Big East 2nd Round: An Insider's Guide

Dwight Hardy looks to send St. John's into Big East tournament quarterfinals with victory against Rutgers later today. (Photo courtesy of ESPN)

Four teams advanced, four more make their debuts today. Fresh off a Big East tournament opener that saw a 15 seed shock their way into the second round, day two should provide just as much entertainment. Since we're about thirty minutes away from tipoff between UConn and Georgetown, let's get it started.

#9 Seed UConn vs. #8 Seed Georgetown - The Huskies wasted little time proving they were the better team in their 97-71 victory over DePaul that saw Alex Oriakhi come to life off the bench for 13 points and 19 rebounds to lift Jim Calhoun's unit into the second round. Waiting for them is a Georgetown team that has hit the skids since losing Chris Wright to a broken left hand, making it even more important that Austin Freeman and Jason Clark have productive afternoons.

#13 Seed Rutgers vs. #5 Seed St. John's - The Scarlet Knights fought their way past Seton Hall even through overtime and Jeff Robinson's inefficiency, and Mike Rice gets the Johnnies as his reward. If you enjoyed yesterday's encounter with the Pirates, Rutgers should give you more of the same today as Jonathan Mitchell matches up with yet another dynamic scorer in St. John's guard Dwight Hardy. In the one meeting between the two back on February 2nd at Carnesecca Arena, Rutgers tied the game at 56 before Justin Brownlee drove in for a reverse layup off his broken left thumb to give the Red Storm a two-point victory.

#15 Seed South Florida vs. #7 Seed Cincinnati - Anthony Crater and the Bulls are riding high after their first-round upset of Villanova, and now look to stop a Bearcats team playing for a higher seed in the NCAA Tournament. Since USF's frontcourt is one of the biggest in the conference, don't be surprised to see Anthony McClain early and often for Mick Cronin and Cincinnati.

#11 Seed Marquette vs. #6 Seed West Virginia - Marquette won their first battle last night by handily defeating Providence in a game the Golden Eagles started on a 17-0 run. Next up for Buzz Williams and company is the reigning Big East champions, who finished strong after languishing in the middle of the standings through most of the season. Pay close attention to the matchup at the point between Truck Bryant and Dwight Buycks. If the Mountaineers can control the tempo in the backcourt, the game is theirs for the taking.

The Way I See It: Predictions

UConn defeats Georgetown

St. John's defeats Rutgers

Cincinnati defeats USF

Marquette defeats West Virginia

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Big East 1st Round: An Insider's Guide

Kemba Walker is first to take the stage today at Madison Square Garden as UConn opens up Big East tournament against DePaul at noon today. (Photo courtesy of ESPN)

At long last, the country's greatest conference tournament is upon us, as the Big East tournament starts this afternoon at Madison Square Garden. In just about two hours, the most unpredictable five days before March Madness gets unleashed with a bang as UConn and DePaul face off for the opportunity to meet Georgetown in tomorrow's second round. Without any further ado, here is a look at today's four first-round matchups.

#9 Seed UConn vs. #16 Seed DePaul - The Blue Demons come into this off a 48-point defeat at the hands of Syracuse, and are without the services of likely Big East rookie of the year Cleveland Melvin, who was injured last week. DePaul has dropped 52 of 54 Big East games in the regular season over the last three years; but the year in which they went 0-18 (2008-09) was the year in which the Blue Demons shocked the world and defeated Cincinnati in the opening round of the tournament. Big East Player of the Year candidate Kemba Walker leads the Huskies into battle fresh off his 34-point effort in a near-miss Saturday afternoon against Notre Dame; and with Melvin out, it gives Alex Oriakhi an advantage on the boards.

#12 Seed Seton Hall vs. #13 Rutgers - The war of the four first-round games comes between the two New Jersey programs that split their home-and-home series in the regular season. Seton Hall comes in on fire after winning their last two against St. John's and Marquette in a torrid shooting display, while Mike Rice's Scarlet Knights will display their usual gritty style that will attempt to wear the Pirates down. Seton Hall's three guards will create a mismatch in favor of Rutgers, especially in the key matchup between senior sharpshooters Jeremy Hazell and Jonathan Mitchell.

