POSTERIZED: Kadeem Batts in "The Flying Friar"

Providence didn't beat Louisville on Tuesday night. They annihilated them. They destroyed them. They humiliated them.

On the night Providence celebrated the 25th anniversary of their 1987 Final Four team (coached by Rick Pitino), the Friars throttled Pitino's Cardinals 90-59.

But Kadeem Batts delivered the signature moment.



(When we get better video, we'll plug it in)

Poor Gorgui Dieng did not stand a chance. Batts finished with 27 points and ten rebounds. But this dunk was clearly the highlight of the night.

(H/T @FriarBlog )

But was it as good as these?

Karam Mashour, UNLV vs. CS-Bakersfield, 1/6
Tony Snell, New Mexico vs. Houston Baptist, 1/3
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Georgia Tech, 1/3
Trevis Simpson, UNC-Greensboro vs. Miami, 1/2
Orion Outerbridge, Rhode Island vs. Boston College, 1/2
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Indiana, 12/31
DeShon Minnis, Texas Tech vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 12/30
Keith Gabriel, VMI vs. Old Dominion, 12/22
Eric Etherly, Loyola (Md.) vs. Kentucky, 12/22
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. Texas-Arlington, 12/21
P.J. Hairston, North Carolina vs. Texas, 12/21
Robbie Hummel, Purdue vs. IPFW, 12/20
Robert Brown, Virginia Tech vs. North Florida, 12/19
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Kansas State, 12/17
Torye Pelham, Southern Mississippi vs. Ole Miss, 12/17
Quincy Diggs, Akron vs. Florida A&M, 12/17
Anthony Davis, Kentucky vs. Chattanooga, 12/17
Langston Galloway/C.J. Aiken/Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Villanova, 12/17
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. UC-Santa Barbara, 12/16
Jared Cunningham, Oregon State vs. Howard, 12/15
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech vs. McNeese State, 12/14
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Detroit, 12/12
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. UW-Green Bay, 12/11
Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Creighton, 12/10
Dion Waiters, Syracuse vs. George Washington, 12/10 (DotY Candidate)
Victor Oladipo, Indiana vs. Kentucky, 12/10
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, 12/10
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. Washington, 12/6
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. Marquette, 12/6
Deville Smith, Mississippi State vs. West Virginia, 12/3
Terrence Jones, Kentucky vs. North Carolina, 12/3
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Georgetown, 12/1
Anthony Marshall, UNLV vs. UNC, 11/26
Michael Kidd-Glichrist, Kentucky vs. Portland, 11/26/11 (DotY Candidate)
Markel Brown, Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/25
Rodney Williams, Minnesota vs. DePaul, 11/24
Thomas Robinson, Kansas vs. Duke, 11/23
Stan Okoye, VMI vs. Ohio State, 11/23
Kyisean Reed, Utah State vs. Southern Utah, 11/19
Ra'Shad James, Iona vs. Western Michigan, 11/18
Alandise Harris, Houston vs. Arkansas, 11/18
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Jackson State, 11/18
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Wichita State, 11/18
Eric Griffin, Campbell vs. North Carolina A&T, 11/18 (DotY Candidate)
Olek Czyz, Nevada vs. Pacific, 11/17
Chris Watson, Pikeville vs. Mountain State, 11/16
Ray Willis, North Carolina Central vs. Wagner, 11/16
Mike James, Lamar vs. Ohio, 11/15 (DotY Candidate)
Quincy Acy, Baylor vs. San Diego State, 11/15
Deniz Kilicli, West Virginia vs. Kent State, 11/15
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. West Virginia, 11/15
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Oakland, 11/14
Isaiah Brown, East Tennessee State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/12
Michael Lyons, Air Force vs. Army, 11/11
Dezmine Wells, Xavier vs. Morgan State, 11/11
Jeremy Lamb, UConn vs. Columbia, 11/11 (DotY Candidate)
Andre Drummond, UConn vs. CW Post, 11/4
Moe Harkless, St. John's vs. CW Post, 10/26


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Hoyas display toughness in 49-40 win over Providence

This could have been a "let-down game". It probably should have been. This had "let-down game" written all over it.

Georgetown had just gone to Louisville and beat the No.4 Cardinals 71-68. Before that, they blasted Memphis, who was ranked No.8 when the Hoyas beat them for a first time at the Maui Invitational. Before that, they beat No.12 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, thus ending the Crimson Tide's 24-game home winning streak.

But we've seen this from Georgetown before. We saw it last season, when the Hoyas started 11-1 but lost six of their final seven games, including a first-round exit to VCU in the NCAA Tournament. We saw it in 2009-2010, when they started 9-1, but suffered head-scratching losses to South Florida and Rutgers, not to mention the ugly first-round loss to Ohio in the NCAA tournament. We saw it the year before that and the year before that.

Late-season meltdowns, early tournament exits, blown leads, early deficits, all of that.

But something seems to be different about this team.

The Hoyas (12-1, 2-0) shot a dismal 30% from the field, blew a 12-point lead and went scoreless for an eight-minute stretch of the second half. But this Hoya team, a different Hoya team than in season's past, prevailed 49-40 over the Providence Friars (11-4, 0-2) on New Years Eve.

Georgetown prevailed because they didn't quit. They didn't fold under the pressure. There was no squabbling, no poor body-language, no signs of panic, no nothing. Sure, they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, but they never gave up. So even when they hadn't scored in eight minutes, they kept fighting. Otto Porter kept getting big rebounds, Jason Clark kept clawing for loose balls and Henry Sims kept going up strong.

Whether it was the "International Incident" that strengthened this team's resolve or the change in leadership, the 2011-2012 Hoyas are different.

This was your typical Big East regular season game. It was ugly. It was physical. It was hectic. It was exactly the type of game that Georgetown teams of the past would let slip away. But John Thompson III knows that this squad is more equipped to handle "grind-em out" games like this.

"This group, all we're concerned with is accumulating wins. The things that make you win aren't just putting the ball in the basket, and that's why we won today".

Early on, it became clear that this game would not be a shootout. It took Providence 16 minutes to reach double-digits, and when they finally did, the score was just 20-10. The Friars defense was bruising. Baskets weren't made, they were earned. On four consecutive possessions in the second half, Henry Sims went up strong against Brice Kofane, and on those four consecutive possessions, the two men ended up on the deck. Physical play like this defined this game.

Despite both teams shooting under 35% from the field, neither team gave up. "We played a 40-minute game, and we lost. We grew up a lot today. It's unfortunate that we lost, but this is good for our program", said Friars coach Ed Cooley at the post game press conference.

"Pride. I wanted them to be physical down low. Pride. It was about pride. This is what the Big East is all about."

Exactly.

This is what the Big East is all about, and if Georgetown wants to avoid another regular season meltdown, they are going to have to fight tooth-and-nail for 40 minutes every game.

Which is exactly what they did on Saturday afternoon.


What We Learned

Georgetown

The Hoyas are a much different team when Markel Starks is on the bench. Providence started their rally when Starks went to the bench early on in the second with foul trouble. For an extended period of time, the Hoyas had no true point guard on the court, and the offense looked out of sync. He hit a 3-pointer upon his return and the Hoyas closed out the game. As mentioned, Henry Sims went 2-13 from the field. In the last three games, he is a combined 7-33. I'm aware that he's having a break-out year, and his confidence is at an all-time high, but Sims doesn't need to shoot every time he touches the ball.

