NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Big East Tournament Preview: Everyone Is Playing, Except Bubble Teams

Chas Rich — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia, Big East

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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Georgetown Makes Late Bubble Run

Chas Rich — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:34:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown, Villanova, Big East

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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NCAA or NIT: Georgetown Hoyas

Chas Rich — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:53:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown, Big East, March Madness

College basketball has gone past the halfway point of the conference season. Now every game takes on greater importance for the teams that are trying to make the NCAA Tournament. FanHouse will take a look at the teams that find somewhere between the NCAA or NIT.

Team: Georgetown Hoyas

Record: 14-12 (5-10 Big East)

Good Wins: Maryland (neutral site), Memphis, Syracuse, at UConn

Bad Losses: At Seton Hall, Cinci, at Cinci

Comments: The Hoyas climbed to eighth in the polls in early January. They had lost only once in the non-conference schedule. They opened Big East play by beating UConn in Hartford. At that point, the Hoyas were 12-1. The question was not if they were an NCAA team, but how silly the preseason prediction of Georgetown finishing 7th in the Big East. Talk about peaking too soon.

Georgetown split their next four games and then the bottom really fell out. They have gone 2-9 since mid-January.

Other Views: Georgetown is 48th in RPI, the Basketball State has them 63d, while the Sagarin Ratings have them at 35th.

Verdict: The NCAA is not going to happen. But for their very impressive performance in the non-conference schedule and winning at UConn, the Hoyas would not even be in this discussion. Their collapse in the conference was stunning after the way they started. Not only did they play a quality non-conference schedule, but they scored big wins. That is why they have clung to the bubble even as they slid to 11th in the Big East.

As it stands, with three games left, they are going to be sweating their chances of making the NIT. To get an NIT invite, you still have to finish at .500 or better. The way Georgetown is playing, even that is not a lock.

NCAA or NIT: Georgetown Hoyas originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Syracuse Hangs On Against Georgetown

Jacob Wheatley-Schaller — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown, Syracuse, Big East

Up 16 with 8:12 remaining in the second half, it looked like Syracuse would coast to an easy victory in their Big East showdown with Georgetown. The Hoyas had other ideas though, as a flurry of points -- 15 in the last 2:12 of regulation -- sent it into overtime. But Johnny Flynn and Eric Devendorf combined for 14 of Syracuse's 15 points in the extra five minutes, and the Orange hung on for a 98-94 victory.

Flynn got off to a quiet start, and was actually held scoreless for the first 16:27 of the first half. But that was soon forgotten, as he started getting to the rim, and very frequently getting to the line; he made 15 of 16 free throws on the afternoon. Flynn scored six of his 25 points in OT, including two FTs that essentially sealed it for the Orange with four seconds left.

The other star of the afternoon for Syracuse was junior guard Eric Devendorf, who had 23 points on 5/9 shooting from deep. Like Flynn, he also got off to a slow start, with just two points in the first half. But his three second half treys helped hold off the charging Hoyas, and his eight points in OT -- including two more threes -- were the difference in the game.

Georgetown's second half comeback was certainly impressive, but this was a game they really had to have. The loss drops them to 4-8 in the Big East, with games still to come against Marquette, Louisville, and Villanova. Chris Wright did his part, with 25 points, including the game-tying three from way out with 10.7 seconds remaining in regulation. But he wasn't able to get on the board in overtime before fouling out with 50 seconds remaining.

That foul was the turning point in the extra period; at the time the Hoyas were down just two, and the shot clock was running down. But Wright reached in and put Flynn on the line; the Syracuse guard made both, and the Orange controlled the game the rest of the way.

Syracuse, which had lost five of six, moves to 7-6 in the Big East with the four-point victory. Their schedule, which has been ridiculously hard for the last month or so, lets up a bit down the stretch. Three of their last five at home, and they'll likely be favored in every game up until their regular season finale at Marquette.

Syracuse Hangs On Against Georgetown originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ranking the Rankings: Duke's No. 1

Will Brinson — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette, NC State, Notre Dame, Syracuse, UCLA, UNC, USC, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, Mid-Majors, SEC, Coaches, Fans, Media Watch

Ranking the rankings criticizes the critics as soon as the polls come out.

Headlining: It's obvious, right? Duke tops both polls for the first time since the end of the 2005-06 regular season and we're all ~~depressed~~ ecstatic! I want to say that it's hard to like this Blue Devil team, but when is it easy to like Duke? (Answer: When you're a Duke fan. Or when the Blue Devils are playing Carolina.) That being said, the 2008-09 incarnation isn't nearly as hate-able as previous teams.

Gerald Henderson is a freakish athlete who tries hard, Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer embody a certain Durham stereotype, but at least they're not Chris Collins and Wojo, and Greg Paulus has been relegated to a supporting role and has yet to play more than 24 minutes a game.

The antipodal proposition alone should be worth a slightly less odoriferous and palatable annoyance. (Yes, I'm pretending that I graduated from Duke and write for Slate.) Of course, there's still the matter of butting heads with the previous top team, Wake Forest, Wednesday, but for now: Everyone respects Duke.

Freefallin': Georgetown (12/14 to 25/23), Syracuse (8/8 to 15/15) and Notre Dame (19/19 to UR/22). In fairness to all three teams, the Big East is really good. And in fairness to the pollsters, this group of teams combined to lose five games (the Irish lost that Saturday prime timer as their only game of the week en route to three straight losses; coughing one up to Marquette Monday won't help their case either) last week, so it's not that shocking. The Big East teams are certainly going to beat up on each other all season long and they'll fluctuate; anything other than the same from the top tier ACC teams would be surprising as well.

You Gotta Rise Up: Kentucky (UR/UR to 24/UR), UCLA (17/16 to 13/11). It's never a total shock when two big name programs -- Louisville could apply here too, I suppose, just based on the relative inaction of the top 10 -- win a couple of games and start vaulting higher. In Kentucky's case, it's Jodie Meeks helping to propel the Wildcats back into the rankings for the first time since November ... 2007. It wouldn't seem that long if it wasn't Kentucky we're talking about, but the Wildcats are held to a higher standard. Presuming they can beat both Mississippi and South Carolina this week, it's safe to say you'll see them ranked in both polls next week.

