College Basketball Experience Notes

Golden Eagles Could Continue Their Rise

by John Celestand

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The last time that I checked in I was at the BCA Classic watching the Thad Five Freshmen from Ohio State dismantle their opponents. Since then, I have been on the road for long stretches at a time, sometimes even forgetting what day it is or what city I’m in. The only thing that keeps me sane is the excitement of the college basketball season. Although I am on my last leg after being away from home 14 of the last 16 days, the smell of the hardwood, the sound of the ball bouncing, the sweet music of the ball as it tickles the twine keeps me going.

On Wednesday night I happened to be in attendance at the reception for the “College Basketball Experience” Hall of Fame induction. What an experience that was. Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Dean Smith, and the great John Wooden were the inductees. I actually got a chance to shake the Big O’s hand. I didn’t even mention all the other big-timers in attendance like Larry Brown, Bill Walton, J.A. Adande and a bunch of others. I silently kept asking myself what in the heck was I doing there. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – the history of basketball all in one room. Two of the greatest players, maybe the two greatest coaches all within feet of one another. It was priceless.

The next night it was off to the games. In the first game of the CBE Classic, Duke took care of Air Force 71-56. To my surprise the Blue Devils made the game look pretty easy. Demarcus Nelson led the way with 23 points, while Lance Thomas, the freshman out of St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, New Jersey chipped in with 15 big ones. Air Force’s Princeton offense seemed to be tailor-made for the Duke Blue Devil’s pressure defense, but it was not to be on this night. The Blue Devils did not seem willing to deny all the passing lanes and get back-doored to death as they did in their lost to Georgetown last year. They played a sagging help defense and did not allow the Falcons to back-cut for layups, a testament to the great coaching of Mike Krzyzewski. With that said, the Blue Devils are still a young team and don’t seem to have the firepower that they had in the past. This is not a dominating Blue Devil team like last year, but they still have some talent and those big bold blue letters across their chest.

Marquette breezed to an easy win over Bob Knight and the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the nightcap 87-72 to improve to 5-0 on the year. The Golden Eagles’ perimeter of Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Mathews combined for 55 points as they sliced through the Red-Raider defense at will. McNeal had 7 assists on the night, two of which were alley-oops to the 5-foot-10 James. Texas Tech All-American Candidate Jarrius Jackson had 14 points but struggled, going 4-11 from the field.

Marquette will take on Duke tonight in the CBE Classic Championship Game at 10:00 P.M. EST in what will be an interesting early-season Big East-ACC matchup: Duke, a perennial powerhouse, against Marquette, a program beginning to regain its national luster. Marquette will rely on its perimeter, one of the best in the Big East. James, a Pre-Season All-American Candidate, has been stellar early in the season, averaging 16.8 ppg. Duke will look to counter with its strong frontcourt of Nelson, Thomas and Josh McRoberts. McRoberts is also a preseason All-American Candidate, but has had modest numbers early in the season with 10.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg.

Look for an intense match-up between two talented teams. Marquette coach Tom Crean is one of the rising coaching talents in the country. His teams play hard and with passion. Crean is a great X’s and O’s guy, yet he never over-coaches.

He will surely be tested tonight against Krzyzewski and the boys from Durham. Let’s not forget, this is Duke and sometimes the mystique can spot the Blue Devils 5 points early in the game.

This will be a good one, but in my opinion Duke is not the Duke we are all used to and there will be no Cameron Crazies to give them the edge at Muncipal Auditorium in Kansas City. As I stated before, McRoberts has started slowly and the Golden Eagles will by on a high for this one, plus James may be one of the best point guards in the country. Guards win games in college basketball.

Prediction? I’m not scared to say it.

Marquette by a nose.

Ohio State’s Special Freshmen

Young Buckeyes Have a Special Look

by John Celestand

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Yes, it’s still very early in the college basketball season. It’s a time for many college basketball coaches where wins mean everything, yet they still mean nothing. For Ohio State Coach Thad Matta, it was time for him to unveil his new crop of freshman, maybe the best crop in the Ohio State basketball history. The Buckeyes cruised to a 107-69 victory over Virginia Military Institute in the first round of the BCA Classic at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio last night.

Again it’s still too early to speak, but the class that Matta has assembled is very special. Special enough to even make some of the most avid college football fans in the country take notice. In the background of a football program who is sitting in the No. 1 spot in the country lurks a squad who may be able to dominate the Big Ten without major contributions from its upperclassmen.

Daquan Cook, the 6-5 McDonald’s All-American guard out of Dunbar High in Dayton, Ohio, led all scorers with 22 points and nine rebounds. As marvelous as Cook played and as well as he displayed his skills, he is not even a starter on this Buckeye squad. Freshman starting point guard Mike Conley Jr. maybe one of the most sound and athletic freshman point guards that I have seen in a long time at the college level. He may still need some work on his jump shot, but his poise, explosiveness and ability to run a team was remarkable.

David Lighty, who was supposed to be the most unheralded of the freshman class, started and had 11 points on 4-5 from the field.

Yes, we must take into account that this was run and gun basketball at its finest. The VMI Keydets try to get up as many shots as possible. When asked about their shot attempts, Coach Duggar Baucom cleared up his team’s intentions quickly. One reporter asked if he was comfortable with his team taking 47 three-point shots.

“Our goal is 50″, replied Baucom.

There was some shaky play at times. The Buckeyes did turn the ball over 26 times, but this is to be expected early in the season from all teams.

Last but not least, we have to remember that Greg Oden still has yet to grace the court for OSU. Oden may be the most recognizable figure on campus, even with Troy Smith, Ted Ginn and the rest of the OSU football team walking around campus. Oden may be the best center in the country, and he hasn’t even taken a shot yet.

I bumped into Oden a day before the Buckeyes opening game. He still had a cast on his wrist. I asked the big fella how the wrist was coming along.

“Fine Sir, thanks for asking,” he replied.

He called me “Sir”. That’s when I realized, although he is a 7-0 man-child on the court, he is still a youngster, as are all of Ohio State’s freshmen. Watching them play on Friday, you could not have convinced me that they were freshman. It had to be a hoax.

I will reiterate again, it’s early in the season. And of course, playing against VMI is not the same as playing against Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan or Illinois, but it wasn’t about who they played, it was how they played. They played like seasoned veterans with the confidence and swagger of college All-Americans. But then again, they are All-Americans, so playing with that swagger is all they know. I guess it’s like the old saying goes, if ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

I am not saying they are the best team in the country, but I have played and watched basketball for enough years to say they are one of the best. Trying to get some attention as a team on Ohio State’s campus, a campus of die hard Buckeye football addicts, may be one of the most difficult things that many of these freshman may have faced in their lives, and yet they are close to almost accomplishing that now.

