Ray Hall be my Valentine

The Black and Green Irish Men's Basketball Report loves Ray Hall ; as they should.

Notre Dame 81, Providence 74

The Friars failed to end the Irish's home win streak and Big East win streak. Read all about the mistakes PC made that cost them a victory on the road.

After Notre Dame's Rob Kurz and Providence's Dwain Williams traded 3-pointers to open the overtime, Harangody made a pair of free throws to give the Irish (15-4, 5-2 Big East) a 66-64 lead. Then Ryan Ayers hit a 3-pointer for the Irish. Jamine Peterson scored on a rebound to cut the lead to three again, but Harangody answered with a powerful two-handed dunk to give the Irish a 71-66 lead.

Ray Hall, who missed a key free throw for Providence (12-8, 3-5) late in regulation, then missed four straight free throws. Harangody then scored inside again and Tory Jackson, who had 14 points, scored in the paint to give the Irish a 75-66 lead.

Brian McKenzie made a pair of 3s as Providence cut the lead to 75-72, but the Friars couldn't get any closer.

Providence outrebounded the Irish 48-38 and outscored them in the paint 36-26, but Notre Dame shot 44 percent -- including making 5 of 6 shots in overtime. Providence shot 41 percent, but was just 8-of-33 from 3-point range and 6-of-16 from the free-throw line.

Dwain Williams led Providence with 20 points and Geoffrey McDermott, Jeff Xavier, Brian McKenzie and Hall had 10 points each. Kurz added 11 points and seven rebounds, Harangody added 14 rebounds and Jackson had seven assists.

At the end of regulation, Williams hit a 3-pointer to ignite a 9-0 run, with Providence taking its first lead of the second half when Xavier made a 17-foot jumper with 61 seconds left.

The Friars had a chance to extend the lead to four but Hall, who shot an airball from the free-throw line earlier, hit the front of the rim on the first shot of a one-and-one. The Irish then missed two shots and Providence rebounded, but Harangody stole the ball from McDermott and was fouled. He made both shots to tie the score at 61.

With McDermott dribbling the ball looking to make a last play, Jackson stole the ball and his 30-foot shot bounced off the front of the rim.

UConn extends Dyson's suspension 30 days

Some people just don't know the opportunities they have.

UConn starting guard Jerome Dyson's suspension will continue for 30 days after failing another drug test, while teammate Doug Wiggins will practice on Thursday afternoon after his test came back clean.

Dyson will not play Saturday at home against Pittsburgh, while Wiggins' status is still unclear for the game against the Panthers. Sources told FOXSports.com that it's likely Wiggins will play on Saturday.

According to sources close to program, the results of the tests came back and Dyson will miss 30 days since it's the second time since arriving in Storrs that he flunked a drug test.

Both players were suspended for the last two games — wins at Indiana and at home against Louisville.

The police found Dyson and Wiggins with alcohol last Thursday night and both were cited for possession of alcohol by a minor. Wiggins was also issued a summons for driving with a suspended license after failing to pay a speeding ticket.

There was also a small amount of marijuana found near their car, but there were no marijuana-related charges filed by the police.

Standing tall or falling fast

Brendon Desrochers looks at what January has to tell us about the Big East.

As far as the rest of the league, Georgetown, Connecticut, Notre Dame, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Marquette would all surely be in with those records. Seton Hall would probably get the nod despite having the advantage of a softer conference schedule, playing Rutgers and South Florida twice each. That's seven bids already, which leaves Cincinnati, West Virginia and Syracuse scrounging for leftovers. It's impossible to determine the climate come March -- how many mid-majors will suck up bids? how will the Big East be perceived in six weeks? -- but I'd guess that one of those three teams gets in, and I wouldn't bet against Syracuse. The Orange have by far the best non-conference profile of the three, and there are few cupcakes from which Syracuse can grab four more wins. If Jim Boeheim's team can pick up four more W's, as this projection indicates, then at least three of them -- all but at South Florida -- will look nice on an at-large résumé.

This is how he sees the final standings and conference record; for now.

1. Georgetown 15-3
2. Connecticut 12-6
Notre Dame 12-6
4. Cincinnati 11-7
Louisville 11-7
Seton Hall 11-7
7. Marquette 10-8
Pittsburgh 10-8
West Virginia 10-8
10. Syracuse 9-9
11. Providence 8-10
12. DePaul 7-11
Villanova 7-11
14. Rutgers 4-14
South Florida 4-14
16. St. John's 3-15

Kevin McNamara previews PC at Notre Dame

ProJo's Kevin McNamara breaks down tonight's game from South Bend. One thing that stands out: Mr. McNamara said Tim Welsh admitted that he got away from center Randall Hanke too much.

