Missouri Valley Notebook – November 30, 2010

The young season is two weeks old already, and the Missouri Valley Conference is off to a slow start – although against some strong competition. All teams have combined for a 33-21 non-conference record – not quite on pace to match last winter’s 90-39 mark.

What we’ve learned heading into December:

Wichita State is the only team helping its at-large opportunity so far. Yes, there is a long time to go after November, but the selection committee nevertheless will look at some of these good wins and losses – and in some cases, very bad losses. Wichita State (3-1) has steamrolled through the competition early, with the only defeat at the hands of Connecticut, 83-79. UConn, now ranked No. 7, shot its way to the Maui Tournament title, also knocking down the likes of No. 2 Michigan State and No. 9 Kentucky.

Other teams who may depend on at-large bids in March aren’t faring as well as the Shockers. After rushing out to a 4-0 start, Bradley has dropped two straight, including a head-scratching home loss to Eastern Illinois. Missouri State (4-2) sits in a slightly better position, with a 4-point loss to then-No. 23 Tennessee, but another loss to Conference USA foe, Tulsa. What may work in Missouri State’s favor this March is its 60-49 victory over fellow mid-major, Pacific. Northern Iowa’s (2-2) best chance to prove it hasn’t fallen far from last season’s success flopped during the second half of the season-opener at Syracuse, a 68-46 defeat. That was followed with another loss at Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Creighton (4-2) has a lot to prove in the Mountain West-Valley Challenge Series this week. A date with BYU on Wednesday will give the Bluejays an opportunity to raise some eyebrows. It will also give Creighton another chance to beat a team with a winning record for the first time this season.

Through the questions though, Creighton has a fearsome trio forming for MVC opponents. Antoine Young, Kenny Lawson Jr. and newcomer Doug McDermott have combined for 44 points and almost 20 rebounds per game. If they’re unable to grab the needed non-conference wins, the Bluejays are certainly solidifying themselves as a scary team by the time the conference slate begins.

The Northern Iowa defense looks like it will have to be stellar for another postseason appearance. They allowed just 55 points per game last season and might need to duplicate that to stay competitive in the MVC during 2010-11 to aid a struggling offense. Not counting the victory over Division III Coe College, the Panther offense is managing a mere 58.7 points. The good news so far: The defense is still solid, allowing just 57.5 points in four games. Syracuse managed the best output so far against them during its 68-46 thumping.

Evansville (3-2) is continuing where it left off last season. A 71-68 overtime win at No. 23 Butler Saturday is the proof. As the only MVC team not to win at least 10 games last season, Evansville still finished the ’09-10 campaign 3-3. That included wins over league leaders Northern Iowa and Wichita State and another near-miss against Wichita State. With its current play, the Aces may be pushing 10 wins by the time they play Wichita State on Dec. 29. Even if they don’t have 10 by then, the Aces have clearly pulled themselves out of the Valley cellar.

Ranking the Missouri Valley (through Nov. 28)

1. Wichita State (4-1)
2. Missouri State (4-2)
3. Bradley (4-2)
4. Northern Iowa (2-2)
5. Creighton (4-2)
6. Evansville (3-2)
7. Indiana State (3-3)
8. Illinois State (5-1)
9. Southern Illinois (3-3)
10. Drake (2-3)

Games to watch this week

Tuesday, Nov. 30

Indiana State at No. 25 Notre Dame: After a rough start, the Sycamores have an opportunity to run their win streak to three and make a statement against the newly-ranked Irish.

Wednesday, Dec. 1

Iowa State at Northern Iowa: The unbeaten Cyclones (6-0) will try to continue their early season dominance over the MVC, having dropped 91 points on both Creighton and Drake. With the style Northern Iowa plays though, you can almost expect Iowa State and UNI to combine for 91 points Wednesday.

No. 21 BYU at Creighton: The Bluejays have yet to beat an opponent with a winning record. Wednesday is the perfect opportunity, as the No. 21 Cougars visit the Qwest Center unbeaten.

