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.
Yes, times are tough. Everyone is looking to cut costs anywhere. Even athletic departments are not immune. That said, there are efficient cost reductions and there's being just plain cheap. Seton Hall has long been considered on the cheap side with their athletic department. They have skimped on academic support. They play their games off-campus. The college has been known to tap the athletic department budget to make up other budget shortfalls.
This move, however, takes the (undoubtedly moderately-priced and purchased from the supermarket) cake.
There was really little doubt that UConn would win this game. Even if Seton Hall was at home, and had been on a five-game winning streak. The wins had come entirely against the bottom five teams in the Big East -- St. John's, Rutgers (twice), DePaul and Georgetown.
The question about this game was: how would the Huskies look without the injured Jerome Dyson? The answer: decently, as UConn coasted to a 62-54 win.
An embarrassing loss for USC to Seton Hall, 63-61 (PDF). USC was up by 15 at halftime, but could only score 18 points in the final 20 minutes. USC could not score in the second half, shooting 7-29 and making only 4-10 on free throws.
Seton Hall was not that good, but they were consistent in both halves. Shooting around 40% overall and 50% on free throws. The Pirates did play a strong interior defense in the second half that kept the athletic forwards of USC on the perimeter.
Rather than working it inside, the Trojan forwards settled for jumpshots and had no chance for rebounds. USC struggled throughout with Seton Hall's defense. USC turned the ball over nineteen times with Seton Hall getting 14 steals.
Seton Hall was especially impressive as they only played with seven scholarship players, and only six played in double digit minutes. Center/Forward John Garcia was a force inside with 18 rebounds and 11 points. He and Mike Davis completely neutralized the Trojans inside.
USC's guards had a horrible night on offense. Daniel Hackett and Dwight Lewis shot a combined 4-20 and turned the ball over seven times. The concerns noted in the preview of USC really came out in this game. With no depth in the backcourt, there was no one else to help when the starting guards were struggling. The defense was decent, but they couldn't score enough points. There was a lot of standing around as the Trojan players clearly were uncomfortable with each other.
There is no poll declaring the least popular coach in the Big East. That doesn't stop most from assuming that it would be Seton Hall head coach Bobby Gonzalez in a runaway. The excitable, brash and often obnoxious Gonzo is loathed by fans of other teams, disliked by most of his peers, continually berating refs, been chastised by the Big East Commissioner, and suspended for the start of the Big East season this year by his own athletic director.
Really that's quite a list in a little more than two years at Seton Hall.
Now it appears Gonzalez can add the media to that list of those with a distaste for him.
For such a small school, they sure are forcing the NCAA to give them a lot of attention.
There was Michael Glover, being denied academic clearance by the NCAA after enrolling at Seton Hall. Glover decided to file a lawsuit against the NCAA. That went about as expected and has been dismissed.
Then there is the limbo status of Melvyn Oliver. Another academically shaky player that Bobby Gonzalez and Seton Hall signed. The NCAA Clearinghouse has yet to rule on him, and all leaked information suggests that he won't get eligible.
While Lawrence is from New Jersey and has legitimate issues with a seriously ill parent, his academic status will not let him play until at least the second-half of the season, even if he does get the waiver.
As for Herb Pope, he has already had his application denied. So the Pirates are going to be very thin. Well, at least they have Robert "Stix" Mitchell -- a Duquesne transfer -- eligible this year.
As noted by others, all of these appeals and petitions to the NCAA by Seton Hall -- well players that are trying to get eligible to play at Seton Hall -- may be working against the school in the long term. While it's true that every case is treated on its individual merits, Seton Hall is in the middle of far too many of them not to attract extra scrutiny. While they may be treated fairly, they will also be examined much closer.
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 two parts. Part 1 looks at the group of teams that missed the NCAA Tournament last season. Part 2 will 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 two made it out of the opening weekend.
