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Big East Tournament Preview: Everyone Is Playing, Except Bubble Teams

Posted: Mar 10th 2009 8:01AM ET by Chas Rich (RSS feed)
Filed under: Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia, Big East

3 COMMENTS

The Big East Tournament gets underway Tuesday, and this year the Big East Tournament (BET) matches the construction of the conference -- oversized, a bit confusing and very clearly divided.

The Big East at this point has seven teams that are definitely going to the NCAA tournament and one team that lies way out on the fringe of the bubble. This year, the BET is all about teams trying to improve or maintain their projected seeding for the Big Dance.

Louisville Wins the Big East

Posted: Mar 7th 2009 11:25PM ET by Chas Rich (RSS feed)
Filed under: Louisville, West Virginia, Big East

2 COMMENTS

Louisville survived in Morgantown to win its first Big East regular season title. What it means immediately is that the Cardinals will be the No. 1 seed in the Big East Tournament and will not have to worry about the possibility of facing UConn or Pitt until the Big East Championship game. It also keeps alive the possibility of Louisville stealing a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament -- most likely from UConn.

West Virginia nearly got the win, despite a no-show from Da'Sean Butler and Alex Ruoff. Louisville completely locked down those two, but freshmen Devin Ebanks and Kevin Jones picked up the slack. The player WVU could not contain, though, was Terrance Williams. The Louisville forward did everything with 20 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 6 steals. He was the best player on the court and carried the Cardinals.

No. 6 Louisville 62, WVU 59: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

Bob Huggins Still King of Queen City

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 9:36PM ET by Chas Rich (RSS feed)
Filed under: Cincinnati, West Virginia, Big East

0 COMMENTS

Cincinnati fans still have great affection for their Huggy Bear. The man who brought the Bearcats back to national prominence is still greatly loved in the Queen City. When West Virginia hired Bob Huggins in 2007, the Big East just happened to produce a schedule that only had Cincinnati visit West Virginia in the 2007-08 season, with no return trip. So tonight was his first trip to the Fifth Third Arena as the coach of the Mountaineers.

And Cincinnati responded in a way that made the coach a little misty.

Cincinnati 65, West Virginia 61: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

Bracketology Busters: No. 1 Pretender

Posted: Feb 18th 2009 11:54AM ET by Jacob Wheatley-Schaller (RSS feed)
Filed under: Oklahoma, West Virginia, Big 12, Big East

8 COMMENTS

Each week, ESPN's Joe Lunardi predicts the NCAA tournament field if the season ended today. While he's good at this, Lunardi only focuses on past performance, and wins and losses. Bracketology Busters looks at which teams should be expected to perform significantly better or worse than their projected seeds.

With less than a month until Selection Sunday, things are starting to shake out, but there are still some large gaps between perception and reality. This week, we feature an emerging Big East team, and a Big 12 power that might be overrated.

West Virginia Takes Out Frustration on Shell-Shocked Villanova

Posted: Feb 13th 2009 11:25PM ET by Chas Rich (RSS feed)
Filed under: Villanova, West Virginia, Big East, Fans

0 COMMENTS

West Virginia really needed a signature win. The Mountaineers had one quality win over Ohio State earlier in the year but, aside from that, the best they could claim was a win over Georgetown back when the Hoyas were still ranked. They finally got another marquee victory with a blowout of Villanova 93-72.

West Virginia had lost three of four, with all three losses coming on the road. It had been swept and embarrassed by Pitt earlier in the week. The Mountaineers were facing a team that had won six straight including wins over Pitt, Syracuse and Marquette -- they knew they really needed a win, and played like it.

Foul Trouble Can't Slow Pitt

Posted: Feb 9th 2009 9:27PM ET by Chas Rich (RSS feed)
Filed under: Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Big East

0 COMMENTS

Anyone who has followed college basketball with some interest knows that when Curtis Shaw is listed as a referee for the game, there are going to be a lot of whistles and likely a technical foul. Shaw is the guy who tossed the Rice Owl mascot earlier. On this past Saturday, his crew blew 53 fouls in the Syracuse-Villanova game.

