Jones Embraces Big Stage, Continues Solid NIT Play For Penn State

NEW YORK – Many players have jitters at first when they play on a big stage for the first time, and Madison Square Garden is certainly a big stage.  But Andrew Jones had a different idea: embrace it.

“Playing at Madison Square Garden, the Mecca of basketball, I guess I just saw it as an opportunity to come out and establish myself,” said Penn State’s sophomore big man.  “I know the lights and cameras are on (Luke) Harangody, and I’m guarding him, so I might as well take advantage of that.”

It’s easy to notice Jones’ numbers on Tuesday night, as he posted career highs of 16 points and 15 rebounds in leading Penn State to a 67-59 win over Notre Dame.  But the bigger contribution was what he alluded to, and that’s the defense he played on the Fighting Irish star forward.  The former Big East Player of the Year may have posted a double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds), but the numbers are deceiving.  Harangody was just 5-16 from the field, and Jones did a lot of it himself because his teammates couldn’t help much off some of the other Irish players since they could burn the Nittany Lions instead.  Jones’ biggest defensive success came in Harangody making just six free throw attempts, all in the second half.

“You have to hand it to him on the boards,” said Harangody.  “He was big on the defensive end for them.”

Jones’ big game on Tuesday was the latest in a nice stretch for a young man who hasn’t exactly been playing basketball his whole life.  The Philadelphia native didn’t play until he was a sophomore in high school, when he started playing in recreational leagues and later with a travel team.  His growth is still coming as he’s certainly not physically mature yet, and it seems to be accelerating now.

In the NIT, Jones is averaging 11 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.  Both numbers are up significantly from his season averages of 5.9 and 5.6, respectively.  In their second round win over Rhode Island, he posted his second career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and it marked the second straight game in which he scored in double figures.  Tuesday night makes in three times in four games, and this comes after scoring six points and grabbing 11 rebounds in two Big Ten Tournament games.

His performance in the Big Ten Tournament makes the NIT success look like it has come out of nowhere.  That’s not entirely the case, but no one is discounting what he’s done in the last four games for this team.

“Andrew Jones has done a good job and I have not done a good job of getting him the ball enough, that’s my fault,” said head coach Ed DeChellis.  “He’s a tremendous rebounder and that’s what I’ve asked him to do, rebound, defend and hopefully we can feed off the other guys and get some shots.”

Jones started 21 games last year, so he played right away.  This year, he was in the starting lineup all along, and has had some games that suggested he was on the verge of breaking out.  But he’s not asked to play a leading role because he has good talent around him.  The guards make this team go, led by first team All-Big Ten selection Talor Battle and Stanley Pringle.  Of late, the team has really taken a cue from senior forward Jamelle Cornley, who has played of late with a partially dislocated left shoulder that has been heavily wrapped.  Cornley has been a warrior of late and willed the team to its win at Florida, and he also made a few key baskets in the second half on Tuesday night.

Cornley and Battle have seen the work Jones has put in all along.  They have seen Jones put in time before and after practice and his continued work, and Cornley noted seeing an increase in confidence that’s been coming along.  Tuesday night was a case where people besides the team could see the fruits of that labor.

“He played like an animal tonight, and I think he’s a very big reason why we won the game,” said Cornley, who had 15 points and eight rebounds in Tuesday’s win.  “It’s a testament to what he’s tried to do the entire year by trying to get better, and we’ve allowed him to be freer this time of the year and he’s played well.”

“He just works so hard, and it’s paying off,” said Battle, who led the Nittany Lions with 17 points and five assists.  “16 and 15 tonight, those are some big numbers.  Each and every day he works hard, and it’s really paying off in the postseason.”

Jones is continuing to grow and clearly has his best basketball ahead of him.  The Nittany Lions and their fans – a great many of whom made the trip to New York as the game had a feel of being a home game in Happy Valley – sure hope that some of that comes on Thursday night.  He’ll be on a big stage once again, ready to embrace it all the same.

Baylor Seniors Are Leaving Their Mark

NEW YORK – When Curtis Jerrells and Kevin Rogers were freshmen, Baylor didn’t have non-conference games.  Now their careers will close in a championship game, as the Bears will play for the NIT championship after a 76-62 win over San Diego State on Tuesday.  It’s all something they and their classmates had hoped for when they decided to go to the school.

When the current group of seniors signed up, they knew they were going to a school that had a major scandal just a few years earlier and punishment might be forthcoming from the NCAA.  They also knew they were coming to a school that didn’t have a ton of basketball tradition.  They didn’t know that the Bears wouldn’t be able to play a non-conference schedule in 2005-06, which was the NCAA’s punishment, but they did what they could and developed.

