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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Marquette Slides Without Dominic James

Chas Rich — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:13:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette, Syracuse, Big East

Losing three games against the top three teams in the Big East, with two of the games coming on the road would not be that big a deal. Especially with your starting point guard out with an injury. It hurt Marquette's seed a bit, but they could still show that they are a top-25 team to end the season. Turns out, the Golden Eagles are in free fall.

Falling at home, on senior day in overtime to Syracuse was the clincher. The Orange are nearly as depth-challenged as the Golden Eagles, so it was not depth that cost Marquette. Simply put, Marquette does not have enough good players to challenge other teams at this point.

No. 25 Syracuse 86, No. 13 Marquette 79: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

Marquette can expect a disappointing seed and a quick exit in the NCAA at this point.

Marquette made a late comeback to tie the game and send it to overtime. In the extra five minutes, though, it was Marquette that could not contain the Syracuse guards. Jonny Flynn and Andy Rautins scored 11 of the Orange's 13 points to lead Syracuse.

Marquette panicked early and hoisted threes that just did not fall. Marquette shot only 1-for-8 from the field and only one shot came from inside the arc. Barring a big run in the Big East Tournament, the Golden Eagles have slid to at least a No. 6 seed for the NCAA Tournament.

Marquette Slides Without Dominic James originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pitt Runs Marquette to Exhaustion

Chas Rich — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:45:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette, Pittsburgh, Big East

The offense was more vibrant, the swing in the score more violent, but much like Marquette's Sunday game with Louisville, the Golden Eagles just did not have enough depth to stay in the game. Marquette, without Dominic James, simply does not enough bodies to survive against the top teams. Especially teams that play physical.

Pitt, while not comfortable as the No. 1 team, clearly wants a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers shot over 60% in both halves, and just kept coming at Marquette with more bodies and scoring options.

No. 3 Pitt 90, No. 13 Marquette 75: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

Pitt had five players score in double figures. Marquette could not defend inside with DeJuan Blair. When they tried to collapse on Blair, Sam Young or Gilbert Brown were able to drive to the basket. Or Pitt could let Levance Fields and Jermaine Dixon take shots from outside.

Marquette stayed with Pitt for most of the first half, and came out hot in the second half because they were extremely hot from outside. They even built a very brief 9 point lead in the second half. They did it thanks to shooting 10-for-17 on three-point shots. The problem was that kind of reliance on the three-ball never lasts. Marquette proceeded to miss their next nine threes.

Part of the reason the Marquette offense went south, was simply tired legs. The Marquette offense is now reliant on Lazar Hayward, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews. The three provided 61 of the team's 75 points. They also played 115 of 120 available minutes. As the second half wore on, you could see them getting slower and the legs having less lift on shots.

This is the problem Marquette faces in the NCAA Tournament. The lack of depth and being forced to play their three best players this much, late in the season. It does not bode well for the Golden Eagles.

Pitt looked extremely comfortable all night. After two road games last week, they clearly were happy to be home. It makes Saturday's game in Pittsburgh against UConn even bigger. Pitt has not lost at home all season. UConn has not lost on the road all season.

Pitt Runs Marquette to Exhaustion originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patrick Mills' Return Should Lift St. Mary's Into Tourney

Adam Papagiorgio — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 02:59:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette, WCC, Mid-Majors, St. Mary's (CA)

Point guard Patrick Mills has been cleared to play in the WCC tournament which begins in Las Vegas on Sunday. (Don't ask why that conference chose Sin City of all places.) That's great news that not only greatly increases St. Mary's conference tournament chances, but also should impact the Gaels at-large bid hopes.

St. Mary's isn't in the tournament right now -- not according to any of the mock brackets out there. But should St. Mary's be given the benefit of the doubt in this instance? Should the tournament selection committee consider Mills' injury while figuring out the tournament resume of the Gaels? Uh, yeah.

And for that reason, St. Mary's should be given an at-large bid in the tournament.
Now a lot of you might take offense to this. Mainly because you are big school snobs who would rather see the eighth place team from the Big Ten make the tournament over a deserving mid-major. (And yes, it's dangerous to generalize, but play along.)

But when your postseason championship is, in large part, determined by a committee, then everything should be a factor. NCAA basketball isn't as cut and dry as, say, football. There is no selection committee in the NFL that weighs Tom Brady's injury and decides to give the Patriots a playoff bid over the Ravens. Though, that would be a pretty cool idea.

