I Bleed Blue and White

Here’s what could be our final edition of Big East blogger beat of the season. My good pal Dave from Friarblog is back. Head over to his site to see my responses to his questions. Enjoy!

Chris (I Bleed Blue and White): I know you watched the ND game. That’s about as well as he’s played all year, let’s hope it carries into Thursday night. Short of the game being canceled what can Providence do to stop Scottie Reynolds from taking it to Providence again?

Dave (Friarblog): We’re hoping Scottie got that amazing shooting night out of his system, and he goes back to how he shot in the previous three games.  That’s going to be a tall order, considering how easily he was able to score and get to the line in the last meeting.  The Friars are going to be in their usual match-up zone, so they have to keep up the defensive intensity they have showed the past two games and really lock him down out on the perimeter.  Jeff Xavier did an excellent job helping shut down Mike Rosario (who might be hitting a freshman wall, but still has been dangerous as of late) in the last Rutgers game .  Hopefully he’ll be able to help keep Reynolds in check this time.

Chris (IBBW): Dante Cunningham was efficient (5-5) and recorded a double-double in the first game, but he didn’t seem to be instrumental in the offensive output that Villanova put forth. Are McDermott and Kale up to keeping him off the boards again are are you worried that Cunningham could do more damage this time around?

Dave (FB): I think anytime you face one of the better big men in the conference, you worry about how he could potentially hurt you.  Heading into the first game against Villanova, containing Dante Cunningham was a top priority.  However, focusing on him just allows more opportunities for the guards to run and shoot like wild.  So it’s most likely a pick your poison kinda thing.  The Friars might try extra hard this time to limit Reynolds, but that might open up more high percentage chances for Cunningham down low.   With the way Reynolds shot against ND, that might be the smart way to go.  We’ll have to see what Keno draws up and how Scottie comes out firing out of the gate.

Chris (IBBW): What does Providence need to do differently this time around (besides Curry shooting from 30 feet for the whole game instead of just the last 3 minutes) if they are going to topple Villanova?

Dave (FB): Well, since making 17 three-pointers wasn’t enough to win in the first game, I think it’s safe to say we won’t see another 40 three-point attempts from the Friars.  I think you will see a completely different Providence team than the one you watched play the Wildcats last month.  The Friars had been very reliant on the long ball this year, averaging about 21 attempts per game.  However, in the last two victories, they put together their two lowest totals of the season — 15 on the road against Rutgers, and only TWELVE in the huge upset win over Pittsburgh.  Sharaud Curry, Jeff Xavier, and Weyinmi Efejuku probably took 12 in the last two minutes of the Villanova game alone!  Curry is still going to push it when he can, but I think you’ll see a much more patient half court offense with a lot more of an inside attack. Oh man, if they could only bottle up the inside looks and interior passing from the Pittsburgh game.  Anyway, Kale has become extremely consistent down low, and Geoff McDermott is starting to shoot much better.  Hanke is going to need to step up too — he didn’t get many touches (0 points, 0-1) against Nova the first time around.

However, the offensive changes won’t matter unless the team can make stops on the defensive end.  The Friars have shown a good amount of improvement on defense since allowing ND to stick a boatload of threes on their way to 103 points.   They have to make sure Reynolds and Fisher don’t get too many open looks on the perimeter, but also keep Reynolds away from the line (he went 13-15 in the first meeting).

Chris (IBBW): Forgetting Thursday’s game for a minute, is Providence in or out right now?

Dave (FB): I don’t pretend to be a Bracket Projector, but I really do feel like Providence deserves a bid right now. They have a guaranteed finish in the top half of the conference, with 10 (11 after tomorrow night ) BIG EAST wins.  I’d like to sweep the early non-conference losses under the rug and just focus on what the team has been able to accomplish in this tough conference.  What’s even more infuriating are all these “experts” claiming that PC has a “soft” unbalanced BE schedule.   They play Villanova TWICE!  They are essentially calling your team soft — are you going to take that!?!  But seriously, the Friars beat almost everyone they should, which certain other teams (*cough* Georgetown *cough* Harongody is a crybaby *cough*) can’t say.  Plus, over the last several days, it seems that 17 bubble teams lose each night.  In fact, one probably just lost as I typed this (it was Florida!).

Chris (IBBW): Give me the one player that will have Villanova fans cursing at the TV on Thursday.

