Pittsburgh

Rise and Fall: Big East Program Review

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:36:38 -0700

Like civilizations, all great basketball programs eventually fall.. replaced by an upstart newcomer. In this week's Rise & Fall series, we'll take a look at which BCS programs are rising, falling, or merely treading water. Up today, the:

BIG EAST

*Note that the Big East is ridiculously big so commentary for each team will be a bit shorter than other leagues..

CINCINNATI - DECLINING (SLOWLY)

This is a but misleading.. because Cincy was a surprise team last year, and could be even better in 08-09. But still, just a handful of years ago, this was a premier program. The reality is, take away Bob Huggins, and why would a stud prospect (outside of a local kid like Yancy Gates) choose UofC as compared to another Big East school?

CONNECTICUT - STATUS QUO (BARELY)

Similar to Duke in the ACC, UCONN is still chugging along.. but there are definitely signs of slippage. Recent big time recruits either bolted for the pros, haven't panned out, or got into extracurricular troubles. While the Huskies should be a Final Four contender in Detroit, I get the sense that Coach Calhoun's biggest glory days are in the past.

DEPAUL - DECLINING (SLOWLY)

At multiple points in the past decade, it looked like DePaul basketball would get back on the map in a big way, but it just hasn't happened. While there's some hope here, Mac Koshwal has All-Big East potential, sub .500 records are likely the next two seasons.

GEORGETOWN - RISING (QUICKLY)
The Hoyas RPI has risen each of the last 5 years from 142nd in '04 to 7th last year. While a slight step back is expected, the future is still extremely bright. JT3 now has the ability to bring in big time talent, and he's already proven that his system wins games.

LOUISVILLE - STATUS QUO

This was a tough one.. because unlike UCONN above, the Cards still have positive momentum and could reach new heights in coming seasons. What's worrisome is how so many big-name, top-level prospects have fizzled out since committing. For every success, there's been an NBA exit, academic issues, transfers, unhappiness, etc. While this year's group looks like a Final Four contender, not once in the past decade have the Cardinals finished with a Top 10 team (RPI-wise).

NOTRE DAME - RISING (SLOWLY)

Luke Harangody has been a huge find for Mike Brey (who got a 2-year contract extension this morning). His emergence, along with steady improvement in recent seasons has created a good buzz around the Irish, leading quality players like Scott Martin and Ben Hansbrough to join the program. This could be ND's first Top Ten team in years.

MARQUETTE - STATUS QUO

There's a real mix of positive and negative vibes going on in Marquette. On the negative end, the loss of Tom Cream seems like a big downer as does the weak '07 and '08 recruiting hauls. On the positive side though, the team has improved each of the last few years, should be quite good again this year, and there's big names attached to the program in '09.

PITTSBURGH - STATUS QUO

The Panthers great success over the past decade is still unknown to most of the general public. What I'd worry about as a Panther fan though is next season after Fields and Young graduate, and Blair possibly moves on to the pros.

PROVIDENCE - DECLINING (QUICKLY)

The last two seasons have been pretty hideous, and though you have to figure things will improve this season, beyond that is a huge question mark. The program hasn't added a decent recruit since Dwain Williams in '05 and there's nothing exciting on the horizon this season (Bilal Dixon isn't that good) or next.

RUTGERS - RISING (SLOWLY)

Call this the nowhere to go but up category. No one's certain Fred Hill can coach, but with talent like Corey Chandler, Mike Rosario, and Greg Echenique joining the program, things should eventually improve.

ST. JOHN'S - STATUS QUO

Call it the Perfect Storm, but its been one long string of horrendous seasons in NYC. They haven't been above 130th in the RPI for quite some time, and though that plateau might be met this year, I wouldn't expect much more than that.

SETON HALL - STATUS QUO
The problem for the Pirates is that though they're going in a decent direction, the upper half of the league is moving just as quickly. With Harvey, Hazell, and now Jordan Theodore in the mix, the backcourt is set for the next few seasons.. but you can't win without a decent player above 6-5 on the roster.

