Greivis Vasquez : A proven winner or desperate to be the center of attention ?

All I could think of while watching and  suffering through the home stretch of that Duke-Maryland game was what exactly to make of Greivis Vaquez’s actions. My gut instinct was to characterize it as another “look at me” type of performance  that is not much different from a little child screaming in the grocery store becuase of what it’s aimed for : attention. You saw the act.. the chest pounding, the pointing to the stands, raising his arms, and putting his hand to his ear saying “I can’t hear you”. I was utterly disgusted that he couldn’t just play, and win the game. He made it a show. My attention wasn’t focused on saluting his performance for beating my Dukies, it was not focused on how dumb he looked. Let’s be serious. He’s easily one of the top 10, possibly top 5 players in the country. Does he really  need to hear the fans chanting to be the best player on the court ? Doubtful.

Duke fans have every right to be annoyed by these actions given just how much of a spectacle Vasquez made himself last night, but Maryland fans James “Mopez” Lopez, and Sally I.   have their reasons to justify Vasquez’s actions. ” In my opinion, Vasquez thrives in those situations.” Lopez states. ” He wants to take the shot,and usually hits it. That’s his shot and I’ve seen him hit it consistently for four years.”  When asked about the sideshow act he put on, “A great competitor, and an even better entertainer….if your a Maryland fan. If not, he’s public enemy #1 and I can see why.”

Sally I. was thrilled with the victory as well, and commented “Greivis Vazquez was as emotional as I have ever seen him in any game (including NCAA Tournament games), you could tell he wanted to soak in the Maryland home crowd one last time which is exactly what he did.” The piazon went on to tell me that you shouldn’t jump on his actions so quickly. “ That game was extremely gratifying for Vazquez for three reasons: he won on senior night, gave Maryland a share of the ACC crown (barring a disaster at Virginia), and he finally put together a good individual game versus Duke, who has haunted him and the Terps during his 4 years there.”

Lopez and Sally I. both make valid points about just how important Vasquez is to the squad, which ultimately can justify his actions on the court. Not something a Duke fan wants to hear.

So what’s the verdict ? Is Vasquez a proven winner or proving to be the center of attention ? It looks like it’s a little bit of both, but one thing is for certain. After 20 points, including a back-breaking fall away shot to seal it the clutch, I can see why Maryland fans love him with the ball in his hands in the clutch.

Things can only get better for Terps seed

Lopez, and Sally I, both (separately) predicted that as of right now Maryland will be a 5 seed heading into the tourney. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the Terps slated as a 5 as well in his current bracket, but the pro- Maryland duo predicts things could be better come Selection Sunday. Sally I, “can see Maryland as a 4 seed if they were to win the ACC tourney. No higher given the weakness of the conference.” Lopez thinks ” there’s no reason they can’t be a three with an ACC tourney title.”  Optimistic thinking, especially by Mopez, but who am I to judge maybe the hottest team in the country.

Wildcats can kiss a one seed goodbye after loss to Kansas ?

Heading into last night I was pretty confident that K-State was in great shape to position themselves on the top line of the bracket. I reasoned that if Jacob Pullen and company could topple Kansas to split the season series (after a tough two-point loss to Kansas in January on a questionable coaching decision by Frank Martin), they would be heading into the Big 12 Tournament essentially neck and neck battling for a 1 seed.

That thought ended quicker then Joey on NBC, as Kansas proved once again why they are the best team in the country with an 82-65 win or did it ?

Personally, I don’t think Kansas State is set as the last 1 seed. Although it’s highly debatable. Joe Lunardi has the Wildcats on the top line, based on their “total body of work”, while Doug “who’s credit card is that” Gottlieb and Gary Parrish claim Duke has the spot.

K-State :  24-5 (11-4)   -14 games vs RPI Top 100-       -7-4 vs RPI Top 50-

Duke: 25-5 (12-3)    -21 games vs RPI Top 100-       -8-4 vs RPI Top 50-

Tough call. The T & 2 predicts the final decision should come down to how well each fares in their conference tournament. If both should win, give the edge to Kansas State because they play in a tougher conference.

What Irish Curse ?

Notre Dame moved to one of the last four teams in the field of 65 with a 58-50 slug-fest over UConn.

Seems like the Irish have finally clicked, oddly it comes after an injury to their best player Luke Harangody. The play of Tim Ambromaitis, and the fact that Tory Jackson has changed his 08-09 habit of passing to the other team have been the difference for the team on a mission.

Don’t punch that ticket quite yet. A regular season finale vs Marquette is where the T & 2 predicts the luck runs out and ND loses, which would put the Irish at 20-11 (9-9) to finish the regular season. Heading into the Big East tourney as the 7 or 8 seed. This is where the Irish will need to win a game to secure a spot. 21-11 (10-9 overall) puts the Irish in the Big East Quarterfinals playing with house money, where regardless of the outcome they will be on the bracket.

Clemson and Texas = AWOL

Clemson and Texas might as well be sitting on an island with Red and Andy Dufrain, because they are no where near their pre-season expectations. Texas as high #3, and Clemson #24 both predicted to be capable of deep runs come March. Clemson is unranked, and Texas just sniffs the ESPN/USA today poll at #25. T & 2 thinks Rick Barnes and  Oliver Purnell can start practicing their short game, as neither will go very far in the tournament.

Credit to Boeheim

“Indiana Vance” and “Darren Pajama Pants” emailed the T&2 about a tidbit they each had picked up during Saturday’s Syracuse-Villanova telecast. NONE of Syracuse’s five starters were ranked in the Top 100 coming out of high school. Proving last week’s point that Boeheim should be coach of the year. Thanks Vance and Darren.

Planting the right seeds

Based on Joe Lunardi’s latest bracket :

Team who should love their seed : UTEP

Pegged as a 10 seed in the South region. The Miners face #7 UNLV in a highly winnable first round game. Likely waiting for UNLV is #2 Duke. A great team, but look for much improved 6-9 center Derrick Caracter, 6-11 Arnett Moultrie, and 6-7 Jeremy Williams to give over-matched and sometimes defensively clueless Brian Zoubek fits.

Team who should hate their seed: Kansas

1 seed in the Midwest region. How can you hate a 1 seed ? Well put #9 Louisville and proven winner (and nutjob) Rick Pitino, an underrated #5 Gonzaga, sleeper #12 Siena, and #4 Tennessee (whom the Jayhawks already lost to) in your way of the Sweet 16 and the possibility of #6 Butler, and still improving # 3 Pitt in your way of the Elite 8…. that’s how.

T&2 advises you to look for these type of match-ups when the bracket comes out.

Injury bug likely has coaches bugging out

Purdue’s Robbie Hummel went down last week and will miss the remainder of the season, bubble battler Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody is uncertain of a return, and Georgetown’s Austin Freeman was just diagnosed with diabetes.

Tickets punched to the Dance

With no conference tournament in the Ivy League, Cornell can clinch the regular season title and automatic bid with a win Friday night @ Brown.

Other teams will start to fill out the field this weekend. The guide :

Atlantic Sun :

Things are wild already in  Macon,GA. Three of the top four seeds were upset in the Quarterfinals, as only #2 Jacksonville survived. Friday’s semi’s pit #8 Kennesaw State vs #5 East Tennessee State at 6:30, and # 6 Mercer vs #2 Jacksonville at 9:00.

The winner friday will square off on Saturday March 6th at 6:00 on ESPN 2.

The T & 2 is pulling for Kennesaw State to shock the world, but thinks Jacksonville is a safe bet given their 16-4 record since the turn of the calendar to 2010.

Big South

#1 Coastal Carolina takes on #3 Winthrop Saturday March 6th at 4:00 on ESPN 2.

Anything is possible here, the two squads have split the season series. The T & 2 likes past Cinderella Winthrop to find the glass slipper again Saturday.

Ohio Valley

Friday pits #1 Murray State vs #4 Eastern Illionis at 7:00, and #2 Morehead State vs #6 Tennessee Tech at 9:00.

Semifinal winners square off Saturday March 6th at 8:00 on ESPN 2.

Murray State is 28-4 (17-1)  with a 5 point loss to Cal to open the year. Like balance ? The Racers top six scorers average 10.8, 10.7,  10.6, 10.3, 10.3 , and 9.5. T & 2 senses a team who shares the ball, and can likely be a deadly match-up as a double digit seed. I’ll be watching to see if they prove me right.

Missouri Valley

In a nutshell : one of the most entertaining conference tournaments, with the dumbest name. Arch Madness as they call it, gets underway Friday with Quarterfinal match-ups of #1 Northern Iowa vs #8 Drake at 1:05 , #4 Creighton vs #5 Bradley at 3:35 , #7 Missouri State vs #2 Wichita State at 7:05 and  #3 Illionis State vs #6 Indiana State at 9:35 pm.

The Semifinals will be Saturday, and the Finals Sunday at 2:05pm on CBS.

Northern Iowa just about needs this tournament to secure a bid, but the T &2 likes Wichita State to winner the rubber match final. Expect the selection committee to reward Northern Iowa with a an at-large despite the loss and send a big conference team home unhappy.

T & 2 advice for Fans

Rick Reilly recently wrote about the criteria for fans being allowed to rush the court (which is happening way to much these days). There are some great points but the T & 2 has simple rules for Championship Week.

- STOP RUSHING THE COURT if you’re already ranked. DON’T EVER DO IT. Period. The phrase “act like you been there before” comes to mind.

- For the teams in low level conferences you can rush the floor when you clinch a bid. IF:

-you haven’t been to the NCAA tournament during the entire time of your enrollment

This ensures that all students (freshman-seniors) have never experienced a conference title, making the experience that much more enjoyable.

It’s that simple. Other than that, enjoy the games because it’s the best time of the year.

Coach of the Year Award has two candidates this season

The race for Player of the Year is a tight battle between viable candidates like John Wall, Wesley Johnson, and Evan Turner. Every voter would have a justifiable reason for picking any of these 3 fine players, which makes it hard to speculate who will walk away with the hardwood. The Coach of The Year award should not be as difficult. In the opinion of the T and 2, voters have a choice between Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim and Pittsburgh’s Jamie Dixon. There should be no other names even acknowledged on the ballots.