The NCAA however, does have conference winners. You have the conference winners, and then you have at large bids. Committee members will sit in a room and hash out the remaining bids. The committee will consider schedule, quality wins and a number of factors. And if a team lost its star point guard for a large chunk of the season, that team should be given the benefit of the doubt. Especially if that player is returning. If Mills was out for the season, I wouldn't be pushing for this. But when your participants are so subjective, taking injuries into consideration should play a big part.

And likewise, if a team loses its point guard for the season and he doesn't return, then the committee should consider that too and rule against them. Right Marquette? That team is completely different without Dominic James and shouldn't even be considered for the tournament right now.

St. Mary's with Mills is certainly an at-large team. And my hunch is that St. Mary's probably wins the WCC tournament to make this point moot. Still, it shouldn't come to that and hopefully the tournament selection committee does the right thing.

Patrick Mills' Return Should Lift St. Mary's Into Tourney originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 02:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Louisville Wears Down Marquette

Chas Rich — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 14:25:00 EST

Filed under: Louisville, Marquette, Big East

Marquette gave it a battle. In their first full game without Dominic James, the Golden Eagles would get a big test against Louisville. The two teams went back and forth in the first half, but Louisville slowly took the lead and never let go, yet Marquette always kept the game within a couple of scores.

Marquette's lack of depth caught up to them in the second half, though. Late in the game you could see the Marquette players were just a step slow, their shots falling just a little short, their legs offering less lift.

No. 6 Louisville 62, No. 8 Marquette 58: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

To win in Freedom Hall against this Louisville team, the entire Marquette team -- especially the guards -- had to have a very good game. That did not happen.

While Wesley Matthews did what he could, Jerel McNeal had a horrible game, finishing with only 10 points on 3-for-19 shooting. Maurice Acker only took five shots made just one. David Cubillan could not bring himself to pull the trigger the entire game. That only increased the onus in the backcourt on Matthews and McNeal. It also made it that much easier for Louisville to focus their defensive effort on the two.

That is something that Marquette is going to be facing the rest of the season. Without the threat of James attacking the basket -- to say nothing of his passes to find open shooters -- Marquette becomes easier to defend. Dominic James by himself averaged over five assists per game. Without him, Marquette only managed seven assists for the game. The ability to utilize Lazar Hayward and Chris Burke inside just did not happen. The Golden Eagles, all too often, were stuck passing along the perimeter and eventually McNeal or Matthews taking a shot.

While Louisville is playing the typically aggressive, pressing defense expected from a Rick Pitino team, the offense is really sharing the ball well as well. Louisville continues to look like a team starting to peak at the right time.

Louisville Wears Down Marquette originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 14:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Calhoun Tops Marquette for Win No. 800

Chas Rich — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:18:00 EST

Filed under: Connecticut, Marquette, Big East

Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun is now a member of one of college basketball's most exclusive coaching fraternities, winning his 800th game, topping Marquette. The two-time national champion coach is just the seventh Division-I men's coach to crack the 800-win mark and is just five wins from passing Eddie Sutton for sixth all time.

And as a bonus, the game meant plenty for the Huskies' March aspirations.

UConn 93, Marquette 82: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

With the road win over Marquette, the Huskies' grip on a No. 1 seed seems even firmer.

That UConn won on the road isn't surprising, they've yet to lose away from home. But then again, Marquette had been perfect at the Bardley center. Something had to give, and it turned out to be Marquette's interior and Dominic James' ankle.

It was an obvious blow to Marquette to be without Dominic James, who went down early and was likely lost for the season. Still, the Golden Eagles hung with the Huskies most of the game. Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews did what they could to pick-up the slack by combining for 46 points. The problem is that it came on a combined 15-for-40 shooting to get those points. That left only 24 shot attempts for the rest of the team.

UConn just had too much for Marquette. Price was incredibly hot, scoring a career high 34 points (including eight from behind the arc). This on a team that attempts a little more than nine three-point shots per game. Hasheem Thabeet had a typically effective game with 14 points and 15 boards. The other scoring came mainly from Stanley Robinson who abused Marquette defenders mainly by driving the baseline for slams as he put in 19.

Marquette is obviously in some real trouble because of the injury to James, not because they lost to the No. 2 team in the country; they are a lot less scary with the 5-foot-8 Maurice Acker starting at guard.

