Big East

College Hoops Thursday Recap: Syracuse Impresses

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:25:32 -0500

Syracuse went into their game with California as the favorite in the eyes of many for two reasons. One: the school has a large alumni base in the New York metropolitan area and that means a good crowd at the World's Most Famous Arena. Two: the Golden Bears were without Theo Robertson (stress reaction in his foot) and they lack depth in the frontcourt with Harper Kamp (knee) also out. But to cite these things without giving notice to what happened on the floor would be unfair to the Orange, who outclassed the Bears 95-73.

Their 2-3 zone was active all night long, pestering the Golden Bears into 30% shooting from behind the arc and fifteen turnovers. Offensively the Orange got whatever they wanted, making 57% of their shots on the night. The two-headed monster at the point was effective, with Scoop Jardine coming off the bench for 22 points, six assists, six rebounds and four steals in what may have been the best game of his college career. Twenty-one of their thirty-six field goals were assisted and Syracuse finished with just ten turnovers on the night. Next up is North Carolina, a 77-73 winner over Ohio State, and it's another opportunity for the Orange to make a statement to the nation.

Three Key Happenings

1. Villanova misses Dante Cunningham. That statement obviously goes without saying but with Mouphtaou Yarou back home due to a viral infection the hole inside was all the more evident against George Mason. But they survived thanks to freshman Isaiah Armwood, whose three pointer not only gave the Wildcats the 69-68 win but was also the first basket of his career. But this wasn't merely a case of survival; the Patriots essentially gave away the game with missed free throws and the failure to even attempt a shot in the final seconds.

Mason led 37-28 at the half thanks to turnovers (Scottie Reynolds had eight) but Villanova took better care of the basketball in the second half. It's early so games like this are a good experience, but if Villanova duplicates this performance on Friday night Dayton's going to send them to the consolation bracket.

2. It wasn't pretty but Dayton found a way to win. In their 63-59 win over Georgia Tech Thursday morning the Flyers didn't receive much offensive help from their starters, who scored just sixteen points. But Chris Johnson (19 points), Paul Williams (13 points) and Luke Fabrizius (12 points) combined to lead the Dayton reserves to a 47-24 edge over the Yellow Jacket bench and that made the difference in a game that featured forty-eight turnovers.

The taller Yellow Jackets won the battle on the boards but their guards couldn't take care of the ball thanks in large part to Dayton PG London Warren. The "Jacksonville Jet" isn't the greatest offensive player but the senior simply makes winning plays and defends opposing guards as if his life depended upon the result. Dayton/Villanova should be entertaining Friday night and if Chris Wright can bring a bit more to the table Brian Gregory's team could have its second consecutive win over a ranked team.

3. San Diego State recovers from their poor showing on Tuesday night. The Aztecs looked nothing like the team expected to compete for the Mountain West crown on Tuesday morning, never entertaining realistic thoughts of a win at St. Mary's. But they were able to turn things around against Santa Clara making 53% of their shots in the 86-53 win at Cox Arena. The Broncos aren't going to be a statement opponent but the win offered Steve Fisher's team a look at what they can be when they play efficiently on offense and defend on the other end. Five players scored in double figures with Billy White leading the Aztecs with seventeen points.

Top Three Games

1. #6 Villanova 69, George Mason 68

2. Seattle 85, Fresno State 84 This game, which ended up being the first for head coach Cameron Dollar, featured three double-doubles (Paul George and Greg Smith for Fresno State; Charles Garcia for Seattle) and Cervante Burrell won it with a layup with eight seconds remaining.

3. #21 Dayton 63, #19 Georgia Tech 59

Three Notable Offensive Performances

1. G Corey Allmond (Sam Houston State) Allmond broke the Rupp Arena record with eleven three pointers, scoring thirty-seven in the Bearkats' 102-92 loss to Kentucky.

2. G Norris Cole (Cleveland State) Cole scored thirty-eight points (11-16 FG, 13-13 FT) in the Vikings' 78-64 win over Florida A&M.

