Here we go.

BC - Miami baby.

Oh wait, wrong thread...

Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaah!

More when I sober up in a week or so.

This just in.

Mike Gansey is good. That strip at the end of the game was absolutely embarassing if you're the kid from UCLA.

Another q-win for the Big East. Lots of love from Digger and Bilas.

AP top 25 has 7 Big East teams. Four in the top 12 is pretty impressive.

1. Conn
6. Nova
9. WVU
12. Pitt
21. Gtn
22. Louisville
25. Syracuse

Coaches poll has those teams 1, 6, 13, 10, 27, 23, 24.

Coaches are idiots. Or at least they are not paying much attention. WVU may be the best team in the country right now. GU's win over Duke is much more impressive than any W for Cuse or L'Ville, and their losses are to 3 teams in the AP Top 10, all on the road, with one kinda bad loss the day after Thanksgiving at home v. Vanderbilt. UNC and Wisconsin are also incredibly weak Top 25 teams in the coaches poll.

By luck I was in Tampa on business last night and went to the Villanova-USF game at the Sun Dome. A couple of observations:

1. The Sun Dome will easily be the biggest home court advantage in the Big East and maybe all of college basketball if they ever get a good team and the fans get behind them. the fans sit no farther than four feet from the court and the stairs are very steep with no space between the court and seats. It is crazy. Plus, the atmospheere is part WWE, part tractor pull, part minor league hockey game. they run promotions every TO, throw t-shirts into the crowd every few minutes, blast rap and party music, have really big screen monitors in two corners of the arena. USF has three separate sets of cheerleaders/dance teams that must number over senventy combined and they are always on the court, including when free throws are shot at the other end of the court. Honestly, i have never seen anything like this place. did I mention there is a Chipotle blimp flying around as well?

2. The fans were 30% students, 40% seniors, 10% gangbangers, 20% rednecks. It was bizarre. the student sections were not full by any means, but the kids wwho were there were nutso, dressed up like gladiators and stuff. The arena was probably about 50% full. Despite that, you could not find a parking place around the arena (we drive for like 15 mintes through the various parking lots trying to find a spot).

3. They sell beer at the games. I think this accounted for the redneck crowd

4. The game itslef was the ugliest game I have seen in years. The two teams combined shot 20% in the first half. Turovers, missed layups, blocked shots. USF plays pretty good defnese and Nova was out of sorts all game,especially without Ray playing. Never ran a good half set, always ended with Foye going one on one or Lowry the same. Very few fastbreaks largely becasue USF dominated them on the glass for the first thirty minutes or so. Jason Fraser sucks, so soft. And Nardi was bad. if he is not hitting jumps shots that someone else sets up, he is basically worthless.

5. If USF had any talent, they win easy. But they don't. The center is the best player on the team (had like 17 boards), but he cannot score. Good passer, and they try to run O through him whever possible. Best guard was in foul trouble all game, so white kid with a mask played point most of the game. Realy little understanding of what to do and played scared a lot. one kid also was like 0-14 from the floor, including a missed dunk and several missed layups. Despite that, USF has an open look for three to win the game, but it rimmd out

6. i really don't know what to take from the game, it was surreal on so many levels. I can see why teams fold up there. IF SFU can get some playersand get the city of Tampa behind them, this will be a scary place to go for opposing teams. I think i will be back March 1 for the Uconn game

And I was thinking the same thing and then what does Rutgers do? Well they become Rutgers and lose 3 straight.

Seton Hall with an impressive road win at NC. St. (Hall Win 83-65).

NC St. was #14 & 12-0 at home this season and they were NEVER in this game against the Pirates. The Hall were up 13 at the half & never looked back. The Pirates travel up to the Dome on Saturday and then have a relatively easy stretch of 3 games before UConn. Suddenly this game on Satuday is big for the Orange & Pirates.

Good for Lou Orr and the Hall - quality win vs. NC State. Keep beating the crap out of non conference opponents.

Big East > ACC

learn this. live this. Same as it ever was.

And then you have the WTF loss by WVU to Marshall.

True, but take it wirth a grain of salt. It's like Michgan-Mich state, kentucky/W. kentucky,...in state rivalry that means MUCH more to the teams on the floor than the standings.