This year the Big East looks to be even better, with four teams being discussed as legitimate Final Four teams, and a lot of strong teams behind them. Some of these teams will make the NCAA Tournament, or at least be perched precariously on the bubble in March.
Herb Pope has reversed course once more -- in just the space of a weekend -- and decided that yes, he will transfer from New Mexico State to Seton Hall. This is fascinating insofar as the three major perspectives of the decision: NMSU, Seton Hall and Herb Pope
The good news for New Mexico State and Marvin Menzies is that they won't have to wonder when Pope will consider another transfer or decide to turn pro. They don't have to be the team worried that he will do something else really stupid, and make them look like a program that will take any player with talent regardless of the baggage. On-the-court, another talented sophomore, Wendell McKines, is staying in Las Cruces after contemplating a transfer. So, there is that.
The downside is obviously losing a very talented, athletic power forward in Pope. After finally getting eligible, Pope immediately improved the Aggies and was very good. The Aggies also stood by Pope when he had to fight the NCAA over his academic eligibility. They didn't flinch when he got a charged with a DUI while still waiting to get approval from the NCAA. New Mexico State put a lot into getting Pope eligible to play, and only got 16 games out of it.
Still it's never good when the school feels a need to issue a press release saying they have not fired their coach.
Seton Hall University President Monsignor Robert Sheeran issued the following statement on Monday regarding men's basketball head coach Bobby Gonzalez.
"Bobby Gonzalez is Seton Hall's Coach and will continue to be our coach as we move ahead.
"I can assure you all that Coach Gonzalez will continue to strengthen our men's basketball program and will be successful in all those areas that matter to the University, the student-athletes and the fans. He has the full support of my administration in doing this."
"Bobby Gonzalez's criticism of Big East officials following the Seton Hall-Rutgers game on March 9 is unacceptable and is not representative of Seton Hall University athletics. The Big East provides the best roster of game officials for our students in the country. They represent the game and the conference with great integrity and dignity. We regret any embarrassment this episode may have brought to the Big East and our fellow institutions."
It certainly doesn't sound like Quinlan did a lot of tossing and turning over the decision. He and Gonzalez aren't destined for a long-term relationship. Unless he starts winning mighty quickly, I wouldn't put my money on Gonzalez as the last man standing either. You can get away with a lot when you win but Gonzalez hasn't done that and, given the strength of the Big East, it doesn't look like he's poised for a great leap forward.
NCAA Basketball seton hall Pirates 
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. 
Yes, times are tough. Everyone is looking to cut costs anywhere. Even athletic departments are not immune. That said, there are efficient cost reductions and there's being just plain cheap. Seton Hall has long been considered on the cheap side with their athletic department. They have skimped on academic support. They play their games off-campus. The college has been known to tap the athletic department budget to make up other budget shortfalls.
There was really little doubt that UConn would win this game. Even if Seton Hall was at home, and had been on a five-game winning streak. The wins had come entirely against the bottom five teams in the Big East -- St. John's, Rutgers (twice), DePaul and Georgetown. 
An embarrassing loss for USC to Seton Hall, 63-61 (PDF). USC was up by 15 at halftime, but could only score 18 points in the final 20 minutes. USC could not score in the second half, shooting 7-29 and making only 4-10 on free throws. 
"The press is the enemy." President Richard M. Nixon.
For such a small school, they sure are forcing the NCAA to give them a lot of attention. 
Herb Pope has reversed course once more -- in just the space of a weekend -- and decided that yes, he will transfer from New Mexico State to Seton Hall. This is fascinating insofar as the three major perspectives of the decision: NMSU, Seton Hall and Herb Pope
At least not this week. Probably not this season.
It's another bad week for Bobby Gonzalez. Yesterday he got ripped by his athletic director for writing a column analyzing the NCAA tournament, which came on the heels of getting ripped by his athletic director for driving the wrong way down one-way streets near Seton Hall's campus, and today he got ripped for his behavior during the final Big East game of the year against Rutgers. 
