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Not everyone can successfully make the jump from high school to the NBA the way Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James did. And one-and-done wonders such as Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose are the exceptions, not the rule.
Most have to put in work, serious work, to get a gig in the League. And that's where the NBA Developmental League comes into play. Basketball's equivalent to the minors in baseball gives cats a chance to catch on with teams at the next level.
There's been plenty of players that have taken the D-League route at some point during their respective careers. Count Aaron Brooks as one of the many. The Birdman, Chris Andersen, too. Andray Blatche and Matt Barnes have been there, done that.
Trust us, the list goes on and on.
That said, here's a look at some of the top talent the D-League has to offer, in our humble opinion of course. Think of it as a makeshift starting five. In fact, one of these individuals could end up in the NBA before all is said and done this season.
Mustafa Shakur | 6-3 | PG | Tulsa 66ers
Curtis Stinson, Will Conroy and Andre Barrett might have better overall numbers, but we like Shakur's statistics: 20.1 points, 6.7 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. Most might recall him from his days as a college floor general at Arizona. In 2006, Shakur entered his name in the NBA Draft before deciding to return for his senior season with the Wildcats. His goal, no doubt, is to be remembered for his ability to run the show in the League. Whether that happens or not remains to be scene.
Reggie Williams | 6-6 | SG | Sioux Falls Skyforce
Plan and simple, every team out there could use a scorer. And Williams can fill it up, flat out fill it up. He's third in the D-League in scoring, averaging 25.8 a contest, on get this, 56 percent shooting. With 11 games of 30 or more points and a pair of efforts of 40 or more, what's not to like? Then again, we can't imagine him duplicating those types of efforts while having to guard the top twos on a nightly basis in the NBA. Nevertheless, Williams is an intriguing prospect, to be sure.
Carlos Powell | 6-7 | SF | Albuquerque Thunderbirds
Many believe he's ready, capable of coming in and making a contribution for someone, somewhere. Maybe overseas. Whatever the case, it should be known that Powell does a little bit of everything, most of it extremely well. Averages of 22.1 points, 4.9 assists and 4.8 rebounds every time he steps out on the court is a good indication of that. A 49 percent clip from the floor certainly doesn't hurt matters. As far as we're concerned, it's just a matter of time before he gets the chance to show what he can do.
Alexander Johnson | 6-10 | PF | Sioux Falls Skyforce
Has already had a cup of coffee in the League, with Memphis and Miami a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, Johnson couldn't parlay those experiences into a full-time job. That fact, however, hasn't prevented him from doing whatever it takes to make it back to the League. Determination best explains his 23.8 point and 11.1 rebounds a game this season. Knowing the ropes, the ins-and-outs, gives him an advantage over his counterparts and it will be interesting to see if that plays a role in a promotion.
Dwayne Jones | 6-11 | C | Austin Toros
At one point, he looked like a lock to join Dallas, especially when Erick Dampier was dealing with all those injuries. The recent addition of Brendan Haywood might have put a damper on his chances of donning a Mavericks uniform though. Nevertheless, his resume speaks for itself. Jones is averaging 16.8 points, 14.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per contest. Throw in 62 percent from the field and it's easy to understand why he might be in the back of the minds of the powers that be in the NBA.
Golden State has dipped into the D-League talent pool this season, calling up four players, Chris Hunter, Cartier Martin, Coby Karl and Anthony Tolliver.
And we're sure everyone knows about Sundiata Gaines, one of the feel-good stories of the year. Back in mid-January, he came off the bench for Utah in the waning moments if its game against the Cavs and knocked down the game-winner, a three-pointer, in front of a nationally televised audience on TNT.
Talk about storybook endings. Or beginnings, for that matter.
Within the last month, four players have the received all-important call up.
When Joakim Noah went down with plantar fascitis, Chris Richard got a shot with Chicago. Trevor Ariza's hip pointer led to Garrett Temple landing in Houston. Antonio Anderson is auditioning in Oklahoma City with the hopes of making it on the big stage. And on Wednesday, the Wizards hooked up Mike Harris in the nation's capital, Washington D.C.
So yes, there are some guys with game in the D-League.
Honestly, I'd be remiss without mentioning someone from out in my neck of the woods, sunny Southern California, before finishing up this feature.
The dude's name is Dar Tucker, a 6-4 guard for the Los Angeles D-Fenders. Had the opportunity to see him in action a couple times too, right before several of the Lakers' games at Staples Center, and he can play. No doubt about it.
Anyway, he got his share of publicity for his legit hops during All-Star Weekend when he dunked over a 7-footer, Brian Butch, to win the D-League's version of the Slam Dunk contest.
For the record, it was a sick finish, far better and more creative than anything Nate Robinson, Shannon Brown, DeMar DeRozan or Gerald Wallace did during their days in Texas.
Now, I'm not saying his high-flying routine will earn him some playing time alongside the likes of Kobe, Pau Gasol and Ron Artest anytime soon. That' be unreasonable. In the grand scheme of things, Tucker might not ever ball with the big boys. It's a fact many players learn to deal with.
Tucker, however, is on the radar.
And therein lies the key. For those who won't take no for an answer, the D-League offers a unique opportunity. It's that one last chance for players to keep chasing their dreams of making it to the NBA.
It's not about where you start. It's where you finish. Word is born.
Hitting my first ever NBA All-Star Weekend, there was nothing more I was hyped for than getting to see not one, not two, but yes three dunk contests throughout the weekend. Sure, peeping the Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown and D-League Dunk Contest ran me the expense of about half of the rookie game, but it was well worth it in this hoop head's eyes.
Having watched every NBA Dunk Contest multiple times, I can legitimately say that this was the worst that the League has ever put out. After throwing down my first dunk at age 13 (forget that I was already 6-3 and got the ball about two inches over the rim), I idolized guys like Harold Miner, Isaiah Rider and Dee Brown. But after this last dunk contest, the League seriously needs to rethink their incentive to draw the top dunkers in or open themselves to potentially letting outside dunkers in (perhaps TDub or Guy Dupuy from Team Flight Brothers) in to spice things up a bit. What they did this year just didn't work, as seen by the fact that the "other two" dunk contest easily trumped the NBA's.
Here's a brief rundown of the three dunk contests that we took in, along with the top 5 dunk contest dunks from the weekend:
When/Where: Friday night, NBA Jam Session Center Court
Contestants: Taurian Fontenette aka "Air Up There" aka "Mr. 720," Willie "Flyte" Barnes, Los, Young Hollywood
Winner: Air Up There
The verdict: Air Up There shut the gym down with all of his dunks, sending NBA stars in to a frenzy with his ridic bounce. He honestly got NECK LEVEL at the rim on a number of his dunks in warm-ups and narrowly missed his patented 720. Young Hollywood showed off his sick hops in warm-ups, but struggled getting any of his patented dunks down once the bright lights came on. Like Young Hollywood, Los wasn't able to throw a number of his bigtime dunks down but still came with some nasty stuff. Willie "Flyte" Barnes may have been the best actual player in the event, but his power dunking (check out him destroy the backboard on this reverse dunk) wasn't enough against guys like AUT.
When/Where: Friday night/NBA Jam Session Center Court
Contestants: Dar Tucker, Tony Danridge, Alonzo Gee, Trey Gilder
Winner: Dar Tucker
The verdict: Having tracked Dar Tucker since high school, I knew he had bounce….but not THAT kind of bounce. Chicago's finest had his had at the rim on just about every dunk and got the crowd involved the whole time. He was a no brainer to take home the crown with the performance he put on. It was a bit of a disappointing performance from 2009 NCAA Dunk Contest Champ Tony Danridge, who was our favorite to win it all. He rocked a nasty cradle dunk, but didn't quite live up to the expectations that we had for him coming in. Finalist Alonzo Gee had a couple of solid ones but nothing spectacular. The final contestant, Trey Gilder, may or may not have embarrassed himself with this botched hurdle dunk after about 5 tries where somebody could have seriously got hurt.
When/Where: NBA All Star Saturday/ American Airlines Arena
Contestants: Nate Robinson, Shannon Brown, DeMar DeRozan, Gerald Wallace
Winner: Nate Robinson
The verdict: I'd say put a big * next to Nate's third slam dunk crown. He did the same dunks that he's done in every other contest, with minor variations. I'd give him props if the little guy hit us with something new, but it was the same old same old. Shannon Brown was my pick to win it all, but he looked more like 25-year-old Shannon than the kid who gave Bron a run for his money in the 2003 McDonald's dunk contest in my hometown of Cleveland. DeMar DeRozan had an underrated performance, giving us two of our top 5 dunks from the weekend. Gerald Wallace? Are you serious?
1. Dar Tucker's "slingshot" dunk over 7'0 Brian Butch — In a move that straight up shocked everyone in attendance, Dar (who stands a hair over 6-4 on a good day), called out 7-0 Brian Butch, hurdled him a la Vince/Fredric Weis, and banged a nasty slingshot dunk. If this happened in the NBA dunk contest, it may have went down as one of the better dunks in history. Unfortunately though, it's the D-League and only about 5,000 people saw it.
2. Air Up There's 360 between the legs — AUT destroyed a 360 between the legs that almost sent LeBron James out of the arena. Bron literally sprinted past me towards the exit (I'm the guy with the blue shirt courtside at 39 second mark) and was ecstatic about the dunk. Crazy thing is that I've seen Air Up There do better, furthering my cause of a "streetball dunker" being allowed to participate in the NBA Dunk Contest.
3. Air Up There's 360 reverse — (note this is the second dunk in the video) After missing a couple of 720's, AUT decided to go with something simple (yet unseen by most) with a 360 dunk that he finished with a reverse on the other side of the rim. This dunk alone would have CRUSHED anyone's in the NBA dunk contest and is considered a "safe" dunk by the Houston native. Sick.
4. DeMar DeRozan's off the side of the glass windmill — I think this one could quietly go down as one of the more underrated dunks in NBA dunk contest history (although it will NEVER compare to Orlando Woolridge's between the legs dunk 26 YEARS AGO). Gotta give the youngster his credit, especially since he is a guy that we could see in many a dunk contest over the next 5 years.
5. DeMar DeRozan's reverse between the legs with two hands — How many guys have we seen do this dunk? Check YouTube, not too many. I don't understand why nobody gave him any love on this one, but it was still a really nasty dunk in this guy's opinion.
Day two; it's a clean slate. It doesn't matter how you got here, all that matters is you're here. For the teams that survived round one, yesterday no longer matters. Paris Horne and your 23 points versus Georgetown, who cares. Dar Tucker's 15 second half points in the win over Cincinnati, big whoop. The beauty of tournament time is the aim is to win by any means necessary, but once that goal is accomplished everything in the past becomes irrelevant. For four more teams it's time to get reved up and ready to go today as we get a look at the 5, 6, 7 and 8 seeds with four more games in tow. I'm expecting bigger crowds, bigger dunks and more excitement today. You can already feel a different air in the Garden this morning as fans start to file in. DePaul and Providence are tipping off in about 30 minutes, I'll have the game preview in just a little bit. So grab a seat, turn on the tube (games are on ESPN today) and get set for round two from the Big Apple.