#10 Seed Villanova vs. #15 South Florida - Only in the Big East can a team like the Wildcats be a No. 10 seed; and although Jay Wright's team hasn't been itself lately, they should be the better team against a USF squad still trying to find their way without superstar Dominique Jones, now of the Dallas Mavericks. The key to victory here is the battle of the big men, as the Bulls' Augustus Gilchrist and Jarrid Famous square off against Antonio Pena and Mouphtaou Yarou of Villanova.

#11 Seed Marquette vs. #14 Providence - The team with everything to lose and everything to gain this week is the Golden Eagles. No matter which of their four jerseys they wear at the Garden this week, Marquette is playing for their postseason lives after an uncharacteristic slide to end the regular season. With one (maybe two) wins, they are safely in the NCAA Tournament; but if Friars guard Marshon Brooks gets a few open looks, it could be over faster than Marquette can say "NIT."

The Way I See It: Predictions

UConn defeats DePaul

Rutgers defeats Seton Hall

Villanova defeats South Florida

Marquette defeats Providence

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Bracketology

It's here at long last...all projections are up to the minute. Please note that all conference championships that have yet to be decided in the real world have been awarded to the team with the best conference record here just for the sake of preventing arguments. Hopefully I've succeeded in that department. For those unable to see each team clearly, I'll list each one here:

East Regional

1) Ohio State

2) North Carolina

3) Purdue

4) St. John's

5) Kansas State

6) Cincinnati

7) Vanderbilt

8) Connecticut

9) Illinois

10) St. Mary's

11) Washington

12) Richmond/Virginia Tech

13) Oakland

14) Morehead State

15) Bucknell

16) Texas Southern/Middle Tennessee

Southeast Regional

1) Duke

2) Notre Dame

3) Louisville

4) Wisconsin

5) Syracuse

6) Temple

7) Texas A&M

8) Missouri

9) Villanova

10) UAB
11) VCU
12) Gonzaga

13) Belmont

14) LIU
15) Boston University

16) UNC-Asheville

Southwest Regional

1) Kansas

2) Texas

3) Florida

4) San Diego State

5) Xavier

6) Old Dominion

7) Utah State

8) UCLA
9) Tennessee

10) Florida State

11) Michigan

12) UTEP/Marquette

13) Iona

14) Charleston

15) Long Beach State

16) Northern Colorado/Bethune-Cookman

West Regional

1) Pittsburgh

2) Arizona

3) BYU

4) Kentucky

5) UNLV

6) West Virginia

7) Georgetown

8) George Mason

9) Georgia

10) Butler

11) Michigan State

12) Clemson

13) Harvard

14) Indiana State

15) Kent State

16) McNeese State

Enjoy!

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NEC Tournament Semifinals: An Insider's Guide

Healthy once again after elbow injury caused him to miss half the season, Quinnipiac's Justin Rutty leads Bobcats' charge into NEC tournament semifinals. (Photo courtesy of New Haven Register)

We're down to four in the Northeast Conference tournament; and all four higher seeds were victorious in Thursday night's quarterfinals, thereby making our predictions an even 2-2. We continued to learn a lot more about the four remaining programs in their first postseason game two days ago, and both matchups will be interesting pairings that really could go either way.

#1 Seed LIU vs. #4 Seed Central Connecticut State - The conference's most productive offense draws the NEC Player of the Year for the second time in eight days, as the Blackbirds face the unenviable task of attempting to contain Blue Devils forward Ken Horton. Central is vulnerable if Horton and fellow big man Joe Efese get into foul trouble, a factor that nearly cost Howie Dickenman's unit the game against St. Francis (NY) Thursday night. Central also appears to have hit the wall after a hot start, while LIU does not appear to show signs of fatigue anytime soon. The Blackbirds have a decided advantage in the backcourt and a slight edge up front, but this game will be a lot closer than people envision it turning out to be.