Saturday, Dec. 4

Wichita State at No. 17 San Diego State: This contest will be like a Bracket Buster in February, and could catapult the Shockers into the Top 25 with a win.

Pac-10 Player Ratings

The Pac-10 took a lot of heat last season for its underwhelming play for much of the season. But in the NCAA Tournament, No. 11-seed Washington turned on the jets and sprinted past Marquette and New Mexico before losing a tight game to West Virginia in the Sweet 16.

This season, the Huskies appear poised to make another run in the NCAA Tournament, albeit as a better seed. Washington has three players ranked among the best at their position in the Pac-10, and two of them aren’t even primary contributors. Justin Holiday is the biggest factor, ranking No. 5 among Pac-10 forwards with a 15.3 Total Impact Quotient. He logs 26.4 minutes per game for Washington.

Meanwhile, a couple of newcomers provide excellent relief off the bench. Freshman guard C.J. Wilcox is playing exceptionally well, with a 19.3 TIQ. If he were to maintain that level, he’d have the highest TIQ of any guard of the past two seasons, even ahead of Connecticut’s Kemba Walker. The secret to Wilcox’s success is efficiency. The young gun is averaging nearly nine points in only 13 minutes per game. Plus he’s good in every phase of the game, with 11 three-pointers, 14 rebounds, nine assists, two blocks and two steals in only five games.

If Wilcox continues to play so well, coach Lorenzo Romar will have to give him more playing time. It’s unlikely Wilcox could maintain such an insane TIQ, but even a slight dip would likely deliver excellent results for the Huskies, who also get plenty of help from sophomore Aziz N’Diaye. The big man ranks as the top Pac-10 center with a 22.6 TIQ.

N’Diaye’s rating is the product of his proficiency on the boards. He has collected 35 rebounds, including 15 at the offensive end. That’s a big deal because the Huskies have been on fire to start this season, so extending the possession is hugely beneficial. At the other end, N’Diaye leads the team with 11 blocks despite playing only 17.6 minutes per game.

Here are the top players by position in the Pac-10, followed by the team-by-team breakdown. If you’d like an explanation for how we calculate the Total Impact Quotient, check out our thorough introduction to the rating system.

All numbers are through Sunday, Nov. 28.

TIQ position averages:
Centers: 11.3
Forwards: 10.4
Guards: 6.2

TIQ = Total Impact Quotient
PD% = Position differential in % difference from average

Player Rankings

Player Rankings for 2009-10

Big East Player Ratings

After three weeks, Connecticut’s Kemba Walker is playing out of his mind. And the Total Impact Quotient backs up what is patently obvious to the likes of Michigan State and Kentucky: Walker is for real.

Although we’re working with a pretty small sampling of games, Walker has a 17.1 TIQ, which is ridiculously good for guards. He’s 140.8 percent better than the Big East average for guards. In fact, he’s got a TIQ better than any guard from last season. He’s on pace to finish with numbers that rival speed demon Ty Lawson (16.9 TIQ) from North Carolina’s championship team in 2009.

Of course, we’ll see if he can keep it up. If he does, Connecticut looks like a serious threat to compete for the Big East title, especially with forward Alex Oriakhi playing at a high level, too.

Here are the top players by position in the Big East, followed by the team-by-team breakdown. If you’d like an explanation for how we calculate the Total Impact Quotient, check out our thorough introduction to the rating system.

All numbers are through Sunday, Nov. 28.

TIQ position averages:
Centers: 11.3
Forwards: 10.8
Guards: 7.1

TIQ = Total Impact Quotient
PD% = Position differential in % difference from average

Player Rankings

Player Rankings for 2009-10

Big East Takes on Team No. 17

Now conference realignment is getting just ridiculous.

TCU announced today that the Horned Frogs are leaving the Mountain West Conference for the Big East Conference, starting with the 2012-13 season.

That’s a team from Forth Worth, Texas, joining a conference with 14 teams in the Eastern time zone. The longest road trip in the Big East, previously Providence to Tampa, increases by 35.7 percent to 1,550 miles, from Providence to Fort Worth. The closest Big East rival to the Horned Frogs will be Louisville, which is a stone’s throw away at 755 miles — only a 14-hour drive.