Ohio State’s football team may be on its way to a national championship. It’s not unfathomable to say that the Buckeye basketball team may also have a shot. If you can’t beat them, join them.

Baucom asked at the press conference after the game yesterday, “Hey is there a football game here next week?” He was referring to the Buckeyes’ battle against Michigan next Saturday to claim the No 1 spot in the country.

One reporter jokingly replied, “We don’t pay any attention to that. This is a basketball school.”

My question would be, is that really a joke?

The Greatest March

The Greatest Month of March

by John Celestand

As the last days of March wind down I feel compelled to tell this story. Some say it was the greatest month of March ever. I, for one, have to agree.

This March Madness was my greatest one to date. It was a year filled with so much pain, so much agony after the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. My Grandmother, a resident of the Lower 9th ward in New Orleans now living in New Jersey with my mother, had lost her entire house. A house she lived in for 52 years floated away, never to be inhabited again.

As a child born in Houston, raised in New Orleans until I was 11 years old, I felt an immense and intense sadness after watching for days what happened in my home state. Grandmothers, uncles, cousins, aunts, friends all displaced by the power of Mother Nature. Some are now in Houston, some in Baton Rouge, others in Atlanta.

It was beginning to look like it may be the worst year of my life. I had played overseas basketball for the last five years and was contemplating retirement before the Hurricane hit. Now with my family members all in need and displaced the decision was easy. There was no way I could leave for 8 months like I had done every year for the last five years. I had played organized basketball every year for the last eighteen years. To say I struggled without hearing that ball bounce, without hearing that crowd roar, without picking up a man full court would be a tremendous understatement.

To cope with my loss, I sought out Hoopville. Someone had referred me to the site and I wanted get involved in writing. Basketball was still in me. What I didn’t know was that Hoopville would change my life forever.

After writing for a few months, I began to receive feed back on my articles from you the fans. Some good, some bad, but always important. Some said what they liked, some said what they didn’t, but I took in all in stride.

One day I would receive a message that would freeze me in my tracks.

It read: “URGENT FROM HOUSTON. MY NAME IS FATIMAH, I AM YOUR SISTER. PLEASE CALL ME BACK. HERE IS MY NUMBER. I WANT TO MEET MY BROTHER.”

I was frozen. Growing up I had one sister. Her name was Rasheedah. We grew up in New Orleans and New Jersey in the same house, went to the same high school and both won state basketball titles for our respective teams. Who was Fatimah?

I was raised by my mother, Deborah Celestand, and my father, Ernest Celestand. Although Ernest was not my biological father, I refused to call him my step father because he had raised me since I was only months old. I had never met my biological father. His name was Bilal. I had never even had a conversation with him, had never heard his voice. I never even thought about it. I was not bitter, I had a Father. Ernest was all I knew.

After about an hour of being nervous, I called Fatimah. She cried when I told her it was me. She told me that my father had told her all about me. She told me that she watched my games as a child when I was at Villanova; she told me that she even saw some Laker games. She told that my father even came to a Lakers-Rockets game when I was in the NBA.

She told me that my father was 6-4 and had played basketball at San Jose State. She told me that I had four other sisters named Ruqiah, Zaynab, Khadijah, and Clara. She told me that I had a brother named Jihad.

The feelings that I felt were unbelievable. There was shock, nervousness, curiosity and joy. I spoke to all my sisters and my brother that day. The next day I spoke to my father. We all spoke on the phone everyday until I went to visit them in Houston on March 12. This was real March Madness.

All my sisters were there to pick me up at the airport in Houston. I met my brother and father at the house later that night. I picked up the paper in H-town and filled out my NCAA tournament bracket. My youngest sister Khadijah, only 12 years old, asked me to explain to her the tournament brackets. She asked what the numbers by each team meant. She asked how I knew who was going to win. I told her I didn’t know, that it was an educated guess. I had UConn beating Duke in the final. March Madness always fools everyone.

Khadijah told me she was rooting for Texas. She along with my other sisters and my brother even watched some of the tournament games. They were reeled in by the excitement. We were jumping around the house after every buzzer-beater. They were like March Madness veterans, even though I don’t think my sisters had ever witnessed a game.

It was the greatest March ever. All the upsets, all the meaning. Louisiana State University has put both its men and women basketball teams in the Final Four. Only months after the biggest natural disaster in United States history, the Tigers from the state that was affected the most have a chance to do something special. Is it just a coincidence? Is it fate? Did it happen for a reason?

I happened to stumble upon Hoopville. I happened to start writing this year. The NBA All-Star game was in Houston this year, which caused my sister to think of me. She “Googled” me and found Hoopville, which in the end helped her find me. Is it a coincidence? Is it fate?

Yes, I admit I am cheering for LSU in both Final Fours. I am cheering for Tyrus Thomas and “Big Baby” to do some serious work in Indianapolis. I am a journalist, and I am supposed to be unbiased. Sorry, I am human. I have a soft spot in my heart for a warm story.

No, an NCAA championship won’t bring my Grandmothers house back. No, meeting my family now can not make up for 29 years. But, both can still warm up the souls of many and give those without hope something to believe in.

By the way, I don’t believe in coincidences.

It was the greatest March Madness ever. I will never forget the March of 2006. It will go down in my memory as the March when I met my family. The March in which George Mason, a No. 11 seed made the Final Four. The March in which not one No.1 seed made the Final Four (first time in 26 years). The March after Katrina, in which the people from Louisiana’s biggest and most prominent city were all separated. The March in which LSU would use basketball to temporarily reunite them.

The March in which the Madness became even bigger than basketball.

Poor Gerry McNamara

McNamara Comes Through in the Clutch

by John Celestand

Hey, I’m sorry Gerry. I’m sorry Jimmy. That’s all I can say for maybe the dumbest thing that I have ever wrote.

A couple of weeks ago when I came out with my Big East awards, I was one of the idiots who rated Gerry McNamara as the most overrated player in the conference. Hey, I can admit I was wrong.

What McNamara did in back-to-back tournament games was hit two of the most clutch shots in Big East history. The little guy from Scranton, Pennsylvania, trying to lengthen his college career a few more shots, a few more games, showed tremendous guts and that the amount of ice water in his veins is still the same as it was during his freshman year when he, along with Carmelo Anthony, led the Orangeman to the NCAA championship.

How quickly we forget. I am ashamed of myself. I was a player and once wondered how some writers, who never played or coached the game, could have such opinionated views on the game. Sometimes, I had come to despise writers as they often too quickly judged a player after a few bad games or a couple of losses.

Poor Gerry McNamara. After winning an NCAA championship he had set a standard for himself. His explosive run in the NCAA tournament during his freshman year had set him up for failure because without cutting down the nets again, the feat could not be topped. He could not surpass his own greatest achievement, but did that not mean he was not great? How could I have succumbed to such foolishness, such stupidity?

