Got a nice little treat for everyone in anticipation of the big game with Syracuse tomorrow night. I chatted with Brian Harrison of Orange:44, who is one of my favorite (if that’s possible) Syracuse bloggers on the net. He’s a regular on Twitter like me, and although I think he’s developed a bit of an unhealthy Curling obsession of the past couple of weeks, he’s still knows his ‘Cuse hoops.

Make sure you head over to Orange:44 and check out my responses to his questions!

Chris (IBBW): Wes Johnson had the NBA hype before the season, but I don’t think anyone saw this type of impact right away. What has he meant for Syracuse’s unexpected stellar year and how healthy is he currently?

Brian (O44): Without a doubt Wes gets most of the hype headlines for the team. He is a very good player and everyone from fans to bloggers to the media agree he will enter the NBA Draft after this season. He was a consistent scorer and rebounder for Syracuse until he was injured against Providence in the Carrier Dome. Since then he’s been all over the map with his scoring, but he seems to have recovered finally and fully. On nights he has carried the team, and other nights he complements the team by passing first. Without a down he is a value in the zone and will burn you if you take him lightly.

Chris (IBBW): I’ve watched a few ‘Cuse games lately and it seems that without that Canuck Rautins on the floor the team struggles mightily. Is he the true floor general for this team? And how many tears did he cry when the Yanks laid the hurt on his boys Sunday?!

Brian (O44): For the record, Andy was born in Jamesville, NY and grew up in Toronto. He has dual citizenship, so that’s something right? He is most definitely the captain of the Good Ship Syracuse and it doesn’t even start with his shooting ability. He is the key component and first line of defense in the 2-3 Zone. He is one of the top earners of steals in the country. And then there is his shooting. Sometimes he is cold, but when he is on he is simply the best shooter in the nation. As for his Olympic watching I am not sure, but he does play basketball and not hockey so it probably didn’t sting that badly.

Chris (IBBW): While Syracuse undoubtedly has the better frontcourt, I think the same can be said for Villanova’s backcourt. What will Syracuse do to try and slow down ‘Nova’s guards, who have had success against this zone in recent years?

Brian (O44): Syracuse boasts the best 3 point field goal defense in the Big East, only allowing 30.4%. They will extend the zone and make it difficult for easy looks at the basket. Additionally our backcourt is so good at moving in the zone they will give contested looks to Villanova, but more importantly making penetration into the zone tough. The interesting question will be if the referees call a tight game or not.

Chris (IBBW): Shot clock is off, tie game. ‘Nova ball. What lengths are you going to to ensure that Scottie Reynolds does NOT break your heart?

Brian (O44): I’m guessing everything and the kitchen sink. Scottie Reynolds is a dream killer. The key is to not foul him, especially if he’s going to shoot a three pointer. Luckily Syracuse has been in similar situations like that this year, and their defense has held up. The rebounding is a bit more suspect, but in those situations they have boxed out well and come down with the game icing rebound and then free throws. If the game came down to that situation it could get interesting.

Chris (IBBW): Other than Wes and Andy, who is the one player that will have ‘Nova fans shouting at the TV on Saturday night?

Brian (O44): It will probably be Kris Joseph. He comes off the bench but could probably start for most teams in the Big East or any other team in the country. He has a really nice complete game as he can take the ball baseline, can throw down the rock, or can shoot a sweet mid range jump shot. Jim Boeheim trusted him to take the last shot for Syracuse against Georgetown and he delivered by splitting defenders and hitting a lay up. Then again, it could be Rick Jackson, coming off a career high 28 points at Providence.

Chris (IBBW): Outside of the the National Title run, is this Boeheim’s finest coaching job ever? How did he make this team so good when everyone expected a down year?

Brian (O44): This has to be. For a team that was just outside of the Top 25, to now be well entrenched in the top 5 and a legitimate threat to go to the Final Four. The difference is Jim Boeheim is coaching the zone defense better than ever based on the players he now has. Due to that, the offense has come along and Syracuse is able to kill a team in several ways. Oddly enough, Jim Boeheim has never won a national coach of the year award. I believe he should be the front runner for this year.

Chris (IBBW): Prediction time — How many pounds of gel will Rautins have in? Will Arinze Onuaku eat somebody? Oh yeah, and what actually happens in the game?

Brian (O44): Two and ½ pounds, no, and I’m guessing one of the best college basketball games of the regular season. Villanova plays the half court set well, and that can mess with Syracuse, a team that likes to push the tempo. But it will probably come down to Villanova’s three point shooting. If Villanova manages to hit a lot they will be in good shape to pull the upset. However they cannot be a one trick pony. Syracuse will continually feed the ball inside and probably will do it with ease against the smaller, multi-guard lineup that Jay Wright loves using. Villanova will have to drive to the basket to win this game. But for a game like this, with the higher rank, at home, and in front of a record crowd, I’m going with the Orange in this one. Although I think it will be a fairly close game and should be entertaining to everyone watching. I’ve been looking forward to this game since the Big East slate started.

Thanks again to Brian for the great Q&A! Have fun at The Dome tomorrow night, but I hope you leave with a strong case of beer tears!

In anticipation of ‘Senior Night’ and our Wednesday night clash with South Florida, I caught up with Ken DeCelles from the USF Blog Voodoo 5. Make sure you head over there and check out my answers to Ken’s questions, and as always, give him some hell while you’re over there!

On to the questions…

Chris (IBBW): Is there a more under-the-radar player in the BIG EAST than Dominique Jones? He’s averaging over 20 a game but still doesn’t get much press. What has he meant for the Bulls’ program?

Ken (V5): I’d like to see one. He did get some national recognition during our four game Big East winning streak earlier this year, but he is still widely unappreciated. Jones’ biggest contribution has to be making USF relevant again in basketball. I’ve heard more USF basketball talk this month then I have over the past 5 years. Jones has said that he will be back if USF doesn’t make it to the Sweet 16 this year, so I hope there will be some national buzz about the team next season.

Chris (IBBW): Jarrid Famous is a guy that Villanova was heavily involved with and was disappointed to miss out on. How is his first year on campus going? Would you say he’s below, met or exceeded expectations?

Ken (V5): It took a little bit of time for Famous to adjust to the higher level of competition, but he has done exactly what we needed him to do this season. He rebounds well, does a good job in the post, and he is improving everyday on defense. He has been knocked around by stronger guys like Yancy Gates, but I’m sure an offseason of strength training will help.

Chris (IBBW): You’ve scored some good wins this year (Pitt, Georgetown) but taken a few bad losses (St. John’s last time out, and a sweep at the hands of Notre Dame isn’t pretty). Many think you’re still on the bubble for The Dance, so what do you need to do to get in?

Ken (V5): A win tomorrow would be a great start. I thought that if we could win 5 games between our last 5 games of the regular season and the Big East Tournament would get us in. An NIT bid would be a little bit of a letdown considering what happened earlier this season, but any type of tournament would be a huge step in the right direction for the program.

Chris (IBBW): You’ve got nearly 5 guys averaging in double-figures (with G Mike Mercer barely missing with 9.0 ppg). How should we read into that? Does that mean there is a glaring lack of depth on this team?

Ken (V5): Depth has been a concern this year, but we finally have everyone healthy for the first time this season. We do have one huge void that’s missing from our team, and that is a competent three-point shooter. For the season we are only hitting 29.2% of our shots from three. In an offense where its mostly dribble penetration, defenses have quickly learned that all they need to do is collapse in the paint and make our guys beat them from deep.

Chris (IBBW): What does Villanova have to do to stop it’s two-game losing streak and dispatch the Bulls, who’ve given a lot of teams problems this year?

