I Bleed Blue and White

According to a report in The Providence Journal, the Big East may be considering changing the format of their post-season tournament yet again. After last season marked the first year where the Top 4 teams in the standings received a ‘double-bye’ and all 16 teams were invited to New York City, it appears there still may be some tweaking to do.

The proposed changes include the elimination of ‘byes’ altogether, and would pit the top teams against the bottom teams on Day 1 of the tournament, which last season drew no TV coverage and very low crowds.

Under the proposed changes, the 1-16, 2-15, 3-14, and 4-13 games would be played on Tuesday, while the other 4 games would be played on Wednesday. The quarterfinals would then be held on Thursday as they were last year, with the Top 4 teams presumably getting a day off in on Wednesday.

Many critics last year felt that the top teams sat for two long, as they sat in the stands and watched not 1, but 2 games before they took the court. After two of those teams (Pittsburgh and UConn) lost, many felt a change was needed.

With the added bonus of almost assured TV coverage from ESPN on Tuesday, these changes could possibly be implemented.

…Count me in the group that thinks this is a horrible idea…the regular season is the true barometer of the conference, not a 4 day tournament where anything can happen…if you work your tail off all year, you deserve to have a break for this tournament, especially if you have your eyes set on a deep NCAA Tourney run…

…And does it really help your cause to be playing the #15 or #16 seed in this tournament when you are fighting for NCAA seeding?…probably not, because if you somehow lose, you only look worse, while if you win, it does absolutely nothing to help your resume…

…I can see where it makes sense for the conference, because they’ll get more exposure and draw bigger crowds, but I’m surprised that coaches of the top teams would want ‘less rest’ before the grueling NCAA Tournament…

Here’s the game recap and the box score.

AP/Frank Franklin II

I’m going to be brutally honest right here, and you’ll probably kill me for it. About 30 seconds into the 2nd half, I knew there was no chance we were winning that game. Call it giving up if you want, but I just had the feeling. They were ready to play, and we were not.

We played an exceptional first half, despite all the turnovers and missed opportunities. We were committed to defense first, which is what we should have been. At the beginning of the 2nd half, the team looked disinterested in defending. And it was all downhill from there.

Down by 8 at the break, Louisville outscored Villanova by 22 after the break en route to a statement win (and one that probably locked up a 1 seed for them).

So where did things go wrong? For one, Scottie Reynolds picked up right where he left off yesterday. Against Marquette he had a great first half, and then disappeared. He was clearly bothered by the pressure tonight, but it’s not an excuse. He’s very good, and should be able to handle that.

Dante Cunningham started off on fire, and then disappeared himself, although in my mind that’s on Jay Wright. He was abusing Samardo Samuels and Greg Jennings in the first half. Then we ignored him. Not sure why, because he was having a great game.

Corey Fisher had 14 points but 6 turnovers in a game that made you think he hasn’t quite arrived yet. Corey Stokes looked like he had never seen a press before.

On Louisville’s end, they just decided to stop driving against Villanova. The Wildcats continually picked their pockets in the first half, so the Cardinals adjusted and started to make good passes and drain open shots. Jerry Smith and Andre McGee absolutely killed ‘Nova after the intermission from the outside.

The most frustrating part of all though was Louisville’s press. It’s not that good. Yes, they play with intensity and in your face. But come on. We’re loaded with guards and none of them could handle it. That’s not good. We played lazy and stood around while Louisville was all over the place. That was the difference.

In the end though, it’s okay. Selection Sunday can’t come soon enough. Did we do enough for a 3 seed? Yes. Did we do enough to land in Philly? A 14-point loss on national TV does not help, that’s for sure. I’ll talk more about that later. Don’t stress over this game though. The NCAA Tournament is what is important, not the Big East Tournament, although this feels like a gut-wrenching loss right now.

The Game: #10 Villanova (26-6, 13-5) vs. #5 Louisville (26-5, 16-2)

Location: Madison Square Garden in New York, NY

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

Broadcast: ESPN and ESPNHD

Brief Rundown: Villanova narrowly escaped Marquette after blowing a 16 point halftime lead. They’ll need to play a more complete game to beat the Cardinals. Louisville made it look easy against Providence. Earl Clark and Samardo Samuels imposed their will against the undersized Friars en route to a 73-55 win.