Dave (FB): Now does the cursing at Sharaud Curry carry over from the last game?  Since he drilled so many crazy 30 footers late in the game, Wildcat fans were probably too busy hyperventilating to properly curse him out at the TV.  I think Curry will again be the one to cause Nova Nation (or whatever you call yourselves) the most stress, since he really steps up in the big games. The dude is shooting 44% from behind the arc in BIG EAST play, so it wasn’t really out of the ordinary what he did against Nova.  The little guy just wants to WIN, and that’s why Friartown loves him.

Chris (IBBW): Prediction time. What happens on LOST? I mean, what happens on Thursday night between Villanova and Providence?

Dave (FB): I’m not sure you realize what that Pittsburgh win did for these players. Over the past several years, the team could never seem to pull off a road win against a tougher BIG EAST opponent. Now, the team is full of confidence and expects to win. A road upset doesn’t seem so far fetched anymore. They have in fact turned the frozen donkey wheel (LOST reference for those who have no idea what I just said) on their season.

I think it’s going to be a high scoring affair again. With so much at stake for both teams, I think we are going to be in for an excellent game all-around. 91-87 Friars. We wanna go dancing!

On another note: If our paths don’t cross again in the BET, I just wanted to say I’ve really enjoyed exchanging questions/emails/blog comments throughout the season. My first season of blogging has been a blast, and it’s really been great interacting with other bloggers who are as passionate about their teams as I am. Best of luck to ‘Nova in the BET and NCAA’s. Go BIG EAST!

Thanks to Dave for this as well. It’s been fun and while I hope Providence does make the Tournament, I don’t want to see it at the expense of us.

For the second round of blogger talk, I chatted with Andrew from CasualHoya. As you can probably surmise, Andrew takes a lighter approach to the blogging experience. We had a good Q&A and took a few potshots at each other all in good fun. If you head to his site you can see me dishing out some junk.

Chris (I Bleed Blue and White): When Chris Wright and DaJuan Summers inevitably throw down this season, who wins? And who’s on the undercard?

Andrew (CH): I truly believe that anyone who has ever attended ‘Cuse or currently does suffers enough by having to be up there for 4 years.  That being said, I would first punch every single one of the students who threw stuff at the few Hoyas fans that made the horrible trek to the Carrier Dome a few weeks ago.  ‘Cuse fans are really the worst.  Well, maybe except for those Nova fans who dressed up in prison gear when Iverson led the Hoyas into the Philly that year.  But, if I had to choose a single ‘Cuse player whose face I would put on a punching bag, it would have to be Devendork’s.  That guy is horrible.  It’s one thing to single-handedly ruin your team’s chances when you’re on the court, but punching women? Come on!  Yeah, definitely Devendork.

Thanks to Andrew. Definitely a change of pace, but a lot of fun at the same time.

We’re back with another edition of Blogger Beat, which is the first of 2 for Georgetown (that’s right, I’m treating all you guys). I talked with Johnny from HoyaHoops in anticipation of the upcoming game. The transcript of my questions for him is below. If you go to HoyaHoops you can find my answers to his questions.

Chris (I Bleed Blue and White): Man, I always knew there was a rivalry between you guys and Syracuse, but “Georgetown Week” in the Syracuse blogosphere was out of control. Have Troy Nunes, Orange::44 and the bunch lost the plot or is the feeling mutual on your side? I don’t pretend like Villanova and Georgetown’s rivalry is huge, but it’s had some good moments (1985!) and some bad (I’m still fuming over the “foul” last year).

Johnny (HoyaHoops): Syracuse and Georgetown is a HUGE rivalry.  They’re our #1 rivals hands down.  I try to stay away from Orange blogs, so I’m not sure how over the top they went, but I know that after the Hoyas crushed them at the Verizon Center, that definitely amped them up for their home game a month later.

So I think that the rivalry is definitely mutual.  I’m not sure how many Georgetown fans would throw bottles and things at visiting Syracuse fans if they made the trip to DC, but that’s another story altogether.

With Villanova, though, I think you guys make more of that than we do.  For Hoyas fans, it’s Syracuse #1, everyone else #2.  I know that a lot of the Hoya faithful consider Maryland a huge rivalry, and so they’re happy Georgetown got to destroy two of their biggest rivals.

Chris (IBBW): I think most agreed Georgetown would take a step back this year, but most (myself included) figured they would still be a Top 25 team. I’ve seen a lot of the media say that Greg Monroe hasn’t lived up to the hype, but in my opinion the loss of Jonathan Wallace at the point has hurt more. What’s the real story?