Providence

Freshman forward LaDontae Henton is going to be good. Like, really good. He took just seven shots, but logged his fourth double-double of the season. Vincent Council will continue to take a majority of the shots for this team, but Henton is an athletic wing that poses a lot of match-up problems for opponents. The Friars need depth. Ed Cooley used just seven players against Georgetown. The Big East is too much of a grind to rely on just seven players.


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Ricardo Ledo is a risk Ed Cooley has to take

Ed Cooley has already flexed his muscles on the New England prep school hoops scene.

Just two weeks after managing to convince Kris Dunn, a CT native and a kid many consider to be one of the top two or three point guards in the country, to commit to Providence, the Friars new head coach has now landed Ricardo Ledo. Ledo, a high-scoring 6'6" wing, currently sits at 14th in our Consensus Recruiting Rankings, giving Cooley two of the nation's top 20 recruits.

That, my friends, is how you make an entrance.


Think about it -- when was the last time every college hoops site in the country was talking about Providence? When was the last time you, as a fan, truly thought about Providence? Marshon Brooks put on a show a couple of times this past season, yes, but prior to that, the only time the Friars made national headlines was when their players were out getting in trouble. And that happened far too frequently under Keno Davis.

I'd go as far as to say that the 2012 recruiting class that Cooley is currently building has the potential to be as influential on the future of his program as Matt Painter bringing in Robbie Hummel, E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson. Its true. There are quite a few powerhouse prep schools in New England, an area that is currently booming when it comes to high school hoops talent. Get some local hype to surround your program, and who knows, maybe they actually have a shot at landing Boston native Nerlens Noel.

The key word in that last paragraph, however, is potential, as Jeff Goodman clearly lays out here.

You see, Ledo has all the telltale red flags that come with a high-risk, high-reward recruit. He's already been to four different high schools in four years and still does not have a high school diploma. This is also the second time that Ledo has been committed to the Friars, as he also gave a pledge to Keno Davis. Ledo has an attitude problem, he's generally not considered a good teammate and he lost 10 of his first 11 games on the AAU circuit this summer, something that simply shouldn't happen when you are a top level high school player.

Then there is also the fact that Ledo is a Providence native. While the key to recruiting at this level is keeping local kids local, the risk is that those players are not able to escape the bubble they grew up in. There are the pressures that old friends from "round the way" provide to miss class and put off doing work. There is the posse that shows up at every home game. There are the people that will be in Ledo's ear after every game, saying he isn't getting enough shots or that he's not getting the exposure he needs as a one-and-done prospect.

Just read this story from last season about the pressures Memphis native Joe Jackson faced as a star recruit for the Tigers.

And keep in mind, Jackson has his head screwed on considerably straighter that Ledo.

Cooley has to bring in Ledo. He can't allow a kid from his program's backyard to go elsewhere. Bringing him into the program -- assuming he eventually gets eligible to play -- is a risk, but its a risk that has to be taken.



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NBA Draft Profiles: Marshon Brooks, Providence

Bjorn Zetterberg of SwishScout.com will be helping us out with all of our NBA Draft Profiles this year. You can follow him on twitter @swishscout.

To browse through the latest prospect profiles, click here. To see a complete list of the players we have profiled, click here.

Stats: 24.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 3.1 t/o's, 1.5 spg, 1.2 bpg

Age: 22, senior

Size:

• Listed: 6'5", 195 lb
• Official: 6'4.25" (no shoes), 6'5.25" (with shoes), 7'1" (wingspan), 8'5" (reach), 195 lb

Strengths: Marshon Brooks can flat out score the basketball. Granted, he was playing in one of the most uptempo systems in the country (ninth according to Kenpom) and on a team that did not employ many other scoring options. But that doesn't change the fact that he averaged 24.6 ppg. And it doesn't change the fact that he went for 52 points against Notre Dame or 43 points against Georgetown. Brooks is at his best when he can slash to the bucket in the open court. He's not an overly explosive player -- Brooks isn't going to jump over you or blow by you with his quickness -- but he takes long strides and has a tremendous wingspan. He got to the free throw line quite a bit this past season (especially during Big East play) which is impressive considering he also took 197 threes. Its tough to gauge just how good of a shooter he is considering his shot selection, but he did hit some tough, contested mid-range shots this season and is a capable three point shooter. Brooks is a defensive playmaker thanks to his length, but its tough to determine what kind of on-ball defender he will be given the zone the Friars played.

Weaknesses: The biggest issue that Brooks has right now is that his physical profile is lacking. He's not a great leaper, he can beat a slower defender thanks to his long stride but he doesn't have blow-by quickness, and he lacks the upper body strength that will allow him to finish through contact. There are also some major questions in his decision-making. Brooks turned the ball over quite a bit and had a very low assist-rate given his usage-rate. He also showed fairly horrendous shot-selection this past season. But Brooks also played on a bad team where he was one of the only offensive options. For the Friars to compete, they needed Brooks to be a gunner on the off-chance that he would have one of those offensive outbursts.

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: The comparison that you are going to see a lot of is Kobe Bryant, which is a bit unfair for Brooks. While its true that, visually, Brooks has a similar looking jumper and smoothness to his game, Kobe is worlds better -- as a playmaker, as a shooter, and as an athlete. Draft Express compares Brooks to Nick Young, which is fair (although Young is a better athlete), but I what Bjorn says -- that he will end up as a mix of Anthony Morrow or Courtney Lee. Whatever the case, Brooks looks like the kind of player that will top out as a guy that plays significant minutes that will provide an offensive outburst now and then.


• Worst Case Scenario: If Brooks can't find a role in the NBA, he'll likely end up as one of those guys that floats around Europe and makes you say 'Hey, I remember him' every time you see him on an overseas roster. Draft Express equates him to Henry Domercant, the high-scoring guard out of Eastern Illinois that went undrafted. Bjorn says he'll be a poor-man's Rudy Fernandez. How about this: Gary Neal. Neal took a while to get to the NBA, but the Towson product found a role as a spot-up shooter and rotation player with the Spurs.

Outlook: We know that Brooks can score, but the key for him finding an NBA niche is learning how to be more than a ball-dominating gunner. Simply put, he is not going to find an opportunity in the NBA where he can have the freedom to shoot the way he did at Providence. He needs to become a reliable jump-shooter than can attack off the bounce when the opportunity is there. He needs to improve his shot-selection and become a better play-maker and passer; there were times this past season when it appeared that Brooks only saw the rim once he put the ball on the floor. He's also going to need to improve his strength to hang around the NBA. But with his length and ability to make things happen on the defensive end of the floor, Brooks has a shot to make it as a sparkplug off the bench.

Draft Range: Mid to Late 1st round

And the experts say...

• Chad Ford: "Yes, it is amazing to see Brooks play and literally see Kobe here and there. But as it relates to where he gets his points, quickness with the ball, star-level athleticism or playmaking on defense from, there simply is no comparison. Brooks is a hot name now and can certainly get drafted in Round 1, but in a stronger draft he'd be stuck as a second-round prospect who would not be assured of having an NBA career."


