Quick Hitters – January 27, 2012

Quick hitters as we get ready for the weekend:

• Boston University was not rebounding well in the early portion of their seven-game winning streak. But in the last two games, the Terriers have dominated the glass, and keeping that up will only help. Granted, it came against two of the worst teams in the conference, but one of them (UMBC) is normally a decent team on the glass. Part of that has come from an emphasis on rebounding of late, but not just at the defensive end. … Continue Reading

Seton Hall defeats DePaul in convincing fashion

NEWARK, N.J. – Seton Hall moved to 4-1 in Big East play with a 94-73 decision over DePaul at the Prudential Center on Tuesday. The 24th ranked Pirates improved to 15-2 overall, while DePaul is now 10-6 (1-3). In a quick-paced 78 possession contest, Seton Hall enjoyed a decisive 121-94 advantage in offensive efficiency. Our points of emphasis from this Big East meeting:

… Continue Reading

Theodore helps Seton Hall continue to top last season

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – It’s early January, but Seton Hall has already topped its win total from last season. With their 66-57 win at Providence on Saturday night, Seton Hall is now 14-2 overall and 3-1 in the Big East, and they have quickly improved to where they are en route to being an NCAA Tournament team in Kevin Willard’s second season at the helm.

The Pirates are not going to win a contest for the most experienced team in college basketball. They have just two seniors who play and no juniors on a roster that features seven freshmen. That means five of the seven regulars are underclassmen, and that means the seniors need to be leaders more than with many teams. They have been just that, but the Pirates had to go without one of them for a lot of the first half.

… Continue Reading

Sacrificial Lamb: Defense does it for the Hall

NEWARK, N.J. – Preparing for ninth-ranked UConn, Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard knew the guards would be a priority. Willard decided on defending Shabazz Napier as closely as possible, being defensively disruptive and taking him out of the flow. It all worked to near perfection as the Hall posted a huge 75-63 upset at the Prudential Center.

“We figured (Jeremy) Lamb would get his points,” Willard said. “It was pick your poison so we decided to defend Napier as tough as possible.”

… Continue Reading

The NCAA’s $2,000 hot mess

We go coast to coast with other news from the college basketball nation

The NCAA is entering new levels of ridiculous mismanagement. The Associated Press reports that the NCAA might reconsider giving new scholarship student-athletes a $2,000 stipend, though it would have to allow players who have already signed letters of intent to receive the extra cash while banning those who sign later.

Ohio State superstar Jared Sullinger is still hurting from recurring back spasms, and coach Thad Matta didn’t want to say when Sullinger will be back in the lineup for the Buckeyes, according to a CBS Sports.com wire report. But Sullinger answered that question Wednesday night when the Buckeyes beat down USC Upstate 82-58 and Sullinger played 24 minutes and got 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Nobody will face criminal charges in the Xavier/Cincinnati brawl, the Associated Press reports. Joe Deters, a Hamilton County, Ohio, prosecutor, looked into the matter, deciding not to pursue charges against anyone. One of the factors was Xavier center Kenny Frease’s satisfaction with an apology from Cincinnati’s Yancy Gates, who decked Frease in the head during the debacle.

Seton Hall will gain some more depth this weekend with the return of freshman Brandon Mobley, who had been out with a dislocated shoulder and torn labrum since the summer, according to the Associated Press.

Don’t skip your court appearances. Nothing good can happen. Just ask Kansas’ Ben McLemore. The freshman is under arrest after skipping a Dec. 6 court appearance for a citation related to underage alcohol possession, according to a CBS Sports.com wire report.

Also on the list of bad behavior is taunting fans by grabbing your crotch. New Mexico State sophomore Christian Kabongo did that, and now he’s suspended, writes Diamond Leung for ESPN.com’s “College Basketball Nation” blog.

Syracuse still has Melo — Fab Melo that is. If you thought I was talking about Carmelo Anthony, well, I kinda was. The NBA star who led the Cuse to a championship is convinced that Melo 2.0 and the rest of the crew have the talent to win another championship for the first time since 2003.

I’m not gonna lie — I love the fan experience. And if you tell me that a team in California’s tradition is to throw tortillas when a victory is in hand, I find it amusing. I mean, a flying tortilla — presumably uncooked soft tortilla — won’t hurt anyone. Except when your team is only up two and the officials consider giving the home crowd a technical. Yep, that’s how UC-Santa Barbara’s 65-61 win against San Diego went down, writes Diamond Leung for ESPN.com. When the fans started tossing tortillas, the officials considered tossing out a T. They opted to go with a public announcement that any more thrown items would produce two free throws for the Toreros. The fans settled down, and the Gauchos won.

Big East has some close calls but remained unscathed — until today

Editor’s note: West Virginia just lost to Kent State 70-60 in a game played this morning as part of ESPN’s 25-hour marathon of college hoops. Figures.

Now that we are a week into the 2010-11 college basketball season, the Big East started the day as one of four conferences that could say every one of their teams made it through the opening weekend without suffering a loss; the ACC, Big 12 and Mountain West are the others.

Although you would expect most of the Big East to make easy work of their early season cupcake opponents, the parity of college basketball that has become prevalent in recent years showed itself once again with some big-time programs needing some solid play to hold off so-called mid-majors. … Continue Reading

Seton Hall Pirates 2011-12 Preview

Seton Hall Pirates

Last Year:

13-18 overall, 7-11 Big East (12th)

Coach:

Kevin Willard (2nd season, 13-17)

Projected starting five:

G: Jordan Theodore, Sr.
G: Fuquan Edwin, So.
G: Aaron Cosby, Fr.
F: Patrick Auda, So.
F: Herb Pope, Sr.

Important departures:

Jeremy Hazell 19.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 35.3 mpg
Jeff Robinson 12.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 31.7 mpg

Inside the numbers:

46 percent scoring returning
55 percent rebounding returning

Additions:

C: Kevin Johsnon, 6’9”, 225 – ESPNU Pos. #26
G: Aaron Cosby 6’2”, 190 – ESPNU Pos. #39
G: Freddie Wilson, 6’2”, 275 – ESPNU Pos. #83

Schedule:

Toughest nonconference game: 12/10 vs. Wake Forest
Toughest in-conference stretch: 1/28 – 2/4 vs. (8) Louisville, at (21) Marquette, at (4) Connecticut

Prediction:

13th in BE; 15+ wins; NIT berth

What to expect:

Seton Hall caught some bad luck last year with Jeremy Hazell and Herb Pope missing significant time due to non-basketball related injuries. Hazell was shot and Pope had a heart problem.

The Pirates lose Hazell and second-leading scorer Jeff Robinson, but Herb Pope showed signs at the end of last season that he could become the double-double machine he was as a sophomore. Helping Pope out with be senior PG Jordan Theodore, who anchored the backcourt last season while Hazell was out.

Seton Hall also has a host of newcomers who can make an impact, including Aaron Cosby and Freddie Wilson who will likely see playing time as the first guys off the bench. The Pirates will lean on Pope and Theodore heavily for their team’s success.

Next: South Florida Bulls

Back to Big East preview

Could Seton Hall Be Rounding Into Form?

AMHERST, Mass. – 104 points, a record for an opponent in the building they played in. Seven players scoring in double figures. 73 percent shooting in the second half, 11-22 from three-point range in the game.

Does this sound like a team that doesn’t have their best scorer? It was Seton Hall, playing without Jeremy Hazell, who averaged 24 points per game in three games before a broken wrist put him on the shelf. Those were some of the Pirates’ numbers in their 104-79 thumping of UMass on Saturday night.

The Pirates struggled early on without Hazell, who was 11-17 from long range in the first three games. They went 1-3 in the first four games without him, scoring no more than 69 points; twice they scored below 60. There is plenty of offensive talent on the team, but Hazell was the one who it largely was built around. If Saturday night is any indication, they may be turning a corner, and in quite a fashion. … Continue Reading

Two Significant Hires Raise Optimism at Seton Hall

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The signs in the parking garage announced the “Dawn of a New era”. The sun, after days of rain, slightly broke through on the campus of Seton Hall University. It was probably the “basketball Gods” smiling down on Walsh Gymnasium as two new coaches were being introduced. Anne Donovan and Kevin Willard would assume the respective positions of women’s and men’s basketball coach at the Big East school.

Donovan first thanked Phyllis Magina (seated near Donovan), who resigned after 25 years at the helm to take another position in the athletic department, for her years of outstanding service. A member of a number of halls of fame, including the one in Springfield, Donovan asked, “Who is watching the NCAA women’s tournament?” Hands raised. “are you tired of UConn blowing everyone out? I am.” Applause followed.