So, really, was it any surprise that there were 38 fouls called between West Virginia and Pitt, including a technical foul and two players fouling out? In a game that had little flow and had Jay Bilas exclaim, "My ears hurt from all of the whistles," Pitt beat West Virginia 70-59. That's a sweep of the season series.

Kevin Pittsnogle Teaching Middle School

Posted: Jan 16th 2009 4:55PM ET by Will Brinson (RSS feed)
Filed under: West Virginia, Big East, Fans, Media Watch, Rumors

3 COMMENTS

When you receive All-America recognition as a senior in college, odds are pretty good you will have a future in professional basketball. Bear in mind that the NBA is much more exclusive -- just based on sheer numbers of "applicants" and job availability -- than either football or baseball, but still, if you're an upper-echelon performer as a college athlete, that success usually translates to the pros.

College Basketball Where Are They Now?

Then: Kevin Pittsnogle, Center, West Virginia 2002-06 | Accomplishments: After spending his first two years coming off the bench, Pittsnogle was inserted into the starting lineup late in 2005 and the Mountaineers never looked back. The 6-foot-11 big man with a soft shooting touch, led West Virginia to the Elite Eight in 2005 and the Sweet 16 the following season.

Elsa, Getty Images

Now: Surprisingly, Pittsnogle went undrafted in 2006. He played for nine different teams, including the Boston Celtics and a number of NBA Developmental League clubs, before washing out of basketball after a major weight gain, likely caused by a thyroid problem. Pittsnogle is now teaching middle school in West Virginia.

Garrett Ellwood, NBAE / Getty Images

Then: BJ Armstrong, Guard, Iowa 1985-89 | Accomplishments: Armstrong finished as the Wildcats' career assist leader and one of the nation's top long-range shooters (.443 from three-point range). He would go on to be selected in the first round by the Chicago Bulls.

University of Iowa Sports Information

Now: Armstrong works for Wasserman Media Group, representing pro athletes and entertainers. NBA No. 1 pick Derrick Rose is one of his clients.

Juan Ocampo, NBAE / Getty Images

Then: Dwayne "Pearl" Washington, Guard, Syracuse 1983-86 | Accomplishments: From Big East Rookie of the Year to All-America as a junior, Washington was known for putting on a show. Lacking extradordinary leaping ability or a great outside shot, Washington relied on his ball-handling skills to ahake opponents en route to the basket.

Syracuse / Collegiate Images / Getty Images

Now: Washington is in his first season as coach of the Jefferson High School girls basketball team in New York.

Nathaniel S. Butler, NBAE / Getty Images

Then: Dennis Hopson, Guard, Ohio State 1983-87 | Accomplishments: He completed his career as the Buckeyes' all-time leading scorer. He was the Big Ten Player of the Year in 1987 as he averaged 29 points a game.

Ohio State University Athletics

Now: Hopson is an assistant coach for Northwood University's men's basketball team in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Northwood University Athletics

Then: Shawn Bradley, Center, Brigham Young University 1991 | Accomplishments: The 7-6 freshman led the nation in blocked shots and helped the Cougars advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He went on a two-year mission for the Mormon church before being becoming the NBA's No.2 overall draft pick (Philadelphia)in 1993.

Getty Images

Now: Bradley is athletic director at West Ridge Academy in West Jordan, Utah, a school for at-risk youth

Tim Heitman, NBAE / Getty Images

Kevin Pittsnogle is one of the exceptions. After not being drafted in 2006, he played for nine (nine!) different teams before giving up on basketball. He has since quit the game and realized that the weight issues he dealt with were the result of a thyroid problem. So what exactly, you might ask, is Pittsnogle doing these days? He's teaching middle school.

No, seriously.

Marquette Just Outworks West Virginia

Posted: Jan 10th 2009 4:05PM ET by Chas Rich (RSS feed)
Filed under: Marquette, West Virginia, Big East

5 COMMENTS

After trailing at halftime through a mostly tight game, Marquette just blew it open. It was 52-48 Marquette with eight minutes left, but the Mountaineers only scored five more points. Marquette blew West Virginia out of the Bradley Center late for a 75-53 win.