3. F Luke Harangody (Notre Dame) The preseason Big East Player of the Year posted another double-double with 29 points and 12 rebounds in the Fighting Irish's 82-62 win over Long Beach State.

Big East Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:44:33 -0500

Despite losing a ton of talent in the off-season, the Big East is still one of the country's most exciting and talented leagues.. and it features the country's dominant fantasy star: Luke Harangody. Other players to watch include newcomers like Lance Stephenson and Youphtaou Yarou and vets like Scottie Reynolds and Da'Sean Butler.

Conference Rank: 5th

10 year average: 3rd

Big East Page

All-BIG EAST Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Scottie Reynolds	Villanova	Sr
F	Devin Ebanks	West Virginia	So
F	Greg Monroe	Georgetown	So
F	Da'Sean Butler	West Virginia	Sr
F	Luke Harangody	Notre Dame	Sr
Second Team
G	Deonta Vaughn	Cincinnati	Sr
G	Dominique Jones	South Florida	Jr
G	Jerome Dyson	UCONN	Sr
F	Lazar Hayward	Marquette	Sr
F	Wesley Johnson	Syracuse	Jr

Player of the Year - Luke Harangody Freshman of the Year - Lance Stephenson
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Luke Harangody (1st Team) Scottie Reynolds (2nd) Devin Ebanks (4th) Da'Sean Butler Greg Monroe All-Freshman Team Lance Stephenson (2nd) Mouphtaou Yarou (2nd) Dante Taylor (3rd) Alex Oriakhi Peyton Siva Hollis Thompson		Points: Luke Harangody (ND) 23.3 Rebounds: Luke Harangody (ND) 11.8 Assists: T. Jackson/ E.Harvey 4.9 Team: Syracuse 80.2

Big East Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

2	Villanova	Big East	1	NCAA
7	West Virginia	Big East	2	NCAA
17	Georgetown	Big East	3	NCAA
19	Connecticut	Big East	4	NCAA
27	Louisville	Big East	5	NCAA
40	Pittsburgh	Big East	6	NCAA
45	Seton Hall	Big East	7	NCAA
50	Cincinnati	Big East	8	NIT
60	Notre Dame	Big East	9	NIT
67	Syracuse	Big East	10	NIT
74	St. John's	Big East	11	NIT
81	Marquette	Big East	12	NIT
98	Providence	Big East	13	CBI/CIT
114	Rutgers	Big East	14	CBI/CIT
139	South Florida	Big East	15
201	DePaul	Big East	16

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Will Win the Big East?

Other Big East Content

Big East Fantasy Stats Preview

Big East: Top 25 Players

Big East: Five-Year Ranking

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Big East Basketball: Top 25 Players

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:38:22 -0500

Ranking players is more art then science. How do you compare the potential of freshmen with seniors who have already peaked? How much does physical talent come into play versus intangibles and experience? How big a role do numbers play?

In some situations, the bigger challenge is deciding what position to list a player. College basketball is filled with combo guards, wings who can play from the 2 to 4, centers who are really power forwards, and so on.

All of these questions make lists like this fun and debatable.. if you disagree with CHN's rankings, post what you think below.

BIG EAST

PG
1. Scottie Reynolds - Villanova
2. Dominique Jones - South Florida
3. Kemba Walker - UCONN
4. Tory Jackson - Pittsburgh
5. Sharaud Curry - Providence

SG
1. Mike Rosario - Rutgers
2. Jeremy Hazell - Seton Hall
3. Jerome Dyson - UCONN
4. Deonta Vaughn - Cincinnati
5. Corey Stokes - Villanova

- With so many more teams, the Big East is always harder to rank. There is no one dominant player in this group, but many experienced starters. Nova's Corey Fisher was the hardest player to leave off. One newcomer to watch is WVU's Casey Mitchell, a juco shooting guard with high expectations.

