The scales are looking shiny today
First let me apologize for the title -- sure, it's no "The Butler Did It... Again," but it will do.
Syracuse football recruit Ashton Broyld, currently a senior at Rush Henrietta High School, has been charged with the B Misdemeanor of Public Lewdness for alleged behavior at a high school basketball game. Reports at the time of the incident, March 9 at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, were that Broyld made an inappropriate gesture toward Irondequoit High School fans following the game.
That brings us to today. As reported in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Broyld appeared today in Rochester City Court to be arraigned on the Public Lewdness charge with his attorney from the Monroe County Public Defender's Office. As I did here previously with the Delone Carter matter, let me break down the specifics of the legalities of the ramifications of his actions of this run-on sentence.
Public Lewdness appears in the New York Penal Law at section 245.00: "A person is guilty of Public Lewdness when he intentionally exposes the private or intimate parts of his body in a lewd manner or commits any other lewd act (a) in a public place; or (b) in private premises under circumstances in which he may readily be observed from either a public place or from other private premises, and with intent that he may be so observed."
First, there's an intent element here. Thus, a female having her shirt ripped off her would not count. Nor would someone being "pantsed." There needs to be intent by the person to expose the "private or intimate parts." Hopefully you all can figure out what that means. No? Safe bet on penis, vagina, and breasts. Ears, feet, and belly buttons don't count, you sickos!
More importantly, there needs to be an accompanying "lewd act." Simply flashing someone, in and of itself, does not qualify under this section of the penal law (though there is a separate crime for "exposure of a person"). You can imagine the amount of litigation over what qualifies as a "lewd act" -- and it seems as though New York courts have taken a similar approach that the US Supreme Court has taken with obscene pornography: "you know it when you see it." Most cases I've read about seem to involve public masturbation, which has been held to be a lewd act.
Unfortunately, I have not read any news reports that specified Broyld's alleged lewd conduct. Internet rumors have reported that he exposed himself to fans in the arena. Since that in and of itself would not be enough for this charge, he probably made some sort of jerking gesture, or pointed to it and said "Suck it" or something of the sort. It was after his team lost, he was probably getting an earful from the opposing school's fans, you can use your imagination on what probably happened.
Public Lewdness is a Class B Misdemeanor. This is a step down from most misdemeanors and, therefore, does not carry penalties quite as severe. Also to be considered is that due to his age, Broyld would be treated as a Youthful Offender, meaning that should he be convicted of the misdemeanor charge, his conviction would be replaced with a Youthful Offender adjudication and his record sealed, which means he could truthfully answer on college/job applications that he has never been convicted of a crime. In terms of sentencing, as a Youthful Offender he would be facing up to three months in jail; or three months of weekends in jail; or 1-3 years on probation; or a split sentence of jail and probation; or a conditional discharge. Any of these sentences could also include a fine of up to $500, plus a mandatory state surcharge so the State of New York can try to make up for the budget shortfall.
The Democrat and Chronicle story I read listed Broyld's age as 19, which means that, depending on when he turned 19, he may not qualify for Youthful Offender. In that case, if convicted, his record would not be sealed, he would have a criminal record, and his sentence could be any of the possibilities listed above.
What is likely here? Well first, let me start by saying that he has a very good lawyer. I'm not familiar with the specific attorney he appeared in Court with today, but the Monroe County Public Defender's Office has a very good reputation throughout the state and, I believe, throughout the country. They have taken some very famous and important cases all the way to the US Supreme Court. So, his attorney will certainly be no push-over. Short of an outright dismissal or a not guilty verdict at trial, it's my best guess that this case will be pleaded down to a Disorderly Conduct, with Broyld being sentenced to a fine and conditional discharge. A case like this doesn't have "victims" per se, but rather is a crime against public sensibilities. It's society saying that this behavior is not acceptable, and that those offenders should be held to account. These "victimless crimes" are much easier to plead down. And a plea to Disorderly Conduct will not only save Broyld in terms of punishment, but it will also avoid him getting a criminal record, as DisCon is merely a violation level offense, and that record is supposed to be sealed.
Obviously, time will tell here on what ultimately happens. This certainly doesn't rise to the level of Assault 3rd, or Burglary 2nd, like we have seen more recently involved with football players. His scholarship to Syracuse seems to be intact as of now. But regardless of what happens with his criminal case, you can be sure Doug Marrone is gonna be on this kid and really keep him on a short leash. For his own good, and the good of the fan base.