I understand why you went off Mr. Boeheim. I understand why you would wonder aloud how we could be such fools. I can understand why you use bad words to describe idiotic statements like “Gerry McNamara is overrated.” You are right. Without him you probably don’t win 10 games. Without him you probably don’t have your first national championship. Without him you don’t beat the Connecticut, the No. 1 team in the country. Without him you don’t make the NCAA tournament this year. Gerry McNamara punched the Orangemen’s ticket with 18 points and 13 assists today.

No, Gerry I will never show my face in Scranton, PA. I should never be allowed there. I talked about the greatest player ever out of Scranton. I talked about one of the greats in Syracuse University basketball history. I talked about someone who has more championships than Derrick Coleman, Rony Seikly, Louis Orr, Sherman Douglas, and Billy Owens combined.

I hope I never meet you Gerry. I am ashamed. I played in the Big East tournament. I played against the best. I should know that the best always show up in March. Forgive me Gerry for I have sinned.

March Madness

March Madness: A Study in Contrasts

by John Celestand

It’s March madness. I was born in March, so maybe it’s in my blood. What does March mean? Tourney time for everyone. It’s a maddening time for me, as I scramble between my AAU practices, New Jersey State tournament games, and trying to prepare myself for the Big East tournament. Oh yeah, lets not forget selection Sunday, the invitation to the big dance.

It’s a time to rejoice, it’s a time to cry. Some names will be born in the next couple of weeks. Some unknown will hit a buzzer-beater while another big name player will miss. Some player who never shoots will get hot and lead his team to victory. Another will never shoot again.

Some small high school team from the suburbs will knock off a high-powered city team to win a state championship. A poor school from the hood with beat up and worn jerseys will outplay a rich private school with shiny logos and a huge student section in route to a city title.

You can bet your bottom dollar that when kids hear that final buzzer sound it won’t resonate in every ear quite the same. It’s a time when some kids will refuse to leave the floor. He or she will wander aimlessly near the half court circle refusing to accept that the ball may never bounce with more meaning ever again. It’s a time when some refuse to go home in another way, as they hit shot after shot after shot trying to extend their season just another 24 hours.

The pressure will get to some. The size and the importance of the moment will cause some to shrink, some to crumble. Others will rise to the occasion, many like they never have before and never will again.

Employees will lose their jobs, because of slacking at work during March Madness. Assignments won’t get done, deadlines will be missed while brackets and betting pools are filled and alma maters are watched.

Many businessmen will reminisce and wish they could trade in their ties and once again smell and feel the perspiration that they once felt while participating in the month of March. The madness will bring back memories of a time when they were heroes.

The month will again remind us how boring and unimportant the NBA regular season is. For a month, we forget about the million-dollar contracts and who got traded as we become lost in the dreams of young adults who haven’t yet been paid a dime. As poor as they are, they still dive into the scorer’s table and lay it on the line without a check in site. For one month, Adam Morrison from Gonzaga becomes more important than Kobe Bryant from Los Angeles.

A high school will win its first state title in school history, another will have a string of repeats ended. A sixteen-year-old kid will play in Madison Square Garden, the Meadowlands, or the Palestra for the first time. He will feel the energy of past battles from years before, maybe wondering if he may one day return again in another, more recognizable uniform.

Some will fall to the hardwood in extreme joy after a miracle shot extends their life, while others will feel their legs collapse as though at a funeral in front of the casket of a lost loved one.

There will be many teams waiving their arms to the crowd and rejoicing over the roar of the crowd, while others will bury their heads in towels, their ears stinging and tortured by that same roar.

Many will excitedly talk to reporters, firing off interesting quotes and making the jobs of journalist easier, while the losers will barely be audible if they can even put their disappointment into words at all.

Some players, like a king, will be carried off the floor, while others at their lowest moment will be dragged off the floor. This extreme contrast is what makes March Madness so bittersweet.

Prime Time Shootout

Shootout Still Has Plenty of Talent

by John Celestand

TRENTON, N.J. – I had a chance to get up to the Primetime Shootout, a big-time high school tournament featuring some of the best high school teams and players in the country this past weekend. Every year the tournament is held in Trenton, New Jersey at the Sovereign Bank Arena.

You are talking about a tournament that has featured players like Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dejuan Wagner, Sebastian Telfair just to name a few over the past couple of years. So it’s safe to say that there is usually plenty of talent at this event.

Although there was a huge snowstorm which cancelled the last day of the tournament, there was enough time to see some of the best talent in the country in the first three days.

On Thursday I was able to see Bloomfield Tech, ranked No. 1 in the state of New Jersey and No. 17 in the nation, take on Trenton Central High School. Bloomfield Tech won with ease behind the play of DeSean Butler (headed to West Virginia) and Casiem Drummond (off to Villanova).

On Friday, I had the pleasure of watching legendary coach Bob Hurley, Sr. lead his St. Anthony team, ranked No. 2 in New Jersey and 25th in the country, to a victory over Riverdale Baptist from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. St. Anthony’s was one of the most efficient and disciplined teams in the tournament.

The ball movement was extraordinary and the defensive intensity was phenomenal. The Jersey City players all handed the ball to the referees and never complained after a call, a testament to the leadership of Bob Hurley, Sr. The Friars are a young team led by 6’3 junior Miles Beatty and sophomores Michael Rosario and Travon Wodall. These young talents will spell trouble for Jersey as well as the rest of the country for the next two years.

On Saturday, I saw the best player in the tournament in 6’5 sophomore Tyreke Evans, from American Christian in Ashton, PA. Evans is ranked by many as the No. 1 sophomore in the country, and did not disappoint. Again, the hometown Trenton High School Tornadoes were victimized as Evans garnered MVP honors for the game with 28 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals.

The ease at which he dominated the game was somewhat unsettling. At one point in the third quarter, he gave a Trenton defender a left to right crossover and pull up jumper that brought the Trenton crowd to its feet. He also had a one-handed jam in which he picked the ball up off the floor with one hand and flushed it in, reminiscent of the great Dr. J if I may say so.

Going slightly off topic for a minute, I, a former Villanova basketball player, couldn’t get tickets to the Villanova vs. UConn game at the Wachovia Center on Monday because it was sold out. I even called the basketball office and the secretary told me she was sorry but there was nothing she could do for me. I turn on the television to watch the game, and who do I see behind the Nova bench? None other than Tyreke Evans. Hey, I would have gladly given up my seat for him after the performance he put on in Trenton.

I was also impressed by another sophomore on American Christian in 6’6 forward Nasir Robinson. He was very adept with the ball, a good passer and great finisher. He finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds. They also had a 7’0 junior center, Hamida Rahman, who was a beast. Look for this team to be one of the best teams in the country for the next two years. Mark my words!