• Draft Express: "Although Brooks's name wasn't found on many draft boards prior to this season, he's been far too productive to ignore in 2010-2011. And while his upside may be perceived as somewhat limited since he's a senior who will turn 22 this month, his physical tools and continued improvement suggest that there is still room for growth. He will definitely be a player to keep an eye on ... as big-time wing scorers who can create their own shot and shoot 50% from the field don't grow on trees. There will still be questions about how his game will translate, and if he'll be able fit in and play a role at the pro level, but ... he will surely earn plenty of looks from NBA scouts."


• Swish Scout: "Dangerous scorer who has great versatility in his ability to put up points, but was an underrated defensive playmaker for the Friars in his senior season thanks to a ridiculous 7’2″ wingspan for the 6’5″ SG. Brooks will likely never have the ideal NBA build or supreme athleticism, but he has a great feel for the game on both ends of the court to warrant being a player who sees playing time on a nightly basis."

Highlights:




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Should we started referring to him as just "The Marshon" now?

Tim Abromaitis broke out of a scoring slump, scoring 15 points in the first eight minutes of the game and finishing with 28. Its just the second time since January 4th he's scored more than 13.

Ben Hansbrough continued his push for Big East player of the year, hitting for a career-high 32 points.

Notre Dame bounced back from yet another road beating by going into the Dunkin Donuts Center and holding off a scrappy Providence team 94-93.

All of those are legitimate and relevant storylines coming out of Wednesday's game between the Friars and the Irish. Yet, no one is going to be talking about that tomorrow.

Why?


Because Marshon Brooks went off for a Big East record 52 points, breaking the 20 year old record held by another Friar, Eric Murdock. He had a Big East record with 20 made field goals as well (on just 28 attempts), breaking a record set by Steve Rich of Miami. Brooks now has the highest single-game scoring total in the country this season -- besting Jimmer's 47 points at Utah -- and saw his average get bumped by a full point, from 24.4 ppg to 25.4 ppg.

"I was feeling it. It was going to be tough to stop me," Brooks said after the game.

"That was staggering, and I'm glad we escaped," Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey said.

Perhaps most impressive was that Brooks scored 15 points in the final three minutes to nearly lead Providence to an improbable comeback. The Friars were down by as much as 16 points, but Brooks got the lead down to just two points on three different occasions. He hit a three with 1.8 seconds left to give us the final margin and break the 50 point barrier.

Now, before I'm done with this post, let's have some fun with it. Brooks' 52 points was more than 12 different teams scored tonight. That includes Alabama's 51-49 win over Auburn and Morgan State's 42-39 (seriously) win over Delaware State. But it doesn't include Wisconsin, because Josh Gasser hit a buzzer-beating three to beat Michigan (and Marshon) 53-52.

If you throw in the 60 combined points from Hansbrough and Abromaitis, the game's three stars managed to put up 112 total points, more than were scored in five different games. Two others finished at 113 total points.

Not a lot of defense played at The Dunk tonight.
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The B.I.A.H Not-Top-10 Rankings

Every week, writers, publications, media outlets and bloggers issue their Top-25 rankings for the week. A majority of the time, everybody has virtually same opinion of all the teams.

If you want to find this week's top-25 rankings, you've come to the wrong place. Here you will find our rankings for the 10 worst team performances in the NCAA. This list isn't just home to the winless mid-major bottom-feeders. No, here you will find the biggest underachievers, slumpers and teams in a funk, the worst weekly performers, and the teams that just plain suck. Now there will be teams on this list that are better than teams not on this list. But come on people, we are trying to be creative, just work with us.

The B.I.A.H Not-Top-10 Rankings

1. Georgetown Hoyas
Record: 12-5 (1-4)

They've lost four out of five, and the one win was an underwhelming 11-point win at home against DePaul. The Hoyas aren't rebounding, aren't playing aggressive defense, and aren't making good decisions. They are forcing turnovers, missing foul shots, not executing on offense and seem to lack desire and leadership. They still have 13 more Big East games left, so they have time to correct the problems, or they could continue to implode.


Our very-own Rob Dauster made an excellent point about the leadership on this team. When the current seniors were freshman, they won the Big East before getting bounced in the second round of the NCAA tournament. During their sophomore seasons, they started 10-1 before staging an epic implosion which included Chris Wright punching Jessie Sapp in the face in a locker room confrontation after a loss at Duke. Last season, their junior year, they rallied to make the Big East tournament finals before losing to the Ohio Bearcats in the first round. How are the seniors supposed to lead if they have never been exposed to leadership before?


2. Memphis Tigers
Record: 12-4 (1-1)

Losers of three out of their last six, the Tigers seem to be falling apart at the seams. They suffered their first "bad loss" to SMU on Wednesday, but they haven't had a "good win" since early December. Young Josh Pastner has his hands full trying to coach up a young team and keep his kids in line. He has already dismissed Jelan Kendrick, had Angel Garcia leave to pursue a pro career, and just recently suspended Welsey Witherspoon indefinitely.


3. Kansas State Wildcats
Record: 12-5 (0-2)

The preseason favorites to win the Big-12 are currently 0-2 in conference play. Has Frank Martin lost his team? It certainly looks that way.


Jacob Pullen, the lovable scamp who took the country by storm last season with his inspired play and manly beard, has turned into a stubborn zealot. He's committed NCAA violations, called out fake K-State fans, and even said that if they make the N.I.T., he won't be playing. He may be having the most disappointing season of anybody in the country.


4. St. Louis
Record: 5-11 (0-3)

You really hate to see a team like St. Louis struggle this much, especially given the circumstances. Their head coach is out for three games with a leg infection due to a cut he sustained during a sideline collision last week. On top of that, the Billikens are on a six-game losing streak and haven't seen a W since before Christmas. From a statistics standpoint, they are just as bad. they rank 337th in rebounding and 317th in total points, plus their leading scorer averages less than 10-ppg.


5. The SEC West

I can't figure out the SEC at all. The East is anybodies to win, and nobody should be allowed to win the West. Think about it, Alabama and LSU are both tied for the lead in the West with 2-0 records. The same Alabama team that has lost to Providence, Seton Hall, Iowa and St. Peter's. LSU might even be worse. They have losses to Nicholls State, Coastal Carolina, Rice, Virginia, Memphis, and a 20-point blunder against North Texas. Yet somehow both these teams are 2-0. Arkansas and Mississippi State sit at 1-1, and we all are aware of MSU's problems. Ole Miss is 0-2, along with Auburn, arguably one of the worst BCS-conference teams in the country. It really is the Wild wild SEC West.


6. Indiana
Record: 9-8 (0-4)

They started off on a six-game winning streak. Then came a 3-2 stretch of play. But that was followed up by a current seven-game losing streak, including losses to a underwhelming Northern Iowa squad and Penn State. Indiana's last win against a remotely-credible opponent was way back in November, and that was against 8-8 Evansville. There's no doubt that Tom Crean can recruit, but he's certainly having some trouble coaching up his guys. Oh yeah, plus there was this little doozy:




7. Oregon
Record: 8-9 (1-4)

I am writing off their win against USC last night because it was the first game in their new arena, so the atmosphere was in their favor. but I mean, did you look at their new arena? It's ugly. It's hideous. it's down-right awful. It's so bad that even Oregon's uniforms for the National Championship were easier on the eyes than the new Matt Court.


