NEW YORK – Part of the lure and attraction of this great tournament, the NIT, is what happens behind the scenes. It’s New York and never dull.
Here is a look at this year from train to Garden floor. Granted, it’s a plug for NJ Transit, but they were on time round trip and got me safely to and from both days.
NEW YORK - It is probably safe to assume neither team expected a game of this type. On paper it seemed to be an even matchup, but that is the reason they play them and settle it on the court. In the NIT championship, Stanford routed Minnesota 75-51. The title, in this 75th NIT, was Stanford’s second. The Cardinal also won the crown in 1991. The points of emphasis:
1. Defense. Exhibit a had to be the D. Good old man-to-man with denial and a physical presence in the paint. The Cardinal limited Minnesota to a 37 percent shooting night. Of greater importance was the forcing of the opposition into 22 turnovers. Those errors on the part of Minnesota led Stanford to an excellent 28-7 advantage in points off turnovers. “We saved the best for last,” Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins said. “We have had runs like this before but never in a game like this on this stage.” … Continue Reading
NEW YORK - The UMass run in the NIT and season came to an end. On Tuesday, Stanford defeated the Minutemen 74-64 in the semifinals at Madison Square Garden. Stanford will face Minnesota, a 68-67 overtime winner over Washington, for the championship. The loss did not diminish the overall achievement of UMass’ 25-10 season.
The three points of emphasis:
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – They are just 40 minutes from a trip to New York and the NIT Final Four. Following a 77-67 win at Seton Hall on Saturday, suddenly UMass is getting a good deal of attention. The assignment is traveling to Philadelphia to face a strong Drexel team. Regardless, the Minutemen are now on all cylinders and will be that proverbial “tough out”.
Back in November, Kellogg was at the Atlantic 10 Media Day held in Brooklyn. The UMass coach was asked about his job status, specifically was this year make or break? Kellogg basically responded by summing up the situation as he noted, “I don’t feel any outward pressure. Any pressure that is there is what I put on myself.”
South Orange, N.J. - In coaching psychology plays a key part. Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard had to play a major role of psychologist to get the Pirates ready for the NIT. Just 48 hours removed from a severe “Selection Sunday” snub, Seton Hall defeated Stony Brook 63-61 in the first round of the NIT at Walsh Gymnasium.
The pace and efficiency:
It was quite the week to say the least. The days reserved for the conference tournaments and their championships bring us excitement, drama, joy and sometimes heart break. In short, they bring a veritable gallery of emotions.
For this writer, Monday through Sunday, was as exciting and sometimes draining as they come.
NEW YORK – Semifinal night. A Friday in New York. A lot of pre-game talk at the Big East Tournament centered on the prior evening’s quarterfinal matchup between Notre Dame and South Florida. The Irish pulled it out with a 57-53 overtime victory.
The pace and efficiency:
| Possessions | Off. Efficiency | |
| South Florida | 58 | 91 |
| Notre Dame | 60 | 85 |
NEW YORK – Thursday afternoon’s analytical note is a box score breakdown from the Syracuse quarterfinal victory over UCONN. The Huskies won their first two in the tournament. From that, talk circulated regarding a run like last year’s that wound up with the Big East title. It was not to be as Syracuse prevailed.
A look at the key numbers from the game:
BRONX, N.Y. – Shooting cures a number of ailments. It should be emphasized, accurate shooting. St. Bonaventure improved to 8-5 in Atlantic Ten play with an 89-63 victory over Fordham on Wednesday. The loss dropped the Rams to 2-11 in conference.
For starters, we take a look at the key offensive numbers in this one:
TEANECK, N.J. – How would you feel holding a team to under 70 efficiency and losing? In a game where both teams were under 70, FDU surprised St. Francis (NY) 45-44 at the Rothman Center. The win was FDU’s second of the Northeast Conference campaign. The Knights failed to qualify for the NEC tournament. St. Francis, meanwhile, needed the win for a third seed in the NEC tournament. The loss dropped them to fourth.
A look at the numbers for this game:
Charlotte naturally had hoped to make the NCAA Tournament, then hoped to make a run in the NIT when it came calling instead. But the 49ers have a season of progress now in the books and should be primed to continue growing next season from what they did this year.
Amidst much talk of whether or not conference tournaments are a good idea, Notre Dame got a boost in New York. They are happy with the tournament and feel more prepared for the NCAA Tournament despite a semifinal loss.
Georgetown vs. Syracuse lives on just a little longer in the context of the Big East. That, and more from Thursday’s quarterfinals, including one team being delayed coming to the press conference because of a special visitor.
The second round of the 2013 Big East Tournament is in the books and the quarterfinal matchups featuring the top four teams are set. Here are some notes from Wednesday’s games at Madison Square Garden.
The first round of the Big East Tournament saw a close overtime game and a blowout, with the former seeing a tournament record tied. We take a look back at the opening night in New York.
As the CAA gets ready to hand out awards, here is a look at how I voted. The biggest award was a tough call, while two other big awards were easy calls to make.
In 2012-13, a couple of consistent powerhouses should remain contenders, including one who lost an NBA lottery pick. In addition, teams with new head coaches are headed for rebuilding years.