Check-out the Day 1 Live Blog of the Big East Tournament here.
Game 5: No. 16 DePaul vs. No. 8 Providence
It's Cinderella versus the reemerging Friars in the first game of the day at the Garden. I have no qualms about referring to DePaul as a cinderalla already; the Blue Demons won exactly 0 games during the conference regular season and managed to knock off a pretty good Cincinnati team yesterday. That in my book qualifies them as a Cinderella.
Dar Tucker, the rising sophomore, was a big reason DePaul came away with win over the Bearcats. The undersized forward was in foul trouble early on and limited to just two points and five minutes of playing time in the first half. He came out roaring in the second half though, netting 15 points on an array of spinning moves and floaters in the lane. The Blue Demons shot nearly 50 percent from the floor and in one of their best defensive showings of the year held Cinci to 36 percent shooting for their first win since December 28th (that is not a typo). Things get much tougher today though with a Providence team that is looking to get into the NCAA Tournament.
At 18-12 (10-8) the Friars are very much on the bubble, but with a win or two this week should land themselves an at-large bid. First year head coach Keno Davis has proven to be worth every cent that he was paid to leave Drake, getting the Friars back into the Big East picture immedietely. Providence is a very balanced scoring team with seven players averaging between 8 and 16 ppg. Senior swingman Weyinmi Efejuku (a favorite of mine but try saying his name five times fast) leads the way with 15.4 ppg on a very solid 47 percent shooting. He has been on a tear as of late, scoring 20 or more points in four out of his last six games, including 29 against Villanova on Friday. Undersized Sharaud Curry does a solid job running the show at the point position and Jonathan Kale for what he lacks in size, more than makes up for it with hustle inside. The key for the Friars this tournament though will be the play of forward Geoff McDermott. The athletic swingman has solid averages of 8 ppg and nearly 9 rpg, but has the ability to perform at a higher level than his number would indicate. A good week by McDermott could mean a run by the Friars.
Neither of these teams has had a lot of recent success at the Garden in March. Prior to yesterday DePaul was 0-1 all-time in Big East Tournament and Providence hasn't won a tournament game since 2003 when Ryan Gomes was still tearing up the college ranks. The easy money has to be on Providence in this one, the Friars knocked off DePaul in early January, and they are just two weeks removed from their upset of Pitt. A little over two minutes to go until starters and the national anthem.
– Today's crowd is already looking bigger than the ones that filed in yesterday; the DePaul vs. Cincinnati game at noon looked like a high school game. I'm noticing some early gamesmanship between the DePaul and Providence pep bands with the two squads going back and for at one another. I even caught the band directors throwing a couple of nasty looks in the opposites general direction. After a rousing chant by the Blue Demon band though, the Providence student section responded with "Where are your fans?" A good point, this place is packed with Providence fans but I see maybe a handful of DePaul faithful. I guess the treck from Rhode Island is a bit easier than the Windy City. Tip off is seconds away, time to settle in for the day.
– Opening two minutes are ugly. The fans are getting more action than the baskets as we're scoreless, both teams have missed a pair of baskets and a Jeff Xavier pass was thrown into the stands. Two days in a row the noon game has been sluggish early.
– Under 16 timeout with Providence out to an early 4-2 lead. It's been sloppy play but the two players to watch in this one (Efejuku and Dar Tucker) have gotten into the action early. Efejuku had a strong two handed slam that brought the mostly pro-Providence crowd to its feet momentarily. Tucker continuing his pattern from yesterday had a good looking spin move at the elbow that went right into a floater in the lane. The kid has some superb athleticism, once he gets the shooting touch to be more consistent he is going to really do some damage.
– Tucker must have heard my comment about his shooting because he just finished a great play. Gets past McDermott with a quick first step, then pulls back for the baseline jumper, nails it plus the foul. After completing the three-point play, Tucker's running mate yesterday Will Walker gets a nice finish in transition before Tucker drills another three. Give the sophomore a ten spot early. A couple of jumpers by Sharaud Curry are keeping the Friars close, DePaul leads 12-11.
– Looks like Providence big man Jonathan Kale had a contact knocked out; he responds nicely though with a finish inside after the Friars dump it in low to the senior out of Mattapan, MA. I metioned yesterday how I wasn't a big fan of the Rugters Scarlet Knight, well the Providence Friar isn't making a good first impression with me either. Dude doesn't do a whole lot (I guess most Friars don't) but the whole white, hooded robe seems very out of place at a basketball game. During the break a Providence fan defeats a DePaul fan in a free throw shooting contest to win a digital camera. To be fair the Providence fan looked like he was a senior in college while the kid from DePaul might be on spring break from high school right now. Under 12 break, DePaul still out in front 14-13.
– First random thought of the day. How many enemies did Cleveland State make in the Big East last night. With several teams sitting on the bubble, the Vikings ate up an extra at-large bid last night by knocking off Butler in the Horizon League Championship. Cleveland State will take the automatic bid while Butler is a lock to get in the Tournament regardless.
– Walker and Tucker are at it again for DePaul and the Demons are out in front 22-16 at the under 8 timeout! Walker drills a three to give him 10 points as well and on the ensuing trip down the court for Providence, Tucker draws a charge against Efejuku out near the top of the key. Keno Davis seems very calm during the timeout right now as he draws up a play for after the break. The Friars are shooting 18 percent higher from the floor right now but turnovers are allowing DePaul to control the game.
– Walker drills another three. The senior shot 36 percent from beyond the arc this season and was 0-3 yesterday, he's 3-5 today with a game high 13 points so far. Providence capitalizes on two straight turnovers though thanks to some pressure defense. Curry hits another three and Efejuku gets a layup off a great look from McDermott in transition; the big man can dish having played some PG in the past.
– So freecreditreport.com is one of the sponsors of this years Big East Tournament. You know them, they're the website with the unbelievably catchy jingles "F-R-E-E that spells FREE". We've all heard them and probably hummed along at least once. Once a game during an official timeout they bring a fan onto the floor and have them sing along with the commercial for the entire arena to hear. Maybe it's because the crowd is made up of so many New Yorkers, but all five performances have been booed so far. I'll continue to monitor this developing trend.
– Efejuku is a player. The way he is able to get into the lane and beat defenders off the dribble has made me a fan of his for a couple of years now. He slices in on a pretty looking crossover and gets to the laine for a couple, he goes 1-2 to give him 8 points and keep the Friars close. Both teams have been shooting the deep ball, reserve Mario Stula just hit back-to-back bombs for DePaul, considering he averaged 1.4 ppg during the regular season, I think the Demons will take it. DePaul is 6-15 from deep with the Friars a slighlty more efficient 4-9. Just 1:41 remaining in the half and DePaul is making a push for another upset, ahead 31-29.
– Providence holds for the last shot of the half and when the designed play breaks down Sharaud Curry decides to bank home another three with 4 seconds on the clock. I didn't hear him call it but with 16 first half points and having connected on 4 of 5 attempts from the outside, I think he's earned a little slack. The bucket gives the Friars their first lead in a while at 32-31 as the teams head to the break. Still, DePaul once again is hanging around and in the game. Maybe it's because head coach Jerry Wainwright has been sick as of late and the team wants to win one for the Gipper, maybe it's because they are sick of losing, whatever it is, DePaul is making things interesting as a 16 seed! We'll see if the Curry shot gives the Friars some momentum now to start the second half. Efejuku was quite during the first 20 minutes, so if he gets his game going it could mean big things for Providence.
– Geoff McDermott opens the scoring in the second half with a nice drive and flush from the foul line, but DePaul regains the lead after back to back bombs from Walker and Tucker. The backcourt duo have combined for 29 of DePaul's 39 points. Walker in particualr has impressed me, I knew what I was getting with Tucker, but the senior guard has been scoring in a variety of ways and has been the cog for the Blue Demons this week.
– Walker is starting to get more aggressive, splitting the D from the right side and getting credit for a lay in after McDermott is called for goal tending. There have been a total of four players that have defended Walker the last two days and I have yet to see one who has been able to consistently keep him from either getting to the rack or freeing himself on the perimeter for a good look. Full timeout for Providence, DePaul ahead 41-36 with 17:10 remaining.
– Now we're starting to get ourselves a good old fashioned shootout as the pace picks up. Walker and Curry are going back and forth for their respective teams. Curry hits a tough floater in the lane, before Walker pulls up and rattles one in from the foul line. On the very next possession Curry hits yet another three (21 points now) and follows that up with an assist in the lane to Kale. Walker hits Tucker in transition for a reverse lay in. I've finally got the one-on-one showdown I've been waiting for and we've got a tie ball game at 45 with the under 16 break.
– Mario Stula hits another three from the corner! The sophomore out of Croatia has nearly nonadrupled (it means 9 times, I looked it up) his season scoring average. The play is wasted though as Marshon Brooks is fouled by Dar Tucker on a three point attempt from the top of the key. After converting the free throws its back to a 2-point DePaul lead.
– It's raining threes in the Garden. Dar Tucker goes on a mini 7-0 personal scoring highlighted by another three to give him 22 points. The Blue Demons are shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc, having hit 10-23 attempts; this is a team that shot 29 percent during the regular season. There's no better time to get hot than March. A cold blooded three by Jeff Xavier with a hand in his face and a tough lay in off the glass by McDermott makes it a 55-53 game with Providence trailing at the under 12 break. Another strong drive to the rack has Walker shooting two for the Blue Demons after the break.
– Funny moment. The Providence Friar and Dibs the DePaul Blue Demon were just standing near each other at halfcourt during the timeout when suddenly it dawned on me; this is a battle of good vs. evil. Either DaPaul sold their souls to the devil for this unlikliest of runs or it's suddenly just a good time to be bad.
– Things are starting to get a little chippy and Keno Davis wasn't afraid to voice his opinion to the officials. The Providence coach goes a little further than he knows (I was able to make out what he said but I won't repeat it here) and gets himself a technical. Walker goes to the line and connects on 1 of 2. He's now at 22 points for the game while Tucker is at 25 as he continues to be hot from the floor. He'll have a shot to add to that total after coming away with a steal and drawing a foul going to the rim in transition. Less than 9 to go and DePaul has pushed the lead back to 5.
– Random stat: This has literally been a four man game between the two teams; each letting their top two go to work. Of the 118 points that have been scored so far through 32 minutes of action, Efejuku, Curry, Tucker and Walker have combined to score 84 of them.
– Efejuku is starting to get more active as this game winds down, exactly what Providence needs. After picking up a hard earned basket on the offensive glass, he comes back down the floor the next trip and breaks down his defender off the dribble, gets into the lane and draws contact. The senior knocks down both attempts from the charity stripe to give him 19 points and to pull his team within one, 62-61, with 6:08 remaining.