Donovan later said she wasn’t looking for bulletin board material in Storrs. “I have the utmost respect for UConn and what Geno Auriemma has done,“ she said. “But they give us all something to shoot for. Not every great player can go to UConn. We are going to try to get a few of those here to build something special.”

Willard will turn 35 on April 6th. In coaching experience he has a resume the envy of some mentors ten years older. Willard was an assistant with the Boston Celtics and Louisville before taking the reins at Iona three years ago. He came in to a program that won two games the year before and left it a 21-game winner with talent to make a run at a MAAC title next winter. Willard comes from solid coaching lines, as his dad Ralph is now an assistant at Louisville and the Cardinal mentor Rick Pitino was Kevin’s boss in Boston and Louisville. Pitino called Seton Hall Law School Dean Patrick Hobbs (who headed the search) and AD Joe Quinlan with a resounding endorsement.

Hobbs and Quinlan both spoke of passion and character. The latter quality is most important after the turbulent days of Bobby Gonzalez. In Willard they have both and a great work ethic.

Willard spoke of playing an “attractive high-energy style of basketball” – one that should be entertaining for fans and enticing to recruits. While the offense will entertain, defense is the priority. “It all starts with defense,” Willard said, “and we will defend hard every possession.”  He is bringing his Iona staff, which includes former Hall star Shaheen Holloway, very popular with Hall faithful and well-respected and knowledgeable in area recruiting circles. Willard looks to bring on former players Marcus Toney-El and Grant Billmeier (both were in attendance) in an assisting capacity.

On the possibility of losing Herb Pope, Jeff Robinson and Jeremy Hazell, who all recently cited an intention to enter the NBA Draft , Willard brought the house down saying, “this might be the first program that didn’t win the national title but loses three players to the draft.” On a serious note, Willard said he and his staff will assist the three who intend to go pro but welcome them back into the program should they have a change of heart.

Willard knows there is a great deal of work ahead but is excited. “Growing up in Long Island I followed Syracuse, St. John’s and Seton Hall,” he said. “When the offer came, I called my wife and said ‘looks like we are going to New Jersey.’ ” He toured the Prudential Center with Quinlan and Hobbs and had to hide his excitement. “I felt like a kid in a toy store looking at that facility,” he said. School President Monsignor Sheeran, Hobbs and Quinlan all felt a similar emotion regarding their two hires. “We are in it to win championships,” Hobbs said.  To which Willard said, “See those (championship) banners hanging in the rafters? We are out to add some more.”

The press conference in Walsh was open to the public. Besides media, alums and notables in the Hall community, students were encouraged to come. Even five members of the Seton Hall cheer squad showed up in uniform to pledge support.

Willard and Donovan , both personable and media friendly, not only enthusiastically greeted media members they knew but took the time to learn the names and affiliation of members of the press they were meeting for the initial time. In all, it was a day that left those in attendance impressed and certain better days are ahead in South Orange.

At Seton Hall, how could the sun not shine brightly on a day like that ?

Seton Hall: Injuries Blast Holes in Pirates’ Tourney Hopes

Jeremy Hazell’s deep cut suffered during Seton Hall’s win against St. John’s Wednesday might mean the same to his team’s chances to appear in the NCAA Tournament: a cut out of the competition, a burst off the bubble of teams hopeful to be in the Big Dance.

Hazell, who needed eight stitches to close the cut on his shooting hand, was a miserable 2-for-10 from the field and scored only nine points in 33 minutes as the Pirates (15-10) lost a game they had to have on Saturday, 75-63 at West Virginia (21-5).

Numbers like that are almost unheard of from the Big East Conference’s second-leading scorer. Coming into Saturday, Hazell, who averages 21.9 points per game, had been held to less than 10 points in only three occasions.

“It’s a lot different,” center Herb Pope, Hazell’s teammate, said following the loss. “Guys have to come in and play unfamiliar roles. Different players have to step up and take Jeremy’s shots and try to win the game.”

Hazell’s injury couldn’t have been more untimely for a team hoping to get recognition in what’s arguably the toughest conference in college basketball. The Big East features five top 25 teams — tied with the Big 12 for the most in a single conference — and a second win against one of those squads was indispensable for fading Seton Hall.

The Pirates, whose best win of the season was a 64-61 downing of No. 21 Pittsburgh (20-6) Jan. 24, will now have to win their four remaining Big East games and hope inconsistent Louisville (18-9) and the rest of the monster-conference bubble teams, including the Cardinals, Cincinnati, Marquette and Connecticut, don’t strengthen their own cases too emphatically.

But with Hazell ‘s play clearly affected by the hand injury and Seton Hall still missing starting point guard Eugene Harvey with a bruised wrist, it’s questionable that the Pirates can even finish the regular season without anymore setbacks. And even with that, Seton Hall will need a deep run in the Big East Tournament to be offered an at-large bid. It’s either that or the NIT.

Seton Hall better hope it has some fast healers in Hazell and Harvey. They’re essential to make the cut.

The Notebook

TEANECK, N.J. – Earlier this week in a Big East matchup, Syracuse employed a 2-3 zone the entire game. No surprise as Jim Boeheim has been utilizing that signature defense with outstanding success since the days gas was under a dollar a gallon. No, this was actually the Syracuse women’s team who used in in a thorough 79-38 dismantling of Seton Hall at the Pirates’ Walsh Gym.

It seems coach Quentin Hillman, in his fourth year at the Big East school, was observing men’s practice his first year at Syracuse. “I looked up saw that (national championship) banner and thought about (Boeheim’s) years of winning and felt this was the way to go,” Hillman said. “I decided the 2-3 would be our main defense.” Hillman found early on that he has a friend and confidant in Boeheim. “Coach Boeheim has been great helping me with it. He has watched our practices, made suggestions and we both discuss it regularly.”

The women employ the zone in the same manner as then men. The guards and wings contest three-pointers and other perimeter shots. Seton Hall’s fine junior guard Ebonie Williams struggled through a two-point night on one for eight shooting. Williams was frustrated trying to get a decent look anywhere on the perimeter. Inside players like 6-2 Nicole Micheal and 6-4 Kayla Alexander clog the lane and use their length to break up passes in the paint.

The victory at the Hall left Syracuse at 13-1, the lone loss an OT setback at the hands of Georgetown. Life in the Big East conference for the women, as the men, is a succession of challenges and tough teams. Syracuse, with that patented 2-3, is certainly one of them.

Other Notes

• A little confidence goes a long way. Last week Fairleigh Dickinson rallied from 22 down with 12 minutes to play to earn an 88-85 victory over Sacred Heart. A few nights later Bryant got out to a 10-1 lead over the Knights. FDU interim coach Greg Vetrone called time out and saw a team unsure of what lie ahead. The Knights regrouped en route to a 66-50 victory over the Bulldogs.
  Three nights later FDU defeated Central Connecticut State 83-74 , behind Sean Baptiste’s 26 points, to run their conference record to 3-1. FDU ended 2009 with a 1-12 record. The Knights took advantage of a three-game conference swing at home and are very much in the thick of the NEC race.

  “We have a new coach, a new system and new point guard,” Vetrone said. “Some of the teams we played early we were not ready to face. I said it would take time but (the momentum) is definitely coming.”

  Mike Scott scored 16 against Bryant. The junior point guard has been on fire for FDU. In the Sacred Heart and Bryant games, Scott had a combined 18 assists and zero (no misprint) turnovers in 70 minutes.

• Bryant, in their second year of Division I, is in the Northeast Conference but not eligible for post season play. Tim O’Shea’s group has had a murderous schedule. Included were Boston College, Providence, St.John’s, Indiana and an improved Army club. There were two Ivies as well which happened to be Harvard and Cornell. Following the FDU game Bryant was 0-15. To make matters worse, leading scorer (14.5 PPG) Cecil Gresham, a senior swingman, was lost for the year with an injury in late December.
• There is an interesting doubleheader at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. Cincinnati visits St. John’s and Fordham meets Dayton at the “World’s Most Famous Arena.”  Cincinnati faces another team in dire need of a conference win. The Bearcats faced Seton Hall at the Prudential Center and the Pirates took an 83-76 decision. Seton Hall earned their first win after losses in conference to West Virginia (overtime), Syracuse and at UConn.

  St. John’s is also 0-3 and in a must-win situation after having lost a tough one at Georgetown, a home collapse down the stretch to Providence and another road game to Louisville. Highly-touted freshman Lance Stephenson will make his MSG debut in a Bearcat uniform.