Ken (V5): Run zone on defense, and collapse when Jones drives to the basket. We have a hard time hitting anything from distance, and it has burned us the last couple of games. But because I said this, I wouldn’t be surprised if we go 10-15 from three tomorrow.

Chris (IBBW): It’s Senior Night at The Pavilion, which means Scottie Reynolds’ last game on campus. What are you expecting out of him?

Ken (V5): I think that Chris Howard and Anthony Crater will do a decent job holding Reynolds to below his season averages. Last season we did a great job limiting Reynolds to one made basket and seven points, and while I don’t think we will hold him to single digits, I think Reynolds will finish up with 14 points and 5 assists. Not a bad scoreline, but its not what everyone will expect from Reynolds on
Senior Night.

Chris (IBBW): Give me a prediction for how this one plays out.

Ken (V5): USF will keep it close for 30-35 minutes, but Villanova will pull away late and crush USF’s fleeting tourney hopes.

Nova 71-63.

…Thanks again to Ken for making this happen on such short notice. Good luck tomorrow night and as you put it, let’s hope for a clean, injury-free affair…

Sorry for the late post everyone. I forgot I emailed Chas and just realized he probably answered. Which he had. So for the latest installment of …Keep Your Enemies Closer we talked with Chas Rich of Pitt Blather, the best Pitt Panther blog out there for my money. As you’ll see in a few minutes, Chas was not happy when we raised “the incident” in Boston.

Enjoy everyone, and make sure you head to Pitt Blather for some more Pittsburgh coverage before the game tomorrow!

(Note: No pick’em as it is a noon game and the turnaround time is too quick)

Chris (IBBW): If this season doesn’t cement Jamie Dixon as one of the top coaches in America, I don’t know what will. You lost 3 players who were so important to the program, and many people expected you to struggle, yet that hasn’t been the case. Talk about all that for me.

Chas (PB): Oh, there have been struggles. Plenty early. It’s just that the team has made steady improvement as the season continued. Gary McGhee has gone from an awkward foul machine to, in the words of Bill Raftery, “a very serviceable center.” Jermaine Dixon is healthy and has reprised his role as the defensive stopper. They are more of a perimeter team. While the offense hasn’t changed, the emphasis is less on pounding it inside. There’s more driving an shooting jump shots.

Chris (IBBW): I’ve got Ashton Gibbs as my Most Improved Player this year. Did you see this jump coming?

Chas (PB): I expected some improvement, but beyond the shooting it has been the way he has been able to handle the need for him to lead the team that has been surprising. There were parts early in the Big East schedule where he not only had to run the offense, but generate his own shot. He’s not a lockdown defender by any stretch, but he plays solid and is already like another coach on the court.

Chris (IBBW): Dante Taylor was pegged by many to be one of the biggest impact freshman in the conference. Were those predictions premature? What’s been the story with him this year?

Chas (PB): First, he is playing out of position. He’s a power forward and he plays center because of need and because he isn’t ready to play the 4 in Pitt’s offense. The second, is that he is still a freshman big man. It’s astounding how few have the immediate impact expected. I covered this a couple weeks ago, and if you take a look at the top freshman big men, most are in the same boat.

Expectations and pressure were too high because he followed DeJuan Blair and there was arguably an unrealistic expectation that since he was a McDonald’s All-American he would be an immediate force. That isn’t the way it has worked. He will be great in time. He needs to get his conditioning improved and he needs to play better on defense.

Chris (IBBW): How much will last year’s Elite 8 loss serve as motivation for this Sunday’s game? That team was Fields’, Blair’s and Young’s, but do these guys feel that pain too?

Chas (PB): Jermaine Dixon is still bitter. He blames himself for the turnover late in the game when Pitt was up 5 and the game got away. Guys like Brad Wanamaker I am sure thinks about this one.

(IBBW Note: Short answer. We think Chas is still bitter as well.)

Chris (IBBW): What have been the keys to stopping Pitt this year in your losses?

Chas (PB): Turnovers. Lots of turnovers. Strong guard play that forces Pitt out of tempo by speeding the pace. It disrupts the offense and you see them struggle to execute. Basically, Villanova’s strength.

Chris (IBBW): Give me a prediction for Sunday’s game.

Chas (PB): Ugh. I hate predictions. Fine. It won’t be pretty, but Pitt guts it out at home in a close one.

Thanks to Chas for the quick work on a busy weekend! Good luck tomorrow brother, so long as it doesn’t interfere with ours!

For our latest installment of …Keep Your Enemies Closer, I talked with Dave Pean of FriarBlog (make sure you check out my responses there!). Dave’s been in the blogging world for a few years now, has seamlessly transitioned himself in the social networking world, and has developed a Donut/Coffee problem like which the world has never seen these past few years because of Friar Basketball.

Dave, thanks for your time, and Godspeed with the impending heart issues.

Chris (IBBW): Rivalry wins like the one you had against UConn are supposed to ignite a season, but you’ve lost 4 straight since then. In fairness it was a very tough schedule, but talk me through what happened.

Dave (FB): Hey, we’ve been beating UConn soundly for several years now without getting any ignition from it, why start now?  But yeah, this has been a brutal stretch of the schedule.  As the losses continue to pile up, there have been some positives to take away.  PC played Syracuse extremely tough in the first half at the Carrier Dome (before succumbing to their awesomness), and also had a great shot at upsetting Georgetown at home a few nights ago (despite not being able to piss in the ocean).

The big problems (besides the defense) that hurt in the Cincinnati and Marquette losses were bad offensive stretches, plus the ability to make plays down the stretch.  Even though the team puts up a lot of points on the board, there really isn’t a go to player in crunch time who can continually execute on big possessions.  Some players try to take matters into their hands, but end up doing too much.  We just hope that the team (and coaching staff) learns this stretch, and can put it towards the goal of being able to play consistent basketball for 40 minutes.

Chris (IBBW): Jamine Peterson has come out of nowhere (at least in my eyes). Where was he last year and did you anticipate this at all from him?

Dave (FB): Greedy Peterson was a Tim Welsh recruit who always showed great athleticism during his freshman year two years ago, but also had a very raw game overall.  Keno Davis decided to red shirt him last season, and his improvement has been amazing.  If you saw him two years ago, you would be surprised if he could ever learn to make a jump shot, let alone a three pointer.  Oh, and he will now take plenty of three pointers.  His shot selection and overall decision making still have lots of room for improvement, but seeing how Greedy has been able to develop everything else so quickly, the sky is the limit.  Peterson just pumps out SportsCenter highlight dunks and double-doubles like they’re going out of style.   I’m not sure anybody anticipated this from this season, but Friar fans are pretty excited about what he can do for the program over the next two years.

Chris (IBBW): Lots of new names on the roster this year. Who are the impact newcomers for the Friars?

Dave (FB): So we have 4 freshman, 2 JUCO transfers, and a red-shirt freshman.  Whew.  It’s crazy to think that 8 players (if you include Greedy) did not see a BIG EAST game last year.  Out of those 7 newcomers, we only have 3 that have been logging meaningful minutes.  Duke Mondy has been a solid role player, and at times a nice spark offensively off the bench.  However, big man Bilal Dixon and point guard Vincent Council have had the most impact — if they don’t both land on the BIG EAST All-Rookie team, something is terribly wrong.  Dixon keeps getting better and better as the season progresses, and seems like a leader type with his intensity out on the court.  His offense will come and go, but his defense is improving and rebounding has been great.
Vincent Council is the future of the team right now. He’s a great penetrating point guard (which the Friars haven’t had since GOD pretty much) with a phenomenal court sense.  It’s not a stretch to say that he is currently the best player on the team.  As Providence keeps improving on bringing in more talented players, VC will definitely thrive.  The one missing piece in Friartown is a legitimate center — I’m pretty confident Keno will land one the next few years, because all he needs to do is show tape of Council’s passes.