SOUTH FLORIDA - RISING (VERY SLOWLY)

Similar to Rutgers, the Bulls can only go up. From an RPI low of 236th a couple years back, things have slowly improved, and Dominique Jones was a great catch. But unlike the Knights, USF still has a ways to go to compete for 4 & 5-star prospects.

SYRACUSE - DECLINING (SLOWLY)

This is somewhat misleading, because the Orange are one of my national sleepers this season, and could also be very good next season as well. But just in terms of the overall direction of the program, things aren't coming quite as easily as they used to. The Big East has gotten better and deeper and Top 25 teams are no longer a given for Coach Boeheim.

VILLANOVA - STATUS QUO
Jay Wright's obviously done a great job with the program and helped it get back into Top 25 contention. But I don't see the program breaking out into the stratosphere anytime soon. Thus they remain in the status quo.

WEST VIRGINIA - RISING (QUICKLY)
I'll simply call this the Bob Huggins effect. When he joins your program, things tend to move in the right direction.. just ask Joe Alexander and his newly inked NBA contract.

- up next is the Big 12 -

Poll: Who Will Win the South Region?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:59:09 -0700

2008 NCAA Tournament Capsule: Pittsburgh

Joel Welser — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:25:21 -0700

Pittsburgh

Big East

by Joel Welser

Last NCAA Appearance: 2007, Sweet Sixteen loss to UCLA

Coach: Jamie Dixon (5-4 in 4 NCAA appearances)

Probable Starters:

Levance Fields, Junior, Guard

Keith Benjamin, Senior, Guard

Ronald Ramon, Senior, Guard

Sam Young, Junior, Forward

DeJuan Blair, Freshman, Forward

Key Roleplayers:

Gilbert Brown, Freshman, Guard

Brad Wanamaker, Freshman, Guard

Tyrell Biggs, Junior, Forward

Why They Can Surprise:

Pitt knows what they are good at and they play within themselves. They will make smart passes and play through their forwards Sam Young and DeJuan Blair. Young has emerged this year as the team’s go-to-scorer and averages an impressive 18.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Young, at 6-6, is not a post player by any means, but he has enough strength to mix it up in the paint. Blair, a 6-7 freshman, is the more traditional post player, albeit undersized for the Big East. He is a superb rebounder and a big time defensive presence, but his ability to score in the paint really opens up the rest of the floor for the guards.

Pittsburgh has one of the best assist to turnover ratios in the nation and that is because of Levance Fields and Ronald Ramon. Fields averages 5.1 assists and just 2.0 turnovers per contest. Ramon even has a better ratio than that. With those upperclassmen guards bringing the ball up the floor, the Panthers are in good hands and will surely keep the game under control.

Why They Can Disappoint:

The defense is good, but Pitt does not force a lot of turnovers and get easy fast break points. Usually that is not a big deal, but if the offense is sputtering in the half-court set, a fast break bucket or two could be exactly what they need to get back in the flow. The absence of a three-point shooting game, combined with the lack of steals, makes it very difficult for the Panthers to come from behind. Generally speaking Pitt will utilize their solid, non-aggressive defense and their relatively efficient offense to stay in any game, but if they start getting blown out, they probably will not be making a quick comeback.

Who To Watch:

If the three balls need to start falling, it will be up to Keith Benjamin. The part-time starter is the most effective shooter from behind the arc and can put up 20 points in a game if he is feeling it. However, he has been pretty inconsistent this year and Fields and Ramon have yet to prove they can be any more consistent from long range. Pitt can get the job done without Benjamin, but if they want to start thinking about an upset or two, they will need him to knock down some shots from the outside so the defense has to at least think about guarding the perimeter.

- More 2008 NCAA Tournament Coverage

- All 2008 Tournament Capsules

Big East: All-January

Jeff Fox — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 08:36:34 -0800

The names on CHN’s monthly All-Big East lists have been turning over like a drunken point guard running the fast break. The only return member from the All-November team is Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody, who had another Haran-good-y month.

Guard – A.J. Price – Connecticut – JR
14.6ppg, 6.0apg, 4.1rpg
Best game – Jan 8th – St. John’s – 25 points, seven assists, four boards

After his collegiate career almost ended before it even started, the highly-touted A.J. Price is coming into his own in his junior season. He led the surging Huskies to a 6-3 record in January putting up 16 points, five boards and six assists a game.