#2 Seed Quinnipiac vs. #3 Seed Robert Morris - The Colonials withstood an all-out charge from Wagner at the end of regulation to prevail and face the Bobcats in Hamden, but Andy Toole's squad is highly susceptible to a bounce after Quinnipiac barely broke a sweat in their quarterfinal win over Mount St. Mary's. Deontay Twyman and James Johnson continue to be an effective 1-2 guard punch, and Justin Rutty should have his way with a Colonials interior game that doesn't match up to the inside presence brought forth by Tom Moore's frontcourt.

The Way I See It: Predictions

LIU defeats Central Connecticut State

Quinnipiac defeats Robert Morris

Just A Reminder: Bracketology makes its debut next week, most likely Sunday or Monday!

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NEC Tournament Quarterfinals: An Insider's Guide

LIU forward Julian Boyd has already risen above the odds, and now leads his Blackbirds into NEC Tournament, still looking for their first conference title since 1997. (Photo courtesy of ESPN)

Tournament preview number two here, and this one is close to home for me given my affiliation with St. Francis College. The Northeast Conference is still looking for its first NCAA Tournament win aside from the two play-in victories they have picked up with Monmouth (2006) and Mount St. Mary's, (2008) and depending on who represents the NEC in the field of 68, it could easily happen. Keep in mind that the tournament format in the NEC is an interesting one, with the higher seed getting a home game in each round. Therefore, unless top-seeded Long Island University wins both their quarterfinal and semifinal games, there really won't be any homecourt advantage. The tournament is also not conventionally bracketed, as the field reseeds a la the NHL playoffs. In other words, the lowest remaining seed plays the highest remaining seed. Without any further ado...

Those Who Missed The Tournament: Sacred Heart, Monmouth, Fairleigh Dickinson, Bryant University (Bryant is still reclassifying from Division II and will not be a full-fledged NEC member institution until the 2012-13 season)

#1 Seed LIU vs. #8 Seed St. Francis University (PA) - What else can you say about the Blackbirds other than the fact that they're probably the biggest surprise in the New York City area outside St. John's? Jim Ferry's uptempo offense would give any team fits in the Big Dance, never mind a Red Flash squad that had to win their last two games against Wagner and Mount St. Mary's (no easy task) just to make the field. Julian Boyd and Jamal Olasewere carry LIU up front, while seniors Kyle Johnson and David Hicks anchor a strong and stingy backcourt. Speaking of their guards, pay attention to freshman reserve Jason Brickman, who gets quality minutes alongside clutch shooter C.J. Garner, who defeated St. Francis College (NY) on a mid-range jumper with half a second left in regulation three weeks ago.

#2 Seed Quinnipiac vs. #7 Seed Mount St. Mary's - Former Georgetown assistant Robert Burke has done a solid job in his first year at The Mount, and has forward Shawn Atupem to lead his squad into battle against a Bobcats team that was picked to win the conference before the season started. Quinnipiac backcourt tandem Deontay Twyman and James Johnson can go for 20 points each on any given night, and senior forward Justin Rutty is finally back at 100 percent after missing half the season with an elbow injury, factors that should play to Tom Moore's advantage as the Bobcats will probably secure a semifinal date at their palace of an arena, the TD Bank Center in Hamden, Connecticut.

#3 Seed Robert Morris vs. #6 Seed Wagner - Here's another salute to first-year coaches. Andy Toole, who at 30 is the youngest head man in the country after replacing Rutgers coach Mike Rice, has picked up the pieces after a rocky start with the Colonials. However, his star guard Karon Abraham is out for the year, forcing Robert Morris to rely on the shooting of Velton Jones and rebounding prowess of Russell Johnson. On the other side of the bench is Wagner, coached by another college rookie in Danny Hurley. The Seahawks faded down the stretch, but don't count them out, especially if Chris Martin returns to his veteran form tonight. The Verrazano Warriors also need leading scorer Tyler Murray to have a big game while big men Orlando Parker and Naofall Folahan avoid foul trouble. In what will definitely be a physical matchup, the confrontation on the bench will be just as entertaining to watch; as both Toole and Hurley are not afraid to be demonstrative.