“I love challenges.  I love stepping up and trying new things,” said Jerrells, who led the way with 25 points on 8-11 shooting and had seven assists on Tuesday.  “Coming to Baylor, I knew it was going to be a challenge.  I didn’t know we would not be able to have a non-conference schedule, but I made a commitment to the school and the community and to my teammates.  The guys who came in with me, we all decided to stay and stick it out.”

Now they’re seeing the results of that.

Jerrells, Rogers and Henry Dugat are currently the winningest class in school history with 64 wins.  Jerrells, who will leave as the school’s third all-time leading scorer, will break the school record for career games played on Thursday when he plays in his 119^th game.  And they’ve led the school to the first back-to-back 20-win seasons in the program’s 103-year history, with a chance to tie the record for the number of wins in a season on Thursday.

For good measure, this squad has tied the school record for postseason wins, as the 1947-48 squad won four NCAA games en route to being the national runner-up.

“That’s what happens when you play for Baylor,” said Jerrells.  “Not a lot of things were achieved here.  I want to come to a school like that and be the first to do things and be able to leave my name.”

Rogers had plenty of suitors coming out of high school as a talented post player.  He played on a big-time travel team in Texas and could have gone to a lot of places, but like Jerrells, there was a certain draw to Baylor.

“I could have gone to a historic program and just been another player to walk through those doors and put on a uniform,” said the senior forward, who had 14 points and seven boards on Tuesday.  “Here, we’ve built our own legacy, and that’s definitely what we wanted to do, that’s what we all envisioned.  When we came here, fortunately for us, the hard work and the time it’s taken has paid off for us.”

The NIT run itself is not quite as improbable as the whole picture of this team being here now, but at one point this year no one would have imagined this team doing much in the postseason.  The Bears started off strong and were nationally ranked in the polls in December and January, but fell apart in the Big 12, at one point losing six straight and eight of nine.  They rallied in the Big 12 Tournament to reach the title game before falling to Missouri.

Now, the Bears are the last Big 12 team left playing in the postseason, a point Rogers said the team takes some pride in.  They have been able to ride their offense, their strength all year, to the NIT title game as they are shooting just under 56 percent from the field in the NIT.  A year ago, this team was in the NCAA Tournament and lost in the first round, and they had hoped to get back there.  They have instead made the most of what they have in front of them.

“It means a lot to me and the seniors, the Baylor community and the coaching staff,” said Jerrells.  “I’d rather be playing this many games in the NIT championship, being able to come to New York – it’s my first time in New York – than being a one and done or two and done in the NCAA Tournament.  It’s a great experience and we’re just happy to be playing.”

Baylor head coach Scott Drew said when he brought this group in, he saw a lot of potential.  He was high on their character as well, and he’s seen it as a major reason for this team’s success.

“Credit them for putting in the hard work, getting better, improving, but it’s really a tight team and you need that to be successful,” said Drew.  “Down the stretch, you always want to finish strong, and again, it’s been a blessing that they have been able to go out the way they have.”

With 1:25 left in the game, Tweety Carter lobbed an alley-oop to Rogers to make it 76-57.  After the dunk, Rogers had a celebratory expression, something Bear fans haven’t seen much of over the years but he hopes they will see more of.

“I looked up at the shot clock and noticed the time was winding down and we had a big lead, and we’re finally going to a championship game,” said Rogers.

Now they hope to do what no Baylor team has done before, which is win a championship.  That’s a long way from playing no non-conference games and a 4-13 mark from their freshman year.  It’s what they hoped to do when they first came to Waco.

Kentucky: Wildcats Get Their Man in Calipari

Under immense pressure to bring in a big name, Kentucky officials prodded John Calipari to jump from Memphis to Lexington, giving him the biggest contract in college basketball in the process. Kentucky will pay Calipari more than $31 million in eight seasons, and the new coach will receive a $2.5 million signing bonus. ESPN.com’s Andy Katz received a text message from Calipari tonight to confirm that he planned to accept the offer to replace former coach Billy Gillispie. Katz learned that Calipari had an intense, emotional day in deciding whether to leave a program he has turned into a perennial winner.

“It was a wild and hectic day and I really and truly believe that John didn’t decide until right at the end, late this afternoon,” Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson told Katz Tuesday night. “We talked throughout the day. We’ve got a great thing going here. So I’m disappointed.”

Johnson said he and Calipari had an emotional meeting. Johnson said he asked Calipari how much money he wanted to stay at Memphis and his reply was, “You don’t have to give me anymore. It’s Kentucky.”

