Providence

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

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

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)
2t) Echenique/Hayward/Koshwal (10)

Top APG
1) Tory Jackson (7)
2t) Harvey/Triche (6)

..Return to Big East Fantasy Preview: Part One

Fantasy Stats Preview Archive

- ACC

- Big 12

- Big Ten

Poll: Who Will Win the Big East?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:50:33 -0400

Big East Basketball: High-Low Preview

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:47:51 -0400

Everybody loves a prediction. People that claim to hate sports predictions are just jealous that no one cares what they have to say or that their predictions are never right. But sometimes when making predictions, certain teams or groups of teams are truly to close to call. On CHN or in preview mags, we do our best to slot teams into specific spots, but sometimes you just want to say honestly, teams A, B, and C are virtually the same and luck will determine how they finish. You can't say that in a Top 144 ranking, but I'm saying it here in a series of High-Low predictions. Instead of plugging teams into specific spots, I'll give a range for each team's finish and a few reasons why.

(How about the high production values with that picture?..)

BIG EAST HIGH-LOW

The amount of big-name players who left in the off-season is pretty astonishing, but don't expect the usual elites to simply fall off the table.

* my projected finish in yellow

CINCINNATI
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
The Bearcats should return to the tourney for the first time since 2005 thanks to a young roster that is extremely deep & versatile.

UCONN
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
The Huskies losses are impressive, but a core of Dyson, Robinson, and Walker isn't half-bad. UCONN's freshman class is solid, but there are some hit/miss players in there.

DEPAUL
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
DePaul can't be worse then last year and has a chance of escaping the cellar if a little luck goes their way.

GEORGETOWN
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Departures at UCONN, Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse should allow the Hoyas to bounce back after underachieving in a big way last year.

LOUISVILLE
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Lose their big two, but Rick Pitino doesn't coach bad teams. Samuels needs to bring is A game every night.

MARQUETTE
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Decimated by graduation, Marquette got more bad news when Junior Cadougan got injured. Still, there's enough pieces to at least win 6 or so league games.

NOTRE DAME
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Harangody & Jackson are good, transfer Hansbrough is solid, and then you have?.. Expect the Irish to hover around .500 in league play.

PITTSBURGH
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Another team decimated by player departures, Pitt will be able to piece together a solid starting 5 and hope that defense and tempo keep them competitive against the top teams.

PROVIDENCE
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
The Friars turn over an entire roster, but at least the ball is in solid hands with Sharaud Curry back. If the new bigs don't pan out, things could get ugly however.

RUTGERS
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Perpetually on the verge of being good, Rutgers will be hard-pressed to win even 6 league games. 4 is a good +/- number.

SETON HALL
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Seton Hall returns 3 players who averaged 12+ ppg, and welcome two more transfers who could do the same.

SOUTH FLORIDA
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
The Bulls should have their best team since joining the Big East (which admittedly isn't saying much).

ST. JOHN'S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
St. John's returns everybody from a squad that was at least half-decent last year. Finishing in the upper-half of the league will be too much to ask however.

SYRACUSE
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
The Cuse have a good front-court and a capable SG in Andy Rautins, but the PG position is the most important position in college basketball and the team's weakest link.

VILLANOVA
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Villanova is loaded in the backcourt and on the wings, but the loss of Dante Cunningham should not be underestimated up front.

WEST VIRGINIA
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Bob Huggins has a potential Big East title winner at his hands despite the graduation of sharp-shooting Alex Ruoff.

>> ACC: High-Low Preview

>> Big 12: High-Low Preview

>> Big Ten: High-Low Preview

>> Pac-10: High-Low Preview

>> SEC: High-Low Preview

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Preview Interviews

Providence Basketball Preview: #98

Joel Welser — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:19:18 -0400

Overall Rank: #98

Conference Rank: #13 Big East

2008-09: 19-14, 10-8

2008-09 postseason: NIT

Coach: Keno Davis (19-14 at Providence, 47-19 overall)

Providence did pretty well under first year head coach Keno Davis. The Friars ended up in the NIT, but there is a lot of work to be done this year now that most of the roster has graduated. Coach Davis did a fine job when he had an experienced roster to work with, but this year will be different. However, this group certainly does not lack in talent, they just lack in experience.

Key Losses: G Weyinmi Efejuku, F Randall Hanke, C Jonathan Kale, F Geoff McDermott, G Jeff Xavier

Key Newcomers:

The Friars have seven newcomers and that is not counting two players who did not play last season. Wing Kyle Wright and power forward Russ Permenter will likely be the two most important players this season due to their experience at the junior college level. Yet, players like guards Johnnie Lacy and Vincent Council and forwards Kadeem Batts and James Still will be given every opportunity to contribute right away.