Johnny (HH): Nobody seems to know what the problem is, but I can promise you it’s not Greg Monroe’s fault.  Like any freshman, he has his ups and downs, but he’s been doing very well at picking apart defenses by making the right passes.  A lot of people are questioning whether he’s getting the ball enough in the post, but again, I don’t think Georgetown’s problems can be pinned on Greg.  If he gets the ball more often down low, it’s not going to solve everything; there are a lot of things going on, and I think everyone, Coach Thompson included, is at a loss to figure out what all these things are and how to fix them.

Definitely, life without Jonathan Wallace has been tough for the Hoyas, and his calming presence alone would make this current team 100 times better, but he’s not coming back.  After the Marquette game last Saturday, JTIII hinted at the fact that his team is very young and Marquette’s was full of veteran players, which is why the Hoyas failed to execute down the stretch.  As a senior, Wallace was excellent in late game situations, especially at the free throw line.

Chris (IBBW): It’s been widely rumored that there is dissension in the Hoya locker room. It was believed there were problems last year between DaJuan Summers and Roy Hibbert, although they insisted everything was fine. Any truth to the chemistry problems this year?

Johnny (HH): Nobody knows what goes on in the Georgetown locker room.  That place has as high security clearance as any in Washington DC.  Saying that, there may be some team chemistry issues, I don’t know.  But the thing is, it sure didn’t look like there was any problem at the beginning of the season when the team was winning, so I don’t put too much into that.  When your team is losing, you’re gonna  be upset, and tempers are gonna flair.

Chris (IBBW): Can only a Big East Tournament title save Georgetown’s NCAA hopes?

Johnny (HH): It would look that way.  Now if the Hoyas beat Villanova, they’d have three big wins against Top 10 teams, and they do have one of the toughest schedules.  I think KenPom has Georgetown with one of the Top 5 in terms of Strength of Schedule, and they are #45 in RPI.  A big win at Nova would help, along with a nice run in the BET, so you never know.  The main thing is that Georgetown needs to play better basketball.  Sneaking into the tournament playing the way they have lately would just be embarrassing in the first weekend of the tournament.

Chris (IBBW): Finally, what’s your feeling on the game? Villanova struggled with DePaul badly on Wednesday, but Georgetown is reeling. The Villanova students will largely be on break, which helps Georgetown immensely. Any predictions?

Johnny (HH): I think the Hoyas will win.  I always think the Hoyas will win.  Before one of the games at Verizon – maybe Pitt – some people on press row were asking who everyone thought would win, and I said Georgetown.  When the Hoyas lost, somebody said, see it’s your fault – you jinxed it.  I was like, “Dude, I’ve said that before every game.”  After the last few months, I’m finally beginning to believe them.  Maybe I am jinxing things.

Thanks to Johnny for the Q&A session. He runs a great Georgetown blog, so head over to HoyaHoops before the game to get some Georgetown perspective.

As I promised, here’s my chat with Brian from Orange:44 following Villanova’s victory over the Orange last Sunday. Brian was kind enough to answer my questions this time. I know it will pain you, but we want Syracuse to win out until the BET. Not only will it help our SOS, but if they can score a victory over Marquette, that will help our push for a Top 4 seed.

Chris (I Bleed Blue and White): Well, it appears Andy Rautins is over the injury bug. He was scorching the nets. Syracuse as a team attempted 39 3-pointers Sunday, while Arinze Onuaku, Rick Jackson and Kristof Ongenaet combined to attempt just 6 shots. Obviously I haven’t watched a ton of ‘Cuse this year, but is this how they typically play, or was this a strategy for the ‘Nova game only?

Brian (Orange::44): Yeah this is not normal. They practically shot almost 50% more three point shots this game then they average. It did not seem too strategic, but I suppose if Andy Rautins is feeling good and getting open shots, why not take that many? Only one of his shots was bad. Similarly, Eric Devendorf had a few bad shots, but most of them he was open so I can understand why he would want to take it. Plus, I think this was a flow of the game adjustment as well. It seemed like Syracuse was having trouble, save Paul Harris, driving on this Villanova defense, therefore they felt like shooting a lot and it worked for a while.

Chris (IBBW): What player (players?) need to pick up their game down the stretch for Syracuse?

