Tournaments & Events

MERNAGH: KENTUCKY/UCONN NATIONAL SEMIFINAL PRIMER

Much like the first game I believe this one hinges on the play of one point guard (Brandon Knight of Kentucky) but with a twist.

I also think Alex Oriakhi in the post holds a similar key.

If Knight can go for 17-20 points, have 7 assists and 6 rebounds it gives Kentucky a fantastic chance to counter the dynamic duo (Kemba the Lion and Jeremy the Lamb) on the opposing side of the court.

If Oriakhi can match Josh Harrellson’s effort and physicality, UConn can give Jim Calhoun a chance to win his 3rd title Monday night and possible walk off into the sunset.

If Knight can have a productive game in all facets while sharing the ball Kentucky has a chance to win despite any Walker/Lamb heroics.

But if Knight has a poor shooting game it says here the Wildcats will be in no position to put the ball in his hands down the stretch in a one-possession game (a scenario Knight’s proven to be a cold-blooded killer in).

X factor is Terrence Jones. He goes postal — in a good way — and all of the above could be meaningless

Enjoy the game!

MERNAGH: RODRIGUEZ KEY IN BUTLER/VCU MATCH-UP

The biggest key to this game, and whether or not Butler plays in a second straight title tilt Monday, is the Bulldogs ability to take away VCU’s Joey Rodriguez.

When Rodriguez struggles with turnovers the outcome is pretty consistent — VCU loses.

Ronald Nored, Shelvin Mack and Shawn Vanzant need to make Rodriguez as uncomfortable as possible.

If Butler does that it’s not going to matter what Jamie Skeen, Brandon Rozell or any other Ram does because all of their success is predicated on Rodriguez’ ability to run the show, whether that’s finding shooters, pushing the ball in transition, pulling up for three’s or taking it to the rim, everything starts and ends with the 5’8″ point guard from Florida.

Frustrate him, turn him over, get him out of his game — and his concentration off his ability to create havoc defensively — and Butler will win.

Let him control the game and VCU will continue their run.

There’s been a lot of analysis about transition (as in controlling VCU’s opportunities), and the half-court (Butler allegedly wants to play this way), and rebounding (Butler’s edge) but the young man VCU fans call J-Rod is the key.

If he’s missing three’s and turning the ball over and just downright uncomfortable Butler can choose whether they want to run up and down and blitz VCU or run their half-court sets.

None of the Rams get going without help from Rodriguez.

You can bet the top-notch coach over on Butler’s sideline realizes that.

Easier said than done thus far in the NCAA’s, but if Butler can manage it, it says here they will win.

FINAL FOUR SET; UCONN-UK REMATCH IN ONE SEMI, BUTLER/VCU IN OTHER

It could very well be the most unlikliest Final Four ever.

The much-maligned BIG EAST, who only saw two of their 11 NCAA Tournament participants make it out of the first weekend will be represented by Connecticut. The Huskies were only 9-9 in the BIG EAST regular season, losing four of their last five to close the regular season, but have now won nine in a row as they try to win the first national title for the conference since their title in 2004.

The SEC was almost a forgotten entity among the high-major conferences this past season. At times Kentucky looked too young, but John Calipari’s club is now on a 10-game winning streak and survived close encounters with Princeton and Ohio State along the way to reach Houston.

The cries were strong and consistent from all the analysts when the brackets were announced. VCU had no business being part of the Field of 68 was the message they fed the viewing public on every bracket show for 48 hours until the ‘First Four’ tipped off in Dayton. Afterall, the Rams finished 4th in the CAA regular season. Since that time Shaka Smart and his crew have sent a team from the Pac 10, BIG EAST, Big 10, ACC and Big 12 home to advance to Houston. Will they get a shot to complete the BCS conference sweep against a team from the SEC?

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FIRST HALF BLITZ BY NORTH CAROLINA ENOUGH TO END MARQUETTE’S NCAA RUN

by RAY FLORIANI

NEWARK, NJ- Roy Williams looked at the scoreboard early in the game. It read 10-8 in favor of Marquette. The next time the North Carolina coach looked at the Prudential Center scoreboard it read 40-15, in favor of the Tar Heels. What happened?

First off, UNC went on a 19-0 run the first half that all but sealed their 81-63 victory over Marquette in the Newark Regional semifinal. The run, or blitz, was fueled by transition and forcing turnovers.

“The first half was just very uncharacteristic of us,” Marquette coach Buzz Williams said. “I think we didn’t do some things but you have to give North Carolina a lot of credit.