  Dayton survived a tough OT victory over Duquesne on Saturday and faces Fordham under interim coach Jared Grasso. The Flyers are the Atlantic 10 Conference favorites in the view of many experts. A pair of forwards, junior Chris Wright and senior Marcus Johnson, have been key players for Brian Gregory’s club.

• Seton Hall sharpshooter Jeremy Hazell had 33 points against Cincinnati, his fifth 30-point scoring game this season.
• The difference, from a tempo-free approach for St. John’s thus far:

              W-L	   OFF EFF	DEF EFF
  Overall	   10-5	     100	  93
  Big East    0-3	      90	  106

  The efficiency is the points per possession multiplied by 100. Offensively, the Red Storm overall average 1.00 points per possession on offense. The defense, at .93 is sound. In the Big East those numbers are reversed. The Storm is struggling overall on offense and a bit generous on defense.

  A reason for the defensive slip, beside better talent in the Big east, is the turnover rate. Overall the Storm are forcing opponents into a 20 percent TO rate – that is, one-fifth of the opposition possessions are turnovers. In the Big East that rate on the defensive end is 16 percent. In conference, St. John’s has found it more difficult to force opponents to turn the ball over.

Big East Notebook – Cardinals and Golden Eagles Streaking

Cincinnati Bearcats (12-6, 1-4 Big East)
Last week:
vs. Rutgers, W 71-59
at De Paul, W 59-55
This week:
Jan. 19 at Providence
Jan. 22 at St. John’s

The victory against Rutgers snapped a four-game losing streak for the Bearcats, but it didn’t come without a challenge.
The Bearcats nearly saw a 16-point lead vanish as they led by one with 1:22 left.
Deonta Vaughn scored a game-high 18 points to lead Cincinnati. Mike Williams added 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

De Paul Blue Demons (8-10, 0-5)
Last week:
vs. Cincinnati, L 59-55
This week:
Jan. 20 at South Florida
Jan. 24 at Marquette

The Blue Demons have lost five straight and six of their past seven after falling by four to Cincinnati last week. They are 0-5 to start conference play for the first time since starting the 2001-02 season 0-5 while members of Conference USA.
Guard Will Walker scored a team-high 17 points in the loss. He was 4-of-8 from 3-point range, but the rest of the squad was 0-for-8 from 3-point range. Dar Tucker and Mac Koshwal each scored 15 points as well for De Paul.
The Blue Demons will look to avenge an 80-58 loss to South Florida on Jan. 10. It was their first loss to the Bulls since joining the Big East after four straight victories.

Louisville Cardinals (13-3, 4-0)
Last week:
vs. Notre Dame, W 87-73, OT
vs. Pittsburgh, W 69-63
This week:
Jan. 21 at Rutgers
Jan. 25 at Syracuse

The Cardinals have won five straight, including knocking off No. 1 Pittsburgh. They have now won their past three games in the regular season against ranked opponents – Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and Villanova.
In addition, Louisville has won three straight against the No. 1 team in the country. The previous two were over Florida on Dec. 13, 2003 and Kentucky on Dec. 27, 2003.
Terrence Williams had a big game with 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Earl Clark had 16 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks as well.

Marquette Golden Eagles (16-2, 5-0)
Last week:
at Providence, W 91-82
This week:
Jan. 24 vs. De Paul

Marquette used a 51-37 scoring advantage in the second half to squeeze past Providence on the road. The Golden Eagles have now won eight straight games since a 12-point loss to Tennessee in Nashville, Tenn., on Dec. 16.
Lazar Hayward and Jerel McNeal each scored 25 points for Marquette, while Wesley Matthews added 22. Dominic James scored nine points with six assists and only one turnover in 37 minutes. He has only two turnovers in his past two games.
The Golden Eagles are the only team in the league with three players among the top 12 in scoring average – Matthews (19.1, 3rd), McNeal (18.8, 4th) and Hayward (16.5, 12th).
The chances of extending the win streak to nine looks good when Marquette hosts De Paul, a team its beaten three of four times since both joined the Big East.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-5, 3-3)
Last week:
at Louisville, L 87-73, OT
at Syracuse, L 93-74
This week:
Jan. 24 vs. Connecticut

The Irish have lost three of its past five games – all on the road. The most recent was a 19-point rout at the hands of Syracuse. It was also the first time this season Notre Dame has lost consecutive games.
Against Syracuse, Luke Harangody scored 25 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and had six assists. He extended his streak of 20-plus points to 10 games, the school’s longest streak since Adrian Dantley did it in nine straight games. Harangody also has a streak of seven straight double-doubles.
Kyle McAlarney added 24 points, going 7-of-14 from 3-point range. He has hit 74 3-pointers this season, tops in the Big East.
The Irish will have good and bad news this week. The good news is they return home, where they’ve won 45 straight games, dating back to Feb. 25, 2006, and have won 20 straight home conference games. The bad news is the opponent is Connecticut, whose only loss this year was a 74-63 loss to Georgetown at home.
Notre Dame is 5-3 in Big East play at home against Connecticut.

Pittsburgh Panthers (16-1, 4-1)
Last week:
vs. South Florida, W 75-62
at Louisville, L 69-63
This week:
Jan. 19 vs. Syracuse
Jan. 25 at West Virginia

The Panthers, the No. 1 team in the country, suffered their first loss of the season in a great game against Louisville.
The Panthers struggled down the stretch, which likely cost them the game. They hit just one field goal in the final eight minutes of the game, and committed a season-high 20 turnovers.
Jermaine Dixon scored a team-high 19 points, and Sam Young added 18.
They’ll get a chance to get back on track with a matchup against Syracuse. The Panthers have beaten the Orange 10 out of the past 13 meetings. Pittsburgh is also 11-0 at home this season.

Providence Friars (11-6, 3-2)
Last week:
vs. Marquette, L 91-82
This week:
Jan. 19 vs. Cincinnati
Jan. 22 at Seton Hall

The Friars let a five-point halftime lead slip away in a nine-point loss to Marquette, and have now dropped two straight in conference play after a 3-0 start.
For the second straight game, the Friars were led by Marshon Brooks coming off the bench, scoring 21 points. He also had six rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Geoff McDermott had 15 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. Randall Hanke was 4-of-4 from the field for nine points. He is second in the conference in field goal percentage at 68.9 percent.

Seton Hall Pirates (9-8, 0-5)
Last week:
at Connecticut, L 76-61
This week:
Jan. 22 vs. Providence
Jan. 25 vs. Georgetown
The Pirates continue to struggle, having lost five straight and seven of their past eight games after a 15-point setback to the Huskies.
Seton Hall shot just 31.4 percent in the first half, and got just two points off the bench.
Jeremy Hazell scored a team-high 20 points. He ranks second in the league at 22.3 points per game. The Pirates are 0-5 in conference play for the first time since the 1985-86 season.
Seton Hall hopes it will turnaround starting this week. The Pirates will play their next four games at home, beginning with Providence, a team Seton Hall has beaten twice in a row.

Three Days, Three Games, with a Big East Thriller

PITT    76    Seton Hall    40

A women’s game last Tuesday. Pitt just got into the rankings at 25th. Seton Hall was playing well and hosting the Panthers at Walsh Gym, a place Pitt has struggled in recent seasons. The game was never in doubt. The Panthers raced to a 42-17 halftime lead. They simply dominated from tap to buzzer. The defense was just as impressive as the offensive end. Pitt forced 21 turnovers while limiting the Pirates to 13 field goals and 24% shooting from the floor. Shavonte Zellous, one of the Big East’s best, led Pitt with a game high 29 points.

“We played great,” Pitt coach Agnus Berenato said. “We were on a mission we took this as a business trip. We were worried about this game because we watched Seton Hall on tape and saw they are a good team. They took Notre Dame to the wire here a few weeks ago. Our defense, though, was phenomenal.”

To a person Pitt is wonderful. Starting with Berenato, her staff, players and support personnel, the entire group is cooperative, friendly and personable. They just go out and make life miserable for their opposition from tip to buzzer.

“We really wanted to win this for Janey,” Berenato said. ‘Janey’  is Jania Sims the junior point guard for Pitt who is out for the year with a stress fracture. Sims is a Newark native who played at powerhouse Shabazz High School. “My team really wanted to win this for Janey,” Berenato said. They did and in convincing fashion.

Providence    98    Seton Hall 93 (OT)

On Thursday evening over the Prudential Center the Seton Hall men battled but came up short in search of their first Big East win of the season. Providence gradually wore down the Pirates, fouling out three players in the process, to earn a hard fought road win.