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins and many WVU fans will no doubt point to the 27 free throw attempts for the Golden Eagles versus only 10 for the Mountaineers as the main reason for the loss. Heck, Huggins got a technical during that stretch while arguing with an official during a timeout. That wasn't why West Virginia lost. The Mountaineers were simply outworked and out-hustled by a smaller, faster team.

Marquette ended up with a slight rebounding advantage for the game despite having a size advantage inside. A mere plus-two in rebounds may not seem like much, but against a team like Marquette that shoots a lot of jumpers and does not have much size inside it is a big deal.

West Virginia Spanks No. 13 Ohio State

Posted: Dec 28th 2008 12:42AM ET by Shiloh Carder (RSS feed)
Filed under: Ohio State, West Virginia

0 COMMENTS

The Ohio State Buckeyes have surprised many people this season. They began the season 9-0 with impressive wins over Miami, Notre Dame and Butler. Their nice start vaulted the Buckeyes to the No. 13 ranking in the Coaches' Poll and among the Big Ten's elite.

It's hard to use the word "elite" when you get beat at home by 28 points to West Virginia. Yeah, the Mountaineers went into Columbus and pounded Ohio State, 76-48. Counting their N.I.T. championship last year, the Buckeyes had won 14 straight games heading into the day.

West Virginia used a late 35-9 to turn the game into a laugher. Ohio State was pitiful with just 31% shooting from the field and missing nine of their ten free throws.

The game was sweet for West Virginia's Bob Huggins. When Huggs was at Cincinnati, Ohio State refused to play them despite a push to make something happen. Huggs also tried and failed twice to get the head job at Ohio State.

Fanhouse in the Stands: Curry Electrifies MSG

Posted: Dec 10th 2008 12:39AM ET by Nathan Fowler (RSS feed)
Filed under: Davidson, West Virginia, Fans

0 COMMENTS

We all went to the Garden tonight to see Stephen Curry put on a show. Sure, there were some West Virginia fans, but I bet even they were kind of hoping to see Curry go off while they still pulled out a win. The Villanova and Texas fans were certainly pulling for Davidson. There was a large contingent of Curry jerseys and bright red "Witness" hats and t-shirts in the crowd. It was one of the biggest crowds in the history of the Jimmie V Classic, largely just to see Curry. Everyone was excited - the spectacular scorer was coming to the big city to dazzle us.

For the first 35 minutes of the game, as Curry deferred to his teammates and struggled to hit shots against the suffocating Mountaineer defense, it appeared we were going to be let down. I wasn't the only one starting to think that Curry was simply not capable of living up to the venue and the attention, that maybe being an unknown in the NCAA Tournament had been one thing, but being a star in the most famous arena in the world was just too much for him. As 3 after 3 clanked off the rim you could feel the frustration in the crowd - this wasn't the script for the evening. The Garden is where big time players put on shows for the fans, not where they go 1-13 from 3. Maybe New Yorkers are spoiled, but that's the expectation.

And then he delivered for us. When he hit a 3 pointer with just under 5 minutes to go, the cheers started. When he drilled an impossibly difficult shot from the left elbow beyond the NBA line, the Garden exploded. This is what we wanted to see, and the fact that he was carrying his team from behind just made it more impressive. And then Curry hit the final 3 of the night to give Davidson a lead they wouldn't relinquish, a shot a mere mortal wouldn't have even gotten off, let alone buried without touching iron. Curry was more than redeemed.

Some players just have a flair for the dramatic, and an ability to deliver on the big stage. Curry has that in spades. New Yorkers love players that live up to expectations, and the expectations are very high. I'm sure this won't be his last game in the Garden, and he'll have some that are better and some that are worse, but he won't have another chance to make a first impression - and nobody is going to remember the first 1-13 from 3, all we could talk about was the final 3-3. Curry earned his New York chops tonight.