On Saturday I also saw the greatest offensive clinic I have ever seen. If you wanted to learn the basic fundamentals of basketball, De La Salle, a team from Concord, California gave a free lesson.

Running a variation of the Princeton offense, the Spartans from De La Salle performed surgery on Mount Vernon (NY) High School. To say I felt sorry for the Knights from Mt. Vernon is an understatement.

The Spartans screened, moved, and backdoor-cut the Knights into submission. The Spartans were the most patient team of the tournament, resetting their offense sometimes three or four times in one possession. It was all summed up when Mt. Vernon head coach Bob Cimmino said, “All we can do is thank God we have a shot clock in New York.”

Needless to say, many of the De La Salle players are already being recruited by Princeton. Lincoln Gunn, a 6’4 senior, has already committed, and other players on the team are being heavily courted.

Also among the participants was the No. 1 high school team in the country, Oak Hill Academy. They played St. Benedict’s Prep from Newark, New Jersey, coached by Danny Hurley. DeMatha Catholic, the No. 3 team in country, edged Linden High School out of Linden, New Jersey 51-48.

Early Big East Awards

Wildcats show that basketball teams can play small ball, too

by John Celestand

Maybe it’s a little early, but so what. I am going to give you my Big East Conference honors – before the basketball gurus get their lists out. Anything less would be uncivilized.

Player of the Year: Randy Foye, Villanova

So what, I went to Villanova and I know you are saying that I am a little biased. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but let’s be real here. The guy is second in the conference in scoring on a top five team in the country with a balanced offensive attack. He’s been consistent from the beginning to the end of the year. He’s shooting 37 percent from three and some nights guards the opposing team’s power forward. His team is 19-2 and he may be the one of the top three guards in America. If this were the MVP race, I would choose Quincy Douby, because no one in the conference is more important to his team. But this is the Player of the Year, and you have to win games. Enough said.

Defensive Player of the Year: Marquis Webb, Rutgers

This guy locks cats up. Night in and night out he makes it tough on anybody he guards. Ask Taquan Dean (Louisville), Carl Krauser (Pittsburgh), Mardy Collins (Temple) just to name a few who were tangled in the Paterson, New Jersey native’s “Webb”. He doesn’t back down and allows Douby to guard others so he can stay fresh and put up the numbers he does. Webb is the X-factor for the Scarlet Knights.

Rambo Player of the Year: Carl Krauser, Pittsburgh

This goes out to a guy who I would want to go to war with. Krauser is a guy who you would want to be in the trenches with, lost in the woods with no food or water with. This is a guy who brings it every night. Krauser, who hails from the Bronx, is one tough cookie. He wears a scowl that might scare Mike Tyson. He also drops 16 points a game and hands out 4.5 assists. Let’s not forget that his team is 19-3.

Best Sixth Man: Rashad Anderson, Connecticut

You are talking about the all-time leader in three-point field goals made in Connecticut history. That’s a list with a lot of big time players. Anderson is instant offense off the bench for the No. 1 team in the country, averaging 14 points a game in only 22.5 minutes a game. Now that’s production.

Best shooter: Quincy Douby, Rutgers

Here’s a guy who once hit 18 threes in a high school game. Did you hear me? 18. He hit nine threes in a game vs. Syracuse this year and can shoot it from anywhere on the court. Douby has made 73 threes on the year, 3rd in the conference, with defenders draped all over him. Legend has it that one time he shot it from Brooklyn and it hit nothing but net at the RAC in Piscataway. The ref waived it off because he shot it from out of bounds.

Most Underrated Player: Donald Copeland, Seton Hall

The 5-10 little guy from St. Anthony’s High School plays with a big heart. Averaging about 15.6 points a game and dishing out 4.5 assists, he has been a major factor in the resurgence of Seton Hall along with Seton Hall coach Louis Orr. The Jersey City kid has had big games at big times, with 22 points against then-nationally ranked North Carolina State and 18 points and 8 assists against Syracuse. Another in a long line a gutsy St. Anthony guards.

Most Overrated Player: Gerry McNamara, Syracuse

He broke onto the national spotlight as a freshman winning the National Championship along side Carmelo Anthony in 2003. He has been picked as a pre-season first team all-conference player. As a freshman he was known as a big game performer. This year, he has not performed in the big games, shooting a lot of shots at a bad percentage. McNamara did not play well against Villanova or Connecticut. All told, that’s not a sign of a first team All-Big East performer. McNamara is shooting only 33 percent on the year and 31.8 percent from three.

Coach of the Year: John Thompson III, Georgetown

He is directly responsible for the resurgence of the Hoyas onto the national scene. The Hoyas have not been to the NCAA tournament since 2001, but you can pencil them in this year as Thompson’s Princeton offense looks better than ever. The Hoyas cemented themselves in the national spotlight with an upset of Duke on national television, outsmarting and out-playing them to the final buzzer. As of today, the Hoyas sit at 17-5 overall and 8-3 in the Big East. Thompson III doesn’t have rock the towel like his father, but they still have been wiping up opponents all year.

Surprise team of the Year: Seton Hall

Picked in the basement of the Big East, the Pirates have been surprising of late, going 4-1 in the last five games. The lone lost was a blowout to UConn but hey, the Huskies are ranked No. 1 in the country. All the boys from South Orange Avenue have done is go 15-7 and stand in 6th place in the best conference in the country.

Most Disappointing team of the Year: Louisville

This was an easy one. Rick Pitino’s excuse about his team being young does not fly. Louisville was picked in the top ten in the country early in the year. The Cardinals have not been welcomed with open arms to the Big East, as they have struggled in conference play with a 4-7 record and are in danger of not even making the Big East tournament. The Cardinals have even dropped a few games at home, a definite no-no in the powerful Big East Conference.

First team All-Big East

Randy Foye, Villanova
Allan Ray, Villanova
Quincy Douby, Rutgers
Rudy Gay, Connecticut
Kevin Pittsnogle, West Virginia

Stop the J.J. Talk

J.J. Redick Is Unstoppable

by John Celestand

J.J. Reddick is unstoppable.

There I said it. I’m tired of the talk. Stop it.

Not tall enough for the league. Not quick enough off the dribble. Just another good college player. You can make a sandwich with all of that, because it’s just a bunch of baloney.

Enough already. What Redick is doing is possibly playing one of the best college basketball seasons in the modern era. Stop it. I don’t want to hear it.

What the little slow kid from Roanake, Virginia did was simply pluck the eyes out of the North Carolina Tar Heels last night by torching them for 35 points on 12-of-22 shooting.

What the little slow kid did was simply dart into the passing lanes for four steals, two of which led to breakaway layups.

What the little slow kid did was score more points in the Dean Center than Johnny Dawkins, the greatest player in Duke’s history.