Johnson said that Calipari was wrestling with the idea that “we have a spectacular team coming in here next season.”

According to Johnson, Calipari told the team that the returning players need to stay at Memphis. Johnson said he would advice them to do the same, but he knows they will wait for the next head coach to be named. Players likely wouldn’t leave school until after the spring semester anyway, so they could be eligible.

The next intriguing story line will relate to Memphis’ recruits. The Tigers have one of the best incoming freshman classes in the country, led by Xavier Henry and DeMarcus Cousins. With Calipari leaving for Kentucky, Memphis’ recruits might seek a release from their commitments to the university to pursue other options. Given the caliber of their talent, their newfound availability could produce spontaneous full-court press recruiting efforts from the likes of Kansas and Duke. In addition, Calipari will likely push for his recruits join him with the Wildcats.

New Mexico State: Pistol Pete Suspended for 2009-10 Opener

The Western Athletic Conference suspended New Mexico State’s mascot, Pistol Pete, for one game after a clash with Utah State’s Big Blue mascot in the semifinals of the WAC Tournament. Pistol Pete will serve the suspension during the 2009-10 season opener in November. CBS Sports offers a full description of the antics that led to the one-game suspension.

The incident occurred near the end of a semifinal matchup between New Mexico State and Utah State on March 13.

The bull confronted Pistol Pete and ripped off his fake mustache after a fan wearing a Nevada shirt offered $100 to the student in the costume, modeled after Paul Bunyan’s Blue Ox, if he would do so.

The cowboy then chased the bull to half court, jumped on his back and tried unsuccessfully to pull him to the floor. He then started to try to choke his rival before retreating to his end of the court.

Big Blue was suspended for the championship game the following day.

The incident is laughable and befitting a bad Capitol One commercial. However, in terms of sportsmanship, the mascot fiasco is an unnecessary distraction for two of the WAC’s most consistent programs. Equally important, the fan who put a bounty on Pistol Pete’s mustache should have received punishment commensurate to the one-game suspensions doled out to the mascots.

Ohio State: 2 Companies Get Media Rights to Many Buckeye Teams

Ohio State awarded contracts to two companies to manage the media profile of many Buckeye teams. The Buckeyes’ basketball team will still follow Big Ten and NCAA contracts with major networks like ESPN and CBS, according to CBS Sports.

The university said Monday that its partnership with IMG College and RadiOhio gives the companies the rights to manage and market publishing related to Ohio State sports, as well as radio game play-by-play and coaches’ shows. The contract also covers television not included in Big Ten Conference and NCAA contracts.

In a statement, athletic director Gene Smith says the arrangement will help maintain the financial stability of Ohio State’s 36 sports.

Final Four Won’t Change Villanova Coach

BOSTON – Reaching the Final Four is just about the pinnacle of success for a college basketball coach.  About the only thing better is winning the national championship, obviously.  But getting to the Final Four for the first time tends to change perceptions and sometimes lives.  For a great example of the former, look at Jim Calhoun and Gary Williams when they got there for the first time.  For a great example of the latter, look at Jim Larranaga.

Then there’s Jay Wright.  What does this mean for him?

Wright has long been known for a lot of things besides coaching.  He’s long been known for being well-dressed, a subject that many are never lacking for jokes about with him.  That was even the case when one writer mentioned whether or not the Final Four cap matched his suit on Saturday night, which drew a smile from him and a lot of laughs among other media that were present.  He’s been known for his recruiting since he was at Hofstra.  And he’s long been known as a charismatic guy.

Ask coaches about Jay Wright, and privately you’ll never hear a bad thing about him.  In what is very much a people business, he’s a people person and knows how to work a room with the best of them.  That reputation is legitimate; anyone in the media who has dealt with him knows it well.  It’s served him well in recruiting, and the results bear that out.

Now, Wright should be known as much for his coaching as anything else.  As good a job as he does recruiting, this Villanova team isn’t as talented as the one he had three years ago that lost to eventual national champion Florida in the Elite 8.  It’s not as experienced, although it’s pretty close.  This team doesn’t have a great deal of size and had to navigate through the Big East in arguably the conference’s best year ever.

This team also has a couple of players who weren’t much ballyhooed coming out of high school among its best players.  Actually, a lot of the roster is that way, more so than for many Final Four teams, but players like Dante Cunningham and Dwayne Anderson stand out in that respect.  Neither player came in ready to start on day one; Anderson did a prep year and was still a bit player at first.  He steadily improved all of his numbers and was a major component to this season’s team.  Cunningham’s development from a reserve who gave them an inside presence as a freshman to the team’s best player this year speaks for itself.