The first half we were pitiful,” Buzz Williams added. “The second half we shot 52% and they shot 38%. That’s normally what we do but you can’t have that for one half. Not against a team like North Carolina.”
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THE LION AND THE LAMB COME TOGETHER IN MARCH TO PROPEL UCONN TO ELITE 8

Kemba the Lion has been a constant for Connecticut all season long. On Thursday night his running mate, Jeremy Lamb, showed he was ready to step his game up in March to another level to help the Huskies advance in the NCAA Tournament. Kemba Walker scored 36, Lamb 24, and UConn used a late run to move past San Diego State, 74-67, in the West Regional semifinals at the Honda Center in Anaheim (CA).

March is supposed to begin like a lion and end like a lamb, or vice versa, in these parts. Last night for UConn the Lion (Kemba Walker) and the Lamb (Jeremy Lamb) came together in March to help Jim Calhoun and his program advance to their 10th regional final in their history. UConn will meet No. 5 seed Arizona Saturday night. The Wildcats were a 93-77 winner of top-seeded Duke last night.

Down 54-53 with 8:10 left, Walker took over. The junior guard from New York scored all 12 points in a 12-2 run over a 2:54 span to push the Huskies to a 65-56 lead with just under 5 minutes to go. When the Aztecs mounted a rally, scoring 8 in a row of their own, it was Lamb delivering a dagger with a three-pointer with 1:42 left for a 68-64 lead.

“I’ve never been in an environment like this,” said Lamb after the game. “Kemba hit some big shots, I hit some big shots, and we were able to pull it out. They had a lot of fans. I’ve never played in a game like it.”

Lamb would then seal the deal with a steal and then receive a pass from Shabazz Naper to slam it home for a 70-64 lead with 23 seconds left. After a pair of free throws from Walker, Lamb provided the exclamation point with another dunk and the final points in a 74-67 win.

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UCONN LOOKS TO EXTEND RUN IN ANAHEIM AGAINST SDSU

Nobody saw this coming.

After losing four of their last five games in the BIG EAST regular season Connecticut looked like a team that was finished.

Kemba Walker looked tired from carrying a young squad through the rigors of an 18-game conference schedule and challenging non-league slate.

The four freshmen seemed to have hit the freshman wall. The two sophomores in the rotation combined to score just seven points in their season-ending home loss to Notre Dame, leading exasperated fans believing they had regressed in their second season with the Huskies.

Despite playing a non-conference schedule that included beating Michigan State and Kentucky on a neutral floor in Maui and going to Texas and beating a red-hot Longhorns club, the BIG EAST schedule looked like it had taken a toll on UConn. Finishing league play at 9-9 the Huskies were limping into New York City and the BIG EAST Tournament as the conference’s 9th seed.

All of that seems like a LONG time ago because my how things have changed.

In a stretch of 12 days Jim Calhoun’s club has run off seven consecutive wins. In a league that sent a record 11 teams to the NCAA Tournament, they are one of just two remaining as they enter Thursday night’s Sweet 16 showdown against No. 2 seed San Diego State in the West Regional semifinal at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Even with the tough finish, Walker and his teammates knew they were good enough to compete with the top teams in the county.

“Maui tournament gave us the confidence to compete with the big dogs in college basketball,” said Walker on Wednesday.

Their run in the BIG EAST Tournament was unprecedented. After a Tuesday victory over DePaul, Connecticut would easily defeat Georgetown on Wedneseday. The Hoyas were a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Walker’s step-back jumper at the buzzer Thursday completed a rally against Pittsburgh, who earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. On Friday night the Garden was alive as UConn survived in overtime to defeat Syracuse, a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies capped off the run with a thrilling win over Louisville, a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, on Saturday night, 69-66.

“[We] caught fire in the Big East Tournament and won five games in five days and here we are,” said Coach Calhoun. “And we’re playing the best basketball right now and everything that could happen good has happened good.”

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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.

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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?

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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.
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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.”

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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:

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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.
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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
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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.
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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.

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MERNAGH: FAB 5 RUN BY UCONN

I got to New York City on Monday afternoon, went out for a great dinner with my cousin and then went back to my hotel and went to bed.

I knew the next day was going to be the beginning of a whirlwind that was scheduled to start with the UConn vs DePaul game.

The Huskies dispatched the Blue Demons by getting out in transition. It was, Jim Calhoun was hoping, a get in rhythm type win. One that in the best circumstances could propel UConn to a good showing against Georgetown the following day.

And it did.

On Wednesday the kids from Storrs busted up Georgetown’s zone by running some of the best half-court offense I’d seen all year.

Kemba Walker was fantastic in both games, going for 26 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists against DePaul and 28, 6, 3 and 2 steals against the Hoyas.

By the end of day two, Wednesday, I was fatigued a bit — eight games in two days will do that to you (not to mention internet problems as you unsuccessfully try to write about said games).

I figured UConn must be tired too.

I figured wrong.