Brey, ND fear the Friars

PC has Notre Dame's attention. I think this is one of those things were you publicly say, "This team is great," but you really mean "They don't stand a chance in our house."

SOUTH BEND -- A Big East men's basketball conference schedule that has become as wacky as Michiana's weather pattern allowed Notre Dame coach Mike Brey to do his best Lou Holtz impersonation.

Heading into tonight's home game against Providence (7 p.m., ESPN2), Brey sounded like Holtz back when the mighty Fighting Irish prepared to face seemingly insurmountable odds, regardless of the opponent.

"I'm scared to death of them," Brey said of the Friars (12-7 overall, 3-4 Big East)."Offensively, they're amazingly talented. They can score the ball and you never know where it's going to come from.

"They have my and my team's attention."

What Providence team shows up tonight remains anybody's guess. The Friars had won three consecutive league games earlier this month, including at Connecticut, but have lost their last two. Coach Tim Welsh's team ranks fifth in league games for scoring (72.9 ppg.), sixth in field-goal percentage defense (42.5) and first in 3-pointers made (8.1).

Back home, the Irish are rarin' to go

The Friars travel to South Bend tonight to face the Irish and their 31 home game win streak, coupled with their 12 game Big East win streak; however, some are "worried" about PC.

Like all coaches, Brey isn’t counting on a return home to guarantee success. PC played Notre Dame tough last year at the Joyce Center before losing, 81-78.

“I’m scared to death of them,” Brey said. “Offensively, they are amazingly talented. You don’t know where it’s going to come from with them. They have my attention and my team’s attention after that win (against UConn) at Hartford, that’s for sure.”

PC (12-7) has lost two games in a row three times this season, but always avoided a third defeat. Welsh says his team’s slow offensive start at Syracuse concerned him, but his focus is clearly on defense against an Irish team that can heat up in a hurry.

Georgetown blows out St. John's

Dear God, don't let this happen on February 18 in Providence. After all, we did name the city after your characteristics.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Sophomore reserve Vernon Macklin scored a career-high 18 points and No. 6 Georgetown handed St. John's its worst Big East loss ever, 74-42 on Wednesday night.

Georgetown led 41-14 after a first half that wasn't that close. The Hoyas could have really poured it on except for a 6-for-13 effort from the free-throw line that included Jonathan Wallace going 5-for-6.

It took the Red Storm 15:27 to get their first field goal. They missed their first 11 shots -- and committed 12 turnovers -- before Burrell's bank shot cut Georgetown's lead to 31-7.

Black and Green preview

The Black and Green Irish Men's Basketball report previews PC at Notre Dame.

Wednesday night pimp

(Photo by: AP)

Jardine linked to stolen ID card

The probable reason why Syracuse's Scoop Jardine suspension began with the PC game.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Court documents reveal that suspended Syracuse University basketball player Scoop Jardine, who graduated from Neumann-Goretti last year, knew another student's identification card was being used to order more than $100 worth of food.

According to the documents, Jardine didn't eat any of the food but helped carry it in when it was delivered to his apartment, then tried to cover up his involvement. The documents are based on a statement from Jardine's cousin, who is being charged in the case.

Authorities say they have no plans to prosecute Jardine because of his minimal involvement. Prosecutors say the freshman guard's case will be handled by the university's disciplinary system.

Jardine was suspended indefinitely last weekend by coach Jim Boeheim.

Cincy program on downward spiral after Huggins' departure

Once Bob Huggins left, the program went downhill.

Cincinnati, OH (UWIRE) -- University of Cincinnati basketball was once one of the dominant programs in college basketball.

Few would argue after UC reached 14 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, won 10 Conference Championships and finished six seasons ranked in the top-10.

But there was a rift between former head coach Bob Huggins and Dr. Nancy Zimpher, the president of UC, and the Board of Trustees.

The arguments eventually ended in the forced resignation of Huggins in August 2005.

Reflecting back on the situation would Zimpher change anything?

"[I would] probably close the window for the ultimate decision," Zimpher said. "I lingered in hopes that the decision would resolve itself, probably longer than I should have. I have a lot of Monday morning quarterbacks, who say 'You should have done this in '04.' Yeah, right. There are no second chances in life, right? So it isn't a perfect world. The thing that has sustained me is that the decision was the right decision."