Hyped: Clemson (12/11). Yes, the Tigers only have two losses, but they're still in the top 15. And while I don't necessarily know that the Tigers are en route toward a total and utter meltdown, I certainly won't vouch that they aren't, either. They've got games against Virginia Tech, Duke, Florida State and Boston College in their next four matchups. Two of those teams have beaten No. 1-ranked squads ... and they're the two inferior teams on the schedule. A win against Georgia Tech kind of righted the ship, but there's a distinct possibility that they could go 0-4 over that span.

Bunked: Arizona State (14/14). Call me a Herb Sendek homer if you want, and I won't care. I love the guy, and all he does is produce teams that go to the NCAA Tournament. His last five teams at N.C. State went to the Big Dance and It's not far-fetched to say that the Wolfpack would probably deal with an annual tourney bid right now. The Sun Devils are not a high-scoring bunch, and losses to USC and Cal aren't impressive, but James Harden is a baller and 22 points per game in Sendek's offense might be equal to 49 anywhere else.

WTF?: No one from the coaches' poll dropped. Like, literally no one. Florida is this -- makes pinching motion with index and thumb -- close to inching in, just one point shy of Gonzaga, and Utah State is right behind, but it's still really unusual to see a poll with no movement whatsoever.

People That Vote Are Smart: Ron Morris of The State in Columbia, S.C., takes the cake. He really thinks highly of Luke Harangody, so much so that he puts Notre Dame at No. 14 in his poll. Yes, the Irish are a talented team, but when he voted they had lost three straight, and they've dropped four straight now. It's kind of tough to bump a team from No. 14 to unranked in one week, but here it's arguably deserved. He also has UConn and North Carolina ahead of Duke.

Ranking the Rankings: Duke's No. 1 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hoyas Slumping, Irish Are in Trouble

Ray Holloman — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown, Notre Dame, Big East

For the better part of three seasons, Notre Dame's ability to handle business at home was less a statistical trend and more a law of physics.

The Irish would rack up a score higher than a Saturday golfer at Augusta, mix in a pinch of defense and march on to the next game.

Expecting otherwise would be like biting into a popsicle only to scald your tongue. It simply didn't make sense. Forty-five times in a row it worked to perfection.

In Washington, Georgetown's offense performed to such a level of precision you might think they played with a blueprint, not a playbook. The only surprise, as the Hoyas towered over the Big East, was that they didn't have to stop for oil changes between baskets. Now, they're trying to articulate exactly how they let Seton Hall get the best of them.

But Georgetown, even Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich doesn't have this much explaining to do.

And with two of its supposed best teams playing like a DePaul tribute band, the Big East's superiority seems about as shaky as your E-trade portfolio.

But a three-game losing streak is about where the similarities end between these two barely-ranked teams.

Georgetown is in a slump. Notre Dame, which hosts Marquette tonight, is in trouble.

Sure, the Irish have yet to do a hardwood tribute to their football team, but Mike Brey's club hasn't played as tough of a league schedule as the Hoyas. Of the other eight teams that have been ranked in the Big East, the Irish have only played four, with its only win over Georgetown at home. Notre Dame has six games left against the Big East's answer to Murderer's Row; three are on the road, as is a trip to Providence (5-2 in the Big East), Cincinnati (like Notre Dame 3-4) and a reeling, but still dangerous, UCLA. Georgetown, meanwhile, has played five with a road win over Connecticut, a home win over Syracuse, and a road loss to Pittsburgh already out of the way.

Notre Dame's RPI already looks like the home run total of a steroid-addled slugger, hovering in the low-to-mid 60s, and their Pomeroy rating is hardly more attractive, plopping at 46. So what at first was a race to ensure a favorable NCAA seeding has, almost overnight, become a drive to survive.

So exactly why is the luck of the Irish turning?

For starters, the Irish play defense with all the enthusiasm you bring to a 1040 form. They don't turn opposing teams over (they're in the bottom nine in the nation in defensive turnover rate), they don't create steals and they don't block shots.

But this is nothing new. Even though Notre Dame's defensive efficiency rating is at its lowest point in at least its last six seasons, defense has never been the hallmark of the Irish under Brey.

It's their grab-your-calculator-and-buy-new-batteries offense that makes Notre Dame stand out.

But recently, other than reigning Big East player of the year Luke Harangody, their offense has faltered.

Harangody has led the Irish in points and rebounds for the last 11 games and is averaging 24.8 points per game and 13.1 rebounds for the season. But, for the last few games at least, you could find a better performance from a supporting cast in a Damon Wayans movie.

Tory Jackson, the Irish's do-it-all athlete on the perimeter, has an effective field goal percentage of 39 over the past three games. (Effective field goal percentage gives 50 percent more credit for made 3-pointers.) Long-distance ace Kyle McAlarney played well against Louisville and Syracuse, but dropped a 3-for-15 effort shooting night against UConn, his worst shooting night since an 0-for-7 bomb against Loyola in the second game of the season. Unfortunately for the Irish, Ryan Ayers, who has been one of Notre Dame's most efficient players all season, finished with two points as well.

As a team, Notre Dame shot 35.5 percent against Syracuse and 32.9 percent against UConn. The Irish need fireworks to overcome their defensive liabilities. What they've gotten is something more like sparklers in winter. Notre Dame's offensive efficiency high water mark in the last three games has been 93.8, a number they dipped below just three times each of the last two seasons and not once in 2006.

All of which leaves Brey and the Irish in a must-win situation and tinkering with his lineup against Marquette. Lose tonight and Notre Dame heads on a road trip to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and UCLA with a 3-5 Big East mark and a path to the NCAA Tournament that might require a little luck and a GPS system. Even when they return home, the Irish have to face Louisville.

Marquette will likely have no answer for Harangody, but in the Big East, no wins are promised.

Ask Georgetown about that.

