NCAA Basketball FanHouse http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com NCAA Basketball FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NCAA Basketball FanHouse http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Big East Tournament Preview: Everyone Is Playing, Except Bubble Teamshttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/10/big-east-tournament-preview-planting-seeds/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/10/big-east-tournament-preview-planting-seeds/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/10/big-east-tournament-preview-planting-seeds/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Big East Tournament gets underway Tuesday, and this year the Big East Tournament (BET) matches the construction of the conference -- oversized, a bit confusing and very clearly divided.

The Big East at this point has seven teams that are definitely going to the NCAA tournament and one team that lies way out on the fringe of the bubble. This year, the BET is all about teams trying to improve or maintain their projected seeding for the Big Dance.For the first time, the BET includes all 16 teams. The Big East, though, did not want the top teams to have to play too many games in a row before the NCAA Tournament or risk damaging their seed with the possibility of a really bad loss. To protect the top teams, the top four get a double-bye and do not play until Thursday. The next four teams seeded from No. 5 to No. 8 get a first-day bye. That leaves teams No. 9 through 16 to face each other.

Those teams in the bottom half have no chance of going to the NCAA Tournament, and to win the BET they would have to win five games in five days. The odds are prohibitively stacked against that. So much so, that the opening day is not televised anywhere. There are free webcasts at the Big East site.

Matchups

Tuesday: DePaul (16) vs. Cinci (9); St. John's (13) vs. Georgetown (12); Rutgers (15) vs. Notre Dame (10); USF (14) vs. Seton Hall (11).
Wednesday: 16/9 Winner vs. Providence (8); 13/12 Winner vs. Marquette (5); 15/10 Winner vs. West Virginia (7); 14/11 Winner vs. Syracuse (6)

You can view the bracket and times here (PDF).

What Teams Want

Playing for No. 1 Seed: Pitt, UConn and Louisville
Trying to improve seed: Villanova, Syracuse, Marquette and West Virginia
Hoping to find a golden ticket: Providence
Next stop, NIT: Notre Dame, Georgetown, Cinci
Where is the CBI: Seton Hall, St. John's
Just stopping by to say hello: USF, Rutgers, DePaul

Storylines

The Bubble is an Illusion for Providence
Every conference is supposed to have a bubble team. The Big East really does not. Nonetheless, for purposes of keeping punditry with standard storylines, Providence will be proffered as a Big East bubble team.

The Friars' RPI is hovering around 70. With the exception of knocking off Pitt and Syracuse, they were the beneficiary of an unbalanced schedule that gave them six five games against the bottom four of the Big East. That gave them the edge in finishing above .500 in the conference. They did beat Cincinnati twice, which only made the Big East bubble more barren.

Will the Big East Get Three No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament?
That will be the most discussed issue in the BET. Pitt seems like a virtual lock for a No. 1 seed even if it goes out and loses its first game. They have the No. 1 RPI, they are No. 2 in both polls. They have been a top-five team all season. UConn was considered another lock, but how do you deny the regular season Big East Champion in Louisville? It just does not seem possible that the NCAA selection committee would pick three No. 1 seeds from the same conference. UConn and Louisville do not meet unless both get to the championship game. If so, that could decide the issue.

How Far Will Marquette slide?
The injury to Dominic James has been devastating. Before that, the Golden Eagles were looking like a No. 2 or 3 seed and seemed like a guard-heavy team that could go far in the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles played tough against UConn, Louisville and Pitt but still lost. That was not so bad, even encouraging. But then Marquette lost at home, on senior day to Syracuse. That was damaging. If Marquette does not win a couple games, they could see themselves as a No. 6 or 7 seed by Sunday night.

The Big East is a Beast: It is the biggest and was supposed to be the toughest conference. With four teams in the top 10 and six teams ranked in the Top 25, there is plenty of quality in the conference. The issue is that the bottom is so weak. DePaul went 0-18 in the Big East. Rutgers is a wreck. South Florida is very slowly improving. The sheer size is the issue. Teams at the bottom have a hard time getting out from under the pile.

Predictions

Day one: Cincinnati over DePaul; Georgetown over St. John's; Notre Dame over Rutgers; and USF surprises Seton Hall.
Day two: Providence over Cincinnati; Marquette over Georgetown; WVU over ND; and Syracuse beats USF.
Quarterfinals: Louisville over Providence; Villanova over Marquette; Pitt over WVU; and UConn over Syracuse.
Semifinals: Villanova upsets Louisville and UConn finally beats Pitt.
Championship: UConn

Big East Tournament Preview: Everyone Is Playing, Except Bubble Teams originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>louisville cardinalsLouisvilleCardinalspitt panthersPittPantherssyracuse orangeSyracuseOrangeuconn huskiesUconnHuskiesChas RichTue, 10 Mar 2009 08:01:00 EST Georgetown Makes Late Bubble Runhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/georgetown-makes-late-claim-for-the-bubble/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/georgetown-makes-late-claim-for-the-bubble/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/georgetown-makes-late-claim-for-the-bubble/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Georgetown has missed every opportunity in February to claim a spot on the NCAA Tournament bubble after falling apart in January. Naturally, after all hope had apparently been lost, they pull out a big road upset over Villanova.

