NCAA Tournament

MERNAGH: FANS NEED TO ENJOY THIS MAGICAL TIME OF YEAR

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more

BIG EAST’S MARCH FALL IN NCAA TOURNAMENT HARD TO COMPREHEND

‘The Big Least.’

‘The Itty Bitty East.’

The pundits and commentators are having their fun at the expense of the BIG EAST conference.

With the results of the first weekend of the 2011 NCAA Tournament it is expected and earned.

With the conference receiving a tournament record 11 bids the BIG EAST was in a no-win situation. Anything short of a dominating March run by the league would leave it open to criticism and skeptics piling on.

But nobody saw this coming.

Nine of the 11 BIG EAST teams are done. The only two still alive moved into the Sweet 16 by beating other BIG EAST opponents. The conference did not beat a single school from another league in the Round of 32.

WOW!

What happened?

Read more

MERNAGH: BUTLER FINDS WAY AS PITT FALTERS AGAIN

Not sure last night’s 71-70 Butler win was as great a game as everyone is claiming.

Shelvin Mack was phenomenal, Pitt had absolutely no answer for him or strategy apparently. He will never be hotter as a prospect at this point, especially if he has another decent game or two in New Orleans. Coaches throughout the Horizon League are praying he turns pro. Mack had his best game of the year on the biggest stage. Before last night his junior season had been okay but not in anyway resembling a potential NBA first round pick (the thought about him coming into the year).

Matt Howard’s work — he’s taken flopping to a new level, almost like Hendrix did guitar — and his ability to always be in the right place at the right time is mind-boggling at this point. He’s Butler’s Bill Laimbeer, without all the extra stuff — besides the flopping — that made Laimbeer the guy you always wanted on your team but absolutely hated going against.

And Brad Stevens showed, just in case we needed reminding, that he’s a top-notch coach.

The kind that puts his kids in position to have success.

Stevens drew up the play that saw Shawn Vanzant drive right, Gary McGhee leave Anthony Smith to help Gilbert Brown (one of the more befuddling decisions in this game) and Vanzant hit Smith for what looked like the game-winner.

I watched Butler a lot this year.

Yes, there’s tape out there that shows a blueprint if how to beat Butler, but it also shows how much more confident they became under Stevens once they hit mid-February or so.

In the aftermath of last night I heard analysts point the finger, however kindly, at the three kids that made mistakes down the stretch.

Mack, for fouling Gilbert Brown at half-court when he should have been running away from him.

Gilbert Brown for missing a free throw that would have won the game.

And Nasir Robinson, who fouled Howard 92 feet from the basket before the last .8 of the game could run off and give us all overtime.

Mack made a bad play. Definitely a foul, but a terrible play.

Brown made the most important free throw, the one to tie it and the second one was right there but just rolled out (happens in every game everywhere). Plus, the senior went out with a warrior’s resolve, playing by far his best game of the season to keep Pitt around for 40 minutes.

Robinson should have never been on that free throw lane. After Brown makes the first one, Jamie Dixon and his staff needed to pull their kids back. Every coach who doesn’t do this says it’s because he doesn’t want to throw off his shooter and that’s exactly what Dixon said last night.

It’s hogwash.

As long as the lane has some bodies lined up on it, and Butler had to have guys on it to rebound a miss or inbound a make, the shooter does not get thrown off in the least. When the lane is empty like it is at the end of a half or during a technical foul situation? Different story, then the shooter definitely feels different.

Robinson and the rest of his teammates needed to be back at half-court pointing out who’d they match up with following the second free throw and reminding each other not to foul. This was one of many errors Pitt made strategy wise in crunch time. They appeared to draw up a sideline out of bounds play late when the ball was actually going to be in-bounded on the baseline. They didn’t take a timeout, when they had one, and the result was they failed to get a shot off in time in the key late possession of the game. A shot clock violation up by a point with 10 seconds left.

Really?

Inexcusable.

Butler was, by far, the better first half team last night.

The second half belonged, for the most part, to Pitt.

Statistically speaking you can look at the numbers and say it was a very well-played game, that both coaches and players did a fine job…until the last few minutes.

That’s when the in-game battle, the one of the minds and the X’s and the O’s, was decisively won by Brad Stevens.