Wright was asked if this is life-changing for him.  Throughout the post-game, as much as he was enjoying the result, he thought a great deal of what this means to others.  He said earlier that getting to the Final Four isn’t a goal of his, which he said he got a little grief for.  As much as he loves the job and was ecstatic about winning on Saturday, he has a sense of perspective.  He’s blessed to be in this place, and he has things that are more important to him, like his family.  All he could think of were other people enjoying this more than he was.

“What you can do for other people is the greatest,” Wright said.  “And that’s what I feel great about. They’re so happy. They’re happier than me, way happier than me.”

He was imagining the reaction of the campus to this as well as the many who appreciate college basketball in Philadelphia, the best big city in the country for college basketball.

“I am thrilled for our people.  I bet our campus is going crazy,” said Wright.  “I know how much these kids love this, how much they support us.  I wish I could just sit up on a blimp and watch them all and stay out of it.  I don’t really need to celebrate, I’m so tired.  I’d just like to have a glass of wine and watch them all enjoy it.”

Wright has also had a life-changing event, let’s not forget.  It was only a little over four years ago that the team nearly died when an important instrument in their chartered plane malfunctioned as they were about to fly home after an emotional road win.  The entire team back then got a perspective check on life, including the coach, who a few months later got a chance to recharge while coaching Team USA in the World University Games in Turkey.

The reporter who asked Wright if this would be life-changing might have been trying to go down the road another one did when mentioning that this makes him the hottest coach in the country.  But Wright isn’t going to leave Villanova, no matter how much his name is mentioned for other jobs.  When you think of people who have “the life”, Jay Wright should be right around the top of that list.  He’s a Philadelphia guy coaching a team in Philadelphia.  A well-chronicled story is that he took his wife to a Big 5 game for their first date; now he’s coaching at a school that has dominated the Big 5 of late.  He’s coaching in the best conference in the country this year.

He had all of that before Saturday night.  Now, he’s off to his first Final Four.  Goal or not, that’s a pretty good life he has.  It’s no wonder he feels blessed to be where he is.

Duke: Coach K Brings Younger Curry to Durham

Liberty transfer Seth Curry, brother of sharp-shooting Stephen Curry, has decided to play for Duke, starting in 2010. The brother of the All-American averaged 20.2 points per game and appeared poised to become the next Curry to dominate NCAA opponents. He will get an opportunity to prove his mettle in the rigors of the ACC starting in the 2010-11 season after sitting out next season, as required by NCAA rules. He will have three remaining years of eligibility. The Associated Press explained Curry’s rationale for leaving the Flames.

He announced plans last week to transfer so that he could play a higher level of competition, and Dell Curry said his son was impressed by the level of interest Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff had in the young shooting guard.

Georgetown: Hoyas Lose Summers to the NBA

Junior swingman DaJuan Summers told Georgetown coach John Thompson III that he will skip his senior season to enter the NBA Draft. The Associated Press reports that Summers will not plan on returning.

Summers is “in the process of choosing an agent,” Georgetown coach John Thompson III said Monday in a statement issued by the school.

“We wish DaJuan all the best in his future endeavors, wherever they may take him,” Thompson said. “He informed me that he is closing the book on his college career and focusing fully on the opportunity to play professionally.”

Summers led the Hoyas with 13.6 points per game this season. The Hoyas are bracing for another significant loss if freshman Greg Monroe opts to follow Summers into the NBA Draft. Monroe is a highly regarded prospect, and an ESPN mock draft indicates that he could go as high as No. 3 in June.

Florida: Calathes Enters the Draft

Florida sophomore guard Nick Calathes announced that he will at least test the NBA Draft process, the Associated Press reports.

“I spoke with Coach Donovan (Sunday) night and told him of my intentions and he was nothing but supportive, told me he’d do whatever he could to help me and my family make an educated decision,” said Calathes, in a statement released by the school. “I love the University of Florida and am leaving my option to return open. This is a great opportunity to take some time, look at my future beyond college, collect information and see where I’m at.”

Calathes was a first-team All-SEC selection in both the coaches and Associated Press voting. He averaged 17.2 points per contest to lead UF and 6.4 assists, a school record.

Calathes is a big guard at 6-6, which could make him an attractive pick for NBA teams that value size in the backcourt. However, Calathes is not blessed with blazing speed, which is not something he could improve on by remaining with the Gators. Initial draft projections have Calathes slated for the late first round or early second round. First-round picks are guaranteed at least a two-year contract while second-round picks do not receive any guarantees of making an NBA roster.