Guard/Forward – Geoff McDermott – Providence – JR
10.5ppg, 8.3rpg, 4.7apg
Best game – Jan 17th – Connecticut – 12 points, 11 boards, six assists, four steals

How can the fifth leading scorer on a mediocre Friars squad make this list? Because a player’s scoring totals is almost always overrated at the expense of more important statistics. Any coach in the country would take the 10 points, 10 boards, five assists and two steals McDermott averaged in January.

Forward – Sam Young – Pittsburgh – JR
17.7ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.0bpg
Best game – Jan 12th – Seton Hall – 28 points, eight boards, three assists

This was supposed to be a rebuilding year in Pittsburgh – CHN predicted they’d come in ninth in the Big East. Instead Jamie Dixon’s squad is nationally ranked and in the upper-echelon of the conference. After all the injuries and graduation of the team’s top players, Sam Young has emerged as the team’s go-to guy, and January was no different when he put up 19 points and six boards.

Forward – Luke Harangody – Notre Dame – SO
20.4ppg, 10.1rpg
Best game – Jan 31st – Providence – 31 points, 14 boards, two steals

Picked by CHN as the sixth best team in the Big East going into this season, Notre Dame finds itself battling with Georgetown for the top slot in the league. Much of the surprising results are due to Harangody, who averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds in January.

Center – Kentrell Gransberry – South Florida – SR
16.5ppg, 10.7rpg, 1.4bpg
Best game – Jan 9th – Pittsburgh – 26 points, 11 boards, three assists, two blocks

Kentrell Gransberry has been a bright light in another tough season down in Tampa for the Bulls. The cellar-dwelling USF only managed one win in January despite Gransberry’s six 20-plus point games and six double-digit rebounding games.

Next up – Pac-10

Top Primetime Shootout Performers: Samuels, Burton, Robinson

CJ Watson — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:45:28 -0800

The Top Performers at Primetime Shootout in Philadelphia

Samardo Samuels (St. Benedict’s, NJ) #7 Class of 2008 (Louisville)
27 points and 17 rebounds

Samardo has completely dominated this season so far earning MVP awards at each tournament his team has attended. He is a very strong post player with the ability to step out and hit the mid-range jumper but does most of his damage down low. He is going to be an impact player next year in college he combines size with agility and does a great job on the boards.

Karon Burton (Chester, PA) Class of 2008
32 points and 4 steals

Karon is an extremely quick guard who has the ability to hit the big shot when his team needs him to step up. He is able to use his quickness to get in the lane to create for teammates. Karon also has great floor vision being able to find people open when they look defended. He shows no fear being able to finish strong on the inside against the towers. Whichever college ends up landing him will get a tough minded Philadelphia guard who can run the show for their team and be successful.

Nasir Robinson (Chester, PA) #105 Class of 2008 (Pittsburgh)
18 points and 17 rebounds

Nasir Robinson is headed to Pittsburgh next year to play for Jamie Dixon. Nasir has a motor that never stops. He plays hard every time he hits the floor and is an undersized combo forward. Nasir brings that Philly toughness to the floor every night. He dominates on the inside grabbing up everything around the rim. Nasir has a nice feel for the game not only does he play strong on the inside, he sees the floor and makes the big play when needed.

Tyreke Evans (American Christian, PA) #6 Class of 2008
33 points on 14-34 FG

There is no denying his tremendous amount of talent but on this night he might just have shot his team out of a chance to win the game. He has the ability to get his shot off anytime with his quick first step and handle. Tyreke also has the ability to slash in the lane and finish on an array of different moves. He is the top uncommitted player left from his class. The schools that remain for his services include Louisville, Memphis, Villanova, Texas, Connecticut and Seton Hall.

Tyreke has been playing and excelling against older competition for years now and it’s thought he will end up a one and done for whatever college campus he lands on next fall.

Terrelle Pryor (Jeannette, PA) #28 Class of 2008
21 points and 9 rebounds

Terrelle has a unique athletic ability not only is he the # 1 football recruit in the country but is also a top 50 basketball player in his class. He is considered by some as the next Vince Young on the football field combining his 6’5 220 lbs frame with a 4.4 40 yard dash time.