Clears, I agree. I think USF is going to be a middle of the road Big East team in about 3 years. They have been playing tough, and are a couple breaks away from being 3-3 instead of 0-6. The city of Tampa seems to support the school quite well too.

The best part about this is that I don't think that these teams have all peaked yet. Louisville can and I expect will play better and maybe crawl into the top 18 or so. I have to think that Syracuse will get their act together and string a few Ws in a row now that the suicide 3 top 3 teams in 6 day stretch is over. Hoping they can scrape the top 20 if they can reverse course. And Georgetown is on fire, who knows where they may climb too.

Thank god the NCAA tweaked the rules so conference teams can play in round 2 (never understood the need for that BS rule anyway).

If the season ended right now, I would say that 8 BE teams get in...the 7 ranked teams and one more. As of this second, I'd give it to Marquette with cinci a close second. Seton Hall could get into the mix if they have a little run in them.

My predicted seedings (I'm basing this on what I expect the rest of the regular season will result in)

1. Conn (1)
6. Nova (2)
9. WVU (4) (little low for them, but I think the committee will want to avoid giving 3 top 3 seeds to one conf...could def see a 3 here if they finish strong though)
12. Pitt (4) (I'm not impressed by Pitt for some reason...)
21. Gtn (6) (Could see them anywhere between 5 and 9 depending on the way things go)
22. Louisville (5) (I expect ville to get hot again...if not this could be a little lower)
25. Syracuse (7) (I think Syracuse with a good run could still get as high as a 5, will probably squarely deserve a 5/6, and as result get a 7)
UR Marquette (8/9) (whomever the 8th BE team is will probably get an 8/9)


And on another note, name me a conference in which their #8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 teams are as good as our 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 teams. I dont think you're finding one. The only dog in there is USF and even they have shown they can play with anyone.

I typically root against the Irish is basketball, but I feel awful for them right now. 1-8 in Big East play, could be 7-2 with some luck. How long till spring practice?

For a relatively detached observer, with my team playing tomorrow, this has been a fun day to watch hoops so far. That Duke game was also on tv here. Maybe someone should suggest Leonard Hamilton and Mike Brey wear a tie, it might help them win a close game.

Marquette leads at Nova all game, then makes a couple of bad choices agaisnt the press and Nova hits two daggers and gametime. Nova plays with fire a lot, but having senior guards covers a lot of problems. Marquette is a very good team, their PG is dynamite. Novak had a decent look to tie the game at the end, but missed

Here's the strength of the Big East in a nutshell. WVU's remaining games, (not in order).

Ranked teams left. Two games against #9 Pitt (home and away), at #22 Gtn , home against #1 UConn.

Unranked - at Syracuse, at Cincinnati, at Seton Hall, and home against Louisville.

Where's the breather there? The NCAA's should be fun to watch if you like the Big East.

Pitt is easily the best team UConn has faced this year. WVU needs to win four of those games at least and hopefully five. If they get five and end up 13-3 in the Big East, theya re no worse than a three or four seed. They go 6-2 and they are a #2 or a #3 (depends on the BET).

That Thursday and Friday at MSG are going to be fantastic this year.

5 games in to that final 8

@ Pitt - L
@ Gtn - W
@ Seton Hall - L
UConn - L
@ Syracuse - L

Home against Pitt and Louisville, and on the road at Cincy. It will be tough for them to finish the final 8 BE games 3-5 after starting 8-0.

I'll be extremely pissed if the NCAA bubble teams do not include BE teams. A BE bubble team could easily do what WVU did last year and make the final 8.

Historically, the ACC has LIVED on S.O.S. and RPI...I only hope the same courtesy is extended to the Big East now that it is, quite frankly, the better conference.

I think FSU got in with a 6-10 conference record one year.