The last time these teams met, it was an ugly game. Louisville ended up taking the win 61-60 after Villanova could not convert multiple free throw opportunities down the stretch.

3 Keys to Victory:

1. Take care of the ball – Louisville loves to use the full court press and they have had great success with it, leading to many easy baskets. Villanova should have the guard play to handle it, but Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds will need to play under control. They can’t afford to constantly turn it over.
2. Defend the perimeter – The Cardinals have a plethora of guards and forwards who act like guards. Villanova held Louisville to 3-25 from beyond the arc last time out, which was a big reason why they were able to climb back in the game. Earl Clark can get jump shot happy, even though he’s so tough inside. Force Louisville to take ill-advised shots.
3. Play through the pain – After a tough game with Marquette, it’s going to be natural for Villanova to be tired and sluggish. But this team thrives on grit and determination. They love scrapping and clawing. That’s what this game will end up being about. Louisville is flashy. Villanova works hard. Outwork them and see the rewards in the end.

Links:

• Nova News
• VUHoops
• Lets Go Nova
  
• Card Chronicle
  

…Lets Go Nova…what’s everyone think about the game tonight?…

Game recap and box score before we get started.

We’re going to get to the game in a second. But first I want to reflect on the day that I just had. It had its up and downs, but in the end it was brilliant.

AP/Frank Franklin II

I woke up at about 8:15 this morning, showered up, took out the trash and go on the road by 9. I drove up to a friend’s in New Jersey where a group of my friends spent the night in anticipation of the game. On my way up my ear was glued to WFAN, and surprisingly there wasn’t much chatter about the game. The guys on the FAN thought ‘Nova would win, and kind of dismissed the game. That worried me.

I got to my friends and we drove off into the city, and struggled to find parking. We didn’t get to Tir Na Nog until about 12:30, but it was still all good. We had a couple of drinks, talked about the game with some other ‘Nova alums and eventually headed off to the game.

And I need to mention, through all of this my amazing girlfriend Liz was constantly texting me from Naples where she’s vacationing. She’s a ‘Nova alum, and I could tell she wasn’t too happy about missing this game. She’s as die-hard a ‘Nova fan as me, and I love watching the games with her. More on her influence on this game later.

Once your inside Mecca, there’s no place you’d rather be. There’s just something magical about The Garden, especially if you grew up around it.

Villanova raced out to a 16 point halftime lead. Sitting up in the 400’s, we were laughing and joking and talking about our matchup with Louisville. Bad idea.

I stopped in the bathroom at halftime as we moved down to the 300’s to get a better view. I thought to myself, this isn’t over, and we better come out to play.

Marquette slowly battled back in the 2nd half. It felt like a slow death. 12 points, then 10.

Dante Cunningham takes throws down an alley-oop. Before I can even say anything I get the “DUNK” text from Liz. She’s fired up. Do we have momentum? It feels like it.

Marquette keeps battling back though. The lead id down to 5. Our section was screaming. What was happening? Dominic James could all of a sudden jump up and down. It felt like a bad dream. I tell Liz I can’t talk anymore. I’m too nervous.

Then the unthinkable happened. Lazar Hayward drained a 3 to take a one point lead. My stomach dropped. Scottie Reynolds came back down and missed a shot. Marquette’s ball with 40 seconds left.

“It’s over.” That’s what a dad says to his son next to me. To his credit, the boy says no it’s not.

Jerel McNeal drives the lane hard. Cunningham takes him, and gives him NOTHING. Shane Clark rebounds it. We’re out of timeouts. The place is going friggan bonkers. I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack.

Reggie Redding can’t get the ball to Reynolds. We’re screaming. 5 seconds left. It’s all up to him. He’s going to drive.

And he threads the needle to a wide open Dwayne Anderson under the hoop. He goes up to lay it in. The ball is on the rim for an eternity.

And it drops through. Ecstasy.

Would you have it any other way?

And because this article from ESPN’s Dana O’Neil nearly brought tears to my eyes, you need to read it.