SF
1. Devin Ebanks - West Virginia
2. Wesley Johnson - Syracuse
3. Lance Stephenson - Cincinnati
4. Stanley Robinson - UCONN
5. Robert Mitchell - Seton Hall

PF
1. Da'Sean Butler - West Virginia
2. Lazar Hayward - Marquette
3. Anthony Mason Jr - St. John's
4. Herb Pope - Seton Hall
5. Dante Taylor - Pittsburgh

C
1. Luke Harangody - Notre Dame
2. Greg Monroe - Georgetown
3. Samardo Samuels - Louisville
4. Mac Koshwal - DePaul
5. Arinze Onuaku - Syracuse

- Impressive that WVU has the top SF & PF. Herb Pope has surpreme talent, but he might not even start for a deep SHU team. There are a good amount of newcomers on the list, including the likes of Johnson, Stephenson, Pope, etc. One other transfer to watch is Nova's Taylor King, who can light up the score-sheet if given ample minutes.

-- SEC Top 25 Players

-- Pac-10 Top 25 Players

-- Big Ten Top 25 Players

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Villanova Basketball Preview: #2

Joel Welser — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:06:23 -0500

Overall Rank: #2

Conference Rank: #1 Big East Conference

2008-09: 30-8, 13-5

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Jay Wright (178-90 at Villanova, 300-175 overall)

Since Coach Jay Wright arrived at Villanova, the Wildcats have been turning into a consistent force in the Big East. There are some big losses in the frontcourt, but few teams can match the talent and depth on the perimeter. The Final Four was nice last year, but this is a team that can reach for even loftier goals.

Key Losses: F Dwayne Anderson, F Shane Clark, F Dante Cunningham, C Frank Tchuisi

Key Freshmen:

There is a reason most recruiting services rank Villanova’s 2009 class as one of the best in the nation. Point guard Maalik Wayns hardly gets mentioned since he will struggle to find playing time in a crowded backcourt. Wing Dominic Cheek is in a similar position, despite being a Top 40 prospect nationally. The real need is in the paint and that is where Mouphtaou Yarou steps in. The 6-10, 250 pound freshman is physically ready to play in the Big East and will be a beast on the glass. Isaiah Armwood and redshirt freshman center Maurice Sutton need to be ready to play some minutes off the bench.

Backcourt:

This is easily one of the most dynamic and talented backcourts in the nation. The return of Scottie Reynolds, who averaged 15.2 points and 3.4 assists last year, is a big boost to the Wildcats. Reynolds could just as easily be off in the NBA, but instead he will be knocking down threes and attacking the basket one more year in Philadelphia. Reggie Redding was a part-time starter last year and his versatility is his greatest strength. Although he will miss the first semester due to a suspension, Redding will be back in December to grab some rebounds, dish out some passes and even block a shot or two. In the meantime the Corey’s will take over. Corey Fisher is a point guard with a scoring mentality. The turnover numbers were a little high, but he should be able to fix that now that he is an upperclassman. Corey Stokes is nearly as effective of a scorer as the other Corey, but he does most of his damage from beyond the arc.

Frontcourt:

The loss of Dante Cunningham is huge. He led the team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots a year ago and most of the players who would step into the frontcourt are gone as well. The only returning player who saw any significant playing time is Antonio Pena. The 6-8 junior started 20 games last year, but now he will be asked to do much more than average 17.6 minutes, 5.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. The Wildcats expect Pena to be steady and play about 25 minutes per game. If he has a bad year, the frontcourt will be very inexperienced.

Who to Watch:

But there is another option besides Pena or a freshman to man one of the forward positions. Two years ago Taylor King was averaging 5.5 points per game for Duke as a freshman. King showed flashes of his potential with the Blue Devils and had reached double digits in the scoring column six times, but he is stronger now and fits very well in this system. His ability to hit the outside shot and his strength to defend opposing power forwards should give him the early lead on the starting job.