Brian (O::44): Clearly Arinze Onuaku needs to get back in this game. I realize he is battling some knee problems, but he looked fine the last game, and then with Villanova he basically phoned it in, did not have his hands up on defense and was certainily not hungry enough to rebound. He will be a key factor in playing any future teams with decent big men. Similarly, Rick Jackson will have to do a better job of filling Onuaku’s shoes when he is on the floor. Our entire low post presence in this game was practically non-existent, and that is a problem in the future if it’s not fixed.

Chris (IBBW): What was up with Jonny Flynn? I heard some rumors about him having the flu, but he didn’t seem like himself. I know how he feels about ‘Nova and expected more from him, but he seemed to shy away from the spotlight all game. Off-day or were other factors present?

Brian (O::44): Yes, I think it was a combination of feeling under the weather and just having an off day. You could visibly see a difference with him in the second half. I think he overcame the sickness mentally and started playing like vintage Flynn, cutting to the hoop and breaking defender’s ankles. But the first half was definitely not his best work by far. Flynn definitely does not have these kinds of games often so he gets a pass from me on this one. However, he definitely needs to show up from here on out. Get this kid some Vitamin C.

Chris (IBBW): Without getting too ahead of ourselves, do you think either Flynn or Harris leaves school early for the NBA? To me, both could clearly use more seasoning in college, but after reading that SI article last week, I got the feeling that harris wasn’t totally happy at Syracuse.

Brian (O::44): Be under no illusion that Jim Boeheim is not the hardest on Paul Harris. He is always yelling at him. For good reason though. Paul Harris has had the most epic of mental lapses in his Syracuse career over anyone else currently in the program, and if you may recall it cost Syracuse a victory over Pittsburgh at home last year, and possibly an NCAA berth. However, I think everyone knows that Harris is not ready for the NBA (if he ever will be) and will most likely stay around another year. I think if Syracuse does not get that far in the NCAA Tournament Flynn will be back for sure. Frankly, I think he will be back either way. Flynn play with Harris in high school in Niagara Falls and was basically the reason Flynn came to Syracuse. He will most likely stay until Harris graduates anyway. But you never know.

Chris (IBBW): At 7-7 in a brutal conference, with a few quality OOC wins and a favorable schedule down the stretch, how do you see ‘Cuse finishing in conference and where are they going to be seeded in the NCAA Tournament (I don’t care what the “experts” say, ‘Cuse has done enough to get in)?

Brian (O::44): I think Syracase will definitely finish in 6th or 7th in the conference. Syracuse has a rather soft schedule coming down the stretch, with the only possible stumbles coming from Cincinnati and Marquette in my opinion. Now the Cincinnati game is at home so I am not that worried, but they are playing Marquette on the road, and frankly we would need a miracle to win that probably. Either way, they are looking no better than a 6 at this point. Similarly, pending a good run in the Big East Tournament against some really elite teams, I think Syracuse will be a 6 or 7 seed in the big dance as well. I think right now Syracuse has done enough to get in, with marquee wins against Memphis, Florida and Kansas. So at the very least, the mission of Boeheim and his team to get back to the NCAAs should come true, pending a horrific, horrific collaspe.

Thanks to Brian for doing this. We had fun this season. Good luck the rest of the way and hopefully we won’t see you again in the BET because it’s tough enough beating the same team twice in a season, let alone 3 times. Make sure you check out Orange::44, he does great work over there.

The last time Villanova played Syracuse, I chatted with Brian from Orange:44 about the game. Brian ended up making the trip down to Philly for the game along with countless other Orange fans, and therefore never had the chance to ask me any questions about the game. He ended up asking me some questions after the game though.

This time, we’ve flipped it around. Brian asked some questions, and I’ll get back at him after the conclusion of the game on Sunday. Below are my answers to his questions. Head over to Orange:44 and check out his blog!

Brian (Orange:44): Villanova was embarrassed by West Virginia this past weekend. Is this indicative of a slide by the Wildcats, or was this just an off night?

Chris (I Bleed Blue and White): It wasn’t really a shock that we lost because playing in Morgantown on a Friday night is tough enough, but add in the fact that West Virginia was backed up against the wall and I was hoping for a close win, but in my mind was pretty certain we weren’t going to emerge on top. The way we lost was harsh though. Dante Cunningham was called for 2 offensive fouls in the first few minutes and it was all downhill from there. Our defense was horrendous again, but Da’Sean Butler wasn’t going to miss if Michael Jordan was guarding him. Career night for him.