But unlike Notre Dame, Georgetown has a bigger margin for error. The Hoyas have a road win over UConn and a home victory over Syracuse and have faced four of the top 13 teams in the RPI, including a narrow loss to No. 1 Duke and a victory over No. 13 Memphis and No. 8 UConn. Their RPI is a selection-committee friendly six, and as Big East paths go, the Hoyas' upcoming schedule is about as good as it gets. Of their remaining 11 games, six are against teams checking the NIT bracketology report or trying to remember exactly what CBI stands for.

After Sunday's loss to Seton Hall, the Hoyas can't exactly overlook anyone, but this is the same team that beat UConn on the road and picked apart Syracuse.

Bet against the Hoyas' NCAA Tournament hopes if you like, but go ahead and parlay it on that Lions Super Bowl wager. Each have about the same chance of paying off.

Georgetown isn't without its problems. They're struggling to score from beyond the arc - hitting just 5-of-38 in losses to West Virginia and Seton Hall - and this is compounded by their inability to rebound. The Hoyas are scraping the bottom of the nation in defensive rebounding.

Meanwhile, their defense has turned in a positively Notre Dame effort in its last seven games, allowing every team they've faced an above average offensive efficiency rating.

But the Hoyas, unlike the Irish, have proved they can hang with, and beat, the nation's best while Notre Dame has just three wins over teams ranked in the top 100 in the Pomeroy ratings.

Will both teams make the NCAA Tournament?

Maybe. It's hard to imagine either team will continue to shoot as poorly as they have in recent games, or Georgetown's defensive intensity to remain lower than the frigid D.C. temperatures.

But like Notre Dame's chances to win at home, for the first time in recent memory, it's just seems like a possibility, not a law of nature.

Hoyas Slumping, Irish Are in Trouble originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ranking the Rankings: Wake Forest Claims the Top Spot; ACC, Big East Rule

Will Brinson — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Georgetown, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Texas, UNC, Wake Forest, ACC, Big East, Coaches, Media Watch, North Carolina

Ranking the rankings criticizes the critics as soon as the polls come out.

It shouldn't come as a tremendous surprise that the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, the nation's only remaining undefeated team, are the consensus number one team in the nation. Oh wait, what's that? They're not the consensus team? Interesting.

They are close though -- Duke garnered four AP first place votes and six votes in the coaches poll to lock up the second overall ranking in both polls, while Connecticut and Pittsburgh rounded out the top four. Perhaps Coach K's media scathing resonated with more than just the News & Observer.

This is, the first time that Wake has been No. 1 since Chris Paul graced the hardwood of Lawrence Joel, but it's an interesting change because this is a completely different Deacon team, and one that's dominated by a youthful demeanor.

But, yes, in other words, when it comes to college basketball this year, there is the ACC, there is the Big East, and then there is everyone else. That's not to say that the ACC is necessarily better overall than the Big East; it's probably telling that the latter's two "best" (by record) teams are ranked lower (Louisville is 9 in the AP, 12 in the coaches', while Marquette is 11 and 10, respectively) than the two teams everyone else considers to be the favorites: UConn and Pitt.

North Carolina and Oklahoma round out the top five and while, yes, I may be known for piling on the Tar Heels ... well, I'm going to do it again. They whipped up on two bad teams in Virginia and Miami, they've lost both their tests and they're just not as tough on defense without Marcus Ginyard, who won't be around for the Clemson game. I understand that people have a really, really, really hard time not putting them in the top 10, and that's somewhat understandable, but putting them above Oklahoma, who recently pummeled Texas, seems like a bit of a stretch.

Ranking the Rankings: Wake Forest Claims the Top Spot; ACC, Big East Rule originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gerald Henderson, Duke Defense Prevail as Devils Roll Hoyas in Cameron

Will Brinson — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 16:54:00 EST

Filed under: Duke, Georgetown, ACC, Big East, Coaches, Fans, Media Watch

Despite Georgetown outshooting Duke from the floor (in terms of percentages anyway), Duke's defense managed to stifle the Hoyas just enough for Gerald Henderson's 23 points and Kyle Singler's double-double to be the difference in a top-15, Saturday afternoon matchup that resulted in a 76-67 Blue Devil win.

The box score doesn't necessarily indicate that Duke's defense was draped all over the Hoyas, but if you watched the game, you realize they were; particularly late in the first half -- and early in the second -- where Georgetown failed to score for over 8.5 minutes at one point.

A run by Georgetown brought them back within striking distance, but a pivotal technical foul on freshman Greg Monroe -- a highly contested recruit whose decision came down to spurning Mike Krzyzewski for the Hoyas -- gave Duke enough momentum to surge back to a large lead and finish off the game.

It's not that Monroe's technical necessarily put the game away; when Singler (a 6-foot-8 forward) is piling up 16 rebounds on you, or when you allow the recently demoted Greg Paulus to become his team's third leading scorer in 23 minutes off the bench, there are other issues with how your team is playing.

And that's the case for Georgetown, who now finishes out its schedule with a slew of Big East games ... and four losses on their record. Duke, on the other hand, gets to hang out as the nation's No. 2 overall team, but has two stout challenges in Wake Forest and Clemson (both on the road) coming up before an early February meeting with North Carolina.

Wins in those two, coupled with a strong effort over Georgetown today, will probably have the media talking about Coach K's Blue Devils. Maybe that'll make him happy.

Gerald Henderson, Duke Defense Prevail as Devils Roll Hoyas in Cameron originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 17 Jan 2009 16:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Georgetown Won Monroe Battle, But Duke Is Winning Rebound War

Ray Holloman — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:33:00 EST

Filed under: Duke, Georgetown, ACC, Big East

Georgetown freshman Greg Monroe couldn't have been more of a Duke guy if he'd been born with a birthmark shaped like the Blue Devil and given the middle name Krzyzewski.

He's pocket-protector smart, graduating with a 3.75 GPA from Louisiana's Helen Cox High School, so composed you could yell fire in a theater and he'd tell you to get of the way of the Paul Blart trailer, and grew up among that percentage of the population dwindling faster than an analog television set, those who like Duke basketball.