Final Projection:

But do not be surprised if Yarou starts eating away at King’s minutes. This is a team that returns a lot of talent, but there will be five freshmen who are more than capable of making an impact. Coach Wright also has the possibility of playing small once Redding is back. It was not long ago that the Wildcats ran a four guard offense. As long as Pena, or Yarou, are comfortable being the only big man, Stokes could play the four spot and this team could run up and down the floor all day.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Corey Fisher, Junior, Guard, 10.8 points per game

Scottie Reynolds, Senior, Guard, 15.2 points per game

Corey Stokes, Junior, Guard, 9.3 points per game

Mouphtaou Yarou, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season

Antonio Pena, Junior, Forward, 5.1 points per game

Next Top 144 Teams
3		4		5		6

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

West Virginia Basketball Preview: #7

Joel Welser — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:41:34 -0500

Overall Rank: #7

Conference Rank: #2 Big East Conference

2008-09: 23-12, 10-8

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Bob Huggins (49-23 at West Virginia, 639-234 overall)

Coach Bob Huggins has been bringing his type of players into West Virginia and those players are now experienced veterans. Only one player is gone from a team that went 23-12 overall and 10-8 in a very difficult Big East conference. The Big East will not be as good as it was last year and the Mountaineers will be much better.

Key Losses: G Alex Ruoff

Key Newcomers:

The biggest issue in this recruiting class is replacing Alex Ruoff at the shooting guard spot. Coach Huggins did just about as well as he could with the addition of the much acclaimed junior college transfer Casey Mitchell. The National Junior College Player of the Year is a superb shooter and could immediately replace the impressive shooting of Ruoff. This group needs some depth on the perimeter too and the versatile Dalton Pepper is just what the doctor ordered. The newcomers up front will find it more difficult to find playing time, but Deniz Kilicli should be a great player in a year or two and Danny Jennings is a physical presence under the basket.

Backcourt:

The point guard position looked good for a while when freshman Darryl Bryant replaced the injured Joe Mazzulla seven games into the 2008-2009 season. Everybody expected both to be back, but some off the court issues made their return questionable. However, both have been cleared to play and that gives the Mountaineers two superb ball handlers. Bryant will use his strength to get to the basket, but he is also a decent shooter. Mazzulla will not score as much, but he is a better distributor at this point in his career. Due to a lack of depth on the perimeter, do not be surprised if both are playing at the same time during certain situations.

Frontcourt:

This is where WVU gets really good. Wellington Smith, Da’Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks all started at least 34 games last year and should once again find themselves in the starting lineup, although younger players will be pushing them for minutes. Smith will not put up eye popping numbers, but he is the prototypical glue guy. Butler led the team in scoring, averaging 17.1 points per game last season and is one of the most dangerous inside-outside players in the nation. Sixth man Kevin Jones was very productive when he could find minutes and John Flowers is an active forward who can score in bunches.

Who to Watch:

Yet, it is Ebanks who is the emerging star of this team. As a freshman he averaged 10.5 points and a team high 7.8 rebounds and those numbers should go up with a year of experience. More importantly, Ebanks is tilting the scales at about 220 pounds now as opposed to about 195 pounds when he arrived in Morgantown. That extra strength will make him a dominating player in a frontcourt that should dominate most teams.

Final Projection:

Thanks to the return of Bryant and Mazzulla, West Virginia has everything it needs to win the Big East. Even if it takes the newcomers some time to adjust to the level of play, Bryant and Mazzulla can do enough to get the ball to the forwards. Having Mitchell emerge as a consistent outside shooter would be beneficial, but Butler and Bryant are both capable shooters and can stretch out the defense enough to give space to Ebanks under the basket.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Joe Mazzula, Junior, Guard, 5.6 points per game

Casey Mitchell, Junior, Guard, DNP last season

Wellington Smith, Senior, Forward, 5.2 points per game

Da’Sean Butler, Senior, Forward, 17.1 points per game

Devin Ebanks, Sophomore, Forward, 10.5 points per game

Next Top 144 Teams
8		9		10		11

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Big East Basketball: 5-Year Ranking

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:05:22 -0500

BIG EAST 5-YEAR STANDINGS

CHN's annual 5-year ranking answers a simple question is in a simple manner: Who has been the best team in the Big East over the last five years?