Georgia Southern: Price Isn’t Right for Eagles

Georgia Southern coach Jeff Price announced that he would resign as the Eagles’ coach after leading the team to an 8-22 record. In 10 years with Georgia Southern, Price compiled a 165-133 record. The Associated Press reported that the separation was mutual.

“I felt like at this time it was best for all parties involved to move on in my career,” he said in a statement.

Athletic director Sam Baker accepted Price’s resignation and said the search for a new coach will begin immediately.

Virginia: Bennett to Bring Slow and Steady Pace to Cavaliers

Virginia’s next coach will be Tony Bennett, who informed Washington State administrators and players that he has accepted the Cavaliers’ job offer. Washington State Athletic Director Jim Sterk confirmed Bennett’s departure with ESPN.com.

Sterk said that Virginia asked for permission to speak with Bennett last Friday. Monday afternoon Bennett informed Sterk and WSU president Elson S. Floyd of his decision to accept the position at Virginia. Following those conversations, Bennett informed his players of his decision.

“Dick and Tony Bennett have elevated the men’s basketball program at Washington State to an unprecedented level of success,” Sterk said in a statement released by the university. “We will begin a national search for a coach immediately with the goal of finding someone with the integrity, experience, and values that Dick and Tony brought to the program.

In three seasons with Washington State, Tony Bennett led the Cougars to a 69-33 record. He worked as an assistant to his father, Dick Bennett, before becoming head coach. Tony Bennett took Washington State to its first NCAA Tournament in 13 years in 2007. Bennett’s teams play a slow-paced, defensive-minded brand of basketball that is atypical for most ACC teams. All but 10 ACC teams rank in the top half of the NCAA for tempo while the Cougars were the fifth slowest of 344 Division I teams this season.

Bennett replaced Dave Leitao, who resigned March 16 after the Cavaliers finished the season 10-18. The mark was the program’s worst record in more than 40 years. A former Connecticut assistant coach, Leitao led Virginia to a 63-60 record in four seasons.

UConn, Arizona State Women Advance From Trenton

TRENTON, N.J. – One team held serve while another gave a big surprise at the NCAA Women’s Regionals at Sovereign Bank Arena on Sunday. Number one and unblemished UConn dispatched Cal 77-53 in a game that was more competitive than the score hints. In the nightcap, sixth seed Arizona State upset second-seeded Texas A&M 84-69.

The keys to the UConn-Cal contest:

1. Poise – There have been upsets in the women’s tournament this year. With just over 6 minutes remaining in the half, UConn trailed 31-23 and Cal had the momentum. The Huskies never hit the panic button and continued to execute on both ends with poise.

2. Defense – From that juncture with six minutes to play in the half, Cal scored six field goals the remainder of the game. Up until that point they had 11. UConn just dug down deep, forced a few shot clock violations and a succession of rushed attempts with the clock expiring. “The way we played the second half, especially on defense,” said coach Gene Auriemma, “was classic UConn basketball.”

3. Tiffany Hayes - the UConn freshman buried a few treys early and finished with a game high 28 points to spark the Huskies with a game-high 28 points. “She was open and took the shots,” said teammate and star lead guard Renee Montgomery of Hayes. “She showed a lot of confidence to step up like that in a Sweet 16 game.”

UConn led 35-33 at the half and opened it up immediately as the final twenty minutes began. Maya Moore with a relatively quiet start added 22 points. Tina Charles was limited by foul trouble but had a solid five-point, eight-board effort in 23 minutes. Cal’s big gun Ashley Walker sparked the Bears to the early lead. A strong inside player, Walker led Cal with 21 points, but only five following intermission.

In the final contest both coaches were planning on a grind-it-out defensive battle. Instead they got an offensive display as Arizona State pulled a big upset over Texas A&M. Sun Devil mentor Charli Turner Thorne studied the stat sheet following the game and said, “Giving up 69 points and 48 percent from the floor and we win?” As noted, it was an offensive display on both ends. It wasn’t a case of poor defense by either team. “There were times kids hit shots with a hand in their face or made a nice step-back,” Turner Thorne said.

At the half Arizona State held a 42-37 lead, a figure some may have expected to be a final tally. Arizona State was shooting 67 percent while A&M wasn’t too shabby, checking in at 55 percent. In addition, neither team missed a free throw as Arizona State was 9 of 9 and the Aggies were perfect in four attempts.

The second half saw much of the same: torrid shooting and the Sun Devils just refusing to relinquish a lead. A&M hung tough but could never grab the lead as the Pac-10 reps maintained a consistent two-possession lead. In the stretch the Sun Devils gained some separation. A&M had to gamble on defense and was forced into a late-game fouling mode that inflated the final margin.