In the end though, it felt more like a hiccup than a trend-starter. ‘Nova played a sloppy game in a win against Rutgers on Thursday, but got back on track with the win, which is really all that matters at the end of the day. The defense really hasn’t been right in a few weeks, so they are going to have to turn that around because as they showed against West Virginia, the offense won’t always save them.

Brian (O:44): Will Dante Cunningham have just as huge a game as the last time these teams met, or was that just an outstanding night for Cunningham?

Chris (IBBW): That was the best game of his career and I’d be shocked if he had another game like that. He really couldn’t miss. He was as close to automatic as can be. He’s not always going to shoot like that, and as he showed Thursday (5-17), he can struggle at times with the jumper. I think Syracuse is a great matchup for him though. Onuaku and Jackson just can’t stay with his movement in the zone, and he’s good at finding those soft spots and releasing a quick jumper. If he’s hitting them early on, Syracuse will have to try something different. I expect another good game from him, but certainly not what he did last time.

Brian (O:44): What will be the keys to victory for both Syracuse and Villanova?

Chris (IBBW): For Syracuse, I think they need to shore up the zone defense. ‘Nova picked it apart last time and put up 100 on them without shooting the lights out (except for Cunningham). Corey Stokes and Corey Fisher have been blazing lately and if Syracuse allows Fisher to get into the lane it could be another long day. Stokes was scorching the nets on Thursday (5-7 from downtown) and he’s playing with tons of confidence. I’d expect a big game from him because if he’s left open, it’s going in the bucket. Also, Syracuse needs to avoid the bad turnovers (that’s you Eric Devendorf).

For Villanova, they need to remember that Syracuse is going for blood this time around. They were embarassed in Philadelphia a few weeks back and they’ll play with a lot of pride this time around. I consider ‘Cuse a ‘lock’ for the Tourney, but they will want a few more quality wins to get better seeding. Villanova can’t expect to roll like they did last time. Thankfully, they’ve cooled off since the first meeting and realize that they need to play better. Fisher and Stokes are the key. If they play well, Villanova has a good shot to come away with the W.

Brian (O:44): This will be a very hostile environment for Villanova. How do you see them reacting to the Loud House?

Chris (IBBW): Honestly, I see them handling it well. Villanova won in 2008 with the same team, so they’ve proven they can win there. Plus, they are coming off a loss in Morgantown where the crowd really had an impact, so they’ve had some experience with the hostile crowd recently. Fisher is the guy I would worry about the most in there, but he had a pretty good game there last year so that makes me feel better. There’s no doubting that the noise will have an effect though.

Brian (O:44): Finally, how worried are you about this game for your team and how do you see it shaking out?

West Virginia, the patron state of burning stuff.

In anticipation of the Villanova’s trip to Morgantown on Friday, I chatted with John who covers West Virginia at Mountainlair. Below are some questions that I asked John about his beloved Mountaineers. John has some personal matters to attend to, so no return questions this time around, but thanks to John for taking the time to do this. And away we go…

Chris (I Bleed Blue and White): First things first; Bob Huggins’ all-gold getup. Yay or nay? I can’t decide if he and Bruce Pearl are on to something or if I want to set that thing on fire.

John (Mountainlair): Throw it on a burning couch! Man, that picture of him in all gold makes him look like Goldmember! I like the look he’s sporting now with the dress shirt and jacket without the tie. The pullover look was a little too casual.

John (ML): That was really the two key players on the team last year. If either one was back this year, we would be a completely different team. Nichols was just clutch and had an unbelievable assist to turnover ratio. Alexander’s absence speaks for itself. We really lack an inside game that freed up Ruoff and Butler. Butler has been able to shine at times this year, but Ruoff’s game has been hurt because people are paying more attention to him. Our problems at the point guard position were compounded with the loss of Joe Mazzulla. Bryant is improving, but I think it’s a bit much to ask most freshman point guards to be the only option without a dropoff.

John (ML): It’s happened in football and basketball. I think it’s mostly because of the success and expectations. And being spoiled by the likes of an Alexander or Slaton and White in football. You get bandwagon fans that are there to be seen more than to show support combined with higher ticket prices. Huggins has every right to complain about it. Especially with such a young team, it can make a huge difference to have that kind of home court advantage. But as of right now, there’s nothing intimidating about playing in Morgantown.

John (ML): I don’t think Ebanks and Bryant can carry the team without Ruoff and or Butler on the floor. Even when those two aren’t on their game, they lead on the floor. Ebanks kept us in the game early against Pitt and has a world of tallent, but he’s probably a year away from being a dominant player. Bryant is fearless, but it gets him in trouble sometimes.