By the way, suck it, Irondequoit!
Labels: Breaking The Law, Orange44 Lawdogs, Syracuse Football
The battle at Long Stick Midfielder was hot in the 'Nova contest.
Syracuse took on the #7 ranked team in the country in their first big road test down at Villanova. In front of a record crowd Syracuse only managed to put in five goals again. However regulation was all that was needed. Syracuse won on a shot with only six seconds remaining to beat the Wildcats five to four.
The first quarter saw five goals as both teams went at each other. No stalling here, this was your run and gun game. However, things got really sloppy on both ends of the field for both teams. Villanova would add a tying goal, the only goal in the second quarter at 7:19 to make it 3-3 as the game was at three all at the half. Neither Syracuse or Villanova would score in the third quarter. Syracuse would earn the go ahead goal with 10:24 remaining in the fourth quarter to go up 4-3. Finally, LSM Brian Karalunas caused a JoJo Marasco turnover and that allowed Kevin Cunningham to score the tying goal for Villanova with 57 seconds remaining in transition. Then, with time running down, Jovan Miller passed in from behind the cage hitting JoJo Marasco. He was apparently attempting a screen for Stephen Keogh and Marasco was open, nailed a left handed shot, and gave Syracuse the go ahead goal 5-4 with :06 remaining on the clock. SU held on to win in regulation.
- JoJo Marasco was SU's leading scorer with two, including the game winning goal. He is the de facto quarterback of this SU offense.
- Tim Desko, Josh Amidon, and Jovan Miller all added an assist. Miller also had a goal.
- Joel White, despite being outplayed by Karalunas on several occasions, still played well getting seven groundballs for his team. John Galloway got out of the cage and had five for his team as well.
- Syracuse struggled at the X again. Jeremy Thompson was 2-7, Ricky Buhr was 0-2, and the bright spot Chris Daddio was 3-4.
- Jeremy Thompson also led SU in turnovers with 4.
- John Galloway earned another solid win. He only allowed four goals, while making 11 saves in the 60 minutes.
- Syracuse only took 26 shots, while Villanova had 30.
- Syracuse did do better at groundballs over Villanova however 30-25.
- Villanova earned 8-13 at the X, while SU only won five. A point of concern moving forward.
- Both teams only failed to clear twice. SU was 23-25 while Villanova was 18-20.
- Syracuse was 1-2 on EMOs, while Villanova was only 1-5.
- Syracuse had 11 saves, while Villanova only had six.
- Finally, Villanova had 23 turnovers, while Syracuse still had a hefty 20.
- The complete box score can be found here.
Now we look around the nation to other interesting and relevant results from the past week. Big East results are in italics.
Tuesday March 22:
Providence 6 - Bryant 13
Marist 12 - Albany 7
St. John's 5 - Hofstra 8
Canisius 8 - Hobart 10
Wednesday March 23:
Ohio State 7 - Notre Dame 8
Saturday March 26:
Colgate 5 - Navy 4
North Carolina 11- Maryland 6
Sacret Heart 7 - St. John's 15
Penn 12 - Cornell 13 in OT
Towson 7 - Delaware 8
Georgetown 12 - Duke 14
Yale 8 - Princeton 7 in OT
Albany 9 - Bucknell 11
Siena 9 - Providence 8
Virginia 11 - Johns Hopkins 12
Sunday March 27:
Notre Dame 8 - Rutgers 3
The complete Inside Lacrosse scoreboard can be found here.
And now we take a look around the conference to see who is winning, and who is in the basement.
1. #1 Syracuse 7-0 (2-0)
2. #2 Notre Dame 6-0 (1-0)
3. ARV Georgetown 3-4 (2-1)
4. #11/8 Villanova 7-2 (0-1)
5. Rutgers 5-3 (0-1)
6. Providence 3-4 (0-1)
7. St John's 2-6 (0-1)
St. John's remains at the bottom, while Notre Dame continues to rise and frame Notre Dame v. SU in the Carrier Dome later this season to decide the conference. Georgetown only has one conference loss to SU though, so they can make a move. Additionally, with the rest of the slate ahead for Villanove they are in the hunt. Villanova takes on Notre Dame this week however, in a very tough test.
Syracuse will next take on #3 Duke this Sunday in the Big City Classic in the New Meadowlands. They play at 6:30pm and that will be nationally televised on ESPN U. Duke is a fun team to watch, and they are playing well. Oh yeah, and they are the defending National Champions. Should be an epic tilt. We'll have all the coverage for you on the game as always.