The opening half saw a shootout. Providence led 46-42 and both teams were attacking the basket, with bombs from beyond the arc. At the half the teams were shooting a combined over 60% from three. Providence was 9 for 12 while the Hall was 6 of 12. The final half saw Providence coach Keno Davis make a more concerted effort to attack the basket, the traditional way, in the paint. “We made it a point to attack the basket and wear them down,’ Keno said. “ I was pleased because earlier in the season if a team starting taking away our threes defensively we would have moved farther out and kept shooting them. Today we showed our maturity as a team.”

Jeremy Hazell led all scorers with 30 points (7 of 12 beyond the arc). In crunch time of regulation and overtime Providence made it a point not to allow Hazell any good uncontested looks. Jeff Xavier, ironically a Bobby Gonzalez recruit and player at Manhattan led four Friar double digit scorers with 20 points.

Gonzalez was not thrilled with Providence’s 42-22 edge in free throw attempts but did not criticize the officials. In all fairness, the Hall had a 6-5 advantage at halftime when it was a perimeter game, In the final half Providence went inside as noted and enjoyed a 41-30 final edge on the boards. Those factors get you to the line.

“We have to keep fighting, “ Gonzalez emphasized. “We have been playing some pretty good ball but nothing in this league is automatic.”

St.Peter’s    64        Niagara    46

On Friday at Yanitelli Center this MAAC women’s matchup saw two teams looking for better days. St.Peter’s is coming off a strong season that saw them advance to the conference semifinal. The Peahens entered the game 5-11 (2-5 in the MAAC). Simply, it’s a case of replacing several key losses from last year. Niagara, on the other hand, entered in the midst of a dreadful 1-17 campaign.

From the outset this would be St.Peter’s’ night. The hosts raced to a 39-16 halftime lead. Niagara shot 26% the first half with only six first half field goals. For the game the Purple Eagles had more turnovers (20) than field goals (17).

St.Peter’s was led by senior guard Tania Kennedy, a consistent performer this season, with 21 points. There were a number of contributors that pleased coach Stephanie DeWolfe. “We had a great first half,” DeWolfe said. “Execution could have been a little better second half but overall I’m pleased.” A few areas are positives to the St.Peter’s mentor.

The play of Charlene Riddick, a sophomore post player, is improving and giving the team an inside presence. “We are young,” DeWolfe said. “The freshman are working hard and coming along and we have been playing with a freshman point guard (Sakara House) out there.”  Among the first year players, Jamie Smith, a 5-6 guard is coming on and contributing. Smith had 17 points (10 of 11 from the line) in a recent win over Loyola.“We’re coming along as a team,” DeWoilfe added.

St.Peter’s is halfway through their MAAC schedule. As a staff and team, they eagerly look forward to the second half.

Big East Notebook: Pittsburgh Flying High

Cincinnati Bearcats (9-3)
Last week:
Dec. 22 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, W 79-49
This week:
Dec. 29 at Memphis
Jan. 4 at Marquette

The Bearcats had four players reach double figures in scoring, three with 14, in the victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Yancy Gates, Deonta Vaughn and Steve Toyloy all had 14 points, while Dion Dixon chipped in 11.
The Bearcats allowed APB to shoot only 31 percent from the field, including 23 in the first half, and forced 24 turnovers. Cincinnati jumped out to a 43-16 first half lead.
This week, the Bearcats, who have won four of their past five games, have a tough non-conference game against Memphis before starting their Big East portion of the schedule at Marquette.
Cincinnati is third in the league in field goal percentage defense at 36.8. Ahead of the Bearcats are Georgetown (34.3) and Pittsburgh (36.2). The Bearcats also lead the league in rebounding at 42.5 per game.
Famed TV analyst Bill Raftery spoke with the Cincinnati Enquirer on Monday, saying he likes what Cincinnati is doing this season, and believes they could make a run in the postseason.
“I like the way their big men pass it, and I like the way they rebound it,” he told the newspaper.

DePaul Blue Demons (8-5)
Last week:
Dec. 22 vs. Saint Louis, W 65-61, Las Vegas Classic
Dec. 23 vs. Creighton, L 83-75, Las Vegas Classic
Dec. 28 vs. Alcorn State, W 90-67
This week:
Dec. 31 vs. Notre Dame
Jan. 3 at Providence

Against Saint Louis, the Blue Demons overcame a 32 percent shooting performance in the second half to hold off the Billikens.
Mac Koshwal led the way for DePaul, scoring 17 points. Jabari Currie, Dar Tucker and Will Walker also scored in double figures with 12, 11 and 10, respectively. Koshwal also added 11 rebounds.
Against Creighton, Tucker and Koshwal had career nights. Tucker scored 32 points on 12-of-22 shooting, and Koshwal scored 13 points, but grabbed 22 rebounds, including 16 on the defensive end. The 22 boards were a season-best in the league.
Creighton’s Booker Woodfox had 26 points.
Both teams shot better than 45 percent. DePaul shot 49 percent, including 54 percent in the first half. Walker added 12 points, and Currie added 10.
And against Alcorn State in the non-conference finale, Tucker had another big night with 25 points. Koshwal added 19 points and 13 rebounds. For the week, Koshwal averaged 16.3 points per game, while Tucker averaged 22.7.
Tucker, who played the Alcorn State game despite having the flu, is fourth in the league in scoring at 19.8 per game. Koshwal is third in the league in rebounding at 11.3.
This week, the Blue Demons start Big East play with a home game against Notre Dame on New Year’s Eve before traveling to Providence.
Alcorn State coach Larry Smith told the Chicago Tribune after the game he likes DePaul’s length upfront with Koshwal at 6-10, Devin Hill at 6-9 and Tucker at 6-5.
“Their length is tremendous,” said Smith, a former NBA star in his first season coaching his alma mater. “They’ve got a lot of athletes out there. They do a good job of crashing the boards, and they give themselves second-chance points, which is huge.”

Louisville Cardinals (8-2)
Last week:
Dec. 27 vs. UAB, W 82-62
This week:
Dec. 31 vs. UNLV
Jan. 4 vs. Kentucky

Terrence Williams scored 21 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out seven assists and blocked three shots to help the Cardinals down UAB.
The Cardinals also got a double-double from Samardo Samuels, scoring 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Andre McGee and Earl Clark were also in double figures off the bench with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
The Cardinals shot 50 percent for the game, including 57 percent in the second half, to blow open a nine-point halftime lead.
This week, the Cardinals continue their non-conference schedule with UNLV and the always-entertaining rivalry game with Kentucky.
According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, coach Rick Pitino has offered Derrick Caracter a chance to sit out this season but return to the team for the 2009-10 season – if he fulfills certain requirements.
Caracter, according to the paper, said he is willing to meet those conditions.
“He’s going to have to get a job that I’m going to have to approve, he’s going to have to pay his own way to school, he’s going to have to get his own apartment,” Pitino said. “We’d be willing to work him out, but he’s not going to practice with our basketball team or be part of it. He’s going to have to get in shape and get himself on the right track academically.”
Caracter, a 6-9 forward out of Fanwood, N.J., averaged 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds as a sophomore last season. He decided to bypass his final two years of college and entered the NBA draft, but he changed his mind and has been looking for reinstatement from Pitino.
Caracter was ruled academically ineligble in May, the paper said, and has been “a major thorn in my side,” Pitino said in April.
In his first two seasons, Caracter has had numerous problems, multiple team rule violations and was held out of games for his failure to meet a target weight.