The six-point win over USC was their first victory in seven games, and their first win since before Christmas. Oregon is bad, and so are their new digs. I mean, do you see a midcourt line? Neither do I.


8. Providence
Record: 11-7 (0-5)

There was so much promise for this Friars team heading into Big East play. They were 11-2, determined who their key players and role players were, and even looked not-that-bad in their two suspect losses. They even played well in their first conference game against Syracuse (a 81-74 road loss). But since then, they've lost four more, including a 13-nlowout at the hands of Rutgers and a 30-point drubbing by West Virginia. The Friars know how to score the basketball, but their defense is down-right awful. They are giving up an average of roughly 71-ppg.


9. Seton Hall
Record: 8-9 (2-3)

They've lost five of their last seven, and despite getting Jeremy Hazell back and beating DePaul by 11, Seton Hall is not the team some predicted to earn an at-large bid to the Big Dance. Get this, against Syracuse the Pirates shot 11% from behind the arc. Jordan Theodore and Fuquan Edwin combined for 1-15 from long distance. That's an ugly stat.


10. Centenary
Record: 0-17 (0-5)

Poor Centenary. With Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Alcorn State and UNC-Greensboro all tallying their first W's of the season this week, the Gentlemen remain the only winless team in D-I hoops. The team is transitioning back to D-III so any scholarship players they had probably transferred. It is entirely possible that Centenary doesn't win a single game this season, becoming the first team to do so since New Jersey Tech did it in 2008.


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Wednesday's Shootaround: Wisconsin kicks off Big Ten play with a win over Minnesota

This post can also be found at Beyond the Arc.

(A quick programming note: the BIAH morning shootarounds will now also be posted on BTA every morning. Instead of writing the same thing twice about some of the bigger games of the night, we will be linking to any individual post done on those games. Saves us some time. And yes, our time is that valuable. Bloons Tower Defense 4 isn't going to beat itself.)

Wisconsin 68, Minnesota 60: See here.

Purdue 80, Michigan 57: See here.

Syracuse 81, Providence 74: For the second straight game, Kris Joseph set a career-high, dropping 27 points on the Friars (he had 25 against Drexel) as Syracuse remained undefeated. Once again, Rick Jackson was a monster on the glass, collecting 17 rebounds. James Southerland, a sophomore that is finally getting some consistent minutes with CJ Fair's injury, continued to play well, scoring eight points and knocking down a couple of threes. He's another lanky, athletic forward for the Orange, and his ability to knock down threes at the four spot could help create some space inside and as well as answering some of the questions regarding Syracuse's perimeter shooting woes.

Providence, on the other hand, seems to be one of the more overlooked teams in the Big East. Not much was expected of this team, as they lost some valuable pieces in the offseason and have 11 freshmen on the roster, but this is a scrappy group that will be a tough out all season long. Marshon Brooks broke the 25 point barrier for the eighth straight game, while Vincent Council (10 points, 8 boards, 7 assists), Bilal Dixon (11 points, 9 boards) and Gerard Coleman (12 points) all played well, especially in the second half.

Cincinnati 76, DePaul 60: The Bearcats got 20 points out of Dion Dixon has they remained undefeated in their Big East opener.

Xavier 88, Albany 64: Mark Lyons and Tu Holloway should get stuck in snowstorms before every game. Lyons, who rode with Albany from Albany to the game, had 18 points and 5 assists, including five first half threes, while Holloway added 11 points and 9 dimes.

St. Bonaventure 82, Siena 79: Andrew Nicholson had 26 points and 7 boards to lead the Bonnies to another solid win.

Other Notable Games

• No. 12 Kentucky 91, Coppin State 61
• NC State 82, Alabama A&M 51
• Georgia 70, CSU 55
• Morehead State 76, Kent State 59
• Seton Hall 64, South Florida 55
• UNC 78, Rutgers 55
• Alabama 83, Pepperdine 60
• Stanford 60, Yale 44
• Colorado State 69, San Francisco 61
• Cal 74, Hartford 56
  

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Joseph Young enrolls at Houston

We've wasted a lot of words over the past few months on the plight of Joseph Young. Young, if you remember, is the former Providence signee that changed his mind in regards to his desire to attend Providence. After appealing both the NCAA and Providence to be released from his LOI -- losing both -- Young has made the decision that most of us expected.

Young will be attending Houston, opting to sit out a season and lose a year of eligibility all while developing his individual game.

Now, I could go on another rant and throw a tantrum and scream and yell about how unfair the LOI program is or how juvenile Keno Davis is acting. But I've done that, and no matter how much of a hullabaloo I attempt to raise, the fact of the matter is that Young will be wasting a year in order to go to the school he truly wants to attend.

And as much as I disagree with the course of action that Davis and the Providence athletics department took, looking back, this probably could have played out much differently.

The initial stance that the Youngs took was that Joseph wanted to play closer to his Houston home because he had an aunt that was ill. Most people watching from afar, including Davis, believed that Young wanted to play at Houston because his father was rehired by new head coach James Dickey. That, and the fact that the Providence program was going through some serious upheaval.

If Young had come out and said that he wanted out of Providence because of a desire to play at Houston, where his father was Director of Basketball Operations, Davis may have granted him his release. If you remember, took over his father's program at Drake. Honesty is the best policy, and there's no doubt that Davis suspected the Youngs weren't being truthful.

The Youngs, despite what Davis (and many others) believe were false pretenses, still may have had a chance at getting the release before Michael, Joseph's father, decided to spout off to the media. So now, if you're Keno Davis, you have been lied to and publicly insulted by the Youngs.

If you were in his shoes, would you then do them a favor and grant Joseph's release?

I don't condone what Davis did. Far from it, in fact. If Young wanted to play for his father, he should have been granted a release. If he wanted to go to school close enough to his ailing aunt, he should have been allowed to without penalty. Hell, if he didn't like the direction the Providence program was headed, Davis should have cut his ties.

In my mind, what Davis did was inexcusable, made him look childish, and very likely could hurt his ability to recruit in the future.

Davis, and Providence, made the wrong decision.

But the way the Youngs handled the situation on their end created a situation where the "wrong decision" was that much easier to make.

The sad part in all of this?

Everyone is coming out a loser.
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An open letter to Keno Davis

Dear Keno Davis:

You are an ass.

Let me explain.

I know that you kind of got screwed by Joseph Young.

I know how it looks. I'm not an idiot. Joseph Young is a Houston native, and his father worked on the Houston basketball staff last season. But with the uncertainty surrounding Tom Penders' status as the Cougar's head coach, Young decided he wanted to try and play in the Big East. Once James Dickey was hired at Houston and Young's father was retained, Joseph's mind changed about Providence. It also happened to coincide with an aunt he is close to getting extremely sick. Sick enough that she needs a heart transplant.