Keogh is the official OT hero.
Considering that Syracuse won a game with a total of five goals is one of the most ridiculous phrases I could have written, this game was not your typical Syracuse/Hopkins affair. The bitter rivals took to the Carrier Dome field and played a very odd game considering the talent and history of these teams. But Syracuse held on to the top spot in the lacrosse world and gained a victory over a hated rival. Not without some controversy, but Syracuse is your winner in double overtime five to four.
Syracuse started out the game on top scoring first in the first couple of minutes. But then it was a lot of passing and missing for both teams. Hopkins goalie Pierce Bassett was pretty outstanding in the game as well. Hopkins evened the game with the only other goal in the first quarter. Hopkins then scored the next two before Syracuse got one goal back before the end of the first half. Heading into halftime down a goal was unexpected for the Orange. Syracuse then tied the game midway through the third quarter before Hopkins took the lead heading into the fourth quarter. Syracuse then took almost all the fourth quarter to tie the game, earning the tying goal with 1:40 remaining. Then the Orange and the Blue Jays headed to overtime. It was almost over for Syracuse in the second overtime with just four seconds left. Hopkins scored a goal but it was waived off for Hopkins' Kyle Wharton as he jumped in the crease. Syracuse then won the faceoff in the second overtime, one of the few in the game, and then scored 15 seconds into the second overtime. Stephen Keogh earned another game winner for the Orange.
- Keogh was the leading scorer for the Orange, picking up a hat trick on the winning goal. He also took the most shots for the Orange with nine. Josh Amidon had the other two goals for the Orange.
- Tim Palasek earned two assists against his former team. Three other players had an assist, including Amidon, who combined for three points.
- Joel White lead the team with ground balls. He picked up five in the contest.
- Jeremy Thompson went 3-6 at the faceoff X, including the most important at the start of double overtime. Otherwise, Syracuse was not good at the X. Chris Daddio was 0-2, Tim Harder was 0-1, Josh Knight was 0-1, and Ricky Buhr was 1-4.
- Three players had two turnovers, while six other players had one.
- John Galloway played fairly well earning six saves and four goals against in the 64:15 win.
- Syracuse led Hopkins in shots, taking 33 to 25.
- Syracuse just earned one more ground ball than Hopkins, 31 to 30.
- Syracuse was dreadful at the X as stated previously. Hopkins won 10-14.
- Both teams only failed to clear twice. Hopkins was 19-21, while Syracuse was 25-27.
- Neither team converted on an extra-man opportunity. Hopkins was 0-3 and Syracuse was 0-2.
- Hopkins goalie Bassett had 16 saves in his five goal loss. Galloway again had six.
- Hopkins actually had more turnovers than Syracuse, picking up 20 to 14.
- Mark Dixon, an official and contributer to Inside Lacrosse thinks that, based on the rule, Hopkins was robbed of a win. I think it's a really close call, but his analysis is interesting and worth a read here. A replay is also provided.
- The last time Syracuse Scored only five goals in a game was 1982. Sounds about right.
- Syracuse is only 20% on extra-man opportunities on the season. That is not helpful to the cause for an Orange offense that is not absolutely dominant in a game.
- Clearly the face off was a huge issue for Syracuse in this game. Hopkins dominated the Orange and thus were gained more opportunities via possessions. However Syracuse was more careful with their opportunities, obviously coming up the winner and gaining the final faceoff of the game. This is evident by the fact SU took more shots and had less turnovers. However, the X will be a factor and something to be concerned about and watch as the season and hopefully NCAA Tournament progresses.
- The complete box score can be found here.
And we take a look around the lacrosse world at the most interesting or important scores of the week. Games involving Big East members are in italics.
Wednesday March 16:
Hartford 6 - Bucknell 7
Denver 12 - Loyola 8
Thursday March 17:
Duke 14 - North Carolina 9
Saturday March 19:
Denver 13 - Sacred Heart 12 in 4 OT
Penn State 8 - UMass 7
St. John's 9 - Vermont 14
Army 12 - Rutgers 4
Providence 5 - Georgetown 14
Cornell 10 - Yale 8
Quinnipiac 9 - Hartford 10 in OT
Hofstra 6 - Delaware 7
Bryant 4 - Hobart 5
Manhattan 6 - Villanova 10
Princeton 3 - Penn 8
Ohio State 11 - Virginia 14
Sunday March 20:
Dartmouth 10 - Duke 18
The complete Inside Lacrosse scoreboard can be found here.