Boeheim has soured people on occasion this season, as he continues to talk about expansion of the NCAA Tournament, but when it comes to coaching his 26-2 team, he’s done a great job. The ESPN USA Preseason poll had the Orange slated #25, and the AP Poll didn’t even rank Boeheim’s boys to start the season. Entering the season you couldn’t really argue that Syracuse had lost some talent from the previous year. Cuse’ lost sharpshooter/trash-talker Eric Devendorf , powerful inside forward Paul Harris, and a kid named Jonny Flynn….we’re sure you know about him. It’s obvious this season that Boeheim put those losses in his rear view mirror, and hasn’t look back since. Taking the Gene Hackman “coach who I’ve got” motto, Boeheim has flourished with “who he’s got”. Who he’s got is superstar transfer Wesley Johnson, improved Rick Johnson, Andy Rautins, and returning from injury Scoop Jardine, a formidable squad to make a run deep in the tourney; and given the way Boeheim has meshed with this unit expect that deep run.

Pittsburgh has been a Big East powerhouse virtually the last decade. Winning two titles in 08 and 03, is a feat in itself, but appearing in 7 of the last 9 Big East Championship games…yes 7.. shows just how much of a mainstay Pitt is in America’s toughest conference. This season was likely to be the year Pitt would have no shot at continuing it’s dominance. In fact it’d be a stretch to even think Pitt could make the Semi-finals of such a loaded conference, given how much Pitt had lost. Departures of NBA bound Sam Young and DeJuan Blair, point guard Levance Fields, and forward Tyrell Biggs, left Dixon in a hole entering the new decade. Such a hole that Pitt was left off the AP and ESPN/ USA preseason polls. How does Jamie Dixon respond ? By channeling Chris “all he does is catch touchdown passes” Carter, and became Jamie “all he does is win basketball games’ Dixon. The name isn’t a stretch. He currently possesses a 77.9 winning percentage to date (184-52), which includes two 30 win seasons, two Sweet Sixteen’s, and an Elite Eight. This year’s squad is 21-7, in a large part to the improvement of Brad Wanamaker, Jermaine Dixon, Gilbert Brown and Ashton Gibbs who Dixon used as role players last year. It’s clear that giving them quality minutes last year has paid off dividends.

So why are Boeheim and Dixon the clear cut favorites ? Aside from terrific records in a year where many didn’t expect it, each of these coaches has showed that developing a system, convincing players to buy into it, recruiting kids who will stay for four years, and having a passion for your team is a respectable way of coaching…and as Boeheim and Dixon have clearly shown…winning.

It’s unfair to say that the players aren’t a factor in the programs success, but it should be noted that no matter what twelve players suit up for Boeheim and Dixon, they’ll find a way to win.

So you can root for the coaches with constant recruiting violations of “one and done players” who bounce from one school to the next just to collect a bigger paycheck if you want, but at least your cap to Dixon and Boeheim because they do it the right way.

Duke and Purdue on a collision course ? They should hope so.

#1 seeds seem to be shaping up towards the end of February. Kansas and Kentucky seem to be locked into a 1 seed barring an utter collapse in their Conference Tournaments, and Syracuse controls it’s own destiny now that Villanova and West Virginia have faded from the top line.

The last 1 spot is a toss up between Purdue and Duke. As the T and 2 sees it, it’s the best case scenario for both teams.

Based on the logic that the weakest #1 seed plays the toughest #2 seed, Duke and Purdue would likely be slated in the same region. The similarities between the two teams gives each a great chance to win the game because they will be playing a team similar to themselves. Purdue is not the quickest team in the nation, and none of Duke’s significant contributors has ever been mistaken for a track star so the speed of the game will favor each team. While both the Blue Devils and Boilermakers can defend, they are not lock down defensive teams which will allow Duke to shoot the three (their  favorite thing to do on offense since Reagan was in office), and Purdue to move the ball inside for Robbie Hummel.

Ultimately what it comes down to is this. Regardless of who gets the #1 seed, Duke and Purdue should be hoping to be in the same region, because the T and 2 doesn’t seem either of them with a better matchup against any other #1 or #2 seed. Kansas, Kentucky and Syracuse are in a league of their own and Sports Illustrtated’s Andy Glockner’s other current #2 seeds are Kansas State, West Virginia and Villanova. Each is loaded with big athletic players who will smother Duke or Purdue all over the court. So Boilermaker and Blue Devils fans have every right to root for that #1 seed, but you should root harder that the team you edge out is in your bracket.

Maryland will be dancing in March

The T and 2 talked about Maryland’s tourney hopes last week, and after Saturday’s win over Georgia Tech on a remarkable 2 buzzer beaters (Gary Williams called timeout just seconds before Grevias Vasquez threw one in from halfourt, only to come out of the timeout and see Cliff Tucker drill a three to win) Maryland may be in much better shape. A huge win on Wednesday vs. Clemson just about sealed the deal for Maryland as an at-large team. Even more impressive is that a win over Virginia Tech on Saturday keeps Maryland in the running to win the ACC regular season title over Duke, if they can knock them off next Wednesday.

No Turtle Power for Maryland because of weak ACC

Isn’t it kind of odd that a 20-7 team with a 10-3 conference record in a major conference, who’s still in the running to win the league title is on the bubble ? It’s odd because the ACC is simply that weak this year. Currently the conference has only 1 ranked team (Duke). The conference will (unfairly) likely get 5-6 teams into the tourney, but the T and 2 likes only 2 to see the Sweet Sixteen, Duke and Maryland. The latter a  team I feel is highly underrated.

Northern Iowa may now forced to win Missouri Valley

#25 Northern Iowa lost to #226 (kenpom.com) Evansville Tuesday night 55-54. A severe hit to the squad’s bubble chances and every other team on the bubble. With the loss, Northern Iowa may now have to win the Missouri Valley Conference Title to make the field of 65. Every bubble team should be rooting for that because if the selection committee decides Northern Iowa is at-large worthy, that’s one-less spot that bubble teams will be vying for.

Blowing Bubbles

Every year around the end of February, “the bubble” is heard everywhere, and rightfully so. It’s the time of the year where it grows or shrinks by the day and sometimes by the hour. T and 2 has begun to evaluate just how big or small it could get, and who you should be rooting for to win conference tourneys. As mentioned above, Northern Iowa winning the conference tourney adds an at-large bid because it’s likely that they would steal one if they didn’t receive the at-large. The same goes for teams in the major conferences. Remember two years ago when Georgia came out of nowhere and stole the SEC title after playing two games in the same day like an AAU team ? The fact that Georgia won the tourney eliminated an at-large bid because there was no shot they would have received one otherwise. Basically, for the major conferences a team who has already proven to a lock to get into the NCAA tournament needs to win the the conference title.

So how many spots are available for bubble teams ? The T and 2 can help figure it out.

Based on SI’s Andy Glockener’s bracket. The ACC, Big East, and Big 12 will each get 7 teams into the NCAA Tournament. Given that three of those 21 teams(one from each conference) wins their respective tournament, the field shrinks from 65 to 62 after penciling in those three conference’s (ACC,BE,Big 12) automatic qualifiers. Then 62 becomes 44 after adding in those 18 teams with at-large spots.

The Big Ten, Atlantic Ten, and SEC are predicted to each get 5 teams into the tourney. Given that each conference champion is already one of the 5 predicted in, the field shrinks from 44 to 41. Then pencil in the other 12 teams as at large bids and you have 32.

( See how a team like (9-18) Iowa winning the Big Ten Championship could shrink a bid ? It only gets worse if that happens in multiple conferences. )

The Mountain West has 4 teams dancing according to Glockner, which shrinks to bubble to 28 given that one of those four wins.

In addition to “locks” winning from each of the major conferences, some mid-major’s are key to the bubble picture as well.

Butler (Horizon), Gonzaga (West Coast), in addition to Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley) all must win the conference title, because they essentially play in one-bid leagues. Taking the field down to 25 available spots left.

Butler,Gonzaga,and Northern Iowa are the three teams who essentially control the bubble. If they lose in the conference tournament (Butler, and Gonzaga especially), it knocks out another bubble team because Gonzaga or Butler will now be in the field as an at-large team (as we mentioned with Iowa above). This could be a devastating hit to a team like Louisville who’s currently sitting on the bubble.

Utah State (Western Athletic), Cornell (Ivy), Old Dominion (Colonial Athletic), Siena (Metro Atlantic Athletic ) winning, helps every team on the bubble because it makes each of these four teams an automatic qualifier instead of a bubble team. Which leaves 21 spots left.

Conference USA is a race between UTEP and UAB, but it’s in bubble teams best interest in UTEP locks up the title and keeps it a one-bid league. Leaving 20 spots left.

Now subtract the 16 conferences(Great West, SWAC, NEC, MEAC, Big South, Patriot, A.EAST, Summit, Southland, Atlantic Sun, Sun Belt, Ohio Valley, Big Sky, Southern, Big West, and Mid American) that will only get an automatic bid no matter what and you have 4 spots available.

Subtract the last automatic qualifier the Pac 10 champion, and you have 3 at-large bids still left on the table.

It’s debatable if 7 Big Twelve teams, and 5 A-10 teams will actually get into the NCAA tournament so the overall # of bids left may grow to 5-6 , but you get the picture…it’s a tight race for the last few spots. The only real way to seperate yourself from the pack ? Take Jamie Dixon’s approach and “just win basketball games” .

Efficiency separates contenders and pretenders

A quick look at the Pomeroy Efficency Ratings of the Top Ten teams in the ESPN/USA today poll :

Kansas OE-2 DE- 3
Kentucky OE-21 DE-9
Purdue OE- 23 DE-6
Syracuse OE-9 DE-13
Duke- OE- 1 DE-11
Kansas State OE-10 DE-22
Villanova- OE-3 DE-67
West Virginia OE-5 DE-32
Ohio State OE-14 DE-17
New Mexico OE-27 DE- 73

Kansas, Syracuse, Duke and Ohio State look like teams capable of a title, and Villanova, and New Mexico look like teams to be cautious about when filling out  the brackets.

Coaches Get On Board With the T & 2

Finally ! Finally ! Finally ! Yes, I screamed that three times in the past week while watching   Rutgers upset Georgetown, the Celtics beat the Kings, and, most recently, Syracuse knock off Georgetown. Why was I so excited about an awful NJ school, an elderly team whose fans have awful accents, and a whiny coach who won’t play man to man ? Simple. In the final seconds, THEY ALL FOULED; UP THREE….and of course… THEY ALL WON .

I couldn’t believe it. I was elated. As the texts from T and 2 readers like James Alberino, John Strange, Jon Snediker and Bill Hassett rolled in throughout the week, I just kept smiling.  By the time Syracuse hacked up three, I had perfected the Judd Nelson-Breakfast Club fist pump.

Clearly, coaches are coming around on what I find to be the simplest decision in sports. Based on the easy logic that it’s harder for your opponent to : hit the first free throw, miss the second, get the rebound, and then score; than it is to simply hit a three pointer. Hats off to Fred Hill, Doc Rivers, and Jim “whine about expansion even though he’s headed for a #1 seed this year” Boeheim for showing some logic. Now we’re waiting for John Thompson III, who just watched the theory burn him, not once but twice, to start hacking late.