Yes, Young signed a letter of intent. Yes, he made a commitment to your school. Yes, he is backing out of that commitment, one he felt strongly enough about to sign his name to a legally binding document. And whether or not you believe his story about wanting to spend time closer to his ailing aunt, or you believe he wants to go to Houston play for the program that his father works for, shouldn't matter. To me, those are both pretty legitimate reasons to allow a kid out of his LOI.

The bottom line is that Joseph Young no longer wants to play for Providence. He no longer wants to play for you. So instead of being the bigger man, being the adult, and allowing an 18 year old kid the chance to play college basketball, you are going to force him to sit out a season? Because as of right now, that is exactly the case.

Look, I'm not saying that the Youngs handled this situation perfectly. And I'm not denying the fact there's a possibility that some questionable dealings and shady decision making has gone on behind the scenes. But from where I sit -- which happens to be right next to every Providence recruit, and every assistant from another school also pursuing a Providence recruit -- you are the one that comes off looking bad. You look like the asshole. You look like a bitter coach that can't handle losing a recruit. Explain to me how this makes a high schooler want to play for you?

I have another question for you, coach. If honoring a contract was so important to you, why didn't you finish out the five-year deal you had at Drake? Because a better situation, a better job -- Providence -- came along, right? And this is different than Young wanting to leave ... how, exactly?

Let him go, Keno.

You've made your point: its quite possible that Young's decision isn't as transparent as some believe. We know.

Now let the kid play.

Sincerely, BIAH

Continue reading...

What is going on at Providence?

First, it was freshmen Johnnie Lacey and James Still, who beat up a fellow student seemingly at random. They weren't just kicked off the team, they got the boot from school.

Next was Greedy Peterson, PC's leading scorer and rebounder, an athletic 6'6" wing that was always a 20-10 threat. He was dismissed from the team for the dreaded "violation of team rules", and has since attempted to pursue a career overseas.

More recently in the news, Joseph Young has been dealing with issues regarding the LOI he signed with Providence. He doesn't want to go to Providence anymore, in part due to an ailing aunt and, in all likelihood, in part because his father was rehired at Houston, and Providence won't release him.

As if all of that drama wasn't enough, Kadeem Batts, a redshirt freshman with the Friars, was arrested early Sunday morning for failure to disperse and disorderly conduct. Apparently, he was outside of a club after it closed, and didn't move away quick enough when cops told him too.

Providence has already hired two additional members of their staff, and also implemented a curfew and a strict no bar and no club rule. Still, this sort of behavior by the players is not becoming of the school.

Keno Davis has just three years of head coaching experience. Some might question whether he was ready to take the reins of a Big East program when PC hired him after a single season at Drake.

But so far, Davis is handling things the right way. Kids that violate the rules are getting the boot. Eventually, players that join the Friars are going to learn that they need to behave, or find a new school. Providence will likely have a tough season in 2011, but Davis is laying the groundwork for a disciplined program.

Now he just needs to improve the quality of the athlete, both on and off the court, that he can recruit.
Continue reading...

Providence should release Joseph Young, they are the ones that look bad

What is it with Big East schools and letters of intent?

First, it was DePaul. The Blue Demons, under head coach Oliver Purnell, initially refused to let Walter Pitchford, Jr., out of the LOI he signed during the Jerry Wainwright era. After Pitchford appealed the NCAA (and lost), Purnell finally relented and released Pitchford. Midway through July. Most kids are already in summer school. Pitchford still doesn't have a school to play for.

Next came Marquette, who signed DJ Newbill to an LOI only to drop him once Jamil Wilson decided he wanted to transfer in. We wrote on all of that two weeks ago.

Now?

Its Providence's turn.

Joseph Young is a highly-regarded two guard recruit out of Houston's Yates high school. He made some headlines when he committed to and signed with Providence and Keno Davis despite the fact that his father is a director of basketball operations for Houston University. But back in June, Young made clear his desire to be released from his LOI, as his aunt in Houston is sick and preparing to get a heart transplant.

When Young made his statement, Davis was unresponsive, saying that he "expects [Young] will honor his commitment. Six weeks later, and nothing has changed. Young, according to his father, will not be enrolling at Providence and is not even thinking about school right now. The Providence coaches, on the other hand, are not budging from their position either. As explained by Kevin McNamara from the Providence Journal:

One school of thought has Young pledging to PC last summer when the Friars were the best offer on the table. At the time, it was clear that then-Houston coach Tom Penders was considering retirement and would not be around for Joseph's college career. Sure enough, Penders did retire after leading the Cougars to an NCAA Tournament berth. He was replaced by James Dickey, who quickly chose to rehire Michael Young as the programs's director of operations and program enhancement.

What Providence believes, essentially, is that Young's mind wasn't changed by an illness to his aunt. He wants to play in the program where his father works.

The point that Providence and Davis are missing is that it shouldn't matter why Young wants out. The only people that truly know why this young man wants out of his LOI is the Young family. Could Joseph really have that close of a relationship with his aunt that he wants to remain near her for school? Of course. Did his father's rehiring at Houston make the local school more attractive? Quite possibly. More than likely, it was a combination of those two, and multiple other, factors that swayed his opinion.

None of that matters, however. Young no longer wants to go to Providence. He wants out of his LOI. Even if Davis and company get Young to spend a year at Providence, how hard is he actually going to play? Regardless of talent, do you really want a kid in your program that isn't going to give his all? Young would likely be on campus for just one season before transferring, so how much would he really care about team success? If he was a cancer in the locker room, would anyone really blame him? No one wants to be forced to do anything, especially when that "anything" is as significant as the college you attend.

More importantly, doesn't Providence look terrible right now? What recruit is going to want to sign with the Friars after seeing this? How easy is negative recruiting going to be for coaches going against Davis for a prospect? "Hey, don't sign with Providence. You could lose a family member, and they won't care." Young could very well be concocting this entire sick aunt story, but the Providence staff are still the ones that will come out of this looking bad.

Remember, this is a high school senior making the most important decision of his young life. I think we can forgive him for having a change of heart given this situation.

Hopefully, Providence will come to their senses and release Young from his LOI. (He's already appealed the school, and will file one with the NCAA if that doesn't work.) That's the only way that this situation comes to a happy ending. I understand Providence's frustration, and if they wanted to give Young a little 'eff you' on his way out the door, so be it.

But Keno, PC, do the right thing, fellas.

Because right now, you are the ones that look bad.

Continue reading...

Greedy Peterson out at Providence

Yesterday, SLAMOnline reported that Jamine Peterson, a 6'6" forward from Providence College that averaged just under 20 points and 10 boards for the Friars last season, was leaving school with the intention of pursuing a career in Europe.

"I sat down with my family and my coach and we thought it was best thing to do," said the New York City native. "I spoke with some of Brandon Jennings's people. I consulted with them and they told me it's not going to be easy. I like the way it worked out for Jennings. I feel like I can go out there and contribute in rebounding and attacking the rim."

What Peterson didn't mention is that he didn't have a choice.

Regardless of whose decision it was, Greedy Peterson won't be in a Providence uniform next season.
(photo credit: Daylife)

Late yesterday afternoon, Providence announced that Peterson was kicked off the team for the dreaded 'violation of team rules'.

"Jamine Peterson has been dismissed from the men's basketball team for a violation of team rules," head coach Keno Davis said in a statement released by the school. "Jamine had a productive season in 2009-10. However, regardless of his athletic accomplishments, it is essential to the integrity of the program that every student-athlete meets the high standards and expectations we have at Providence College."