What the little slow kid did was tie Len Bias for the second-highest single-game scoring total in the history of the Dean Smith Center.

What the little slow kid did was slam the door in the face of Carolina fans with a sweet behind the back move and pull up three. It was a move that left his defender falling like Bryon Russell in the 1998 NBA finals when you-know-who put the brakes on and made one of the most charismatic jump shots in NBA history.

I’ll say it again and I said it before, J.J. Redick is unstoppable.

I am tired of hearing that all you have to do is put an athlete on him. Well how many athletes do we have left? Mr. Redick has scored 30 pts or more 9 times this year. He has scored 40 or more three times. As of last night he leads the country in scoring. And no he doesn’t play for Austin Peay, Niagra or Eastern Michigan, he plays for Duke in the ACC. When it’s all said and done, only a season-ending injury in the next couple of weeks will keep him from becoming the ACC’s all-time leading scorer.

It’s not like he’s blowing past defenders like Randy Foye from Villanova, or using his athleticism like Rudy Gay from Conneticut. He shoots the lights out. Everybody knows what he’s going to do, but everybody is rendered helpless.

He maybe the slowest, greatest player I have ever witnessed. He must have traveled down the yellow bricked road and seen the Wizard because he has an overabundance of courage. His willingness to step up in times of emergency is unmatched. Maybe we should vote J.J. Redick for President. If anything were to ever happen, he would step up immediately.

Hey, I am a pessimist and the glass is always half empty, but Redick has my glass filled to the brim. This is from an avid Duke hater since the Bobby Hurley days. This is from a guy who always questions how one player can have so much hype. J.J. Redick is like the Internet: he can answer any of your questions.

If you still have doubts stop it. There is no doubt that Duke is 22-1, just as there is no doubt that Redick is largely responsible for that. No more talk about he can’t do this and he can’t do that. You have two choices. Stop it. Or simply stop him.

Villanova Beats Rutgers In OT

Guards Win it For Villanova, Again

by John Celestand

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – In college basketball, if you have one good guard you are fortunate. If you have an abundance of good guards, then count your blessings.

Villanova’s guards helped them pull away from a scrappy Rutgers squad in overtime on Wednesday, surviving with an 84-78 victory. That brings their record to 11-1, (2-1) in the Big East. The Scarlet Knights dropped to 11-4 with the loss, 1-1 in the Big East.

Kyle Lowry, the sophomore guard scored a career-high 28 points while dishing out 5 assists. Randy Foye added 24, while Allan Ray chipped in with 17.

Early on, it looked as if it would be a Randy Foye-Quincy Douby battle. Douby scored the first five points of the game on a layup and a deep three from the wing over Ray. Foye would answer back with a strong drive in the lane, giving the Wildcats their first bucket of the game.

The Wildcats applied a 1-2-2 half-court trap that seemed to bother Rutgers early on. The Scarlet Knights were forced into two turnovers early that both led to fast breaks for the Wildcats.

Foye started to warm up with a pull up three from the top of the key to give the Wildcats a 15-13 lead. He then knocked down a pretty pull-up jumper in the corner and a layup on the break to stretch the lead to six.

Douby would fire back at the end of the first half. The guard from Brooklyn scored on back-to-back layups to bring Rutgers within two at 31-29 with 4:23 left in the half. He would then knock down a three to give Rutgers the lead. Douby would hit another jumper with 1:56 to go in the half, giving the Scarlet Knights the momentum. Rutgers would go in to the locker room with a 43-38 lead.

Rutgers would try to give the game away early in the second half. The Scarlet Knights committed five turnovers in the first five minutes of the half, highlighted by a failure to get the ball past half court on its first three possessions. Villanova failed to capitalize as it scored on only two of Rutgers miscues.

Villanova’s experience, however, did start to become evident in the second half. A couple of tough shots by Ray and a three-pointer by the ultra-quick Lowry gave the Wildcats a 53-49 lead at the 12:08 mark. A big-time block by Douby on an Allan Ray jumper would swing the momentum back in Rutgers’ favor. He would score a layup on a pass from point guard Anthony Farmer, then pop another jumper to push Rutgers to a 57-53 advantage.

With the score tied at 64, Foye would hit, what was then the biggest shot of the game, a pull up three from the top of the circle while being fouled. He converted the free throw to give Villanova a four-point lead at 68-64. A three pointer by Marquis Webb brought Rutgers within one with 2:10 to play.

After two free throws by Ray, the Wildcats held a three-point lead. Rutgers set up a play where Farmer dribbled to the corner and tried to throw the ball back out top to Douby, but the Wildcats did a good job in taking the play away and left Farmer no choice but to throw it out top to 6’9 center Jimmie Inglis. Inglis fired a three-pointer from straight on off the backboard to tie the game at 70.

In the overtime period, the inevitable happened, as the Villanova guards took control of the game, spearheaded by Lowry. After two free throws by Webb, Lowry scored on a tough spinning drive to the basket, then stole the ball from Rutgers freshman J. R. Inman and fired it to Nardi. Nardi then dropped the ball off to Foye for the score. After a layup by Douby, Foye hit a tough turnaround jumper to give Villanova the lead at 76-74.

On the other end, Douby drove the lane and dropped a nifty bounce pass to Adrian Hill for a dunk to tie the game at 76. Lowry was then fouled on the other end. He missed both foul shots, but rebounded the second miss and drove the lane for a basket and the foul. He completed the three-point play, which took the air out of the Scarlet Knights once and for all.

For the Scarlet Knights, Douby finished with 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting. Inman and Webb each added 11 points with Webb tallying a game-high 7 assists.

“I don’t think we had a letdown, the veterans just took over for Villanova,” said Rutgers coach Gary Waters. “Eventually, it’s going to happen. We are going to beat rated teams in this gym.”

“We have had two games in here that were unreal,” said Villanova coach Jay Wright. “Every game is important. This is what you expect. This was good for us.”

As it was for anyone who witnessed this barn-burner, and for the Big East.

Villanova vs. Rutgers

Rivalry in Central New Jersey

by John Celestand

There are so many parallels and so many storylines that will make this match up between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the No. 3 Villanova Wildcats one to watch. Add this to the matchup being of two teams off to their best starts in years, and you have a potential for a classic.

The Scarlet Knights come in with an 11-3 record, their best start since the 1982-83 season. The reason for success largely rests on the narrow shoulders of the Big East’s leading scorer, Quincy Douby. The 6-3, 175-pound guard from Brooklyn has failed to score 20 points or more only once this season, when he was “held”, for lack of a better word, to 18 points in a 92-50 dismantling of Maryland Eastern Shore. Douby’s frame and game have drawn comparisons to former Villanova All-American guard Kerry Kittles. The smooth stroke and the ability to slash to the basket is all too familiar. Douby enters the game scorching opponents for 23.8 points a game.

