamounts upset the No. 4 seed Orange in an opening round game in overtime back in 2005.

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2010 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT COVERAGE: DAY THREE RECAP

by RAY FLORIANI and MATT WHITFIELD

NEW YORK CITY – The quaterfinals of the 2010 Big East Tournament served as reminder, as if we needed one, as how tough and unforgiving this conference is. Also, how interesting and exciting for those of us watching and/or analyzing.

The Scores:

Georgetown 91, Syracuse 84

Marquette 80, Villanova 76

Notre Dame 50, Pittsburgh 45

West Virginia 54, Cincinnati 51

Ray’s ten points of emphasis from Thursday…

1. Syracuse exited the tournament one and done. For Orange faithful, the weekend to quote Steeley Dan, “didn’t turn out as you planned”. Orange fans can also take solace from 2003. That year they won a quarterfinal game before being eliminated by UCONN in the semis. Less than a month later they cut the nets down in New Orleans. ESPN reported no team lost its first conference tournament game and won the national title. Interesting, but right now Syracuse is concerned with Arinze Onuaku who exited the Georgetown game with a knee strain that needed further evaluation.

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DOUBLE-BYE A CURSE IN BIG EAST TOURNAMENT

‘Nova and Pitt join Syracuse out the MSG door heading into final quarterfinal game

In the unique, 16-team tournament format in the Big East conference the top four regular season finishers breeze into the quarterfinals with a double-bye. The reward for finishing at the top of the grueling and competitive 18 game conference schedule would seem to be a significant one and an advantage in the conference tournament played annually at Madison Square Garden.

Not so fast.

This year in the 2010 Big East Tournament the double-bye has acted more of a curse as Syracuse. Villanova and Pittsburgh all recipients of a double-bye for their outstanding regular seasons, fell one-by-one over the course of the first three quarterfinal contests Thursday.

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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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MIKE TAYLOR BASKING IN PSAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Boys & Girls junior guard shines on MSG floor with 25 points leading ‘Roos to first title since 1979

They have been close before, but this time the Boys & Girls High School Kangaroos finished the job with a 55-50 victory over Cardozo to give the Brooklyn high school their first PSAL championship since 1979. It was their third trip in the last four years to the AA finals and the win made Ruth Lovelace the first female coach to lead a PSAL team to the boy’s title.

Junior (2011) guard Mike Taylor led the ‘Roos with 25 points and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard, who is being pursued by the majority of the Big East, understood the historical aspects of the win, relaying the weight of the accomplishments to NBE last night while returning to Madison Square Garden to take in the 2010 Big East Tournament as a fan.

“It was a good win on Saturday,” said Taylor. “We were down 10 at halftime, we just came out halftime and played hard. The last time we won was in 1979, so it was a 31 year drought. This was Coach Ruth Lovelace’s first championship.”

For more on Taylor’s thoughts on the PSAL championship and an update from him on his recruitment, you can sign up for NBE Premium access and SUBSCRIBE (HERE) read on below…

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NATIONAL PREP CHAMPIONSHIP OPENING DAY

by PAT STEVENS

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Gerard Coleman (Tilton/Providence) had the day’s high of 43 points as the fourth annual National Prep Championships are underway, this year from Albertus Magnus College.

Big East signees Isaiah Epps (Pittsburgh), CJ Fair (Syracuse) and Austin Carroll (Rutgers) all helped their teams to victories that have them slated for Wednesday’s semifinals and potential championship game.

Epps and No. 1 seed Hargrave Military Academy meet No. 5 Northfield Mount Hermon and Fair and Carroll lead No. 2 seed Brewster Academy against No. 6 St. Thomas More, with the championship set for 7:30 p.m.