Backcourt:

It is on the perimeter where Providence does return some key players. Point guard Sharaud Curry was the leader of the team last year and his leadership will be even more important with all the youngsters surrounding him. Curry tallied 11.7 points and 4.2 assists per game as a junior last season and his scoring output will have to increase this year. Brian McKenzie and Marshon Brooks will likely join him in the starting lineup, at least early in the year. McKenzie can be a good shooter, but he struggled in that department in 2008-2009. If his shot does not return, he could find himself coming in off the bench. Brooks was last year’s super sub who averaged 10.6 points and 3.6 rebounds despite not starting a single game.

Frontcourt:

Jamine Peterson and Bilal Dixon both sat out last year, but they are the closest thing this team has to a returning frontcourt. Peterson is a good athlete who averaged 4.7 points and 2.9 rebounds two years ago before redshirting last year. His experience at Providence, and the fact that he is a good player who can score in bunches, should give him an early leg up in the battle for a starting job in the frontcourt. Dixon, a 6-8, 228 pound redshirt freshman, will have to fight it out with the newcomers for playing time, but in this group, he is almost an experienced option who will be asked to contribute right away.

Who to Watch:

The newcomers will be the difference between another trip to the postseason or a campaign that ends in disappointment. The Friars will need Permenter to stretch out the defense with his mid-range jumper and block a few shots. They will need Wright to hit some three-pointers whether he starts or not. They will need Batts and Still to play solid defense under the basket. They will need Council to fill in some minutes backing up Curry and they will need Lacy to provide a spark off the bench.

Final Projection:

That is asking a lot from a bunch of unproven players in a very tough conference. But that may just be the best case scenario. Coach Davis will figure out what his newcomers can and cannot do and as long as there are seven or eight players who can contribute day in and day out and play their role on this team, Providence will be playing meaningful games in March.

Projected Post-season Tournament: CBI/CIT

Projected Starting Five:

Sharaud Curry, Senior, Guard, 11.7 points per game

Brian McKenzie, Senior, Guard, 4.6 points per game

Marshon Brooks, Junior, Guard, 10.6 points per game

Jamine Peterson, Sophomore, Forward, DNP last season

Russ Permenter, Junior, Forward, DNP last season

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Preview Interviews

Providence: 2009 NIT

Joel Welser — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:49:40 -0400

Providence Friars

Big East (19-13, 10-8)

NIT Seed: #5

RPI: 72

Big Wins: 12/6 Rhode Island (66-65), 1/28 Syracuse (100-94), 2/24 Pittsburgh (81-73)

Bad Losses: 11/15 Northeastern (66-70), 11/27 vs Baylor (56-72), 2/21 Notre Dame (84-103)

Coach: Keno Davis

Probable Starters:

Sharaud Curry, Junior, Guard, 11.9 ppg, 4.2 apg

Jeff Xavier, Senior, Guard, 9.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg

Weyinmi Efejuku, Senior, Guard, 15.7 ppg, 2.3 apg, 4.0 rpg

Geoff McDermott, Senior, Forward, 8.2 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.2 bpg

Jonathan Kale, Senior, Forward, 10.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Marshon Brooks, Sophomore, Guard, 10.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg

Randall Hanke, Senior, Center, 8.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg

Brian McKenzie, Junior, Guard, 4.4 ppg, 1.1 apg

Why They Can Surprise:

Providence is not the best shooting team around, but Coach Keno Davis likes to run and take shots and that is something this group was used to doing under the previous regime. The team has four players who are always threats to hit the long ball and they are not afraid to hoist them up on a consistent basis. Weyinmi Efejuku takes the fewest three-point shots of the group, but he is also the best scorer on the team and the perimeter player that can get to the basket efficiently.

Sharaud Curry is more important to the team as a point guard than a scorer, but he does average 11.9 points per game on top of his 4.2 assists. Jeff Xavier is struggling with his shot this year, but the senior is a proven scorer who can put up 20 or more points when his shot is falling. If Xavier is struggling super sub Marshon Brooks can shoulder the load. The 6-5 sophomore has been a very pleasant surprise for Coach Davis and he has had some great games during this season. Yet, Brooks has also had some games where he has totally disappeared.

Why They Can Disappoint:

Jonathan Kale and Randall Hanke are decent interior scorers, but they do not add much to the defensive side of things. Without a quality shot blocker in the paint, a team that traditionally plays poor defense is even worse. The Friars give up a hearty 76.9 points per game and that ranks among the worst in the nation. It is not Kale and Hanke’s fault, but there is just not an imposing figure in the paint. In order to make up for that the entire team has to play solid defense, but they rarely do such a thing.

Who To Watch:

Geoff McDermott is the wildcard on the Providence team. The 6-8 senior is not as productive as he was last year, but he is a dynamic player who can change a game. He has the size to bang around under the basket and the shooting touch to step outside and hit the occasional three-pointer. But even when he is not scoring, which has been more often than not this year, he helps out his team. McDermott averages 8.6 rebounds per contest and is always tenacious on the glass. He is also a great passer, a decent ball handler and a versatile defender who will block shots and nab a few steals. Providence would be better off if McDermott scores more, but as long as he doing everything else, the points can come from elsewhere.