Marquette Golden Eagles (11-2)
Last week:
Dec. 22 at North Carolina State, W 68-65
Dec. 28 vs. Presbyterian, W 84-45
This week:
Jan. 1 vs. Villanova
Jan. 4 vs. Cincinnati

The Golden Eagles picked up a huge road victory against North Carolina State using tough defense and protecting the basketball.
Despite being outshot (51 to 48 percent) and out-rebounded (29-25), Marquette committed just 10 turnovers, compared to NC State’s 18, to help pick up the victory.
Jerel McNeal lead the Golden Eagles with 20 points on 9-of-18 shooting. Dominic James added 18 points with six assists, and Lazar Hayward had 16 points.
Against Presbyterian, Hayward had game highs of 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Wesley Matthews added 21 as the Golden Eagles led 40-18 at halftime.
This week, the Golden Eagles have a pair of Big East games against Villanova and Cincinnati. Last year against Villanova, the Golden Eagles shot 50 percent from the field and forced 23 turnovers in an 85-75 victory.
Marquette coach Buzz Williams told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, “I want to be peaking, beginning the rise on Jan. 1 and continuing the rise hopefully to about Valentine’s Day. And when we get to Valentine’s Day, I hope we’re rolling pretty good.”
Marquette hosts St. John’s on Valentine’s Day. After that, the Golden Eagles have a brutal schedule, hosting Seton Hall on Feb. 17, at Georgetown on Feb. 21, hosting Connecticut on Feb. 25, at Louisville on March 1, at Pittsburgh on March 4 and finish hosting Syracuse on March 7.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-2)
Last week:
Dec. 22 vs. Savannah State, W 81-49
This week:
Dec. 31 at DePaul
Jan. 3 at St. John’s

Notre Dame had little trouble in its final tuneup before the Big East schedule.
Luke Harangody scored 23 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, including eight offensively, and shot 13-of-14 from the free-throw line. Tory Jackson and Ryan Ayers each added 10 points for the Irish, who have won three straight after losing to Ohio State on Dec. 6.
All 11 players who played for the Irish scored at least one point.
Harangody has scored at least 20 points in seven of the nine games he’s played in this season, and the Irish are second in the nation in fewest turnovers per game at 9.2 (Houston turns it over 9.1 times per game). Harangody also ranks six in the country in rebounding (11.9).
Teammate Kyle McAlarney is second in the nation in three-point field goals made at 4.07 per game (David Holston, Chicago State, 5.2).
This week, the Irish have a pair of road games to begin Big East play. Up first is at DePaul, who the Irish beat twice last season, and they will be at St. John’s to end the week.
The Irish are still tinkering with their zone defense, according to the South Bend Tribune. Before the DePaul game, the Irish are working in a training camp mentality to fill the holes in their zone defense.
“We need to be able to be confident in our zone,” coach Mike Brey said. “We need to be able to change gears.”
The Irish use zone to try and get their opponent out of their comfort zone, the paper said.

Pittsburgh Panthers (12-0)
Last week:
No games
This week:
Dec. 31 at Rutgers
Jan. 3 at Georgetown

The Panthers didn’t have a game last week, but will begin Big East play with a possible trap game against Rutgers on New Year’s Eve. After that, they will play at Georgetown in what will be a big early statement game in the conference slate.
DeJuan Blair ranks second in the country in rebounding at 13.0 per game, behind Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin at 14.4. The Panthers are also fourth in the nation in scoring differential at plus 20.8. Fellow league member Connecticut is third (21.2).
The Panthers know there’s still much to prove, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Seven teams are ranked in The Associated Press top 25.
“I’ve said all along it’s going to be the best conference in the history of basketball,” coach Jamie Dixon said told the paper. “I can’t go back on that. It’s not a surprise and I think it’s going to continue to grow.”

Providence Friars (8-4)
Last week:
Dec. 22 vs. Bryant, W 91-64
This week:
Dec. 31 vs. St. John’s
Jan. 3 vs. DePaul

Four players were in double figures for Providence, led by Marshon Brooks’ 18 off the bench, against Bryant. Geoff McDermott, Sharaud Curry and Weyinmi Efejuku were the others with 17, 16 and 15 points, respectively. Brooks played in just 18 minutes of the game.
The Friars shot 55 percent from the field, including a sizzling 80 percent (16-of-20) in the second half. In addition, the Friars shot 39 percent from three-point range, a category they rank last in the Big East in (27.6).
The Friars, who are 7-1 at home with the lone loss coming in the season opener Nov. 15 against Northeastern, will begin the Big East portion of their schedule with a pair of home games this week.
St. John’s has won the past two meetings after Providence won the previous 10 in the series.

Seton Hall Pirates (9-3)
Last week:
Dec. 22 at James Madison, L 70-64
Dec. 27 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, W 101-70
This week:
Dec. 30 at Syracuse
Jan. 3 vs. West Virginia

The Pirates shot 52 percent from the field in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to overcome an 18-point halftime deficit.
Seton Hall outscored James Madison, 42-30 in the second half, but the key was being outrebounded 41-30, including James Madison having 11 offensive rebounds.
Robert Mitchell led Seton Hall with 23 points and nine rebounds. Eugene Harvey added 14 points, along with Jeremy Hazell and Paul Gause each having 12.
Against Fairleigh Dickinson, the Pirates matched a season high in points in a 31-point victory.
Hazell and Mitchell each had big nights with Hazell scoring 35 points, tied for the fourth most by a Big East player in a game this season, and Mitchell adding 24 and grabbing 10 rebounds. Harvey added 15 points and six assists, and Jordan Theodore scored 11 off the bench.
Hazell shot 15-of-26 from the field, including 5-of-11 from 3-point range. It was also the best scoring performance by a SHU player under third-year coach Bobby Gonzalez.
Fairleigh Dickinson’s Sean Baptiste scored 31 points.
The Pirates get ready for two tough league games this week at Syracuse and hosting West Virginia.
Syracuse has won seven of the past nine meetings.

Big East Notebook – Friars’ Geoff McDermott is Still a Quarterback

During his high school days, Geoff McDermott was known as rifle-toting Geoff McDermott.

Then a quick-strike 6-foot-6 quarterback, McDermott helped lead perennial power New Rochelle to back-to-back state championships.

He was a dual-threat who fired bullet passes to a talented receiving corps that was supplemented by standout running back Ray Rice, who resurrected an ailing program at Rutgers. McDermott, the 2005 Westchester Mr. Basketball winner, was actively pursued to play QB and tight end and basketball at a number of Division I schools – West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Rutgers, and Syracuse, to name a few.

After committing to Providence, where there’s no football team, he kissed all gridiron dreams goodbye.

Today, McDermott is still whipping passes. He’s still under the center of attention, making critical decisions and dictating the tempo of the game. Only his primary receivers are no longer sporting shoulder pads and helmets with “NR” emblazed on them. And Rice, who was actually a key cog in New Rochelle’s vaunted 2005 hoop team – one that put together a 26-2 mark that included a berth in the National Prep Top 20 rankings – now plays for the Baltimore Ravens.

This season, McDermott’s go-to-guys have been Marshon Brooks, who’s suddenly blossomed (averaging 14 points and shooting a sublime 56 percent from the floor) after averaging under ten minutes per game last year, Weyinmi Efejuku, Jonathon Kale, and Jeff Xavier, the latter a Pawtucket native who started his career at Manhattan but bounced following the departure of Bobby Gonzalez.

As the point forward, McDermott shoulders the burden of playmaker. The offensive show at the Dunkin’ Donuts center is orchestrated and run by “G Mac,” who’s averaging 7.7 points, 7.7 boards, and is second on the team in assists (25) and steals (15). McDermott, however, has registered a team-high 23 turnovers despite the fact that he doesn’t dominate the ball like an archetype New York point guard. At his coaches’ urging, G Mac has been more active on the glass.

“(Assistant) coach (Pat) Skerry is always yelling at me to get rebounds,” said McDermott. “First, he told me I could be the leading rebounder in the country. Now he’s toned it down to the Big East. But if I do that, I’ll probably be leading the country, anyways.”

Considering the Big East is dripping with talent this year, McDermott is probably right. He met his coaches’ wishes during back-to-back victories over Sacred Heart and Maine, where he pulled down 13 and 14 boards, respectively.

McDermott, who underwent some sort of self-revelation last year, dished more and shot less. A deft passer who’s ballooned to 6-foot-7 and a chiseled 240 pounds, G Mac emerged into one of the Big East’s leading assist men last year, doling out 4.9 per game. He averaged 5.1 during the 2006-07 campaign.

As a pure scorer in high school, is this dish-before-swish mentality out of his old nature?

“Not at all,” said McDermott. “It comes with the territory.”

Now an elder statesman, Mr. Versatility knows he must also be Mr. Clutch this season. Against blood-rival Rhode Island Dec. 6, McDermott proved he’s ready for the challenge.

The senior calmly sank two free throws with 17.9 seconds remaining. It was the final say during the tight, down-to-the-wire in-state feud in which neither team led by over seven points.

McDermott was once again at his best during a 85-71 win over Jackson State Wednesday night. He scored 13 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, and handed out five assists, including Brian McKenzie’s game-tying jumper with a swift pass. He helped Providence recover from a sloppy first half.

Football player no more, McDermott is still a quarterback at heart.