Read on for more on the opening day of the National Prep Championship, including recruiting updates on Cleveland Melvin, who has plenty of Big East interest and plans a Big East visit in the near future, and Bryon Allen, who is likely to take a Big East official visit this spring. Both were previously Big East verbal commitments and still might land in the conference next season. To see the latest you can sign up for NBE Premium access and SUBSCRIBE (HERE) to read on below…

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SNY TOP 10 ALL-TIME BEASTS OF THE BIG EAST; BRANDEN FRAZIER PICKS HOFSTRA

Last night SNY had a special where they took a look at the Top 10 All-Time players of the Big East. It was an entertaining hour program with in-studio commentary by the coverage crew at SNY, including former Big East Player of the Year and Pitt Panther Charles Smith, former Big East head coach Tim Welsh, Lenn Robbins of the NY Post and SNY college basketball expert Brandon Tierney and hosted by Gary Apple.

Nine of their top 10 were also included in the top 10 of NBE’s All-Time Top 50 Big East players of all-time that we released in the fall of 2008.

Here is SNY’s Top 10 with the NBE ranking in parenthesis:

10) Kerry Kittles (9)
9) Richard Hamilton (7)
8] Walter Berry (5)
7) Alonzo Mourning (14)
6) Allen Iverson (3)
5) Pearl Washington (6)
4) Ray Allen (8)
3) Derrick Coleman (4)
2) Chris Mullin (2)
1) Patrick Ewing (1)

The show included some passionate debate, especially in regards to players who played just a year or two in college compared to their four-year counterparts and the weight a national championship carried in their consideration.

Brandon Tierney agreed that Alonzo Mourning was placed too high in the SNY rankings. Another Hoya, Eric ‘Sleepy’ Floyd was the only from the NBE top 10 not to make the SNY top 10.

Always good debate when looking at all-time lists…
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Branden Frazier, the 6′3″ shooting guard from Bishop Laughlin (2010) and New Heights just committed to Hofstra. Frazier can get buckets in a hurry from deep and also possesses a step-back J and penetration game that should make him a very good player at the next level. Frazier chose Hofstra over a who’s who of mid major powers according to Kimani Young, the New Heights AD.

“Branden picked Hofstra over Kent State, Southern Illinois and La Salle,” said Young over the phone just this morning.

Big East programs such as St. John’s, Rutgers and a few others also evaluated Frazier at times last summer. Frazier was very impressive in last year’s Primetime Shootout (2009) and here is an NBE evaluation by Brian Crownover from the event:

This lanky guard exploded onto the scene for the Lions. Branden had a stellar afternoon as he used a smooth stroke to bury 6 three pointers en route to a 36 point performance. Branden hit from deep both off the dribble, as well as the catch and shoot variety. He ran the floor well too and converted on several lay-ups. Branden threw a nice pass and blocked a shot. His ball handling looked okay, but he didn’t attack much in this contest. Not surprisingly, he was named Player of the Game for his team in the victory. Branden will definitely be a player worth keeping an eye on this summer.

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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NEPSAC CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES

BY PAT STEVENS — C.J. Fair (Syracuse) helped Brewster Academy to a NEPSAC Class A Championship as they knocked off Winchendon School and Markus Kennedy (Villanova), 72-69 on Sunday’s season finale at Endicott College. Brewster’s Will Barton (Memphis) was named MVP with 28 points. Naadir Tharpe (2011) added 14 points. Winchendon’s Khem Birch (2012) had 11 points and several key blocks.
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Gerard Coleman (Providence) scored 20 points as Tilton School won its third straight Class B Championship beating Marianapolis, 69-61. Ryan Canty (2011) added 12 points.
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Shabazz Napier (2011) scored 23 points to go with six assists and several steals for Lawrence Academy, who finished the season undefeated at 23-0 with its Class C title win over St. Mark’s, 55-43. Nate Lubick (Georgetown) had 15 points and 13 rebounds for St. Mark’s. Alex Murphy (2012) scored 11.
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Georgetown head coach John Thompson III, Providence head coach Keno Davis, Connecticut assistant Pat Sellers and Rutgers assistants Craig Carter and Darren Savino all made the trip.