We’re obviously using the word “rival” pretty loosely there. TCU briefly shared familial relations with Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette and South Florida in Conference USA. But none of those teams shared a heated rivalry that had Horned Frog fans all riled up.

Let there be no mistake about it: This move is 100 percent about football with little regard to any other sport played in the Big East.

With the undefeated Horned Frogs football team in danger of getting shut out of the flawed BCS system’s championship game, this move makes perfect sense for TCU. The Big East has an automatic bid to the BCS and offers nominally better competition than the Mountain West Conference can provide. TCU deserves a chance to earn a football championship, and university officials feel like a move to the Big East would create that opportunity and probably safeguard the rest of the program’s other sports.

“Having BCS automatic-qualifying status was a priority for our football program and a great reward for the success we’ve had the last decade under coach Gary Patterson,” said Chris Del Conte, TCU director of intercollegiate athletics in a press release. “Keeping all our sports together was also critical. We are very excited to accomplish both these goals and look forward to our new home in the Big East Conference.”

But come on now.

Whatever financial security comes with a move to the Big East comes at the detriment of huge travel costs that TCU teams will endure. Those costs go beyond miles logged on an airplane — we’re talking more time away from the classroom for student-athletes. Schoolwork on the road isn’t unusual, but it can’t help when every road game requires a two- to four-hour flight.

In addition, Big East basketball teams will have only two home-and-home series each season against conference foes instead of three. The regular-season title will merely suggest that the team atop the standings is the conference’s best. But with imbalanced schedules and skewed home/away match ups, who can say for sure which team is best? The Big East Tournament becomes even more critical for asserting conference superiority.

College basketball programs remain in the back seat while King Football drives conference realignment. If hoopsters could press the Reset button on conference composition and athletic economics, we could devise a far more attractive conference scheme. Our realignment would preserve traditional rivalries and create new ones in imminently logical geographical regions.

Not Surprising: Harvard Takes Care of Colorado

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – From several standpoints, Harvard’s 82-66 win over Colorado is hardly an upset, although casual fans will look at conference affiliation and think it is. An Ivy League team knocking off a Big 12 team? Must be an upset.

But that’s just not the case here. The better team won, and they expected to win.

The home game is the first noteworthy item. Home teams usually win, especially when it’s a good team as Harvard is. The Crimson went 11-2 at home last season, including 6-0 in non-league games, and have established at least one thing about playing in Lavietes Pavilion. … Continue Reading

NIT Season Tip-Off: Five points of Emphasis

:NEW YORK CITY – With all that is going on off the court, some of us forgot a simple fact: Tennessee is a very good basketball team. They shifted the action from the background to what is happening on the floor by capturing the Pre-Season NIT at Madison Square Garden.

The Semifinal Scores:

Tennessee 77, VCU 72
Villanova 82, UCLA 70

Consolation:
VCU 89, UCLA 85

Final:
Tennessee 78, Villanova 68

Five points of emphasis from the Pre-Season NIT:

1. Tennessee is not only resilient but talented. Despite the ongoing drama in Knoxville regarding coach Bruce pearl, the Volunteers came to New York and just concentrated on one thing: playing basketball at a high level. Pearl commented after the VCU game on what great things the Rams do and how much fun it was preparing for them. The Tennessee coach said the same thing about Villanova. Pearl, quite frankly, wanted to put all of these off the floor issues aside for now. Not dwelling on them does not mean they will go away. But for now Pearl is thrilled to be doing what he loves best: breaking down tapes, planning and preparing with his staff.