Rutgers also has gotten surprising play from two talented freshmen in 6-9 J.R. Inman, and ultra poised 6-0 point guard Anthony Farmer. Inman, a New Jersey First Team All-State selection, had 14 points and a career-high five blocks in a win over Seton Hall. Farmer, who played at South Jersey powerhouse St. Augustine, also established a career-high with 17 points, while serving three assists and doing a sound defensive job to help lock up Seton Hall’s leading scorer Donald Copeland.

Fred Hill, Rutgers’ new assistant coach, factors into the equation quite nicely, being that he served as an assistant for Villanova during his previous 4 years. Hill, a New Jersey native, played a major role in the recruitment of the 2002 and 2003 classes that helped Villanova reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. Today, he will sit opposite his old recruits and coaching staff wearing the black and red of the Scarlet Knights.

Villanova comes into the game slightly wounded from a lost to West Virginia on Sunday. Don’t expect the Wildcats to be licking their wounds too long. Before Sunday, Villanova was off to their best start since the 1995-96 season when Kittles, Jason Lawson, and Alvin Williams were running the motion offense.

Jay Wright and the boys come in with a high-powered attacked led by tenacious guards Allan Ray, Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry, and Mike Nardi. Ray and Foye are the most heralded of the bunch. Ray, a gifted outside shooter, comes in dropping 19.4 points per game. Foye, who has been touted by some as one of the top five players in the country, is knocking down 21 pts a game. Lowry, the sophomore, tallied 10 assists against West Virginia, while Nardi erupted for a season-high 23 pts on 7-8 shooting.

Villanova takes the court with their eyes looking towards a national championship. Rutgers looks to climb its way into the upper echelon of the Big East. Although this seems like simply another Big East battle, it is far from that. Both schools annually battle for the surplus of talent that oozes out of the Garden State. Nardi and Foye, both Jersey natives, look to come and perform well in front of their home family and friends. It will be Foye’s last trip as a Wildcat to the RAC. Rutgers will look to dispose of the Wildcats as they did Seton Hall, further illustrating to future prospects that they are on the rise.

The Wildcat guards may have a tough time slowing down Douby, who has been on a roll all season. The “I Dou-by-lieve” t-shirts will be in full effect. The raucous crowd, full of Scarlet Knight die-hards, will keep Piscataway rocking.

Blowout, close game or upset, you can bet on a tremendous atmosphere as Villanova comes to Piscataway, New Jersey to lock horns with Rutgers. Look forward to a sea of red and white with sprinkles of blue scattered around the arena. Expect loud insults, and passion to be exuded. Expect all the Jersey and Philly basketball gurus to be packed into the arena to watch the boys go at it.

For those who don’t know, I am a Piscataway native and went to Piscataway High about five minutes away from the RAC. As a player at Villanova, I would loathe coming home to play in my hometown, as the fans would boo me every time I touched the ball for turning my back on my hometown university. It was tremendous pressure, but it was an honor. If they booed me, it was because they respected me, respected my game and despised me for not bringing my talents to Rutgers.

Today, I, the “traitor”, as the Rutgers fans labeled me, will sit in the stands, with no pressure, and watch the crazy “P-way” (as Piscataway natives refer to it) fans boo until their lungs fall out. The sound that I so much despised when I was playing will now be music to my ears. The loud boos, the passionate fans only add to one of the best basketball atmospheres in the conference. The Big East Conference, Villanova vs. Rutgers, the RAC, Piscataway, New Jersey. You’ve got to love it!

Temple vs. Villanova

Bitter Big Five Rivals Square Off

by John Celestand

If you’re not from Philly, then you can’t understand. Don’t even try. Philadelphia is about Big Five basketball; and when the two biggest teams in the Big Five square off, you can expect nothing less than a back alley brawl.

Villanova and Temple will square off today for the 80th time, on the last day of the year, for Philadelphia bragging rights. The rivalry is unmatched in the city, where both teams are the city’s storied programs. Villanova is neatly tucked away just miles outside of the city on Lancaster Avenue, in an area that locals call “The Main Line.” Temple sits in the heart of North Philly on Broad Street, right in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Philadelphia. Two campuses couldn’t be any more different.

If you are fortunate enough to be a part of the inner workings of the city of Brotherly love, if you are a basketball insider in the city known for it’s fans bluntness and its greasy cheese steaks then you know this: Of all the games that go on in the Big Five, this one will always be the one that will have a little bad blood.

Of all the schools in the Big Five, Villanova is hated the most. The part they played in breaking up the Big Five for a short time in the 1990s did not help. Rollie Massimino’s need for room on the schedule to play more “big time teams” did not sit well with local Philadelphians. It stained Villanova with a spot of arrogance that simply fueled their Big Five opponents.

Since Jay Wright took over at Villanova, the Wildcats have done a good job at luring local Philly talent. This was not the case in past years, as Villanova was accused of overlooking local Philly stars to take a more national approach to their recruiting. That was seen as a slap in the face to a city with such a rich basketball tradition.

On the other hand, Philly ballers may not admit it, but they knew about the stigma. For many years, it was unacceptable, if you were a local Philly star, to travel up Lancaster Avenue to “The Main Line” and play for the Wildcats. Although only ten minutes outside of the city, if you attended Nova you had turned your back on Philly. Philly boys stayed home. The golden pact was you went to Temple, the city school. You didn’t join the prima donnas over in the suburbs. You didn’t sell out and go for the television exposure that the Wildcats got for being part of the Big East. If you were home grown, you stayed home and gave back to the city that raised you. You paid respect.

Anyone who is from Philly and tells you differently, you must question their credibility.

Villanova would like to cement their hold on the #3 ranking in the country. There will always be whispers around the City when Villanova is highly ranked, that they are overrated. Whether they are or are not is insignificant; the chatter will always be there because it’s Philly and that’s just the way it goes in the Big Five.

Temple will look to pull off the upset and show that they can play with the big boys. The North Philly school hates to take a back seat to its city rival and would wish nothing more than to end the year by sticking a pin in Nova’s balloon, deflating them and bringing them back down to earth.

Villanova hopes to remain unscathed. In games like this one, the underdog usually comes in with so much intensity, so much energy, the records mean very little. The reputations mean nothing; it’s a Big Five game. It will decide which players can hold their heads high while walking down South Street.

“We’ve got to survive this,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said. “It’s like playing Connecticut in the Big East. You don’t go in there thinking, ‘I hope we win by 10′. You’ve got to survive. I feel the same way about the Temple game.”