And that’s one of the main reasons why Butler, and not Pitt, is moving on to New Orleans.

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

Marquette locked up Tu Holloway.

Put him in jail.

Without bail.

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

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

He doesn’t exist anymore.

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

Perfect game-plan.

Better execution.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pretty good league.
——————————————————————————————-

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:

MACK, GIBBS WILL PUT FRIENDSHIP ASIDE WHEN PITT AND BUTLER COLLIDE SATURDAY NIGHT

by ANTHONY JASKULSKI

Washington, D.C.–The 2010 NCAA Tournament was pure-magic for Butler

Standing at a 5 seed, the Bulldogs pushed and clawed their way to five straight victories leading to a National Championship date with Duke, in which the Blue Devils knocked them off, 61-59, after a buzzer-beating half-court attempt from then-senior Gordon Hayward hit the rim, falling just short of a miracle.

“You hoped for a miracle, but it was what it was, and we’re over that now,” said Bulldogs point guard Shelvin Mack, who was one of four starters on this year’s team that was apart of the National Championship squad.

Butler, who lost four of five conference games at one point in the season, is currently on a 10-game winning streak that started all the way back on Feb. 5 and Mack is a big reason why, averaging 15.2 points a game on the season. In order to make it 11 in a row, Mack and his teammates will have to beat the No. 1 seed Pittsburgh and slow down their leading scorer, Ashton Gibbs.

“Our goal is to not win just one game, but obviously to win it all,” the junior guard Mack said. “It’s going to be a hard game; and we’re feeling good after yesterday’s win (against Old Dominion). We have to take that into this game against Pitt and show that we’re ready to go.”

Read more

2011 NCAA TOURNAMENT UPDATE – - 3/18/2011

Only three ‘upsets’ were registered on the first full day of the 2011 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and the BIG EAST were victims in two of those. The Southeast Region’s No. 6 seed St. John’s was ousted by Gonzaga, the 11-seed in the region, 86-71. In the Southwest Region, the upset of the tournament so far was registered as No. 13 seed Morehead State sent Rick Pitino and Louisville to an early exit with a thrilling 62-61 victory.

Pittsburgh (No. 1 in the Southeast), Connecticut (No. 3 in the West), Cincinnati (No. 6 in the West) and West Virginia (No. 5 in the East) were victorious in their opening games of the 2011 ‘Big Dance.’

The final five of the BIG EAST’s record-setting 11 invites to the tournament will be in action today and the set schedule is below for the next two days:

Read more

PITT, UCONN IN DC READY FOR 2011 NCAA TOURNAMENT OPENING TODAY

by RON BAILEY

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Wednesday was interview/shoot around day at Verizon Center, as teams prepared for the second round of NCAA Tournament action. Teams essentially prepped themselves and the media for their contests on Thursday. The BIG EAST regular season champion and conference tournament champion are both calling this BIG EAST city and venue (Verizon Center) ‘home’ for the second and (hopefully) third round contests.

Following are brief notes on some of the participating teams:

Connecticut:

The Huskies (26-9) went through a brisk shoot around, including layup lines and move-based drills, designed to work fundamentals, particularly offensive skill. Assistant coach Andre LeFleur led the bigs, while his contemporary, Kevin Ollie, put perimeter players through their paces and was especially impressive, alternately instructing, supporting and cajoling the smaller Huskies.

On playing in the Big Dance, Jeremy Lamb, a freshman UConn forward indicated “I’m excited, I’ve been watching NCAA Tournament since I was young, so it’s going to be fun to play in one” when asked to share his feelings on the tourney. His was a business-like approach, befitting a team ready to take handle it tomorrow against the Patriot League’s Bucknell (25-8), saying “I don’t feel pressure” playing in this one and done environment.

Lamb’s freshman season has been solid, as he’s averaged 10.3 points and 4.4 rebounds, in addition to being named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team. Coming out of Norcross H.S. (GA), people knew he was talented, but didn’t expect such a splash in the nation’s toughest conference.

Lamb on the coaching he has received in his freshman year: “Well, my coach (Jim Calhoun), had faith in me. He was always pushing me in practice. He’s bringing out the best in me”.