Heck, the guy probably helps old ladies to their seat during television breaks.

But a funny thing happened to last year's No. 1 recruit's path to the blue side. He signed with Georgetown. Without so much as taking an official visit to Durham, N.C. For Duke, which had already lost Patrick Patterson to Kentucky earlier, the move went over about as well as if Obama pledged to change the colors of the flag to Carolina blue and white.

But then an even funnier thing happened.

Without Monroe, Duke rebounded. Literally. And Georgetown fell apart.

So, as Monroe and No. 11 Georgetown head to No. 2 Duke Saturday, it's not the Blue Devils praying for swishes and low-flying birds in the event of misfires, it's Georgetown.

None of that, of course, is Monroe's fault. The freshman has blossomed in John Thompson III's system and you'll be just as likely to see someone else win Big East Rookie of the Year as you are to see the slick-domed Thompson at your local Hair Cuttery. The 6-foot-11 Monroe has also been Georgetown's best rebounder by far. He leads the team with 5.3 rebounds a game, which, due to the Hoyas' slow pace isn't quite as impressive as it might seem. But he has a 10 percent offensive rebounding rate and a 14.4 percent defensive rebounding rate, both solid numbers.

(Rebounding rates are based on playing time and total rebounding opportunities and are therefore much more informative than raw rebounding and rebounding margin numbers. Should you still be using rebounding margin as a viable metric, please realize that, like the telegraph, it's something useful only for museums. And possibly Joe Paterno's playcalling. Full breakdowns can be found on Ken Pomeroy's site.)

But as a team, Georgetown has barely been within shouting range of most rebounds. The Hoyas are grabbing offensive rebounds at a 34 percent clip (149th) in the nation and, even worse, allowing offense rebounds at a 38.3 percent rate, 315th in the nation.

Thompson's father and former Georgetown coach John Thompson II suggested the Hoyas needed more "thugs" and despite the mass of bunched underwear (apparently from people unfamiliar with the landmark Supreme Court case of Rubber v. Glue), there's some merit to the ex-coach's words, at least in regards to offensive rebounding.

Defensive rebounding is a function of positioning and strategy. Offensive rebounding is more about athleticism, skill, and should she happen to seal you off, the willingness to elbow your own mother to get the ball. There's a reason Dennis Rodman was so darn good at it and it wasn't because he was read to orphans during timeouts.

But the Hoyas have been even worse on the defensive glass.

Some of it is just plain genetics.

In Georgetown's Final Four year of 2007, the Hoyas were tall enough to pose as an NBA layup line or form their own gutter cleaning service. Six players stood 6-9 and taller, including 7-foot-2 Roy Hibbert and 6-foot-10 Jeff Green. Unless you played in stiletto heels, the Hoyas were simply bigger. Not even Sean Avery could make jokes about Georgetown's seconds that year.

Without Jeff Green in 2008, the Hoyas dipped, but thus far in 2009 they've dropped further than your 401k balance. This year, Georgetown's second best defensive rebounder among players averaging more than 10 minutes is Austin Freeman, at a 12.3 percent clip. He would've been sixth last year on a team that still had seniors Hibbert, Patrick Ewing Jr. and now-Florida-property Vernon Macklin.

Why's it happening?

Despite what Pitt coach Jamie Dixon thinks, it's not the Princeton-style offense Georgetown employs; the Hoyas played the same system in 2007 and that team kept everyone off the glass.

Personnel has plenty to do with it. Unlike recent years, these Hoyas are about as deep as a Paris Hilton movie. As a result, Thompson has relied more on zone defense.

And if you watched Pitt trounce Georgetown 70-54 earlier this month, you might've realized exactly what a problem this is. The Hoyas were so far away from rebounds, they probably would've been hit with a fuel surcharge just for making the trip to the glass. And in a zone defense, it's just plain hard to rebound because, unlike man-to-man, you have to first find someone to block out, then grab the rebound.

The results have been more one-sided than Lehman Brothers' balance sheet.

Pitt grabbed 56.2 percent of available offensive rebounds. How bad is that? New Jersey Tech is winless and they've yet to get slapped around on the glass so badly. So in trying to mask his thin front court, Thompson effectively made the problem worse.

And all of this could be one heck of a problem Saturday, because Duke, despite popular perception, has become a very good rebounding team despite losing last year's leading rebounder DeMarcus Nelson. (That in itself is noteworthy; the undersized Nelson was every bit the 6-foot-4 he was listed at only if he stood on a Durham phonebook and you rounded generously.)

The Blue Devils are 12th in the nation in offensive rebounding and 81st in defensive rebounding, both large improvements over last season. The last time Duke approached those types of offensive numbers was, not coincidentally 2004, their last Final Four trip. (And if the defensive rebounding percentage seems low, credit that more to Duke's aggressive man-to-man that gambles creating turnovers is more valuable than collapsing on the glass.)

Even without Monroe, Duke has shored up its interior game with 7-foot-2 center Brian Zoubek. The junior has been an excellent rebounder throughout his career, but burned through turnovers like Kelvin Sampson through cell phone minutes. Gandhi once famously said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. He could've just as easily said the journey of a thousand miles starts with a Brian Zoubek possession.

But this season Zoubek and fellow junior Lance Thomas have given the Blue Devils more than 32 minutes per game of excellent rebounding at center. Combined with the rugged play of Kyle Singler, who know spends less time defending centers, and Gerald Henderson's athleticism, the Blue Devils are a fairly good copy of Thompson's 2006 Georgetown team, which played three great rebounders on its front line.

And the McDonald's All-American Duke did get last season, if not Monroe, has turned out to to be a glass tiger as well. Six-four guard Elliot Williams has twice led the team in rebounds, though the freshman's minutes are dwindling in conference play.

So when Monroe steps on the floor at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Crazies may just remember that Duke lost the recruiting battle.

And the team on the floor may just show they're winning the rebounding war.