Teams get points for league wins, making the postseason (NIT or NCAA) and winning games in the Big Dance. NIT wins are meaningless here, as are non-conference wins. Also, league tournaments wins are not taken into account. (An original trial-scoring system included points for conference tourney wins. But the flukish nature of these tourney's did more harm than hurt: ie, 2008 Georgia, 2006 Syracuse, and 2004 Maryland ended up getting too much credit despite the reality that they were mediocre to sub-par teams.)

100 total points is set up to be the equivalent of batting .300 in baseball.. anything above and beyond is all-world stuff. 50 points is mediocre and you only start to get bad below 40 points.

Pos.	Was	Team	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	Wins	Gms.	Points

1	2	Louisville	14	6	12	14	16	62	84	74	Win %
			Final Four	NIT	2nd Round	Elite 8	Elite 8			31	Post Pts.
			*CUSA							105

2	4	Villanova	11	14	9	9	13	56	84	67	Win %
			Sweet 16	Elite 8	1st Round	Sweet 16	Final Four			32	Post Pts.
										99

3	1	UCONN	13	14	6	13	15	61	84	73	Win %
			2nd Round	Elite 8	X	1st Round	Final Four			24	Post Pts.
										97

4	3	Pittsburgh	10	10	12	10	15	57	84	68	Win %
			1st Round	2nd Round	Sweet 16	2nd Round	Elite 8			24	Post Pts.
										92

5	5	G'Town	8	10	13	15	7	53	84	63	Win %
			NIT	Sweet 16	Final Four	2nd Round	NIT			23	Post Pts.
										86

6	6	WVU	8	11	9	11	10	49	84	58	Win %
			Elite 8	Sweet 16	NIT	Sweet 16	1st Round			23	Post Pts.
										81

7	9	Marquette	7	10	10	11	12	50	84	60	Win %
			NIT	1st Round	1st Round	2nd Round	2nd Round			13	Post Pts.
			*CUSA							73

8	7	Syracuse	11	7	10	9	11	48	84	57	Win %
			1st Round	1st Round	NIT	NIT	Sweet 16			12	Post Pts.
										69

9	8	Notre Dame	9	6	11	14	8	48	84	57	Win %
			NIT	NIT	1st Round	2nd Round	NIT			9	Post Pts.
										66

10	10	Cincinnati	12	8	2	8	8	38	84	45	Win %
			2nd Round	NIT	X	X	X			5	Post Pts.
			*CUSA							50

11	13	Providence	4	5	8	6	10	33	84	39	Win %
			X	X	NIT	X	NIT			2	Post Pts.
										41

12	12	Seton Hall	4	9	4	7	7	31	84	37	Win %
			X	1st Round	X	X	X			2	Post Pts.
										39

13	11	DePaul	10	5	9	6	0	30	84	36	Win %
			NIT	X	NIT	X	X			2	Post Pts.
			*CUSA							38

14	15	St. John's	3	5	7	5	6	26	84	31	Win %
			X	X	X	X	X			0	Post Pts.
										31

15	14	Rutgers	2	7	3	3	2	17	84	20	Win %
			X	NIT	X	X	X			1	Post Pts.
										21

16	16	South Fla.	5	1	3	3	4	16	84	19	Win %
			X	X	X	X	X			0	Post Pts.
			*CUSA							19

Was = Last year's rankig

-Ties are broken by favoring conference winning %

Big East Thoughts

- UCONN manages to drop to 3rd despite making the Final Four. The Huskies 2004 title comes off the books, as does down years from competitors Louisville & Villanova.

- Villanova's made the Sweet Sixteen in 4 of 5 seasons. No other Big East team can claim that.

- Now that Northwestern made the NIT last year, South Florida and St. John's are virtually alone as BCS teams not to have made the postseason.

- Syracuse, surprisingly, has basically been a middle of the pack Big East team over this span.