2. Villanova needs a plan B, Jay Wright admitted after the Tennessee game. There will not be many nights when Corey Fisher, Maalik Wayns and Corey Stokes for that matter are all shut down and not as effective. But when those days do come, Villanova will have to try a different approach. Admittedly, shutting down the Villanova backcourt like Tennessee did will not happen often. But it could happen in Big East and/or post-season and Wright wants to be prepared. Both nights Mouphtaou Yarou came through for Villanova. He scored in double figures both nights and against UCLA the 6-10 sophomore had 16 rebounds and three blocks. Wright likes Yarou’s defensive presence as it gives the guards the opportunity to defensively gamble knowing there is a “stopper” to guard the basket. His offense, as well as that of Antonio Pena and Dominic Cheek (both had good outings in the final), is going to figure very much into Wright’s plans down the road.

3. VCU will be tough to contend with in the Colonial. They earned a split in New York and showed some impressive attributes both nights out. VCU loves the three-pointers and transition. The uptempo offense of coach Shaka Smart relies on 38 percent of its scoring from beyond the arc. Often these three-point attempts are uncontested as the Rams attempt them in half court or out on the break. Their pace is a rapid 75 possessions per game and they utilize those possessions with a very impressive 111 offensive efficiency. This is a team not wildly running or bombing from three. There is an inside presence in Jamie Skeen. Prior to coming to New York, the 6-9 senior asked his teammates to get him the ball more. “When more is given, more is expected,” Smart said with a biblical theme regarding the request. Skeen delivered both nights, especially with a team-high 23-point outing against UCLA, earning him all-tournament honors. Not the last honor VCU will see this season.

4. UCLA showed heart. Down 15 at the half in the semifinal against top ten Villanova. Three time zones from home. It seemed like a time to think consolation game. To their credit, the Bruins tightened the defense, kept their composure and had it to a two-possession game midway through the final half before Villanova went on a game-sealing run. In the third place game the Bruins competed hard for 40 minutes before dropping a close one to VCU. What the Bruins have to do is avoid slow starts. They suffered through them in both contests in New York. They also need contributions from Malcolm Lee, Tyler Honeycutt and Reeves Nelson on a nightly basis. Against Villanova, Honeycutt (a 15 PPG scorer) came up with only eight points on 3-8 shooting. The Pac-10 is relatively balanced this season. There are games that are “winnable” through extra effort and outplaying opponents. Here UCLA showed the effort. Now if they can avoid those slow starts.

5. Tennessee can defend. Scotty Hopson is a threat on the perimeter or in the paint. Tobias Harris can slash and score. Brian Williams, at 6-10 cleans the offensive glass for put backs. Make no mistake, Bruce Pearl’s club is anything but one-dimensional. The defense by the Vols in the two games was quite impressive. Villanova entered the game with a 119 offensive efficiency, but was held to 93 by an active, harassing Tennessee defense. In fact, Tennessee held both opponents under 100 offensive efficiency as VCU managed just a 90 OE in the semifinals. In the final Hopson bothered the Villanova guards all night with his quickness and length. Villanova did struggle offensively in the championship. Blame that on the Vol defense.

ALL TOURNAMENT:

Jamie Skeen (VCU)
Reeves Nelson (UCLA)
Mouphtaou Yarou (Villanova)
Tobias Harris (Tennessee)
Scotty Hopson (Tennessee) – MVP

For Syracuse, Offense Wins Legends Classic

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – There’s not a saying that offense wins championships, although some have debated whether or not that is the case instead of defense being what does it. Syracuse certainly rode their offense to a title as they won the Legends Classic with an 80-76 win over Georgia Tech in which they had their best offensive outing and overcame a hot start by the Yellow Jackets.

The Orange came into the game shooting just 40.6 percent from the field. Save for shooting just under 49 percent in the season opener against Northern Iowa, they had not shot above 42 percent in all season. And it was the offense that bailed out the defense, as Georgia Tech shot 56 percent in the first half (6-11 from three-point land) but the Orange had a two-point lead at the half. Syracuse knocked on the door all half as the Yellow Jackets led by as many as nine, and they finally broke through right at the end of the half to take the lead on a three-pointer by freshman C.J. Fair. … Continue Reading

Young Wolverines Can and Must Get Better

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – John Beilein knew he had a young team, and with his system the learning curve can be steep. The realities of that were driven home by this weekend, especially Saturday’s 65-56 loss to UTEP that saw them struggle in the second half against an athletic team.