#4 Seed Central Connecticut State vs. #5 St. Francis College (NY) - I'll be on hand live from New Britain to call this game along with Seth Cantor as coverage begins at 6:45 on the Terrier Sports Network. (Listen live at sfcathletics.com) NEC Player of the Year Ken Horton leads the Blue Devils back home to the Detrick Gym to take on a Terrier team that beat them a week ago tonight at the Pope Center in Brooklyn by the final of 75-65. Horton is a tall order, though. Having gone for 27 against St. Francis last week, he can burn any team from anywhere on the court; and he reminds me a lot of former Marquette forward Lazar Hayward. Glenn Braica is the last of four rookie coaches in this year's tournament, and he leads an underrated and complete starting five into Connecticut tonight. Ricky Cadell looks to add to his new school-record point total while Akeem Bennett will be proving why he was the conference's Defensive Player of the Year, and Stefan Perunicic will be firing from beyond the arc. The key to this game will be the Terriers' role players. If Dre Calloway can score and reserves Travis Nichols and Akeem Johnson can take over the game the way they have during St. Francis' current four-game win streak, the matchup is theirs for the taking. This is clearly the best quarterfinal matchup in my opinion.

The Way I See It: Predictions

LIU defeats St. Francis (PA)

Quinnipiac defeats Mount St. Mary's

Wagner defeats Robert Morris

St. Francis (NY) defeats Central Connecticut State

Keep it here this weekend for a preview of the NEC semifinals, which take place on Sunday afternoon at the on-campus venues of the two highest remaining seeds.

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Arch Madness: An Insider's Guide

Adam Leonard, one of the best shooters you've never heard of, looks to fire Missouri State into NCAA Tournament. (Photo courtesy of Evansville Courier & Press)

If you're a regular reader to this portal for college hoops information, you're probably aware of my feelings toward the Missouri Valley Conference. Now that the Valley's regular season has concluded, it's time to preview the ten-team extravaganza in St. Louis formally known as the Missouri Valley Conference championship tournament; but more commonly (and better) known as "Arch Madness." Arch Madness has been one of the most compelling and enjoyable conference tournaments in recent years, and this year is no exception. Top-seeded Missouri State comes in as the favorite, with Wichita State and reigning tournament champion Northern Iowa looking to knock the Bears off the throne as they pursue the reward of an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

#1 Seed - Missouri State - Former Purdue guard Cuonzo Martin has turned the Bears around after just four years in Springfield, and could potentially face his former school in the NCAA Tournament with the right seeding for both teams. Kyle Weems is the player that grabs most of the attention after being named Player of the Year in the Valley, but Missouri State is arguably the most complete team of any mid-major in the country after their star forward. Will Creekmore gives the Bears some added punch on the frontline, while Nafis Ricks and Adam Leonard provide a scoring and shooting tandem in the backcourt. Watch this man, however: Jermaine Mallett. The 6-3 senior guard is the unsung hero in the Bears' rotation, shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc. If Mallett gets open like he did last Saturday in Missouri State's regular season finale against Wichita State, watch out.

#2 Seed - Wichita State - The Shockers could make the Valley a two-bid league even without a championship win, but it won't be as easy as it looked about a month ago. J.T. Durley and David Kyles are the only Shockers averaging double figures in points per game, yet it's point guard Joe Ragland that is on a hot streak. If you really know me well, you'll know that I consider Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall to be one of, if not the, most underrated coaches in the country. It's highly doubtful he leaves Kansas, (this is just his fourth year there) but a run into the Big Dance could propel Marshall to a marquee job he could solidify his already impressive resume with.

#3 Seed - Indiana State - The Sycamores are still known as Larry Bird's alma mater that miraculously played for a national title in 1979, and that probably won't change much even if they make it into the championship. The impressive part of this team is the cast of role players that has blended together to vault Indiana State into a third-place finish in the regular season. Look for junior swingman Carl Richard to carry the Sycamores this week.

#4 Seed - Northern Iowa - The Panthers don't have last year's NCAA Tournament darling Ali Farokhmanesh anymore, but Anthony James has the same marksman tendencies Farokhmanesh put on full display in the Panthers' improbable run to the Sweet 16 last season. Kwadzo Ahelegbe is a first-team All-Valley player, and Jake Koch gives coach Ben Jacobson an extra body inside while providing a valuable scoring presence in the paint.