UConn is now in control of winning the Big East regular season. They are tied with Louisville at the top of the conference standings, but hold the tie-breaker over the Cardinals. If they can win their last two games over Notre Dame and at Pitt they will win the conference and almost assuredly clinch a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament regardless of what would happen in the Big East Tournament.

Calhoun Tops Marquette for Win No. 800 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dominic James Out for the Year

Chas Rich — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:10:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette, Big East, Injuries

Marquette has arguably the best backcourt in college basketball with Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews. Each player is a talented guard that defends well, and is capable of hitting threes and driving to the basket. Add in the fact that all three are seniors that have played together for their entire career, and you will not find a backcourt in the country that can match that combination of talent and experience.

What Marquette does not have at the guard spot, though, is depth. That is now a major problem as point guard Dominic James went down very early in Wednesday's game against UConn with a left foot injury. After the half, the report came out that James suffered a fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his left foot. Shortly after the game, Marquette coach Buzz Williams announced that James would get surgery immediately. The consequences of this, is that James season and career at Marquette are now over.

This is a big blow for Marquette. James leads the teams in assists with 5.3 per game and is the fourth-leading scorer, to say nothing of being a senior leader.

They really only give Maurice Acker and Jimmy Butler serious minutes at the guard spots. Junior David Cubillan has seen his minutes fall from over 21 per game as a freshman down to a mere nine per game. In Big East play, he has not played more than nine minutes in a game and has three DNPs. As Cublilan's minutes have diminished, so has his offensive productivity. His shooting percentage has fallen off a cliff.

Marquette now goes from fighting to win the Big East, and a possible two or three seed looking for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, to a very flawed team. A huge loss and disappointment to a season that looked like it could be something special.

Dominic James Out for the Year originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marquette Loses First Big East Game

Chas Rich — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:17:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette, Big East

The South Florida Bulls upset Marquette in Tampa 57-56. A surprising first conference loss for the Golden Eagles, but easily explained by some of their numbers. That will happen when they shoot 4-for-24 on three-point shots and 10-for-23 on free throws.

Even with such abysmal shooting by Marquette, the Bulls still came very close to losing. Dominique Jones was able to drive and score with just under 16 seconds left in the game for the final lead. Marquette still had plenty of time, but Wesley Matthews' short jumper wouldn't go and the putback by Lazar Hayward failed to fall as the horn sounded.
The tremendously bad shooting by Marquette allowed South Florida to lead most of the game. Even as Jerel McNeal appeared to be the only one keeping Marquette in the the game with his 22 points, he was also part of the problem -- a 76-percent free throw shooter that could only hit 6-for-12 in this game.

The Bulls were outrebounded. They got to the free throw line half as much as the Golden Eagles. The Bulls guard play surprisingly was better than Marquette's triumvirate. Jesus Verdejo went for 21 points and was able to penetrate and get to the rim consistently.

There was no logical explanation for Marquette to have lost this game other than the fact that it had a really, really bad night shooting. The Bulls are not some sort of matchup problem for Marquette; They did not have some wildly creative gameplan; They did not have a big shooting night. USF scored only 57 points, less than their usual 61 points.

Marquette Loses First Big East Game originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Providence Player's Brother Still Jailed After Rushing Court

Will Brinson — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette, Big East, Fans, Media Watch, Police Blotter, Rumors

Jonathan Xavier just wanted to defend his brother, Jeff, a guard for the Providence Friars. No, honestly -- that's the only reason he stormed onto the court during Providence's game against Marquette last week.

The bigger problem isn't that he was arrested, though. It's that he was already on probation, and that by storming the floor, he may have violated said probation. And now he's still in jail while a judge determines that very issue.

Xavier, 24, is charged with disorderly conduct. A hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 10 for a judge to decide whether he also violated his probation in the incident.

[...]State prosecutors said Xavier pleaded no contest in 2005 to three drug charges. He received a six year sentence but only had to serve eight months, with the remainder suspended.

That suspended sentence, naturally, came with probation. And you have to believe that someone convicted of three drug charges less than four years ago who commits a seemingly violent act is going to be viewed poorly by a judge.

The good news for both Jeff Xavier and the Friars is that the District Attorney is making a point to state that this case is "not about Jeff Xavier" and instead will be focused on "the dumb and dangerous decision of a person who happens to be his brother."