John (ML): I’m hoping you guys shot your load the last two games and will have a big dropoff Friday. West Virginia has done well against teams we match up with size wise. The bigger teams have just worn us down, though. So that gives me hope. Also when the Coliseum is rocking, that’s worth 10 points. It’ll be interesting to see how Bryant deals with the quality of guard play he’s going to face. If he can hold his own I can see West Virginia winning. I’ll say WVU 70-66.

There you have it, John sees a West Virginia win on Friday night. Before Villanova caught fire, I had this game marked down as a probable loss. Villanova just seems to struggle going to West Virginia for some reason, and their hot streak has to end sometime (doesn’t it?). But how am I going to pick against our boys when they have been playing so well? With Anderson probably out, this will be tough. Antonio Pena, Corey Stokes and Shane Clark will all need to step up to account for that loss. I still think Villanova gets it done, they just seemed to be locked in. Villanova edges one out 76-70.

Brian from Orange::44 hosted a Live Blog on Tuesday night that included bloggers from Pitt Blather, TheUConnBlog, FriarBlog, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, and Mountainlair. It went on for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, and the panel discussed football and basketball alike. It’s a good read so if you have the time, check it out.

Now that I’ve interacted with a few of these guys, I might try and play my way into an invitation for the next one if I can. It looked like a good time and those are some good people behind those blogs.

We’re back again with another edition of Blogger Beat, and this time I got in touch with Brian from Orange::44 to talk about the upcoming game on Saturday. It seems like everyone with any association to Syracuse at all is coming down to Philadelphia for the game this weekend, and Brian is one of them. Therefore, he was a little short on time but was kind enough to answer my questions. We’re going to hook up for a post-game questionnaire as well when he has more time. Enjoy!

Chris (I Bleed Blue and White): It’s been rough sledding lately for the Orange, although you’ve gotten some momentum back with the win over West Virginia. How confident are you heading down to Philly for this game?

Brian (Orange::44): I am fairly confident that Syracuse has found its winning ways again. They looked great against West Virginia. Of course, they have looked great at home this season, and not as good on the road. But both Jonny Flynn and Eric Devendorf are very hot lately, so if there is ever a time to play Villanova in Philly, this is as good a time as any during the season.

Chris (IBBW): Andy Rautins and Arinze Onuaku were hurt last week, but both managed to play against West Virginia, although their minutes were limited. What do they bring to ‘Cuse and how important are they to the Orange’s success? How effective will they be against Villanova is they are battling injuries?

Brian (O44): Having an outside shooting threat like Rautins hitting baskets is always good. He stretches the defense out and can really swing the points and momentum of a game. Conversely, Onuaku is a HUGE presence in the middle. Having one of the highest field goal percentages in the nation, when he is on, he can back down anyone in the country and defend anyone as well. He is a strong presence that will get points as long as he gets the ball. While they are vitally important to matching up to the elite in the Big East, you can see Syracuse beat West Virginia basically without them. Without them though, I just am unsure if Syracuse can keep up with Mr. Reynolds and the high octane scoring of Villanova. Either way, it might not matter much if we are still getting rebounds and Flynn and Devendorf are able to score on the regular.

Chris (IBBW): It’s no secret that Villanova is thin in the frontcourt, yet they seem to do well defending the opposing team’s big men. Where they struggle is defending guards, and Syracuse has plenty that can, and in Devendorf and Flynn’s case have, hurt Villanova in the past. Does Boeheim primarily go inside with Onuaku and Paul Harris or rely on the guards on Saturday?

Brian (O44): I think Boeheim’s first instinct is to drive to the hoop or play in the low post with Onuaku or Rick Jackson. If that is working well, then the outside game seems to come with ease. However, if the inside game is stalling, then the guards have a hard time really getting the outside game going. That being said, Flynn and Devendorf are fantastic at creating their own shot, so if they are at least shooting well, it should not matter if the inside game stallas at first. However, Boeheim usually goes to the inside game first.

Chris (IBBW): Never have been a fan of the 2-3 zone, but there’s no denying that Syracuse has made it an art form. Providence put up 100 on it though, and I noticed they didn’t torch you with the 3 ball like they did to us. Where are the weak points in Syracuse’s zone?