Throw in the Palestra, one of the great historic basketball arenas in the country, and this game becomes more of a must-see. John Chaney and the Owls will use their frustrating trademark match up zone to try and slow Villanova’s high-powered guards. Villanova guard Randy Foye comes in averaging 21.8 points a game while shooting almost 44% from three. Allan Ray, Nova’s other high scoring guard, is averaging 20.5 pts a game. Villanova may have a hard time slowing down Temple All-American candidate Mardy Collins who leads Temple with 14.0 pts a game.

“He’s a big guard, not a small forward,” Wright said. “He’s a tough match up for us.”

How much of a rivalry is this? Temple owns a slight 40-39 edge in the series. The Owls won last year’s game by one point, 53-52 at the Palestra. The schools have split the last ten meetings. John Chaney has an 11-10 record against Villanova.

Today, when the ball goes up, two teams will latch on to each other and fight to uphold their school’s honor throughout Philadelphia. But the question becomes, who will be celebrating and genuinely enjoying the festivities at 12:00 midnight when the big ball drops?

Why Do People Hate Duke?

Why Does Everyone Hate Duke?

by John Celestand

It’s a fact: everyone hates Duke. Unless you played for or attended the University, a true basketball fan has a deep-seated hatred for the boys down in Durham. It is a golden rule, a law of the basketball universe, one of the five pillars of basketball religion.

Sometimes I thought it was because of their repeated success. Let’s be honest, whenever you are on top, people pray for your downfall. Duke is a one of the most successful programs in college basketball. However, this is not the answer. Michigan’s Fab Five was successful, and everyone loved them. The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels were successful and they were embraced. The North Carolina Tar Heels, only eight miles away from Duke’s campus, are successful. Nobody hates them with so much passion.

Maybe it is the arrogance of Duke fans. It’s the presumptuous nature in which they cheer for their own blue devils, the way in which they mock the visiting team with such precision, such unison. A student section of preppy nerds, who know just what to say to get under the opposing team’s skin.

Perhaps it’s the clean-cut guys that they recruit. It is always assumed that the Dukies are model citizens – guys without checkered pasts, tattoos, or arrest records. They are thought to be players who respect the game, respect the university, and go to all of their scheduled classes – players who should be what college basketball is all about. Bobby Hurley, Shane Battier, Jay Williams are examples, just to name a few.

Maybe it’s the way in which they all slap the floor when making a run, a Duke tradition that has trickled down the ladder over the years. Nothing would sicken fans more then watching Steve Wojciechowski, Bobby Hurley or Jay Williams pull their shorts up, squat down, and slap the floor signifying that now they were ready to play.

Could it be their camaraderie? None of the players seem to have their own personality, just one unit. It’s the way they slap high fives with one another, the way they huddle up at the foul line on breaks of play, the way that the guys on the end of the bench wave their towels with such passion, such pride in the word D-U-K-E on their chest. How sickening.

Maybe it’s the college basketball hearts that they have broken. The way Laettner hit the shot against Kentucky in 1992 when the game was all but over. The way they stole Kentucky’s dream away on a day when they were pushed to the limit. Maybe it was the way Thomas Hill cried into our living rooms on that horrid afternoon with his hands above his head. Or last Sunday, when Virginia Tech’s upset win vanished on a heave shot from just over the half court line.

Or maybe it’s the way they get top-notch recruits year in and year out. It’s the way they steal cream-of-the-crop talent from under the noses of other universities and lure them to Durham to become part of the basketball factory.

It’s Mike Kryzyzewski’s whinny voice. It resonates in opposing fans’ ears like the nerd in the class that knew all the answers to the test, but wouldn’t share them. He had to have the glory to himself.

Everyone hates Duke. It’s a known fact. But somehow, in a sick twisted way, I think that every Blue Devil likes it that way.

Villanova’s Guards

Wildcats show that basketball teams can play small ball, too

by John Celestand

VILLANOVA, Pa. – Many basketball experts believe that a good basketball team starts with good guards. Villanova showed the country on Saturday that they may have the best collection of guards in college basketball.

The Wildcats, who start four guards because of the injury to outstanding forward Curtis Sumpter, used their savvy and quickness to continuously penetrate the Oklahoma defense en route to a 85-74 victory in front of a sold out, rowdy crowd at the Pavilion.

The Wildcats, ranked fourth in the country, usually play their big non-conference games at the Wachovia Center in downtown Philadelphia. At the Pavilion, they fed off of the energy of the campus crowd as they penetrated and pressed the Sooners into submission.

Senior guard Randy Foye continuously forced his way into the teeth of Oklahoma’s defense, finishing with a career-high 32 points on 14-of-21 shooting. Fellow guard Allan Ray shook of a slow start to score 21 points, going 10-0f-10 from the line. Promising sophomore Kyle Lowry, a Philadelphia native, chipped in with 10 points and 3 assists.

It was evident from the start that Oklahoma had more beef inside. The Sooners boast one of the better frontcourts in the country with senior All-American Taj Gray and burly forward Kevin Bookout. The Sooners constantly beat the Wildcats to the loose balls and on the boards in the first half, finishing the half with 10 offensive rebounds compared to the Wildcats’ three. They also had a 21 to 10 rebounding edge at the half.

Gray finished the game with 22 points, while Bookout added 15.

To offset their deficiencies inside, the Wildcats spread the floor as the guards took turns going one-on-one early. Foye discovered early that the Sooner guards could not guard him, and he constantly blew by the defense and scored at will. The 6’3 guard finished the half with 16 points on 7-of 12-shooting. Lowry also got in the mix, scoring on an acrobatic drive in the Wildcats last possession of the half that brought the Pavillion fans to their feet.

The Wildcats used a passive three-quarter-court press that gave the Sooners problems. The press forced Oklahoma to throw the ball out of bounds on more than one occasion. Ray heated up in the second half and Foye completely took over the game in the clutch as the Wildcats perimeter continued to control the game.

Jason Fraser, the Wildcats 6-foot-9 forward, played inspired basketball and finished the game with 10 points and 4 boards. Fraser, a highly-touted freshman when he arrived on the Main Line, has had an injury-riddled career. Although not at full strength, Fraser played 26 minutes and helped establish an inside presence with the absence of Sumpter.

The injury of Sumpter did not seem to affect the Wildcats on Saturday. The Wildcats must hope that playing “small ball” will eventually turn into a big season.

Where is Georgetown?

Have the Georgetown Hoyas Disappeared?

by John Celestand

I have three words for you: The Georgetown Hoyas.

My, oh my, how I miss the Hoyas. The Big East just won’t seem the same unless the boys in gray get back on the map.

I remember the days when I couldn’t wait for that Big East matchup between the Syracuse Orange and the Georgetown Hoyas. Saturday, on CBS we could see that bright Orange against those dull gray uniforms. The difference was that you could see the sweat easier in the gray jerseys, which always gave them the appearance that they were playing just a little bit harder.