Providence was not very good last season, losing their last 11 games before finishing the year 12-19 and just 4-14 in the Big East. With second scorer Sharaud Curry graduating and Peterson out of the picture, it doesn't appear that the Friars will be all that improved next year.

Peterson came to PC in 2008, coming off the bench as a freshman. Keno Davis decided it would be in Peterson's best interest to red shirt the 2008-2009 season, and he was right. Already a physical specimen -- at 6'6", Peterson checks in at a muscular 230 lbs and was one of the best athletes in the Big East last year -- he added range on his jump shot and a much improved perimeter game.

That improved perimeter game is what made Peterson so dangerous this past season. He was big enough to defend a power forward, but there aren't many four men that are capable of defending a player like Peterson on the perimeter.

Peterson will be forced to play at least one season in Europe -- where some believe he can be successful -- before automatically becoming eligible for the 2011 NBA Draft.

Continue reading...

Seton Hall blows a lead, but survives to fight another day

With 13:36 left in the game, Herb Pope caught an alley-oop to put Seton Hall up 76-47.

Providence had scored eight points in the first 6:24 of the half, and with nothing left to play for, it seemed as if the Friars had all but given up on the season.

Or at least that's what Seton Hall thought.

By the time things were all said and not, Big East tournament records were broken, two teams were in triple figures, and the Friars had missed a three that would have tied the game.

The numbers posted in this game were ridiculous. Take a look:

• Both teams broke the record for points in a Big East tournament game, scoring 109 and 106 to break the old record of 103, scored by Seton Hall in 1993.
• Jamine Peterson had 38 points and 16 boards, setting Providence's Big East scoring record previously held by Billy Donovan from 1987.
  
• Along with Peterson, the Friars had four other starters reach double figures ... and they still lost.
• Seton Hall also had all five starters hit double figures.
  
• The two teams combined to shoot 146 field goals and 82 free throws. It probably then makes sense that neither team had more than 14 turnovers.
• PC outscored the Hall 59-33 over the last 13:36 of this game, and still lost.
  

Let's put it simply: composure is not one of Seton Hall's strong suits. They handed this game to Providence on a silver platter. From the 1:48 mark on, Seton Hall turned the ball over five times, including on four straight possessions. They missed late free throws, including two form Jeff Robinson with 8.5 seconds left and a three point lead. They took quick shots instead of working the clock. They missed an opportunity to foul instead of allowing PC the chance to tie the game.

And while all of that makes us question how good Seton Hall really is, the one stat that matters is the 1 that is added to Seton Hall's win column.

Remember, the Hall is still fighting for a tournament spot, and Bobby Gonzalez did his darnedest to let the committee know at the press conference, intercepting a question directed at his players.

"We have 19 wins, we have no bad losses", Gonzalez said, "we beat Notre Dame at our place. A lot of people are saying they're in. We know it's a big game. If we win, now, all of a sudden we swept Notre Dame, we have 20 wins. We'll leave it up to the people to make the decision. We want to keep playing."

Why did he keep mentioning Notre Dame?

Well, the Pirates play Notre Dame tomorrow.

Both Notre Dame and Seton Hall are on the bubble. Tomorrow' matchup could very well turn into a play-in game.

And if it is anywhere near as exciting as the last five minutes here tonight, we are in for a treat.
Continue reading...

Providence beats DePaul, but does it help them?

Providence overcomes a scrappy Depaul team to advance to the quarters of the Big East Tournament with an 83-74 come from behind win. Sharaud Curry had 25 to lead the Friars.

Providence is situated squarely on the bubble. They have an RPI in the low-70's, and two good wins (Pitt and Syracuse), but they have lost 12 games and don't have much meat outside of those two wins. They are the classic definition of "work left to do".

Providence did help themselves by beating DePaul, the formerly winless Big East cellar dwellar.

But how much?

Beating DePaul is far from a good victory. In fact, winning by just nine points and trailing most of the way may actually hurt the Friars in the eyes of the committee. What may have hurt them more was the play of Cincinnati. The Bearcats ended the game on a four game losing streak, thre last three to South Florida, Seton Hall, and DePaul.

Sweeping Cinci was one of the pluses on the Friar's resume. In the last two weeks, that sweep has started to look less and less impressive. So not only did Providence lose out on an opportunity to pick up another decent win in the Big East, Cinci's loss actually hurt the resume they had already built.

What does it all mean? Well, instead of possibly securing a bid with a win over a fellow "bubble" team, PC now earns a hard fought win over one of the worst teams in major conference basketball.

Short of an upset victory over Louisville, Providence is probably NIT bound. Continue reading...

Bubble You Pleasure, Bubble Your Fun Part II

The major conference tournaments will be starting over the next three days, and seeing as the bubble is obscenely weak this year, the majority of the bubble determination is going to come in the form of middle-of-the-pack major conference teams playing each other in their conference tournament's early rounds. Be sure to check back here daily for complete analysis of everything bubble over the next week.

Sweating it out (record, RPI, SOS, top 50, top 100, road): Who has already lost?

- St. Mary's (25-6, 45, 160, 2-3, 3-4, 8-3):
Best Wins: Providence, Utah State, San Diego State
Worst Losses: Portland, Santa Clara

See here for St. Mary's analysis.

- Creighton (26-7, 39, 106, 3-2, 9-4, 8-4):
Best Wins: Northern Iowa, Dayton, George Mason
Worst Losses: Drake, Wichita State, Arkansas Little-Rock

What is going to doom the Bluejays is their early season losses to Arkansas Little-Rock and Nebraska. Both were on the road to top 100 RPI teams on shots hit in the last 10 seconds. In back-to-back games. If this profile read 28-5, 11-2 against the top 100 and 10-2 on the road, we would be saying much different things about the Bluejays. They are probably on the outside looking in right now.

- Davidson (25-7, 69, 165, 1-4, 1-4, 10-2):
Best Wins: West Virginia
Worst Losses: Citadel, Charleston (twice)

Davidson is out. I am giving them a courtesy post because I love Steph Curry. See here for more Davidson analysis.

Today's Games: Georgetown and Cincinnati lost yesterday, which means we now stop talking about them. Today, the A-10, Big XII, Mountain West, Conference USA, and Pac-10 tournaments all kick off, but only the Big XII has any bubble games on today's docket.

Texas (20-10, 35, 28, 6-6, 8-9, 4-6):
Best Wins: UCLA, Villanova, Wisconsin, Oklahoma
Worst Losses: Arkansas

The Longhorns should be feeling pretty good about themselves. They have a good RPI and a good SOS, and six top 50 wins and four top 30 wins is nothing to sneeze at. The issue with Texas is that while they only have one really bad loss, they were not great in true road games and, well, they have so many losses. 11 losses is a pretty big number (they will be at 11 if they don't win the Big XII tourney). I think avoiding a loss to Colorado and getting a chance to seal up another with win over K-State in the quarters.