Providence Player's Brother Still Jailed After Rushing Court originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:15:00 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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Notre Dame Now Has Home Losing Streak

Chas Rich — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:09:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette, Notre Dame, Big East

After 45 straight wins at home, it seems there is some correction taking place. The Fighting Irish dropped their second straight home game, this time 71-64 to Marquette. More problematically, it was their fourth straight loss overall.

The opponent may be different, but the same game plan applies. Play Luke Harangody straight up. He's going to score and rebound, so to some extent you concede his double-double. Then don't lose Kyle McAlarney -- ever. Stay tight on him, don't let him get a screen. Just keep him from getting clean looks on a jump shot. Either McAlarney will defer or he will be putting up a lot of contested shots. After that, you dare anyone else for Notre Dame to beat you.
Marquette executed that strategy perfectly. Harangody had an impressive performance with 29 points and 17 rebounds. Kyle McAlarney, though, was held to nine points on 3-for-12 shooting, and only 1-for-6 from behind the arc. That put the onus on the other players to provide the offense. That just did not happen -- again.

The Irish bench provided nothing, missing all 10 shot attempts. The other three starters provided just 26 points. Despite Notre Dame's reputation as a team that plays offense first and defense with little zest, the Irish have been killed on offense. The lack of a reliable, consistent third scoring threat has taken a toll on them in conference play.

Marquette, on the other hand, has no such problem with scoring options. Jerel McNeal led the way with 27 points and was absolutely devastating. Yet, Wesley Matthews, Dominic James and Lazar Hayward all finished with double-digit scoring. There was never a point where the Golden Eagles looked concerned or felt they had to force the ball to one player. Even as the game stayed tight the entire second half, and Notre Dame was at home with the crowd, it seemed that Marquette was not in any real danger and had the confidence to do what it wanted when it needed to.

Marquette has reached a 7-0 start in Big East play to sit atop the conference with Louisville. Marquette may have plenty of questions regarding their bench production, lack of size, a first-year head coach, and a rather soft start to the conference slate. So what? They are winning. It's all they can do.

And right now, it's a heckuva lot more than Notre Dame is doing.

Notre Dame Now Has Home Losing Streak originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Screwy Hoops Fans, Part II: Jeff Xavier's Bro Comes Out of Stands to Face Refs

Tom Herrera — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 09:05:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette, Big East, Fans, Video

Saturday was a big day in college hoops. A new No. 1 squad was likely crowned. UNC put some doubts to rest ... at least for now. And fans launched into a full-blown madness a couple of months in advance.

Brinson shared some video from the Clemson-Wake Forest tilt of the flying plancha a student took onto Demon Deacons center Chas McFarland. But that incident paled in comparison to the wackiness that would ensue in Providence following a hard shot on Friars guard Jeff Xavier with 17:13 left to play.

After Xavier was knocked from the game on a non-call with his eye swollen shut, his brother Jonathan (pictured right), actually came down from the stands and jumped over the Providence bench to confront the referees.

You can catch video evidence of the scuffle right around the 1:51 mark below:

Xavier also looked really agitated at the lack of a whistle (and the fact that his eye was completely closed by the scrape). It even escalated to the point where Marquette coach Buzz Williams threatened to pull his players off the court, but security quickly escorted Xavier's brother away, and Jonathan would later be charged with disorderly conduct at the Providence police station.

"I told the officials, 'We'll leave, because that's extremely dangerous,"' Williams said. "I saw the guy coming out of the stands. Forget the game; I'm going to protect the guys. I'm going to protect those guys no matter what."

The No. 14 Golden Eagles would rally from a 13-point deficit for a rather interesting 91-82 victory.

Did You See That?

The field clears a fence during the New Season Handicap Steeplechase during the at Ludlow Racecourse on September 16, 2008 in Ludlow, England.

Emanuele Canonica of Italy helps his caddie in the rescue of a pigeon from the water around the 18th green during the first round of the Portugal Masters at the Oceanico Victoria Golf Course on October 16, 2008 in Vilamoura, Portugal.

A multiexposure image showing Britain's Andy Murray returning to Croatian Marin Cilic during a last sixteen tennis match at the Madrid Masters in Madrid on October 16, 2008. Andy Murray won 7-5, 7-6.