Texas Basketball a Season Long Roller Coaster Ride

Rick Barnes must be pretty confused trying to figure out what exactly is going on with his team. After a 17-0 start, the Longhorns are 3-6 in there last nine; dropping to 6-5 in Big 12 play. While Barnes is probably trying to convince himself it’s just a rough patch for a talented team, he may want to look a little closer at exactly what his squad has done this year…which, by my account, isn’t much.

Texas is very talented and has a clear superstar in Damion James so, there’s no question
as to whether they have the talent to play with the best, its just a matter of actually beating the best. However, the Longhorns have struggled to do that this year. Barnes’ squad has impressive wins over #11 Michigan State, #21 Pittsburgh and #23 Texas A&M but losses to #7 Kansas State, UCONN, #22 Baylor, #1 Kansas, and Missouri; proving that the Longhorns are not an elite team, which is what everyone in the country wants to be heading into March.
Trips to A&M and Baylor, with a fine showing in the Big 12 Tourney may be what James and company need to change their elite status, but don’t expect it. The T and 2 is expecting to cross Texas off with a second round upset in the Big Dance.

Who Are The Elite Teams In NCAA Basketball?

In order of most expected to win a title by the T and 2 : Kansas, Syracuse, Kentucky, West Virginia, Duke, Villanova, Kansas State, and Gonzaga. It’s an eight team race, and if you’re
wondering why Purdue is not on the list, look no further than the fact that they play in the snail’s pace Big Ten. Ohio State and future pro Evan Turner may be the only team who can change that belief but, until now, we’re sticking with those eight, with Kansas and Kentucky as clear favorites to meet in the final.

Bracket Busters Take Center Stage

This weekend is a time for hoopsters to educate themselves. ESPN is promoting its Bracket Buster weekend, which gives fans a chance to get an early look at teams you’ll be thankful you watched once March rolls around. Some of the games and teams you need to see : 
Friday- Old Dominion (21-7) at Northern Iowa (23-3), Cornell (21-4) at Harvard (17-5)
Saturday: Siena (22-5) at Butler (24-4), Morgan State(20-8) at Murray State (25-3) 4 PM,
UTEP (19-5) at Tulsa (19-7) (CBS-CS) 11:59 PM, Wichita State (22-6) at Utah State (21-6 )(ESPN2).

The T and 2 is most intrigued by Northern Iowa (currently a 7 seed in Bracketology) Butler (6 seed in Bracketology) and Murray State (12 seed in Bracketology). Questions to ask yourself while watching : Is Northern Iowa good enough to be knock off an overrated two seed in the second round ? Is Butler as good as it current winning streak indicates ? Can Murray State pull off the virtually annual “12/5″ upset ?

Time for These ACC Basketball Fans to Cross Their Fingers

Duke : Good news Blue Devils faithful , just five more games and Duke has officially survived February, a month that’s haunted them in recent years.

Maryland : At 18-7 (8-3) and one of Joe Lunardi’s last four teams in the tourney things look solid for the Terps. The final 5 vs Georgia Tech, Clemson, @ Virginia Tech, Duke, and @ Virginia will be the deciding factor. T and 2 estimates that a 3-2 or 4-1 stretch will cement them as tourney worthy, anything less and it’s time for James Lopez and fans to begin worrying…or moping… whichever you prefer.

Virginia Tech : Currently 21-4 (8-3) the Hokies are currently seeded as a #11.  Eleven?!  Why ? Very simply, a non-conference, strength of schedule rated a dismal 332nd by kenpom.com . VT will need to grab an impressive win(or wins) over Duke,Georgia Tech or Maryland down the stretch or it will watch it’s seed fall even further. Don’t feel too sorry for them though, as this is the team that scheduled such “powerhouses” as Charleston Southern, Maryland- Baltimore County, and Longwood in a three game stretch around the holidays. Clearly “gift” wins.

Just three weeks until Selection Sunday….a national holiday here at the T and 2.

Rivalry Week Signals Shift of Focus For Sports Fans

For all you football fanatics out there,  make sure you savor the Super Bowl, because as of this morning, it’s time to focus on hoops.  Despite the endless analysis, highlights and “breakdown” sessions  ESPN may have shoved down your throat last week, you should be beside yourself about the slew of college basketball games coming up over the next seven days. Rivalry Week, as it’s become known, is easily the best single week of the regular season. It’s like the best appetizer on the menu. You make sure you order it. Things start on tonight on ESPN’s  Big Monday when Kansas(1)  travels to Texas (10) and Villanova (2) travels to West Virginia(6).

Kansas, in my opinion, is the best team in the country right now.  Granted, they won in OT last week at Kansas State on the heels of an absurd decision by Wildcats’ head coach Frank Martin; (with just a few seconds difference between the shot clock and game clock, Martin chose not to foul Kansas, instead letting the possession play out), and they barely beat the Colorado “praying for the NIT” Buffaloes by six in overtime.  While these wins aren’t pretty…they are wins, and they are wins that will be similar to how Bill Self’s squad will need to win in March;  wins where you get the one stop you need at the end of the game, or a win where you don’t play well but gut it out.  This factor has now become the icing on the cake as to why I think Kansas will be champions.  They have the skill (Collins, Henry, Aldrich),  the coach (Self) and the X factor: Efficiency.  Another gutty win vs Texas would only cement the fact that they have the final piece of the puzzle, a will to dominate  an opponent when it matters most. Look for Kansas,  who still has to win a trap game vs Nebraska on Saturday,  to trump Texas as they continue to separate themselves from the pack.

The Pick:Rock Chalk Jayhawk

#6 West Virginia vs. #2 ‘Nova- The best way to describe West Virginia is to think of an Adam Sandler movie after 2002. You know he’s always been great in the past, and the trailer for the new flick looks decent, but you know there’s a possibility to be completely let down. (i.e. 50 First Dates, Longest Yard, Funny People).  Enter Bob “sweat suits on the sidelines” Huggins and West Virginia.  The Mountaineers are 18-3 (7-2), with losses to Big Ten power # 7 Purdue, a hiccup to 16-7 Notre Dame, and a 1 point loss to #4 22-1 Syracuse. WVU also gets the T and 2 love because they rank at 4 and 24 in O and D efficiency respectively. Now while West Virginia has some impressive numbers, the amount of quality wins WVU has is what alarms us. Yes, the Mounties did beat #18 Ohio State, and 16-6 Texas Tech isn’t shabby, but they have just one quality Big East win(Pitt).  WVU begins a brutal stretch on Monday vs Nova, and still has a trip to Pitt, Georgetown and a trip to Nova on the schedule. It will be these four games where we find out how legit the Mountaineers really are. An 0-4 skid and you can dismiss them as a Final Four team, a 4-0 mark means we’d better watch. My prediction is 3-1, starting with a win on Monday.  Youngster Daryl “Truck” Bryant will have his hands full defensively with Scottie Reynolds, but the eyes of Devin Ebanks and Kevin Jones should light up against Nova’s “inferior interior” duo of Antonio Pena and Taylor King.  Simple rule for WVU: hold Reynolds to less then 20, feed the post and you’ll likely hear the student section singing  “…take me home country roads” when the game is over. I truly believe WVU is the team to exceed all expectations right now, starting Monday…that’s if their fans can stop throwing things on the court.

The pick: WVU

Tuesday continues with #7 Purdue vs #5 Michigan State. – Kalin Lucas missed Saturday’s tilt vs Illinois and is questionable for the showdown with Purdue. With Izzo’s squad missing Lucas’ 15.6 ppg, look for E’Twaun Moore to have a field day and surging Purdue to capitalize. The Boilermakers have won six in a row after dropping three to Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Northwestern in mid January. It should be noted that because these teams play in the “put you to sleep it’s such slowly paced” Big Ten, the first team to 50 points might win.

Pick: Purdue

Wednesday is The Game. Duke vs Carolina.  As a Duke fan, it’s a holiday for me.  Look forward to it all year.  This year would make a naïve Duke fan extremely happy given the fact that Carolina is struggling to win anything recently.  The Tar Heels have fallen to a dismal 2-5 in the “not as tough as people think really is this year “ ACC, and 13-9 on the year. Things are so bad, Joe Lunardi is predicting Roy Williams is NIT bound. While hearing things like this should make Duke fans giddy, “Crazies” know that Duke is a Jeckyl and Hyde team in February.  Thursday’s thrashing of #19 Georgia Tech (pardon me Counting Crowes) “gives reason to believe” that Duke has finally turned a corner. However, this is Duke-Carolina, and anything can happen.  A win over a top ten rival is just what UNC needs to boost its resume. I’m hoping that’s not the case. Look for Scheyer and Singler to stroke it early and often.

The Pick : Duke

Saturday #14 Tennessee vs #3 Kentucky- Very simple. This is where the rest of the nation finds out what I already know. Tennessee is not as good as people think. Yes, Bruce Pearl did beat John “no Final Fours” Calipari two years ago when Memphis was undefeated, yes Tennessee took down Kansas this year, and Yes Tennessee has decent talent, but in no way shape or form do I see them winning Saturday night.

The pick: Kentucky in a rout, and inside twelve minutes left the announcers start talking about John Wall’s potential “at the next level”.   Are they not allowed to say “NBA”?

Notre Dame’s horrific losses to Rutgers and Loyola Marymount may have been the final straw to end the Irish NCAA hopes this year, but don’t blame Luke Harangody for not trying to work a miracle. The workhorse scored 37 and grabbed 14 boards in a win Thursday vs Cincy. The senior is averaging 24.2 ppg and 9.7 rpg.  It may be a good thing that the nation has quietly forgotten about “Gody”, because he seems to be holding a grudge and it’s helping the squad.

Bigger Not Better in NCAA Tournament

Is it just me or is anyone else rooting for Syracuse to land a #1 seed then lose to a #16 because Jim Boehiem keeps advocating a 96 team tournament ?

Big East Basketball Still On Top

Still wondering which conference is the toughest in America?   Joe Lunardi’s most recent Bracketology has seven Big East Teams getting bids, and three listed as “first four out”. One conference- 10 of the best 68 teams in the country. Good luck coaches.

