On the Hardwood: State of the Big East Locals (1/4)
Another big year in the making
Posted on Monday, January 4, 2010 at 11:10 AMThe Big East conference season is underway and rolling. Let's take a look at where the locals sit, as well as other interesting story lines around college basketball.
STATE OF THE BIG EAST LOCALS
ST. JOHN'S:
It was a tough week for the Red Storm. After going tit-for-tat and having a strong showing in a loss on the road against Georgetown, the Johnnies suffered through a second-half collapse without junior point guard Malik Boothe (injury) in a 74-59 loss to Providence at Carnesecca Arena.
Norm Roberts' team will have to win some games they're not supposed to in order to make up ground in the rugged Big East. Next up is a trip to Freedom Hall next Saturday to tangle with Rick Pitino and Louisville.
SETON HALL:
Another week, another pair of painful losses for the Pirates. After nearly beating Syracuse at home and losing a heartbreaker in overtime to Virginia Tech in Cancun, the Pirates are at a major crossroads. This team has proven that it has the firepower to compete with anyone in the country, but has yet to earn a marquee conference win.
Bobby Gonzalez's team will get a few opportunities to do that this week as they travel to UConn on Wednesday and return home Saturday to host Cincinnati at the Prudential Center.
RUTGERS:
The Scarlet Knights showed tremendous fight in losses at North Carolina and at home against Cincinnati. A major positive for Freddie Hill's team is that Rutgers is getting production from people other than Mike Rosario. Freshman Dane Miller and junior Jonathan Mitchell have emerged as two legitimate scoring options, with Mitchell excelling off the pick-and-roll.
Like Seton Hall, Rutgers is having problems closing out games down the stretch due to a lack of experience in end of game situations. It won't get any easier to amend as Hill's team travels for road tilts at West Virginia and Providence.
UCONN:
Jerome Dyson and Stanley Robinson are looking like the best one-two punch in the Big East. The slithery Dyson looks like he's back to the form he showed before he injured his knee during last season and Robinson has emerged as the player Jim Calhoun envisioned when he arrived in Storrs four years ago.
The key for the Huskies moving forward is if sophomore point guard Kemba Walker can continue to grow as a playmaker and if freshman wing Jamal Coombs-McDaniel can emerge as a legitimate backup off the bench. If those things happen, Calhoun should have UConn peaking by mid-February.
VILLANOVA:
It was vintage Scottie Reynolds on Saturday against Marquette. The senior guard hung in the air, absorbed contact and buried the Golden Eagles the same way he buried Pitt in last year's Elite Eight thriller in the NCAA Tournament.
Narrow victories on the road are the mark of a winning program, and that's what Villanova is. The poise shown by Reynolds and fellow senior Reggie Redding in big spots should be enough to keep the Wildcats in the thick of the Big East as they patiently wait for their young core to mature.
SYRACUSE:
Stuck in the mud against Pitt, the Orange looked mortal for the first time all season as they suffered their first loss of the year. Not to worry, Jim Boeheim's club has a chance to get back on track on Wednesday night as they host Memphis at the Carrier Dome.
This team might have one of the best baselines in college basketball, but the separation factor for the Orange is its backcourt. When Syracuse gets stellar play from Brandon Triche, Scoop Jardine, or Kris Joseph, they're a different team. See wins against North Carolina and at Seton Hall.
THIS AND THAT:
- Is there a more improved player in America than Purdue's JaJuan Johnson? The 6-foot-10 junior center had 25 points and 10 rebounds in the Boilermakers' drubbing of West Virginia on New Year's Day.
Johnson and face-up four-man Robbie Hummel complement each other better than any frontcourt combo in the country.
- You've got to feel for Buzz Williams and Marquette. They were two possessions away from being undefeated in Big East play with wins over West Virginia and Villanova. Instead, they're 0-2 thanks to the dramatics of Da'Sean Butler and Scottie Reynolds.
- People need to start paying more attention to the year Siena junior Ryan Rossiter is having. The 6-foot-9 forward is averaging 11.6 PPG and 9.5 RPG and has already recorded five double-doubles for the Saints.
- Nice road win for Kevin Willard and Iona over Niagara. Gaels sophomore guard Scotty Machado, who is one of my favorites in the area, filled up the box score against Joe Mihalich's squad in Western New York, scoring 12 points, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing out six assists.
- I got really excited when I saw UCLA beat Arizona State in its PAC-10 opener, but then I realized it's probably not going to be the Bruins' year when they got thwarted at Pauley Pavilion by Arizona.
Good news for Ben Howland, though, as sophomore point guard Malcolm Lee will have help in the backcourt next year as UCLA got a commitment from JUCO floor general Lazeric Jones out of Illinois.
- More people need to recognize the job Tony Shaver is doing at William & Mary. The Tribe owns wins at Maryland and at Wake Forest and have only suffered losses against UConn and Harvard, a team many people think can challenge Cornell for the Ivy League title.
- I know it's early, but right now it looks like the Big 12 can challenge for three top eight seeds in the NCAA Tournament when you look at Kansas, Texas, and Kansas St. Yes, Kansas State.
The Wildcats are thriving under Frank Martin thanks to a rejuvenated Curtis Kelly (transferred from UConn) and the best backcourt no one's ever seen in Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente. It's amazing what this team has done, considering it hasn't received major contributions yet from Wally Judge, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward who was a McDonald's All-American last year.
- I'm real curious to see what happens Tuesday night when Texas travels to Arkansas. I know the Razorbacks have been struggling, but they're always a tough out at home and have a real weapon in sophomore guard Rotnei Clarke.
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