Oklahoma State (20-10, 25, 9, 3-9, 8-10, 4-6):
Best Wins: Siena, Texas A&M, Texas
Worst Losses: Baylor

I think the Pokes are in at this point as well. While they don't have many great wins, they have one loss to a team ranked higher than 35 in the RPI, and that was Baylor who is 76. Like Texas, I think a win seals it for the Cowboys. It at least gives them another shot at the Sooners.

Texas A&M (22-9, 29, 43, 4-5, 8-8, 4-5)
Best Wins: Missouri, Texas, LSU, Arizona
Worst Losses: Tulsa

A&M was in huge trouble back in Febraury after starting the conference season out 3-7. But they have reeled off six straight wins, including picking up W's against Texas and Missouri. They have non-conference win against LSU and Arizona which are as good as any other teams in the conference. I think they are in even if they lose to Texas Tech today.

Providence (18-12, 71, 45, 2-8, 6-11, 4-6):
Best Wins: Pitt, Syracuse
Worst Losses: Northeastern, Baylor

PC got screwed by DePaul's upset win over Cincinnati. Not only is that going to hurt Cincinnati's profile, it will make the Friar's two wins over the Bearcats less impressive. More importantly, it means that Providence will only get a chance to beat DePaul, which will have almost no positive effect on their tournament chances, before having to play Louisville in the quarters. Beating Cinci could have helped their profile, while beating DePaul is what every Big East team was able to do until yesterday. PC now may need to beat UConn to feel safe.

Notre Dame (16-13, 73, 37, 3-11, 5-12, 3-8) vs. Rutgers
Best Wins: Texas, Louisville, Georgetown
Worst Losses: St. John's

The Rutgers win doesn't do much, but it gets the Irish on track. Next up in West Virginia today. If Harangody and company can pull off this win, they might sneak back into the conversation. But for any real opportunity at the tourney, the Irish are probably going to need to win two more games. Continue reading...

College Basketball Week In Review: Life on the Bubble

With just a week left in the regular season for most teams, let's take a look at who can help themselves the most over these next seven days:

• Virginia Tech 17-11, 7-7, 59 (RPI), 36 (SOS): The Hokies have been the most snakebitten team in the country this season (more on this later today), but still have a chance to reach the dance because they play UNC (home) and Florida State (away) to close out the season. They may need to win both if they want to lock up a bid.
• Maryland 18-10, 7-7, 58, 22: The Terps have a couple really nice wins (@ UNC, Michigan State), but a terrible loss (Morgan State) and a 2-5 road record. While a win at UVA helps bolster the road record, they may need to beat Wake Forest at home if they want a chance to dance.

• Providence 17-11, 10-7, 71, 38: The Friars have one game left on their schedule - at Villanova. At this point, they probably need to win that game for a shot at making the dance. If they lose, the committee can easily turn down a 12 loss team, but can they reject a team that went 11-7 in the Big East this year, with a win over Pitt and a win at Villanova?
• The Middle of the Big Ten: Illinois, Purdue, and Michigan State are dancing, but there are five teams within a game and a half of each other in the Big Ten standings that still can end up in the field of 65:
  
  - Wisconsin (18-10, 9-7, 32, 5): @ Minnesota, Indiana
  - Penn State (20-9, 9-7, 64, 92): Illinois, @ Iowa
  - Minnesota (20-8, 8-8, 37, 47): Wisconsin, Michigan
  - Ohio State (18-9, 8-8, 41, 24): @ Iowa, Northwestern
  - Michigan (17-12, 8-9, 47, 10): @ Minnesota
  
  Penn State and Ohio State probably need to win out to reach the dance (Penn State needs the wins, Ohio State can't afford the losses). Depending on how the games play out, two of Michigan/Minnesota/Wisconsin should be dancing as well.
• Oklahoma State 19-9, 8-6, 31, 13: See below.
• Florida 21-8, 8-6, 42, 93; Kentucky 18-10, 8-6, 66, 64: The Gators go to Mississippi State on Wednesday and the Wildcats get Georgia at home. Assuming both teams win those games (far from a sure thing, especially for Florida, who is 2-6 in true road games), on Saturday Kentucky heads to Gainesville in what will most likely be a play-in game. Does a 9-7 SEC team go dancing?
• Dayton 24-5, 10-4, 27, 105: Dayton has a great record and a great RPI, but probably needs to sweep this week (@ Xavier, Duquense) if they want to ensure an at-large bid. The wins against Marquette and Xavier are nice, but an SOS in the 100's and losses to St. Louis (113), UMass (162), and Charlotte (183) are not good.
  

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Sherron Collins, Kansas Jayhawks
Much has been written about how young the Jayhawks are this year and how much they lost to graduation/NBA paychecks after winning the national title. But come March of 2009, the Baby Jayhawks are now all alone in first place in the Big XII, needing only to win at Texas Tech and to beat Texas at home to lock up a fifth straight conference title. This past week was huge, as KU knocked off both Oklahoma and Missouri. And as has been the case all season long, Sherron Collins was the best player on the floor for KU. Against Oklahoma, Collins shook off a bit of a slow start as he knocked down three huge three's late in the game, which helped to hold off a 20 point rally by the Blake Griffin-less Sooners. On Sunday, Collins scored 25 points and had 6 assists as Kansas jumped all over Mizzou early, winning the battle for first place 90-65. All told, Collins averaged 25.5 ppg, 4.5 apg, and 3.5 rpg, while shooting 50% from the field, 14-18 from the line, and 9-14 from deep.

Sherron Collins was on fire in two games last week.
(photo credit: Orlin Wagner/AP)

TEAMS OF THE WEEK:
Oklahoma State and LSU
OK State was not expected to be much of anything this year, especially not after their only legitimate post threat, Ibrahima Thomas, was kicked off of the team early in the season. Things looked bleak as the Cowboys lost six of eight early in the conference season, but they have responded admirably by winning five in a row, including two games this week - at Colorado and at home against Texas. The win against Texas was the most important win of the season, as it finally gave OK State a marquee win. The Cowboys are far from a lock at this point despite their very strong computer profile (31 RPI, 13 SOS), mainly because they haven't had all that much success against a very tough schedule (3-8 vs. top 50, 7-9 vs. top 100). But they still have games against Kansas State and Oklahoma. Winning one of those should get the Cowboys in, while winning both would guarantee a trip to the dance. For the week, the vastly underrated James Anderson led the Cowboys with 23 ppg, including a 30 and 10 board performance against Colorado. Marshall Moses averaged 11.5 ppg and 12.5 rpg this week.

LSU is leading the SEC with an impressive 25-4 record, 13-1 in the league. But they are far from getting the credit that record would deserve for two reasons: the general consensus is that the SEC is down quite a bit this year; but more so it is the fact that LSU has not been all that impressive on the road. They lost their first three games away from Baton Rouge (Texas A&M on a neutral court, at Utah by 30, and at Alabama). They have been much better on the road of late, winning, amongst others, at Tennessee, at Mississippi State, and at Arkansas (who, if you remember, beat Texas and Oklahoma in Fayetteville). If that still wasn't enough to convince you that LSU is for real this year, then maybe this week did. Not only did they beat Florida, but they won in Rupp, coming back from a ten point deficit to beat the Wildcats on a Tasmin Mitchell three pointer with less than 10 seconds left. The bottom-line, for me anyway, is that LSU passes the smell test - watching them play (I saw most of the two games this week, the first two I have seen the Tigers play this year, thank you very much Raycom Sports), they look like a team deserving of a top four seed.