That decision has set the basketball program back. Since the firing, the Bearcats have had trouble living up to what they were during Huggin's tenure.

(UPDATE: January 30, 2008, 9:42 pm)

No, I'm not too sure about this downward spiral.

Notre Dame returns home to face Providence

The Irish release their notes about PC. The gist of the scouting report is how Notre Dame is successful against the Friars and how the Irish just don't lose at home.

Calhoun's misplaced anger

The suspension of two UConn basketball players raises questions about coach Calhoun's thinking.

What a disappointment to hear that Jim Calhoun, the University of Connecticut men's basketball coach, is upset that two of his players have been tested for drugs.

Shouldn't a college coach have the expectation that elite student-athletes will always test negative for illegal substances? Why would Coach Calhoun be troubled that the two players, Doug Wiggins and Jerome Dyson, who were caught with alcohol, be drug-tested after a small amount of marijuana was found beside the car they were riding in last week?

These are athletes who are on full scholarships to the state university. They are young men who have accepted the opportunity and responsibility of representing the state on the national collegiate basketball stage and who have the chance to earn a college degree in return.

Mr. Wiggins and Mr. Dyson, both 20, were stopped by campus police late last Thursday night and found to be in possession of a bottle of cognac and a bottle of vodka. Mr. Wiggins, of East Hartford, was issued a summons for driving with a suspended license, and both Mr. Wiggins and Mr. Dyson were cited for possession of alcohol by a minor.

According to The Hartford Courant, campus police also found a small amount of marijuana at the scene, which prompted the drug test. That disclosure, and the Courant's aggressiveness in ferreting it out, has apparently enraged Coach Calhoun who lambasted the press Monday night.

As part of his tirade, he reminded the press that “you're fooling with my kids.” My kids? The taxpayers in the state are paying the bill to educate these young men, and to equip, furnish, lodge, feed, and transport them so they can compete in Division 1 basketball.

Game notes vs. Notre Dame

The Friars released their game notes for the Irish.

PROBABLE STARTERS
Jeff Xavier
Geoffrey McDermott
Weyinmi Efejuku
Brian McKenzie
Randall Hanke

FRIARS VERSUS NOTRE DAME ... On Thursday, the Friars will play Notre Dame at the Joyce Center in South Bend, Ind. The Friars and the Fighting Irish have met 20 times in the all-times series, with Notre Dame leading, 11-9. PC has posted a 4-5 mark all-time at home against Notre Dame, a 4-6 record at Notre Dame and a 1-0 record on neutral courts against the Fighting Irish. The two teams first met on February 14, 1956 when the Friars earned an 85-83 overtime win against Notre Dame at Providence. In the last game between the two teams, the Fighting Irish defeated the Friars, 81-78, on February 15, 2007. In PC's most recent win over the Fighting Irish, Providence defeated Notre Dame, 73-59, in South Bend, Ind. on February 24, 2004. PC has posted a 5-9 mark alltime
against Notre Dame in BIG EAST play.

SCOUTING THE FIGHTING IRISH... The Notre Dame Fighting Irish enter Thursday's game with a 14-4 mark and a 4-2 record in BIG EAST action. In their most recent game, the Fighting Irish defeated Villanova, 90-80, on January 26. The Irish are led by sophomore forward Luke Harangody. He is averaging a team-best 19.3 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per game. Junior guard Kyle McAlaraney is second on the team in scoring, averaging 15.4 points per game.

Pot found near player's car

Was UConn's Doug Wiggins and Jerome Dyson smoking the wacky tabbacky?

UConn police found a small amount of marijuana at the scene Thursday night when UConn basketball players Doug Wiggins and Jerome Dyson were issued other citations.

"Marijuana was involved," UConn Police Maj. Ronald Blicher said. "They were not charged, but a small amount of marijuana was found at the scene. ... I wouldn't go so far as to say it was abandoned, but upon officers checking with the occupants of the vehicle, marijuana was found in the vicinity of the car."

There will be no charges filed related to the marijuana, Blicher said, "unless Mr. Dyson or Mr. Wiggins walks through my door and says, 'I forgot ... that was mine.' We would not and should not charge anyone with possession unless we can actually establish possession."

Even though the police can't establish possession, the pair did have a drug test.

Both players have since had drug tests, several sources said, and the results are expected Wednesday at the earliest. The specimens are taken at UConn and sent to an off-campus laboratory.