Pitt Basketball In Good Hands

It seemed pretty clear entering this season that Pitt would be “rebuilding” after losing a veteran core of Levance Fields, Dejuan Blair, Sam Young, & Tyrell Biggs that was seconds away from the Final Four. It would be hard to blame the Panthers for a mediocre season after losing so many talented players; although it seems as if Jamie Dixon, 2009 Naismith Coach of the Year, had other ideas. Off to a 13-2 (3-0) start behind 17.2 PPG from sophomore Ashton Gibbs  and another 12.2 from junior Brad Wanamaker’s , the #20 Panthers are quietly becoming a force in the Big East, and the nation.

Recently seeded as high as four in ESPN’s Bracketology, the Panthers certainly have the resume to back it.  Aside from an inexplicable loss to 7-8 Indiana, Pitt’s only other misstep is to #1 Texas.

Tonight’s game at #15 UCONN could be the most important of the season thus far. A win over the Huskies would solidify them as an elite team in the nation’s toughest conference. Dixon’s crew has made a case to put them in that discussion with a road win over then #5 Syracuse, but taking down another Top 25 conference foe would end any doubts that they are for real. Don’t think the experienced Pitt leader doesn’t know how much this win would mean for his team in the long run. Look for a tough battle between Ashton Gibbs and Kemba Walker in Storrs tonight.

Something to think about if Pitt does win tonight, though, is whether it’s out of the question to name Jamie Dixon Coach of The Year so far .  How many coaches could lose so much talent from an Elite Eight team, and be 14-2 and 4-0 in the Big East ? So far, just one.  Jamie Dixon.

Time for Purdue Basketball To Sink Or Swim

While Pitt was expected to struggle this season, Purdue was touted as a team on the rise. Seems as if the Boilmakers are reading their own press clippings, as they’ve stumbled to a 2-2 start in Big Ten Conference play. Back to back losses toWisconsin, and Ohio State put Matt Painter’s team in an interesting situation as they travel to overachieving 13-2 Northwestern and an Illinois squad currently sitting atop the conference .   We’ll know soon enough if Purdue is a contender or pretender based on the next two contests.

T&Two NCAA Bracket Busters to Watch

Northern Iowa 15-1 (Missouri Valley) – The veteran team already has a win over pre season top 25 Siena.

Louisiana Tech (16-1) (Western Athletic) – 4-0 in conference play, and wins over Houston and Nevada as resume boosters.

Cornell (14-3) (Ivy)- A recent five point loss at Kansas put them on the national radar. Wins over St. John’s, Davidson, Alabama, LaSalle, and UMass show they’re capable of excelling against the  big conferences.

Crucial Stretch For Duke Basketball

Duke enters a critical section of its schedule that could go a long way to deciding if  the Blue Devils can end their five year stretch without a  Final Four appearances . The annual mid-January/early February trek through the ACC has literally been Hell for the Devils. Taking a look at recent years : In 2009-, they were 18-1 on  Jan 28th.  A loss to Wake Forest started a skid that saw  four  losses in a six game span  through Feb. 15th.  The 2007 season found Coach K’s boys at 18-3 before a Feb 1st home loss to Virginia started a four game skein.  Duke went 4-8 from that point to finish the season, including first round losses in both the  ACC and NCAA tourneys.

Coach K has been quick to remind Blue Devil faithful that this year’s team is much older, and bigger than teams of the past. It will be seen very shortly if the 13-2 Dukies will use their age and experience during a stretch of games including Wake Forest, Clemson, and Georgetown in the next few week

Big Fish in a Small Pond

Hats off to Appalachian State’s Donald Sims, who torched Davidson for 44 points last week.

Games to Watch This Week

Wednesday – Pitt @ UCONN- Typical Big East dogfight. Don’t rule out anything amazing…not even  six overtimes.
Thursday- Cal @ Washington State-Preseason top ten Cal is quickly slipping, and needs a win to resurrect its tourney hopes.

Saturday – Syracuse @ West Virginia.  Georgia Tech vs North Carolina.

Head Scratcher of the Week

Got an email from Chris Beermann that informed me that he recently attended a COLLEGE game, where a coach :

• -Asked for a timeout while the other team was dribbling  the ball
• -Asked the ref “if he could have the foul on #11”, instead of  his leading scorer who had just picked up his third personal foul.

It’s not surprising that Chris also informed me that the coach’s team lost.

New York Jets Both Lucky and Good

The Jets went into Cincinnati last Saturday having spent as much time defending their Wild Card position as they had preparing for the game, itself.  Blasted for having punched their ticket through the generosity of the Bengals and Indianapolis Colts; two teams with nothing to play for that had virtually rolled over and played dead for Gang Green in the season’s final two games, the Jets took the field with a little something more at stake than just a playoff game.  They wanted to prove they belonged.

And prove it they did, behind Mark Sanchez’s best contest of the season.  They sent the Bengals home for the winter in a performance that, while not as dominating as the previous week’s, saw them control every facet of the game from start to finish.  Head Coach Rex Ryan had raised more than a few eyebrows with some of his pre game statements; like calling his Jets the Super Bowl favorites, but his charges made him look like a prophet, for the first round at least, and have some thinking that maybe Ryan is crazy like a fox.

While the Jets are still the longest of long shots, there is a budding sense among players and fans alike that something special could actually happen.  Cursed for most of their existence by some of the most excruciating losses and disappointments the NFL has seen, these Jets have actually had the breaks go their way over the last month.  Their late season matchups with Indy and Cincy could not have been better timed, the myriad of teams that needed to lose in order for the Jets to advance did just that, there could not have been a better first round matchup than the one they drew with the Bengals and, finally, Baltimore’s rout of New England brought a second round tilt with San Diego; a daunting foe, indeed, but a far more favorable opponent than Peyton Manning and the Colts.  Are these guys really the Jets?

The one thing Big Rexy and his boys need to guard against, however, is the idea that they’re now playing with house money; as if last week’s win validated a successful season and whatever happens next doesn’t matter.  While each of those points is true, to a degree, the NFL offers a very small window for teams chasing a title.  No matter how young, no matter how talented, franchises can never be sure how many opportunities they’ll get for championship glory.  The Jets should know this better than any as their Super Bowl drought is longer than every team but the Detroit Lions and is marred by missed field goals, snapped Achilles tendons and muddy fields.  Ryan has given every indication that he’ll keep his foot on the gas pedal and his team’s confidence seems to be growing because of it.  Now, let’s see how much of the newfound good fortune they can transport to San Diego.

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

In the aftermath of the Jets’ first round victory came the post game comments of SNY commentator Adam Schein and WFAN host Mike Francesa.  Schein, on the SNY post game show Saturday night, came down very hard on punter Steve Weatherford, who was held out of the game due to illness, according to the team.  Schein, who gives no impression of ever having worn a football helmet, questioned Weatherford’s character; stating that the illness had better be serious.  The Jets would later reveal that Weatherford had been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, something he’ll need to have surgically corrected in the off season.

That revelation did nothing to dissuade Francesa, who went down the same path Sunday morning, only to be corrected by a colleague.  That he was unaware that the punter’s condition had been made public the night before is not surprising as his indifference is exceeded only by his arrogance.  Each of these gas bags missed what was obvious to most: that since Weatherford was, in fact, on the sideline and in uniform, his condition must have been very serious for the Jets to hold him out of the game.  But, hey, why let the facts get in the way of sounding like a big, tough ballplayer?

NCAA Basketball Shill Vitale Loses Credibility

After thirty years, it’s time for ESPN’s lead hypocrite, Dick Vitale, to pack up his self-proclaimed “one eyed ziggy” act and go away forever.  While it’s always been difficult to stomach the superfluous nonsense he spews during his network’s broadcasts, he now regularly ignores and, in fact, rewrites the history of the coaches and programs whose fannies he chooses to smooch.

During Tuesday’s matchup of Florida and Kentucky, Vitale went into a rant about Mark McGwire, repeating what he’d said that morning on “Mike and Mike”.  He used the term “cheater” numerous times, referring to how sick he was of the steroid mess in baseball and how he sought refuge by talking up the game between the Wildcats and Gators.  A game that, incidentally, featured one of the college game’s more infamous cheaters, John Calipari, who’d been identified as such just weeks before by Vitale’s ESPN colleague, Bob Knight.  Not surprisingly, Vitale chose to ignore the issue. Not only was much of the telecast filled with Vitale’s praise for Calipari’s coaching ability, a graphic soon popped up naming the Kentucky coach as Vitale’s selection as Coach of the Year through this point in the season.  Finally, he mentioned that Calipari is attempting to become only the second coach to take three teams to the Final Four.  A complete rewriting of the facts, actually, as both of Calipari’s previous trips to the Championship round with UMass and Memphis have been vacated due to NCAA infractions.  According to the NCAA’s own records, Calipari’s never been to a Final Four.  I guess Vitale didn’t get the news.  Regardless, until he’s told by ESPN to take his ball and go home; something that, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to be imminent, any game that he works will be an extremely difficult and annoying listen.

New Jersey Devils Star Toils in Virtual Anonymity

If Devils’ goalie  Martin Brodeur  had been as dominant over the course of his career in any other sport or for any other New York area team, there’d already be a statue of him standing in front of a stadium.

New York Knicks Haunted in Oklahoma

During their two day stay in Oklahoma City, New York Knicks forwards Eddy Curry and Jared Jefferies complained that they were unable to sleep due to the fact that their hotel, The Skirvin, is haunted by ghosts.   I’ll leave you to your own punchlines.

Mark McGwire’s Weak Apology Does Settle One Score

Why would we have expected anything different from Mark McGwire?  Why would we think that, unlike all of the other steroid cheats who have come forward, sort of, that he’d be the one to completely open up about his own use?  Sorry, wasn’t going to happen.  Despite the earnest attempts of MLB Network’s Bob Costas to guide him to the full disclosure necessary for forgiveness, McGwire resisted throughout.  As a result, he looked like someone who came forward only because it was a requirement for his employment with the St. Louis Cardinals.  However, despite the fact that we learned very little that we didn’t already suspect, McGwire inadvertently settled one major debate about himself.

Forget his ridiculous assertions that the steroids were low dosage, that they did nothing to improve his performance or that he always wanted to come forward about his use of PED’s. It’s all nonsense.  Focus, instead, on his admission that, due to his frustration with chronic injury, he decided against retirement and started using steroids in 1996 to help him overcome his physical woes and get back on the field. By that very statement, he is also confirming that in no way does he deserve to be considered for the Hall of Fame.

Prior to the ’96 season, McGwire had posted 220 HR and 657 RBI over his first ten seasons; a far cry from consideration for the Hall.  He had appeared in just 74 games over the previous two seasons, prompting his thoughts of retirement.  In 1996, however, McGwire embarked on a four year slugfest that saw him launch an inhuman 245 home runs. So, if we connect the dots, what McGwire actually told Costas was that, had it not been for steroids, he’d have retired with the 220 dingers that would have left him off of every voter’s ballot.