Georgetown turned the ball over 25 times. They shot 17 fewer free throws than Villanova and were outrebounded. Yet the Hoyas came away with the win.
Georgetown 56, No. 12 Villanova 54: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores
Villanova barely escaped DePaul earlier in the week. The Wildcats continued their poor play on Saturday and it cost them. While Villanova generated plenty of turnovers, their defense kept breaking down inside. They allowed a Georgetown team to penetrate and score all too often. On the flip side, Villanova just did not shoot well. What kept them in the game offensively was that their guards drew plenty of fouls and scored 20 of their 54 points from the charity stripe.

Georgetown has suffered most of their losses because of their inability to get inside, forcing them to pass the ball along the perimeter and throw up too many three-point shots. Villanova continually brought pressure that may have forced a slew of turnovers, but all too often opened up lanes for Georgetown to pass to the open man inside or simply drive to the basket.

For Villanova, this loss was painful mainly for the Big East Tournament. The top four teams get a double bye. The Wildcats fall to 11-5 in the conference and stay in fifth place. They need either Marquette or Pitt to lose two of their final three while winning their remaining two games.

Georgetown can at least argue that they are near the bubble. They played a great non-con and notched big wins. They still need to win their remaining games and win at least two games in the Big East Tournament. A finish like that might actually give them a chance to make the NCAA Tournament.

Georgetown Makes Late Bubble Run originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>georgetown hoyasGeorgetownHoyasvillanovawildcatsChas RichSat, 28 Feb 2009 14:34:00 EST 'Cuse Missing With Everything on Linehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/22/once-more-syracuse-cant-beat-the-better-of-the-big-east/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/22/once-more-syracuse-cant-beat-the-better-of-the-big-east/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/22/once-more-syracuse-cant-beat-the-better-of-the-big-east/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It was another chance for a big home win for Syracuse.

But, like most of the Orange's shots in the final minutes, it ended as another miss.

Syracuse tossed a bucket of cold water on its own comeback in the final minutes, missing six shots in the final 60 seconds as a late rally turned into an 89-86 .

The Orange have now dropped seven of their last 10, and jump shots aren't the only thing they have to worry about missing.

More Coverage: Game Recap | Box Score


Syracuse is not yet in any real danger of missing the NCAA tournament for a third straight year. The Orange played a solid non-conference schedule with wins over Memphis, Kansas and Florida, and should finish at least .500 in the Big East with upcoming games against St. John's and Rutgers all but certain to assure nine wins.

But there is seeding to think of, and dropping this game was costly.

Syracuse has lost five straight to ranked teams in conference. Against the seven teams the Orange are looking up at in the standings, they're only 1-6. Overall, Syracuse is staggering with seven losses in their last 10 games.

Undoubtedly, Syracuse's seed line is now headed south, particularly with the emphasis the committee puts on a team's finish to the season.

Almost as worrying, the Orange is barely hanging on to eighth in the Big East standings. And that could be costly. For the first time, the Big East is allowing all 16 teams to participate in the league tournament. But in an effort to keep its top teams from tiring before the Big Dance, teams ranked first through fourth get a bye the first two days and teams ranked fifth through eigth get a bye for the first day. So hanging on to that eighth spot buys the 'Cuse an extra day to rest up.

But, of course, it's all about NCAA tournament seeding and that's where the Orange need to help themselves.

Syracuse really needs to win at least three of their final four games to have a real chance to make the Final Four. They are tied with Cincinnati at 7-7 and still have to play the Bearcats. The winner of that game will be positioned to finish in the eighth spot in the Big East standings and get that crucial day of rest heading into the postseason.

As usual, Syracuse is not making it easy on itself.

'Cuse Missing With Everything on Line originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 22 Feb 2009 16:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Chas RichSun, 22 Feb 2009 16:32:00 EST West Virginia Takes Out Frustration on Shell-Shocked Villanovahttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/13/west-virginia-takes-out-frustration-on-villanova/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/13/west-virginia-takes-out-frustration-on-villanova/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/13/west-virginia-takes-out-frustration-on-villanova/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

West Virginia really needed a signature win. The Mountaineers had one quality win over Ohio State earlier in the year but, aside from that, the best they could claim was a win over Georgetown back when the Hoyas were still ranked. They finally got another marquee victory with a blowout of Villanova 93-72.

West Virginia had lost three of four, with all three losses coming on the road. It had been swept and embarrassed by Pitt earlier in the week. The Mountaineers were facing a team that had won six straight including wins over Pitt, Syracuse and Marquette -- they knew they really needed a win, and played like it.

Da'Sean Butler completely dominated the game. After playing only limited minutes in West Virginia's last game because of foul trouble and being held to only four points, he more than compensated. Butler scored a career-high 43 points against Villanova, and helped bust the game open in the first half.