#5 Seed - Creighton - Former Northern Iowa coach Greg McDermott has resurfaced in Omaha, and he will lead the Blue Jays into Arch Madness against his former team in Friday's quarterfinal matchup. McDermott's son Doug is just a freshman; but he looks like the next star in the Valley, averaging over 14 points and seven rebounds a night in a frontcourt that he shares with Rutgers transfer Greg Echenique. If there's a name on the Creighton bench that jumps out at the casual fan, it's senior guard Kaleb Korver, whose older brother Kyle electrified the Blue Jays and the Valley before embarking on a successful career as an NBA utility player.

#6 Seed - Evansville - The Purple Aces are largely one-dimensional. As sophomore guard Colt Ryan goes, so too does the team. Junior forward Kenny Harris does provide a solid rebounding force inside, but Evansville is still at least one or two pieces away from being a serious contender.

#7 Seed - Drake - Three years ago, the Bulldogs were a 5 seed in the Big Dance when current Providence coach Keno Davis led the boys from Des Moines through the Valley with a 28-win season. I got a chance to see the Bulldogs in their blowout loss against St. John's in the Great Alaska Shootout; and believe it or not, the 43-point margin of victory didn't expose the team's shortcomings as much as I expected it would. Rayvonte Rice is the man who makes Drake's motor run, but the Bulldogs' 36 percent clip from beyond the arc is highlighted by Ryan Wedel and Ben Simons, who are also high-percentage shot-takers and free throw shooters in addition to outstanding long-range threats.

#8 Seed - Southern Illinois - My, how things change. It seemed like yesterday when the Salukis were consistently on top of the world in the Valley. However, SIU alum Chris Lowery's squad has been amazingly mediocre in the four years following their last Valley championship back in 2007. Mamadou Seck is a double-double threat on any given night, and senior leading scorer Carlton Fay is playing like he has something to prove. It will be a tough road for the Salukis if they are intent on returning to glory; as Missouri State will await them in the quarterfinals should they get past their first-round opponent, who gets profiled next.

#9 Seed - Illinois State - As good as the Redbirds have shown they could be, it just hasn't translated to success on paper this season after their 4-14 record in the Valley. Even if Illinois State gets the better of in-state rival Southern Illinois in the first round, Missouri State will ultimately prove to be too much for them in the quarters.

#10 Seed - Bradley - Patrick O'Bryant has come and gone, but senior guard Andrew Warren has filled the scoring void left by the Braves' former big man. Aside from Warren, however, it's anybody's game when it comes to putting points on the board. One positive for Bradley is their ball control, averaging just 12 turnovers a night.

The Way I See It: Predictions

1st Round: Drake defeats Bradley, Southern Illinois defeats Illinois State

Quarterfinals: Missouri State defeats Southern Illinois, Wichita State defeats Drake, Indiana State defeats Evansville, Creighton defeats Northern Iowa

Semifinals: Missouri State defeats Creighton, Wichita State defeats Indiana State

Championship: Wichita State gets here more so because Northern Iowa and Creighton (who I feel are both stronger tournament teams than the Shockers) are on the other half of the bracket. However, their attempt for retribution won't be successful. It only took me about eight minutes Sunday (I was at the St. John's-Villanova game the day before, forcing me to DVR the aforementioned Missouri State-Wichita State game) to be convinced that the Bears were not only for real, but also a legitimate threat to wear Cinderella's glass slippers on the dance floor this year. One of the most complete mid-majors in the country is clearly the better unit of the two, and it will show in St. Louis as the clock will strike midnight for Gregg Marshall and company.

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And So It Begins...

Gordon Hayward's near-heroics will be hard act to follow in this year's NCAA Tournament. (Photo courtesy of Time Magazine)

Happy March, everyone. It's the greatest time of the year if you're a college basketball fan. Therefore, I'll take this time to let you all know what to expect here in the days and weeks to come. With conference tournaments starting up as early as Thursday, you'll see previews and recaps, along with bracketology projections that I'll try to make as close to real time as possible. With that being said, all I can leave you with is this:

Enjoy the madness!

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