The Game: #10 Villanova (25-6, 13-5) vs. #21 Marquette (24-8, 12-6)

Location: Madison Square Garden in New York, NY

Time: 2:00 p.m. ET (or 20 minutes after Louisville-Providence concludes)

Broadcast: ESPN and ESPNHD

Brief Rundown: Villanova enters the game after a 6 day layoff and are very well rested. But will rust come into play? They ended the season scorching hot, blowing out both Notre Dame and Providence. In their loss to Marquette, they couldn’t slow down the Marquette guards. In their win, they used an explosive offense to run them out of the building.

Marquette lost Dominic James for the year and proceeded to lose their last 4 regular season games. They rebounded with a win over lowly St. John’s, but Maurice Acker has not stepped up in James’ absence. The trio of Wesley Matthews, Jerel McNeal and Lazar Hayward will be counted on to carry the Golden Eagles to a win.

3 Keys to Victory:

1. Up the tempo – At the beginning of the year I never thought I would say to push the pace vs. these guys, but times have changed. Marquette is dangerously thin now, and Maurice Acker is nowhere near the quality of Dominic James. Villanova likes to run, so do it and force some turnovers and tire Marquette out.
2. Don’t stress early on – The common theme in the BET so far has been teams struggling to score early. The games have typically been low scoring and the dimly lit Garden with notoriously tight rims has been unforgiving to everyone thus far. If the shots aren’t falling early, the team just needs to relax and let the game come to them.
3. Beware of Matthews/McNeal – The two seniors have been far less dangerous without James, but they are still two of the best players in the conference, and they are fighters. They are going to want to prove that the loss of James isn’t going to stop them. They aren’t going to give up and they will fight til the end. Villanova needs to focus their defensive efforts around these two, and deny them the opportunity to go off.

Links:

• VUHoops
• Nova News
• Cracked Sidewalks

…Lets Go Nova…anybody going up to Mecca?…let’s hear some thoughts on the game…

So after the last two games ended in blowouts, I was really hoping that this game would turn out differently. Before the day started this was definitely the only game that had “game of the day” potential. Syracuse is clearly the better team, but there’s something about them that is going to let Seton Hall hang around.

The thing is, Seton Hall really isn’t even playing that well right now. Robert Mitchell is having himself a game right now, but Jeremy Hazell has yet to get anything substantial going. If he can get started, The Hall is going to be difficult to beat in this game.

On the other side, Jonny Flynn blew by someone for his first bucket and then realized, “Shit, nobody can stop me” and basically did what he wanted for the rest of the half. Gonzo is talking to sideline reporter Allen Hopkins (does that guy blink?) and has basically admitted that they can’t stop Flynn. Nice.

Three things I’ve noticed about this game. First, nearly all of Syracuse’s offense has been on the fast break. I think Bill Raftery said they had 14 fast breaks. That’s absurd. Seton Hall’s offense is built on taking these sort of risks, but they are going to have to cut that number down if they want to win.

Second, John Garcia cannot catch the ball on a bounce pass. He had to have dropped at least 5. Awful. And he can’t dunk either. Is he just too heavy in the midsection? Is he hurt? What gives?

And third, Syracuse’s zone is so vulnerable. I finally realized why Villanova owns it. They do a decent job of covering the perimeter. But if you can manage to get past the first two guys, you are almost guaranteed a bucket. The top guards don’t slide down to help and the backline is a bunch of stiffs. Seton Hall figured this out near the end of the half and started to execute.

And that last point is why I like The Hall to keep this close, and maybe even win it. They are going to be able to score. It’s just a question of whether ‘Cuse can keep up their hot shooting in the 2nd half.

West Virginia couldn’t kee up the pressure in the 2nd half on Notre Dame, and allowed them to make it somewhat of a game. The Mountaineers closed it out in the end 73-62. Luke Harangody awoke from his 1st half slumber to finish with 27 points. Kyle McAlarney finished with 17.

Alex Ruoff had 25 for West Virginia, and Da’Sean Butler fought through foul trouble in the 2nd half to finish with 20. Truck Bryant had a surprisingly good night with 17 points. Freshman Devin Ebanks had 16 rebounds and 5 assists. He’s going to be very, very good.

Very impressed by the Bob Huggins’ boys tongiht. I really think they are going to give Pittsburgh a game tomorrow.

For Notre Dame, it’s likely the NIT for them, although there are no guarantees. Hopefully they make some noise there and gain back something after a disappointing year.