Baseball is a game in which cheating has long been revered.  Hitters cork their bats while teams grow the grass high to aid slow infielders and water down the dirt to foil basestealers.  The 1951 Giants won a pennant aided by an employee in the scoreboard stealing the other team’s signs, journeyman pitcher Mike Scott won a Cy Young by scuffing the ball and spitballer Gaylord Perry has a plaque in Cooperstown.  Oddly, fans and players alike look at these indiscretions with a kind of twisted admiration.  To that end, baseball got exactly what it asked for with these steroid cheats.  I just wish they’d have a little more respect for our intelligence when they come forward and not hand us the ridiculous crap that we saw from McGwire on Monday.

Tar Heel Basketball Lacking Math Skills?

College of Charleston shocked #9 North Carolina Monday night in an 82-79 overtime thriller. Hats off to the Charleston basketball program for a miraculous win but we here at the T&Two can’t help but wonder what would have happened if Roy Williams (right) chose to follow our “foul up 3” motto.

In case you didn’t watch the game, here’s the setup. C of C’s Andrew Goudelock came off a screen and got the ball with less than ten seconds on the clock. He dribbled to the right wing against Carolina’s Ed Davis and fired up the game-tying three from twenty eight feet with just two seconds left on the clock. The Charleston crowd went bonkers and the game headed to OT, where UNC would eventually lose.

While everyone loves the story of “the underdog”, it’s hard not to think about the “what if ?”.  What if Roy Williams had decided to foul up 3 ? Would the game have even gone into overtime?  Probably not.

It boggles my mind to watch coaches allow teams to shoot a three to tie, when a foul would limit the opposition to just two free throws.  A foul requires the shooting team to: a)hit the first shot, b)miss the second, c)get the rebound and, most dificultly, d)score than it is to just hit a three. Without a foul, the offense needs to accomplish but one thing; hit the three.  Isn’t it a simple matter of mathematics that it’s harder to accomplish four tasks, (two of which are being contested), than one?

Monday’s decision by Roy Williams is even more of a head-scratcher when you consider the following.  Charleston shot 13-32 (40.6 %) from behind the arc on the night, led by Andrew Goudelock, who had already hit four of eight threes and would end up scoring the last eight points in regulation for Charleston. UNC had every right to believe they’d grab the carom of any missed foul shot; having outrebounded Charleston 52-32 in the game and, finally, Charleston was only 3-6 from the charity stripe with Goudelock missing his only attempt.  Can’t see any reason why Carolina would have opted to allow a trey instead of a free throw.

Hey, Roy, didn’t you expect Goudelock to shoot it, given how hot he was?  Wouldn’t your team have a huge advantage when it came to rebounding a missed foul shot? I guess we’ll never know what may have happened if UNC chose to foul, but we do know that the theory of fouling up three continues to be eschewed by coaches despite both its logic and record of success.

Big East Basketball Continues to Dominate

Any doubt the Big East is still the most dangerous conference in America ? Even after losing a number of stars from the most competitive league in NCAA history in 2008-2009, the Big East finds itself well represented in this week’s AP Top 25. Villanova (12-1) is 6th,  Syracuse(13-1) 7th,  West Virginia (11-1) holds down the 8th spot while Georgetown (11-1) checks in at #12.

Kansas Jayhawks Flying High; But For How Long?

Espn.com’s Dana O’Neil wrote a nice piece about how well Kansas’s team has meshed and how being ranked #1 wasn’t much pressure for the squad. Hats off to Kansas basketball coach Bill Self for showing why he’s one of the best around, especially given all the off-court trouble his team dealt with this summer.  One question, though.  Will Jayhawks be able to stay level-headed once they suffer a loss or two?  Stay tuned.

There’s something to be said for karma.  Just days after banishing husband and uncle, Gil Lock, from the very handicapping column founded to feature his expertise, Jill and Pad Lock suffered through their worst weekend of the season.  Jill, who had been rolling along at a two to one clip, turned in an oh for three stinker; her first of the year.  Nephew Pad didn’t fare much better; registering just a single win. Realizing they had ticked off the football gods by mistreating Gil just before the start of the all important Bowl Season, they decided to correct the situation and invite Gil back to the team.

“We never felt right about firing Gil”, said his wife, Jill.  “I mean, he’s a sports handicapper.  It’s what he does. What else is he going to do, work in a supermarket? He had a bad stretch and we overreacted.”  Pad echoed the sentiment, saying, “Uncle Gil has always been good to me. I hated to let him go but Aunt Jill wanted to protect her record.  Not much to protect now, I guess.”

Gil, while overjoyed at the news, was still feeling a little low after some personal misadventures took their toll.  “I’ve been pulled over a number of times by Jersey State Troopers because I look like the guy who punched Snookie on Jersey Shore.  They usually notice I’m not the guy after I form a few complete sentences but, the last time, I got in over my head.”  “I have a buddy who’s a guido”, said Gil, “and this cop pulls me over with him in the car.”  “He takes one look at Phil’s hair gel and general, torpedo demeanor and assumes he’s ‘The Situation’”, Gil continued.  “I tried to explain that Phil’s nickname is, actually, ‘The Altercation’ and that the officer  was mistaken; but he wasn’t buying.”  “Finally, the cop, knowing that the real ‘Situation’ has six-pack abs, asked Phil to roll up his sleeveless tee.”  “As soon as he saw that Phil’s six-pack was actually a half keg, he let us go.”  Asked if he harbored any ill will toward his wife and nephew, Gil was gracious.  “Nah.  I’m just happy to be back.”   And, with that,  here’s how the Locks see the Bowl Season:

Locks of the Week(s)

Before we get to their individual selections, we present the Locks’ consensus picks along with this insight from Gil:  “The Big Ten is as overrated a conference as I’ve ever seen, yet, they get two BCS bids and two New Year’s games.  Now try and tell me the system doesn’t need to be changed.”  “We at Ryno Rife Sports Handicappers  have no confidence in any Big Ten teams or coaches, especially Penn State and Paterno, and have decided to pick against every one of them.”

Champs Sports Bowl

(12/29-8PM-ESPN) Miami - 2 1/2 over Wisconsin

Insight Bowl

(12/31-6PM-NFL Network) Iowa State +3 over Minnesota

Outback Bowl

(1/1-11AM-ESPN) Auburn -8 over Northwestern

Capital One Bowl

(1/1-1PM-ABC) LSU +2 1/2 over Penn State

Rose Bowl

(1/1-4:30PM-ABC) Oregon – 3 1/2 over Ohio State

Alamo Bowl

(1/2-9PM-ESPN) Texas Tech - 6 1/2 over Michigan State

Orange Bowl

(1/5-8PM-FOX) Georgia Tech – 3 1/2 over Iowa
 

Jill Locks (22-12)

Poinsettia Bowl

(12/23-8PM-ESPN) California -3 over Utah

Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl

(12/26-1PM-ESPN) Ohio-Marshall UNDER 50

Eagle Bank Bowl

(12/29-4:30PM-ESPN)  UCLA -4 over Temple

Humanitarian Bowl

(12/30-4:30PM-ESPN) Bowling Green-Idaho OVER 68 1/2

Sun Bowl

(12/31-2PM-CBS) Stanford +10 over Oklahoma

Pad Locks (10-6)

Meineke Bowl

-(12/26-4:30PM-ESPN) Pittsburgh -3 over North Carolina

Emerald Bowl

(12/26-8PM-ESPN) Boston College-USC OVER 45 1/2

Texas Bowl

(12/31-1PM-ESPN) Navy +9 over Missouri

Sugar Bowl

(1/1-8:30PM-FOX)  Cincinnati +10 1/2 over Florida

Alamo Bowl

(1/2-9PM-ESPN) Texas Tech-Michigan State OVER 60 1/2

Gil Locks (11-16-1)

New Mexico Bowl

(12/19-4:30PM-ESPN)  Wyoming +10 1/2 over Fresno State

Las Vegas Bowl

(12/22-8PM-ESPN) Oregon State – 1 1/2 over BYU

Armed Forces Bowl

(12/31-12PM-ESPN)  Air Force + 4 1/2 over Houston

Cotton Bowl

(1/2-2PM-FOX) Mississippi -3 over Oklahoma State

Fiesta Bowl

(1/4-8PM-FOX) TCU -8 over Boise State

Citi BCS National Championship Game

Thursday, January 7 – 8PM – ABC   
Alabama 3 1/2 Texas

Jill: Alabama: Can’t see Nick Saban losing after a month of preparation.
Pad: Texas: Big 12 Football is underrated. The Horns will catch Bama sleeping.
Gil: Texas: Nobody giving Texas a chance; which is my favorite scenario.

Season Record

43-34-1

After Long Wait, World Series Gets Started

Finally, after what seemed like interminable Division and Championship series, we get to the business of  the World Series.  Even though these teams seem like mirror images of each other, many have given the Yanks a slight edge due to their advantage in the bullpen.  I disagree.  Not that Mariano Rivera isn’t better than Brad Lidge; at this point so is Chita Rivera.  But the Yankee bats have just rendered two of the top closers in the AL powerless and there’s no reason to believe they won’t do the same to Lidge.  In other words, even if the Phillies’ closer was at the top of his game, Charlie Manuel would be making other plans, anyway.  What I think it’ll come down to is who starts Game Five for the Bombers.  We know Sabathia goes in Games One, Four and Seven but the Yankees don’t want A.J. Burnett to pitch in Philadelphia.  If they save him for a Game Six in the Bronx, that’ll not only put an inexperienced starter on the mound, it’ll mean Andy Pettitte goes just once in a seven game series.  Still, I like the Yankees in seven.

Major League Baseball Needs a Salary Cap

Last night’s Game One starters, Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia, stood as monuments to baseball’s biggest problem: the disparity in payrolls between small and large market teams.  As the last two winners of the AL Cy Young Award, they would have been a huge help to an Indians’ staff that featured both until Cleveland couldn’t afford either.  Much is made in New York about the “Core Four” of Yankee vets, Rivera, Posada, Pettitte and Jeter, all homegrown and together for much of the Yankees incredible run since 1996.  What most miss in that analysis is that, unlike many teams, the Yankees could afford to keep all of them once they became stars.  Would the Yanks have swept a Twins’ team that included Johan Santana and Torii Hunter?  Would that Twins team have even won the division if the Royals still had Carlos Beltran and Johnny Damon?  The fact is, large market teams don’t do anything better than their small market counterparts.  They simply make more money because of their location; something baseball needs to address.