Georgetown Won Monroe Battle, But Duke Is Winning Rebound War originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Georgetown Shreds Supposedly Improved Syracuse Defense

Chas Rich — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:07:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown, Syracuse, Big East

After a 16-1 start for the Orange, there was a spreading meme that Syracuse had improved a lot on defense. While the Orange have been better defensively than they have for the past couple years, they are still not a patient defensive team. They looked very good in the non-conference slate with excellent wins over Florida, Kansas and Memphis. Then they started 4-0 in the Big East. What might have been missed is that they did it against Seton Hall, South Florida , DePaul and Rutgers. The teams at the very bottom of the Big East.

Georgetown also started strong in the non-conference schedule and came out in the Big East schedule with the huge road win over UConn. Then they got hammered by Pitt and beaten by Notre Dame. They didn't look bad, but they definitely looked young and inconsistent. They found the consistency against Syracuse Wednesday, as they pounded the Orange 88-74.

Georgetown just dismantled Syracuse. The Hoyas shot close to 60 percent and only took 54 shots. On top of that, Georgetown rediscovered their 3-point shooting -- at least for this game -- and drilled 12-for-21 from beyond the arc. Hitting from outside made it ridiculously easy to go inside and get easy baskets.

DaJuan Summers and Austin Freeman will haunt Syracuse dreams. They combined for 40 points, with both players hitting 3-pointers and attacking the basket, and basically being the matchup nightmares that made them highly sought recruits.

Syracuse got scorched during a big Georgetown run in the first half that they were never able to close. It also hurt Syracuse that guard Andy Rautins -- who had been extremely hot from the outside coming into the game -- left the game after appearing to injure his left knee. Rautins missed all of last year with a torn ACL in his left knee.

The loss of Rautins also meant that Jonny Flynn and Eric Devendorf had to play the entire game, further weakening the perimeter defense.

Georgetown Shreds Supposedly Improved Syracuse Defense originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pitt Goes Inside to Dominate Georgetown

Chas Rich — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 14:25:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Big East

The final score of 70-54 made it look like a blowout. With 14:15 left in the game, though, it was a 40-40 tie and Pitt had never led by six. Then Pitt went on a 17-4 run over the next seven minutes to turn it into a laugher, snapping Georgetown's 29-game home winning streak (15 in the Big East) with the win in the Verizon Center. It was also Pitt's first win on the road against a top-25 team in eight tries.

Maybe it was the fact that he only played eight minutes in the prior game. Maybe he just was excited for a big game. Maybe he just was annoyed with reading nothing but hype for Georgetown's stud freshman center, Greg Monroe, the last couple days. Whatever the reason, Pitt's DeJuan Blair absolutely dominated the inside paint and made Monroe look silly. Blair had 20 points and 17 rebounds to lead Pitt to the win.

Georgetown was following the standard defensive gameplan against Pitt. Try to pack it inside to keep Pitt from feeding it inside. Make Pitt have to shoot from the perimeter.

To the extent that Pitt only shot 3-for-19 on threes, the approach worked. The problem was that Georgetown had no rebounding presence and Pitt was able to get put-backs and second chances. Pitt outrebounded Georgetown 42-18 with Pitt having an 18-4 edge on the offensive glass. It became worse when Georgetown shifted to a zone for a while in the second half. Not only was Pitt getting the rebounds, but with Georgetown out of position to get rebounds, Pitt had easy opportunities to put it back or pass to another open player. Pitt shot 29-for-49 (59.2 percent) from inside the perimeter.

Georgetown never found any offense. Only DaJuan Summers kept the Hoyas in the game in the first half, when he scored 16 of Georgetown's 30 first half points. He couldn't keep it up in the second half, and while Monroe scored 11 in the second half no one else for Georgetown could score. Summers was 4-for-5 on threes, but the rest of the team was only 2-for-16. Pitt's defense, especially in the second half, completely stopped Georgetown's backcourt cuts from working. Georgetown's guards only contributed 17 points in the game.

The real shame of the 16-team Big East, even with an 18-game schedule, is that the two teams won't meet again in the conference schedule. Of course they have faced each other in the past two Big East Tournament Championship games, so there might still be a rematch this year.

Pitt Goes Inside to Dominate Georgetown originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 03 Jan 2009 14:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Georgetown Would Like to Remind Everyone Why the Big East Will Be So Brutal in 2009

Chas Rich — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:17:00 EST

Filed under: Connecticut, Georgetown, Big East

It is easy to get complacent and try to line up teams in a conference in a presumed pecking order and just know that things will shake out a certain way. The ACC has that this year. If you predict North Carolina, Duke and then some order of Wake Forest, Clemson and Miami; you probably won't be too far afield for the top 5 teams. The Big East is no where near that neat and tidy.

Before the season started, it was anyone's guess between UConn, Pitt, Louisville and Notre Dame as to the top team. UConn and Louisville had the most talent and the top flight talent. Pitt and Notre Dame had fine young coaches with veteran players and great team chemistry. Choosing any of those teams to win the Big East were defensible. After that, picking a team like Marquette, Villanova, Syracuse, West Virginia or Georgetown seemed too speculative. There were too many questions on those teams.

Moving through the non-conference slate, it looked like UConn would be the class of the conference by a slight margin over Pitt. Notre Dame was very good. Louisville was struggling with what has become a typical December malaise. Syracuse, West Virginia, Villanova and Georgetown were much not too far behind.

Still, there are givens. A team is not going to Storrs (or in this case, Hartford) and take a game from the Huskies right from the opening tip to the end. The number 2 team in the country never had the lead and couldn't even tie after starting 0-0. Georgetown dominated UConn on their way to a 84-73 win.
The Hoyas completely packed it in against UConn. Playing a tight zone on defense, giving the Huskies no room to attack the basket or pass it inside to Thabeet. They completely kept UConn from getting out in transition. Not in what has been a typically slow tempo Georgetown game. It was simply a strong defense from end-to-end that did not let UConn leak out and get ahead of the defense. The Huskies, instead, found themselves settling for pull-up jumpers and not being able to get to the basket.