– The Garden explodes as Efejuku dirves and kicks to Jeff Xavier for an open three and a Friar lead 64-62. Jerry Wainwright fearing a major momentum shift calls a 30-second timeout. On the first possession out of the break though Stula airballs a mid-range jumper and Efejuku goes the other way for a tough lay in in traffic. Four-point Providence lead with 4 to go.
– The lid is ready to blow, it's a 9-0 run for Providence and DePaul takes their final timeout. Sharaun Curry connected on a short jumper following the Efejuku lay in, then a quick steal by McDermott allowed the big man to run and finish in transition with a finger roll. DePaul looks like a deer in the headlights right now and Providence is as fired up as they have been all game. The Friar student section behind their basket is on their feet and they don't look like they'll be sitting for the remainder of this one. It's an 8 point lead with 3:30 remaining.
– Providence and DePaul trade bombs as Jeff Xavier and Will Walker (25 points) each connect from deep. With less than a minute to go though and the Friars leading by 7, the Blue Demons have no choice but to start fouling.
– Will Walker hits three 3′s in the final minute to give him 31 points, tying his season high. Providence hit their free throws down the stretch holding on to win 83-74. I give a ton of credit to DePaul though, the two-man wrecking ball of Walker and Dar Tucker each scored 30+ and made it a game the entire way. In the end Providence's defense made plays down the stretch and Efejuku in the second half picked up where Curry left off at the half; both players finished with 20+. So Providence moves on and earns themselves a date with Louisville tomorrow. I'll have thoughts from Keno Davis after his press conference in a few minutes then its on to game two of the day.
– Just some final notes from game one of the day. Will Walker and Dar Tucker became the first teammates in Big East Tournament history to each score over 30 points in the same. Providence coach Keno Davis says with this win he now feels his teams is "squarley on the bubble" and that the Louisville game tomorrow should not have any impact on his teams NCAA Tournament chances. Back in a few with the preview of St. John's and Marquette.
Game 6: No. 13 St. John's vs. No. 5 Marquette
Our first look at a ranked team at ranked team this week comes in this battle between the Johnnies who knocked off Georgetown yesterday and Marquette. St. John's was led by guard Paris Horne who was lights out from the field and hit some clutch jumpers down the stretch. The Hoyas were frustrated into a paltry 37 percent shooting performance from the floor and played sloppy basketball all afternoon; they were never able to take advantage of their interior size.
For Marquette it has been a season of ups and downs. The Golden Eagles have lost four straight games coming into the tournament after losing guard Dominic James to a broken foot. There is still a ton of talent on this roster, I mean a ton. Jerel McNeal (20.1 ppg), Wesley Matthews (18.5 ppg) and Lazar Hayward (16.2 ppg) are one of the highest scoring trios in the country. McNeal, the school's all-time leading scorer is one of the best lock down defenders in the country and will be a headache for the St. John's backcourt. The majority of the bulk inside (and there isn't much) comes from Hayward who is hauling down an impressive 8.5 rpg; impressive since he is only 6-6.
The game is underway with Marquette out to a quick 11-4 lead at the 13:25 mark. The Golden Eagles are pushing the tempo and have been cleaning up the glass thanks to great second efforts from Hayward and jumping-jack guard Jimmy Butler.
– It's no wonder Hayward has averaged as many rebounds as he did this season, dude can jump right out of the building. He does an excellent job of establishing position and then explodes to the basketball. The Johnnie's are struggling to get anything going on the offensive end as a result of the quickness Marquette brings to the floor, particularly on the perimeter. If not for some solid play by Horne on the defensive end, St. John's might be in a bigger hole. It's 11-4 at the under 12 timeout.
– This is really starting to look like a conference tournament now as the entire lower bowl at the Garden is packed for this game. I'm ever starting to see certain section in the upper levels fill up with fans as well. Marquette has a good showing of support with the pep bands and dedicated student section set up to the right of the Golden Eagle bench under one of the baskets. Making the trip all the way from Wisconsin, not a bad way to spend spring break.
– The Red Storm are shooting just 11 percent from the floor with 10 minutes gone by in the first half; that isn't going to win you any basketball games. On a positive note though, guard D.J. Kennedy is back on the floor for the Johnnies, seemingly showing no ill effects from his head on collision with a referee during yesterdays game. Kennedy connected on his first shot attempt.
– Norm Roberts is not happy with his team at all, as he takes a 30 second timeout. The Golden Eagles are running all over St. John's right now, but more importantly they are hitting the offensive glass hard. Marquette has four O-boards so far, three of which have been corralled by Jimmy Butler. I'm starting to like him a lot, 4 points and 4 rebounds for the sophomore out of Tomball, Texas. As I write that, enter Lazar Hayward who cleans up a Matthews miss and gets the put back. Less than 7 to go in the half and its 19-8 Marquette.
– The Johnnie's just took another timeout, this time a full, as Wesley Matthews drills a three from the top of the key to make it 22-8 with 6:32 remaining until the break. I'm in the process of flipping through the Big East Tournament book to check on this, but I'm fairly sure that St. John's is going to be in the running for the lowest scoring half in tournament history with their eight spot right now.
– Marquette's Buzz Williams is such a fun coach to watch; I'm convinced he gets more of a workout than his players do. At no point during this game yet has he gone a single defensive series without jumping up and down, spinning on one foot, or flailing his arms widely. Someone get the man a towel! Either way, he can't be unhappy with the way his team is playing D in the first half. Red Storm still stuck at 8 points; 24-8 with 4:38 to go in the half.
– Eureka! It took a little searching, but the lowest scoring half in Big East Tournament history was 14 points put in by Georgetown in the second half of a game vs. Seton Hall back in 2001. With less than three minutes to go in the half and their players struggling to hold onto the basketball, St. John's may be replacing the Hoyas in the record books relatively soon.
– Justin Burrell banks in a short jumper with 1:30 to go in the half and the crowd at the Garden goes nuts; it's loaded with sarcasm, but still they cheer. Of course, Wesley Matthews spoils the fun with a step back three as the shot clock expires and Jimmy Butler promptly steals the ball from the Red Storm for an easy two.
– The first half is in the books and history at the Garden! Trailing 38-10 at the break, St. John's sets the record for lowest point total in a single half in Big East Tournament history, hitting just three field goals. I would not want to be in that locker room with Norm Roberts right now. For Marquette it was a well balanced first twenty minutes of action. Wesley Matthews (11 points, 7 rebounds) Lazar Hayward (10 points, 6 rebounds) and Jimmy Butler (6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists) all looked real good. The Johnnie's have a lot of work to do if they want to make this one interesting. I'm off to the buffet for a quick bite, I'll be back in a little bit with more!
– So if there is one thing I've learned in my time as a member of the media it's that media buffets can be treacherous to your health. Nine times out of ten the most cost efficient, easy to produce in mass bulk foods are the one that will kill you. Seeing as how I was too tired this morning to wake up and go for a run, I decided to play it safe and go to the build your own sandwich bar. Tune on wheat was the eventual choice.
– Both teams are back out on the floor and St. John's is making their shots during their halftime shoot around, that has to spell good news for the Red Storm. Marquette, as much of a cliche as it is, just needs to keep doing what they're doing. Obviously they can't take all the credit for the 10-points showing from the Johnnies, some of that is just poor shooting, but the Golden Eagles did play good D in the first half. We're just about set with the start of the second half here at the Garden.
– St. John's scores a pair of buckets in the opening two minutes, they are already off to a much better start this half (notice the sarcasm). Wesley Matthews just proved to me he had more athleticism than I thought getting called for a goal tending violation as he literally skied over the top of Paris Horne to pin his shot against the glass. Impressive. Marquette not going to lose this one, 40-16 with 16:47 remaining.
– Norm Roberts gets hit with a technical after he gives verbal confirmation of his disapproval with his teams play. Maurice Acker, the pint sized junior out of Illinois, gets 1 of 2 at the line to push the lead to 29 points for the Golden Eagles. Certainly while Buzz Williams has to be happy with his teams trouncing of the Red Storm, the concern needs to be getting to complacent with an easy win going into what should be a very hotly contested match up with 'Nova tomorrow. We're almost at the under 12 break and it's a 51-22 ballgame.
– With this game getting out of hand, I figure now is as good as any time to start going off on random basketball related tangents. Despite losing Dominic James, Wesley Matthews and Jerel McNeal to graduation after this season, Marquette should still be in pretty good shape. Hayward and Jimmy Butler will both be back and Buzz Williams locked up a top-20 recruiting class that includes 3 top-100 committs. Junior Cadougan is the jewel of the class, ranked as the No. 5 point guard in the class of 2009. The 6-1 floor general hails from Houston, TX, a hotbed of hoops talent. Joining Cadougan will be forwards Erik Williams and Jeronne Maymon, both of who rank in the top 30 at their repsective positions. Williams, another Texas native will give the Golden Eagles some size on the wing with his 6-7 frame.
– This game has fallen into a pretty back and forth rhythm with Marquette maintaining there 30-point margin at 57-27 with less than 9 minutes to play. McNeal, Hayward and Matthews are all in double figures at this point, no surprise there. Taking a look at the incoming class for St. John's, everything primarily hinges on Lance Stephenson, who at this point is likely not going to be donning a uniform with the words Red Storm written across the front. Still, there is reason for some optimism. Omari Lawerence, the No. 22 small forward in the class of 2009 out of South Kent Prep will be joining the program. I saw Lawrence last year at the National High School Hoops Festival in Maryland and I was pretty impressed with what I saw from him as a junior. Physically he is a good athlete with a great wingspan, he'll be a tough perimeter defender. His outside shot certainly needed some work, but most players at that stage of development need some work. The Johnnies will also be bringing in junior college shooting guard Dwight Hardy who is a 3-star recruit. At the 6:10 mark it's a 35-point lead for Marquette, Matthews is leading all scorers with 20 points thanks to a couple of nice finishes in the lane.
– Well it looks like the Johnnies are in line to find themselves in the record book again with this game winding down. With just under three minutes to go and trailing by 32 points, the Red Storm are currently looking at the third largest deficit ever in a Big East Tournament game. The all-time worst beat down was a 41-point win for Syracuse over Boston College back in 1999.
– Well you can put the morning session on day two in the books. Marquette emptied their bench in the final minutes and came away with a 74-45 win to advance to the next round. The Johnnies avoid making the record books with a couple of buckets at the end to close the margin to 29. I'm off for the next couple of hours with intermission, but I'll be back with final thoughts on this one and a preview for all the action tonight!
Game 7: No. 10 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 West Virginia
So I decided to take a break from the arena scene tonight and ventured towards Times Square to Joe's Pizzeria (had a 4-star rating on Google). It turned out to be an excellent choice, gave me a chance to stretch my legs a bit, and now I'm ready for our nighttime double-header.