Chris (IBBW): After some careful research, I can confirm Sharaud Curry has only been here for 5 years. But much like Scottie Reynolds, it’s felt like 10. I hate his rainbow 3’s. What has his career meant for PC Basketball?

Dave (FB): Sharaud has had an up and down career at PC.  After starting out with so much promise by landing on the BIG EAST All-Rookie team, coupled with a very good sophomore year at 15 PPG, he obviously took a huge detour with the broken foot that caused him to miss an entire year.  After coming back last year though, it’s clear what type of player Curry is.  At 5-9, he is extremely limited on the defensive end (and has not really improved on this in 5 years).  As a point guard, Curry is more of east-west player, but capable of some excellent scoring nights.  With Council now able to take over some of the ball handling duties, Curry can now play off the ball and really do some damage if his shot is falling.  Like his fellow graduating class of last season, I think the expectations were a little high after seeing what he could do early on.However, Curry didn’t really take the next step as becoming a complete player / leader, and I think that is what frustrates Friar fans.  I will give him credit for how he has played in some recent BIG EAST games though.  Who knows, maybe he has a few more rainbow threes left in him for a BIG EAST upset to close out his career at Providence. Or maybe he used them all up against Villanova last year!

Chris (IBBW): It’s Year 2 of Keno-Ball. Pros? Cons? Dreams? Fears?

Dave (FB): Everyone knew coming into the season that this year was going to be rough.  I think what all Friar fans wanted to see was how the young pieces of the team fit into the program.  Between Vincent Coucil, Bilal Dixon, and the emergence of Greedy, I think there is plenty to get excited about for the future of the team.  With two top 100 recruits coming in next season, we are definitely headed in the right direction in terms of upgrading the talent.  The big questions that loom however: Will the talent upgrade take care of the glaring problems on defense Keno’s team’s have had his first two years?  Will there be a snowball effect in being to be continually land bigger recruits, especially the top talent in the area?  That is the million dollar bet Providence made, and to me it looks we have a good start.

Chris (IBBW): We know about the dildo incident and Jeff Xavier’s lunatic brother, so what has been the weirdest thing to happen at The Dunk this year? And do I need to be worried that Villanova is likely going to be there in the NCAA Tourney?

Dave (FB): Sadly enough, it’s been a pretty tame year at the DUNK.  Unfortunately, the best thing I can think of is the breaking out of a Pauley D big head (since he’s from Rhode Island) in the Student Section.  The NCAA Tournament there should be fun though – I would imagine you’d travel quite well, but I think the locals would get behind another fellow BIG EAST member.

Chris (IBBW): Give me a prediction for Saturday.

Dave (FB): Keeping up with one of the best teams in the conference on your home court is one thing – playing them on the road scares the crap out of me.  I wish I could say we have any chance whatsoever, but I just think Villanova is too talented.  I think we will lose 90-74.

…Thanks again to Dave for his time!…good luck on Saturday brother…just don’t want to see this game in the 100’s…Lord knows that is possible…

Me and Andrew from Casual Hoya traded blows for the 2nd time this year, with this one obviously getting more personal than the first round, where we actually, ya know, discussed basketball. You know the Hoyas. Greg Monroe is a beast. Chris Wright is on the verge of killing someone and Austin Freeman is on the verge of ordering the Extra Large #2 meal at Mickey D’s.

So sit back, enjoy your Friday, and check out the barbs we threw at each other. You can see my answers to Andrew’s questions at Casual Hoya!

Chris (IBBW): Does JT3 even allow the bench players to attend Saturday’s game?  I noticed they scored 10 against Duke, up from 4 against Villanova. I really don’t see a point. If all they are going to do is jack up shots and foul they should just let you play.

Andrew (CH): JT3 better allow the bench to attend the game, because Georgetown won’t beat Villanova without some form of contribution.  The 10 points against Duke was nice, but that should be the norm rather than the exception.  Hollis Thompson isn’t a bad player, it just seems that confidence is an issue right now.   He was with the team last year, knows the system, and can shoot.   It was nice to see him confidently knock down a couple of 3s against Duke, and hopefully he carries it into Saturday.  Jerrelle Benimon is more of a banger type, and he does some nice work in the paint.  Anything more than 2 -4 points from him is gravy.  As far as leaving those guys on campus and allowing me to play, I’d be fine with that.  In fact, there’s no way in hell that if I have my hands on the ball with a few ticks left that I am not hoisting my patented John Starks hop-step jumper.  It remains unfathomable to me how some walk-ons simply dribble out the clock when they finally get court time in garbage time.  Shoot the rock!

Chris (IBBW): I’m certainly no Obama fan but I will admit it is very cool to have The Head Honcho attend one of your games. When you saw him, did you immediately find the answer to life’s greatest question like I’ve heard happens?

Andrew (CH): So I guess living in Philadelphia the only famous people you ever see are the statue of Rocky and Allen Iverson, right?  Well, let me tell you what it is like in the Capital of the Free World:  We see Obama all the time.  At the gym.  In line at Jamba Juice.  Picking through the oat and grain selection at Whole Foods.  At our basketball games. It’s no big deal.  But yes, every time we do see him the Universe is torn asunder and a dozen Angels descend from heaven on a golden chariot and tell us all the secrets of the universe.  And Coach K’s face melts like at the end of “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.”  Pretty sweet.

Chris (IBBW): Who is the big celeb attending this weekend’s clash? If it’s Nancy Pelosi, I kill myself right now. Hearing her talk is a true look into the bowels of Hell.

Andrew (CH): True Fact: Nancy Pelosi sometimes comes to Georgetown games, as her husband is a proud graduate.  So maybe your dreams could come true and you’ll see her on the jumbotron explaining the “Public Option.”  But I am pretty much counting on the biggest celeb at the game to be Jay Wright’s suit, followed closely by his mane of jet black hair.

Chris (IBBW): Is Kyle Singler from the same species as us?

Andrew (CH): Absolutely not. No man has ever straddled the line of Ginger and Albino more confusingly. In person he very much resembles a husky dog as well. I don’t trust him and I’m pretty sure he can give others rabies.

Chris (IBBW): Will Chris Wright drop more f-bombs or dimes on Saturday?

Andrew (CH): Interesting question. The problem with Chris’ f-bombs is there is no discriminating between good ones and bad ones for him, he just has a potty mouth. When he’s playing badly it’s “f!*k” and when he’s playing well and pumping up the crowd its “let’s f!*king go!” As you know, Georgetown is 15-0 when Wright scores in double figures and 1-4 when he doesn’t. Final line prediction for CW4: 17 points, 4 assists, 6 f-bombs, 1 win

Chris (IBBW): Since you’ve figured out that everyone from Villanova would rather be at Georgetown, who is the one player (excluding Scottie Christ) that you would want down in D.C.

Andrew (CH): Mouphtaou Yarou.  A name like that fits in perfectly with former Hoya big men.  I mean seriously, what was Yarou thinking?  Georgetown has had Dikembe Mutumbo, Boubacar Aw, Cheikh Dia, Godwin Owinje and of course, Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje.  Yarou would fit in perfectly with the long list of Hoyas with awesome names.  Hope he is having fun with Scotty, Corey and Reggie.  Unforgivable mistake.