English football fans dressed in armours and tunics play in a friendly match against Belarus fans in Minsk on October 15, 2008 before the start of the Belarus vs. England 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier of European group 6 match.

Travis Brigley (R) of Hamburg fights with Matt Keith (L) of Ingolstadt during the DEL match between Hamburg Freezers and ERC Ingolstadt at the Color Line Arena on October 14, 2008 in Hamburg, Germany.

Russian Nikolay Davydenko returns a ball to US Robby Ginepri during a second round tennis match at the Masters in Madrid on October 15, 2008.

A golf ball which has been enveloped by the tree over many years is pictured during the pro-am for the Portugal Masters at the Oceanico Victoria Golf Course on October 15, 2008 in Vilamoura, Portugal.

Andy Murray of Great Britain plays football during his training session prior to his thrid round match tomorrow at the Madrid Masters tennis tournament at the Madrid Arena on October 15, 2008 in Madrid, Spain.

Samuel Peter from Nigeria gets a punch from Vitali Klitschko of Ukraine during their WBC heavyweight boxing world championship fight in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008. Klitschko won the fight after round nine due to technical knock out.

Herbert Knosowski, AP

Japan's Kyoko Hamaguchi (lower) fights with China's Hong Yan (red) during the semi-final of the 72kg class of the Women's Wrestling World Championships in Tokyo on October 13, 2008. Hong defeated Hamaguchi and will face Bulgaria's Stanka Zlateva in the final.

Yoshikazu Tsuno, AFP/Getty Images

Screwy Hoops Fans, Part II: Jeff Xavier's Bro Comes Out of Stands to Face Refs originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 09:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marquette Just Outworks West Virginia

Chas Rich — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:05:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette, West Virginia, Big East

After trailing at halftime through a mostly tight game, Marquette just blew it open. It was 52-48 Marquette with eight minutes left, but the Mountaineers only scored five more points. Marquette blew West Virginia out of the Bradley Center late for a 75-53 win.

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins and many WVU fans will no doubt point to the 27 free throw attempts for the Golden Eagles versus only 10 for the Mountaineers as the main reason for the loss. Heck, Huggins got a technical during that stretch while arguing with an official during a timeout. That wasn't why West Virginia lost. The Mountaineers were simply outworked and out-hustled by a smaller, faster team.

Marquette ended up with a slight rebounding advantage for the game despite having a size advantage inside. A mere plus-two in rebounds may not seem like much, but against a team like Marquette that shoots a lot of jumpers and does not have much size inside it is a big deal.

That was strictly due to the Golden Eagles moving to the ball and being in better position. All the while the Mountaineers stood around waiting for the ball to come to them. That not only put Marquette in a position to get the board, but it frustrated West Virginia players into dumb fouls as they realized too late that they weren't getting the rebound.

In the first half, Marquette was completely held in check. They only shot 33 percent and were a dismal 1-for-10 on three-point shooting. West Virginia even kept Marquette off the free throw line, with only six free throw attempts. Despite that, West Virginia only held a 31-29 lead. Why? Because Marquette kept getting second and third chances off of rebounds.

It is just odd to see a team coached by Huggins get outworked on the glass this consistently. It happened against UConn earlier in the week, but that was excused due to UConn's superior size and talent in the front court. No such excuse exists for getting beaten on the glass by Marquette other than desire and hustle.

Marquette Just Outworks West Virginia originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chris Wright Gets Nearly 70 Inches of Elevation on Way to the Hoop

Chas Rich — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:09:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette, A-10, Big East, Video

In case you missed it over the Thanksgiving weekend, this is one of the best dunks you may see all year.

That was Chris Wright of Dayton, flying over Marquette's Maurice Acker . Wright is 6-8 while Acker is 5-8. Wright really got some air under himself.

Chris Wright Gets Nearly 70 Inches of Elevation on Way to the Hoop originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Recap of the FanHouse 2008 Semi-Preseason BlogPoll

Shiloh Carder — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, Connecticut, Davidson, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, LSU, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee, UCLA, UNC, UNLV, USC, Wake Forest, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Mid-Majors, Pac-10, SEC, NCAA Basketball BlogPoll, Fans, University of Miami

Well, there you have it. The FanHouse Preseason College Hoops BlogPoll for 2008 is complete.

The voting for No. 1 was not close. North Carolina was atop every single ballot. UCLA, Louisville and UConn usually followed in a variety of orders. From there, it was a typical free-for-all as there is a glut of teams from No. 5 to No. 12 that was very fluid.