Pittsburgh:

The Panthers (27-5), the regular season BIG EAST champs set to play UNC-Asheville, are known for just getting it done, primarily with players that are talented yet many times under appreciated. For instance they only have one McdDnalds’ All-American, sophomore Donte Taylor, the first in that program during coach Jamie Dixon’s 12 year tenure as head coach (8 years) and assistant. Pitt has had tremendous regular season success without the highly heralded guys.

Sophomore point guard Travon Woodall, when asked to comment on this phenomenom, opined “It think Coach (Jamie) Dixon does an excellent job thinking you can get better, every day. Some people think you can get better each summer. Other people say you have to get better each month. Coach Dixon instills in his players you have to get better every day by working hard. By playing hard in practice”.

He later added, “Team comes first. Individual accolades comes second. If then”.

UNC-Asheville:

Due to playing last night in what’s been dubbed a ‘play-in’ game and subsequent travel demands, UNC-Asheville (20-13) actually ran some plays during their Verizon Center practive, before doing common drill stuff. You could hear players calling the name of Pitt’s guys, emulating them in four on four and four on five, half court action.
—————————————————————————————-

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 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 for the NCAA Tournament with GREAT seats still available for this weekend:

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
——————————————————————————————–

2011 NCAA TOURNAMENT KICKS OFF WITH INAUGURAL ‘FIRST FOUR’ (TIQIQ LAUNCH)

March Madness kicks off today with a new twist for the 2011 event. The NCAA introduces the ‘First Four’ as the field has expanded to 68 teams this year. Prviously Dayton (OH) hosted the ‘play-in’ game with two 16-seeds battling for the chance to join the Field of 64, this year they took it an extra step with a doubleheader tonight and tomorrow at the University of Dayton Arena.

The action will tip off tonight at 6:30 PM with North Carolina-Asheville and Arkansas-Little Rock, two 16 seeds competing for the right to take on the No. 1 seed in the Southeast Regional, Pittsburgh, Thursday afternoon at the Verizon Center in Washington (DC). The second game on tonight’s schedule has Conference USA regular-season champion UAB facing ACC representative Clemson. Both teams are seeded 12th and the winner will move on to face the No. 5 seed in the East Region, West Virginia, at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa (FL) at 12:15 PM Friday.

UNC-Asheville enters the contest with a 19-13 record and won their last six games, including the Big South conference tournament championship to reach their first NCAA Tournament since 2003. UALR is 19-16 on the season and has the Sun Belt’s Player of the Year in Solomon Bozeman, who was the hero of the conference tournament with a three-pointer with 1.5 seconds left to give the Bulldogs the ticket to dance.

Much-maligned NCAA Tournament invitee UAB will get a chance to temporarily quiet the skeptics in tonight’s nightcap when they take on Clemson. The Blazers seemed to be the loudest objection by media pundits across the nation for their inclusion in the Field of 68 teams. UAB is 22-8 and finished first in C-USA with a 12-4 regular season, but they were upset in their first game of the conference tournament by East Carolina last Thursday.

Clemson finished their regular season with a 21-11 record and 9-7 mark in the ACC. The blew out fellow bubble contender Boston College, 70-47, in their first ACC Tournament game and then fell to North Carolina in overtime in the conference semis, blowing a large second half lead.

Both teams played at Duke in the regular season, UAB losing by 21 and Clemson losing by 11. East Carolina was also a common opponent, with Clemson beating the Pirates by 12 at home in December. UAB had beaten ECU twice in the regular season, including by 18 at home, before the 75-70 loss in the C-USA quarterfinals.
——————————————————————

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:

2011 NCAA TOURNAMENT (& TICKETS) AT A GLANCE

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

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

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

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

Read more

MERNAGH: HUGGINS IS CLOSE TO TITLE BEILEIN LEFT TO WIN

by RAY MERNAGH

West Virginia is Bob Huggins.

The man known to everyone as “Huggs” is a native son. He was born in Morgantown, right in the bosom of West Virginia University. He played point guard for the Mountaineers, transferring to WVU after one year at Ohio University. He was a good player until you factored in his will to win at any costs. According to many, that will made him great. Huggins once fouled BB Flennory of Duquesne so hard during a game that a friend of mine — who’s also a friend of Huggins — who was in the crowd that day remembers the lump in his chest that formed following the play.