Marcus Thornton hit five three's in a row in the first half against Florida
en route to 32 points in the Tiger's win.
(photo credit: Bill Feig/AP)

Marcus Thornton, when he is a hot, can put up points with the best of them (he averaged 27.5 ppg on the week). Garrett Temple ranks up there with Chris Kramer, Jerel McNeal, and Travis Walton as the best perimeter defenders in the nation. Tasmin Mitchell is a load on the block. Chris Johnson is an excellent shot blocker that will be a lottery pick once he can put on some muscle. Bo Spencer has turned into a good point guard that can protect the ball, make plays on both ends, and knock down a jump shot for you. The biggest problem? That is it for the Tigers. They might as well go just five deep, because there is not too much on their bench. They end with Vanderbilt and Auburn. If they win both, they will be 15-1 in the SEC. The league may be down this year, but 15-1 in any conference is impressive.

MATCH-UPS OF THE WEEK:
3/3 - Florida State @ Duke: Duke tends to struggle against bigger, more athletic teams. What is FSU? Bigger, and more athletic than just about every team in the country.

3/4 - Marquette @ Pitt: Marquette was at a serious disadvantage size wise before they had to replace 5'11" Dominic James with 5'7" Mo Acker.

3/4 - Oklahoma @ Missouri: ESPN really blew this one. Two clashes of top ten teams on a Wednesday night, and neither lands on the worldwide leader (Pitt-Marquette is ESPN 2, while Oklahoma-Mizzou is not even on the family of networks).

3/5 - Dayton @ Xavier: Xavier looks to get revenge after Dayton smacked X in Dayton back in January.

3/6 - The WCC and CAA tournaments start on Friday.

The last weekend of the regular season ends with an absolutely fantastic line-up of games, headlined by UConn heading to Pitt to play for the Big East crown, while UNC hosts Duke for the ACC title. More on this weekend's games on Friday. Continue reading...

Wednesday Morning Shootaround: Providence Upsets Top-Seeded Pitt

On their senior night, the Providence Friars may have punched their ticket to the dance with an upset win over the Pitt Panthers 81-73. PC opened up a 20 point lead, and was up by double digits for most of the second half. It really was a great team effort by the Friars, who put five guys into double figures, led by Weyinmi Efejuku's 16. The key to this one was turnover's. Pitt is normally a good team taking care of the ball, but Providence was able to get their hands on a lot of balls and force Pitt to turn it over (the Panthers had 18 turnovers, and PC had 11 steals). This was as poor of a performance as I have seen out of DeJuan Blair this season. Granted, he finished with 17 points and 8 boards, but he also had 5 turnovers and, most importantly, 5 fouls.

If I am a Panthers fan, I don't get too worried about this game. They lost because they didn't dominate the glass like they usually do (the Panthers won the battle of the boards 31-24, mostly because of some late offensive rebounds), they turned the ball over, and they allowed Providence to penetrate whenever they wanted. That isn't Pitt basketball, and don't expect the Panthers to have too many performances like that. The bigger issue is DeJuan Blair. The big fella was once again in foul trouble. To win the Big East or NCAA tournaments, Pitt is going to need to win a number of games in a row, but I'm not convinced that Blair can stay out of foul trouble for that long. Here's why:



Go to the :40 second mark and watch the post up by Blair. You see how he moves Adrien up the lane? That isn't going to get called in the Big East, but when whistles start getting tighter in the postseason, that may become a foul. While it is a great seal, one thing coaches have complained about all year long is that Blair dislodges a defender and moves them, which technically could be called an offensive foul.

How good is Pitt without their big man? Not as good as with him, that's for sure. I think Blair should be ok as long as he can avoid the "nickel-dimers".

A lot of other good basketball was played last night:

• LSU 81, Florida 75: The Tigers used a late 14-2 run to hold off the Gators at home. Marcus Thornton had 32 points, including putting on a show midway through the first half as he knocked down five straight three's, and Garrett Temple added a season-high 21. I'll tell you what, the Tigers have the look of a team that can make some noise in the NCAA's. They are big and athletic at every spot on the floor, and are pretty good at getting out and defending (although not great, but it is hard to judge against a transition team like Florida). Marcus Thornton is a helluva scorer. They have a couple big shot blockers on the front line, and guys like Tasmin Mitchell, Garrett Temple, and Bo Spencer are solid players that can do a number of things for you.
  
  The biggest issue I have with the Tigers right now is that they are a team that seems like they feed off the energy of the crowd. Yes, they are 24-4, but 19 of those wins have come at home and 3 of their losses on the road (including a 30 point blow out when they had to go across the country to Utah). So my question is, how good is this team going to be when they go to a half-to-three-quarter filled NBA Arena in the NCAA tournament where they don't have their rabid home crowd behind them (and if you saw that game last night, then you know that LSU's fans really get into it)?
  
  One last note - Marcus Thornton looks like an NBA player to me. He can score, he has range, he is a good athlete, he isn't a great defensive player yet (but they don't play D in the league anyway), and he is an excellent passer.
• Ohio State 73, Penn State 59: OSU jumped out to a 19-2 lead before PSU went on a huge run to tie it back up. It went back and forth for a while, but the Buckeyes closed the game on a 25-10 run. Jeremie Simmons, the Buckeyes freshman PG who was coming off the bench for the first time all season, finished with a career-high 14 points. PJ Hill, getting his first start of the year, scored a career-high 13 points (maybe you stay with that, Thad). Quick: define clusterfuck - the middle of the Big Ten. There are four teams tied for fourth place (remember, fourth and fifth get a first round by in the Big Ten tourney) and a team one game back of those four. Of those five teams, I'm saying only three make the dance.
  
• Syracuse 87, St. John's 58: The Orange jumped out to a big lead early and never looked back. Jonny Flynn had 21 and 8 dimes.
• Creighton 65, Missouri state 59: The Bluejays remained tied atop the MVC with NIU because...
  
• Northern Iowa 69, Illinois State 67 2OT: Adam Koch had 25 points, including a tip-in with a second left in the second OT to win the game. Illinois State missed shots at the buzzer of regulation and the first OT that would have won the game.
• Boston College 72, Florida State 67: Chalk up BC as one of the nation's greatest conundrums. Win at UNC, then lose to Harvard and three more in a row after that. Beat Duke, lost to Miami. Now, they beat Florida State, in a game where star point guard Tyrese Rice was held to 11 points, scoreless in the first half. Joe Trapani led the Eagles with 19, and he and Rice hit some big shots down the stretch, the biggest a three by Rice with BC up one and under a minute left. With games left against Georgia Tech and NC State, BC might have just sealed up a trip to the Dance.
• BYU 69, SDSU 59: The Cougars got 20 of Jimmer Fredette's 28 in the second half as they overcame a 14 point deficit. Fredette keyed a 15-0 run late that turned a 55-49 deficit with seven minutes left into a 64-55 lead. BYU moved a game up on SDSU in the rugged MWC.
• New Mexico 76, TCU 62: New Mexico kept pace with BYU for second in the MWC.
  

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