Wiggins has already failed two drug tests in his UConn career, a source close to the situation said.

The three pointers don't fall, so the Cardinals do

Just like Providence, Louisville is living and dying beyond the arc.

The Pirates at Rutgers suddenly is a hot item

Who saw this coming prior to the season?

With Seton Hall extending its winning streak to four games and Rutgers, winless in the Big East Conference until then, upsetting a pair of nationally ranked teams last week, Wednesday night's game at the RAC has taken on new importance for the state rivals (9 p.m., FSNY).

Seton Hall and maybe Rutgers can start thinking seriously about qualifying for the Big East tournament and Seton Hall, maybe, can dream of an NCAA tournament berth.

Heath kicks Bulls out of thier locker room

USF head coach Stan Heath is angry at his basketball team, so he punished them by playing in the crappy visitors' locker rooms.

Instead of using USF's home locker room, complete with a big screen television and other features, the Bulls were indefinitely reassigned by Heath to one of the less-luxurious visiting locker rooms in the Sun Dome.

"There's not much to say," Heath said. "I expect more."

Heath, who is 10-10 in his first season at USF, did not want to comment further on the specific reasons he moved the Bulls out of their locker room. He called it a team issue.

Tuesday afternoon Huggins-Cronin links

Not just another game for UC

Huggins was mentor to Cronin

Huggins' focus is future

Mick Cronin on Huggins

Another Bob Huggins story

A Bob Huggins story

Cronin brings energy

Cincinnati coach more likeable than he appears

Conference check

John Gasaway gives a very small insight into the Big East: Beware of Seton Hall.

Despite what you see here, Notre Dame has somehow insinuated themselves near the top of the Big East standings. That means either their performance or their place in the conference pecking order is about to change. As it stands now, a team that's making just 43 percent of its twos in-conference doesn't have the trajectory to scare anyone come March.

Elsewhere in the conference, note that resurgent Seton Hall is not only scoring points in abundance, they also have a sweet schedule laid out for them. They've already gone to Pitt and lost. They don't go to Louisville this year. Their toughest remaining games are at Georgetown and at West Virginia. As incredible as it sounds, a 13-5 conference record after an 0-3 start is within the realm of possibility for the Pirates.

Big East Cast

The Tuesday January 29 episode is now available for downloading. Get all excited about how UConn is back.

Andy Katz's quick hits

Two interesting things in Andy's blog today:

One, Tim Welsh needs to partner up with the Orange's Jim Boeheim.

Boeheim has always been a proponent of expanding the field by 10-12 teams. So, too, has Maryland's Gary Williams.

The committee looked at the expansion proposal from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) at its spring meeting but there wasn't enough support to warrant a true study of the change. The one idea that someday could have merit is to expand the opening-round games to four instead of one. But then there is still the question of who plays in the opening-round games: eight automatic qualifiers from lower-profile conferences or eight potential bubble teams competing for spots that would then have to be seeds in the 10-12 range rather than to be a 16.

And two, maybe the Big East isn't the toughest conference to win a road game after all.

The argument by the league's coaches that the MAC is the toughest place to win on the road has some merit considering that through Monday the record was 5-31 for road teams. The only road wins so far are: Akron at Buffalo; Ohio at Buffalo; Eastern Michigan at Northern Illinois; Kent State at Miami of Ohio; Western Michigan at Ball State.

Monday afternoon Friar links

Friars' offense hinges on long range accuracy

Orange's Jardine sits out

McDermott's football glories recalled

Next up: Notre Dame

Pitt trying to rebound

At least there's another team in the conference who needs to work on boxing out.

Of all the things Pitt did wrong against last-place Rutgers on Saturday, one facet bothered coach Jamie Dixon more than all of the rest combined.

It wasn't the crummy shooting, the half-hearted defense or the 13 turnovers or even the airball on a free throw.

It was what Pitt did after all those missed shots.

Rutgers out-rebounded Pitt, 29-13, in the second half of its stunning 77-64 victory over the Panthers at Petersen Events Center. By comparison, no team this season has topped Pitt by more than six rebounds in any game.

When No. 13 Pitt (16-4, 4-3 Big East) returns to practice this afternoon to prepare for Wednesday's game with visiting No. 18 Villanova (13-5, 3-4), rebounding is certain to be a point of concern. Pitt is 1-3 this season when it's on the wrong end of the rebounding ledger.