Postseason Points

NIT = 1

NCAA 1st Round = 2

NCAA 2nd Round = 4

Sweet = 6

Elite 8 = 8

Final Four = 10

Final = 11

Champs = 12

Other 5-Year Rankings

ACC

Big 12

Poll: Best Conference in 2009-10?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:07:04 -0500

Big East Basketball: Fantasy Preview

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:52:24 -0400

This is the 4th of six fantasy stats projections for BCS conference starters. One of my favorite series of the year, and a helpful guide when drafting for fantasy college basketball leagues. For an idea of whether I know what I'm talking about, check out last year's Big East Stats Projection. As always, some teams were nailed better then others.. UCONN, for example was almost shockingly spot on, while Rutgers was a bit off.

Keep in mind stats are highly dependent on minutes, and freshmen are obviously the hardest to predict. I try to note places below where other starters not listed may emerge or where competition for major minutes exist. Stats are listed by ppg, rpg, and then apg.

BIG EAST: PART ONE

CINCINNATI

G Deonta Vaughn - 14, 5, 4
G Cashmere Wright - 10, 3, 5

F Lance Stephenson - 14, 6, 2
F Rashad Bishop - 8, 5, 3
F Yancy Gates - 13, 7, 1

Notes: Wright returns after missing last season from injury and should be able to put up solid assist numbers with Vaughn & Stephenson alongside.

UCONN

G Kemba Walker - 13, 4, 4
G Jerome Dyson - 15, 4, 3
F Stanley Robinson - 14, 8, 2
F Gavin Edwards - 8, 6, 1
C Alex Oriakhi - 4, 5, 0

Notes: UCONN's 3 main scorers could all approach 15 ppg. Until Ater Majok arrives (and if he's healthy), Oriakhi or Charles Okwandu will get the start. Neither of them should be terribly productive.

DEPAUL

G Jeremiah Kelly - 7, 2, 4

G Will Walker - 14, 4, 3

F Eric Wallace - 8, 4, 1

F Tony Freeland - 9, 5, 1
F Mac Koshwal - 16, 10, 2

Notes: Koshwal averaged 12 & 10 last year, but underachieved in my opinion. He could/should be even better. Eric Wallace is a transfer from Ohio State who averaged 1.8 ppg in limited duty as a freshman.

GEORGETOWN

G Chris Wright - 12, 3, 5
G Jason Clark - 8, 4, 2
F Austin Freeman - 14, 5, 3
F Holl Thompson - 10, 5, 1
F Greg Monroe - 16, 9, 3

Notes: Monroe almost nailed my 12 & 8 prediction from last year, and should take another step forward this year. Thompson is a freshman who will contribute immediately.

LOUISVILLE

G Peyton Siva - 8, 2, 4

G Edgar Sosa - 12, 2, 4
G Jerry Smith - 11, 3, 2
F Terrence Jennings - 11, 8, 1
C Samardo Samuels - 16, 8, 2

Notes: Jennings only averaged 12 mpg last year, but should see his minutes and production soar. Sosa only averaged 7 ppg last year but should get many more chances to score.

MARQUETTE

G Maurice Acker - 5, 2, 3
G Dwight Buycks - 12, 3, 3
G/F Jerome Maymon - 7, 6, 1
F Jimmy Butler - 10, 5, 1
F Lazar Hayward - 17, 10, 1

Notes: Buycks is a Juco transfer who should be the 2nd option behind returning forward Lazar Hayward. Jimmy Butler is an underrated performer who will hold his own in the starting five.

NOTRE DAME

G Tory Jackson - 13, 5, 7
G Jonathan Peoples - 7, 4, 2
G Ben Hansbrough - 10, 5, 4
F Tyrone Nash - 8, 7, 1
C Luke Harangody - 24, 11, 3

Notes: Ben Hansbrough comes over from Mississppi State and he can pass the ball well and rebound. Notre Dame's lack of depth is troubling and none of the reserves should be fantasy contributors.