The Wolverines were out-played in the first half, but managed to go into the locker room tied at 29. They shot just 36 percent from the field, but had just five turnovers and got to the line enough to be in that position. But in the second half, UTEP had all the energy and didn’t let Michigan get many second shots, winning the rebounding battle 40-31. Leading scorer Tim Hardaway, Jr. never got untracked, scoring just six points on 1-8 shooting. … Continue Reading

UTEP Takes Steps Forward in Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – The way the game started, plenty of people wondered what was going on. By the end of the game, it was clear that UTEP had taken steps forward in their 65-56 win over Michigan in the consolation game of the Legends Classic.

Reigning Conference USA Player of the Year Randy Culpepper started the game on the bench for UTEP. He entered the game just over six minutes in and didn’t sit much the rest of the way, and looked like himself for much of it by scoring a game-high 24 points on 10-16 shooting in 30 minutes. He helped the Miners shoot 61.5 percent from the field in the second half while holding Michigan to 25 percent. … Continue Reading

Volunteers Show They Can Overcome Plenty

NEW YORK – It’s not a surprise that Tennessee made it to Madison Square Garden. It was pretty much a given they would get that far. But chances are, they aren’t who many people might have picked to take home the NIT Season Tip-Off, which they did with a 78-68 win over Villanova. Simply put, the Volunteers have had a lot to overcome to get to this point.

Tennessee has been overlooked among SEC teams for a few reasons. For one, there’s Kentucky and its much-hyped recruiting, as well as others in their division who have projected to be better like Florida, and improving teams like Vanderbilt and Georgia. The Volunteers also have four new starters this year, although only one is a freshman, and that always leaves question marks. Most of all, this team has a controversy swirling around its head coach, who admitted to providing inaccurate information to the NCAA, and constant speculation about his job status. … Continue Reading

Villanova’s Areas For Improvement Show in NIT Season Tip-Off Loss

NEW YORK – There was a recurring theme in Jay Wright’s post-game comments following Villanova’s 78-68 loss to Tennessee in the NIT Season Tip-Off final on Friday. It’s something often heard at this early point in the season, but you could sense there was some extra urgency to it in this case.

On several occasions, Wright said the Wildcats have to get better at one thing or another. It might have been winning a game that’s basically a street fight. It might be playing smarter as well as harder. It might be if they have to go with a bigger lineup for one reason or another. But the theme was clear: the Wildcats need to be better. … Continue Reading

VCU Continues to Develop Depth

NEW YORK – Before the season, Shaka Smart said he felt like he had six starters on his team. The VCU mentor wasn’t sure who the odd man out would be, but that’s a nice luxury to have, especially when you’ve lost the player who the prior year won Defensive Player of the Year honors. So it’s a given that depth was not going to be a weakness for VCU entering the season. After the Rams’ first five games, one can get an idea of just how much of a strength it will be, as they are developing that depth further. … Continue Reading

After the Feast

Quick Hitters – November 25, 2010

Some quick hitters as we reach the holiday and head into the long weekend:

• Steve Donahue is throwing his freshmen right into the mix at Boston College, and it’s helping in the immediate. In particular, Danny Rubin started against Holy Cross and had 14 points and six rebounds, going 4-9 from long range and making a couple of key shots during a run where the Eagles first broke the game open. … Continue Reading

Holy Cross Isn’t Getting Anything Easy

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – It hasn’t been the smoothest of starts for Holy Cross, where things were expected to be different this season. It’s still early, and there’s no reason to expect a repeat of last season’s 9-22 showing, but the Crusaders’ 0-4 start – the second season in a row where they have lost their first four (they lost their first six last year) – isn’t exactly what was envisioned, either.