NY Jets’ Leon Washington Hurt at Worst Time

Next time you want to come down on an NFL player holding out for a contract extension, think of the Jets’ Leon Washington; on the verge of stardom until a broken leg ended his season.  These guys have a very small window to earn their money and each week brings the possibilty of a career-ending injury.

On Bob Griese, Jay-Z and Hypocrisy

ESPN college football analyst, Bob Griese, received a one game suspension from the network for remarks he made last Saturday about NASCAR’s Juan Pablo Montoya.  When a Top Five list of drivers was posted, another broadcaster asked where Montoya was.  Griese replied, “out having a taco.”  For his part, Montoya told reporters after Sunday’s Sprint Cup series race that he “couldn’t resist making fun of the controversy. I could say I just spent the last three hours eating tacos, but I was driving the car.”  Montoya said of Griese, “I don’t even know who he is and I don’t really care.”  That Griese apologized for the remark twice during the broadcast and ESPN later stated that it considered the matter closed was of no consequence once the PC police got their teeth into it.  Bob Griese is and always has been a professional gentleman on the air and it’s a shame that we no longer look at an entire body of work and simply see a good guy who screwed up.  Instead, Griese and others like him suddenly and inexplicably become bigots.

I’m wondering how long Griese would have been suspended had he, instead, glorified the rape and murder of prostitutes, African-Americans, homosexuals and police.   Didn’t seem to matter much to Major League Baseball or the Yankees last night as they invited rapper Jay-Z to perform before Game 1 of the World Series.  In a song whose title is too despicable for print, Jay-Z promotes each of those; something that doesn’t seem to concern the NBA, either; as he’s a part owner of the New Jersey Nets.  Just because freedom of speech cuts two ways doesn’t make a double standard less hypocritical.

Is There Life After High School?

I write weekly about college and professional sports because of their high profile and the fact that I just love sports.  But, I must confess, despite all of the time spent watching, analyzing and enjoying these televised events, my heart still belongs to the high school athletes.  Their spirit is as irresistible as it is inspirational.  Whether it be the jubilation experienced by a basketball team winning a championship in the last minute, the despair of senior football players weeping at the realization that they’ve just played their last game together or the apprehension of a cheerleader waiting to step on the mat while praying to avoid a misstep, each emotion is so raw as to take me back to the wonderful time when I felt that way, myself.   It’s why I still go to my school’s football and basketball games even though my sons have graduated, why I have my daughter’s competitions circled on the calendar and why I found myself at St. Joseph Hill Academy High School last week for a critical volleyball match with St. Joseph by the Sea.

Seven years ago, the Staten Island Catholic Girls’ High School league was established, with three schools initiating programs and joining two others in their infancy.  Sea quickly established itself as the loop’s dominant force while another school, Notre Dame Academy, grabbed last year’s title.  This time around, Hill started the season 7-0; a record that featured a big home win over Sea but would later include a loss to their rival in a rematch; sending both teams into last week’s rubber match with identical records.  The winner would take the title.  Now, the result, (Hill won), is secondary to my point, even though I have to admit , the victory made for a much happier home as my wife, Virginia, is Hill’s fearless leader.  As I sat there in a packed, noisy gym watching the Hill girls in the stands screaming their support to their classmates, I was reminded again of why I eat this stuff up.  High school is the only sports arena in which the athletes and the fans are bonded by friendship.  The fans don’t cheer for love of school but, rather, love of the players; their friends.  It is the reason the passion is unmatched.  Yes, I know all about the Cameron Crazies at Duke, the Bleacher Bums in Chicago and Cleveland’s Dawg Pound but how many of them studied for a chemistry test with a player the night before a game?   How many had a player decorate their locker on a birthday, cry on their shoulder after a failed road test or celebrate the birth of a baby sister?  And where else is a coach so concerned with a player’s development as a person?

On the prep level, coaches are not motivated by financial gain.  If you ever broke down their stipend to an hourly wage, it would work out to just pennies. Instead, it is the dedication to young men and women that drives so many of them and it is that same dedication that serves as a model for how their impressionable, young players should lead their lives.  It is why I am so grateful to the incredible people that have coached my children and a reason I am so proud to say I am my wife’s husband.  It’s also why I’ll be sitting courtside this weekend watching the St. Joseph Hill girls volleyball team, Staten Island Champion, take on the other boroughs in the city playoffs in front of a gym full of their close friends.  Let me know how Notre Dame does against Washington State.

(First Place votes in parentheses)

1. Villanova (10)

2. West Virginia (5)

3. Connecticut (1)

4. Louisville

5. Georgetown

6. Syracuse

7. Cincinnati

8. Notre Dame

9. Pittsburgh

10. Seton Hall

11. St. John’s

12. Marquette

13. Providence

14. USF

15. Rutgers

16. DePaul

*************************************************************

Big East Basketball Conference Schedule 2009-2010

 Mon, Nov 09   Syracuse      Albany      Syracuse, N.Y.    9:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Wed, Nov 11   Syracuse      Robert Morris      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Thu, Nov 19   California      Syracuse      New York, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Fri, Nov 20   TBA      Syracuse      New York, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
 
 
  Fri, Nov 13   Seton Hall      Saint Peter’s      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 13   Pittsburgh      Wofford      Pittsburgh, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 13   Villanova      Fairleigh Dickinson      Villanova, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  
 World Vision Invitational 
 
  Fri, Nov 13   Providence      Bryant      Providence, R.I.    7:30 p.m.  
  Sat, Nov 14   Providence      Bucknell      Providence, R.I.    6:30 p.m.  
  Sun, Nov 15   Providence      Mercer      Providence, R.I.    2:30 p.m.  
 
 
  Fri, Nov 13   St. John’s      Long Island      Queens, N.Y.    7:30 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 13   Connecticut      William & Mary      Storrs, Conn.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Fri, Nov 13   Southern Methodist      USF      Dallas, Texas    8:30 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 13   Marquette      Centenary      Milwaukee, Wis.    8:30 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 13   Tulane      Georgetown      New Orleans, La.    9:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Nov 14   Rutgers      Marist      Piscataway, N.J.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Nov 14   Notre Dame      North Florida      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:00 p.m.  
  Sun, Nov 15   Monmouth      Seton Hall      West Long Branch, N.J.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sun, Nov 15   West Virginia      Loyola      Morgantown, W.Va.    4:00 p.m.  
  Mon, Nov 16   Villanova      Penn      Villanova, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  
  Mon, Nov 16   Notre Dame      St. Francis (Pa.)      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:30 p.m.  
  Mon, Nov 16   USF      Virginia      Tampa, Fla.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Mon, Nov 16   Cincinnati      Prairie View      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:30 p.m.  
 NIT Season Tip-Off 
 
  Mon, Nov 16   Connecticut      Colgate      Storrs, Conn.    9:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Tue, Nov 17   Connecticut      TBA      Storrs, Conn.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Nov 25   USF      Kent State      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 27   TBA      Connecticut      New York, N.Y.    5:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
 
 
  Tue, Nov 17   Georgetown      Temple      Washington, D.C.    4:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
 O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic 
 
  Tue, Nov 17   Pittsburgh      Binghamton      Pittsburgh, Pa.    5:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Thu, Nov 19   Pittsburgh      Eastern Kentucky      Pittsburgh, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  
  Mon, Nov 23   Wichita St.      Pittsburgh      Kansas City, Mo.    7:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Tue, Nov 24   TBA      Pittsburgh      Kansas City, Mo.    10:00 p.m.  ESPN2/ESPNU
 
 
 
  Tue, Nov 17   St. Bonaventure      St. John’s      Olean, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  
 Hall of Fame Showcase 
 
  Tue, Nov 17   Arkansas      Louisville      St. Louis, Mo.    7:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Sat, Nov 21   Louisville      East Tenn. St.      Louisville, Ky.    TBA  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sun, Nov 22   Louisville      Morgan St.      Louisville, Ky.    1:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Mon, Nov 23   Louisville      Appalachian St.      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
 
 
  Tue, Nov 17   Marquette      Maryland-Eastern Shore      Milwaukee, Wis.    8:00 p.m.  
  Tue, Nov 17   DePaul      Columbia      Rosemont, Ill.    8:30 p.m.  
  Wed, Nov 18   Cincinnati      Toledo      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
 O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off 
 
  Thu, Nov 19   George Mason      Villanova      San Juan, P.R.    2:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Fri, Nov 20   TBA      Villanova      San Juan, P.R.    TBA  ESPNU
 
  Sun, Nov 22   TBA      Villanova      San Juan, P.R.    TBA  ESPN2/ESPNU
 
 
 
 Charleston Classic 
 
  Thu, Nov 19   Davidson      USF      Charleston Civic Center    7:00 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 20   TBA      USF      Charleston Civic Center    TBA  
  Sun, Nov 22   TBA      USF      Charleston Civic Center    TBA  
 
 
  Thu, Nov 19   Notre Dame      Long Beach State      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:30 p.m.  
 Paradise Jam 
 
  Fri, Nov 20   Northern Iowa      DePaul      St. Thomas, USVI    1:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Nov 21   TBA      DePaul      St. Thomas, USVI    6:00 p.m.  
  Mon, Nov 23   TBA      DePaul      St. Thomas, USVI    TBA  
 
 
  Fri, Nov 20   Cornell      Seton Hall      Ithaca, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  
 Legends Classic 
 
  Fri, Nov 20   Rutgers      Drexel      Piscataway, N.J.    7:30 p.m.  
  Sun, Nov 22   Rutgers      Vermont      Piscataway, N.J.    4:00 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 27   Massachusetts      Rutgers      Boardwalk Hall    5:30 p.m.  HDNet
 
  Sat, Nov 28   TBA      Rutgers      Atlantic City, N.J.    TBA  HDNet
 
 
 
 Philly Classic 
 
  Fri, Nov 20   St. John’s      Brown      Queens, N.Y.    7:30 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 27   Siena      St. John’s      Philadelphia, Pa.    TBA  
  Sat, Nov 28   Temple      St. John’s      Philadelphia, Pa.    TBA  
 
 
  Fri, Nov 20   Alabama      Providence      Tuscaloosa, Ala.    8:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Nov 21   Savannah St.      Georgetown      Savannah, Ga.    1:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Nov 21   Marquette      Grambling      Milwaukee, Wis.    8:30 p.m.  
 Chicago Invitational 
 
  Sun, Nov 22   Notre Dame      Liberty      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:00 p.m.  
  Tue, Nov 24   Notre Dame      Kennesaw State      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:30 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 27   Northwestern      Notre Dame      Chicago, Ill.    TBA  
  Sat, Nov 28   TBA      Notre Dame      Chicago, Ill.    TBA  
 