Notes

• St. John’s sophomore guard Paris Horne explored some uncharted territory this past week. Horne’s game visited a new zip code when he was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll (Dec. 15). Horne, one of the Johnnies’ many young guns who Norm Roberts sees panning out and revitalizing the program – Roberts recently stated that by recruiting eight freshman last year, he created the path that St. John’s is currently on – averaged 14.5 points, handed out 3.5 dimes, and shot a sizzling 64.7 percent from the field as the Johnnies ripped off consecutive victories. They are off to their best start, 8-1, since the 1994-95 campaign.
• Bobby Gonzalez shocked the NCAA world with Seton Hall’s early season upset of USC. Now, as the Big East slate inches closer the former Manhattan coach believes the Pirates will make some waves in what’s expected to be one of the premier conferences in the NCAA. The Big East, let’s not forget, is dripping with talented and guard play will be a major determinant of fate for several teams. The man behind the Pirates’ offensive assault this season? Jeremy Hazell. The Harlem World product averaged 19.5 points and six boards during SHU’s back-to-back wins the week of Dec. 15 and is already drawing Terry Dehere comparisons. Come tournament time, he could be a problem.

Big East Notebook – Blue Demons and Cardinals Streaking in Opposite Directions

Cincinnati Bearcats (6-2 overall)
Last week:
Dec. 13 vs. Xavier, L 76-66
This week:
Dec. 15 vs. Charleston Southern
Dec. 18 vs. Mississippi State, SEC/Big East Invitational
Dec. 20 vs. Eastern Kentucky

The intracity rivalry between Cincinnati and Xavier had everything one could ask for, including five technical fouls. But in the end, it was Xavier coming away with the victory.
The Bearcats were led by Deonta Vaughn with 27 points, hitting five 3-pointers. Dion Dixon and Steve Toyloy each came off the bench to score 11 points for Cincinnati. Vaughn scored 19 of his points in the second half, but the Bearcats’ rally fell short after trailing by 14 at halftime.
Cincinnati shot itself in the foot, turning the ball over 19 times (14 in the first half), and let Xavier shoot 29-of-36 from the free-throw line, giving Xavier 48 points off turnovers or free throws.
It will be a busy week for the Bearcats with three games in six days, including a meeting with Mississippi State. The next victory for coach Mick Cronin will be the 100th of his coaching career.

DePaul Blue Demons (4-4)
Last week:
Dec. 10 vs. Morgan State, L 79-75
Dec. 13 vs. UCLA, L 72-54
This week:
Dec. 17 vs. Liberty at Las Vegas Classic
Dec. 19 vs. Southern at Las Vegas Classic

The Blue Demons went scoreless for seven minutes, and let a 10-point second half lead slip away against Morgan State.
DePaul was led by Dar Tucker with 21 points, followed by 15 points from Mac Koshwal and 14 from Will Walker.
Morgan State had just nine turnovers, and had four players in double figures, led by Reggie Holmes with 29 points.
Then the Blue Demons traveled to the West Coast for the second time in 10 days to face UCLA in the John Wooden Classic, and lost their fourth straight game.
Koshwal scored 12 points and had eight rebounds. Tucker, who didn’t start the game for the first time this season because of “attitude issues,” according to the Chicago Tribune, added 11 points.
UCLA had four players in double figures in scoring, and shot better than 55 percent from the field for the game.

Louisville Cardinals (6-1)
Last week:
Dec. 6 vs. Indiana State, W 83-43
Dec. 7 vs. Ohio, W 91-56
Dec. 8 vs. Lamar, W 78-56
Dec. 13 vs. Austin Peay, W 94-75
This week:
Dec. 18 vs. Mississippi, SEC/Big East Invitational
Dec. 20 vs. Minnesota

Earl Clark had a double-double for the Cardinals with a game-high 16 points and 10 rebounds in their victory over Indiana State. The Sycamores did not get a player in double figures in scoring, while the Cardinals had four. Terrence Williams, Samardo Samuels and Edgar Sosa were also in double figures for the Cardinals with 12, 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Indiana State was held to just 28 percent shooting. Louisville shot 61 percent in the first half en route to a 50-17 halftime lead.
Clark added a second double-double against Ohio with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Samuels led the way for the Cardinals with 19 points, and Jerry Smith added 16. The Cardinals dominated the glass, out-rebounding Ohio 46-26.
The Cardinals shot 52 percent from the field.
Samuels led the Cardinals with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting in their victory over Lamar. Smith added 12 points as well, and Williams grabbed 13 rebounds.
To wrap up the busy week, the Cardinals had three players score at least 20 points, led by Samuels and Preston Knowles with 21. Williams added 20. Samuels also had 12 rebounds.
Louisville will enter the week having won four straight games.

Marquette Golden Eagles (8-1)
Last week:
Dec. 13 vs. IPFW, W 69-50
This week:
Dec. 16 vs. Tennessee, SEC/Big East Invitational
Dec. 19 vs. Western Carolina

In their lone game of the week, the Golden Eagles had little trouble with Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne, thanks to Lazar Hayward.
Hayward scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, the highest rebound total in Marquette history since Amal McCaskill on Nov. 26, 1995, had 19.
And he wasn’t alone as three others for Marquette scored in double figures – Jerel McNeal (16), Wesley Matthews (13) and Dominic James (10).
The matchup with Tennessee was supposed to be a union of coaches Tom Crean and Bruce Pearl.
When Pearl was at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he publicly called out to Marquette for the two city schools to play each other. At the time, they hadn’t played since the mid-1990s. Now Crean is at Indiana.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-2)
Last week:
Dec. 13 vs. Boston University, W 74-67
This week:
Dec. 20 vs. Delaware State

The conference’s leading scorer was up to his usual self against Boston University.
Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody scored 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for the Irish. Harangody is averaging 23 points per game, putting him slightly ahead of Seton Hall’s Jeremy Hazell (22.4).
It was the 30th double-double of Harangody’s career.
Kyle McAlarney also scored in double figures for the Irish with 16. He was joined in double figures by Zach Hillesland with 11 and Ryan Ayers with 10.
The victory extended the Irish’s home winning streak to 41 games – the nation’s second-longest. But the streak was nearly in jeopardy as the Irish fell behind by 10 early in the game, and trailed by nine early in the second half. The Terriers were held without a field goal over the final 3:26 of the game. The streak began March 4, 2006, against DePaul. The last loss was Feb. 25, 2005, to Marquette.
McAlarney has 980 career points after the BU victory.

Pittsburgh Panthers (10-0)
Last week:
Dec. 13 vs. UMBC, W 91-56
This week:
Dec. 17 vs. Siena

Five players were in double figures for the Panthers against UMBC, led by 19 from Maryland native Sam Young.
Also hitting double figures was Gilbert Brown (13), Ashton Gibbs (13), DeJuan Blair (12) and Levance Fields (11).
The Panthers shot 60 percent from the field in the second half.
Young is third in the Big East in scoring at 20.6 points per game, and Blair is second in the nation behind Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin in rebounding. Blair is averaging 12.8 rebounds per game.
Gibbs, a freshman, was 3-of-4 from 3-point range against UMBC. He is shooting 12-for-20 on the season from 3-point range.
It will be a test this week with Siena, who return all five starters from a team which beat Vanderbilt by 21 points in the first round of last year’s NCAAs.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Young turned his ankle during practice Monday, but it’s not anticipated he will miss any action.

Providence Friars (6-3)
Last week:
No games
This week:
Dec. 17 vs. Jackson State
Dec. 20 at Boston College

After taking time off for finals, the Friars will return with two games, including regional and former Big East rival Boston College.

Seton Hall Pirates (8-1)
Last week:
Dec. 9 vs. California Baptist, W 92-80
Dec. 13 at Saint Peter’s, W 60-46
This week:
Dec. 20 vs. IUPUI

Both California Baptist and Seton Hall shot 53 percent from the field, and nine players between the two teams were in double figures.
But the difference came at the free throw line with Seton Hall going 21-for-26 at the line, while California Baptist went 12-of-16.
Eugene Harvey and Jeremy Hazell each scored 25 points for the Pirates. Robert Mitchell added 18 off the bench, and Paul Gause scored 11.
Seton Hall made more free throws than field goals in the second half (17-15), but still shot 58 percent from the field in the second half.
Unlike against California Baptist, both Saint Peter’s and Seton Hall struggled to shoot the ball.
Saint Peter’s shot 29 percent, and Seton Hall wasn’t much better at 36 percent. But Saint Peter’s was forced into 19 turnovers, while Seton Hall had 11.
Hazell had a game-high 14 points, while Gause and Harvey each had 12.
The Pirates will enter their game against IUPUI on a five-game win streak.

Seton Hall Women Win With Defense Again

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – A common denominator in this early season has been defense. Once again the Seton Hall women’s team was dominant on the defensive end in Saturday’s 66-51 victory over St. Peter’s at Yanitelli Center. The Hall limited St. Peter’s to 35 percent (18 of 52) shooting from the field. They also out-rebounded the hosts 38-30 and forced 21 turnovers. The Hall improved to 7-1, their best start since the 1994-95 season.