For a little over a half, the Crusaders were right with Boston College. Even when BC went up 55-40 and seemed to be in control, Holy Cross scored seven straight to get within striking distance. But the Eagles followed up with a 14-2 run to put the game away. … Continue Reading

2010 National Prep Showcase – Final Notes

The National Prep Showcase has come and gone, with 21 games in three days. With most schools playing two games, there’s a little to draw from on each. A few schools made good impressions, some players raised their profile, others did not.

Here are some final notes coming out of the weekend.

• Last year, Blair Academy was led by a senior point guard in current Brown freshman Hakeem Harris. This year, it was a senior point guard who was arguably their most impressive player in Marques Jones (6’0″ Sr. PG, Milford (DE)). Jones has a good motor with a body that still has some maturing to do, and he often drove fearlessly to the basket. … Continue Reading

2010 National Prep Showcase – Sunday Notes

NEW HAVEN, Conn. The National Prep Showcase is now in the books. We’ll have one last notes column later, but for now, we look back at Sunday’s game action.

Sunday Scoreboard

Wolfeboro (NH) Brewster Academy 89, Lanham (MD) Princeton Day School 67

Pittsfield (ME) Maine Central Institute 82, Northfield (MA) Mount Hermon 71

Saltsburg (PA) Kiski School 67, LaPorte (IN) La Lumiere School 54

Newark (NJ) NIA Prep 90, New Hampton (NH) Prep 80

Tilton (NH) School 97, Wilbraham (MA) Wilbraham & Monson Academy 64

Blairstown (NJ) Blair Academy 57, Barrington (RI) St. Andrew’s 53 … Continue Reading

Coaches vs. Cancer: Five Thoughts

NEW YORK CITY – Five points of note from coaches vs. Cancer :

The final day results :

Consolation: Illinois 80, Maryland 76
Championship: Pittsburgh 68, Texas 66

1. Pitt can beat you many different ways. Their guard play is solid. The big men might not engage in a classic “old school” post-up style but they are active. Overall, one player can emerge and step up on a given night. In the semifinal win over Maryland, it was freshman forward Talib Zanna who energized Pitt with a 14-point, 12-rebound effort. On Friday against Texas, foul trouble relegated Zanna to a 2-point, 6-board effort in 15 minutes. More than taking up the slack was Ashton Gibbs with 24 points, 19 after intermission. Yes, on that “given night” virtually anyone Jamie Dixon’s rotation can be the difference maker. To a player, the Panthers are just fine with that.

2. Illinois cares extremely well for the ball. In the overtime loss to Texas in the semifinals, the Illini turnover rate (turnovers/possessions) was 15%. In the consolation with Maryland the rate was 17%. Both are impressive figures against defenses which are not exactly chopped liver. Bruce Weber’s club is respectable up front and strong at the guard spot.

One player who can do damage in both areas 6-3 guard Demetri McCamey. He’s strong enough to finish in the paint and had admirable range on the perimeter. Many observers have Illinois pegged for fourth behind Michigan State, Purdue and Ohio State in the Big Ten. If that’s the case, the conference is going to be a dog fight with several teams capable of doing significant damage come March. And the Illini won’t exactly be an easy out

3. Maryland left 0-2 for New York but showed their young players are making contributions while getting valuable experience. I took notice of the work of 6-10 sophomore center Jordan Williams. He scored 14 points with 8 rebounds against Pitt. In the consolation Williams did not score in the first half but had a strong second half, finishing with 15 points and 13 boards. In typical Gary Williams fashion, Maryland plays hard each night out. Williams is enthused with the group he had. There is reason to be as they should improve each time out, and surprise a few people along the way.

4. Texas was another young team with a fine showing. The Longhorns finished within a possession of knocking off No. 4 Pittsburgh but do not want to hear anything regarding “moral victories”. When one of the Texas players was asked what the team can take from this experience he simply replied, “second place.” To paraphrase the lottery slogan, Texas was “into to win it.”
Barnes cited the first ten minutes of the Pitt game as crucial, noting his young team came out too passive on defense. A 26% turnover rate, the highest of any team in the four games, and something a young team can be prone to, did not help either.