The next day at noon, having been bounced from my court-side perch by a freelancer, I settled down in the ramps to see how UConn would deal with their third noon game in three days — not to mention #1 seed Pitt.

Jeremy Lamb picked up the scoring slack for Walker — who was chased and hounded into an iffy-shooting night by Brad Wanamaker — by scoring 17 points. Shabazz Napier provided help as well with 10 of his own.

Alex Oriakhi was a monster, playing through foul trouble to put up 13 and 7 while getting huge offensive rebounds inside the last 5 minutes. Ashton Gibbs was going bananas for 27 and Walker started making some shots down the stretch.

Then, with the game tied and time running out, Kemba Walker sealed his place in Big East Tournament history with a step-back jumper that will live on as long as their is video tape.

Friday was finally a night-time game for the Huskies against Syracuse and their vaunted 2/3 zone.

Walker spit all over it. In a performance for the ages Kemba Walker scored 33 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, dished for 5 assists and stole the ball 6 times.

Oriakhi once again helped out with 15 and 11.

“I just want a Big East ring man,” the sophomore big told me afterwards, “hopefully we all have something left in the tank tomorrow night.”

I asked him if he thought Walker was tired?

“Nope, he doesn’t get tired,” said Oriakhi, “he’s like the energizer bunny.”

And last night, on Championship Saturday in New York City, Kemba Walker was indeed tired, bending over often late in the game to try and catch his breath.

But he fought through it, delivering a gorgeous wrap-around pass to Jeremy Lamb for a layup — after slicing through 3 or 4 Louisville bodies — that gave UConn all the points they would need in a 69-66 win over the Cards.

Oriakhi, Lamb and Roscoe Smith (huge 12 and 7 night for the rookie) joined Walker in double figures.

Five wins in five days is an incredible feat.

Oriakhi got his ring…and Kemba Walker secured his place in Big East history.

PITT LEFT MCGHEE ON AN ISLAND

by RAY MERNAGH

The UConn/Pitt game, a classic thriller featuring a back and forth battle between two of the best guards in the country in Kemba Walker and Ashton Gibbs, ended when Walker — not giving Gibbs a chance to retaliate as he did all night long — sank a cold-blooded step-back J at the buzzer that killed Pitt’s dreams of sweeping both the regular season and Big East Tournament titles. The last possession was curious for a number of reasons.

First, Connecticut got another chance at the game winner because Pitt didn’t get a body on Jamal Coombs-McDaniel after a missed shot by Walker from ten feet just seconds before. On that play UConn ran the same high ball screen for Walker and Gary McGhee hedged hard, then recovered to his man and Brad Wanamaker got back on to Walker. Pitt would’ve had the ball if Nasir Robinson had been able to block out McDaniel but he didn’t get to him.

Second, Walker admitted he was taking the final shot to me afterwards..”no matter what,” was the way he put it. He also admitted that he knew McGhee was going to switch the screen and he’d be isolated on the 6’10″ behemoth in a colossal mismatch of epic proportions. You have to figure Pitt knew Walker was going to take the shot as well.

After all, this is the kid I dubbed “Young Kemba the Lion” as a freshman, and he’s transformed into just that, a basketball killer in late-game situations no matter how chaotic they may be. He’s won a handful of games this season alone by making shots in crunch time. I go through all these things because it makes you wonder why Pitt allowed the situation to play out the way it did. If everyone knew Walker was going to take the shot, and that Pitt was going to switch in that late-game situation, why do what everyone knows you’re going to do when you have an NBA-level shot-maker on the other side and you know he’s not giving the rock up even to an Uzi-toting thug let alone Jeremy Lamb, Shabazz Napier or Jamal Coombs-McDaniel?

Because that was the gameplan according to Gibbs and everybody else in the somber Pittsburgh locker room afterwards. “That was the gameplan, switch everything 1 thru 5,” said Gibbs before adding, ” not sure it should’ve been” in a near-whisper. I’m positive it shouldn’t have been. Sure hindsight is 20/20, but if you let my 9-year-old niece ‘Lyse watch Kemba Walker on film, then show her clips of Gary McGhee and Brad Wanamaker, she’s gonna tell you with great affirmation that “Bradley should guard Kemba because he’s fast and he’ll probably make the big guy fall down!”

Now Lyse’s a smart cookie, not to mention the daughter of a coach, so she watches a ton of hoop, but she’s 9 and she would definitely know that matchup would not be beneficial for her Mama’s Panthers (her mom is a Pitt grad). Even Wanamaker didn’t want to switch. You can see he’s trying to get back on Kemba but McGhee is locked into his assignment. McGhee isn’t at fault. He’s doing what he’s been told to do.