He has decided to focus clearly on football in college next year and not pursue a career at both on the next level. The schools still on his list include Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Oregon.

Terrelle showed why he can play basketball at the top level as well making aggressive moves to the basket. He also had a couple of monster dunks and did a good job on the boards.

Jason Morris (The Hotchkiss School, CT) Class of 2010
20 points and 4 blocks

Jason Morris is an extremely athletic shooting guard who played very well on Friday. He showed the ability to hit the mid-range shot along with 3 point range. Jason also was able to get in the lane and finish strong. He did a decent job on the boards and played tough harassing defense causing plenty of turnovers.

Primetime Shootout at Villanova Review: Tyreke Evans and Samardo Samuels

CJ Watson — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:23:48 -0800

This past weekend I spent a couple of days at Villanova University covering two high school showcases promoted by Primetime Shootout and Scholastic Play by Play. On Friday night the Primetime Shootout featured three nationally ranked teams in St. Benedict’s (NJ) # 3, Chester (PA) # 6 and American Christian (PA) # 3 in the prep poll. This event also included Jeannette (PA) who has the # 1 football recruit in the country Terrelle Pryor.

The headliners did not disappoint with standout seniors Tyreke Evans (American Christian, PA) finishing with a showcase high 33 points in defeat, Karon Burton (Chester, PA) totaled 32 points in a victory and Samardo Samuels (Louisville, St. Benedict’s, NJ) dominated with 27 points and 17 rebounds in a big win.

Here is a recap of Friday night’s action at Villanova.

Game 1 – The Hotchkiss School (CT) vs. Our Savior New American (NY) 72-58

In this contest The Hotchkiss School jumped on Our Savior New American from the start opening the game on a 12-2 run. This quick start was led by freshmen Derrick Wilson who had 7 points in the 1st quarter and was able to get his team into their offensive sets effectively. They led 22 to 14 at the end of the 1st quarter. Also adding a spark in the 1st quarter was Jason Morris an athletic wing from the class of 2010.

The 2nd quarter started just the same as The Hotchkiss School was able to expand their lead and really frustrate the Our Savior New American team. The play of the game also came in the 2nd quarter when sophomore Jason Morris took it right down the lane for a monster jam in traffic. His team led 45 to 27 at halftime.

Our Savior New American came out of the locker room with some answers to their first half woes holding The Hotchkiss School to only 6 points. The Pioneers outscored (THS) 16 to 6 in the 3rd quarter cutting the 18 point halftime lead to just 8 points going into the final quarter.

That was as close as the Pioneers would get before losing to the Bearcats by 14 points.

The game MVP’s for each team were Jason Morris for the Bearcats he finished with 20 points and 4 blocks. He showed a tremendous amount of upside with his athletic ability he is a prospect to keep an eye on. The other MVP was Gerardo Suero from the Pioneers who finished with a game high 22 points and 4 rebounds. He seemed to be the only offensive spark for the Pioneers.

Game 2 – Timber Creek (NJ) vs. Plymouth-Whitemarsh (PA) 55-52

This game went back and forth for a while before Timber Creek took control of the game in the 2nd quarter and continued their dominance for much of the game. Plymouth-Whitemarsh had a chance to send the game into overtime on a 3 point attempt by Anthony Scott but it didn’t fall for them.

The Colonials came back from 14 points down in the 4th quarter showing their never stop fighting attitude. Their comeback came up a little short never being able to recover from their sluggish start to the game.

The game MVP’s were Collin Johnson for Timber Creek who finished with 18 points and Allen Williams for Plymouth-Whitemarsh totaled 22 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.

Game 3 – Chester (PA) #6 vs. Jeannette (PA) 80-70

Chester High is one of the more exciting teams in the country to watch live with their pressure defense and up-tempo style of play. This was the 5th or 6th time I had seen Chester play this season and each time I watch them they impress me more. They jumped out quickly like usually taking a 24-17 lead at the end of the 1st quarter.