Alabama head coach Anthony Grant also watched Shabazz Napier.
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Next Up:

National Prep Championship 2010
March 9th & 10th, 2010
Albertus Magnus College – New Haven, Connecticut

Quarter-Finals – Tuesday, March 9th

2pm – #1 Hargrave Military Academy vs. #8 Tilton School
4pm – #4 Notre Dame Prep vs. #5 Northfield Mount Hermon School
6pm – #2 Brewster Academy vs. #7 Westwind Prep
8pm – #3 Winchendon School vs. #6 St. Thomas More School

Semi-Finals – Wednesday, March 10th

11am – 1/8 winner vs. 4/5 winner
1pm – 2/7 winner vs. 3/6 winner

Finals

7:30pm – Championship
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The Big East Tournament tips off this week and 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

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NIA PREP ON THE RISE ON THE PREP SCHOOL SCENE

Jamir Hanner headed to Seton Hall; Kelvin Amayo & Shaquille Thomas lead next group of NIA Prep prospects

By Matt Whitfield

The New York tri-state area is a hot bed for high school basketball. With perennial powers St. Anthony’s, St. Benedict’s, St. Patrick’s, Paterson Catholic, Rice, Lincoln and others, it is no surprise a plethora of talented high school players graduate to play in college and then sometimes at the highest level. Despite being such a breeding ground for talent the area also sees many talented players leave the area for stops at prep programs in New England such as Winchendon Prep, South Kent Prep, and others, to pepare them for college on and off the court. A rising program aims to begin to change the migration of talented NYC/NJ-area players to New England and keep them in the tri-state area as Alif Muhammad’s NIA School in Newark (NJ) has put itself on the prep basketball map this season. With the addition of former Bishop Loughlin head coach Rudy King to the coaching staff at NIA School, NIA Prep is posied for bigger things in the future.

NIA Prep’s basketball program is in it’s second season on the court and in it’s first year under Coach Rudy King. The team is 29-11 as of Monday and according to school President Alif Muhammad had it’s best stretch to date in late January/early February when they beat Mack Academy and then went up to Rhode Island for the National Prep Showcase and beat Westwind Prep and Brewster, all of who were ranked high amongst the ESPN top prep school schools. The school has taken on a national schedule this season, playing a mix of traditional New England prep powers as well as the top programs in New Jersey, including Paterson Catholic and St. Anthony’s. NIA Prep owns a two-game season sweep over a loaded Brewster Academy team, which recently captured the NEPSAC Class A championship.

The team right now has several Big East caliber players with the best of those right now being Jamir Hanner, according to Muhammad.

Read on for more on NIA Prep, including recruiting updates on 2011 prospects Shaquille Thomas and Kelvin Amayo who are both highly coveted by Big East programs. To see the latest you can sign up for NBE Premium access and SUBSCRIBE (HERE) to read on below…

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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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NEPSAC PLAYOFF NOTES

by PAT STEVENS (patstevensbasketball.com)

It will be No. 1 vs. No. 2 as Brewster Academy faces Winchendon School with Big East signees C.J. Fair (Syracuse) and Markus Kennedy (Villanova) leading their teams into the NEPSAC Class A Championship on Sunday. Fair and Brewster beat St. Thomas More, 92-61, while Kennedy and Winchendon topped Northfield Mount Hermon, 91-77, on Friday in the semi-final match-ups.

In the Class B final, Gerard Coleman (Providence) leads top-seed Tilton in its championship defense when it faces Marianopolis. Coleman scored 32 points in Tilton’s semi-final win over Hotchkiss, 76-65. Marianopolis knocked off St. Andrew’s and Michael Carter-Williams (2011 Syracuse commit), who scored 23 points in the 58-48 loss.

In Class C, Nate Lubick (Georgetown) and St. Mark’s will meet Lawrence Academy and Shabazz Napier, one of the country’s top point guards in the junior class. Lawrence won the team’s lone head-to-head match-up back in mid-December, 76-72 at home.

The three championships take place at Endicott College in Beverly, Mass and begin at 2pm with Class C.

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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