5. Pitt does not win “ugly.” After the final Jamie Dixon of Pitt was asked to comment on critics who say Pitt “wins ugly.” “They must be looking at me,” Dixon quipped. Pitt averaged 71 possessions the prior three contests before the final. In the final the pace was more half court, but credit both defenses. They stopped transition and forced teams to make several passes and use clock before settling on a shot.
Offensively the Panthers will run and attack the basket if the opportunity is there. The “win ugly” label comes from their tough half court defense, which makes the opposition work and often struggle, not from a supposed walk-it-up-the-floor offense. The “ugly” part of Pitt basketball is encountered by the opposition, having to face that defense. As Dixon added, “I’d rather ‘win ugly’ than lose pretty.”

The Final breakdown:

Possessions, Offensive Efficiency
Pitt  66  103
Texas  65  102

All-Tournament:
Ashton Gibbs (Pittsburgh) (MVP)
Trevon Woodall (Pittsburgh)
Jordan Hamilton (Texas)
Jordan Williams (Maryland)
Demetri McCamey (Illinois)

Brings Back Memories

The Coaches vs. Cancer event is always a favorite and brings to mind the wonderful event and work of the coaches association in fighting this dreaded disease. This year took an added meaning and reflection. A few days prior to the Garden games, Bill DeFazio passed away at age 63, a victim of pancreatic cancer.
DeFazio, a friend of St. Anthony’s coach Bob Hurley from youth, actually coached the girls at St. Anthony’s before moving to Marist. He retired from the sidelines two years ago, the winningest girls coach in Hudson County history with a superb 576-169 record. He coached both Marist and St. Anthony’s to state titles and won a number of other championships along the way.
DeFazio was a great tactician and motivator. And colorful on the sidelines, to say the least. Veteran writer Jim Hague remembers the night DeFazio (about 50 at the time) made a long jump clear over the bench at Dickinson High School. A book of DeFazio stories could fill quite a few pages – and probably sell at a brisk pace.
Three years ago I had the good fortune to see one of his teams play. They won a state tournament game with a fairly comfortable margin and DeFazio worked every possession along the sideline. At times he would plead, yell and still encourage his girls. Make no mistake: as much as he yelled at them for a mistake, he was devoted and would do always be there if they had a problem on or off the floor.
This past Spring the court as Marist High School was named in his honor. It shouldn’t be a surprise so many of the young women he coached and taught valuable lessons of life, were there for the celebration.
He is in several halls of fame. Beyond those wins, accolades and other awards is the work DeFazio did in touching and influencing the lives of so many young people. As good a coach as he was, that was the area Bill DeFazio truly excelled.

2010 National Prep Showcase – Saturday Notes

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The second day of action at the National Prep Showcase was a full one with eight games on tap. It started with a pair of dandies and saw another great matchup later, but the biggest news of the day involved an off-court matter. We’ll get to that soon enough, but first we’ll look at some numbers.

Saturday Scoreboard

North Bridgton (ME) Bridgton Academy 73, Fork Union (VA) Military Academy 72

Lanham (MD) Princeton Day School 91, Oakdale (CT) St. Thomas More 87 (OT)

Chatham (VA) Hargrave Military Academy 86, New Hampton (NH) Prep 75

Wolfeboro (NH) Brewster Academy 80, Waynesboro (VA) Fishburne Military Academy 55

South Kent (CT) School 62, LaPorte (IN) La Lumiere School 44

Fitchburg (MA) Notre Dame Prep 87, Phoenix (AZ) Westwind Prep 81

Southboro (MA) St. Mark’s 91, Lee (ME) Academy 74

Saltsburg (PA) Kiski School 92, Winchendon (MA) School 83 … Continue Reading

2010 National Prep Showcase – Friday Notes

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The National Prep Showcase tipped off on Friday at Albertus Magnus College. This year’s event features a few new teams that haven’t been in it before, and several played on Friday. The first three games were all single-digit games, then the last four were all decided by double digits. The last one is a bit deceptive since it was an overtime game.

With that, a look at some details and highlights from the day’s action. … Continue Reading