West Virginia center loses starting position

Charley West at West by God Virginia shows us what can happen to starting centers who don't raise their level of play.

Mountaineer coach Bob Huggins today announced Jamie Smalligan, a season-long starter and often criticized for his poor play, has lost his starting center position.

Smalligan, once known as a three-point specialist, had been shooting 30.5% from the field and only 17.5% from beyond the arc. The move comes just two days removed from a Georgetown loss where Smalligan defended well but failed to record a rebound.

Smalligan’s replacement, freshman Kerri Kosten, is expected to immediately bolster the Mountaineers’ inside presence. Though a girl, only 5′2″, and both legally blind and deaf, Kosten brings a more physical style of play than the vanquished Smalligan.

Police found UConn players with alcohol

Now we know why Jerome Dyson and Doug Wiggins were suspended.

The indefinite suspensions of UConn basketball players Jerome Dyson and Doug Wiggins were triggered by an incident involving alcohol Thursday night.

The two sophomores were in possession of a bottle of cognac and a bottle of vodka when UConn police officers approached their vehicle in a parking lot off King Hill Road in Storrs, according to a statement from police Sunday night.

Wiggins, 20, of East Hartford, was issued a summons for operating with a suspended license and possession of alcohol by a minor. Dyson, 20, of Rockville, Md., was issued an infraction for possession of alcohol by a minor.

Monday morning Friar links

Off target Friars fall at Syracuse

PC gets the Orange squeeze

Providence hangs tough with Syracuse

PC Final 8 ring on eBay

Is this out of frustration, or needed money?


(Hat tip: SheriffBufordTJustice)

Syracuse 71, Providence 64

I wouldn't have minded this loss if PC took care of Seton Hall at home. Actually, that's not true.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) -- Donte Greene scored 24 points, including a 3-pointer that broke a late tie and gave Syracuse the lead for good, and the undermanned Orange beat Providence 71-64 on Sunday.

The victory was only the second in six games for Syracuse (14-7, 4-4 Big East), which was coming off a 64-62 overtime loss at No. 9 Georgetown on Monday night. It also was the 764th victory for coach Jim Boeheim, tying Hank Iba for 10th all-time in Division I, one ahead of Connecticut's Jim Calhoun.

Dwain Williams led the Friars with 21 points.

State of UC basketball

In Cincinnati, fans think the program is down, but will be better within the next few years. In Providence, fans probably think the program's in trouble, and will only get worse within the next few years.

Fifty-five percent of fans said the program is worse off than it was 2-3 years ago, versus 39 percent who said it was better, but the optimism increases dramatically for the team's future prospects. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest, 44 percent rated their optimism for next season 8 or above, 64 percent rated their optimism for three years down the road 8 or above, and 68 percent rated their optimism for five years down the road 8 or above. Despite a lot of recent ill will from fans toward UC president Nancy Zimpher, the administration/athletic department was given a 57 percent positive rating (6 or above).

Of the 12 major pro franchises and college teams, UC basketball survey-takers ranked OSU football No. 1 and UC basketball No. 4 in terms of which puts out a consistently great product.

Injuries hobbling Big East teams, including Friars

When PC meets Syracuse at the Carrier Dome today, it's a matter of whose injured players are missed more.

Jim Boeheim has coached for nearly 30 years at his alma mater but never before has he experienced the frustration of facing the crux of Big East play with his two best outside shooters, Andy Rautins and Eric Devendorf, sitting behind his bench with season-ending knee injuries. That’s the main reason Syracuse has lost four of five games heading into this afternoon’s matchup with Providence College at the Carrier Dome.

“We’re so short-handed,” Boeheim said. “We have eight players, plus three walk-ons. You really can’t practice much like that and that hurts us too because we’re so young.”

The healthy Syracuse players don’t know their way around the conference. Three Orange starters are freshmen. Two more frosh, plus a junior college transfer, make up the bench. That’s six first-year players out of SU’s eight-man rotation.

Meanwhile, in Smith Hill:

Providence (12-6, 3-3 Big East) has tried to overcome the loss of starting point guard Sharaud Curry and met with mixed results. Coach Tim Welsh has chosen not to rule Curry out for the season, publicly at least, until the junior from Atlanta is available to practice. Until then, the coach has said there is no decision to be made. “His status is still up in the air. He’ll be in a boot for at least another week,” Welsh said three days ago.

Say it ain't so, Billy!

Big East coaches will be in an uproar if the Florida Gators make the NCAA tournament.