Arizona State senior guard Briann January paced all scorers with 22 points. Texas A&M had three players in double figures, led by junior forward Tanisha Smith with 19 points. Arizona State finished the game with a 62 percent mark, while A&M cooled off with a 41 percent field goal percentage the second half. The defense for Arizona State may have been a little late but it got there – in time to send them to the regional final against UConn on Tuesday.

“They have a Hall of Fame coach,” Turner Thorne said. “This is one of his best teams for a number of reasons. This is an incredible opportunity to play against them. They are unbeaten and they are the team to beat.”

Struggling Reynolds Doesn’t Surprise in the End

BOSTON – There’s a lot that can be said about the way Villanova’s 78-76 win over Pittsburgh in the East Regional final ended.  The player who was at the epicenter of it is not a surprise to his teammates or coaches.

Scottie Reynolds fell into Villanova’s lap three years ago.  Born in Huntsville, Alabama but growing up in Illinois and northern Virginia, Reynolds was all set to go to Oklahoma out of high school after starring for Herndon High School and the Boo Williams travel team.  But Kelvin Sampson then left for Indiana, and Reynolds got out of his national letter of intent and wound up on the Main Line.  The Villanova faithful have never been so happy for that turn of events as they were on Saturday night.

Reynolds quickly made an impact, as he was the Big East Rookie of the Year as a freshman.  He struggled during the off-season at the Pan Am Games, but came back for a strong sophomore season.  This year, it was more of the same, although he had his share of clutch plays that added to the numbers he put up.  But once the postseason came, it was a little different for a while.

After a 21-point effort in their first Big East Tournament game against Marquette, Reynolds fell into a slump.  He scored just two points in a loss to Louisville, then had just eight against American as the Wildcats got a scare in the first round.  He had 11 in the blowout win over UCLA, then had 16 against Duke but on 5-15 shooting.  Entering Saturday night’s game, his postseason numbers looked nothing like those of his career: 11.6 points per game, 34 percent from the field, less than 22 percent from long range, eight assists and 13 turnovers.

The Wildcats’ best player the prior two seasons (arguments can be made for Dante Cunningham this year) was in a slump at a bad time.  The team was still winning, but his struggles were noticeable.  If you really want to be “right”, he shouldn’t have been the region’s Most Outstanding Player – he only got that because of one play.  His numbers on Saturday weren’t all that impressive – 15 points, 4-11 shooting, one assist with four turnovers.  But the numbers aren’t the story.

His last play is.

“That’s Scottie,” said sophomore guard Corey Fisher, who earlier made several key free throws.  “Scottie makes plays like that every day in practice, it’s nothing new.  That’s what he does.”

Indeed, there’s no one the Wildcats would rather have with the ball in his hands in that situation.  He made key free throws to give them a win over arch-rival Saint Joseph’s in one game, had key free throws to seal the overtime win over Seton Hall, and also had two big baskets against DePaul that helped them hold off the Blue Demons.

So it wasn’t a surprise that they wanted him to have the ball in his hands, and that he delivered.

“He has won so many games for us.  He’s done it so many times, and the kid’s just got a knack, he really does,” said head coach Jay Wright, who likened him to an opposite number that evening, Pittsburgh’s Levance Fields.  “He never fears failure.  There are some games where we lose and he looks really bad, but he’s not worried about it, it doesn’t affect him.  He’ll come back the next game and he’ll make the same plays.  That’s a great quality to have as an athlete.”

It certainly proved to be one on Saturday night.  This time around, it came after he struggled and they won, and it didn’t affect him.  It just set the stage for the big play.

“I think every kid who plays on the playground thinks about that,” Reynolds said of the winning shot.  “It hasn’t sunk in yet.  You always want that shot to win the championship, to advance to the Final Four, or some prestigious event to get to.”

There was a lot of talk after the game about the play itself.  The Wildcats run it often in practice, and the result is a mixed bag depending on whether the first or second unit is on offense with it.  A couple of players said it rarely works, but Reynolds knew one thing about it.

“It worked tonight.  It only has to work once, and it worked today,” he said.

That it did.  Just the same, the previously struggling Reynolds didn’t need another 40 points like he’s had a couple of times in his career – only two.  The two that mattered the most for Villanova, from a likely source.

Alabama: Crimson Tide Pluck Grant From VCU

Alabama looked to one of the most successful mid-major programs in VCU and Rams coach Anthony Grant for a successor to Mark Gottfried. Grant informed the Rams Friday that he would leave the university for Alabama, according to a CAA news release.