The poll also had some newcomers to it. Davidson is now a household name; St. Mary's will soon be; UNLV is back on the map while schools like Arizona State, Miami-FL and Wake Forest are primed to make their move. Defending champion Kansas didn't make the cut.

Still, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The top two ranked teams were in the Final Four last year, UConn takes back its place among the elite and six of last March's Elite Eight are ranked in the top twenty.

Will we be wrong with this poll? Of course! Heck, our No. 2 team has already been beaten. But name me the last time the Associated Press or the coaches got their preseason poll completely right. The key is that these teams will be the ones to know when March Madness rolls around.

Big thanks to all the bloggers across the internets for lending a hand and breaking down these teams.

1 - North Carolina Tar Heels
2 - UCLA Bruins
3 - UConn Huskies
4 - Louisville Cardinals
5 - Michigan State Spartans
6 - Gonzaga Bulldogs
7 - Oklahoma Sooners
8 - Pittsburgh Panthers
9 - Purdue Boilermakers
10 - Memphis Tigers
11 - Texas Longhorns
12 - Duke Blue Devils
13 - Miami-FL Hurricanes
14 - Arizona State Sun Devils
15 - Notre Dame Fighting Irish
16 - Wake Forest Demon Deacons
17 - Tennessee Volunteers
18 - UNLV Runnin' Rebels
19 - St. Mary's Gaels
20 - Davidson Wildcats
21 - Florida Gators
22 - Marquette Golden Eagles
23 - LSU Tigers
24 - USC Trojans
25 - Syracuse Orange

Recap of the FanHouse 2008 Semi-Preseason BlogPoll originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse NCAA Hoops BlogPoll: No. 22, Marquette Golden Eagles

Chas Rich — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:06:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette, Big East, NCAA Basketball BlogPoll

This week, FanHouse is taking a look at the top teams heading into 2008 with a BlogPoll decided on by our college hoops bloggers. To help with the team capsules, we've brought in some of the top fan bloggers around the internets to give us insights on their teams.

For the Marquette Golden Eagles, Tim Blair of Cracked Sidewalks gives us the inside view on the Golden Eagles.

After a nine-year run that brought Marquette basketball back to consistent national prominence for the first time in decades, Tom Crean abruptly ended his tenure in Milwaukee and the reigns were passed unexpectedly to Brent "Buzz" Williams. Williams, an assistant at MU for just one season after his own abrupt departure from the University of New Orleans, is now tasked with building on the Golden Eagles' recent success.

Luckily for Williams, Marquette returns all five starters from last year's 25-10 squad which lost at the buzzer in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Golden Eagles will be led once again by one of the nation's best backcourts, senior running mates Dominic James, Wesley Matthews and Jerel McNeal. The trio has combined to start an incredible 276 games in their careers, serving as the foundation for the program since it entered the BIG EAST four years ago. After elevating the program to a consistently competitive level, this season will define their legacy. Can the Golden Eagles break through to compete for the BIG EAST title and win a pair of games in March?

Why they should be ranked here:
The Golden Eagles are one of just two teams in the country to boast a trio of 1,000 point scorers -- James, Matthews and McNeal. These guards personify the program and with their veteran leadership, toughness and overall productivity, the Golden Eagles believe they can beat anybody in the country. Combo forward Lazar Hayward was one of the more pleasant surprises in the conference last year, averaging 13 points and 6 rebounds per game. Factoring in MU's strong defensive presence -- the Golden Eagles were second in the Big East in steals, three-point field goal percentage defense and turnover margin -- and it's clear that Buzz Williams' undersized squad can create matchup problems for the opposition.

Why they should be ranked higher:
College basketball is a guard game and few teams in the country have a better backcourt than Marquette. A return to health from sharpshooting David Cubillan, who cratered late last year before undergoing surgery on both shoulders in the off-season. Then there is the presence of waterbug-like point guard Maurice Acker, and the addition of junior college transfer Jimmy Butler. This should provide Buzz Williams with a host of interchangeable parts that will cause fits for opponents. More importantly, it appears that Williams will let his veteran lineup read and react to the flow of the game, particularly on offense. This relaxed perspective is a far cry from the heavy-handed style of Tom Crean, who routinely interrupted the flow of the game to control the offense from the sidelines.