Cincinnati down three to Nova with 12 minutes left in the game. Nova playing four guards (no Fraser at all) and making roughly 50% of their threes. cincy is really brekaing them down defensively with their guards, something Uconn couldn't do. Nova is going to win this game, but there is a blueprint here on how to beat them. Guards that can handle pressure and can get the ball to the post and hit the nidrange jump shot. Nova overpalsy the perimeter, so beating that leaves the lane wide open. Repeatedly. Just now sure who has the players to do that.

edit: with 2:44 left, cincy has come from down twelve to cut it to one

edit#2: Cincy up two with 1:05 left. Villanova's seniors really defer to Lowry, very interesting. I think Lowery is the toughest guy to defend, but woud you rather have Ray or Foye taking these shots, or Lowry? I'm not sure (nice problem to have).

Great finish to that Nova-Cincy game. I cant believe Cincinnati got lost on the screens and left a man wide open for a layup. I can't wait for Sunday's game with the homestanding Huskies!!!!! What a Big East season.

Edit: Nova won 74-72

Wow, Nova gets the last shot (cincy missed three Fts down the stretch - wherehave I seen that with nova?) and Foye gets tied up, but Nova keeps possession with the arrow. Inbounds play finds Cunninham wide open under the hoop for a layup (WTF was that?) with 4 seconds left. Cincy gets a wide open three fro the top of the circle at the buzzer to win it, but it bangs off the back rim. good game.

On to Sunday

Big east bubble teams Cincy, Syracuse and seton Hall have RPIs of 28, 32 and 42 respectively

Those are pretty decent RPI's for "bubble" teams and, yes, I am biased.

The BE Tourney is going to be fantastic this year.

I gotta think that Cinci is a lock based on those RPIs, and Syracuse as long as they show up over the next couple weeks should get in....The Hall is really moving in the right direction, but I suspect they'll be the team left out in the cold this time around...

Big win for West Virginia over Pitt. They secure the 1st round bye for the BE tournament.

Good women's game on now on ESPN2...UConn vs Rutgers at the RAC. Rutgers up 42-41 with 2:44 left. UConn raced out to a 24-8 lead and RU stormed back with the help of a beavy of UConn turnovers. Cathi Pointdexter is having a monster game for Rutgers.

Edit: 42-41 with 1:44 left. UConn has no points in the last 9:44

You ar ekidding, right? this game has been unwatchable. Uconn has not scored a point in the last 10 minutes, inclduing three missed Fts and 13 turnovers. RU hasn't scored in five minutes. This has set the woman's game back ten years at least

Makes you appreciate how good the Taurasi, Cash, Bird era was

I want to cry.

Did the Sun Dome strike? wow. tough to go 0-16 in conference I guess

HUGE WIN on Friday by my boys (Seton Hall) at Pitt, with yours truly in attendance.


As for the G-town loss- I really have no idea how that happened. I was actually at a game down there this year when Seton Hall won (no, I don't follow them around- was just down there for an OB/GYN rotation and saw they were playing). The Sundome crowd is weak as hell. There was maybe 5 "college" fans who were excited and cared, a few hundred that were there to make an appearance, and the rest were old men. G-town had to simply not show up. That is a devastating loss- they loss the bye now.

I look back with disdain at the St. John's and Notre Dame losses- Seton Hall could have snuck into the 4 spot and sealed a bye after be picked by many major publications to be 15th or 14th out of 16 going into the season. Either way, it was a great year so far for the Pirates. Just need to win one in the BE tourney.

Huge game for the Cuse right now, and they are looking good with 6:33 left with a 2 point lead.

Wednesday, March 8 - First Round
Noon, No. 8 Cincinnati vs. No. 9 Syracuse (ESPN)
2:00 p.m., No. 5 Georgetown vs. No. 12 Notre Dame (ESPN)
7:00 p.m., No. 7 Seton Hall vs. No. 10 Rutgers (ESPN)
9:00 p.m., No. 6 Pittsburgh vs. No. 11 Louisville (ESPN)


Thursday, March 9 -- Quarterfinals
Noon, No. 1 Connecticut vs. 8/9 winner (ESPN)
2:00 p.m., No. 4 Marquette vs. 5/12 winner (ESPN)
7:00 p.m., No. 2 Villanova vs. 7/10 winner (ESPN2)
9:00 p.m., No. 3 West Virginia vs. 6/11 winner (ESPN)


Friday, March 10 -- Semifinals
7:00 p.m., Thursday Afternoon Winners (ESPN)
9:00 p.m., Thursday Evening Winners (ESPN)

Saturday, March 11 -- Finals
8:00p.m., Friday Evening Winners (ESPN)

Season Over
ST Johns
Providence
DePaul
USF

In all seriousness, syracuse probably needs 2 wins to feel really good about their NCAA chances... although I can't envision a scenario in which they don't lose by at LEAST a dozen vs. UConn in round 2.