The game was close for a good portion of the opening half. Seton Hall started opening a lead the latter minutes and went into the half with a 27-19 lead. St. Peter’s, now 2-4 on the year, is a young team. Coach Stephanie DeWolfe’s group displayed their youth by missing several good scoring opportunities early on.

Midway through the second half, Ebonie Williams, the fine sophomore guard, hit three consecutive jumpers to open a comfortable double-digit lead for the Pirates. Williams paced all scorers with 17 points. Jamie Smith came off the bench to lead St. Peter’s with 13 points.

St. Peter’s also had a difficult time matching up with Noteisha Womack. The 6-3 senior is playing extremely well of late and had another double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Beside the damage done by the inside-outside combination of Womack and Williams, Phyllis Mangina’s club received contributions from the bench. Jadis Rhoden and Kandice Green came off the bench to contribute 11 and seven respective points. Tania Kennedy, St.Peter’s senior guard, added 11 points, including the 1,000th of her career.

Fordham Battles Valiantly in Loss

On Thursday evening Fordham dropped a heartbreaker to Fairfield in a men’s contest at the Rose Hill Gym in the Bronx. The Rams dropped to 1-6 while Fairfield improved to 6-3.

When it rains it pours. It was simply a succession of hard luck for Fordham on this rainy evening. Fordham was minus the services of Brenton Butler, the fine junior guard who injured his ankle in the win over Lafayette three days earlier. About a minute following tip-off, Chris Bethel broke his nose. He had a strong 19-point outing against Lafayette and entered the contest as Fordham’s primary inside threat.

To their credit, the Rams competed. They trailed 32-31 at the half. When the Stags opened up a seven-point lead with just over eleven minutes left, the feeling was Fairfield would pull away. Led by freshman leads guard Jio Fontan, Fordham refused to go away. They tied the game with twenty seconds left on an inside shot by Luke Devine. Fordham answered with a three pointer by Lyndon Jordan with two seconds to play. It was Jordan’s only field goal attempt in the only minute he logged for the evening.

Fontan led the Rams with 22 points, while swingman Mike Moore added 20. Fairfield had three players in double figures, paced by Jonathan Han’s 14 points. Anthony Johnson, a solid 6-8 inside player had a strong outing for Ed Cooley’s club with nine points, 13 boards and two blocks.

Fairfield/Fordham Notes

• Fontan realized with Butler, and then Bethel out, he had to run the offense and also look for his shots. As noted he scored 22 points, on 7 of 12 shooting and looked for his teammates in the framework of the offense. “Jio grew up tonight,” said Fordham coach Dereck Whittenburg. “He picked it up and really had a good game. He understands what is required to run an offense.”
• When asked what his biggest adjustment to college ball, Fontan, who starred at national prep power St. Anthony’s (NJ) simply says, “Just coming in and as point guard adjusting and getting to know my teammates and their tendencies.”
• Whittenburg, confident and upbeat, maintains this is a new season. “The first five games were something else,” he said. “We are in a new season in my estimation and we’re one and one… We are definitely becoming a better team as our young guys are learning.”

Halftime Adjustment Makes Difference For Seton Hall

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – For the Seton Hall women, it was a simple halftime adjustment after the Hall trailed Marshall 33-30 at the half.

“They ran their flex, posted up and had their way with our man to man,” Seton Hall coach Phyllis Mangina said. “So at the half we decided to go to 2-3 zone and trapped a little out of it.”

The simple adjustment worked. The Hall dominated the final twenty minutes and defeated Marshall of Conference USA 73-52 on Saturday at Walsh Gym. The second half of the contest saw Marshall score 19 points. The inside game was shut down and the perimeter shots didn’t fall. A close contest turned into a rout.

“I think our first six games we zoned about 13 seconds,” Mangina said, “so they probably only got to prepare against our man-to-man.”

The Hall made another simple adjustment: they relaxed. They had more turnovers (16) than field goals (12) the first half. “Coach just told us to just settle down and play our game,” Nicole Emery said. “She said we’re at home don’t panic and come out hard on defense.”

Emery, a junior swingman, played a major part in the victory. While Ebonie Williams, an outstanding sophomore guard, struggled with an uncharacteristic 1-of-7 shooting night, Emery took up the slack. She scored a game-high 18 points while grabbing four rebounds.

Chantelle Handy and Alyssa Hammond combined for 14 first half points for Marshall, with virtually all coming in the paint. In the second half the pair combined for seven points and their teammates could not take up the slack. Hammond led Marshall with 11 points and Handy added 10.

Seton Hall had nice balance with Candace Green scoring 18 points and adding six rebounds. Noteisha Womack, the Pirates’ prime inside threat, added a dozen points and boards.

The loss dropped Marshall to 5-2 while the Hall improved to 5-1, the lone loss a two point decision at San Diego.

“We are playing a lot of teams with different styles to get us ready for the Big East,” Mangina said. Already the Pirates have faced the likes of Rider, UMBC, Wagner, Marshall and were set to entertain Colorado of the Big Twelve on Tuesday. “(Pre-conference) is not about going out and playing teams you can smack,” Mangina said. “We want to face teams that can get us ready for the conference. I think we can be pretty good.”

Said Emery of holding Marshall to 19 second-half points: “We came out with more energy. We had fun.”

Big East Notebook: Orange Turn Heads, Irish Run into a Buzzsaw

STORRS, Conn. – Easy-Going Gavin rapidly morphed into Gung Ho Gavin last night, an aggressive individual UConn fans have rarely seen during the reserve forward’s stay with the Huskies.

The kid from Gilbert, Az., finally got physical, played above the rim, and displayed a sense of urgency, en route to the reserve forward’s career-high 17 points in 16 minutes on 7-of-9 shooting.

“Gavin’s one of the more talented players on the team, at least athletically talented,” said Jim Calhoun, following UConn’s latest 79-49 roasting of marshmallow MEAC native Delaware State.

“He’s got a very high basketball IQ, he makes good passes… he’s got to be more physical. I’m encouraged by what he did tonight and I’m sure he is too.”

For Easy-Going Gavin, life isn’t always that easy. He has to go up against two physical specimens and behemoths in Jeff Adrien and Hasheem Thabeet every practice, is forced to take a backseat to the two larger-than-life bigs when game time rolls around, and is sometimes forced to play out of his nature (“I’m more of a finesse player,” Edwards admits) and play a physically intimidating brand of ball at the four-slot.

So, Easy-Going Gavin’s Monday night coming-out party came with much fanfare and to the delight of his teammates. Edwards established himself early, connecting on a jumper and a layup and then delivering an eye-popping block with 13:28 remaining. The son of former NFL defensive lineman Earl Edwards, who entered the game averaging a meager 3.3 points, continued his sublime showing in the second half.

He came soaring in, finishing a catch-and-run alley-oop from Kemba Walker that pumped the then insurmountable Husky lead to 71-42. He dunked home a Jerome Dyson miss that put an exclamation point on his career night and UConn’s drubbing of another smurf-sized foe.

“I think he got something out of it tonight. I know I got something out of it. Gavin has a chance, he’s got a fight on his hands. The more he fights, the deeper we can go,” explained Calhoun.

That “fight” Calhoun refers to is between 6-foot-9 swingman Stanley “Sticks” Robinson (who will soon be available) and newcomer Ater Majok, a 6-foot-10 recruit via the Sudan. Majok is undergoing the NCAA clearing process right now, but should be eligible to play soon.

On the surface, it looks like Edwards will have to wrestle for burn as the season progresses and Big East play emerges.

Following a resume-building game, however, Edwards is confident he will remain a fixture off the pine.

“Coach said during the Paradise Jam, as cliché as it is, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Still, if Edwards is to continue turning in expectations-slaying performances, as he did against undersized Delaware State, he needs to get more physical.

“It’s definitely something I’m still trying to work on a lot,” said Edwards, adding that “shooting over 6-foot-7 is definitely easier than shooting over 7-foot-3, National Defensive Player of the Year (Thabeet).”

Edwards continued, “From what I hear, Ater is a very good player. I’m taking baby steps, but I’m definitely working on it.”

Pressure?

None. Well, nothing that the mellow, muscled forward hasn’t seen before during his stay at the Big East’s NBA machine. But constructive criticism and words of encouragement are only one long distance call away.

“I get at least one call a week from my Dad on how I need to play stronger. He gives me all the old football stories. I know I have to step it up.”