There was lots of talk last night that Pitt lost the game because of rebounding and defense and blah blah blah. And to be sure all of the blahs didn’t help in their eventual defeat. Late in the first half they needed a timeout and didn’t take one — they had 3 30′s and a full left — until UConn’s run cut a 7-point Pitt lead to basically nothing.

But Pitt lost on that last shot by Walker because they left Gary McGhee on an island that needed to be inhabited by Wanamaker or Brown or any number of other Panthers. The one Panther that never should’ve been on it was McGhee.

And Young Kemba most definitely voted him off.

Notes On Last Night:

Was in the tunnel talking to UConn and Pitt when two St. John’s players carried DJ Kennedy past us with a doctor quickly following behind. The Pittsburgh kid has suffered through three very tough years and always played hard as teammates all around him transferred or lost interest in the losing they were going through. Finally this year, Kennedy has been a member of a winning team, an NCAA team, and he won’t be able to participate because he tore his ACL. Cruel game sometimes.

Notre Dame looked super-crisp against Cincinnati, winning by 38. The Irish are a joy to watch even in a blowout like last night because they all know how to play the game and are pretty skilled. Everyone around Ben Hansbrough is a threat to hit shots and the Cooley kid gives them interior defense and rebounding. Carlton Scott has a bright future with his skills, toughness and size IMHO. And Hansbrough is just so good both on and off the ball.

Louisville did what Louisville does and that’s make things frantic. They are really good athletes with speed. Marra and Kuric (especially Kuric) really battle against bigger bodies defensively and punish those bigger bodies offensively with their athleticism and shot-making prowess. Knowles can get his shot off with a centimeter of space, while Siva has sick-quickness.

There was a Fab Melo sighting! Melo, the Brazillian big that the coaches voted as preseason Rookie of the Year, scored 12 points and made some big plays in the ,a href=”http://www.nbebasketball.com/w3/big-east-team-pages/syracuse/”>Syracuse close win over the Johnnies. Great stuff from the formerly frustrated big man and credit to the ‘CUSE staff, especially assistant Hopkins, for continuing to coach him and rebuilding his confidence to the point that he’s contributing significantly in a postseason win after not ven playing down the stretch of regular season play.

Marquette finally kind of wore out I think but they equipped themselves well. they have tough kids who play hard. They need Jae Crowder to be tougher and come to play from here out though if they want to win some games in the NCAA’s. They need much more from Crowder than what he’s been giving them. He came off the bench last night and played hit shots early. Louisville had too much in almost every area for Marquette though.
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For travel deals and arrangements, click here: Book Air and/or hotel for NYC and 2011 BIG EAST Tournament

The tournament made be sold out to the general public, but below you can STILL buy tickets through our unique partnership with TicketNetwork.com. Below is the schedule for tonight and tomorrow with links to view and buy available tickets.

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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MERNAGH: QUICK UCONN/PITT PRIMER

IMHO you can throw out just about everything about the first game between these two, a 78-63 Pitt win at home.

Just about everything, but not everything.

Pitt would love for the game to get to a point where Kemba Walker feels like he has to take 27 shots to give his team a chance to win. Walker scored 35 in that game but UConn, despite the fact that they were always within a run of winning the game until late, never once threatened to win it.

But that UConn team hasn’t existed for quite some time.

Walker was magnificent yesterday and made the most impressive play I’ve seen so far in this tournament when he closed on the much bigger Hollis Thompson of Georgetown, tracked Thompson as he drove to the elbow area and then elevated to block the 6’8″ forwards shot and gain possession all in the span of maybe 2 seconds. That in itself would’ve been impressive enough but the human jet then went coast to coast and finished through contact for the and one.

Walker is making those kinds of plays but the difference is the young bucks around him, at least yesterday, are playing with a great deal of confidence and have the requisite talent to make that confidence scary. If freshmen Jeremy Lamb, Shabazz Napier, Roscoe Smith play freely and smart, and sophomore Alex Oriahki continues to go to the glass with a possessed mind state they are capable of beating anyone…including a Pitt team that’s coming into a noon game a bit cold compared to the Huskies.

And that’s the key for Pitt IMHO –to get off to a decent start so they don’t find themselves in a hole early.

Has the makings of a helluva game…and a helluva day.

Main Note On Last Night:

Marquette’s Junior Cadougan was incredible, coming up with clutch baskets each time the Warriors needed one and being an intelligent, calmning influence when it seemed his mates might succumb to the chaos that results when all hell breaks loose in a 1-2 possession game this time of year. Marquette bounced WVU mainly because of Cadougan’s play, he was that big. Now Buzz Williams and his bunch get another shot at Louisville, a team that they self-destructed against earlier this season. I said on radio two days ago that Marquette was my darkhorse to go deep into the week. A win tonight against the Cards will make them the people’s favorite no doubt.
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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!

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