 
 Maui Invitational 
 
  Mon, Nov 23   Vanderbilt      Cincinnati      Lahaina, Hawaii    5:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Tue, Nov 24   TBA      Cincinnati      Lahaina, Hawaii    7:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  Wed, Nov 25   TBA      Connecticut      New York, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
 
 
  Tue, Nov 24   Syracuse      Cornell      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN360.com
 
  Tue, Nov 24   Providence      Vermont      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  
  Tue, Nov 24   West Virginia      Citadel      Charleston, W.Va.    7:00 p.m.  
  Tue, Nov 24   Marquette      South Dakota      Milwaukee, Wis.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Nov 25   TBA      Cincinnati      Lahaina, Hawaii    TBA  ESPN/ESPN2EU
 
 76 Classic 
 
  Thu, Nov 26   Long Beach State      West Virginia      Anaheim, Calif.    2:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Fri, Nov 27   TBA      West Virginia      Anaheim, Calif.    2:30 p.m.  ESPN/ESPNU
 
  Sun, Nov 29   TBA      West Virginia      Anaheim, Calif.    TBA  ESPN2/ESPNU
 
 
 
 Old Spice Classic 
 
  Thu, Nov 26   Xavier      Marquette      Orlando, Fla.    2:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Fri, Nov 27   TBA      Marquette      Orlando, Fla.    12:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPNU
 
  Sun, Nov 29   TBA      Marquette      Orlando, Fla.    TBA  ESPN2/ESPNU
 
 
 
  Fri, Nov 27   USF      Florida Atlantic      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 27   Syracuse      Columbia      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sat, Nov 28   Georgetown      Lafayette      Washington, D.C.    TBA  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  Sat, Nov 28   Pittsburgh      Youngstown St.      Pittsburgh, Pa.    12:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sat, Nov 28   DePaul      Detroit-Mercy      Rosemont, Ill.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Nov 28   Villanova      La Salle      Villanova, Pa.    3:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Sat, Nov 28   UNLV      Louisville      Las Vegas, Nev.    4:00 p.m.  Versus
 
  Sat, Nov 28   Providence      Boston College      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  Sat, Nov 28   Seton Hall      Long Island      Newark, N.J.    8:00 p.m.  
  Mon, Nov 30   Syracuse      Colgate      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN360.com
 
  Mon, Nov 30   Seton Hall      New Jersey Inst Tech      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  
  Mon, Nov 30   Georgetown      Mount St. Mary’s – MD      Washington, D.C.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  Tue, Dec 01   Northeastern      Providence      Boston, Mass.    7:00 p.m.  
  Tue, Dec 01   Cincinnati      Texas Southern      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Tue, Dec 01   Notre Dame      Idaho St.      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:30 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 02   Connecticut      Boston University      Hartford, Conn.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Dec 02   Villanova      Drexel      Villanova, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 02   USF      Hampton      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 02   Duquesne      Pittsburgh      Pittsburgh, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  CBS College Sports
 
  Wed, Dec 02   Louisville      Stetson      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Dec 02   St. John’s      Stony Brook      Queens, N.Y.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Dec 02   DePaul      Alabama St.      Rosemont, Ill.    8:30 p.m.  
  Thu, Dec 03   Seton Hall      Hartford      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  
  Thu, Dec 03   Rutgers      Princeton      Piscataway, N.J.    7:30 p.m.  
  Fri, Dec 04   Pittsburgh      New Hampshire      Pittsburgh, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 05   Rhode Island      Providence      Kingston, R.I.    1:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 05   Marquette      North Carolina State      Milwaukee, Wis.    3:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sat, Dec 05   Duke      St. John’s      Durham, N.C.    3:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Sat, Dec 05   Vanderbilt      DePaul      Nashville, Tenn.    4:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 05   Georgetown      American University      Washington, D.C.    4:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 05   Louisville      Charlotte      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Sat, Dec 05   Syracuse      Maine      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sun, Dec 06   Notre Dame      Central Fla.      Notre Dame, Ind.    12:00 p.m.  
  Sun, Dec 06   Connecticut      Harvard      Storrs, Conn.    1:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sun, Dec 06   Rutgers      Colgate      Piscataway, N.J.    2:00 p.m.  
 BB&T Classic 
 
  Sun, Dec 06   Maryland      Villanova      Washington, D.C.    7:30 p.m.  FSN
 
 
 
  Mon, Dec 07   Providence      Brown      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  
  Mon, Dec 07   Seton Hall      Massachusetts      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  
 Jimmy V Classic 
 
  Tue, Dec 08   Butler      Georgetown      New York, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  Tue, Dec 08   Indiana      Pittsburgh      New York, N.Y.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
 
 
  Tue, Dec 08   Marquette      Wisconsin-Milwaukee      Milwaukee, Wis.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
 SEC/BIG EAST Invitational 
 
  Wed, Dec 09   St. John’s      Georgia      New York, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Wed, Dec 09   Kentucky      Connecticut      New York, N.Y.    9:30 p.m.  ESPN
 
  Thu, Dec 10   Mississippi State      DePaul      Tampa, Fla.    6:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Thu, Dec 10   Florida      Syracuse      Tampa, Fla.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
 
 
  Wed, Dec 09   West Virginia      Duquesne      Morgantown, W.Va.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Dec 09   George Washington      Providence      Washington, D.C.    7:00 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 09   Notre Dame      IU-Southeast      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:30 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 09   Rutgers      Monmouth      Piscataway, N.J.    7:30 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 09   Saint Joseph’s      Villanova      Philadelphia, Pa.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Thu, Dec 10   Cincinnati      Miami OH      Cincinnati, Ohio    8:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Pittsburgh      Kent State      Pittsburgh, Pa.    12:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Seton Hall      VMI      Newark, N.J.    12:00 p.m.  
 Wooden Classic 
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Washington      Georgetown      Anaheim, Calif.    2:00 p.m.  FSN
 
 
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Rutgers      TBA      Piscataway, N.J.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 12   Louisville      Western Carolina      Louisville, Ky.    4:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Wisconsin      Marquette      Kohl Center    5:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Notre Dame      Loyola Marymount      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 12   Providence      Iona      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 12   West Virginia      Coppin State      Morgantown, W.Va.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sun, Dec 13   Syracuse      St. Francis College (NY)      Syracuse, N.Y.    1:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sun, Dec 13   USF      Central Michigan      Tampa, Fla.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sun, Dec 13   Temple      Villanova      Philadelphia, Pa.    3:00 p.m.  CBS College Sports
 
  Sun, Dec 13   St. John’s      Fordham      Queens, N.Y.    4:00 p.m.  
  Sun, Dec 13   DePaul      Illinois Chicago      Rosemont, Ill.    6:00 p.m.  
  Sun, Dec 13   Xavier      Cincinnati      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Tue, Dec 15   Rutgers      Rider      Piscataway, N.J.    7:30 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 16   UAB      Cincinnati      Birmingham, Ala.    TBA  
  Wed, Dec 16   USF      Central Fla.      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Dec 16   Louisville      Oral Roberts      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Dec 16   DePaul      American University      Rosemont, Ill.    8:30 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 19   Cleveland State      West Virginia      Wolstein Center    TBA  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  Sat, Dec 19   Pittsburgh      Mount St. Mary’s – MD      Pittsburgh, Pa.    TBA  
  Sat, Dec 19   Georgetown      Old Dominion      Washington, D.C.    TBA  ESPNU
 
 Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic 
 
  Sat, Dec 19   San Francisco      USF      Las Vegas, Nev.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sun, Dec 20   San Diego      USF      Las Vegas, Nev.    2:00 p.m.  
 
 
  Sat, Dec 19   Fordham      Villanova      East Rutherford, N.J.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 19   Notre Dame      UCLA      Notre Dame, Ind.    2:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  Sat, Dec 19   DePaul      Texas State      Rosemont, Ill.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 19   Marquette      North Florida      Milwaukee, Wis.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 19   Rutgers      New Jersey Inst Tech      Piscataway, N.J.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 19   Cincinnati      Lipscomb      Cincinnati, Ohio    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sat, Dec 19   Louisville      Western Kentucky      Louisville, Ky.    4:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Sat, Dec 19   Syracuse      St. Bonaventure      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sat, Dec 19   Seton Hall      Temple      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  
 MSG Holiday Festival 
 
  Sun, Dec 20   St. John’s      Hofstra      New York, N.Y.    TBA  
  Mon, Dec 21   St. John’s      TBA      New York, N.Y.    TBA  
 
 
  Sun, Dec 20   Connecticut      Central Fla.      Hartford, Conn.    1:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Mon, Dec 21   Providence      Yale      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  
  Tue, Dec 22   Pittsburgh      Ohio      Pittsburgh, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Tue, Dec 22   Syracuse      Oakland      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Tue, Dec 22   Seton Hall      Navy      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  
  Tue, Dec 22   Connecticut      Maine      Hartford, Conn.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Tue, Dec 22   Notre Dame      Bucknell      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:00 p.m.  
  Tue, Dec 22   Florida Gulf Coast      DePaul      Fort Myers, Fla.    7:05 p.m.  
  Tue, Dec 22   Rutgers      Saint Peter’s      Piscataway, N.J.    7:30 p.m.  
  Tue, Dec 22   Cincinnati      Winthrop      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Dec 23   Georgetown      Harvard      Washington, D.C.    12:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  Wed, Dec 23   Louisville      Louisiana-Lafayette      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Dec 23   Villanova      Delaware      Villanova, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 23   St. John’s      Bryant      Queens, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 23   West Virginia      Ole Miss      Morgantown, W.Va.    7:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Dec 26   Seton Hall      West Virginia      Newark, N.J.    3:30 p.m.  CBS
 
  Sun, Dec 27   Connecticut      Iona      Hartford, Conn.    TBA  ESPNU
 
  Sun, Dec 27   Louisville      Radford      Louisville, Ky.    1:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sun, Dec 27   Marquette      Presbyterian      Milwaukee, Wis.    2:00 p.m.  
  * Mon, Dec 28   Pittsburgh      DePaul      Pittsburgh, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Mon, Dec 28   North Carolina      Rutgers      Smith Center    8:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Tue, Dec 29   West Virginia      Marquette      Morgantown, W.Va.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Tue, Dec 29   Seton Hall      Syracuse      Newark, N.J.    9:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Dec 30   Louisville      USF      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Dec 30   Cincinnati      Connecticut      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Dec 30   Notre Dame      Providence      Notre Dame, Ind.    9:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Thu, Dec 31   Georgetown      St. John’s      Washington, D.C.    8:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Fri, Jan 01   Purdue      West Virginia      West Lafayette, Ind.    2:30 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Jan 02   Connecticut      Notre Dame      Hartford, Conn.    12:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Jan 02   Syracuse      Pittsburgh      Syracuse, N.Y.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sat, Jan 02   Marquette      Villanova      Milwaukee, Wis.    3:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Sat, Jan 02   Kentucky      Louisville      Lexington, Ky.    3:30 p.m.  CBS
 