Brian (O44): While this team has clearly improved through the season playing zone, but being that we had several personnel out at Providence, the players on the floor were forced to play longer than they are sued to. Therefore the zone was a little more passive than it usually is. The weak point for the last several games has been just behind the back line in between the defenders. Team have had some easy looks making a quick and hard pass to the man behind the defense and then they have been getting uncontested looks at the basket. The zone was much sharper in that West Virginia game though. However, much like last season in the Big East Tournament, if the ‘Nova shooters are draining the long ball, the zone will have to expand up and the team could get some easy looks in the paint or with some back door screens.

Chris (IBBW): Jonny Flynn hasn’t been shooting at a high percentage in the Big East thus far (although he was magnificent against PC). What has contributed to those struggles and do you expect a big game from him on Saturday?

Brian (O44): I think this Syracuse team, more so in the past few season, is playing more like a team in that any one player can step up in any given game. Flynn before the Providence game has been the floor general distributing the ball, getting assists, and making quality passes for easier buckets for teammates. I think it is less struggling, more he knows what he needs to do to help his team win on any given night. During the PC game, he knew he had to take over and make it happen, so he did. That is the kind of player he is. I do expect a big game from Flynn tomorrow, and he should at least score around 15 points.

Chris (IBBW): Prediction time. Last year Villanova and Syracuse split the home and home series, with each team winning the road contests oddly enough. Villanova returns all its key components, while Syracuse lost Donte Green to The League but returns Devendorf and Rautins from injury. How does this one play out?

Brian (O44): This is a tough one to call just because Syracuse has played poorly on the road. I agree that Syracuse will probably split this series again this year, but this time I think Syracuse will win in the Dome, while ‘Nova will win at home too. I do think Syracuse is playing hot again however, so I would not be surprised if Syracuse squeaks out a winner either. My gut says ‘Nova by 9, but my heart says ‘Cuse by 6. Either way, it should be a fun game to watch, and this will be my first trip to Philly so I am very excited to see how it plays out.

Thanks to Brian for doing this, and I hope you enjoy your trip down here. For the record, this game scares me. ‘Nova has been on a great run though, and I can’t pick against them now. Villanova wins 74-68. Make sure you check out Orange:44, Brian does a great job.

My good friend Dave (the game is over, we’re friends again), the proprietor of Friarblog posted a very long and thorough recap today on Villanova’s victory last night. Dave serves ‘plates of pasta’ when rating some players performances from the previous game.

Scottie Reynolds got the full 4 plates of pasta for his performance, but perhaps the best line of the entire entry was the bit on Dwayne Anderson. Dave gave him 3 out 4 plates of pasta and wrote the following:

“I have no idea who you are, but I hate you.”

And that is exactly why I love Dwayne Anderson. He’s relatively unheard of, but other teams hate him. Love it Dave.

For Wednesday’s game at Providence, I’ve teamed up with Dave from Friarblog to get a feel for the upstart Friars. Dave was kind enough to answer a few of my questions in anticipation of the big match-up between our two fine institutions on Wednesday. Head over to Dave’s blog and check out my answers to his questions when you get the chance. Onto the exchange:

Chris (I Bleed Blue and White): When I was in high school, I went to a team basketball camp run by Tim Welsh at Providence. I was instructed by the man personally and my basketball career was short-lived. You won’t convince me that there was no relationship there, and I feel your pain. In any case, how’s Keno Davis working out?

Dave (Friarblog): Wow, with that experience plus rooting for Villanova and Jay Wright, you must be one HELL of a dresser!

I always supported Tim Welsh over the years, but the program just needed a big change after several years of mediocrity. So far so good with everything I’ve seen and heard from Keno. He’s gotten these veteran players to buy into his system and produce. Things didn’t start off so well after that opening loss to Northeastern, but they have been getting better and better as the season has progressed — that alone has Friar fans screaming for joy. Overall, I think he will lead the team in the right direction. Even after we lose half of our team after this season to graduation, the future still looks bright with all the recruits him and his staff have brought in. It’s an exciting time in Friartown!

Chris (IBBW): Geoff McDermott is a guy that I always envisioned transforming into a big-time Big East forward (much like Dante Cunningham has). I could be wrong, but I fee like he’s never lived up to expectations, although he has had some great performances this year. What’s up with him and what can ‘Nova expect?