West Virginia has used some sharpshooting from the outside along with their typically suffocating defense to take a 36-18 lead into the half over Notre Dame.

Darryl “Truck” Bryant is being left open a bit too often, scoring 13 points in the opening 20. Da’Sean Butler and Alex Ruoff each have 9, although Butler was 4-14, which is awful.

Luke Harangody looks completely disinterested in playing. I don’t know what’s wrong with him. Is he hurt? He looks like he wants to go home. He had just 4 points on 6 shots. Sheesh.

It’s not just him though. ND has no clue what to do on offense, and forget about them playing any sort of defense. They are basically just passing it around the perimeter and hoping somebody is mysteriously left open for a 3. I know he won’t get fired, but if I’m an ND fan I’m livid if he still has a job next year. He’s just not the answer for them.

West Virginia looks like a team primed to make a run in this tournament though, especially if guys like Bryant and Devin Ebanks can step up. Could they beat Pittsburgh? That’ll be a great game tomorrow.

Barring a complete meltdown by the Mountaineers, this one is over.

Jay Wright just came on as a guest for Mike Francesa’s show on WFAN 660. You can go to the WFAN website and listen for free. I’ll provide updates as they happen.

• Jay talking about how good Marquette looked today. Villanova practiced at 11:30 today and got back to watch Marquette and he was impressed.
• They talked about Mike Tranghese and how he has been great leading the conference and how he supports the 16-team tournament. Jay believes the double-bye helps protect the top teams for the NCAA Tournament.
• Francesa talked about how he used to broadcast Hofstra-Deleware games when Jay Wright and Mike Brey coached against each other. “Those were some big games!”
• Francesa is asking how Wright approaches the Big East Tournament as he prepares for next week. Wright believes it changes from team to team. He believes Villanova has good depth this year so he doesn’t worry about wearing them out this week. He says the 05-06 team had no depth and was vunerable to getting banged up, so he wasn’t upset about losing in the BET that year.
• Francesa comparing Jay Wright’s offense to New York Knicks Coach Mike D’Antoni, and wants to know if Wright prefers a certain pace. Wright says that he doesn’t have the ability to dictate pace against other good teams, but Jay Wright loves to play high-tempo and in the open court, citing their 2nd game against Marquette.
• Francesa loves how Villanova has the ability to spread it out and leave Dante Cunningham alone down low, says he has great moves and the ability to dominate. Wright says Dante has been amazing this year, and when his guards are making shots they are very difficult to stop because the other team can’t double Dante.
• Jay believes the 3-point line change has helped Villanova.
• Francesa asking about the upper echelon teams. Wright says Louisville is the best defensive team in the league. Says UConn is learning to play without Jerome Dyson and they are dangerous. Pittsburgh is “dominant” with DeJuan Blair. Syracuse has so much talent, and can really score. Wright says he wouldn’t be surprised if Louisville, UConn and Pitt all made the Final Four.
• Francesa asking about Dominic James and his absence. Wright says they need to focus on stopping Matthews and McNeal. Says Lazar Hayward is very underrated and will step up.
• Jay Wright is taking off to meet the team and start talking about Marquette. Jay says the team enjoyed the rest, but is itching to get on the hardwood and play.

It’s easy to see that Mike Francesa loves Jay Wright and Villanova. He was very nice and supportive of everything Wright said.

Now I’m really pumped for tomorrow. Good God! I might have trouble sleeping tonight.

St. John’s actually made 15 shots in the 2nd half, so good for them. But they never had a chance after being down by 28 at the half. They eventually lost 74-45. They avoided the 30 point beatdown, so I guess that’s another positive.

Tough to really judge Marquette based on the game. I mean, was their defense really that good or are the Johnnies that bad? I’m leaning towards the latter. They pretty much coasted through this entire game, and should be well rested tomorrow.

Jerel McNeal barely broke a sweat, finishing with 11 points. Wesley Matthews led everyone with 20 and 9.

With the win, the Golden Eagles move on to face Villanova tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Villanova won the last matchup, while Marquette took the first meeting, which was also the Big East opener for both schools. I’ll hopefully be heading up for the game tomorrow, but I’ll make sure to have some commentary on the game before I leave.