The 2nd quarter seemed be no different for Jeannette as Chester increased their lead to 15 points at halftime and outscored them 20 to 12 in the quarter. Karon Burton had 14 of his game high 32 points in the first half. He was unstoppable getting in the lane and creating baskets for teammates along with finishing strong inside. Terrelle Pryor had 8 points in the 1st half for Jeannette.

Karon Burton continued his hot offensive hand in the beginning of the 3rd quarter and got some help from Pittsburgh signee Nasir Robinson who dominated on the inside finishing with a game high 17 rebounds. Chester took a 19 point lead into the final quarter.

Jeannette team made a big run in the 4th quarter but never got any closer than 8 points. Terrelle Pryor had 9 points in the quarter to lead the comeback.
The game MVP’s were Karon Burton for Chester who totaled 32 points and 3 steals along with Terrelle Pryor from Jeannette finished with 21 points and 9 rebounds.

Other players who had nice games were Nasir Robinson (Chester, PA) 18 points and 17 rebounds, Rhalir Jefferson (Chester, PA) 15 points, Moziah Harris (Jeannette, PA) 18 points, Shaw Sunder (Jeannette, PA) 14 points and Jordan Hall (Jeannette, PA) 13 points.

Coaches from Ohio State, Michigan and West Virginia football teams were in the house to watch star Terrelle Pryor. National Signing Day is February 6 on this day Terrelle Pryor is suppose to announce his college decision live on ESPN U.

Game 4 – St. Benedict’s (NJ) # 3 vs. American Christian (PA) # 3 77-70

This game was a huge match-up of two of the most talented teams in the country. It included top 5 players in the country Tyreke Evans and Samardo Samuels from the class of 2008. There was a tremendous amount of Division 1 talent on the floor between these two teams.

American Christian came out strong hitting three 3 pointers in the first 2:00 minutes of the game. St. Benedict’s was not able to get the ball inside where they clearly had an advantage in the early stages of the game. American Christian used a fast paced attacking style of play to control the game.

Lamont Jones and Jeremiah Kelly did most of their damage from beyond the arc. Tyreke Evans started slow but picked up the pace in the 2nd half. American Christian had a 41 to 34 lead going into halftime.

The Gray Bees took until the end of the 3rd quarter to take a lead in this game. In the 2nd half Samardo Samuels was able to dominate on the inside American Christian didn’t have an answer for him. Going into the final quarter St. Benedict’s had a 54 t0 50 lead after a buzzer beating shot by Tamir “Pop” Jackson.

The game MVP’s were Samardo Samuels from St. Benedict’s with 27 points and 17 rebounds along with Tyreke Evans from American Christian with a game high 33 points.

Other key players were Lamont Jones (Louisville, American Christian, PA) 21 points, Jeremiah Kelly (American Christian, PA) 12 points, Greg Echenique (St. Benedict’s, NJ) 15 points and Tamir “Pop” Jackson (St. Benedict’s, NJ) 18 points.

Tyreke Evans shot 14-34 from the field and might have shot his team right out of a chance to earn a victory.

Three Stars of the Day: Ramon, Troyer, McCamey

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 06:09:33 -0800

Three Stars of The Day

We handpick the best performances of the day, whether it be stat lines that make you drool, or clutch performances. Either way, its our way of showing the love:

Ronal Ramon - Pittsburgh

Only hit two field goals, but gets the top spot for hitting the game-winning three to beat WVU at the buzzer

Chad Troyer - Pacific

Paced the Tigers with 30 points, as they moved into a tie for first in the Big West by beating Northridge in OT.

Demetri McCamey - Illinois

The freshman blew past his previous high by scoring 31 points, although the Illini fell in double-OT

Other Top Performers

Lester Hudson - UT-Martin - Another monster game for Hudson with 38 points, 9 boards, and 6 dimes

OJ Mayo - USC - The Trojans won for the 6th time in 7 games as Mayo scored 29, his highest output of the year

KC Rivers - Clemson - Set a new career-high of 32 points, and made eight threes as the tigers destroyed Virginia