Chris (IBBW): Jon Scheyer just announced he’s transferring to Georgetown. Please enlighten us on how you just reacted.

Andrew (CH): Several of ways to skin this cat (or throw this puppy off the roof, if that’s what you’re in to) and the lowhanging fruit answer is that the fanbase would be mortified to have to watch this smug twerp cry and Scheyer-face his way up and down the court for the remainder of the season. In reality, the guy’s putting up absurd numbers on what appears to be the 5th best team in the Big East (and inexplicably is the cream of the crop in what some douches call America’s premier basketball conference) and would immediately push the Hoyas to championship caliber. Of course, last weekend’s game made it pretty clear that he’s not cut out to play in the Phone Booth so maybe we’ll just leave well enough alone.

The real question is how CasualHoya reacts. We make no bones about the fact that we were singlehandedly responsible for Nikita’s decision to transfer – well, either that or his appalling lack of talent – and would love to have a new player to woodshed. Scheyer is the latest in a line of Duke players who are intensely unlikable but put up solid numbers.

A better question would be how we’d feel if Andy Rautins were to transfer.

Chris (IBBW): Don’t you dare talk about the good women of Villanova like that (Note: See his question to me on his site). Plus, we all know you’ve been with one. It’s your true dark secret.

Andrew (CH): Let’s end this debate in a way that even those with a Villanova degree will understand.  Simply put:

Georgetown: http://static.tvfanatic.com/images/gallery/jwoww-photo.jpg

Nova: http://www.popcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Snooki-Slams-Jersey-Shore-Boycott-500×333.jpg

Chris (IBBW): Even though I think the Pitt-Big Ten rumors are false, it’s a great question, so I’m firing it back. IF that happened, where do we go from here?

Andrew (CH): I think that if we lose a football school, especially one as important to Big East football as Pitt, the Big East will disband.  At the end of the day, as much as I hate it, football decides what happens in college athletics; it is where all the money is.  The Big 10, Big 12 and ACC will swallow the other seven football schools, leaving Georgetown, Villanova, St. John’s, Providence, Seton Hall, Marquette, DePaul and Notre Dame to fend for themselves.  Notre Dame will be forced to join a conference after NBC drops them and the remaining schools bring on St. Joe’s, Xavier, and Dayton to form a basketball-only conference.  They get no TV exposure, lose all recruits and are forced to take part in an experimental underwater basketball league run by Vince McMahon.

Only one thing I said above is unlikely, and sadly it has to do with ND.

Chris (IBBW): Give me a predicition (or 3 or 4) for what happens on Saturday.

Andrew (CH): Almost impossible to predict given the way the Hoyas crap the bed against teams like ODU and USF and rise to the occasion against ranked opponents. Gtown is moving through the most difficult part of its schedule and the Nova game will be huge for payback and for Big East/NCAA Tournament seedings.

Based on what we’ve seen thus far, Nova would be crazy not to throw extensive zone defense at Gtown (well, unless we have another Cocaine Night in honor of your 1985 team) and that could be the key to the game. Gtown is clearly better than Nova on the interior and the zone would certainly do a lot to neutralize that.

I’d also expect there to be a battle of tempo with Nova obviously looking to push the ball behind Scottie Reynolds and Gtown seeking to maximize possessions. We know that Wright and Freeman (and Clark) have the experience not to get flustered but they have struggled with presses. Interestingly, Gtown’s glaring weak spot – its bench – has seen a few glimmers of hope with the play of freshmen Hollis Thompson and Jerrelle Benimon so pace might not be as important.

Nova obviously keys off of Reynolds but King has given them some pretty impressive numbers both with his unabashed gunslinging and actually grabbing a few boards and I see him as an X factor. No secret for Gtown – the game will depend on whether Monroe, Wright, and Freeman all come to show out. Early prediction: Gtown 72 – Nova 66

Thanks again Andrew, and hopefully you can actually make it to the game on Saturday. I’m not sure Georgetown people have enough hand-eye coordination to drive in the snow though!

UPDATE: Check out my answers to Bob’s questions now at Gonzo Blog!

Weirdest weekend of my life. No ‘Nova hoops for the first time in a long time (excluding holidays/finals of course). Anyways, gave me plenty of time to watch the rest of the country play, which was fascinating. As I’m about to write this, I know I’m jinxing the team, but f it. I really do think we’re up there with everyone else. Color me unimpressed by a lot of teams I thought were possibly a step above.

Oh yeah, and I chatted with Bob Yelenak of Gonzo Ball in anticipation of our game with the Pirates tomorrow night. Enjoy!

Chris (IBBW): Do you think Bobby Gonzalez is making it a priority to guard Scottie Reynolds this year? I heard he did well against you last year. Just so you know, we plan on leaving Jeremy Hazell wide open all game like we did in the 1st half last year.

Bob (GB): First, let me note, it seems (especially to Big East foes) like Scottie has been playing college ball for 12 years.  Keon Lawrence, a transfer from Missouri, has been pretty much a bust offensively in his 11 games with the Pirates, however, he has worked his way into the starting #2 large in part for his ability to play tight defense.  I expect Keon to shadow Scottie for the majority of the game in an effort to try to contain him.  If Lawrence can hold Scottie under 20 points, I’d view it as a job well done.  Lawrence most recently defended Dominique Jones last Thursday night and while Jones was good for 28 points, Keon played tight defense, Jones just hit contested jumper after contested jumper.

As far as Hazell, he did drop 24 against the Wildcats last year, but it was on 9-of-24 shooting.  If Hazell puts in a similar effort on Tuesday, the Pirates will have little chance of securing the upset.

Chris (IBBW): What do you make of the light suspension for Keon Lawerence? Bad example for the future or are you okay with it? Also, what do you make of the Gonzo era so far?

Bob (GB): Keon was suspended for the first 8 (non-conference) games of the season.  There are still a ton of mysteries surrounding the accident that I’m not sure whether all the facts will come or not until his case is heard.  We heard he was driving under the influence, yet his BAC levels came back under the limit.  Then in a surprising twist, last week he turned himself and posted bail answering to reckless driving charge that states he was operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.  Was he over the limit or not? Questions that will likely go unanswered until his pending court date.  As far as the suspension, I think it was fair, he was suspended for 8 games and wasn’t allowed to come back and play until the BAC tests came back, stating he was not under the influence. I feel the university was nothing short of professional in their punishment for Keon.

The “Gonzo era” is probably best defined at this moment as exciting basketball that has yet to deliver on a NCAA berth.  If things continue as they are this year, it’ll be Gonzo’s fourth year and fourth year without seeing the big dance.  Bobby was brought in to improve recruitment in the NJ/NY area, however, he’s had his problems with recruiting, “academically-risky” players, evident most recently with Jesse Morgan.  Morgan signed a LOI to play at SHU next year, but enrolled early at UMass because he couldn’t post a qualifying SAT score.  With only Fuquan Edwin on board to play at South Orange next year, you’d have to wonder if the potential recruiting prowess Bobby was supposed to possess is greatly outweighed by a lack of postseason play.  Keep in mind, Seton Hall fired Louis Orr who brought an over performing squad to the tournament twice in three years.  There were whispers that Orr and the administration has their differences, but still, Orr was let go because he wasn’t viewed as being successful enough for the program.  Two NCAA at-large bids and an NIT appearance in his five years at the Hall is leagues ahead of Gonzalez’s SHU resume at the moment.

Chris (IBBW): Seton Hall was picked as the breakout team this year, but after a 3-5 start you don’t hear as much about the Pirates any more. Is the NCAA’s still a possibility or does this team not have what it takes?