Hasheem Thabeet was a non-factor on offense with only four shot attempts in 34 minutes, and only seven rebounds. While he did have seven blocked shots, too many of them were followed by Georgetown getting another opportunity.

Georgetown actually displayed a lot more athleticism and willingness to attack the basket with Greg Monroe, DeJuan Summers and Chris Wright. While the Hoyas displayed some of the Princeton offense in spells, they were not afraid to use their natural athleticism, talent and speed to go right at the Huskies. Without Roy Hibbert and John Wallace, the team may not be as efficient on offense, but they are more dynamic and able to play at a pace that allows them to score in larger numbers.

While there was no doubt Georgetown had shown in the non-conference schedule that they were going to be better than expected. Dismantling Maryland, beating Memphis and only a loss to Tennessee in the Old Spice Classic showed that they were quite good.

Still, to not just win, but dominate UConn in Hartford. Well that was a vibrant flare being fired that even home court for a top-5 team hardly guarantees anything in the Big East this year. To say nothing of the fact that Georgetown now has to be considered to be in the mix for the top of the Big East.

Georgetown Would Like to Remind Everyone Why the Big East Will Be So Brutal in 2009 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Georgetown's Patient Approach Overcomes Memphis' Frenzied Attack in 79-70 Win

Chas Rich — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 17:04:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown, Memphis, Big East, Conference USA

Memphis had the game against Georgetown going the way they wanted most of the time. They forced the tempo closer to their pace rather than the more staid and patient approach favored by Georgetown. They, despite the size disadvantage inside, continued to crash the boards and absolutely dominated the offensive glass. The problem was, they couldn't finish. The Tigers shot a hideous 35 percent (27-of-77). It also did not help that they turned the ball over 20 times.

That allowed Georgetown to hang with Memphis the entire game. Georgetown used their size advantage inside to score with Greg Monroe and DeJuan Summers, and forced Memphis to foul. Georgetown got to the free throw line at better than a 2-to-1 ratio. The Hoyas shot 36 free throws to the Tigers' 15 -- making up for the 20 field goal advantage Memphis held.

In regulation, the game never swung for more than five points either way. Memphis was able to force overtime by getting another offensive rebound and putback in the final seconds of regulation. For the first four minutes the game stayed as tight as regulation until Memphis missed its final four shots. Georgetown made 3-4 free throws and Jesse Sapp added a three as the clock expired -- really, he just was tossing it in the air from just after half court and it happened to go in to give Georgetown the 79-70 win.

Neither team was impressive from the perimeter. Memphis, however, got next horrible performances from its guards. Doneal Mack, Antonio Anderson and Tyreke Evans shot a combined 11-41 (26.8%). Unlike Memphis' team from last year, they lacked the inside presence to clean-up missed shots and create the space for the guards to attack. Instead the Tigers found themselves being given looks from the outside, but finding the interior packed in to stop drives inside.

Georgetown looks showed that they can handle a faster paced game and have a more athletic team. Their style is still Princeton offense that focuses on the best shot and making passes. The difference from the past couple years, is that they now have guards that can slash and shoot. It isn't just dumping inside and backdoor cuts to the basket.

Georgetown's Patient Approach Overcomes Memphis' Frenzied Attack in 79-70 Win originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 13 Dec 2008 17:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How I Spent My Summer Vacation: The Big East Conference (Part 2)

Chas Rich — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:45:00 EST

Filed under: Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Villanova, West Virginia, Big East

With the fall beginning and college basketball just around the corner, it's time to look back at what our favorite teams did during their summer vacations. Some did some good things; some had a bad time. So let's look back at who did what in our How I Spent My Summer Vacation series.

Today's look is the Big East Conference. Since the conference is a 16-team beast, this will be in 2 parts. Part 1 looked at the group of teams that missed the NCAA Tournament last season. Part 2 takes a look at the teams that made the NCAA Tournament.

The Big East sent half its teams to the NCAA Tournament. That was the good news. The bad news was that not a one made it to the Final Four, and even worse only three made it out of the opening weekend.

This year the Big East looks to be even better. The conference is actually deeper and has four teams being discussed as legitimate Final Four teams. There are a lot of strong teams behind them. Every team in this part made the NCAA last year, and are expected to do it again this year. The top four teams in the conference -- Pitt, UConn, Louisville and Notre Dame -- are all being projected in most preseason prognostications in the top ten, nationally. All four are fully capable of winning the Big East.

West Virginia
You don't have to like Bob Huggins. You can rail against his behavior. Express disgust at the academic and criminal records of the players he has had. That said, he is an excellent basketball coach. He came to a team that was built to shoot from the perimeter. They played a quirky zone defense, and generally didn't rebound. He made them tougher, better rebounders, and better defensively. All without much sacrifice on the offensive end. The big offseason fun came for starting point guard Joe Mazzula and reserve forward Cam Thoroughman, as they got themselves pepper sprayed and arrested at a Pittsburgh Pirates game. They eventually pleaded guilty to public drunkenness and disorderly conduct.

Marquette
The Golden Eagles spent the offseason getting to better know their new head coach, Buzz Peterson, after Tom Crean left for Indiana. Yes, Peterson was an assistant last year, but that was his first year with Marquette. Guard Jerel McNeal explored his NBA options, but came back for his senior season for one more go with Dominic James and Wesley Matthews as the most dangerous backcourt in the Big East. Marquette did have one surprising loss when Trevor Mbakwe transferred out for personal reasons. Mbakwe was expected to provide muscle and toughness in the frontcourt.

Villanova
A team that underachieved for big spells, most of the season, ended up overachieving by making the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. They had a very quiet offseason. The only person they lost was guard Malcolm Grant, a sparkplug reserve guard who shot well, but found himself in Coach Jay Wright's doghouse late in the season. Otherwise, this is essentially the same guard-heavy team as last year with just another year of experience.

Georgetown
Life without Big Roy Hibbert begins. That's okay, because here comes Greg Monroe, a forward-center that was one of the top recruits in the country. There's additional front court help with Julian Vaughn a center that transferred from Florida State, and received a hardship waiver due to family issues allowing him to play this year. Still even with DeJuan Summers and some other very talented players in the frontcourt, the backcourt lacks depth.