PITTSBURGH

G Ashton Gibbs - 10, 2, 4
G Jermaine Dixon - 12, 4, 3

G Brad Wanamaker - 9, 5, 2
F Gilbert Brown - 10, 5, 2
F Dante Taylor - 12, 6, 1

Notes: Familiar names are gone, but Pitt has some talent. Taylor should be one of the league's top freshmen.

..Continue to Part Two (Providence, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF, St. John's Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia)

Big East Basketball: Fantasy Preview Part 2

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:50:42 -0400

..Continued From Big East Fantasy Preview: Part One

BIG EAST: PART TWO

PROVIDENCE

G Sharaud Curry - 14, 3, 4
G Marshon Brooks - 14, 5, 2
G Brian McKenzie - 8, 5, 2
F Jamine Peterson - 9, 5, 1
F Bilal Dixon - 6, 6, 1

Notes: Providence turns over most of its roster, but Curry, Brooks, and McKenzie are sure things in the backcourt. Russ Parmenter should be the first forward off the bench.

RUTGERS

G James Beatty - 7, 3, 5
G Mike Rosario - 16, 5, 3

F Jonathan Mitchell - 11, 4, 2
F Greg Echenique - 12, 10, 1
C Hamady Ndiaye - 8, 7, 0

Notes: Beatty is a talented Juco guard who will see big minutes at PG. Mitchell averaged 3.1 ppg as a freshman at Florida, but should do some damage in Rutgers offense. Mike Coburn will see 20 mpg off the bench at guard, but is not a major scoring threat.

SETON HALL

G Eugene Harvey - 11, 4, 6
G Keon Lawrence - 13, 3, 3
G Jeremy Hazell - 19, 4, 2
F Robert Mitchell - 15, 7, 2

C John Garcia - 9, 8, 1

Notes: Hazell averaged 22 ppg last year, but I expect his numbers to drop as Seton Hall adds legit weapons in Lawrence and Herb Pope. Pope has the talent to start as well (averaging 11 & 7 in his prior stop) and it will be interesting to see how Seton Hall utilizes its various weapons.

SOUTH FLORIDA

G Chris Howard - 9, 5, 5
G Dominique Jones - 18, 5, 4
G Jordan Dumars - 8, 4, 1
F Augustus Gilchrist - 13, 6, 1
F Jarrid Famous - 8, 7, 1

Notes: PG Anthony Crater, a transfer from Ohio State, isn't eligible the 1st semester, but could be a starter down the line. Alex Rivas is one of the league's better backup bigs and should contribute 5 & 6 per game.

ST. JOHN'S

G Malik Boothe - 7, 4, 4
G Paris Horne - 12, 4, 3

F DJ Kennedy - 14, 8, 3
F Anthony Mason Jr - 14, 5, 2
F Sean Evans - 11, 8, 1

Notes: The Red Storm actually are surprisingly deep. Reserve forward Justin Burrell should put up a line of 8 & 5, while reserve guards Quincy Roberts and Dwight Hardy can score around 7-8 ppg.

SYRACUSE

G Brandon Triche - 8, 3, 6
G Andy Rautins - 13, 4, 4
F Wesley Johnson - 13, 7, 2
F Rick Jacson - 11, 7, 1
F Arinze Onuaku - 12, 9, 1

Notes: The PG position is a question now that Jonny Flynn Departs. Brandon Triche is a good distributor who won't be forced to do too much on the scoring end. Johnson, a transfer from Iowa St, could end up leading the team in scoring.

VILLANOVA

G Scottie Reynolds - 14, 4, 3

G Corey Fisher - 13, 3, 3
G Corey Stokes - 13, 5, 2

F Taylor King - 11, 4, 1
F Antonio Pena - 9, 7, 1

Notes: Villanova is obviously weakest in the froncourt, where only Pena returns. King, a tranfer from Duke, is one of the biggest X-factors in the league. He's known for lighting it up at times, but can be spotty. Dominic Cheek, a highly touted freshman, will see major minutes off the bench.