And now we take a look at the Big East Conference standings.
1. #1 Syracuse 6-0 (1-0)
2. #3 Notre Dame 4-0 (0-0)
3. #11/7 Villanova 7-1 (0-0)
4. UNR/ARV Georgetown 3-3 (2-1)
5. Rutgers 5-2 (0-0)
6. Providence 1-4 (0-1)
7. St. John's 1-5 (0-1)
Proud day for Providence as they are not dead last in the standings. That might be for the first time in the brief history of the conference. Notre Dame continues to be perfect. Villanova continues to play really well and their only loss continues to be against Bucknell. Georgetown came back from the overtime loss to Syracuse with a pounding of Providence this past weekend.
Syracuse next travels to a true road game against Villanova. The game is currently not scheduled for television as of yet. This will actually be an interesting game as Syracuse is not playing well on offense in their last couple of games, and Villanova continues to put up good numbers. However they have not played a defense as good as Syracuse, so this will be an interesting contest. And be sure you check out College Cross for more on Division 1 lacrosse. As their newest contributer I'll have new articles about lacrosse coming there soon, and I join a great, Syracuse heavy, staff with Sean Keeley from Nunes/Magician and Matt Glaude, a true lacrosse statistic wiz, from Hoya Suxa. My first article about adding a shot clock to NCAA lax can be found here.
Marquette - Syracuse NCAA Postgame Reactions OR Not So Sweet This Season
0 Comments Published on by Brian Harrison
Believe me Jim, we understand.
And just like that, Syracuse is out of the NCAA Tournament. They made it to Round 2 (Round 3 if you want to use this year's method of keeping track) Which is better than some teams, but not as good as where Syracuse could have gone. I certainly didn't pick them to get back to the Final Four, but getting to the Sweet 16 for the third year in a row, something Syracuse has oddly never done, would have been nice. But alas, Marquette, a familiar Big East foe retires the Orange 66 to 62.
Syracuse started the game playing well, moving the ball and shooting well. The first half was a game of runs however, as Syracuse would get up, and Marquette would catch up. Then Syracuse would get up again, and the Golden Eagles would get it close again. Turnovers sadly also played the Orange as Syracuse couldn't ever really create distance between them and Marquette. Finally, off two of the dumbest plays of Syracuse's season, Marquette took the lead. Syracuse came out playing well from the locker room, but there were several more lead changes, and big shots made by both teams. Then, with a tie game, Marquette hit a dagger three. Syracuse would never see the lead again. Marquette held on to win a tight game that was a hard fought 40 minutes.
- Dion Waiters was Syracuse's leading scorer coming off the bench. He finished with 18 points in 23 minutes on 8-10 shooting. However, he is not as strong of a defender as Brandon Triche, and he showed that, failing to cover Darius Johnson-Odom who made the go ahead three point basket. Additionally he contributed to the backcourt violation Jardine committed by not waiting to pass the ball in. Why Jim Boeheim has a freshman put the ball in play I'll never know.
- Kris Joseph had the best offensive game of the starters. He finished with 12 points hitting 5-7 from the floor, and earned a tough nine rebounds. He played well, hitting mid range shots, fade aways, and cut to the hoop. This was probably his best game overall statistic wise in recent memory. However, he had one of the worst plays in the waining seconds of the first half when he committed an intentional foul on a player that clearly had a lay up. That gave Marquette two free throws and the ball back. This was one of the reasons they took the lead heading into the half.
- Triche Had eight points on 3-5 shooting, 2-3 from behind the arc. Sadly he fell really hard and officially had a bruised tailbone. Judging from the video of the play I'm guessing that hurt like hell. He sat the rest of the game. While probably not affecting the outcome, Syracuse sure could have used Triche on the floor. Although he did have a team high four turnovers.
- In his final game in a Syracuse uniform, Rick Jackson earned 7 points and four rebounds, playing all 40 minutes for SU. Mostly at center. He had a tough game as he was frequently doubled, but when he wasn't, he played pretty well. Thanks Rick.
- Baye Moussa Keita had a cough and seemed pretty sick. After starting the first half he only played four minutes and then sat the bench.
- CJ Fair and James Southerland played a combined 35 minutes and earned 11 points. Fair played really well overall, but Southerland could have stood to have a better shooting day. He was only 3-8 and 1-4 respectively.