Previous Stars of the Day

February 6th - Michael Beasley, Kansas State

February 4th - Todd Golden, Saint Mary's

February 3rd - Tyler Hansbrough, UNC

January 30th - Chase Budinger, Arizona

January 29th - Beasley/Walker, Kansas State

January 28th - Chris Godzinski, Wofford

January 27th - DeMarcus Nelson, Duke

January 26th - Hackett/Lewis/Mayo, USC

January 24th - Jerryd Bayless, Arizona

January 22nd - Patrick Patterson, Kentucky

January 21st - DJ Augustin, Texas

January 20th - Dezmon Harris, Weber State

January 19th - James Gist, Maryland

January 18th - Abbott/Harden, Arizona State

January 17th - Dionte Christmas, Temple

January 14th - Roy Hibbert, Georgetown

January 11th - Lester Hudson, Tennessee-Martin

January 9th - DJ White, Indiana

January 8th - Lester Hudson, Tennessee-Martin

January 7th - Wayne Ellington, UNC

January 6th - Shan Foster, Vanderbilt

January 5th - Damon Huffman, Brown

January 4th - Luke Harangody, Notre Dame

January 3rd - Damon Huffman, Brown

January 2nd - Martin Zeno, Texas Tech

November/December Star of the Day Archive

Games of the Night: Georgetown at Pittsburgh

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:33:25 -0800

Games of the Night

A companion to our daily Three Stars of the Day, we present the top three Games of the Night.

#6 Georgetown (13-1) at #16 Pittsburgh (14-2)

7:00 PM ESPN

TIf this were a couple weeks ago, I'd have picked Pitt as the winner. But without Fields, and to a lesser extent Cook, Pitt is not the same team. With that said, I think their style of play and the inside toughness of Blair gives the Panthers a good shot to pull off an upset (at least compared to other Top 10 teams right now.) Still, I have to go with Georgetown winning a close one.

Prediction: Georgetown

Gonzaga (12-4) at Pepperdine (6-11)

Midnight ESPN

Like Georgetown at Pitt, good games always feature the more talented team going on the road (unlike the game below). This game will be televised on ESPN so the Pepperdine crowd should be pretty pumped up, but the talent gap between these teams will be too much too overcome. Still, I'll be there so that makes it worthy to be on the Games of the Day list.

Prediction: Gonzaga

Oklahoma (12-4) at #3 Kansas (16-0)

9:00 PM ESPN

The only reason this game makes it is because none of the other SWAC and MEAC games are very exciting. Kansas has been rolling of late, and are beating teams by an average of 24 ppg on the season. The Sooners aren't bad.. but if they can't beat Kansas State at home then they have little chance of beating Kansas on the road.

Prediction: Kansas

Previous Game of the Night (Predictions)

January 12th - Stanford at Oregon (3-0)

January 9th - Rhode Island at Dayton (2-1)

January 8th - Florida at Alabama (2-1)

January 7th - Robert Morris at Boston College (1-2)

January 6th - North Carolina at Clemson (2-1)

January 5th - Western Kentucky at South Alabama (3-0)

January 4th - American at Brown (0-3)

January 3rd - UCLA at Stanford (3-0)

January 2nd - Houston at UMASS (2-1)

Freshman 10 Conferece Play Primer: Big East & Big Ten

Jason Tomassini — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 06:34:34 -0800

With the New Year brings clarity. Not only has the excruciating bowl season come to an end, allowing us to focus solely on college hoops, with the occasional ~~Patriots hatefest~~ NFL football game mixed in here or there, but with the start of ’08 comes conference play for the BCS leagues. This means no more North Floridas or Sacramento States or Prairie View A & Ms on the schedule. No, this means we will be treated to a bevy of decent matchups on a nightly basis, providing a meaningful way to discern between squads, rather than wild guessing, or even worse, the AP poll.

It’s also a chance to see freshmen get some real tests. Last year we saw the statistics of most non-Durantian freshmen decline and with the gaudy numbers put up this season, merely treading water will be an impressive feat for most folks. So rather than just continue to rank the top 10 freshmen as the “second season” begins, I welcome conference play with a big ol’ primer – complete with a nifty little boxing gimmick – examining the impact freshmen and handicapping the rookie of the year awards in each BCS league and on the non-BCS landscape. The regular ranking comes at the bottom, minus snarky elaboration, with the usual games to watch following.