I couldn’t wait to see big John Thompson on that sideline barking orders and commanding respect from kids that would run through a brick wall for him. We couldn’t wait to see those skinny kids diving on the floor for loose balls, sprinting and trapping all over the court. I couldn’t wait to see that towel draped over Coach Thompson’s shoulder.

Where are the Georgetown Hoyas?

It just seems like over the years, “The Cuse” and the UConn Huskies have just passed them by. And with the new expansion of the Big East, it could now get ugly. It is a possibility that Louisville could take their place, and become part of the new face of the Big East.

The Hoyas have not been to the NCAA tournament since 2001. Before that appearance the last one was in 1997, when Victor Page tried to carry the team after the loss of Allen Iverson.

So many players, so much tradition. Eric “Sleepy” Floyd, Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, Allen Iverson.

You never had to ask. The Hoyas were always a lock to make the tournament. There was no guessing. There was no confusion. There was no wondering.

But now I am wondering. Where are the Georgetown Hoyas?

I could always find them before. Just turn on the tube – CBS or ESPN, it didn’t matter. You knew they were on, pressuring, fast breaking, making their opponent’s hopes for victory vanish into thin air. Those gray jerseys were traumatizing for some, a nightmare for others.

When you showed up at the old US Air Arena, you just knew you were in for a long day. You knew whoever it was, the visiting team, just wouldn’t be comfortable. They wouldn’t allow you to be comfortable. The Hoyas just weren’t very good hosts.

You knew every year they were restocking with new players. Whoever they pursued, talented or not, you knew one thing: they were going to play defense, they were going to play hard, and they were going to represent the Georgetown Hoyas.

I almost cried when I didn’t get a recruiting letter from Georgetown. I don’t even know if I would have attended. I just know it would have been an honor to even be considered. As a player at Villanova, when we played them, I would catch myself sometimes just staring at their jerseys in awe. Those big letters across the chest: GEORGETOWN.

Even when they weren’t highly ranked, which was rare, nobody wanted to see the Hoyas. Nobody wanted to be paired off with the boys from D.C. I can hear opposing coaches now, “No, not them! Anyone but them! Not the Hoyas!”

That was then, and this is now. When I pick up a sports page, I always check for the rankings. The top 20. I always see the usual. Duke, Connecticut, North Carolina, Syracuse. There always seems to be one missing, and I find myself asking the same question, time and time again.

Where are the Georgetown Hoyas?

Rutgers Recruits New Jersey

Can Hill and Rutgers finally cash in on the home state’s riches?

by John Celestand

To say that the state of New Jersey is a basketball hotbed may be one of the biggest understatements that anyone can make. New Jersey is a basketball factory where big-time players are woven and constructed on the playgrounds and in dilapidated gyms. The state is a recruiter’s heaven. Yet, heaven hasn’t been so sweet to Rutgers the State University of New Jersey.

Over the years, New Jersey has produced an excess of talent from its northern tips of Mahwah all the way to the southern tips of Cape May. It just seems that the Scarlet Knights have yet to cash in.

When Rutgers was part of the Atlantic 10 Conference, no one could fault them for losing big-time Jersey recruits like Roderick Rhodes, Bobby Hurley and Terry Dehere to national power houses like Kentucky, Duke and Seton Hall. But after joining the Big East in 1995, it was then clear that the pressure was on.

Since the days of BobWenzel, all the way down to Gary Waters, Rutgers has repeatedly been slapped in the face by local Jersey stars. If your memory is a little bit cloudy, let me help clear it up.

Tim Thomas, a Paterson native, was regarded as the best player in New Jersey and second only to Kobe Bryant in the country in 1996. He chose Villanova, as did his college roommate Malik Allen, from Medford, who was the second-best big man in the state that same year. Thomas and Allen now both play for the Chicago Bulls.

Shaheen Holloway, who starred at St. Patrick’s High School in Elizabeth, was touted by many as the best point guard in America in 1996. He was voted MVP of the McDonald’s All-American game in that same year. He chose Seton Hall.

Al Harrington was the cream of the crop in his class in 1998. He was voted the National Gatorade Player of the Year. The 6’9 forward opted for the NBA instead. At least we can let them off the hook on that one.

Jay Williams, the St. Joseph High star, was another guy who was the best player in the country in 2000. He took his lighting quick dribble and silky smooth jump shot down to Durham with the Duke Blue Devils, where he won a national championship. Rutgers did land Dahntay Jones, the Steinhart High standout, but he eventually left and joined Williams at Duke. Jones now plays for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Dajuan Wagner was another in the long line of high scoring guards from Camden High. He led the state in scoring as a freshman. The electrifying guard was hands down the best player in the country in 2001, scoring 100 points in a South Jersey high school game. Wagner was then stolen away by John Calipari and the boys down at Memphis.

Luol Deng, who starred at Blair Academy, was considered America’s second best player in 2002 only because a guy named Lebron James was first. Deng played one year for Duke and was drafted by the Chicago Bulls where he now teams with older Jersey boys Thomas and Allen.

So now we come to today. And yes, Jersey is still overloaded with talent. And yes, Rutgers is still missing the boat. Derrick Character, depending on who you talk to, is the first or second-best player in the state this year. Character has starred for St. Patrick’s and his hometown Scotch Plains high in the past three years. He has signed with Louisville, as did Earl Clark, a 6’7 point guard out of Rahway High who some say is the best player in New Jersey and in many publications ranked in the top 15 players in the country.

As of today, they still have a chance at Lance Thomas, a 6’8 forward out of St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark. Although, the chance at Lance looks slim since they are in competition with Arizona, Duke, Georgia Tech, St. John’s, Villanova and Wake Forest.

If there is an excuse, I just don’t see it. The Rutgers Athletic Center, known to many as “The RAC”, is one of the best college basketball facilities in the Big East, if not the country. The school has a great educational reputation and a multicultural student body. It sits almost halfway between New York City and Philadelphia with a train station in the middle of campus that can take you to both. They are a member of the Big East Conference which means TELEVISION EXPOSURE!!! What more could you want?

Rutgers has to soon find out a way to snag these blue chip recruits. With the arrival of new assistant coach Fred Hill, the Scarlet Knights may have found what they need to get over the hump. Hill is a New Jersey native with strong ties to North Jersey where a majority of the talent is located. Known as a top notch recruiter, Hill comes from a family of coaches as his father, Fred Hill Sr., is currently head coach of the Scarlet Knight baseball team. His uncle, Brian Hill is the head coach of the Orlando Magic.

If Hill is indeed the answer, he and Rutgers have to figure things out soon. With the expansion of the Big East, time is now ticking. Shortly, the new teams of the Big East are going to come knocking on promising Jersey recruits’ doors. They’ll be hoping to get a piece of that sweet pie. Rutgers can only hope that they’re the staff that will be answering those doors, explaining that the pie is already gone.