- Fab Melo played only five minutes and managed one rebound, one turnover, and three fouls. He really needs to work this off season. After showing glimpses of talent in the Big East Tournament against St. John's, he clearly is still not ready for the big time stages of college basketball.
- Finally, Scoop Jardine. He earned six points on 2-8, 1-5 shooting. He also earned six assists. And did two of the stupidest things I've ever seen on a basketball court. First he, after getting the ball kicked to him with the shot clock off in the first half, took a three with about 17 seconds left to give Marquette a chance to get up by another score. Of course they made a jump shot. Then he committed a backcourt violation when the game was tied. Technically the turnover was given to Dion Waiters, but Scoop was just at fault. Why he didn't just take the ball in the back court to avoid the call is one of the biggest mysteries we'll ever know. JoeFieldsEra has an interesting take on the call, saying it wasn't a violation according to the rules. He may or may not be right, but either way Scoop and Dion put themselves in that position unnecessarily.
- Syracuse wasn't going to win this game with all the turnovers and the dumb plays. Syracuse needs to improve their basketball IQ drastically next season. And their consistency on defense.
- Syracuse's season, and Rick Jackson's career at Syracuse, is now over.
- Thanks for reading all season long. Syracuse now turns their collective attention to lacrosse. Speaking of, I'll be contributing to College Crosse in the near future, along with the usual writings here, so you have that to look forward to.
Labels: Basketball, Big East, NCAA Tournament, Soul Crushing Defeat
A durrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
The Big East has been very consistent all year. The whole career of the league. I have to laugh a little bit when Charles Barkley is calling us overrated. And they actually listen to him, who I guarantee you will never be a full time analyst for college basketball if they think the Big East is overrated. Of course CBS will show that anyway, because, you know, he said it. Without the Big East you wouldn't have seen TEN fucking good games this year. OK? Not ten! These other leagues just aren't ready. They needed us. Without the Big East NOT TEN. We wouldn't be here having a good tournament. And Barkley is talking and writing about how the Big East is overrated? It's the most bullshit thing I've seen in 28 years.
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Charles Barkley Is An Idiot
Tim Desko kept doing what he does best. That is scoring goals.
Syracuse had one of those rare two game weeks where SU has seemingly once a year. So we're covering both in this week's edition. First, we start with an overtime affair in Baltimore versus hated Georgetown, then finish with a trouncing of Albany in the Carrier Dome. First, we break down Georgetown.
Syracuse started the game well, scoring the first two goals. Then G'town evened the game to 2-2 at the end of the first quarter. Syracuse won the second quarter adding two goals, but Syracuse looked out of sorts on offense. The high scoring game we all thought Syracuse and Georgetown would be failed to appear. Syracuse and Georgetown each added two more goals in the third. Syracuse found themselves up one goal with just over two minutes to go. Syracuse killed the clock pretty effectively, giving the ball to Jovan Miller and letting him run through defensive players left and right. However he lost the ball with about 19 seconds left. Georgetown picked up the ball and they managed to run down the field unobstructed. Gerry Reilly then put the tying goal past John Galloway with five seconds remaining. Luckily Syracuse won the faceoff in overtime and Stephen Keogh put away the game winner with 2:19 remaining in the first overtime. SU was sloppy, and seemingly lost on offense on occasion. Perhaps this scare will refocus Syracuse and not take lesser opponents lightly. Syracuse was your winners in M&T Bank Stadium 9-8.
- Stephen Keogh was the leading scorer for the Orange. He added four goals in this game and one assist for a total of five points. And of course the game winning shot. He now has 14 career goals against Georgetown.
- Jeremy Thompson assisted twice on the day, while three others each added an assist. Thompson also had a goal.
- Jovan Miller led Syracuse in ground balls picking up four. He also never appears to be tired and seemingly covers the most ground in a game playing midfield.
- Ricky Buhr did the best for Syracuse at the faceoff X, winning 58. Chris Daddio went 4-9. Josh Knight won 0-1. Oddly, Jeremy Thompson failed to win a faceoff on the day. He went 0-2.
- Miller also led Syracuse in turnovers with four.
- John Galloway made 13 saves and allowed eight goals. He got the win, making him the winningest goalie in Syracuse Lacrosse history.
- Georgetown led Syracuse in shots 31-29. Georgetown also killed Syracuse with ground balls 41-27.