Florida is the two-time defending national champion. The Gators are a big-time draw. CBS wants Billy D’s team in the field badly. The Gators are 17-3 heading into today’s game against Vanderbilt but to say the Gators played no one before Southeastern Conference play began is being kind.

Donovan purposely packed his schedule with softies in order to give an extremely young team some confidence and it worked. The Gators lost their only two legitimate non-league games to Florida State and Ohio State but won all the rest.

But when your schedule is rated 298th best in the country and your only two non-league wins over top 100 RPI teams came against Temple and Georgia Southern there is a problem.

“They didn’t beat anyone out of the SEC. Shouldn’t that count?” asked one Big East head coach this week.

The NCAA committee has always said the non-league portion of your schedule needs to count for something. We’ll see if that’s truly the case when they take a long look at the Gators, who just may finish in the top three or four teams in the SEC this season.

Short handed UConn upsets No. 7 Indiana

How big does Providence's win at UConn look right now?

A day after he suspended two key guards for violating team rules, Calhoun's Huskies turned in their grittiest performance of the season to pull an improbable 68-63 upset at No. 7 Indiana.

Friar Daddys

SU-per Blog Sports previews tomorrow's game at the Dome.

Keys to the game:

• - Providence beat Connecticut last week in Hartford by hitting a season best 14 three pointers as a team. Dwain Williams was six out of nine from behind the three ball line and finished with 23 points against the Huskies. The Friars followed that up with a stink-out at home against Seton Hall this past Thursday. Seton Hall had not won a league road game in two years. The Hall beat PC by 13 and the Friars were 6 for 23 from beyond the arc. Ouch babe. To say Providence is a hot and cold team is an understatement.


• -Syracuse must be active on the top part of the zone. It is very cliche, but Flynn and Jardine better have their arms out and legs moving to close out on any open player. How many times throughout the years have we seen streaky shooters get on rolls at the dome? Just this year Rhode Island, UMass, and even Villanova all had no trouble against our zone and certainly had no problem with the dome atmosphere. I haven't looked this up, but I would bet that the Orange zone is better against good shooting teams outside of the Dome. Anyway, being alert and closing out on shooters could cause PC to go just as cold as the Pirate game.


• - Providence can score the basketball (props to Hubbie Brown). Averaging 81.5 points a game puts the Friars at first place in that category in the Big East. The Friars like to get out on the break and have a similar style to Villanova, and to some extent Syracuse. All five starters average double figure points per game and all can shoot.


• - Don't believe the hype Syracuse! Big games always have seemed to bring out the worst in players at Syracuse. The stars have always seemed to started slow in games against big teams. Therefore SU-BS wanted to make it clear that Providence is not all that good. Losses to Depaul, Seton Hall, and South Carolina certainly are telling to where this team is at right now. However, those losses were relatively tight games. The two more telling games were at Rhode Island (77-60 loss) and a BLOW OUT at Marquette 96-67. The Friars are coming along, but if you do not allow them to get open outside looks they completely fall apart. Again the zone is going to be critical.

Key player for the Friars- Junior guard - Geoff McDermott McDermott is averaging 4 assists a game and could be the outlet to many a fast break open three.

Key Player For the Orange - Freshmen guard - Donte Greene- Greene needs to bounce back after last Monday's horrible showing against the Hoyas at Georgetown. If he lets the offense come to him instead of jacking up long three balls he could have a HUGE game against a weak Providence defense. We see Greene acting more Carmelo like in this game, getting to the basket and probably the free throw line quit a bit.

Syracuse 83, Providence 69

Dixon is key for No. 1 QP in jamboree

Providence bound Bilal Dixon is the man that will get his team to the finals.

A stellar starting five has earned Queen of Peace the No. 1 seed at the Bergen Jamboree for the first time in school history.

The Golden Griffins will reach the Feb. 20 final at Fairleigh Dickinson only if Bilal Dixon, their 6-foot-8 Providence-bound senior center, stays out of foul trouble.

This year's Big East is full of surprises

It seems like there's no such thing as an easy win this season.

Gamblers could go broke in a hurry trying to make money off Big East picks after results such as Rutgers beating Villanova and Seton Hall knocking off U of L.

"At the beginning of the year, if you play that game of who you can beat and who you can't beat that the typical fan plays, you would say, 'You're going to beat Cincinnati at home, you're going to beat Seton Hall on the road,' " Louisville coach Rick Pitino said.