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 79.1 (15^th in nation, 3^rd in conference)

Scoring Defense: 76.9 (319, 16)

Field-Goal Percentage: 45.4 (92, 7)

Field-Goal Defense: 44.9 (252, 14)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.9 (99, 5)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 32.2 (228, 11)

Free-Throw Percentage: 67.7 (212, 9)

Rebound Margin: 1.2 (150, 12)

Assists Per Game: 15.1 (57, 6)

Turnovers Per Game: 14.3 (206, 12)

Joel’s Bracket Says: NIT Finals loss to St. Mary’s

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Big East Tournament: Day Two Recap & Review

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:14:20 -0400

Raphielle Johnson is live at the Big East Tournament all week. Check back in throughout the week for his updates.

Team of the Day: Syracuse
Histrionics aside, this is a team that's tough to beat when they come to play. The only issue is how consistent they can be in regards to attitude; at this point in the season you can put the balls away if you don't show up ready to go. A key development with Coach Boeheim's team is the improved play of senior Kristof Ongenaet, who expands the frontcourt rotation and allows for more flexibility in their matchups.

Final Four sleeper? With that zone, which according to Seton Hall head coach Bobby Gonzalez, "you need some time to prepare for," the Orange can give lots of teams fits.

On the "clock": Connecticut
Providence has the most riding on its quarterfinal, but it's been a few years since the Huskies have celebrated a win at the Big East (2005 vs. Georgetown). Will the selection committee consider three teams from the same league on the top line? UConn is in position to find out, but they need to take care of business in New York to make an already strong case even stronger.

Tuesday Recaps

#8 Providence 83, #16 DePaul 74

Jerry Wainwright's Blue Demons fought as hard as they could to pull off their second upset in as many games but it wasn't enough to withstand a second-half run by Providence. Will Walker (31 points) and Dar Tucker (30 points) became the first pair of teammates in Big East Championship history to score thirty or more in the same game, but they received little scoring help from their teammates. Mac Koshwal, saddled with foul trouble early, had just two points for the game.

Three Friars reached double figures, led by Sharaud Curry's 25. Separation was reached on a pair of key three-pointers by Jeff Xavier. The first came with 4:44 remaining, giving PC a lead they wouldn' relinquish at 64-62. The second came with 1:09 left in the contest, extending the lead to ten (75-65) and allowing Providence to withstand some hot shooting from Walker in the game's final minute. The Friars take on top seed Louisville in the first quarterfinal of the day Thursday.

#5 Marquette 74, #13 St. John's 45

When shots aren't falling it's easy to allow other areas of your game to deteriorate and that's exactly what happened to the Red Storm. The first line in most stories will be their Big East Championship-record ten points in a half, but right under that will be a note on Marquette outscoring them 20-4 in second chance points. The tournament record for fewest points in a game is 40 (Georgetown vs. Seton Hall in 2001), a mark that wasn't passed until Malik Boothe hit a three late in the second half.

The Golden Eagles, who face Villanova for the third time this season on Thursday, were led by Wesley Matthews (20 points). Lazar Hayward scored seventeen, helping make up for Jerel McNeal's first half foul trouble. For the game St. John's had sixteen turnovers and just three assists, all of which came in the second half.

#7 West Virginia 74, #10 Notre Dame 62

Seeding held to form in the night session as well, with West Virginia eliminating the Irish behind a dominant showing on the boards. The Mountaineers won the rebounding battle 52-32 with freshman Devin Ebanks grabbing eighteen caroms to lead the way. Three players dominated the scoring for West Virginia, led by Alex Ruoff (25 points) and Darryl "Truck" Bryant (20 points). Thursday brings a third edition of the "Backyard Brawl" with WVU looking for their first win over Pitt this season.

Notre Dame was led in scoring by Luke Harangody, who finished with twenty-seven. The Irish shot just 25.9% from the field in the first half, going into the locker room down 36-18. Extending the defense got Mike Brey's team back into the game, but you don't have much hope when you give up twenty offensive rebounds. Notre Dame now waits to see whether or not they'll be heading to the NIT (they'll be there).

#6 Syracuse 89, #11 Seton Hall 74

The turning point of this game came early in the second half with a pair of double technicals. The bad thing for Seton Hall: one of those altercations involved John Garcia, who as a result went to the bench with four fouls. From there the Orange began to get whatever they wanted on the offensive end, inside and out, turning a hotly-contested game into a laugher. Five players scored in double digits for Syracuse, with Jonny Flynn and Eric Devendorf leading the way with nineteen apiece. Jeremy Hazell led the Pirates, who still hold out hope for an NIT berth, with twenty-seven.

The difference: assist-to-turnover ratio. Seton Hall had seventeen assists to eighteen turnovers, primarily a result of Syracuse's length on defense. The Orange tied a Big East Championship record with thirty assists and had just twelve turnovers. Next for Syracuse is Connecticut, a team they've beaten the last three Big East Championship meetings. The Huskies won the lone regular season meeting 63-49 back on February 11th.

Poll: Does Providence Need to Beat Louisville to Make Tourney?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:48:08 -0400