Why they should be ranked lower:
Marquette has had an inability to surround its gifted guards with adequately skilled post players. It remains not only a great mystery, but the primary reason why this program has not made a run deep into March since 2003. Marquette enters the season with senior Dwight Burke (2.5 ppg last season) penciled in as the starting center. Burke is joined by promising 6'10" freshman Chris Otule and little used 6'7" sophomore Patrick Hazel on the front line. The dearth of frontline talent means Lazar Hayward will once again play out of position as a power forward.

Unfortunately for Marquette, Otule suffered a broken metatarsal in his left foot last week and will be out for at least a month. The addition of 6'6" junior college forward Joe Fulce should help with depth along the baseline when he returns from injury late next month, but until then the Golden Eagles are extraordinarily thin down low.

Tim Blair and the rest of the guys at Cracked Sidewalks stay on top of Marquette basketball all year long. There is no better place to get your Golden Eagle fix.

FanHouse NCAA Hoops BlogPoll: No. 22, Marquette Golden Eagles originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:06:00 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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Marquette Chooses a Quiet Buzz

Charles Rich — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:26:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette Basketball, Big East Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches, NCAA Basketball Recruiting

I don't know if Marquette wanted to see what its national relevance was, or if they just wanted to slip this past people, but the Golden Eagles hired their new head coach on the night of the NCAA Tournament Championship. Assistant Buzz Williams was promoted for the now departed to Indiana, Tom Crean.

Williams was an assistant for one year at Marquette. Before that he was the head coach at the University of New Orleans for a single season before leaving the job. He was at Texas A&M the prior two season as an assistant and the lead recruiter for Billy Gillispie. Williams' biggest strength is that he is an excellent recruiter.

"He is a tenacious guy," Gillispie, now the coach at Kentucky, said last month, referring to Williams' ability to recruit. "He's very, very well-organized. He just goes after it. Everyone likes him. If they don't start out liking him, he forces them to like him.

"And he's not only a good recruiter, he is a very, very good basketball coach. He . . . is a total basketball coach and a guy that gives you the best chance to win over the long haul."

This hire seems in part to try and keep Marquette's excellent incoming recruiting class in tact. Already, a couple players have asked out of their Letters of Intent (LOI).

The most notable and vocal being Tyshawn Taylor out of New Jersey. Taylor has his high school coach, the legendary Bob Hurley, Sr. as his advocate.

"No disrespect but that (Buzz Williams) was not the reason why this kid went to Marquette," Hurley said.

Taylor now wants to reconsider Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech at a minimum. He's not ruling out Marquette, but Hurley and Taylor want the freedom to decide without restrictions. Under Big East conference rules, though, Taylor cannot sign with another Big East school even if released from his LOI. The Big East is very strict about that.

Hurley is very protective of his players, and wants to be sure it will be a situation where his players will thrive. Taylor is a guard, and under Crean's system the guards at Marquette were the focal point and have been coached and developed well. Hurley isn't as sure that a new coach at Marquette will do things the same -- or provide the same coaching.

Technically, Taylor and Hurley can't make Marquette do anything. Realistically, Hurley is the head coach at St. Anthony's in New Jersey. One of the top high school basketball programs in the country. With top recruits on his squad every year, no university really wants to be on Hurley's bad side.

Marquette Chooses a Quiet Buzz originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blogger Look-In: Post-Crean Marquette

Charles Rich — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:07:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette Basketball, Indiana Basketball, Big East Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

After 9 years at Marquette, Tom Crean left for Indiana. He was formally introduced at a press conference in Bloomington, Indiana. He spoke glowingly of his time at Marquette, but said it simply came down to the chance to coach Indiana.

FanHouse checked in with Cracked Sidewalks, the best Marquette blog out there. Tim Blair, who posts under the moniker of "NY Warrior" regarding Marquette's next move and Tom Crean.

Chas Rich (CR): So, now Crean has left after several years of seeing his name floated for nearly every job opening. Amazingly, this one seemed to come out of no where.

The first question has to be the feelings of Marquette fans on what seems like a sudden event.

Tim Blair (TB): Sadness, anger, and surprise.

CR: There seemed to be some increasingly mixed feelings about Crean emerging in the past couple years from MU fans. I'm guessing it was due to the mix of Crean's name showing up on the annual coaching carousel, Marquette redoing his contract every other year, the performance in the Big East and NCAA Tournaments. Was there anything else?