Bob (GB): Well, I agree they were a sexy pick based on the hype surrounding the transfers, most notably Herb Pope and Keon Lawrence.  Pope has lived up to expectations for the most part, however Keon Lawrence has been noticeably absent.  Jeff Robinson, the transfer from Memphis has contributed tremendously to the little success they’ve had this conference season.  That being said, they were projected by the Big East coaches and the media to finish 10^th in the conference and those close to the team felt the projections were way off and borderline disrespectful.  However, at 3-5 with back-to-back road games at ‘Nova and Pitt, the Pirates are two losses away from being 3-7 in the toughest conference in basketball and changing their focus to fighting for an NIT invitation.

Chris (IBBW): Other than Mr. Hazell, who does Villanova have to really watch out for on Tuesday?

Bob (GB): Herb Pope.  If Seton Hall stands any chance of upsetting the Wildcats, Pope will need to play the game of his life.  He’s leading the Big East in rebounding at 11.4RPG, a full 1.4RPG ahead of 2^nd place, Jamine Peterson.  Despite ripping 17REB against USF on Thursday, USF flustered Pope offensively limiting him to 5PTS on 2-of-10 shooting.  Pope will need to play much more efficiently against Antonio Pena on Tuesday. See the game Pope had last week against Pittsburgh where he dropped 19PTS/9REB on 8-of-12 from the floor.  A duplicate effort will be needed from The Pope of South Orange if they’re going to stay close with ‘Nova.

Chris (IBBW): You know and I know that Villanova wants to run, and there are few teams in the country who can keep up with them. Will Seton Hall play that game or try to slow it down as much as possible?

Bob (GB): Make no mistake, these two teams play the same style offensively, however there’s clearly a difference in the talent at hand.  They both love to run and Seton Hall will even prefer the two teams run, however, the problem is, Villanova does it better, much better.  That being said, the Pirates did defeat the Panthers last week at Pittsburgh’s own game, focusing on defense.  Will Gonzo drastically alter his game plan in an attempt to slow down Tuesday’s game? I don’t believe so.  I think Seton Hall will be able to keep up with the Wildcats for much of the first half, but there will come a point where Hazell starts missing his shots, the Pirates will go through a scoring drought and the flood gates will open for Villanova.  It’s important for Seton Hall to raise their defensive intensity from what was on display at South Florida in an attempt to slow Villanova during these stretches.  If their defense doesn’t respond, the boys from Jersey are in for a long night at the Pavilion.

Chris (IBBW): Give me a prediction for Tuesday.

Bob (GB): For the reasons stated in the last question, I’m going to go with Villanova 85, Seton Hall 73.  I’ll take it one step further and give the Pirates some life with a half time score of Villanova 43, Seton Hall 39.

…Thanks again Bob!…and good luck tomorrow night so long as it doesn’t interfere with ours!…

It’s been a long 3 years. This time every year, I get all upset because none of the Rutgers blogs would respond to my requests for a Q&A. Sure, I may have ridiculed them in my proposals, but I didn’t think their skin was that thin. I was under the impression that all that tanning had some effect other than making you look like an Oompa-Loompa.

But finally, one of them reached out to me. Shawn Layton of On The Banks of the Raritan reached out to me after our game vs. Georgetown, and we’ve set up my long awaited Q&A with a member of the Rutgers Basketball community.

And make sure you check out my answers to his questions!

Enjoy!

Chris (IBBW): How long will Freddie Hill last? Does he make it through the season or has the firing squad already popped a round into the chambers of their rifles? And who is on your short list for his replacement?

Shawn (OTBR): I think we’re stuck with Hill until the end of the season.  Perhaps if the DePaul game was sooner on the schedule and not in February, we may see an in-season change.  Especially if RU bagged it against the Blue Demons.  I doubt it at this particular stage Hill will be gone until March.  My short list of possible replacements is headed by Clark Kellogg.  Why Kellogg?  Because he’d fail miserably and maybe obtain some much needed humility.  I can’t stand the dude.  Seriously though, Bobby Hurley Sr. of St. Anthony or Kevin Boyle of St. Patrick’s.  Both have been turning out national powerhouses for decades and know how to recruit high caliber players.  Nova knows a thing or two about recruiting St. Pat’s kids.

Chris (IBBW): Talk to me about the transfer of Greg Echenique. What were the main reasons behind it?

Shawn (OBTR): Why wouldn’t he?  I’ve heard some rumors, including something about Echenique being stranded at Newark airport, but the guys isn’t five years old.  Apparently it is for family reasons and somehow Creighton is the answer.  Whatev.  Evidently RU annoyed Echenique’s family and that’s that.

Chris (IBBW): Interesting time to be considering a renovation of The RAC. Is the school trying to make the ‘red seat-out’ the next big thing?

Shawn (OBTR): The average attendance is receding faster than Freddie Hill’s hairline.  AD Tim Pernetti has stated the public will not pay for the renovation, but through fundraising.  Unless the school hires a coach that can promise to fill the seats, fundraising will be difficult.  Let’s face it, the stands are being filled by visiting fans.  Syracuse shouldn’t be able to call a visit to the RAC a road game.

Chris (IBBW): We know Mike Rosario will be taking at least 20 of your team’s shot on Wednesday, but who else do ‘Nova fans have to look out for?

Shawn (OBTR): Rosario will chuck at least 20 and appear stoned doing it.  He looks utterly confused this season.  Perhaps it’s apathy.  I’d watch Jonathan Mitchell and Dane Miller.  If he hasn’t already, Miller will soon emerge as the team’s most exciting player.  Hamady Ndiaye will get a few blocks on reckless drives to the dish by Reynolds and Fisher, but Ndiaye reminds me of one of those heavy metal dudes that used to walk by the courts with a cigarette and workboots and join a game.  The heavy metal dude was better than you thought he’d be, but clumsy as hell with steel toes flailing all over the place.  Ndiaye’s got the flailing feet thing that looks awful.  Maybe this is just a Jersey experience?  Back to Miller — he might be very good.  He scored 26 against Providence and 15 against Syracuse.

Chris (IBBW): How much do you hate, or love, ‘Jersey Shore.’ And please, we need a Guido on your team soon. I don’t know how this hasn’t happened yet.

Shawn (OBTR): I’ll admit the first time I watched the show I cracked up, but haven’t been able to stomach more than two minutes of it since.  I spent many summers in Belmar, NJ, and witnessed many a Guido lift weights just prior to entering D’Jais.  If you’re into Guidos, D’Jais is paradise.  As a teacher, I found Neil Genzingler’s piece in the New York Times hilarious.

“The schools, if any, where they were educated can now be located and shut down. The teachers who so abysmally failed to impart to them the rudiments of civilized life can be fired.”

As far as a Guido on RU, didn’t Danny Zuko play for the ‘76 Final Four team?

Zuko and his boys Pauly D and The Situation.

Chris (IBBW): Give me a prediction (or two or three) on what happens on Wednesday night.

Shawn (OBTR): Nova wins by 20 and more blogs and message boards are filled with Hill must go diatribes.

Thanks again to Shawn, and good luck on Wednesday night and in your endeavors to kill Freddie!