“I swear to God,” he says, “I thought Huggs killed him.”

Huggins got that kind of intensity from his father, Charlie Huggins.

Read more

WEST VIRGINIA: COUNTRY ROADS LEAD TO INDIANAPOLIS

Mountaineers advance to Final Four for first time since 1959 after 73-66 win over Kentucky

West Virginia fans are expected to hit the country roads this weekend en masse onto I-70 West and make the journey from Morgantown to Indianapolis to cheer on their beloved Mountaineers. WVU is in the 2010 NCAA Final Four and will take on Duke in Saturday’s doubleheader nightcap at Lucas Oil Stadium (purchase your tickets HERE!).

This past Saturday night WVU executed Bob Huggins’ gameplan to perfection on the defensive end of the floor as they held Kentucky to 34% shooting from the field. The young Wildcats were unable to solve the 1-3-1 zone defense utilized by West Virginia and settled for three-point miss after three-point miss. The win was the 10th in a row for the Mountaineers which also included the 2010 Big East Tournament championship.

Balanced scoring with four players in double figures, led by senior Da’Sean Butler’s 18 points and junior Joe Mazzulla’s career-high 17, paced WVU offensively. Butler is quickly cementing himself into Mountaineer lore as one of the greatest players in their rich basketball history.

“We know we always have a shot at winning no matter what when Da’Sean is on the court,” said Mountaineer forward Kevin Jones after the Big East Tournament championship game. “He’s without a doubt one of the best on the court, and no shot is a bad shot for him. It gives us that much more confidence when he’s on the court.”

The Mountaineers won their latest on Saturday by doing whatever it takes. Contributions came from players up and down the roster, even if they were not scoring they played a role defensively and on the glass, just like they have throughout the 10-game winning streak. Cam Thoroughman and John Flowers came off the bench to provide some toughness in the paint against the bigger duo of DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson inside while contesting every shot and rebound.

‘We talked about it all the time. We are what we are,” Huggins said back in New York City. “We’re just going to keep competing. If the day comes where we’re going to lose in the next few weeks, we’re going down swinging.”

So far that day has yet to come and Huggins’ words after the Big East Tournament seemed prophetic now as the improved Mountaineer defense has allowed them to grind out wins despite some slow starts on the offensive end.

Against UK the Mountaineers made just 20 of their 54 field goal attempts. However 10 of those were from beyond the arc on the familiar Carrier Dome court in 23 attempts from three-point range. While John Calipari’s club was settling for 32 three-point attempts with a bigger front line, WVU was building a lead while their opponent was missing their first 20 attempts outside the arc.

The Mountaineer basketball program has also captivated their home state and they entire WVU community. Bob Huggins is a West Virginia alum and former basketball star that played the game how he coaches it, with a definite toughness. He knows how much sports means to the community and he has instilled that prode in his players.

“They understand how much it means to the people in the state of West Virginia,” Huggins said recently. “And they understand how much it means to the students at our university, and that’s because they are part of it. They’ve done an unbelievable job of becoming part of the community. And it’s like the governor told them, you guys might have to help me with exactly what he said, but basically what he said, “You are all West Virginians and you’re always going to be.” And I think they appreciated that and they take that to heart.”

What many college basketball fans might not realize is the long and rich tradition of West Virginia basketball. Names synonomous with greatness in the game such as Jerry West, ‘Hot’ Rod Hundley and Rod Thorn grace the WVU record books and led a program that was a national power in the 1950′s and into the 60′s. That history led Bob Huggins to the University as a player in 1975 after transferring from Ohio and a career in basketball came full circle in April of 2007 when the University named him their head coach.

Now with a Big East Tournament championship under their belt, the first for the Mountaineers since joining the Big East, and a trip to the Final Four for the first time in 51 years, maybe WVU and Huggins will get their due nationally in college basketball circles. Next up is another chance to take down perceived basketball royalty with Coach K and Duke ahead on Saturday. Win or lose, Huggins let everyone know where he stands on the national perception of the WVU program after the Big East Tournament championship in typical ‘Huggy Bear’ fashon.