TB: The annual coaching carousel was not much of a factor, but winning in March was an issue for some fans.

The 2003 Final Four set the bar incredibly high for Tom Crean. Despite re-energizing a moribund program and successfully competing in the Big East, the 2003 season was fast becoming an albatross for him. He shed that in 2007 with a fine performance in the Big East tournament and by winning an NCAA tournament game for the first time sans Wade.

Still, some fans would argue that Crean didn't win enough in March and feared the program had plateaued. After all, the logic says, Crean drew the salary of an elite coach but couldn't justify that hefty paycheck when it mattered most.

The fear of the unknown though, is what complicates matters for MU. MU's new AD, Steve Cottingham, has been on the job for 37 days -- and he's never been an AD before. That should give any MU alum reason to worry just a bit, but as long as Fr. Wild is at Marquette the program will remain a priority for the administration.

MU has changed substantially in the past decade since the last coaching search. Thanks to Fr. Wild, Crean, alums and the rest of the administration, the Marquette job is a very good one now and should attract a stronger pool of candidates than many expect

CR: So the belief/hope is that Fr. Wild will exercise strong oversight over AD Cottingham?

TB: I believe so. In the past, Fr. Wild indicated that investing in the men's basketball program was a core part of his vision for the university -- there's no reason to think that will change now. Greg Kleibhan, MU's SVP, is also part of the core team of administrators who will certainly be involved in this process -- a good thing, since he's been a strong advocate for the program in the past.

CR: There's no question, MU has shown the willingness to pay, with every time they have stepped up for Crean. Is the assumption that MU will look to a more established coach rather than snag a hot assistant?

TB: That's the hope. Marquette should be past hiring the 'hot young assistant' or the proven re-tread. Faced with the competing in the Big East, I expect MU to aggressively pursue a high-energy, successful young coach with a proven ability to recruit and sustain a program.

CR: So, you think Darrin Horn is wishing he had waited a few more days to decide about the South Carolina job? [Darrin Horn was an assistant under Tom Crean at Marquette from 1999-2003.]

TB: Horn might have been quick on the draw with that job, yes. He would have been at or near the top of the list for Marquette.

CR: I understand Kevin O'Neill is looking for work (again).

TB: As always, it seems.

While Kevin did a fine job for Marquette years ago [1989-1994], the university should look elsewhere for its next coach.

CR: Very diplomatic of you.

TB: :-)

The timing is right for MU to land a terrific coach. The roster is flush with talent, the 2009 recruiting class is solid, the facilities are top-notch, attendance is strong and of course you have the nation's best conference. Expectations are high for this hire, as they should be. Marquette is a very good job.

CR: Are there some coaches you have on your personal list? The hot name on every coach search seems to be Xavier's Sean Miller, but I have also seen reports that he has a buyout of $2 million and actually restricted from a job jump this year at least.

TB: My top five are Sean Miller, Tony Bennett, Scott Drew, Travis Ford and Anthony Grant. Miller or Bennett would be ideal fits for different reasons, but each would carry a hefty price tag.

CR: Are there any assistants on the staff who should at least be considered to be elevated to the top spot and why or why not?

TB: The current group of MU assistants is the best of the Crean era. Tim Buckley, Bennie Seltzer and Buzz Williams could emerge as candidates. Each is a distinguished recruiter, Buckley was the head coach at Ball State, and Williams was the head coach at New Orleans for a brief period of time.

The only way I could see them surface as viable candidates for the job would be if MU strikes out on a number of other key targets, or decides to keep things in-house in hopes of maintaining the current roster and the 2009 recruiting class.

CR: Not exactly a spring chicken, but in every other respect he seems like a perfect fit, what about the girthy Rick Majerus? A Marquette grad, served as an assistant under Al McGuire and was head coach from 1983-86.

TB: Majerus is a proven winner and program builder, but I think MU should look for a younger, longer-term solution.

CR: I guess for Jerel McNeal and Dominic James there is also a question of whether they want to play for a new coach at Marquette ?

TB: I'm sure every player is going through that now. I expect McNeal to do the same, including testing the NBA draft, he should return though.

I'd expect that MU won't grant any releases for current scholarship players or signed recruits until after a new coach is hired and has a chance to meet with the team.

Blogger Look-In: Post-Crean Marquette originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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