Possible Q&A for Rutgers Nova game Inbox X shawn layton Hey, What do you have in mind? Let me know…I’m game for just about anything… Jan 17 (1 day ago) Christopher Lane Hey Sean, Typically all the BIG EAST bloggers get together for a Q&A before o… Jan 17 (1 day ago) Reply | shawn layton Hey Chris, Sounds good. I’ll try and come up with a few for you. Shawn Jan 17 (1 day ago) shawn laytonLoading… Jan 17 (1 day ago) shawn layton to me show details Jan 17 (1 day ago) Hey Chris, Sounds good.  I’ll try and come up with a few for you. Shawn - Show quoted text - On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 7:28 PM, Christopher Lane <clane2787@gmail.com> wrote: Hey Sean, Typically all the BIG EAST bloggers get together for a Q&A before our games (at least we try to). Here is an example that I just did with Casual Hoya for our game with them today. Usually its 5-7 questions, some light-hearted, just having fun with each other. I’ll send you some questions tonight so you have a sense. Send me responses when you can, along with any questions you have that are Villanova related. Thanks, Chris On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 7:15 PM, shawn layton <srplayton@gmail.com> wrote: Hey, What do you have in mind?  Let me know…I’m game for just about anything. Shawn – Christopher Lane Operations Coordinator Operative Media 276 Flintlock Road Southport, CT  06890 (203)-520-2469 Reply Forward Reply | Christopher Lane Here you go Shawn…. 1. How long will Freddie Hill last? Does he make it thr… Jan 17 (1 day ago) Christopher LaneLoading… Jan 17 (1 day ago) Christopher Lane to shawn show details Jan 17 (1 day ago) Here you go Shawn…. 1. How long will Freddie Hill last? Does he make it through the season or has the firing squad already popped a round into the chambers of their rifles? And who is on your short list for his replacement. 2. Talk to me about the transfer of Greg Echenique. What were the main reasons behind it? 3. Interesting time to be considering a renovation of The RAC. Is the school trying to make the ‘red-seat-out’ the next big thing? 4. We know Mike Rosario will be attempting at least 20 of your team’s shots on Wednesday, but who else do ‘Nova fans have to look out for? 5. How much do you hate, or love, ‘Jersey Shore’? And please, we need a Guido on your basketball team soon. I don’t know how this hasn’t happened yet. 6. Give me a prediction (or two or three) for what happens on Wednesday night at The RAC. Thanks Shawn! -Chris - Show quoted text - On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 7:44 PM, shawn layton <srplayton@gmail.com> wrote: Hey Chris, Sounds good.  I’ll try and come up with a few for you. Shawn On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 7:28 PM, Christopher Lane <clane2787@gmail.com> wrote: Hey Sean, Typically all the BIG EAST bloggers get together for a Q&A before our games (at least we try to). Here is an example that I just did with Casual Hoya for our game with them today. Usually its 5-7 questions, some light-hearted, just having fun with each other. I’ll send you some questions tonight so you have a sense. Send me responses when you can, along with any questions you have that are Villanova related. Thanks, Chris On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 7:15 PM, shawn layton <srplayton@gmail.com> wrote: Hey, What do you have in mind?  Let me know…I’m game for just about anything. Shawn – Christopher Lane Operations Coordinator Operative Media 276 Flintlock Road Southport, CT  06890 (203)-520-2469 – Christopher Lane Operations Coordinator Operative Media 276 Flintlock Road Southport, CT  06890 (203)-520-2469 Reply Forward Reply | shawn layton Hey Chris, 1. I think we’re stuck with Hill until the end of the season. Perh… 5:49 PM (3 hours ago) shawn laytonLoading… 5:49 PM (3 hours ago) shawn layton to me show details 5:49 PM (3 hours ago) Hey Chris, 1.  I think we’re stuck with Hill until the end of the season.  Perhaps if the DePaul game was sooner on the schedule and not in February, we may see an in-season change.  Especially if RU bagged it against the Blue Demons.  I doubt it at this particular stage Hill will be gone until March.  My short list of possible replacements is headed by Clark Kellogg.  Why Kellogg?  Because he’d fail miserably and maybe obtain some much needed humility.  I can’t stand the dude.  Seriously though, Bobby Hurley Sr. of St. Anthony or Kevin Boyle of St. Patrick.  Both have been turning out national powerhouses for decades and know how to recruit high caliber players.  Nova knows a thing or two about recruiting St. Pat’s kids. 2.  Why wouldn’t he?  I’ve heard some rumors, including something about Echenique being stranded at Newark airport, but the guys isn’t five years old.  Apparently it is for family reasons and somehow Creighton is the answer.  Whatev.  Evidently RU annoyed Echenique’s family and that’s that. 3.   The average attendance is receding faster than Freddie Hill’s hairline.  AD Tim Pernetti has stated the public will not pay for the renovation, but through fundraising.  Unless the school hires a coach that can promise to fill the seats, fundraising will be difficult.  Let’s face it, the stands are being filled by visiting fans.  Syracuse shouldn’t be able to call a visit to the RAC a road game. 4.  Rosario will chuck at least 20 and appear stoned doing it.  He looks utterly confused this season.  Perhaps it’s apathy.  I’d watch Jonathan Mitchell and Dane Miller.  If he hasn’t already, Miller will soon emerge as the team’s most exciting player.  Hamady Ndiaye will get a few blocks on reckless drives to the dish by Reynolds and Fisher, but Ndiaye reminds me of one of those heavy metal dudes that used to walk by the courts with a cigarette and workboots and join a game.  The heavy metal dude was better than you thought he’d be, but clumsy as hell with steel toes flailing all over the place.  Ndiaye’s got the flailing feet thing that looks awful.  Maybe this is just a Jersey experience?  Back to Miller–he might be very good.  He scored 26 against Providence and 15 against Syracuse. 5.  I’ll admit the first time I watched the show I cracked up, but haven’t been able to stomach more than two minutes of it since.  I spent many summers in Belmar, NJ, and witnessed many a Guido lift weights just prior to entering D’Jais.  If you’re into Guidos, D’Jais is paradise.  As a teacher, I found Neil Genzingler’s piece in the New York Times hilarious.  “The schools, if any, where they were educated can now be located and shut down. The teachers who so abysmally failed to impart to them the rudiments of civilized life can be fired.”  Here’s the link–http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/arts/television/04shore.html As far as a Guido on RU, didn’t Danny Zuko play for the 76 Final Four Team? 6.    Nova wins by 20 and more blogs and message boards are filled with Hill must go diatribes. - Show quoted text - On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 8:23 PM, Christopher Lane <clane2787@gmail.com> wrote: Here you go Shawn…. 1. How long will Freddie Hill last? Does he make it through the season or has the firing squad already popped a round into the chambers of their rifles? And who is on your short list for his replacement. 2. Talk to me about the transfer of Greg Echenique. What were the main reasons behind it? 3. Interesting time to be considering a renovation of The RAC. Is the school trying to make the ‘red-seat-out’ the next big thing? 4. We know Mike Rosario will be attempting at least 20 of your team’s shots on Wednesday, but who else do ‘Nova fans have to look out for? 5. How much do you hate, or love, ‘Jersey Shore’? And please, we need a Guido on your basketball team soon. I don’t know how this hasn’t happened yet. 6. Give me a prediction (or two or three) for what happens on Wednesday night at The RAC. Thanks Shawn! -Chris On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 7:44 PM, shawn layton <srplayton@gmail.com> wrote: Hey Chris, Sounds good.  I’ll try and come up with a few for you. Shawn On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 7:28 PM, Christopher Lane <clane2787@gmail.com> wrote: Hey Sean, Typically all the BIG EAST bloggers get together for a Q&A before our games (at least we try to). Here is an example that I just did with Casual Hoya for our game with them today. Usually its 5-7 questions, some light-hearted, just having fun with each other. I’ll send you some questions tonight so you have a sense. Send me responses when you can, along with any questions you have that are Villanova related. Thanks, Chris On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 7:15 PM, shawn layton <srplayton@gmail.com> wrote: Hey, What do you have in mind?  Let me know…I’m game for just about anything. Shawn – Christopher Lane Operations Coordinator Operative Media 276 Flintlock Road Southport, CT  06890 (203)-520-2469 – Christopher Lane Operations Coordinator Operative Media 276 Flintlock Road Southport, CT  06890 (203)-520-2469 Zuko hoops.jpg 15K   View Download Reply Forward Reply | shawn layton to me show details 6:01 PM (2 hours ago) Hey Chris, I got some questions for you. 1.  How is Nova better or worse than last year’s Final Four team? 2.  Who’s the best player on the team not named Reynolds or Fisher?  Why? 3.  Some say really good teams become great teams with a loss–it refocuses the team and makes them tougher.  Explain how losing to RU will be a good thing for Nova. 4.  If Jay Wright isn’t the best looking Division I coach, then who is? 5.  Where would Nova basketball be if it weren’t for NJ high schools? 6.  J-WOWW or Snooki? - Show quoted text - On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 8:23 PM, Christopher Lane <clane2787@gmail.com> wrote: Here you go Shawn…. 1. How long will Freddie Hill last? Does he make it through the season or has the firing squad already popped a round into the chambers of their rifles? And who is on your short list for his replacement. 2. Talk to me about the transfer of Greg Echenique. What were the main reasons behind it? 3. Interesting time to be considering a renovation of The RAC. Is the school trying to make the ‘red-seat-out’ the next big thing? 4. We know Mike Rosario will be attempting at least 20 of your team’s shots on Wednesday, but who else do ‘Nova fans have to look out for? 5. How much do you hate, or love, ‘Jersey Shore’? And please, we need a Guido on your basketball team soon. I don’t know how this hasn’t happened yet. 6. Give me a prediction (or two or three) for what happens on Wednesday night at The RAC. Thanks Shawn! -Chris On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 7:44 PM, shawn layton <srplayton@gmail.com> wrote: Hey Chris, Sounds good.  I’ll try and come up with a few for you. Shawn On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 7:28 PM, Christopher Lane <clane2787@gmail.com> wrote: Hey Sean, Typically all the BIG EAST bloggers get together for a Q&A before our games (at least we try to). Here is an example that I just did with Casual Hoya for our game with them today. Usually its 5-7 questions, some light-hearted, just having fun with each other. I’ll send you some questions tonight so you have a sense. Send me responses when you can, along with any questions you have that are Villanova related. Thanks, Chris On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 7:15 PM, shawn layton <srplayton@gmail.com> wrote: Hey, What do you have in mind?  Let me know…I’m game for just about anything. Shawn – Christopher Lane Operations Coordinator Operative Media 276 Flintlock Road Southport, CT  06890 (203)-520-2469 – Christopher Lane Operations Coordinator Operative Media 276 Flintlock Road Southport, CT  06890 (203)-520-2469 Reply Forward