“We know what we are,” siad Huggins. “John F. Kennedy said when they asked him to run for Vice President, because he was young, aristocratic and Catholic, he replied, ‘Why settle for second when first is available?’ And that’s how we’re going about things. I mean, that’s what is in us. So, you know, I learned a long time ago you don’t worry about what other people say.”

Coach is certainly right. First definitely looks like it could be in the Mountaineers this season. Two more wins and there will be no doubt in anyone’s mind.
———————————————————————————–

Here you go Mountaineer fans…your chance to see coach Huggins and the WVU Men’s basketball team attempt to make history in the 2010 NCAA Men’s basketball Final Four:

NCAA Tournament Final Four:

April 3rd & April 5th

– Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, IN)

2010 Final Four Tickets – Session 1 (Semifinals) April 3 2010

2010 Final Four Tickets – Session 2 (Championship) April 5 2010

2010 Final Four Tickets – Strip (Includes both Semifinals and the Championship) April 3 2010

2010 Final Four Tickets – Strip (Includes both Semifinals and the Championship) April 3, 2010 Buy 2010 Final Four Tickets – Strip (Includes both Semifinals and the Championship) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN on April 3, 2010

BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (3/25/2010)

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

Things are definitely busy around college basketball. St. John’s looks to be narrowing in on naming their replacement for Norm Roberts as head coach. If they land their man, it could remove the reported top choice of Seton Hall in another direction as the coaching carousel is just starting to wind up. Because of that possibility, the SHU search seems to be expanding, but there are still a couple frontrunners identified.

Just to show you how quickly things are happening…in the 30 minutes from the last check of the news to posting our News & Notes, Paul Hewitt Spurns St. John’s and the impact will be felt upon multiple jobs and searches around the country.

Also there is some recruiting going on as Connecticut picks up a verbal commitment for their 2010 class and Pittsburgh head coach Jamie Dixon as well as Marquette head coach Buzz Williams were taking in games recently in the Pennsylvania state tournament.

All of this is happening on top of two Big East teams in action tonight in the Sweet 16 and the games are previewed below with Ray Mernagh’s thoughts and news on the games and coaching carousel coming up very shortly as well…your not going to want to miss it!

Read on below for all of the latest News & Notes around the Big East basketball conference. Sports fans should also visit StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online for tickets to any NCAA event or NBA, MLB, NHL game or UFC, WWE or concert tickets at an arena near you this spring, including:

UFC 111 Tickets (Georges St-Pierre vs. Dan Hardy) March 27 2010

Read more

MOUNTAINEER FROSH JENNINGS LEARNING FOR THE FUTURE

by MATT WHITFIELD

Dan Jennings did not see an abundance of minutes this year on a seasoned West Virginia team. His potential for an increasing role in the Mountaineer program over the next couple of years, however, is up near the top for any of the WVU newcomers. Jennings is a 6-foot-8, 265-pound big man and resembles more of a defensive end on the WVU football team than one of Bob Huggins’ frontcourt players.

“It’s feels good,” said Jennings of playing at West Virginia. “I’m learning a lot from the veterans and I’m just taking some of what they do and I’m trying to add it to my game for the future, for the program.”

Jennings is a member of the talented West Virginia team that was ranked in the top ten for much of the season and recently captured the 2010 Big East Tournament championship. Currently Jennings and the Mountaineers are in Syracuse preparing for tomorrow night’s Sweet 16 showdown in the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament against Washington.

“I know after experiencing this season, I’ve experienced everything,” said Jennings. “I’ve experienced leadership, I’ve experienced enthusiasm and playing together as a team. I’ve experienced great shots, I’ve experienced everything in the game.”

Jennings will be counted on to play a bigger role next season as WVU loses seniors Da’Sean Butler and Wellington Smith and their is a possibility that Devin Ebanks could opt for the NBA Draft rather than return for his junior season. That trio accounts for three of the team’s top four rebounders and improvement by Jennings could land him an important role in a more traditional line-up next season for WVU.

“I work hard hard now. I know for a fact I’m gonna get a lot of playing time next year, so that’s not gonna be a problem,” said Jennings of next season. “As long as I play hard and work on my game this summer there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be playing.”