1 win gives them a SHOT, as it would get them to 20 wins and .500 in the conference (not technically, but in the NCAA committee's minds at least)

My gut says, at this point, BE gets 8 in and, fair or not, that 1st round BET game between Cinci and Syracuse may be the deciding factor with the loser a #1 seed in the granddaddy of them all, the NIT.

Big East announces everyone made 1st team All Big East. Okay there is only 11 players. Allan Ray, Randy Foye, Steve Novak and Rudy Gay were unanimous picks.

First Team All Big Big East

What a freaking joke. 11 guys on the first team. Is this t-ball? Did we really have to stretch that far to make sure GMac and Chris Quinn get lifetime achievement awards? And as prodigious a talent as he is, Gay has not even been his own team's MVP yet he is a unanimous selection, but Gansey and Pittsnoggle are not.

That team is a joke. Gmac has been bad all year and Quinn is a decent player, nothing more. Gansey deserves to be on the team, but Pittsnogle? and don't get me started on Gay, right now he is the fourth or fifth most important player on the team behind Marcus, hilton, Rashad, and Denham (and maybe Adrien). Boone doesn't make it at all...interesting since Calhoun has privately been telling him he should come back.

There's a good reason why Rudy didn't make the cut for the Wooden Award this time around. It is because he is simply not taking advantage of his incredible talent and playing hard and with a purpose every time he laces up the Nikes.

I figure we'll keep the Big East tourney talk in here...

Cuse up first, gonna try to catch the last hour of it in conference room during lunch...

More I think about it, more I think this may be the last meaningful game G-Mac will ever play as an Orangeman.

As far as the other 3 games today, my early picks are G-Town, the Hall, and possibly Lville in an upset....

Whew.

Phew is right! I'm going to savior that win before reality sets in and I realize we have to play UConn in 22 hours.

GU down 30-27 at halftime to ND. Not exactly where I would want to be, but a big relief after starting out down 11-0 and 0-10 and 2-15 from the field. The Irish have a huge hole in the middle of their zone that must be exploited.

Wow, another great game here. G-Town up 3 and the Irish have the ball with 17 seconds.

Edit: G-Town holds on and wins by 4.

Phew. Brandon Bowman finally came to play in the second half today. The lefty runner he hit to put GU up 3 under 10 seconds left was the biggest shot of his career, and the 25 pts he had today were very meaningful in a game where Jeff Green seemed out of it. Gonna need both of them tomorrow against Marquette, but I am psyched for a rematch with them- the game GU played there was probably the worst I have seen them play all year (thankfully I could not see the game at S. Florida over the weekend). Revenge would be quite sweet.

Please move all tournament discussions to the Championship Week thread. Thanks.

Hoyas survived...

Thanks for the advice, Dad.

Please leave moderation to the mods. Thanks!

T&P, H&H.

Georgetown - Marquette should be a hell of a game. OLD SCHOOL B.E. vs. new school B.E.

Go Cuse!

Something very curious would happen if Rutgers somehow beat Nova today....

Rutgers of all teams would suddenly vault their RPI into the high 40's...would be coming off a tremendous win over a #2 team, would elevate their SoS to into the 30's, and would be 19-12...

Even in that range, those #'s probably don't get them in...but I think they would at least be squarely in the bubble discussion...of all the BE teams with similar or better season standings, they seem to be the only one never mentioned...

as of right now...Seems like

IN
UConn
Nova
Pitt
WVU
Marquette
gTown
Cinci
syracuse

Bubble
Seton Hall (I think they are out barring a slew of other bubble losses)
Rutgers (probably out, but a Nova win and I think they actually could get in)

Jim Boeheim vs. John Thompson in the BE Tournament tomorrow night at MSG! That's got a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

Bring it Cuse. Back to the 80's here. Wow, that was too close at the end, ugly overall, but feeling good now.

Connecticut weeps, today.