We know what Notre Dame is capable of at this point, they showed that yesterday. Harangody is a workhorse inside, but if he isn't getting his baskets the trio of Kyle McAlarney, Ryan Ayers and Tory Jackson (all were in double figures scoring) can put the ball in the hoop. The Irish ran hot and cold from beyond the arc yesterday, but that was still the primary staple of their offense. Defensively they looked real good keeping Rutgers to just 50 points and frustrating star freshman Mike Rosario into a poor shooting night.
West Virginia is a two man attack crew with some solid supporting actors. Da'Sean Butler is a long, athletic forward who can hurt teams inside or outside (6.1 rpg and 35.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc). Senior Alex Ruoff is a deadly shooter, able to kill it from beyond the arc or pulling up from mid-range. Also worth noting is Ruoff needs just one three-pointer to eclipse Kevin Pittsnoggle (remember him?) as the all-time three-point leader for the Moutaineers.
A trio of freshman have been producing all season for WVU. Devin Ebanks, who originally was going to Indiana before that whole coaching debacle, is a tremendous athlete and a constant double-double threat thanks to his toughness inside. Darryl Bryant has emerged as a nice scoring option and can do some damage from the perimeter if he has time to set his feet. My guy is Mt. Vernon's Kevin Jones. An undersized power forward who is trying to transition to more of a three, has a motor that just won't stop. He is a high energy player who gets a lot of garbage points on the offensive glass and has been averaging in double figures the last few weeks of the season. He could be a major x-factor in this game if it's a close one.
So far the Fighting Irish pep band has been dominating the ensemble from Morgantown, but it's still early, so I'm sure that could change. The crowd is still filing into the Garden, but I have a feeling there will be a larger showing of Irish fans than supporters for the Mountaineers. Five minutes until tip, I'm back in my seat, lets play two more.
– ESPN mixing it up for the second set of games tonight, they've got the big 3 out for the nightcap: Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas and everyone's favorite Bill Raftery.
– I stand corrected on my assumptions about the turnout of West Virginia fans. As the PA announcer introduced the Mountaineers there was a rousing ovation and I saw patches of fans around the arena rise to their feet. Although, I had to laugh a little when even some of the West Virginia applause died down when Bob Huggins was introduced.
– West Virginia comes out looking aggressive and the freshman are active right away. Bryant hits the opening basket of the game, a three from the right side. On the next trip down floor Ebanks skies for an offensive rebound and a quick put back. Let's not forget that this team only lost to Louisville by three on Saturday; they also whooped up on Notre Dame by 11 the last time these two met. At the 16:12 mark its 7-2 Mountaineers.
– I like Devin Ebanks, this is a freshman with a lot of upside. I saw him at the Boost Mobile Elite 24 two years ago and was very impressed with his physical ability. What I like most about him now, is despite being listed as an undersized 4, and he does play there a fair amount, at 6-9 he looks exceptionally comfortable handling the ball on the wing and has no issues about bringing it up the floor after a rebound. First official timeout of the ball game and we're still at 7-2 WVU.
– Mike Brey calls timeout as Ruoff drills a three to make it 12-2. If I'm correct that makes Ruoff the all-time leader in three-point field goals at WVU now, so congratulations to him. Luke Harangody is having trouble inside to start the game. The Mountaineers are overplaying him on the block, throwing Kevin Jones and Ebanks at him. When he is fed the ball he has no problem backing down either of the freshman, (he outweighs Jones by 35 pounds and has 50 on Ebanks) but their length is making it difficult for the junior to get a good look at the rim without falling away.
– Tory Jackson nails a three and that finally slows the 17-2 West Virginia run to start the ballgame. The Irish are having all kinds of trouble slowing down the Mountaineer fast break right now. WVU is also playing taps with itself off the glass right now; they have 5 offensive rebounds compared to 6 total rebounds for the Irish. Under 12 break has it 17-5 West Virginia out in front early.
– Alex Ruoff is making up for a senior night to forget in which he was held scoreless. The gunner has 9 points on 3-5 shooting from beyond the arc.
– The under 8 minute official timeout is here and it couldn't come soon enough if you're a Notre Dame fan. This one is starting to get out of hand quickly as West Virginia has pushed their lead up to 17 points, leading it 23-6. The Irish are shooting just 11 percent and are getting out-rebounded 16 to 9. On the other side of the coin, the Mountaineers are playing fantastic team basketball, recording 8 assists on their 9 field goals.
– Notre Dame takes another time out to try and slow down the West Virginia onslaught; it's 31-11 with 3:42 to go in the half. Harangody's shooting woes are continuing from the second half yesterday, he's just 1-5 and Tory Jackson is fairing even worse at 1-7 from the floor. The Irish can afford to have one of their big scorers struggling, but not multiple, not down by this much.
– In light of the crowd here at the Garden mercilessly booing anyone unfortunate enough to be dragged onto the floor to sing the freecreditreport.com jingles, the people here at MSG have decided to make it a sing along for the entire arena. There were still some boos. Only in New York.
– I'm currently talking with a friend on mine online and he posed a very interesting question that I had not thought about until this very moment. With the score 36-18 in favor of West Virginia with 36 seconds remaining he asked, "Did you ever think that DePaul vs. Providence would be the best game you would see all day?" Wise words, I'd be lying if I said yes. Hopefully the nightcap featuring Syracuse and Seton Hall will be an improvement.
– The half comes to an end with the score still at 36-18. A couple of easy baskets made it possible for the Irish to bump their field goal percentage up to 25 percent; somewhat digestible. The difference for the Mountaineers has been the perimeter game. WVU connected on 7 of 14 attempts from beyond the arc, with Ruoff and Darryl Bryant each hitting three. This one looks like it could be another blow out unless Notre Dame starts contesting some shots and can begin hitting some of their own.
– The Louisville Cardinals were just honored at the half for being the Big East regular season champs and were presented with a trophy. Terrence Williams accepted the hardware with his teammates surrounding him, and what a surprise, he was smiling. Has there ever been a moment where that kid wasn't smiling on a basketball court? It's kind of refreshing to see.
– Random thought. The West Virginia Mountaineer carries a musket with him (either that or a rifle, correct me on this one). I know that he fires it off on occasion at football games, what about at basketball games? Is that kind of thing frowned upon at indoor sporting venues? If so, would that include domes for football games? If anyone can enlighten me on this I would love to know.
– So, some additional stats I forgot to throw your way at the half. Remember how I talked about the impact freshman for West Virginia, how about these numbers. Darryl Bryant leads all scorers with 13 points and Devin Ebanks has already hauled in 10 rebounds at the break. Harangody finally just got on the board with a wide open dunk, followed up on the next possession with a spinning lay in in the paint. The Irish have started the half on a 9-3 run in the opening 2:30. Here we go!
– What may be the only thing that can get Notre Dame fans more pumped than a Luke Harangody dunk? Why a Kyle McAlarney three of course! The Long Island native drills his second long ball of the night coming out of the West Virginia time out and things are starting to get interesting. At least to the point that a dozen Irish fans in the expensive seats are letting the refs hear it after every call that doesn't go there way. First official break of the second half and Notre Dame is clawing back into it, they trail 41-30.
– Random observation I just made. Bob Huggins is wearing his credential on his belt and it is dangling in site for the whole world to see. He is the only coach I have seen wearing a pass all week. Is he worried that he might be denied access to the arena by security?
– De'Sean Butler is exacting his will in this second half. After netting 9 points in the first half he's already got himself 11 more for a grand total of 20. Dude has been finishing in the lane, drilling perimeter jumpers and getting to the line. He just knocked down all three freebies after being fouled on a bomb attempt. West Virginia has pushed it back to a 16 point lead with 12:30 to go.
– Mike Brey just got a technical for using some "questionable" language after Luke Harangody took a pretty nice bump inside from Ebanks. I agree with Brey on this one, but of course he can't lose his cool like that and expect to get away unscathed. Ruoff knocks home both free throws, 20-point Mountaineer lead.
– Bryant drills another three, the rook has 16 points and has hit 4-7 from extended range. I'm very impressed with him so far today. I saw Bryant last January at the Nike Super 6 (also at the Garden) when he was with New York power St. Raymond's. While I thought he had some game, I didn't expect to see him lighting it up at the Big East Tournament his first time through the gauntlet. Luke Harangody has come alive in the second half as well. The big junior is now up to 17 points with a couple of big time throw downs to get the crowd fired up. The Irish are hanging around, trailing 61-48 with 7:29 remaining; plenty of time to make a run at this.
– My apologies for the delay on this next post, the wireless decided to bail on me for a few minutes. As it stands West Virginia is hanging on 66-57 at the 3:04 mark in the ballgame. Luke Harangody is refusing, I mean refusing to let his team go down easily. Dude has scored 23 points in the second half and has worked his tail off for every single point. On one play he absolutely steam rolled through De'Sean Butler, drew the foul, and knocked th wind out of the defender all in one go. He is the high point man from either squad right now with 27 total. Throw in a couple of long balls from McAlarney and the Irish faithful have been rowdy the last few minutes of play. Alex Ruoff just got a killer three-point play in the lane to go and push the lead back up to double figures.
– McAlarney missed a tough drive in the lane and with 1:32 to go and trailing by 8, the Irish are starting to play the fouling game. Darryl Bryant connects on both his attempts and now Ruoff is going to the line for a pair as well. It looks like the NIT is waiting for the Irish and the Moutaineers can start thinking ahead to Pitt tomorrow night.
– With a win in hand Bob Huggins is still yelling until he is red in the face.
– McAlarney fouls out with 43.7 seconds to go and 17 points; he gets a nice ovation from the Irish fans. The place really starts to rock when Darryl Bryant and De'Sean Butler dribble out the clock though, with the Moutaineers pulling off the win by a final of 74-62 to advance to the quarterfinals (that's right, we've actually reached a point in the tournament where there are labels other than first or second round!)
– Bob Huggins was happy after the game, stating he felt his team was very aggressive and controlled the pace of place in the first half. Some final numbers from this one now. Harangody led all scorers with 27 hard earned points and McAlarney added 17 of his own. For West Virginia it was a three headed scoring attack with Ruoff (25), Butler (20) and Bryant (17) all providing some pop throughout the game. Ebanks finished with 18 rebounds; the kid is a vacuum cleaner on the glass. Think Brooks Robinson fielding at third base and you'll get an idea.
Game 8: No. 11 Seton Hall vs. No. 6 Syracuse
Now we get set for the marquee game, the one that this near sell out crowd has been waiting for. Seton Hall put on a solid showing last night in pulling away from South Florida behind another 20+ scoring effort from Jeremy Hazell and added scoring from Eugene Harvey; but this is a whole different animal they'll be facing tonight.