The Mountaineers handled the Wildcats' trapping and ball pressure. They made extra passes and found room to attack the basket. It prevented Villanova from double-teaming and positioning themselves to take charges in the lane.

Villanova, which had great success attacking teams in its win streak and getting the opponents in foul trouble, got a taste of their own medicine. Dante Cunningham found himself sitting on the bench for most of the first half when he picked up two quick fouls. That opened things up inside for West Virginia to cut to the basket, and it removed a vital part of the Villanova offense.

Villanova had no inside presence to put the ball inside in the fist half, and that left no chance to kick it out. It meant that Villanova was forced out on the perimeter or to simply drive to the basket.

In the second half, both Reggie Redding and Scottie Reynolds fouled out, and both did so on frustration fouls after making mistakes. Redding was beat on a cut to the basket and simply hacked. Reynolds had a turnover and tried to get it back on the other end.

This game really helps West Virginia with their NCAA Tournament resume. It gives the Mountaineers a second win over a team in the RPI top-25. Their schedule gets a little easier, so they should be able to finish the Big East schedule with a winning record.

West Virginia Takes Out Frustration on Shell-Shocked Villanova originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Chas RichFri, 13 Feb 2009 23:25:00 EST Villanova Runs Syracuse Out of Phillyhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/07/villanova-runs-syracuse-out-of-philly/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/07/villanova-runs-syracuse-out-of-philly/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/07/villanova-runs-syracuse-out-of-philly/#commentsFiled under: , ,

This game was over early, with Villanova blowing Syracuse out of the water in the first 10 minutes. Villanova's defense completely disrupted the Orange, who could only make one basket in that span. By the time Syracuse started getting on track, they were down by 21. Villanova never let Syracuse get close than 10 points as the Wildcats coasted to a 102-85 win.

Dante Cunningham was unstoppable for Villanova. Not only did he match his career high in points with 31, but he forced two of Syracuse's big men to foul out failing to stop him. It also did not help that Syracuse had their entire defense shredded as Villanova shot 55 percent in the game.

Villanova showed up ready to give their home crowd reason to explode. Syracuse, on the other hand, looked like a team that was not ready for the game. The offense had no flow, and they could not handle Villanova's pressing defense. The Orange turned the ball over a stunning 13 times in just the first half.

Syracuse has now dropped four straight road games in the Big East. They have also lost five of seven in the meat of the conference. While they can take solace in that they have lost to good teams, it also has shown that Syracuse is not in the same class as the top teams.

Villanova, on the other hand, have been getting better as the season continues. Their offense continues to improve with Cunningham inside and their strong guard play on the perimeter and attacking the basket.

Villanova Runs Syracuse Out of Philly originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 14:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Chas RichSat, 07 Feb 2009 14:25:00 EST Louisville Pulls Out Another Game in the Final Ticks of the Clockhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/10/louisville-pulls-out-another-game-in-the-final-ticks-of-the-cloc/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/10/louisville-pulls-out-another-game-in-the-final-ticks-of-the-cloc/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/10/louisville-pulls-out-another-game-in-the-final-ticks-of-the-cloc/#commentsFiled under: , ,

This can't keep happening for the Cardinals, can it? Two of their last three games have seen Louisville blow a good lead, only to get a basket at the end of the game to survive and avoid blowing the game. Sooner or later it seems likely to come back on a team. Last week it was against Kentucky, and this time they did it in Philadelphia to beat Villanova 61-60.

Louisville led most of the game, despite 3-for-25 on three point shooting. They held an eight-point lead when Villanova went on a 9-0 run to take the lead. Louisville's problems were further compounded with freshman forward Samardo Samuels fouled out during the 'Nova run. Samuels was the leading scorer for Louisville with 15 points.

Villanova, however, could only keep the game a one-point game. They couldn't extend the lead, as a team that shoots nearly 80 percent on free throws suddenly started to struggle. Antonio Pena, especially, became anti-clutch. The forward came into the game as a 70 percent free throw shooter, but was 3-for-11 in the second half -- including 1-for-5 in the final five minutes.

That gave Louisville opportunities and with under 10 seconds left, Terrance Williams drove to the basket. The ball rolled the rim, hit the backboard, and just fell in to give the Cards the lead with six seconds left. Villanova, though, completely got over Louisville's trap and the Wildcats were facing a 2-on-1 to the basket. As the defender started to come out, the pass went to Pena at the basket, but Jared Swopshire was still close enough to foul Pena to prevent the score. Pena missed both free throws, but the ball went out off a Louisville player, giving 'Nova another chance with five seconds left.

Villanova, however, couldn't do it. They had two chances right under the basket as Dante Cunningham missed the layup and Reggie Redding couldn't get a putback on the offensive rebound.

Louisville Pulls Out Another Game in the Final Ticks of the Clock originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Chas RichSat, 10 Jan 2009 14:43:00 EST