The 42-year-old Miami, Fla. native went 76-25 in 101 games at VCU. His team dominated the Colonial Athletic Association, capturing two conference tournament championships and three regular season crowns. Under Grant, the Rams were 52-10 against CAA foes. 

The Rams reached two NCAA Tournaments, including 2007, when VCU upset sixth-seeded Duke, 79-77, in the first round. The victory was the program’s first NCAA Tournament triumph in 23 years. This season the Rams took UCLA to the wire before dropping a 65-64 decision in the first round in Philadelphia March 19. 

Elon: Phoenix Turn Within SoCon for Next Coach

Elon looked across North Carolina and within the Southern Conference to pick Davidson associate coach Matt Matheny as the Phoenix’s next coach. Matheny replaces Ernie Nestor.

Matheny will be taking on his first head coaching job after working as an assistant to Davidson coach Bob McKillop for 16 seasons. He helped the Wildcats become the SoCon’s premier program during the past decade, according to a university press release.

During Matheny’s time on the bench, Davidson produced 10 campaigns of 20 or more victories, three undefeated Southern Conference regular seasons, 26 All-SoCon players and six SoCon All-Freshman selections.

Matheny, who was born in Shelby, N.C., and grew up in Statesville, N.C., was a three-sport standout at North Iredell High School. During his college days, he lettered four years as a wide receiver for Davidson’s football team and two years as a point guard for the Wildcats’ men’s basketball squad before graduating in 1992 with a bachelor of arts degree in history.

North Carolina: Tar Heels Return to Final Four

(1) North Carolina 72, (2) Oklahoma 60

Sophomore forward Blake Griffin got the better of senior forward Tyler Hansbrough in a clash of stars, but the rest of No. 1 North Carolina dominated the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners in a 72-60 win. Junior point guard Ty Lawson had another strong game with 19 points, five rebounds and five assists to help get the Tar Heels to a second consecutive Final Four. 

Griffin finished with 23 points and six rebounds for the Sooners. But he received little help from the perimeter players, who made only 2-of-19 three-pointers and none until the closing minutes of the game. North Carolina’s defense held Oklahoma to 44 percent shooting from the field.

Hansbrough had eight points and six rebounds for North Carolina and was limited in the first half by foul trouble. Lawson and senior guard Danny Green made up for his production. Green continued his strong play against Gonzaga by delivering 18 points for the Tar Heels.

Michigan State: Spartans Grind Down Louisville

(2) Michigan State 64, (1) Louisville 52

No. 2 Michigan State remained patient for 40 minutes and dictated the pace of the game to beat No. 1 Louisville 64-52. Sophomore point guard Kalin Lucas executed a strong game plan that protected the ball against Louisville’s trapping, aggressive defense. Senior forward Goran Suton had 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Spartans, who shot 46 percent from the field.

Louisville’s offense could not solve Michigan State’s defense, shooting only 38 percent. Edgar Sosa, Terrence Williams, Samardo Samuels and Andre McGee combined for only two made field goals and nine points. The quartet averages nearly 38 points per game. 

Both teams kept the game tight for most of the first 30 minutes. Neither team led by more than three points before Michigan State built a cushion with a 9-1 run, and the Cardinals couldn’t hit enough shots to rally.

Villanova Completes Long Road to Final Four

BOSTON – It’s been a long road to the Final Four for a seemingly unlikely team.  That road was also full of obstacles, as often happens.

Villanova will certainly be remembered for its great national championship back in 1985, another time when it was an unlikely team just to reach the Final Four.  It’s seemingly buried in the history of college basketball, for few realize the tradition Villanova has.  But the 2008-09 edition of the Wildcats, in Jay Wright’s eighth year at the helm, have brought back memories of that team now that they are headed to Detroit.

When Wright first took over the program, it was very much an also-ran in the Big East.  It wasn’t like a few years earlier, when the team had the kind of talent that had many projecting a Final Four appearance or two before they would flame out in the first round or just generally underachieve.  The march to improvement, and ultimately this point, has been slow and steady.

NIT bids in his first three seasons on the Main Line were baby steps, helped after his first year by a banner recruiting class.  That class went through everything you can imagine – numerous injuries, a phone access code incident that saw a number of players suspended, nearly dying on a plane heading home after an emotional road win, and being a phantom travel call away from going to the Elite 8 as juniors.  They went to the Elite 8 the next year before falling to eventual national champion Florida, but they weren’t forgotten in this.

“I talked to a bunch of them today and that’s what I said to them, that this is your legacy, these guys,” Wright said on Friday, before the big win.