There is plenty of Orange in the stands ready to cheer on a Syracuse team that has showed tantalizing amounts of potential this season. Winners of four straight, the Orange have five players average in double-figures. The straw that stirs the drink doesn't need much of an introduction: Jonny Flynn. Posting averages of 17.3 ppg and 6.4 apg, the sophomore is one of the top point guards in the country, and may be the most underrated player around, period. Flynn is very popular amongst NBA scouts and with good reason, he is the total package you look for in a floor general. Forwards Paul Harris and Arinze Onuaku provide plenty of strength inside and with each hauling in better than 7 rpg, they could make it a long night for the Seton Hall bigs. Eric Devendorf is the number two scoring option and pretty dangerous from beyond the arc if left alone.
We're just about set for tip and by the sound of the crowd when the 'Cuse starters were announced, I'd say this is as close to a home game as the Orange can get without playing in upstate New York.
– Seton Hall is trying a 2-3 zone against Syracuse but gets caught when the ball is skipped over the top to Flynn. He takes a quick hop step and finishes with the left hand in the lane. The next trip down Kristof Ongenaet goes with a drop step, baby hook to the middle for an easy two. Syracuse is out in front 8-3 with a little over three minutes gone by as chants of "Let's Go Orange" come raining down.
– The Pirates pep band is trying their rendition of "All The Small Things" once again. The Syracuse fans voice their disapproval with a shower of boos. Bravo Syracuse fans, bravo.
– Jeremy Hazell drills an open three to give him 5 of Hall's 10 points. I think save for the student section, every other Pirate fan is sitting behind me. On the other end of the floor Jonny Flynn gets just plain silly with a no look pass to Paul Harris for an easy deuce. It's a fast paced 12-10 'Cuse lead at the 13:08 mark.
– Bobby Gonzalez decides it's time for a 30-second timeout after Flynn steals a pass and goes coast to coast for a lay in. I haven't seen a player this week who goes baseline to baseline fast than the sophomore does. The timeout doesn't do much for the Hall though, as the next two possessions result in turnovers and transition baskets for Flynn and Andy Rautins. A near monster alley-oop by Philly native Rick Jackson sends us to the under 12 official timeout with 'Cuse leading 18-10.
– We just had the fourth free throw shooting competition of the day during this timeout. So far the winning fan for each contest has been a student from the program that went on to win the game. A young gentleman from Syracuse just drained several freebies to win himself the coveted digital camera; foreshadowing perhaps?
– Flynn drills a three right in front of the Seton Hall bench coming out of the timeout. He has some words for them as well after he knocks down the jumper, I'm going to assume it was something along the lines of, "Gimme all three of those!" The lead is 11.
– It's one thing to hear about how Paul Harris is 6-4, 6-5 and is such a machine on the glass. It's another experience all together to witness it in person. First of all, 6-4 may even be a bit generous for his actual height, secondly, I can't get over how much energy and ferocity he has. If he is within ten feet of the ball he is going after it, and the way that he elevates in traffic is incredible. He may be a long shot to get drafted, but if he was a few inches taller, forget about it. Flynn drills another long two with a pretty step back near the top of the key. Robert Mitchell gets the Hall back on the board with a step back of his own. The Orange are still out in front 25-16 at the under 8 break.
– Flynn can't be stopped right now. Dude has 13 points on 6-7 shooting and 3 assists. He just beat two Seton Hall defenders baseline and finished things off with a pretty reverse. The more I watch him the more I realize I'm looking at arguably the most talented floor general in the country. 'Cuse calls timeout though as the Pirates cut it to a 5 point game courtesy of back-to-back buckets inside from John Garcia. With 5:52 in the half its a 27-22 game.
– Seton Hall is actually getting some pretty good looks against the Orange 2-3 zone but haven't been able to capitalize on some slow perimeter rotations by the 'Cuse guards. Jimmy B isn't happy with his team though, he's letting them know it right now with a break in the action. On a side note, it's great to finally see the Garden packed and rocking. This is by far the most zealous crowd so far this week with a classic NY vs. NJ battle raging on the floor.
– Bit of a mix up with the timeout entertainment. The Syracuse dance team was up to perform a routine and apparently someone failed to tell the Seton Hall squad. The girls realized their mistake and ran off the floor laughing, but the Pirate failed to notice so was left to waive at the crowd by himself while the Orange troop did their thing.
– Robert Mitchell is very quietly putting together an excellent first half for the Pirates. The junior forward has 12 points and 9 rebounds which puts him right around his season averages. His high for each this season is 24 points (reached twice) and 15 rebounds. Right now he is the main reason it's only a 33-28 game with 1:50 to go in the half. On a side note, a sweater clad Seton Hall fan seated in the expensive seats about 20 feet to my right is giving one of the officials an ear full over the 10-3 foul disparity going against the Pirates.
– Jonny Flynn fast break dunk=lots of crowd noise
– Seton Hall works their final possession of the half for a couple of free throws from Brandon Walters. On the subsequent series Flynn is stripped going to the basket and a 75-foot heave from Jordan Theodore hits front rim as time expires. We're at the half at the Garden and as Brent Musburger would say, "It's been a dandy." Syracuse leads 36-31.
– Seton Hall comes out to start the second half gunning and this place is rocking. Hazell drills a bomb from the left side and on the next possession John Garcia fumbled an entry pass, but recovers in time to hit an open Paul Gause on the right wing. The senior rattles home the three ball and wouldn't you believe it, the Pirates lead it 37-36 with a quick 6-0 run to open the half.
– Congratulations to Robert Morris who just eked out a two-point win the claim the NEC Championship. RMU is going dancing for the first time since 1992. Montana St. (who is 14-16 by the way) and Portland St. are just getting underway out west for the right to be called top dog in the Big Sky.
– Arinze Onuaku draws a shooting foul and goes 1 of 2 from the line; the Syracuse crowd goes absolutely nuts. I guess that's what happens when you shoot 30 percent from the charity stripe during the regular season.
– Things start to get a little chippy underneath between the Orange and Pirates. Onuaku and John Garcia each get hit with T's after the two start jawing with one another after a physical play inside. The Orange are barely out in front 46-44 with 16:07 to go.
– Now things are just getting down right ugly. An intentional foul is called on Brandon Walters who made no attempt to go for the basketball on a fast break. After there is some pushing and shoving between the two teams and double technicals are assessed to Eugene Harvey and Eric Devendorf. Ongenaet hits 1 of 2 free throws and Devendorf drills a jumper. On Seton Hall's next possession Onuaku swats a shot out of bounds and the crowd explodes. The energy level is through the roof right now and 'Cuse leads it 52-44 with 15:05 remaining.
– Bobby Gonzalez takes a 30-second timeout as Flynn finds Andy Rautins for an open three and his 6th assist. Did I mention he's also netted 17 points? This is likely the most critical juncture of the game. 'Cuse leads by 14 and they have all the momentum going with 12 minutes to play. Seton Hall needs to slow the run now.
– With the official timeout, a little more recruiting news. Syracuse fans got great news a couple of days ago when the Orange got a commitment from Detroit big man DaShonte Riley. The 6-10 center is ranked 9th in the country at his position and is a major defensive presence. He'll need some work on the offensive side of his game, but the physical tools will allow him to be a player while his skills develop.
– Hazell has scored 7 straight for the Hall and is heating up with 19 points total, but at the other end the Syracuse shooters can't be stopped, so the sophomores run is nullified. The Orange have hit eight 3′s in total and after another dagger from beyond the arc by Devendorf, the Pirates are force to call their final timeout of the game. Orange lead it big, 74-55 with 9:09 to go. This one is starting to look like it might be heading towards over.
– How you know this game is a rout: both head coaches are sitting. Under 8 break and Syracuse is running away with a 20-point lead.
– Devendorf is doing work tonight, he just nailed his 4th three ball of the night and is now 4-7 from beyond the arc with 19 points. It's business as usual for the Orange as they have four players in double figures.
– Not that I'm looking ahead or anything…but here are tomorrow's match ups (pending Syracuse doesn't have a monumental meltdown). Providence and Louisville will kick things off at noon, with an excellent Marquette vs. Villanova match up to follow that. The night set with feature West Virginia taking on Pittsburgh and Connecticut likely facing Syracuse. The over/under on NBA teams that will be represented for the day is all of them. Take your pick.
– Syracuse is starting to empty their bench up 24 points with just over 2 minutes to play. Their 89 points scored to this point is already the highest total for the week. Paul Harris and Rick Jackson are the only starters still on the floor for the Orange.
– This one goes final with Syracuse winning 89-74. Jeremy Hazell led all scores with 27 and Robert Mitchell finished with a very strong double-double, 17 points and 13 rebounds. The Orange put five in double figures with Flynn and Devendorf leading the way with 19 apiece. Flynn also dished out 10 assists giving him a double-double as well.
– So there it is, day two in the books. Twelve hours and nearly 9,000 words brings us to the quarterfinals. Tomorrow is where the show really begins at the Garden. I'm going to keep it short so I can catch a bus home for the night. Thanks for reading and I'll see you back here tomorrow!
Greetings from the Mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden. It's Championship Week and for the next five days I'll be on hand for the mother of all conference brackets, the Big East Tournament. With the decision to include all 16 teams in the fun, the tournament has now become a college hoops heads dream, a near full week of the countries best doing battle for the right to be called the Beast of the East.
This year in particular will be exceptionally fun to watch with upwards of 8 teams in contention for an NCAA Tournament bid and three potential number 1 seeds in action in the form of Connecticut, Pitt and Louisville.
I've been hear a grand total of 30 minutes and I've already gotten to take in some of the fun and festivities of the event. As I was making my way to the media entrance at the Garden I ran into some Cincinnati fans who had driven from Ohio to see their beloved Bearcats throw down with DePaul in the opening game which tips off in a few minutes. They were decked out in red from head to toe and psyching themselves up for what should hopefully be a solid first game. Let's take a look at the match ups.
Game 1: No. 16 DePaul vs. No. 9 Cincinnati
To say the Blue Demons struggled this year would be like saying Starbury came with a "Caution" label when he signed with Boston. DePaul was 0-18 in the Big East this year and just 8-23 overall. For fans of high flying dunks though, there is sophomore forward Dar Tucker. The 6-4 Tucker averaged 18.2 ppg and 5.2 rpg while putting down at least a handful of jams that made people stand up out of their seat. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for a fast break opportunity.
For Cincinnati this game may be of more importance. At 18-13 (8-10) they are on the outside looking in as far as the NCAA Tournament is concerned, but a strong run this week could be enough to make the committee think twice about the Bearcats given that other major conferences are imploding down the stretch. Deonta Vaughn is the go to guy here, doing a little bit of everything on the court. The junior guard saw his scoring numbers dip a bit this year but that was as a result of some added fire power in the form of freshman big Yancy Gates. The massive 6-9, 255 pound freshman lived up to the early season hype, averaging a double-double on the year (10 and 10) while shooting nearly 50% from the floor.