Update: Head to Casual Hoya to check out my answers to their questions!

Just so you know, this is my absolute favorite Q&A of the year, because nobody tops the guys at Casual Hoya. Luckily, we’ll get to do this twice this year as the ‘Cats take on the Hoyas twice! So this time, I talked to Andrew Geiger, who apparently has an on-going Twitter feud with their best player, but at the same time is a great guy.

Take a read below as Andrew answers my questions on the Hoyas. Most disappointing thing: Finding out Nikita Mersheriakov has already transferred. On the one hand, I’m sad because I no longer having one of my best punching bags. Then again, the odds I get to see him get dunked on increase because he might actually play in that schoolgirl’s conference.

Chris (IBBW): I feel comfortable saying that Chris Wright and Nikita Mersheriakov defeated DaJuan Summers (bolted to the NBA out of fear) and Omar Wattad (transferred to Never Never Land) in their bouts last year. Who are these two enigmas looking to get after this season? And how long will we have to put up with the inevitable Mersheriakov steroid saga?

Andrew (CH): In the tournament of transferring (to another school or the NBA D-League), it broke down like this: Wright over Summers and Nikita over Wattad. Then this year Wright, faster than we could have expected, dispatched with Nikita (who transferred to Wake Forest during the fall semester. You knew that right?) Thus: Wright is champion and we are ready for him to either turn on Freeman and destroy the team, or vanquish The Majestic Sims, whose tweets we will honestly miss.

Chris (IBBW): I just found out that John Thompson calls his son’s games on the radio, but haven’t had the chance to listen in. How frustrated does he get? Is he yelling out plays? Making substitution calls? And what’s the over/under on games until he gets T’d up from press row?

Andrew (CH): To be honest, I have never listened to a Thompson call on the radio, I don’t think he does every game. For away games where Dick Vitale is announcing, I normally mute the TV and listen to Rich Chvotkin, who is now in his 36th year of broadcasting George games. He works alone and has a cult following. USA Today ran an article on him and his “personal language” a few years back. Chvotkin got the gig by sending self-recorded broadcast to Big in the early 70’s, and hasn’t missed a match since. Great gent too, have fun into him at various Georgetown events.

As for Big John, I have listened to his sports radio show and as expected, he does not refrain from criticizing his son’s team. Last year he called out the team for lacking “thugs” to enforce the paint. I am sure he gets frustrated with the team bu he has mellowed down since retiring, and does a pretty good job doing NBA games for TNT. While I doubt he micro-manages his son, I am sure he still influences a lot of what goes down in the Georgetown Athletic Department.

Chris (IBBW): What sick deal did Austin Freeman make with the Devil? I was STUNNED at what transpired in the UConn game. By the way, you owe me a thank you for jinxing those sons of bitches.

Andrew (CH): I’m not sure he made any deal with the Devil. His increased performance this year can be attributed to his weight loss – was 240 pounds at the end of last year, now down to about 215 – and his work over the summer. He was quiet during non-conference play, partly because he is unselfish and partly because the games weren’t as close. He has been dominating since BIG EAST play started, averaging 21.3 points per game while shooting 58.5% from the field. He has been our most consistent performer, and the player we’d feel most comfortable with taking a last second shot. On top of that, he is showing off the athleticism and mid range game that was expected of him coming out of DeMatha as a Top-10 prospect. I’m not sure you be STUNNED by what transpired, considering he was a a McDonald’s All=American, First-Team All-BIG EAST Rookie, and is leading Georgetown in scoring. I would have been much more STUNNED that Scottie Reynolds put up 36 points on less than 55 shots. That, my friend, was stunning.

Chris (IBBW): Besides the trio of Wright, Monroe and Freeman, who do Wildcats fans have to look out for on Sunday?

Andrew (CH): Besides Wright, Monroe, and Freeman? That’s like asking me to walk into a McDonald’s and order something that isn’t a hamburger, cola, or french fry. But to answer your question, I expect sophomore Jason Clark to play a big role in this one. Clark has a superhuman wingspan, and will play a vital role in breaking whatever press you throw at us as well as hleping to contain Nova’s explosive guard play. I wouldn’t ignore Julian Vaughn down low, either. He’s capable of putting up 15 and 8 if he’s ignored.

Chris (IBBW): We know JTIII prefers a slow, methodical approach to the game, but after seeing what Louisville’s press did to us in the 1st half on Monday night, any chance he turns the hounds loose? Or is he hoping that by going to the complete other end of the spectrum he can lull 22,000 fans/players to sleep, resulting in an easy win?