WEST VIRGINIA

G Darryl Bryant - 12, 2, 4
G Casey Mitchell - 12, 4, 3
F Devin Ebanks - 14, 9, 3
F Wellington Smith - 7, 5, 1
F De'Sean Butler - 19, 8, 2

Notes: Mitchell was the Juco player of the year, and should provide scoring punch on the wing. Besides the players listed, Joe Mazzulla, John Flowers, and Kevin Jones will also see 15-20 mpg. Jones, a forward, will put up some of the best numbers of any reserve in the league.

Projected Big East Leaders

Top PPG
1) Luke Harangody (24)
2) Jeremy Hazell (19)
3) De'Sean Butler (19)

Top RPG
1) Luke Harangody (11)
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Thursday/Friday Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:21:51 -0400

Both football games on the schedule before Saturday seem to have the following theme: conference title contender taking on an opponent that's disappointed to this point in the season. North Carolina (4-3, 0-3 ACC) has been hurt by injuries on the offensive line and in the backfield, resulting in the ACC's second-worst offense. But can T.J. Yates and company challenge #13 Virginia Tech (5-2, 3-1) in Blacksburg? That's been among the toughest things to do in the recent history of college football with the Hokies being a dominant team at home on Thursday nights (9-2 at home on ESPN Thursday nights).

Both teams will rely on the run and backs Shaun Draughn (North Carolina) and Ryan Williams (Virginia Tech) are two of the conference's better rushers, but the freshman Williams is one of the favorites right now to win the ACC Offensive Player of the Year award. The Tar Heels rank second in the conference in rush defense, allowing just over 102 yards per game on the ground. This will be a good matchup of "strength vs. strength", with players such as DE Robert Quinn, LB Bruce Carter and the rest of that UNC front seven attempting to shut down the ACC's leading rusher.

Ultimately the key in this meeting will be the ability of Yates and his young corps of receivers to make plays through the air. Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster will look to take advantage of a shuffled UNC offensive line, likely throwing everything but the kitchen sink in his blitz packages at the Tar Heels. Look for big games from DE Jason Worilds and LB Cody Grimm, who seems to always be around the football, in a low-scoring Hokie victory.

As for Friday night, USF (5-2, 1-2 Big East) said all the right things in the preseason (as well as September) about being able to avoid the seemingly annual October swoon. But saying that you're going to avoid something and actually doing it aren't always bedfellows, something that became painfully apparent in their 41-14 whipping at the hands of Pittsburgh last weekend. While it may not be fair to say that the Bulls' season is on the line when #20 West Virginia (6-1, 2-0) visits Tampa that kind of statement wouldn't be far off.

QB B.J. Daniels has completed just 47.5% of his passes in losses to Cincinnati and Pitt and if the pass isn't working then it becomes tougher to find lanes in the run game. The Mountaineers may provide that opportunity, as they gave up some big plays in the passing game to Connecticut in their last contest. But they do have a streak of eleven consecutive games with an interception, and that experienced secondary can punish Daniels for any wayward throws. Despite ranking seventh in the conference in pass defense West Virginia is third in pass efficiency defense.

When West Virginia has the football it will be even more important for the Bulls to keep contain. Noel Devine is one of the nation's best running backs, and he accounted for 178 yards and a touchdown in the 28-24 win over Connecticut. But QB Jarrett Brown is also a threat on the ground, especially if defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul, George Selvie and Craig Marshall get too hellbent on rushing upfield. WR Jock Sanders is also a dangerous option in the passing game and Alric Arnett has been solid as well. It will be interesting to see how safety Nate Allen (12 tackles last week) and the rest of the USF secondary matches up in this area; USF leads the Big East in pass defense.

In regards to who wins this game, all four prior meetings have been decided by no more than eight points with each team winning twice. Is USF of the proper state of mind, or will the Mountaineers add to the misery of losing to all three Big East title contenders in a row? Maybe the Bulls will circle the wagons and come out prepared to play (and win) but the safe pick is West Virginia.