My New Year’s Resolution is to not develop an unhealthy proclivity toward one freshman which could severely cloud my judgment, taste and smell like I did last year so send anti-Eric Gordon e-mails before it’s too late.

Big East

The Champ – DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh

You could make a good case for Blair as Player of the Year for the Big East in the non-conference, but that is thrown out the window now that the Big East grind has begun. He’s an absolute animal on the boards as everyone saw in that epic battle with Duke, but with Levance Fields’ uncertain status, Blair’s ability to score the ball, handle the double teams and, more importantly, stay on the floor, will be key to the Panthers league title hopes. He’s been huge in big games this season so he’s not going to sneak up on anyone anymore. All of a sudden it’s DeJuan Blair’s team, we’ll see how far he can take them.

The Contender – Donte Greene, Syracuse

If Syracuse can avoid self-destruction after yet another injury to a veteran starter and finish in the top five of the Big East, Greene will have a shot at POY for the league. But if they don’t, you know, keep their opponents from scoring 150 points, Greene’s efforts will be overlooked. He is the best offensive player in the conference and will get 35 minutes and at least 15 shots a game so the numbers will be there, but like Beasley and, to an extent Blair, the story will be his ability, as a freshman, to lead a team in victory, not just the box score. At 6-10 and extremely athletic, he could be the anchor of the 2-3 zone – much like Carmelo Anthony and Hakim Warrick were – if he wants to, but it’s not easy to convince a freshman to exert that type of defensive energy (even for Boeheim, who, due to his complete mismatch of a wife, must be very persuasive).

The Undercard – Malcolm Grant and Corey Fisher, Villanova; Austin Freeman, Georgetown; Dar Tucker and Mac Koshwal, DePaul; Jonny Flynn, Syracuse

Flynn was a national hero early in the season due to his Preseason NIT exploits but he’s come back to Earth and assumed his role as the Orange’s humble floor leader. And because of that role, on an up-tempo team that needs a solid quarterback, he’s probably going to have a bigger impact than the others listed here. Since the first game of the season, I have been saying Malcolm Grant, the least heralded of Nova’s three freshmen, is the best of the trio and when he gets the minutes, he does me a nice little favor in making me look like a genius. He single-handedly beat LSU with 13 of his 18 points in the final three minutes of a 21-point comeback and dropped 22 on Pitt Sunday, only the fourth time he’s played 20 minutes all season. It’s a crowded Nova backcourt and Corey Fisher has been productive in 10 more minutes per game, but I want to see more Grant and less Scottie ‘John Starks Junior’ Reynolds. JT3 has handled Freeman very well this season, letting the highly-touted guard ease into minutes on a veteran top 10 team, and he now appears ready to be a crunch time contributor and big beneficiary of the attention that will be given to Hibbert and Summers. I look for Freeman’s numbers to actually go up in league play. And as for Tucker and Koshwal, someone forgot to tell them DePaul was supposed to suck this year. Because of their contributions (12 and 6 for Tucker, 11 and 8 for Koshwal), the Demons could be this year’s Big East spoiler.

Big Ten

The Champ – Eric Gordon, Indiana

I’m not right often (thanks NC State and Herb Pope) but Gordon has exceeded even my lofty expectations. My Amazing Eric Gordon Stat Du Jour? He’s averaging 1.84 points per shot. That’s insane. That means every time he shoots the ball, Indiana is getting nearly two points. That’s more than even Tyler Hansbrough (1.83), who is probably Gordon’s best competition, along with DJ Augustin, for National Player of the Year. He even has good numbers defensively (1.5 steals, 0.8 blocks), although his on-ball defense has been questioned. Like I said earlier, I am sensing an eerie similarity to Durant’s season last year, where I didn’t really want to watch any other players in the country and I defended every play he made, but I promise I will try to show some restraint. And if he busts out a couple of those mid-week, primetime, in-conference takeovers, it’s going to be hard. Maybe he’ll have like 10 turnovers against Michigan tonight or Illinois fans will put laxative in his Gatorade Sunday or something.