Andrew (CH): There is no chance that Nova sees a press for any more than a possession or two. Our schemes are predicated upon getting back on defense in the half-court sets. UConn exploited the Hoyas’ horrible transition defense in the first half of that game, as I’m pretty sure 90% of the hoops they made all day were dunks or layups. The press is something that Georgetown has struggled with (both applying it and breaking it_, so we’ll just leave it to the experts like you clowns and Louisville.

Chris (IBBW): When I visited my friend at Georgetown, a good portion of the school was gated in. So Judge Smails, how does it feel to go to a school at an exclusive country club? God forbid you let that upper-middle class crowd in, right?

Andrew (CH): I would argue that the gates of the University are there to keep students out of the surround area, not the surrounding area of of campus. The University and its neighborhood have a notoriously bad relationship, all the rich politicians and talking heads hate the loud, drunk and obnoxious students – go figure. Once heard a story of a student opening the door at an off-campus house party only to find an irate George Stephanopoulos demanding that the music be turned down. Good times.

Chris (IBBW): Are you one of those schools with a Quidditch team? My brother at Dartmouth just informed me of this phenomenon, and for some reason I immediately thought of Georgetown as a definite member.

Andrew (CH): As a University that embraces all cultures, Georgetown apparently does indeed have a Quidditch team. I can assure you, however, that there are indeed some incompreshensible d-=bags at that school and if any of them pretend to be wizards or witches, they should be punched in the mouth if they aren’t already teased and abused by their classmates.

One of the local bars used to have a drink called a Harry Potter, and after enjoying about 50 Harry Potters after watching a Summer League game, I bumped into Roy Hibbert (then a rising sophomore), who was carrying a bag of McDonald’s fried deliciousness and clearly dejectedly after a poor performance. I let him know that he played well. Clearly, my white lie was suffcient to press him to his NBA career. As an aside, Hermione has become far more attractive as the movies have progressed.

Oh yeah, and Hoyas 68, ‘Nova 64.

Make sure you head to Casual Hoya and check out my answers to Andrew’s questions!

…Thanks again to Andrew for doing this…and good luck on Sunday, so long as the luck only involves no hospital trips after what is assured to be a pounding that will drive you to the local watering hole…

One of the first (and best) BIG EAST blogs I discovered was the Marquette blog Cracked Sidewalks. A unique name to say the least, it had accomplished what I hoped to accomplish myself — a bunch of die-hard ‘Quette fans writing and conversing with people like them about what they love most.

I haven’t exactly modeled what I do after them, but it’s totally within reality to give those guys the credit they deserve. They’re good at what they do. So I reached out to Tim Blair for the 1st game this year, and never heard back. Turns out Tim was swamped with work (something that is hurting me as well) but he got back to me for this round and we’ve done our typical Q&A. Below are my questions and his responses. Enjoy!

Chris (IBBW): When is Lazar Hayward graduating? Seriously, get him out of my life. Despite losing all the talented guards around him, he continues to produce and lead this team. He’s severely underrated in my opinion, and is definitely a guy opposing teams/fans hate. Give me your thoughts on his career to this point and his role on this year’s squad.

Tim (CS): It is true that Hayward has been suiting up for the Warriors since Kevin O’Neill took over the program 20 years ago and what a ride it’s been.  Oh, if it could be so.  Hayward has been one of the most interesting and productive players Marquette has ever had.  When Crean brought him to campus he was billed as a great outside shooter who projected to be a big two guard or small forward.  I think it was apparent right away that Hayward lacked the lateral quickness to be an effective guard or small forward, but he found a way to contribute immediately.

Ultimately, despite being undersized and playing out of position for his entire college career Hayward has demonstrated remarkable improvement year-to-year, filling the void at power forward for a program that is continually starved for baseline talent.  Hayward is the toughest player I’ve ever seen at Marquette, refusing to use his height or circumstance as an excuse.  His inspired play against bigger and presumably more talented players is remarkable.  Hayward’s late domination of Greg Monroe earlier this week was particularly noteworthy.  With the game on the line in the final minute Hayward ripped the ball from Monroe’s grasp twice — once on a steal to create a defensive stop, and then a second time on an offensive rebound which was followed by two clutch free throws after the Hoyas fouled him.

Chris (IBBW): Talk to me about the emergence of Jimmy Butler. He seemed to come out of nowhere late last year.

Tim (CS): Butler was an unheralded recruit, in fact his junior college teammate Joseph Fulce was considered the more talented player when both landed up on campus before last season.  While Fulce was slowed by injury last year Butler emerged as a consistent role player for Buzz Williams and blossomed in the final weeks of the season.  Last season Butler was a tremendous offensive rebounder and a remarkably efficient offensive player.  Butler rarely plays out of character, he focuses on his strengths which are high-percentage shots and a knack for the offensive rebound. Hayward needed a wingman this year and Butler is delivering.

Chris (IBBW): How much will revenge play a factor on Saturday?

Tim (CS): I gotta tell you, I’m tired of losing to you guys at the buzzer.  Last season’s BIG EAST Tournament loss was an absolute nightmare — I still want to know why Jerel McNeal decided to leave his man alone under the basket.  Of course Reynolds’ extraordinary skill in splitting a lazy double team last week was equally nauseating.  I sure hope revenge is part of Marquette’s motivation this week.  More than that though, the win over Georgetown in a tight game should do wonders for the Warriors’ confidence.  After losing the first two conference games at the buzzer, MU needed a boost of confidence and they got it.

Chris (IBBW): Good to see you guys finally pulled out a close win over Georgetown. After several tough losses, you deserve it. Does that speak to the resiliency of this somewhat inexperienced team, or it’s coach?

Tim (CS): The win over Georgetown was huge.  When the BIG EAST schedule was first released many folks had MU down for an 0-4 start in league play, so bouncing back after two devastating losses can’t be overstated.  I think that yes, the team is resilient.  While MU is small, Coach Williams has done a good job of establishing roles for his top seven players and those guys play their hearts out.  Despite MU’s vertically challenged roster the guys are tough — they out-rebounded the Hoyas despite being outscored in the paint 32-6.  I think the only way to explain that is a combination of scheme, skill and heart.  Of course with only seven players in the typical Marquette rotation it’s no wonder the Warriors lost close games late to FSU, West Virginia and your Wildcats.  Most Marquette fans are hoping Coach Williams will find a way to extend his bench and find serviceable minutes from freshmen Erik Williams and Yous Mbao.  EWill is a mystery — he was a highly rated recruit who has just not yet cracked the code.

Chris (IBBW): There was some chatter about some possible bad blood between Buzz and Jay after a very brief/cold post-game handshake last weekend. Anything to that?

Tim (CS): I must have missed that.  Coach Williams can be very emotional in tight games — just ask the zebras who officiated MU’s loss to Missouri in last year’s NCAA Tournament.  I’d be surprised if any of that ever spilled over to Buzz’ conduct with his coaching brethren.

Chris (IBBW): Give me a prediction for the game. Does Marquette snap The Pavilion winning streak or does ‘Nova get the regular season sweep?

Tim (CS): It’d be easy to view this game as a Wildcat romp, but I do like Marquette’s chances to stay close for most of the game.  That said, I don’t see how MU will pull this one out.  I hope the Warriors can build on the tremendous defensive effort they exhibited late in the Georgetown game, but unfortunately MU is not a strong FG% defense team.  Marquette’s best counter is to force turnovers and to own the offensive glass, which combined with reasonable outside shooting, should keep them in the game. In the end, I expect Scottie Reynolds to rip our hearts out and show it to us before we die — which should be midway through the second half.  Villanova 81-67.

Just want to say thank you to Tim again, and make sure to check out my answers to Tim’s questions before the game tomorrow!