Cincinnati seems to have more fans in the building (which isn't saying much seeing as how attendance is maybe a couple hundred right now), but DePaul gets the nod for spirit as they brought their pep band for the game. Dibs the Blue Demon is one of the more underrated mascots and he is at present time making some fun faces at the Bearcat fans who ponied up the extra dow to garner seats directly under the basket.
Two minutes until game time for game 1 of today's quadruple-header. Grab a seat, strap in, grab the chips and get set for a full day of action from the Garden!
– Both teams come out exactly like all teams that play the opening game of a conference tournament do: slow. At the 11:24 mark DePaul is clinging to a 14-11 lead thanks in part to some poor shot selection by the Bearcats. Yancy Gates (who made the Big East All-Freshman team by the way) is struggling from the floor, but for a dude packing 255 pounds he is nimble to say the least and has a feathery soft touch on his baby hook.
– Under four timeout in the first half and Cinci is starting to take control of the ball game and they lead for the first time 22-20. Solid perimeter defense has led to several turnovers by DePaul, though I'm loving their pep band. Even when they aren't playing music during the timeouts, the band almost always has some kind of chant going to psyche out the Bearcats. Yancy Gates has been grabbing a breather, but some nice high low action by forwards Darnell Wilks and Anthony McClain has led to easy buckets inside for Cincinnati. Guard Deonta Vaughn has done an excellent job pacing the offense so far; he's only knocked down one field goal but has doled out three assists.
– After a brief 5-0 run by DePaul, Darnell Wilks hits a three on a broken play for Cincinnati that gives them a 27-25 lead going into the half. DePaul had a chance with the final possession but wasted it, committing a shot clock violation with five seconds remaining in the half. Blue Demon point guard Will Walker is the high point man thus far with 10. Nothing too impressive from either side yet in a low scoring affair. There are plenty of open seats on press row right now, mainly those set aside for pro scouts. Something tells me that when Greg Monroe and Georgetown take the floor in a little more than an hour, many of those seats will be filled.
– Deonta Vaughn's offensive game has woken up to start the second half. A gorgeous stutter step finish in the lane followed up by a steal and a good ol' fashion three point play has Cincinnati up five and DePaul coach Jerry Wainwright red in the face.
– Dar Tucker is having a rough afternoon. He has just 2 points on 1-3 shooting at the 15 minute mark in the second half, having only played 10 minutes due to foul trouble. Finding himself double teamed along the sideline a few moments ago he threw a wild pass that went over the head of teammate Will Walker on the other side of the floor. The lone bright spot for Tucker came three minutes into the second half when he was able to knock down a pretty floater in the lane off a spin move. The swingman has some nice upside to him and will start popping up on draft boards by his senior year if he can continue to develop and improve his shot selection.
– Here comes DePaul! The Blue Demons behind the sudden hot shooting of freshman Jeremiah Kelly (12 points) have tied things up at 41-41 at the under 12 official timeout. Kelly was a top 150 recruit out of Philadelphia having played at American Christian Academy. He only averaged 4.1 ppg during the regular season, but under the bright lights of the Garden, the rook is putting together one of his best games of the year.
– Cincinnati looks shell shocked right now down 51-43 with 7:04 to go. Dar Tucker must have heard me because he has scored 6 quick points on a variety of tough off balance shots in the lane. He also gets props for being able to pull off the old school t-shirt under the jersey look; his color choice is blue of course. The Blue Demons are shooting 47 percent from the field compared to just 37 percent for the Bearcats who seemingly have lost the ability to create good looks for themselves on the offensive end. Whatever Wainwright said to his squad at the half, its working, DePaul is playing with a new sense of urgency at both ends of the floor.
– Don't count out the Bearcats just yet. After pushing ahead by as many as 10, DePaul's defense has had a couple of lapses the last few series down the floor. A deep three by Deonta Vaughn with a hand in his face has cut the deficit to five with 3:49 to go. DePaul is showing balance offensively with Tucker, Kelly and Walker all in double figures. Also, how about sophomore big man Mac Koshwal who has 8 points, 9 rebounds 5 assists. It's March which means if you want to win, unsung heroes are going to need to step up.
– Despite Cincinnati having more fans in attendance (or at least more people wearing red) this is a decidedly pro DePaul arena thanks in large part to the Blue Demon pep band. There has been plenty of reason to celebrate with their team leading it 59-50 with 2:10 to go. With Deonta Vaughn unable to get free from the additional attention he is seeing from the defense right now, the Bearcats are going inside to Gates who just hit 1 of 2 from the charity stripe. It looks like Cincinnati is going to start putting DePaul at the line to slow this game down.
– To chants of "warm up the bus, warm up that bus" from the DePaul pep band, Cincinnati saw their season come to an end 67-57. The Blue Demons had four players reach double figure scoring led by Will Walker and Dar Tucker who each netted 17 points. Player of the game nod has to go to Tucker though who scored 15 in the second half after seeing limited action in the first half due to foul trouble.
After the game head coach Jerry Wainwright said he was thrilled for his team to finally reap the rewards of all the time they spent practicing during the season. A little factual tidbit for you stat nuts as well, being that this is the first 16-team tournament ever at the conference level, this is the first time that a 16 seed has ever won a first round game.
Game 2: No. 12 Georgetown vs. No. 13 St. John's
For the NBA Draft fanatics out there, this one offers a little more along the lines of player who will be seeing action in the League one day. Greg Monroe will hear his name called in the lottery, be it this year or next, and DaJuan Summers for all his early struggles has the makings for a future pro one day as well.
The match up to keep an eye on will be inside where Monroe will be going head to head with Red Storm sophomore Justin Burrell. The Bronx native was a top 100 recruit a year ago and at a burly 6-8, 240 pounds will be able to physically match up with the taller more athletic Monroe. While the Storm can't match the talent of the Hoya backcourt, the combination of Paris Horne and D.J. Kennedy should have enough athleticism to at least keep pace. Four minutes in St. John's has themselves a 4-3 lead.
– About 9 minutes into the first half and Georgetown's size is getting the job done. The Hoyas lead it 13-9 after freshman big Henry Sims just played taps with himself off the glass for a put back. Both teams are off the marking as far as shooting is concerned with G-town at 38 percent from the floor and St. John's at 27 percent, mainly due to the fact that they can't get a clean look inside with the amount of length Georgetown possesses around the rim.
– Under 8 timeout and the Red Storm are hanging tough. Georgetown's length and size are creating all kinds of problems trying to get the ball in the paint, but the sweet shooting of leading scorer Paris Horne is keeping the Johnnies close, trailing 17-14. Greg Monroe is getting active inside, with 7 early points. He is simply too big to handle one on one and with Justin Burrell riding the pine after picking up two early fouls, the Hoyas are able to simply lob the ball inside to their star freshman.
– Horne and Kennedy are making me look good with the pre game ink I gave them, having scored the first 20 St. John's points. As it stands the Hoyas are clinging to a 24-23 lead at the under 4 official timeout. Chris Wright (11 points) has managed to keep Georgetown in it with some good looking finishes in the lane and a long pull up three. This one is starting to look eerily similar to St. John's overtime upset that they pulled one week ago today.
– Arbitrary rant here. Given the amount of attention Greg Monroe has gotten this year, its easy to forget how good some of the other members of Georgetown's freshman class are. Guard Jason Clark out of Arlington, VA and Baltimore's Henry Sims were both highly touted recruits as well. Clark hasn't had a great first half so far (0 points, 2 fouls) but Sims is showing some nice flashes. The 6-10 big saw very little playing time this season, but he is a versatile athlete, proven by the long jumper he just knocked down by rotating behind the play on the perimeter. Tie ball game at 28 with 38.2 seconds remaining in the half.
– Halftime hits with St. John's pulling ahead 30-28 on a couple of free throws with less than five seconds. Statistically speaking there are no outliers that point to why the Red Storm are in control right now aside from a 3-5 showing from beyond the arc compared to just 1-6 for G'town. What isn't in question right now is the confidence St. John's is showing. Paris Horne has an undeniable swagger right now and why not? The combo guard has netted 15 points on 4-9 shooting and a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe. Georgetown has been sloppy offensively and Greg Monroe was held scoreless for the final 8 minutes of the half thanks to a rotating cast of characters in the post. Neither team shot well (both under 40 percent) so whoever comes out firing has a shot to pull away early. My money is still on the Hoyas given the trouble their size has given St. John's inside and the 23-15 edge they hold on the boards.
– Scary moment here at the Garden and something I have never seen at a basketball game before; at the end of a fast break St. John's D.J. Kennedy collided head to head with one of the referees. Both individuals seem fine and both were able to walk off the floor under their own power. Kennedy is taking a breather on the bench right now while the official went back to the locker room to receive some treatment for a cut he suffered. We're at the 16:19 mark and the Johnnies are still leading this one 36-33 with DaJuan Summers shooting a pair for the Hoyas.
– Couple of observations as we hit the under 16 timeout in the second half. This is a decidedly pro-Red Storm crowd. Yes it's New York, but given the lack of success for St. John's and how well Georgetown fans usually travel, I figured it would be a more even divide.
– St. John's Justin Burrell is sporting the pseudo mohawk that seems to be becoming more popular amongst players in the college ranks as a means of getting up for big games. Prior to their upset of then No. 3 North Carolina, Maryland's Adrian Bowie and Landon Milbourne decided to rock that look as well. It worked for the Terps, could that be the case for Burrell and St. John's?
– St. John's wants this ball game more right now. They lead it 41-37 with 11:55 to go and with good reason. While Georgetown is mouthing off about missed calls and slogging it back on defense, the Red Storm players are burning up the floor, diving out of bounds after loose balls and showing the kind of heart it takes to win in March. The Hoyas need someone to step up soon. Chris Wright can't be the only option and Greg Monroe hasn't been attacking the rim with much fever to speak of. Sims and Julian Vaughn will be holding things down in the front court coming out of this time out, let's see how they fair.
– My question is answered quickly as Vaughn is responsible for two straight turnovers and a foul that turn into five points at the other end. He grabs some pine, St. John's grabs a nine point lead.
– Monroe finally shows a flash of the ability that is so enticing to NBA scouts. The freshman finishes a gorgeous spin move in transition with a soft lay in to pull Georgetown within five points. The next time down the floor things get interesting as Burrell and his fo-hawk are guilty of committing an intentional foul for "excessive contact" against Jason Clark. The Red Storm fans are decidedly against the call but Clark nails both freebies and DaJuan Summers draws a shooting foul with some silly handles in the lane. Under 8 timeout and its a good one 46-43 St. John's.