The ~~Contender~~ Peter McNeely – Kosta Koufos, Ohio State

Speaking of being right… I was not on Koufos. On second thought, he isn’t better than Greg Oden and probably won’t be the No. 1 pick in the draft. And some very underwhelming performances against Tyler Hansbrough (4 points) and Texas A & M’s frontcourt (4-16 shooting) probably proves that. He’s young and can’t be expected to shine against those guys, even though Oden held his own against top competition all of last season. Clearly the comparison is unwarranted. Sorry. That being said, Koufos is still really freaking good. He’s got a mix of inside-outside scoring ability and ballhandling that no other big man in the conference has, so there will be nights where he dominates. But it’s consistency that Koufos needs to prove, going out and asserting his superior talent every night, even if vets like Hunter and Butler have seniority. If he does that, not only will the Buckeyes contend in the Big Ten, but I’ll probably start making crazy predictions again that will ultimately turn out incorrect. And that’s just fun for everyone.

The Guys On Those ESPN Fights No One Watches – Kalin Lucas, Michigan State; Manny Harris, Michigan; Scott Martin, Robbie Hummel, E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson, Purdue

For some reason, the Big Ten doesn’t release their preseason media rankings past the No. 3 spot (or at least I couldn’t find it), but I’ve got to think Purdue wasn’t in the top half. But they have been surprisingly solid this year, and are doing it despite four of their top five scorers being freshmen. The most was expected out of Moore and he has been solid, but instead, leading the way have been Martin and Hummel (22 points and 10 rebounds per game between them), who look like they should be the pipsqueaks that frantically run the folding chairs out on the court during timeouts, not leading the team to a possible NCAA bid. Harris is a big-time scorer and the go-to guy for a Michigan team that rarely could use a go-to guy for more than a few minutes a game And Lucas, is the one I really have my eye on. Besides his outstanding 2.4 assist/turnover ratio, his brilliance doesn’t really show up in the box score. Defensively he’s been great and more importantly, he’s been running the team fluidly so Neitzel can move off the ball. His game against Texas (18 pts, six rebs, six assists, one turnover) was one of the better I’ve seen from a freshman this season. Might be the X-factor in the Big Ten race this year.

Yesterday's Matches: ACC & Big 12

The next bout: Pac-10 & SEC

Big East: All-December

Jeff Fox — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 07:28:57 -0800

Out of with the old, in with the new – none of the Big East All-December team members made the All-November team.

Guard – Draelon Burns – DePaul – SR

18.5ppg, 3.6rpg, 2.7apg

Best game – Dec 12^th – Vanderbilt – 24 points, 7 boards, 4 assists

The Blue Demons may have had a bad December (2 wins, 5 losses), but senior guard Burns had a great one – he topped the 20-point mark four times, including against nationally ranked Vandy and Clemson.

Guard – Scottie Reynolds – Villanova – SO

16.5ppg, 4.7apg, 3.3rpg

Best game – Dec 9^th – Temple – 27 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals

It was a very successful December for ‘Nova, as they reeled off six straights wins to complete a perfect month. Reynolds led the way, averaging about 18 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Guard – Dominique Jones – South Florida – FR

16.7ppg, 5.1rpg, 3.3apg

Best game – Dec 5^th – Richmond – 30 points, 14 boards, 4 assists, 3 steals

Freshman Jones was on fire for the Bulls in December. He followed up back-to-back 30-point efforts with a 25-point game, and ended up averaging for the month about 20 points, six rebounds, five dimes and three steals per game.

Forward – Luke Harangody – Notre Dame – SO

18.2ppg, 9.5rpg, 1.6apg

Best game – Dec 22^nd – USF – 23 points, 10 boards, 2 steals

Notre Dame has been a pleasant surprise this year and the bruising Harangody is a large reason why – he put up three straight double-doubles during the Irish’s undefeated December.

Forward – DeJuan Blair - Pittsburgh – FR

11.6ppg, 9.2rpg, 2.3spg

Best game – Dec 20^th – Duke – 15 points, 20 boards, 5 blocks

Freshman Blair had a monstrous December, averaging around 14 points, 12 boards, two steals and three blocks a game. With the injuries mounting for the Panthers, Blair will have to keep up his pace.

Next up – Pac-10