Dave (FB): I could point you to about 800,000 message board strings that try to discuss Geoff McDermott, in what he has done, and what he has failed to do. After strong Freshman and Sophomore seasons, I think expectations were just set too high once McDermott was asked to do…pretty much everything. Sure, numerous injuries have slowed him down in pretty much all of his first three years — but that’s not going to stop McD from putting up really good all-around career numbers. Geoff is going to finish his PC career with over 1,000 points, 900 rebounds and 400 assists. As everyone knows (and TV analysts will point out), he does a little bit of everything. He’s just not the type of player that can carry a team offensively every night. Unfortunately, McDermott hasn’t been able to improve on limiting turnovers and not making mental mistakes at crucial times. That’s just what really frustrates Friar fans.

That being said, McDermott is going to have to step up his game in every aspect against Villanova — Lord knows PC’s guards are going to be smothered when they have the ball. He’s still capable of having good shooting performances inside (15 points against Marquette and Syracuse), and he’s Providence’s best rebounds (17 boards against Marquette).

Chris (IBBW): Providence is undoubtedly the surprise team of the season so far. I don’t think anyone expected PC to be 6-3 halfway through the conference slate. So what’s been the main recipe for success for the Friars? Guard play? Front-court? Defense?

Dave (FB): What’s this “defense” you speak of? Are you from the future? OK, but seriously — The depth of the team has been a huge reason for the Friars’ success. There really is no single go-to player, but 5-6 guys who can get hot for a game and go off for 20+ points. Keno has been playing strictly an 8-man rotation, with everyone but Randall Hanke (16.8 minutes per game, mainly for defense) scattered throughout the 20’s in minutes played. Sophomore Marshon Brooks will come off the bench and can instantly spark the team on both ends of the court. Since they really like to play and up-tempo pace whenever they can (PC average’s 74 possessions a game, 17th in the country), having everyone fresh is essential. It was the difference in the OT win at Seton Hall, as the Pirates just couldn’t keep up in the extra 5 when 3 of their players fouled out (and even McDermott for PC).

With Providence’s first half schedule, fans were expecting 4-5, 5-4 at an absolute best. They were able to get to six wins because of their tough play on the road. In the previous three seasons, Providence had won TWO road games each year. After a nice win at Cincinnati and that OT win in Newark that I mentioned, the Friars have already matched that total. Those were the kinds of games that PC would painfully let slip away over the last couple of years.

Chris (IBBW): I’m not the only one who took notice, but the “Black Out” seemed to be a pretty big deal in the win against Syracuse. I’ve never taken in a game at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center an am not familiar with it’s home court advantage reputation, but what kind of atmosphere can Villanova expect?

Dave (FB): You better hold onto your F’in hat!

Over the years, the crowd at THE DUNK has garnered quite the reputation. However, the students haven’t had much to get excited about over the past 3 seasons. Sure we’ve had the occasional semi-meaningful game, but the fact is that the team hasn’t been remotely close to being ranked since 2004. After another relatively ho-hum OOC showing (except that always rowdy URI game), things weren’t looking much different this year in terms of student support. This semester, as we approach the BELLY of THE BEAST, oh my have things changed — and Villanova is walking directly into the buzzsaw.

The timing for this important match-up could not be any better fan-wise. For the Syracuse game, Coach Keno Davis and the athletic department really made a strong effort to get the students involved. They held an open meeting with about 25 Friar Fanatics to discuss ideas on how to promote the team, sell more tickets, and get students involved at the game with “clean” cheering signs — whether or not most students followed that last one, well, that’s another story. Anyway, the turnout for the big ‘Cuse game was phenomenal — an estimated 1,200 students (30% of the student body) showed up, with an impressive 1,085 (90.4%) shouting something incredibly derogatory at Eric Devendorf.

With even more at stake against ‘Nova and with the extra emphasis on promotion, there should be an even better turnout. If the players can match the intensity of the student crowd, watch out!

Chris (IBBW): Finally, this is a very big game for both teams. Villanova is starting to state its case to be considered among the stronger teams in the conference. Providence will try to forget the UConn loss and prove that it belongs with the big boys. How do you see this one playing out?

Dave (FB): I foresee a 15 point 2nd half Friar lead, which will inevitably deteriorate into the game being decided on the last possession. Absolute coin toss. However, I’m going to take the Friars in a close one — 84-83. Lots of nausea throughout the entire game.

Thanks again to Dave for doing this with me. He does a fantastic job over at Friarblog so make sure and take a look there if you so please. It should be a great game on Wednesday, and from the looks of it, a very fast game as well. Once again, we disagree on the final outcome, but that’s what makes this fun.