Notre Dame
Coach Mike Brey got a contract extension and a veteran team coming back. They do lose Rob Kurz but they have redshirt freshman Carleton Scott and senior Luke Zeller to try and make up his numbers. Whether they make up his intangibles -- he was their glue-guy -- is not their responsibility. They had a late departure in little used guard Ty Proffitt. The sophomore transferred to Morehead State. Otherwise, it's been a blissfully uneventful summer for the Irish.

Louisville
Derrick Caracter. Derrick Caracter. Derrick Caracter. Derrick Caracter. Derrick Caracter. Derrick Caracter. That's what most of the Louisville summer centered. First he's turning pro, then he changes his mind, Rick Pitino doesn't want him back, Caracter keeps begging, Pitino keeps saying no, Caracter's academics turn out to have him ineligible, he still wants back, Pitino sets conditions, Caracter accepts them, then he gives up and goes home. It continues for Caracter, but it no longer concerns Louisville.

Lots of expectations on this team. Addition by subtraction with Caracter gone, but pure subtraction with Scott Padgett finally graduating. The team has lots of talent, and even more coming in with Samardo Samuels as the headliner. The question is heart and leadership. Padgett had both in spades, but now Edgar Sosa, Earl Clark and Terrence Williams have to supply that. The Cards also have to contend with playing without Williams, possibly until December. Williams suffered a torn medial meniscus in his right knee.

UConn
There has been plenty of drama, stories and goings on in Storrs. Hasheem Thabeet declined to go pro. Coach Jim Calhoun had another go-round with skin cancer. He responded well to the treatment and seems ready for another year. Point guard A.J. Price is recovering from his torn ACL right on schedule and should be ready for the season. A very talented freshman forward from Australia, Ater Majok, was cleared by the NCAA, so that will help with the frontcourt depth. That was the good news over the summer vacation.

Now the bad stuff. After more off-the-court trouble for Doug Wiggins last year, he was strongly encouraged to consider other options. Curtis Kelly was also encouraged to look elsewhere as he just wasn't good enough, and the scholarship was needed. Both transferred. Then there was enigmatic power forward Stanley Robinson. Lots of talent, but rarely showing heart. His academics cost him at least the first semester, if not his time at UConn.

Finally it was seeming good news gone wrong with incoming freshman swingman Nate Miles. He managed to get cleared academically by the NCAA, but quickly found himself expelled from the school. He was accused of trying to force a woman -- his girlfriend at the time -- to have sex with him, and then arrested for violating the restraining order she got against him. A whole 20 minutes after he received the order. The complaint was dismissed, but the expulsion still stands.

Pitt
Coach Jamie Dixon got a nice raise and extension. Forward Sam Young did not even test the water in the NBA draft. So the team returns its strong trio with point guard Levance Fields, forward Young and forward/center DeJuan Blair. It could have been a core of four, but the NCAA denied Mike Cook a medical redshirt. The goal of this team is to be the first Pitt team to make the Final Four. A Pitt basketball team has never won more than two NCAA Tournament games -- ever.

The team also has to figure out who will take over for Ronald Ramon at the shooting guard spot. Ramon was the reliable perimeter threat, and it isn't clear who will win the spot. Sophomore Bradley Wanamaker struggled as a freshman, and shot horribly. Junior college transfer Jermaine Dixon will certainly be given a shot, but his outside shooting was not particularly impressive. The spot may fall to one of two incoming freshmen in Travon Woodall or Ashton Gibbs. Both are decent three-point shooters. Woodall is the more accurate of the two, but being able to play defense will really determine which one gets out there.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation: The Big East Conference (Part 2) originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big East Commish Plans Farewell Tour

Charles Rich — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:51:00 EST

Filed under: Louisville Football, Pittsburgh Football, Syracuse Football, West Virginia Football, Big East, Rutgers Football, Georgetown Basketball, Marquette Basketball, Villanova Basketball, Big East Basketball, Cincinnati Football, Connecticut Football, South Florida Football

Well, this will cause some tremors in college sports over the next couple of years. Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese has announced that he will retire in June 2009.

"I am stepping down at this point because I believe it is the right time," added Tranghese. "The Conference is in great shape and it will give my successor the best opportunity to be successful."

Tranghese will have been the Big East Commissioner for 19 years when he steps down. He was the first employee of the Big East conference, the second Big East commissioner.

He was also the force that managed to keep the conference intact and a full member of the BCS after Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech left for the ACC. He prevented the conference from splitting into two conferences -- football schools and basketball schools -- by refusing to choose one over the other.

The football schools needed him because he had the connections and relationships with the other conferences and their commissioners to stay in the BCS. His expansion of the conference into 8 basketball schools (this includes Notre Dame) and 8 football schools. Has surprisingly worked to this point.
The basketball conference, while over sized and causing much teeth-gnashing by the coaches over the toughness has worked. Football, while at least one member short, has actually been much more respectable and better than expected. Both sides are safe economically in the short-term. Something that seemed unlikely 4 years ago.

That doesn't mean there aren't huge issues looming. The 16 Big East teams are still together in no small part because of a formal agreement not to split. That expires in 2010, and will not be extended in any binding manner.

Tranghese is giving the conference a year's notice, in part, because it won't be easy to find a commissioner that will be welcomed strongly by both interests. It actually makes it more likely that the school and conference will hire from within the conference ranks. Someone who already knows everyone and can stroke both sides. Lots of issues will be looming for the next commissioner

The football schools are in need of at least a 9th member to provide balance and another game. Given the costs, it is harder and harder to schedule 5 non-conference games each season. (Notre Dame isn't about to give up it's football independence.) The basketball schools surely don't want a 17th member in basketball and definitely don't want to see the conference tilt further to the football interests (something they already feel has happened).

Forget about rumored "associate" members. Both sides remember Temple all too well.