– The Georgetown contingency sitting behind me finally has something to cheer about as Jesse Sapp's long three gives Georgetown its first lead since before the half. Norm Roberts called a quick timeout, but with a pair of quick turnovers out of the break, the tide looks like it is starting to swing the way of the Hoyas. Either way, the fans are getting their money's worth in this one and they are enjoying every second of it. Looking around, I don't think there has been a single call in the last 5 minutes that hasn't prompted at least one fan to jump out of his or her chair to voice their opinions to the men in stripes. G'town is out in front 49-48 with 4:50 to go.
– In one of the more impressive displays of athleticism I have seen in a while, DaJuan Summers gets his legs cut out from under him as he takes off for the rim. Despite this, he still manages to get to the rim and hang onto the iron for dear life before righting himself and landing with a big smile on his face. Who says pressure situations aren't fun?
– Paris Horne will not be denied. Dude just sliced through the lane, crashed into Julian Vaughn, took the contact and the bucket with a shot at a three point play on the other side of this timeout. Horne now has a game high 19 points and has tied the game up at 52. Also, for those of you keeping track at home, we're now well into hour five of blogging. Thanks to everyone who has hopped on the wagon for this one, hope you brought plenty of snacks!
– The roof is ready to blow. In the last minute of action Justin Burrell finished an old fashioned three-point play and fouled out Greg Monroe. The Hoyas come back down the floor and calmly drain a three pointer. We're down to just over a minute and the Red Storm are looking to complete upset two of the day, they lead 59-57.
– Very interesting situation now. Red Storm lead by three with 20 ticks to go. Georgetown is in double bonus and at the line shooting two. Austin Freeman hits both, one point game, Johnnies basketball and Georgetown is going to send them to the line to shoot two. Guess who, Mr. Fohawk himself, Justin Burrell.
– You can call it 2 for 2 now if you're pulling for the underdogs. Burrell knocks down both free throws and Georgetown opts to go for broke and runs the clock down to five seconds before being left with a corner three point attempt from Nikita Mescheriakov (28.2 percent from beyond the arc this year). The shot hits the top of the backboard and goes out of bounds much to the dismay of the Hoya fans who start to file out (they would have to anyway unless the bought a ticket for the second session tonight). The Johnnies get the ball into Quincy Roberts who saw about as much playing time in the first half as I did, but he still knocks down both freebies to send the game to its final score of 64-59 in favor of the Red Storm. Back with more after the press conference in a little bit!
– A visibly happy Norm Roberts addressed the media just a few minutes ago and had nothing but praise for his team. Like Jerry Wainwright of DePaul, Roberts said he thought expanding the tournament to 16 teams was a great idea (funny considering neither team would have been playing today in the old 12 team format). Regardless if you liked or disliked the expansion to all teams this year, with both games going to the lower seed this afternoon, it looks like the 16 team format is here to stay.
– As far as the game is concerned, first huge props have to go to Paris Horne. The combo guard took over during stretches of the game and hit some big shots in the closing minutes to finish with a game high 23 points. It's fun to look at these final statistics though. Rebounds, shooting percentage, turnovers and essentially every other stat was almost equal between the Johnnies and the Hoyas; so what was the difference maker? It's cliche, but free throws were the difference in the final tally. The Red Storm converted 24-29 attempts while the Hoyas connected on 20-27. Also, as I already mentioned, Georgetown got a terrible look at the basket in their last possession, a contested three from the corner that bounced over the backboard.
– We've hit the first intermission of the week with a little under a two hour break before Notre Dame and Rutgers tip off at 7 PM ET. I'll be back a little before then with a preview for that match up, until then, I'll be hunting for food in the bowels of the Garden.
– So I decided to make my hiatus a short one. I took about a half hour to tuck in some dinner, mainly hot dogs and garlic bread (you have to love media buffets). On to more important news though, the Big East just announced some of their more prestigious awards at a press conference only moments ago. The conference Scholar Athlete of the Year is Alex Ruoff of West Virginia who apparently has been on the Dean's List every semester of college; a deadly three point shot and solid grades to boot. Greg Monroe took home Rookie of the Year honors which wasn't really a major shock, neither was Hasheem Thabeet earning Defensive Player of the Year. Player of the Year voting was apparently very close, with five different individuals receiving first place votes. In the end it was a tie between Thabeet and Pitt's DeJuan Blair, so congratulations to them and all the winners. Notre Dame and Rutgers are both warming up and tip off is less than hour away, I'll be back in a little bit with a game preview.
Game 3: No. 15 Rutgers vs. No. 10 Notre Dame
The first game of our night double-header presents an interesting match up between a program that sorely underachieved this season versus one that I think is on the break of being solid. Let's start with Rutgers since I'm from the Garden State. Out of all the college basketball friends I talk to, and there's a lot, I'm the only one who is optimistic about the team's future. This was a top 30 recruiting class for head coach Fred Hill that featured All-American Mike Rosario from the famed St. Anthony's High School and massive Greg Echenique was a top 10 center for his class. The rest of the production has come from guards Anthony Farmer and Corey Chandler with some help inside from junior Hamady Ndiaye who has taken baby steps in his development. Senior J.R. Inman has dropped off a lot this season but is still a threat in spurts.
The story on Notre Dame begins and ends with two-time All Big East forward Luke Harangody. The junior has wrapped another monster season, averaging 23.7 ppg and 12.1 rpg. The Fighting Irish are balanced though with Kyle McAlarney, Ryan Ayers and Tory Jackson all scoring in double figures as well. McAlarney and Ayers are both deadly from beyond the arc, that can't be stressed enough, and Jackson has paced the offense dishing out more than 5 apg. Notre Dame has certainly not lived up to early expectations though that had them potentially making a Final Four run. Either way, if they get hot, they could make some noise in this tournament, and given how this morning went I'm not ruling out anything.
Side note, I saw McAlarney miss three straight three-pointers during warm ups; I don't think that has ever happened…ever.
We've got 30 minutes until tip off, so hang tight and we'll get the night rolling.
– So for the first time all day both schools have pep bands performing for the game. I'm liking Rutgers so far, they're doing a lot of souped up renditions of some great classic rock songs. I like the energy that Notre Dame brings, but whenever they play the famed Irish fight song it just seems out of place. I feel like I'm stuck in the middle of Rudy and Sean Astin is going to come barreling through press row on his way to sacking that QB from Georgia Tech. Maybe it's just me; 10 minutes until tip.
– There are a few thousand people in attendance for this game, more so than I saw for either of the morning contests. The somewhat surprising thing is there are at least twice the number of Notre Dame fans in the building as there are Rutgers fans. Maybe it's because that leprechaun is one of the most recognized mascots in the world, but whatever it may be, the Irish faithful are in full force tonight.
– Harangody opens the scoring for Notre Dame with his patented mid-range jumper; I say patented because nobody else has a shot that looks so awkward but seemingly goes in more often than not. The junior also looks like he's sporting a nice black eye on his left side, I'm not sure what it's from but it's safe to assume he got it mixing it up inside. Mike Rosario drilled an NBA-range three when Tory Jackson gave him just a little too much space the next time down the floor. Irish lead it early 6-5.
– Rosario hits another long two and then comes away with a rebound inside after getting scrappy with Harangody. I like Rosario's game a lot, he's a smart player (as are all who play under Bob Hurley of St. Anthony's) and he has a great shot which he can hit from a stand still or on the move. It's always unexpected when a player of his caliber goes to a non-traditional basketball school like Rutgers, but don't be shocked if he follows in the footsteps of former Scarlet Knight great Quincy Douby and winds up hearing his name called on draft night in the future.
– Potential one-on-one showdown alert. Rosario tries to get fancy while being guarded by Ryan Ayers. He breaks Ayers with a quick crossover and a spin move (his handles are nice) only to have the Notre Dame defender recover and block his shot. Rosario retrieved the rebound, tried to pull up for a long three, but Ayers was there, so the Rutgers star was forced to pass off. On the ensuing trip down the floor, Ayers tried to take Rosario baseline only to be cut off by Greg Echenique and he too was forced to kick. Something to keep an eye on as the game continues, it's 9-6 Rutgers at the under 12 timeout.
– McAlarney gets his second three of the half to put Notre Dame ahead for the first time 16-13; that gets the Irish fans going. A few moments later a loose ball that is deflected out of bounds by Echenique is said to be last touched by Notre Dame as we head into the 8 minute timeout. This also gets the Irish fans going.
–Hamady Ndiaye just blocked a shot into the Rutgers bench with his elbow. I will repeat that. Hamady Ndiaye just blocked a shot into the Rutgers bench with his elbow.
– If this game was being decided by mascots, Notre Dame would be winning by 50. While the Leprechaun has been on his feet the entire half jumping around, the Scarlet Knight has been on his rear end sitting with the cheerleaders; I haven't seen him move in ten minutes. In actuality, Notre Dame is leading 25-17 at the 3:20 mark due in large part to what else: perimeter shooter. McAlarney and Ayers each have a pair from beyond the arc. Rutgers has gotten a great first half from Ndiaye though who has already almost doubled his season scoring average with 8 points and has hauled in 3 rebounds. Did I mention he blocked a shot with his elbow?
– How many offensive rebounds does it take Luke Harangody to score a put back? Apparently more than three as the power forward was unsuccessful in the Irish's last trip down floor. Still, it's a typical hard nosed half for the big fella, 7 points, 6 rebounds and a 9 points Notre Dame lead with a minute to go in the first half.
– The half ends with Rosario putting up a contested, running three-pointer that is well off the mark. Notre Dame leads it 28-19 largely on the strength of their excellent defense that has forced Rutgers into just 8-33 shooting in the first half. After starting off solid, Rosario and Echenique combined to score just 9 points on 4-16 shooting. Harangody is well on his way to another double-double with 7 and 7 at the half. Ryan Ayers has played solid at both ends of the floor and aside from a slow half for Tory Jackson, it has been business as usual for the Irish despite the low score. It should be a competitive second half, but Rutgers badly needs some shots to start falling otherwise this one could end quickly. Lets not forget though, Rutgers was in a similar spot about two weeks ago, and despite losing at Notre Dame 70-65, they made it a game down the stretch.
– The second half opens up chippy. Echenique is strong inside on the block but cant get anything to drop for him. On a move inside he is fouled going up for a shot by Harangody; the two get tied up and Echenique winds up catching 'Gody across the face with an unintentional left hand that the refs miss. I doubt anything will come of this, but both players looked heated. It may not help matters than a few plays later Echenique drew a charge on the driving Harangody.
– Rutgers has gotten exactly what it needed to start this half, a 12-5 run sparked by a couple of baskets from Mike Rosario. Ndiaye added another bucket as well to reach double figures, a rarity for him. The Irish are trying to reestablish their interior play but are being frustrated by the Scarlet Knight front court. At the under 16 break the Irish are clinging to a 33-32 lead, but Ayers will have three free throws coming at the restart courtesy of a shooting foul from beyond the arc. Also for those of you tracking (which right now I can only assume is me, myself and I) we're into hour 9 of blogging today. Remember, for each hour that I blog today, a cup of coffee will be donated to my breakfast tomorrow morning.