"You can't really play that game in this conference, because every single game, every team is so close."

The league is so bunched up -- 11 teams have either two or three conference losses; Georgetown is the only school with just one -- that Pitino yesterday reiterated his preseason concern that the new 18-game conference schedule would do more harm than good. Unless the Hoyas or someone else separates themselves from the pack, it will be nearly impossible for a Big East team to get a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Pitino said.

CuseAdelphia previews PC at Syracuse

Jameson at CuseAdelphia gives an insight to tomorrow's game:

Meet the Orange:

Point Guard Jonny Flynn is a freshman averaging 15 points a game and 5.2 assists. He set a freshman Syracuse debut record with 28 points in the season opener. Flynn is a pretty solid shooting and can get to the basket. He's really begun to step up and be the go to guy for Syracuse. Donte Greene hasn't been hitting his shots, so the scoring load has fallen on Flynn's shoulders.

Shooting Guard Scoop Jardine is a freshman filling in for the injured Eric Devendorf. He's not much of a factor on offense, scoring five points a game, but plays solid defense. I once said he was a stat stuff, but against Georgetown he had about the least productive game ever. He didn't record a point, rebound, steal, block, and had just one assist in 39 minutes.

Small Forward Paul Harris is a sophomore and an absolute monster on the glass. Harris is only about 6'4" but averages 9.1 rebounds a game. He's a ferocious competitor and the best all around player on the team.

Power Forward Donte Greene is a freshman and the best scorer on this team since Carmelo Anthony. He'll hit shots from anywhere on the court. He leads the team in scoring at 18.5 per. A little more consistency from Greene and he could put up 25+ a game. On defense, he can block shots, but doesn't do much else.

Center Arinze Onuaku (basic pronunciation: A-rinse-a On-ew-ak-ew) is a redshirt sophomore who has great low post moves, but isn't a great defender and an okay rebounder. He also can't hit free throws, just 45% for the year. He missed four free throws down the stretch against Georgetown which arguably cost the Orange the game.

Off the bench Syracuse plays just two players: Freshman PF Rick Jackson who has a knack for blocking shots and a nice lefty baby hook. The other is SF/PF Kristof Ongenaet (On-ge-net) who's a Belgian JUCO transfer. He'll be the guy on the floor diving for the ball with the funny hair.

What Syracuse does Best:

Syracuse likes to push the ball straight up the court and get easy baskets early in the shot clock. A lot of times Donte Greene will get trigger happy and shoot the ball the first time he touches it during a possession.

S.U. is 17th in the country in two point field goal percentage at 54.8%. On a good night this team won't take more than 10 three pointers unless Donte Greene gets hot early.

The Orange also pounds the offensive glass as they are 17th in the country in rebounding their misses.

How to Beat Syracuse:

Slow the game down. Make them execute in their half court offense. This team struggles to score when the tempo of the game is below 70 possessions. Three of their four worst offensive performances efficiency wise came when the tempo was below 70 possessions.

Shoot threes and lots of them. the 2-3 zone is susceptible to the three point shot, something Providence does very well.

Double team Arinze Onuaku down low. Cincinnati was the first team to do it and they beat Syracuse beat them pretty easily.

Get them in foul trouble. With just seven players, Syracuse is in big time trouble if multiple players pick up cheap fouls. Villanova got S.U. in foul trouble early and it killed Syracuse late. Georgetown didn't get the Orange in foul trouble, and S.U. was very close to pulling off a monster upset.

Calhoun suspends two

UConn sophomores Jerome Dyson and Doug Wiggins are not making the trip to Indiana to play the seventh ranked Hoosiers.

Calhoun used the broad label of "a violation of team rules" in describing the players' actions. He said neither was arrested. The suspension has nothing to do with grades. Calhoun would not specify further, nor would he say when the incident took place. UConn defeated Cincinnati Wednesday night and flew back to Connecticut after the game. Players had classes Thursday and Friday.

"It was not something I could have ever foreseen," Calhoun said. "As a matter of fact, I'm very upset about it, more upset than you could think about imagining."

Game notes vs. Syracuse

Providence College released the game notes for Syracuse.