Jennings, himself was an acclaimed high school recruit coming out of New York City. However he perhaps made bigger news for his traumatic upbringing and having transferred through numerous high schools. Jennings, however, stated to NBE last spring that his carousel of schools is over and he will be a Mountaineer for his college career.

“My goal [here] is just to win a lot of games and get my team to the Final Four,” said Jennings. “And just to play hard and do well and hope my teammates do well, Deniz and Dalton, and all the other freshman.”

Jennings told NBE he has gained 15 pounds of muscle since last year’s Jordan Brand Classic, and is now 265 pounds, ‘all muscle.’

Many believe a player coming from New York City could suffer culture shock upon arriving in Morgantown. Jennings aknowledged the differences, but the differences just might be for the better.

“It’s slow paced and it’s peaceful out there,” said Jennings. “It’s not as fast as New York City. It’s a great place to be. The fans love you and it’s just somewhere nice to be.”

Jennings is not currently the biggest star on the Mountaineers, far from it acttually as WVU is led by fellow NYC/NJ natives such as the aforementioned Butler and Ebanks, along with Kevin Jones and Darryl ‘Truck’ Bryant. He understands his place and it showed by his surprised reaction when asked to be interviewed last week during the Big East tournament. However, with his size and potential, one day Jennings has the chance to be a star in the Big East for West Virginia and performing on the big stages of the NCAA Tournament and under the bright lights of Broadway at Madison Square Garden. For now the big freshman is taking it all in and learning so he is ready for his turn.
———————

See the Mountaineers play this week in Syracuse in the East Regionals:

– East Region: Carrier Dome (Syracuse, N.Y.)

NCAA Tournament East Regional Tickets – Session 1 (Semifinals) March 25 2010

NCAA Tournament East Regional Tickets – Session 2 (Final) March 27 2010

NCAA Tournament East Regional Tickets – Strip (Includes both Semifinals and the Final) March 25 2010
———————————————————————-

MERNAGH: TRUCK HAS A FLAT…BUT SPARE IS PLAYING BETTER

by RAY MERNAGH

I was watching the NIT last night, well watching with one eye while text messaging contacts about coaching searches and looking at my laptop, when a break in coverage got my attention.

ESPN’s mouthpieces started yammering about West Virginia‘s title hopes taking a serious blow.

The tease did what it’s supposed to and I waited — impatiently — for the details.

Thoughts started going through my head: Did something happen to Da’Sean Butler or Devin Ebanks, maybe Mazzula or Kevin Jones?

Andy Katz and Doug Gottlieb then appeared on my screen at halftime and explained how Truck Bryant had suffered a broken foot (that sucks I thought, too bad for Truck). Then they started saying how the injury would do irreparable damage to any Mountaineer title hopes — about how Bryant’s shooting would be missed on a team that sometimes struggles to score.

Read more

WVU’S BRYANT OUT OF NCAA TOURNAMENT WITH BROKEN FOOT

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University basketball coach Bob Huggins has announced that sophomore guard Darryl “Truck” Bryant will miss the remainder of the 2009-10 basketball season after suffering a fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during Tuesday’s practice.

“I feel sorry for Truck that this injury happened during this time of the season,” says Huggins.

West Virginia will face Washington in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 on Thursday, March 25, at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y., at 7:27 p.m.

**story originally published by MSNsportsNET.com, the official WVU Sports home, by Bryan Messerly.
———————————————————————–

See the Mountaineers play this week in Syracuse in the East Regionals:

– East Region: Carrier Dome (Syracuse, N.Y.)

NCAA Tournament East Regional Tickets – Session 1 (Semifinals) March 25 2010

NCAA Tournament East Regional Tickets – Session 2 (Final) March 27 2010

NCAA Tournament East Regional Tickets – Strip (Includes both Semifinals and the Final) March 25 2010
———————————————————————-

BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (3/22/2010)

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

After the first weekend of the 2010 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament only two Big East teams are left standing in the Sweet 16. On Sunday Syracuse and West Virginia were both victorious in Buffalo (NY) to earn their trips to the Regional Semifinals. In Milwaukee, Pittsburgh saw their surprising season come to an end in a three-point loss to Xavier.