  Sat, Jan 02   Virginia Tech      Seton Hall      Cancun, Mexico    7:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Jan 02   Rutgers      Cincinnati      Piscataway, N.J.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sun, Jan 03   DePaul      Georgetown      Rosemont, Ill.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Sun, Jan 03   St. John’s      Providence      Queens, N.Y.    5:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Mon, Jan 04   Cincinnati      Pittsburgh      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Jan 05   USF      Notre Dame      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Wed, Jan 06   West Virginia      Rutgers      Morgantown, W.Va.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Jan 06   Syracuse      Memphis      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Jan 06   Providence      Louisville      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Wed, Jan 06   Cincinnati      Cal State Bakersfield      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Jan 06   Marquette      Georgetown      Milwaukee, Wis.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Jan 06   Villanova      DePaul      Villanova, Pa.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Jan 06   Connecticut      Seton Hall      Storrs, Conn.    9:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 09   Georgetown      Connecticut      Washington, D.C.    12:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Jan 09   Louisville      St. John’s      Louisville, Ky.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sat, Jan 09   Villanova      Marquette      Villanova, Pa.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Sat, Jan 09   Seton Hall      Cincinnati      Newark, N.J.    6:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 09   Providence      Rutgers      Providence, R.I.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 09   Notre Dame      West Virginia      Notre Dame, Ind.    8:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sun, Jan 10   Syracuse      USF      Syracuse, N.Y.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Mon, Jan 11   Louisville      Villanova      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Wed, Jan 13   St. John’s      Cincinnati      New York, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Wed, Jan 13   Connecticut      Pittsburgh      Hartford, Conn.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Jan 13   USF      West Virginia      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Wed, Jan 13   Rutgers      Syracuse      Piscataway, N.J.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Thu, Jan 14   Georgetown      Seton Hall      Washington, D.C.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Thu, Jan 14   DePaul      Providence      Rosemont, Ill.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Jan 16   Pittsburgh      Louisville      Pittsburgh, Pa.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sat, Jan 16   West Virginia      Syracuse      Morgantown, W.Va.    12:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Jan 16   Cincinnati      Notre Dame      Cincinnati, Ohio    4:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Jan 16   USF      Rutgers      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN360.com
 
  * Sun, Jan 17   Villanova      Georgetown      Philadelphia, Pa.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sun, Jan 17   St. John’s      DePaul      Queens, N.Y.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Sun, Jan 17   Marquette      Providence      Milwaukee, Wis.    4:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sun, Jan 17   Michigan      Connecticut      Ann Arbor, Mich.    4:30 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Mon, Jan 18   Notre Dame      Syracuse      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Wed, Jan 20   Pittsburgh      Georgetown      Pittsburgh, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Wed, Jan 20   Connecticut      St. John’s      Hartford, Conn.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Jan 20   Cincinnati      USF      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Jan 20   Rutgers      Villanova      Piscataway, N.J.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  Wed, Jan 20   Marshall      West Virginia      Charleston, W.Va.    9:00 p.m.  OTH
 
  * Wed, Jan 20   DePaul      Marquette      Rosemont, Ill.    9:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Thu, Jan 21   Seton Hall      Louisville      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Jan 23   Georgetown      Rutgers      Washington, D.C.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sat, Jan 23   St. John’s      Villanova      New York, N.Y.    12:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  Sat, Jan 23   West Virginia      Ohio State      Morgantown, W.Va.    2:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Sat, Jan 23   Notre Dame      DePaul      Notre Dame, Ind.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Sat, Jan 23   Syracuse      Marquette      Syracuse, N.Y.    2:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Sat, Jan 23   Connecticut      Texas      Storrs, Conn.    4:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Sat, Jan 23   Providence      USF      Providence, R.I.    8:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sun, Jan 24   Louisville      Cincinnati      Louisville, Ky.    12:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sun, Jan 24   Seton Hall      Pittsburgh      Newark, N.J.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Mon, Jan 25   Syracuse      Georgetown      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Jan 26   DePaul      West Virginia      Rosemont, Ill.    8:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Tue, Jan 26   Marquette      Rutgers      Milwaukee, Wis.    9:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Wed, Jan 27   Providence      Connecticut      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Jan 27   Villanova      Notre Dame      Philadelphia, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Thu, Jan 28   USF      Seton Hall      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Thu, Jan 28   Pittsburgh      St. John’s      Pittsburgh, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Jan 30   West Virginia      Louisville      Morgantown, W.Va.    12:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Jan 30   Connecticut      Marquette      Hartford, Conn.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  Sat, Jan 30   Georgetown      Duke      Washington, D.C.    1:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Sat, Jan 30   DePaul      Syracuse      Rosemont, Ill.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 30   Rutgers      Notre Dame      Piscataway, N.J.    6:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Jan 30   Cincinnati      Providence      Cincinnati, Ohio    8:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sun, Jan 31   USF      Pittsburgh      Tampa, Fla.    1:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Mon, Feb 01   Louisville      Connecticut      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Feb 02   Syracuse      Providence      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Tue, Feb 02   Villanova      Seton Hall      Villanova, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Tue, Feb 02   Rutgers      St. John’s      Piscataway, N.J.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Wed, Feb 03   Marquette      DePaul      Milwaukee, Wis.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Feb 03   West Virginia      Pittsburgh      Morgantown, W.Va.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Feb 03   Georgetown      USF      Washington, D.C.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Thu, Feb 04   Notre Dame      Cincinnati      Notre Dame, Ind.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   Providence      Marquette      Providence, R.I.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   Georgetown      Villanova      Washington, D.C.    12:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   St. John’s      West Virginia      New York, N.Y.    12:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   Louisville      Rutgers      Louisville, Ky.    4:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   Pittsburgh      Seton Hall      Pittsburgh, Pa.    6:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   Connecticut      DePaul      Storrs, Conn.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sun, Feb 07   Notre Dame      USF      Notre Dame, Ind.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sun, Feb 07   Cincinnati      Syracuse      Cincinnati, Ohio    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Mon, Feb 08   West Virginia      Villanova      Morgantown, W.Va.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  Mon, Feb 08   Pittsburgh      Robert Morris      Pittsburgh, Pa.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Tue, Feb 09   Providence      Georgetown      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Feb 10   Syracuse      Connecticut      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Thu, Feb 11   Seton Hall      Notre Dame      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Thu, Feb 11   St. John’s      Louisville      New York, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Fri, Feb 12   Pittsburgh      West Virginia      Pittsburgh, Pa.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Feb 13   Connecticut      Cincinnati      Hartford, Conn.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sat, Feb 13   Villanova      Providence      Philadelphia, Pa.    2:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Feb 13   Marquette      USF      Milwaukee, Wis.    8:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Sun, Feb 14   Seton Hall      DePaul      Newark, N.J.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sun, Feb 14   Syracuse      Louisville      Syracuse, N.Y.    1:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sun, Feb 14   Rutgers      Georgetown      Piscataway, N.J.    4:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sun, Feb 14   Notre Dame      St. John’s      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Mon, Feb 15   Villanova      Connecticut      Philadelphia, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Feb 16   USF      Cincinnati      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Tue, Feb 16   DePaul      Rutgers      Rosemont, Ill.    9:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Wed, Feb 17   Louisville      Notre Dame      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Feb 17   Providence      West Virginia      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Feb 17   St. John’s      Seton Hall      Queens, N.Y.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Thu, Feb 18   Georgetown      Syracuse      Washington, D.C.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Thu, Feb 18   Marquette      Pittsburgh      Milwaukee, Wis.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Feb 20   West Virginia      Seton Hall      Morgantown, W.Va.    12:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Feb 20   USF      St. John’s      Tampa, Fla.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sat, Feb 20   DePaul      Louisville      Rosemont, Ill.    2:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Feb 20   Rutgers      Connecticut      Piscataway, N.J.    4:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sun, Feb 21   Pittsburgh      Villanova      Pittsburgh, Pa.    12:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Sun, Feb 21   Cincinnati      Marquette      Cincinnati, Ohio    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Mon, Feb 22   Connecticut      West Virginia      Hartford, Conn.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Feb 23   Louisville      Georgetown      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Tue, Feb 23   Seton Hall      Rutgers      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Tue, Feb 23   Providence      Syracuse      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Wed, Feb 24   Notre Dame      Pittsburgh      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Feb 24   Cincinnati      DePaul      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Feb 24   St. John’s      Marquette      Queens, N.Y.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Wed, Feb 24   Villanova      USF      Villanova, Pa.    9:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   St. John’s      Pittsburgh      New York, N.Y.    12:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   Georgetown      Notre Dame      Washington, D.C.    12:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   West Virginia      Cincinnati      Morgantown, W.Va.    2:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   Rutgers      DePaul      Piscataway, N.J.    4:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   USF      Providence      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN360.com
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   Syracuse      Villanova      Syracuse, N.Y.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sun, Feb 28   Seton Hall      Marquette      Newark, N.J.    12:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sun, Feb 28   Connecticut      Louisville      Storrs, Conn.    2:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Mon, Mar 01   West Virginia      Georgetown      Morgantown, W.Va.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Mar 02   Syracuse      St. John’s      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Tue, Mar 02   Cincinnati      Villanova      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Tue, Mar 02   DePaul      USF      Rosemont, Ill.    7:30 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Tue, Mar 02   Marquette      Louisville      Milwaukee, Wis.    9:30 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Wed, Mar 03   Notre Dame      Connecticut      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Thu, Mar 04   Rutgers      Seton Hall      Piscataway, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Thu, Mar 04   Pittsburgh      Providence      Pittsburgh, Pa.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Fri, Mar 05   DePaul      St. John’s      Rosemont, Ill.    8:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Villanova      West Virginia      Philadelphia, Pa.    12:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Georgetown      Cincinnati      Washington, D.C.    12:00 p.m.  ESPN360.com
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   USF      Connecticut      Tampa, Fla.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Marquette      Notre Dame      Milwaukee, Wis.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Louisville      Syracuse      Louisville, Ky.    2:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Pittsburgh      Rutgers      Pittsburgh, Pa.    4:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Providence      Seton Hall      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN360.com
 
 
* Conference Games 

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