– Ever wonder how many cheerleaders a 6-11 center is capable of taking out when he dives for a loose ball? The answer is 4. Thank you Hamady Ndiaye
– After a brief scare, Notre Dame has regained control of this one, pushing the lead back to double figures at 42-32. The Irish have gotten out and run a couple of times and just punctuated their short run with a tough bucket plus the harm courtesy of Tory Jackson who appears to have woken up in the second half. Just under twelve to go and Rutgers is looking like it may fail to extend the underdog win streak which currently stands at two.
– Well, clearly someone on the Rutgers bench is reading this, because as soon as I posted that last comment, the Scarlet Knights went to work. Ndiaye is the man responsible for getting Rutgers back into the ball game, finishing a tough lay in with contact, then following that up with a huge two-handed jam. On his way down the floor he made sure to add a fist pump with his tongue wagging the whole way. The junior big man has already recorded a season high with 14 points and he leads all scorers. Corey Chandler is getting in on the action as well, connecting on a pretty stop and pop from 18. Inside of the seven minutes remaining and Rutgers is refusing to go quietly, they trail 48-42.
– What is the quickest way to kill a team's momentum. If you guessed drilling a three-pointer you're half right. The correct answer is Kyle McAlarney. Coming out of the timeout the superb marksmen drained another one to push the lead back to nine.
– Mike Rosario refuses to let Rutgers fall out of the picture, drilling a contested three, but Mike Brey's Irish are playing smart, tough basketball. Notre Dame works the shot clock down to 5 before Tory Jackson connects on a pull up from eight feet. After the two teams trade possessions and the Irish miss on a one-and-one, Jackson comes away with a steal that leads to an easy two at the other end. The Rutgers faithful are starting to head for the exits at the Irish control this one 59-50 with just 30 seconds remaining. On another note, Rosario giving it his all took a nasty spill under his own basket trying to save a loose ball. He left the floor under his own power but will watch his season end from the bench.
– Notre Dame wins by a final of 61-50 in what head coach Mike Brey called a good position game defensively for his team. "We've been in survival mode since January 20th," said Brey. "Our approach to this week is let's make it interesting." Luke Harangody was held scoreless in the second half but finished with 11 rebounds. Tory Jackson, Ayers and McAlarney all finished in double figures for the Irish while Ndiaye and Rosario did the honors for Rutgers. Up next is the final for day one between South Florida and Seton Hall.
Game Four: No. 14 South Florida vs. No. 11 Seton Hall
This one is all about the match up between Jeremy Hazell and Dominique Jones. Hazell has spent the majority of the year near the top of the national scoring race, pumping in 22.5 ppg, while athletic forward Robert Mitchell has been a nice inside presence, putting in 15 and 8 each night. Another name to keep an eye on is freshman Jordan Theodore from Patterson Catholic in New Jersey. The undersized speedster can give headaches to opposing defenses if left to run wild.
South Florida is led by Jones who followed up a fantastic freshman campaign with an even better sophomore season. The 6-4 guard posted averages of 18 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists on the year. Maryland transfer Augustus Gilchrist has been a nice addition inside, bringing his athletic 6-10 frame to the middle and giving the Bulls a much needed scoring option in the front court. It's been a long day to say the least, but I've got one more in me, so here we go with the nightcap for day one!
– Opening thought: I wonder how much it cost to fly in the USF pep band? They're the biggest group I've seen thus far and had the longest trip of any school that played today. Also, Bulls center Alex Rivas is wearing the ultra high socks, the ones that go up under the shorts. I'm usually not a big fan of that look unless your name is Jason Terry, but Rivas is going to get the green light from me on this because he is playing good interior defense to open the game. Of course, that interior defense doesn't do much to stop Jeremy Hazell from raining in an NBA three to open the game for Seton Hall.
– My dream of a shootout between Hazell and Dominique Jones may already be brewing in the opening two minutes as Jones comes right back down the floor and drills a three of his own.
– This game is proving to be the fastest one so far today in the opening five minutes. Seton Hall's Eugene Harvey has been a nice running mate early on with Jeremy Hazell. After the sophomore drained a long two from the corner, Harvey came away with a steal at the other end of the floor which he took coast to coast for a converted three-point play. Moments later, Hazell connects again, this time from beyond the arc. It's been a little over a month since the Bronx native last scored 30+ in a game, but with 8 already in the first five minutes, you better believe Pirate fans are thinking big game from their star.
– At the 13:30 mark Seton Hall is out in front 16-8 over the Bulls. Random observation time. May it's the swagger he carries, maybe it's because he is the best player on the floor, whatever it is, Jeremy Hazell reminds me very much of 100 meter spring champion Usain Bolt. On the other end, Dominique Jones is just flat out playing hard. He went cold on a couple of possessions but just followed up one of his shots, got the put back plus the harm, so he'll have one more coming on the other side of this official timeout.
– The Seton Hall pep band is playing Blink 182′s "All The Small Things". Now while this was a favorite song of mine during my junior high years, seeing as how it only consists of a whopping three notes, it sounds atrocious when performed by a brass ensemble. No offense Pirates, I'm just saying.
– Seton Hall's perimeter defense is fantastic right now. On one possession South Florida was forced to pass off in the air on three-point attempts twice and then a seemingly wide open look for Dominique Jones disappeared before he realized what hit him. The Bulls still made the trip down the floor work for them though as Justin Leemow was able to sneak backdoor for a quick reverse. Eugene Harvey was able to get in the lane and draw contact at the other end of the floor and knock home one of two freebies. At 8:40 its a 21-12 game in favor of Seton Hall. Bobby Gonzalez is happy.
– Jeremy Hazell is on his game tonight. Dude grabs an offensive rebound, dribbles a circle around two defenders, then hits a runner along the baseline. Did I mention that a year ago Hazell was a streaky shooting freshman who posted 12 ppg and was considered an offensive liability? Jones is doing his best to keep pace and has 5 points and 5 boards. Just under six to go in the opening half and the Hall is still in control by eight, 25-17. As the South Florida dancers make their way on to the floor they get a rather raucous round of applause from the Notre Dame fans who have stayed for game two of the evening.
– Thanks to a mini run put together by junior Chris Howard (8 points so far), USF finds themselves all knotted up at 27 with a little under three to go. Seton Hall is still running their offense effectively, but its like someone put a lid on the hoop. Jordan Theodore only moments ago had an open three get 90 percent of the way down before rimming out.
– Cue Alex Rivas with the big offensive rebound and a soft put back. The dude is three-fourths arms and is using it to his advantage inside. Howard comes back with another big shot, nailing his second straight dagger from beyond the arc. Bulls are looking good with this run, they lead it 32-30 at the half as Seton Hall misses a put back at the buzzer.
– So during the half I've been looking over the tournament bracket and the crazy about the 16 team format is that we don't even get to see the top four seeds until day three. Louisville, Pitt, Connecticut and Villanova all have two-round byes. You have to wonder who will be at more of a disadvantage, the teams who have to play one or two games before the third round, or the big dogs who have to sit around for almost a week before playing hungry teams that will be plenty hungry to knock off a higher seed. Something worth considering.
– As a journalist who covers Maryland basketball it is difficult to watch Augustus Gilchrist perfectly execute a pick and roll and the top of the key, then thrown down a two handed put back. To think what could have been. South Florida is holding court with a 39-37 advantage a few minutes into the second half despite the fact that Dominique Jones is being rendered useless by freshman Jordan Theodore. The undersized rook is playing Jones tight all over the floor and has used his quickness to counter the strong upper body of the sophomore scoring machine.
– Coming out of the official timeout South Florida tries to run Jones off a double screen along the baseline. The Pirates overplay it and force the ball into Gilchrist in the post who shorts a baby hook thanks to tough D by senior John Garcia. The Hall stays strong and after a pair of finishes in the lane by Hazell, they regain the lead 44-39 with 13:45 remaining.
– Any confusion I had about whether or not this was a Seton Hall or USF crowd was cleared up after the building exploded courtesy of a fast break jam by Hazell. He's score six straight for the Pirates and now has a game high 18. The Bulls call time trailing by seven.
– Jeremy Hazell just drilled another three-pointer, giving him 20 points for the game. So much for my Hazell v. Jones shootout, as Dominique is still stuck on 7. What is important though is Hazell was knocked to the floor after that last jumper and appears to have tweaked something in his neck. He has been testing it out ever since he hopped back up and has grimaced at least twice already. Something to keep an eye on to see if it has any effect on his game.
– The scouting report on Augustus Gilchrist coming out of high school was athletic big man with ability to step out and shoot away from the basket. Someone must have caught him on a good day; dude has air balled three 18-footers tonight and aside from his big dunk, has been inactive with 8 points and 3 rebounds.
– While there is certainly plenty of time with 7:39 remaining, this one is starting to feel over with the Pirates ahead 55-45. Maybe it's because it's the end of a long day, maybe it's because the fans have become subdued. Regardless, the Pirates have very methodically pulled away in this game slightly. The teams will trade missed baskets and then the Hall will net a quick one before the squads trade misses again. It's been going on like this for a few minutes now, but Eugene Harvey has snuck into double figures proving to be a nice second option once again for Hazell.
– I'm really enjoying watching Jordan Theodore play. I know I've mentioned him several times already, but as a freshman I can already tell that he is going to be a very solid four-year player for head coach Bobby Gonzalez. The kid hustles, shows good court vision, is very quick and isn't afraid to sacrifice his body (which he has done several times tonight.) The stat line on him right now shows just 5 points and a single assist, but it's all the little things he does well, like make the extra pass, that tells me Theodore will be a solid floor general down the line. Under 5 minutes to go, 9 point Hall lead.
– With less than three minutes to go things are starting to grind to a halt as both teams begin to foul on defense as a result of fatigue setting in. While the Pirates are hitting on their free throws, USF continues to bury themselves by failing to convert on their chances. With 2 minutes even remaining its a 64-50 Pirate lead.
– One minute to go and the mainly pro-Seton Hall crowd comes to their feet as the Pirates start to work the clock down leading by 18. This is going to be the biggest margin of victory today.
– And there you have it, Seton Hall wraps up day one of the Big East Tournament with a convincing 68-54 win over South Florida. Their prize: a match up with Syracuse tomorrow night. Jeremy Hazell led all scorers with 23 points; Eugene Harvey and Robert Mitchell each reached double-figures as well. Dominique Jones managed a solid, but quiet, 14 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists.
– So after nearly 12 solid hours of basketball and blogging we have four teams ready for round two and four that are done for the week. For South Florida and Rutgers this is probably it for the year, but Cincinnati and Georgetown should be expecting phone calls from the NIT fairly soon. Tomorrow is another packed day with 4 more games on the docket starting at noon. So while I go ice my fingers be sure to catch up on sleep and be ready for more action from New York tomorrow!