PROBABLE STARTERS
Jeff Xavier
Geoffrey McDermott
Weyinmi Efejuku
Brian McKenzie
Randall Hanke

FRIARS VERSUS SYRACUSE... On Sunday, the Friars will play Syracuse at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y. The Friars and the Orange have met 49 times in the all-times series, with Syracuse leading, 40-9. PC has posted a 5-19 mark all-time at home against Syracuse, a 3-16 record at Syracuse and a 1-4 record on neutral courts against the Orange. The two teams first met on December 29, 1969 in Charlotte, N.C. when the Orange earned a 94-83 win. In the last game between the two teams, Syracuse defeated the Friars, 71-67, on February 24, 2007 at Providence. In the Friars’ most recent win over Syracuse, the Friars defeated the Orange, 74-61, in Providence on February 7, 2004.

SCOUTING THE ORANGE... The Syracuse Orange enter Sunday's game with a 13-7 mark and a 3-4 record in BIG EAST action. In their most recent game, the Orange were defeated at Georgetown, 64-62, in overtime on January 21. The Orange are led by freshman forward Donte Greene. He is averaging a team-best 18.4 points per game. Junior forward Paul Harris leads the team in rebounding (9.1 rpg).

NOT MANY VISITS TO THE CARRIER DOME... Since the 1999-00 season, the Friars have played just one game at the Carrier Dome. Over the last eight seasons, PC has played Syracuse seven times. Five of those games were played in Providence, one game was played at Madison Square Garden and one game at the Carrier Dome. The Friars last visit to Syracuse was a 91-66 defeat on February 26, 2005.

The battle for the 12 seed

Does PC and Syracuse want all 16 teams in the Big East tournament this year?

The Orange (13-7, 3-4) will attempt to climb up out of the basement by stepping over the poor sap right in front of them, Providence (12-6, 3-3) on Sunday. The Friars are coming off an 88-75 loss to Seton Hall last night while the Orange are trying to snap a two-game losing streak.

Before last night, the Friars lit up UConn with 14 three pointers which is scratching on the chalkboard to Syracuse fans. Then again, they shot 6 for 23 against the Pirates so go figure. Providence has an "any given night" starting five, all of whom average between 10.7 and 12.7 points per game and seemingly take turns leading the team in scoring. Last night it was Weyinmi Efejuku who had 23 points. However when in doubt, Geoff McDermott has been the most consistent Friar, having scored 24 as recently as three games ago and a consistent rebounder.

Big East Cast

The Friday January 25 episode is available for downloading.

Kevin McNamara previews PC at Syracuse

Kevin McNamara previews Sunday's game at the Orange.

Bang up jobs

Syracuse Post-Standard's Donna Ditota lists the injured in the Big East.

Syracuse lost last year's starting guards Andy Rautins and Eric Devendorf to the tragic twist of season-ending knee injuries.

Pittsburgh plays without starters Levance Fields, its point guard, and Mike Cook, its small forward. Fields broke his foot and Cook tore his ACL.

Providence, which visitsthe Dome Sunday for a 2 p.m. game with the Orange, lost starting point guard Sharaud Curry for what appears to be the season. Curry, the Friars' leading scorer a season ago, suffered a stress fracture in his foot.

David Padgett and Juan Palacios, both vital members of Louisville's team, were lost for 9-10 games because of injuries. Both have returned - Padgett from a kneecap fracture initially projected to sideline him all season, and Palacios from an MCL sprain.

Seton Hall's junior captain Paul Gause fractured his knuckle, missed six games and will likely sit a few more.

Joe Alexander, West Virginia's versatile forward, might be shelved a few games to deal with his groin injury. And Dominic James, the dynamic Marquette point guard, has played four games with an injured wrist that has limited his effectiveness.

When Providence visitsSyracuse Sunday, the Friars will be without last year's leading scorer. But Welsh can console himself somewhat with the return of Dwain Williams, Curry's sophomore backup who had missed four games earlier this year with a leg injury.

Because his team has experienced its share of critical injuries over the years, Welsh consulted with his staff and decided to outfit his team with the maximum number of players (13) this season. The succession of injuries, he said, taught him he can never have too many healthy bodies.

Curry's injury came after the team traveled as a unit to Italy late last summer. Welsh said Curry was impressive in those overseas games. Not only could he score, but he was Providence's best assist man and one of its best defenders.

These days, the Friars, like plenty of other Big East teams, have had to figure out a way to squeeze wins out of less than ideal conditions.

"We've had to adjust - our schemes, our personnel, understanding how we're going to play every night," Welsh said. "He's still got a broken foot. It's still in a boot. I think we're starting to learn how to play without him and starting to understand our roles."

Friday afternoon anniversary

(Photo: AP file)