In the NIT, Connecticut and Cincinnati are in action tonight and we have some updates on the coaching searches at DePaul, Seton Hall and St. John’s.

Read on below for all of the latest News & Notes around the Big East basketball conference. Sports fans should also visit StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online for tickets to any NCAA event or NBA, MLB, NHL game or UFC, WWE or concert tickets at an arena near you this spring, including:

UFC 111 Tickets (Georges St-Pierre vs. Dan Hardy) March 27 2010

Read more

NCAA TOURNAMENT UPDATE: SUNDAY VIEW

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

After Villanova fell to St. Mary’s in second round action of the 2010 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the Big East’s record fell to 4-5 in the tournament, leaving just three teams of the eight selected to the field still alive. Syracuse, West Virginia and Pittsburgh will look to carry the conference banner into this year’s Sweet 16 on Sunday afternoon.

If the Orange are going to advance they will have to do so without senior center Arinze Onuaku once again. Onuaku is Out vs. Gonzaga because of a right quad injury suffered in their Big East Tournament loss to Georgetown.

Read on below for all the information on today’s match-ups. Stay tuned to our 2010 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament page for the latest in scheduling, locations and your NCAA Tournament ticket headquarters with our partner StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online.

Read more

MERNAGH: O H I O DESERVES CREDIT

Yesterday was the most enjoyable first day of the NCAA Tournament in years. Games were tight, you had overtimes and buzzer-beaters — and you had the Big East going 1-3 on the day. And that seems to be all anyone wants to talk about (understandable I guess seeing as guys like myself have touted the league as the best in college basketball this season). But in my bracket I had both 6-11 losses (apologies to Buzz Williams and Mike Brey) pegged right. The only real shock is that the referees found a way to get Scottie Reynolds to the line enough in the last minutes of regulation that we’re not talking about how Robert Morris shocked the world today. Which brings me to the team that did shock the world — the Ohio Bobcats.

I expected Ohio to be in this position back in December before I saw them play. Their talent on the perimeter is big-time. DJ Cooper was a coveted point guard and Armon Bassett possesses next-level type skills.

Then I saw them play Pitt and thought…ehh, maybe next year.

Read more

BREAKING DOWN BIG EAST DANCE OPPONENTS: ROBERT MORRIS

by RAY MERNAGH

#15 vs. #2 Villanova, 12:30 PM (Providence)

Robert Morris tries to shock the world early Thursday in a 2 vs 15 pairing with Villanova.

RMU has tough kids, led by frosh guard Karon Abraham who puts up 13 points a game. They also have veteran bigs in Dallas Green (6’8″, 210) and Rob Robinson (6’8″, 215) — both are seniors that can run the floor and make shots (particularly Green who’s made arguably the biggest BASKETS in Colonials history both this March and last) and they both shoot over 50%. Velton Jones and Mezie Nwigwe round out the starting lineup. RMU’s coach Mike Rice will go eight deep with guys that get 13 minutes a game or more.

This team is littered with kids from the Philly area who will be AMPED up to face Villanova. As a team the Colonials average 68 points and give up 65. They turn the ball over though so that could be their main undoing against Nova. If they do lose I’d be shocked if Rice isn’t announced at another school within a short period of time. He’s put in his time at the NEC school and can leave with his head held high knowing the foundation and successor are firmly in place. With the Seton Hall opening, among others, we’re wondering if Rice will bypass the A-10 level and go straight to a Big Six-type job. Word on the street is that Fordham is his if he wants it at somewhere between 400-500 K a year, but Rice, who’s been incredible both winning games and bringing in talent via his recruiting connections, could have much bigger options at this point. It says here that the AD that hires him will be making an intelligent call because the fiery Rice has what it takes to be a big-time coach.

Tickets to Providence pod for games involving ‘Nova and Bobby Mo, among others…

– Dunkin Donuts Center (Providence, RI)

NCAA Tournament Providence Tickets – Session 1 March 18 2010

NCAA Tournament Providence Tickets – Session 2 March 18 2010

NCAA Tournament Providence Tickets – Session 3 (Second Round) March 20 2010

NCAA Tournament Providence Tickets – Strip (Inlucdes all Three Sessions) March 18 2010

« Previous Page — Next Page »