Then there's the free-floating anxiety over the Big Ten finally letting go of Notre Dame dreams and going to 12 members with Rutgers, Syracuse or Pitt. Or the latest idea that the SEC would actually expand to create a super conference with 2-4 members. Short-term stability may be present, but not long-term.

Sixteen members in all other major sports is too many, and creates higher costs for the member schools in travel budgets. It also reduces the money available to each in basketball when divided that many ways. Which is another reason against further members.

The next commissioner is almost certainly going to deal with a conference split between the 2010 and the end of the Big East TV contract in 2013.

Big East Commish Plans Farewell Tour originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doc Rivers' Son Transferring From Georgetown to Indiana

Shiloh Carder — Wed, 28 May 2008 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown Basketball, Indiana Basketball, Big East Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, Indianapolis, Washington, DC

Hey! Guess what! Some positive news coming out of Bloomington, Indiana. It seems that Jeremiah Rivers -- son of Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers -- is transferring from Georgetown to Indiana.

"It just wasn't a good fit for me at Georgetown and I didn't feel like the offense was really showcasing my talents,'' Rivers told the Star. "I had worked hard at becoming a defensive specialist and that's fine, but I feel like I'm capable of a lot more. I just needed to make a change.''

In a statement released by Georgetown University, Hoyas coach John Thompson III said, "Jeremiah and his family made a decision and determined this was best for him. We appreciate his hard work and wish him best in his future endeavors.''

Rivers averaged just 2.5 ppg, but was an outstanding defensive players ... often checking some of the nation's top scorers. He'll be heading to a defensive minded league and to a program that needs bodies. Of course, that won't help them this year (Indiana has only three returning players) as Rivers must sit out one season per NCAA rules.

Interesting that Rivers chose Indiana. Indiana's new coach is Tom Crean, who used to be the coach at Marquette. Rivers' dad played at Marquette (a long, long, long time before Crean was there) in college.

Rivers also considered Georgia Tech (his dad played seven seasons in Atlanta) and Central Florida (his dad coached the Orlando Magic for five seasons).

Doc Rivers' Son Transferring From Georgetown to Indiana originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 28 May 2008 12:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Georgetown Has Another Departure

Charles Rich — Wed, 21 May 2008 10:08:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown Basketball, Big East Basketball, NCAA Basketball Recruiting

Vernon Macklin has found his new school after deciding that Georgetown wasn't for him. He's heading to Florida.

Meanwhile Doc Rivers kid, Jeremiah, has also decided that Georgetown wasn't showcasing his skills outside of his defense.

Daddy Doc, would have preferred he stayed.

"It's something he wanted to do," said Doc Rivers. "I loved where he was at. He wants to be happy in a different system. He loved Coach [John ] Thompson. I love Coach Thompson. It was a tough one.

"I didn't try [to change his mind] because if I did and it didn't work out then it's Dad's fault. I did try to show him where he was at as far as school. He was playing a lot and had a great chance to start the following year."

He's transferring to either Indiana or Georgia Tech. Indiana is presumed to be the favorite. That would balance things a bit. Another son of a former NBA player, Patrick Ewing, Jr., transferred to Georgetown from Indiana.

Georgetown Has Another Departure originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 21 May 2008 10:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Macklin Leaves a Hole in Georgetown

Charles Rich — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:17:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown Basketball, Big East Basketball

With the graduation of Roy Hibbert and Patrick Ewing, Jr., no player stood to benefit more than Vernon Macklin. The sophomore power forward would likely pick-up a lot more minutes. With two years of the John Thompson III's Princeton Offense under his belt, he would have an edge in knowledge and experience over the incoming, talented front court players of Greg Monroe, Chris Braswell and Henry Sims.

Instead, the former McDonald's All-American has made a very curious decision. He's transferring. There's no indication where, but it has to be assumed that he will be staying in Division I and will have to sit out next year.

Macklin showed flashes this season of his potential but wasn't consistent. The decision for the transfer apparently had to do with Macklin feeling that he should be more of the focus of the team.

Rather, Macklin's decision was based on the advice of those inside his circle but outside the program that his growth as a player was being stunted at Georgetown.

Said the source: "Ticket [Macklin's nickname] chose to listen to what he wanted to hear from some folks outside the program, rather than what he needed to hear from those within it. When expectations don't meet reality, the hardest thing to do is point the finger at yourself."

When Macklin picked Georgetown, it was over ACC schools: UNC, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Wake Forest. Expect a few of them to make a play for Macklin. As will Nebraska.

Macklin Leaves a Hole in Georgetown originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Georgetown's Patrick Ewing Jr. Throws Down a Ridiculous Dunk

Michael David Smith — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:59:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown Basketball, Arkansas Basketball, NCAA Basketball Video

Here's Georgetown's Patrick Ewing Jr. at Thursday night's college basketball dunk contest in San Antonio:

Amazingly, that behind-the-back dunk didn't even get Ewing past the first round of the competition, as his first dunk was incredibly weak. Arkansas senior Sonny Weems won the title. You can see Weems' between-the-legs dunk (which in my view isn't nearly as good as Ewing's) after the jump.

Georgetown's Patrick Ewing Jr. Throws Down a Ridiculous Dunk originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Davidson's Stephen Curry Is the Unquestioned Star of the NCAA Tournament

Michael David Smith — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:48:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, March Madness, NCAA Basketball Video, Davidson Basketball, Midwest

Watch the highlights of Davidson's 74-70 victory over Georgetown yesterday, and one player stands out:

Yes, of course, it's Davidson guard Stephen Curry, who is the unquestioned star of the first two rounds of this year's NCAA Tournament, and who may be emerging as the biggest star of college basketball. Curry is the man everyone is talking about this morning.

The only question that still hasn't been answered satisfactorily is how on earth none of the ACC schools Curry wanted to attend picked up on him. It's the same question people were asking at this time last year. The answer, I guess, is just that recruiting is an inexact science, and on this one, the coaches in ACC country screwed up.

Davidson's Stephen Curry Is the Unquestioned Star of the NCAA Tournament originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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