Flynn Leads Hot Start For Orange

A radio reporter looked into Jonny Flynn’s eyes but received only a pithy stare in return. This was back in October, during Big East Media Day. Coaches, players, TV/Radio stations, and the New York media circus alike came peppering the conference’s key cogs with questions.

The question heaped upon Jonny Flynn however, could only elicit an empty stare from the proven point guard. The man asked if Flynn was ready to take on such a significant role as just a sophomore. If you could read Flynn’s expression, it said “Are you kidding me, or what?”

Flynn has been no joke this season. The kid who erupted for 29 points and nine dimes in his first NCAA game has been the catalyst for a ‘Cuse team looking to mute the detractors and naysayers and bounce back from two underachieving campaigns.

The 19-year-old offense operator is averaging 18.9 points and 5.3 dimes as Syracuse is off to a 7-0 start that includes marquee wins over Florida and defending national champion Kansas.

Flynn was named Big East Player of the Week, as was announced by the conference office, following his villain-slaying showings against Kansas (25 points and a key trifecta with six seconds left that lifted the game into OT) and Virginia (15 points and six assists as the Orange gutted out a 73-70 triumph).

Don’t You Dar Sleep on Him: Dar Tucker, 4-0 DePaul’s 6-foot-5 forward, is having a breakout start to the 2008-09 season. The Michigan native is averaging 20.8 points and 6.5 boards. He hung 26 points and pulled down nine boards in a 75-70 win over Indiana State on 11/29. Tucker and DePaul, one of five Big East teams without a loss, could watch their stock mount this season.

Moving Em’: With the reigning Big East Player of the Year in Luke Harangody, and the 2007 and 2008 Big East Coach of the Year in Mike Brey, the Irish have picked up where they left off. The Irish blitzed South Dakota to the tune of a 26-point blowout Dec. 3, with Ryan Ayers erupting for 35 points on 12-for-20 shooting.

Team Notes

Cincinnati Bearcats (5-1 overall)
The Bearcats suffered their first setback of the season, losing to Florida State, ending a 4-0 start. But against Coastal Carolina earlier in the week, Deonta Vaughn led the Bearcats with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-8 from three-point range. The Bearcats hit 11 three-pointers in the game. Larry Davis added 14 points, and Anthony McClain added 11 off the bench. The Bearcats shot a solid 53 percent from the field.
Against Florida State in Las Vegas, Mike Williams had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes. Vaughn led the way once again with 16 points, but had six turnovers, and shot just 5-of-18 from the field. The Bearcats weren’t able to overcome a poor shooting night, shooting just 33 percent from the field, 47 percent from the free throw line and committing 19 turnovers.
Then against UNLV, the Bearcats rebounded with Vaughn and Yancy Gates collecting 16 points each. Gates was 7-of-10 shooting off the bench. Dion Dixon added 13 off the bench as well for the Bearcats.
So far this season, the Bearcats have held their opponents to under 40 percent shooting in each game.

DePaul Blue Demons (4-0)
The Blue Demons maintained their perfect start with two victories last week. They’re 4-0 for the first time since 2002. This week, they will travel outside of the Chicagoland area to play California, before returning to Chicago to play a “road” game against Northwestern.
Last week, Dar Tucker had a big night against Detroit, scoring 22 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, and was 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed seven rebounds, had four steals and two assists. Mac Koshwal added 18 points as well.
Against Indiana State, Tucker had another big game with 26 points.

Louisville Cardinals (2-1)
The Cardinals’ postseason resume took a hit last week with a 14-point loss to Western Kentucky.
Louisville shot just 27 percent from the field for the game (15-of-56), including an abysmal 21 percent in the second half (6-of-28). The game was tied at 28 at halftime before Western Kentucky scored 40 in the second half, thanks largely to 50 percent field goal shooting, and a 15-of-18 showing at the free-throw line.
Three players were in double figures for the Cardinals. Terrence Williams led the way with 19 points, while Earl Clark and Samardo Samuels each had 11. Clark also had 11 rebounds. But only four other players scored for the Cardinals, who were outrebounded 48-36.

Marquette Golden Eagles (5-1)
The loss to Dayton could loom large at the end of the season. But the Golden Eagles get in-state rival Wisconsin, which will be a statement game for both teams.
Entering the Texas Southern game averaging 100.3 points per game, Marquette didn’t quite measure up to it, but still pulled it out.
Five players were in double figures for first-year coach Buzz Williams’ squad, led by Jerel McNeal’s 20. Lazar Hayward added 18. Texas Southern hung tight, shooting a blistering 64 percent from the field in the second half, and forced Marquette into 19 turnovers, leading to 21 points.
Against Northern Iowa, the Golden Eagles used an early 20-0 run in the first half to seize control of the game, and were never challenged afterwards in the Chicago Invitational Challenge.
Wesley Matthews scored 17 points for Marquette, followed by Haywood’s 15 and McNeal’s 13. Dominic James added eight points and six assists.
Against Dayton, the Golden Eagles couldn’t match the Flyers, who are now off to a 6-0 start. Dayton got a career-high 21 points off the bench from Rob Lowery, and got a double-double from Chris Wright with 13 points and 13 rebounds, and added four assists. Marquette still got a career-high 28 points from Matthews, and 19 points from James, but that wasn’t enough.
Dayton outscored Marquette’s bench 48-5.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-1)
The Irish made a deep run in the Maui Invitational before running into the nation’s No. 1 team – North Carolina.
Five players were in double figures for the Irish against the Hoosiers, led by Tory Jackson’s 21 points. Jackson was 10-of-17 from the field, had five rebounds and six assists. Also in double figures was Kyle McAlarney with 18, Luke Harangody with 14, and Ryan Ayers with 13. Luke Zeller added 10 points and 11 rebounds off the bench, providing the Irish a big lift.
Notre Dame shot 51 percent from the field for the game.
In a thriller against the Longhorns, Harangody proved why he is an All-American. The big man scored 29 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Irish.
Against North Carolina, the Tar Heels’ Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson were brilliant.
Hansbrough scored 34 points, and Lawson had 22 points, six rebounds and 11 assists to take the Maui Invitational championship.
Lawson was named the tournament’s most valuable player.
For the Irish, they were led by a masterful game from McAlarney, scoring a career-high 39 points and dished out six assists. He was 10-of-18 from 3-point range, breaking his own school record of nine 3-pointers in game set last season.
This was Notre Dame’s second appearance in Maui. The Irish finished sixth in 1993.

Pittsburgh Panthers (7-0)
Starting with Duquesne, the Panthers will play their next four games at home. During that span, they will play all non-conference foes (Duquesne, Vermont, UMBC and Siena).
Sam Young scored 33 points, despite not making a field goal until the 11-minute mark of the first half to lead the Panthers past Belmont, who nearly upset Duke in last year’s NCAA Tournament.
During a 12-2 run in the second half, Young scored all but two points. And during a run in the first half, he scored 13 of Pittsburgh’s 14 points in a 4½-minute span.
Against Texas Tech, Young scored 24 points, and DeJuan Blair added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Panthers in the semifinals of the Legends Classic. Young also had eight rebounds and four assists.
Pittsburgh outscored the Red Raiders 40-14 in the paint.
In the championship against Washington State, two of the best defenses in the nation locked horns, and the game was far from pretty. Both teams shot identical 35.4 percent from the field (17-of-48).
Young continued his solid week with a 15-point, eight-rebound effort against the Cougars, who lost their first game of the season. Levance Fields added 14 for Pittsburgh.

Seton Hall Pirates (5-1)
Seton Hall overcame a strong night by Delaware’s Marc Egerson, who scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Delaware also got a double-double from Jim Ledsome – 13 points and 10 rebounds.
The Pirates had four players in double figures, including three starters. Jeremy Hazell had 17 points, but was only successful on 4-of-14 shots. Eugene Harvey added 14 points, and John Garcia had 13. Jordan Theodore added 13 off the bench.
Seton Hall also overcame being dominated on the boards, 40-29.
Delaware led after the first half, shooting 63 percent, but cooled off in the second half to the tune of 32 percent.

Power Rankings

1. Pitt (7-0): Too big, too strong, too many weapons. The pre-season point guard issue that surfaced did nothing to stop the defending champions, as Levance Fields is back in full force. The Panthers could have the upper hand on UConn if they can negate Hasheem Thabeet the way they did Roy Hibbert in last year’s championship game at MSG.
2. UConn (7-0): Thabeet is dominating the smaller opponents, but A.J. Price needs to get back to game-changer form.
3. Notre Dame (6-1): After nearly smoking his way out of school a few years ago, Kyle McAlarney has set the world ablaze with his three-point assault.