This season, the Wildcats were picked fifth in the Big East.  In a 16-team conference, that’s not so bad, but with the projections that were being made of this conference, it would have been easy to get lost there.  It was essentially the same team that lost in the regional semifinals last year, again to the eventual national champion (Kansas), so there weren’t grand visions for this team.

During the season, for a while they didn’t really distinguish themselves.  They didn’t get a great non-conference win, although there were some good ones.  They were highly ranked in the polls, but many wondered what they did to deserve it.  They were justified when the Wildcats started Big East play by going 2-3, losing to Marquette, Louisville and Connecticut while beating Seton Hall and St. John’s, the former in overtime.  The first big win came in the last game ever played at the Spectrum again Pittsburgh, which may have been a foreshadowing.

But the Wildcats weren’t done surviving.  As the NCAA Tournament began, they got a major test from two-time Patriot League champion American.  They trailed the Eagles at the half, before coming alive early in the second half to take the game over.  Two blowouts later, it was Pittsburgh again, this time standing in the way of the Final Four.

In this game, the Wildcats survived everything, perhaps aided by what the program has been through under Wright up to that point.  They survived losing an early lead, the product of a big game from Panther forward Sam Young.  They survived foul trouble that mounted in the second half, that which helped the Panthers seem on the verge of taking the game over as DeJuan Blair got going.  In fact, even as foul trouble mounted, the Wildcats still led for a lot of the game, but there was surely no Wildcat fan who felt secure.

They survived clutch plays once again from Levance Fields, who has stung opponents so many times.  It started with a pass to Blair for an uncontested layup to make it a two-point game.  The Wildcats survived an errant long pass that surely had fans wondering if they threw the game away, especially when Fields sank two free throws to tie the game in the final seconds.  And they survived a near five-second call at the beginning of the play they’ll be talking about for a long time on the Main Line.

And after Scottie Reynolds, himself a survivor on the court as he struggled mightily last weekend, made the layup with less than a second to go, there was one more thing left.  Fields got up a three-quarter court heave that he probably didn’t get off before the buzzer, and though right on line, it missed high.

With that, the Wildcats had done the ultimate act of surviving and advancing.

Wright has completed a long road himself, from that of a “hanger-on”, as he described himself in 1985, to the very decorated head coach of the program now.  And the Big East has come full circle as well, with many feeling 1985 was the greatest year in the conference, but now left to debate if 2008-09 tops it.

With Saturday night, the long road to the Final Four, from the NIT bids to the injuries to the near-plane crash to the tough loss in the Elite 8 three years earlier, was complete.  The unlikely Final Four team had punched its ticket to Detroit, with the guy who led the last team on the Main Line to the promised land right there to see it and being one of the first people Wright ran to after the game was over.

Tennessee State: Tigers Pick Cooper to Lead Team

Tennessee State has hired Auburn assistant John Cooper to become the Tigers’ next coach. Cooper has been an assistant coach at Auburn for the past six years and also has experience at Oregon and Fayetteville State. The Tigers’ job will be his first head coaching gig. University officials are hopeful that his success as an assistant, outlined in a university press release, will continue now that he is a head coach.

Cooper spent five years at Auburn (2004-2009) and played a vital role in the revitalization of the Auburn basketball program, as the Tigers recorded their first winning season in four years (2003). This season, Auburn posted a 24-12 record, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT Tournament.

Prior to his arrival at Auburn, Cooper spent two seasons at Oregon where he helped the Ducks to a 41-23 mark. Oregon went 23-10 with an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2002-03 and had an 18-13 record in 2003-04, losing in the NIT semifinals.

Connecticut: Huskies Claim First Spot in Final Four

(1) Connecticut 82, (3) Missouri 75

No. 1 Connecticut handled No. 3 Missouri’s just well enough and received excellent play off the bench from freshman guard Kemba Walker to beat the Tigers 82-75, becoming the first team to reach this year’s Final Four. Walker’s speed and energy helped foil the Tigers’ active full-court press, and the freshman led the Huskies with 23 points, five rebounds and three assists. 

The Huskies committed 16 turnovers while Missouri had only six, which helped the Tigers keep the game close until the final moments. Connecticut made up for a little sloppy play by dominating the rebounding battle. Junior center Hasheem Thabeet was not a major factor in scoring with only five points, but he had 12 rebounds to help give the Huskies a 44-26 advantage.

Missouri struggled to consistently make shots at 43 percent from the field. The Tigers especially struggled from long range, making only 5-of-18 three-pointers. Leo Lyons and Matt Lawrence each had 13 points to lead the Tigers.