- Georgetown won 11-20 faceoffs in the game. That left Syracuse with nine. This is a category Syracuse usually dominates.
- Syracuse did far better in clearing the ball than G'town. SU cleared 17-19. Georgetown only managed 16-22. Syracuse caused failed clears through a tough riding defense, but G'town also didn't help themselves by making stupid mistakes as well.
- Syracuse was 1-3 on extra-man opportunities, while the Hoyas were 2-6.
- Galloway again had 13 saves, while Hoya goalie Jack Davis earns the loss while making 10 saves. He allowed nine goals.
- Syracuse had an uncharacteristic 16 turnovers, while Georgetown had 15.
- The complete box score can be found here.
- Tim Desko was again the leading scorer, adding four goals in this game. He also added an assist for a total of five points. Hopkins transfer Tommy Palasek also added four goals and one assist. A total of 11 Syracuse players contributed to the 18 goals.
- Jeremy Thompson and Collin Donahue each had two assists a piece. Seven other players had one assist.
- Thompson and Kevin Drew led in ground balls with five a piece.
- Thompson was masterful at the faceoff X in this game, winning 11-15. Chris Daddio was conversely a miserable 1-8. Ricky Buhr was 2-6. Josh Knight was 1-3. Finally both Tim Harder and Kyle Carey were 1-1.
- John Galloway had three saves and seven goals against in 45 minutes on the field and a win. Matthew Lerman had three goals against and three saves. Ben Levy had one save and three goals against.
- Syracuse dominated shots and ground balls. Syracuse led 46-32 and 37-21 respectively.
- Both teams won 17-34 faceoffs.
- Syracuse was again great on the clear, converting 24-25. The Great Danes cleared 16-23.
- Syracuse never committed a penalty in this game so Albany was 0-0 on extra man opportunities. Syracuse was 2-4.
- Albany had 14 saves, while Syracuse had seven.
- Finally, Syracuse had only 11 turnovers while Albany had 19.
- The complete box score can be found here.
Now we look at the notable games of the past week. Games involving Big East members are in italics.
Tuesday March 8:
UMass 8 - Albany 9
Hobart 5 - Binghamton 11
Georgetown 15 - Harvard 16
Lehigh 7 - Ohio State 11
Penn 6 - North Carolina 12
Vermont 6 - Virginia 14
Penn State 5 - Villanova 17
Wednesday March 9:
Canisus 7 - Cornell 14
Manhattan 3 - John's Hopkins 10
Friday March 11:
Army 12 - Bryant 7
Loyola 9 - Duke 14
North Carolina 9 - Princeton 5
Saturday March 12:
Ohio State 9 - Albany 11
Penn 8 - Villanova 9
Bucknell 11 - Hobart 9
Cornell 9 - Virginia 11
Quinnipiac 9 - Providence 3
St. John's 4 - Siena 10
Rutgers 6 - Penn State 11
John's Hopkins 16 - UMBC 5
Notre Dame 10 - Denver 9
Sunday March 13:
Robert Morris 14 - Detroit Mercy in OT
Bryant 7 - Drexel 8 in 4OT
Wagner 1 - Army 14
Mercer 5 - Duke 18
Tuesday March 15:
Stony Brook 9 - St. John's 4
UMass 14 - Providence 6
Villanova 10 - Princeton 9
Jacksonville 6 - Rutgers 10
The complete Inside Lacrosse scoreboard can be found here.
Now let's check the Big East standings.
1. #1 Syracuse 5-0 (1-0)
2. ARV Georgetown 2-3 (1-1)
3. #3 Notre Dame 4-0 (0-0)
4. #18/15 Villanova 6-1 (0-0)
5. Rutgers 4-1 (0-0)
6. Providence 2-2 (0-0)
7. St. John's 1-4 (0-1)
Noter Dame continues to roll. Georgetown took a stumble against Syracuse to knock them down to second place in the league. Villanova has impressed early, only losing to Bucknell. Rutgers is also playing well, only losing to Penn State over the weekend. Due to their performance against Georgetown John Galloway was named Big East Defensive Player of the Week. For earning four goals including the game winner Steven Keogh earned Honor Roll status.
Syracuse will next face rival Johns Hopkins from the Carrier Dome this Saturday at 6:00pm on ESPN U. If you are basketball'ed out that is. Since Syracuse is playing on the Friday/Sunday slates for the first part of their bracket this should allow you to view this game without having to make the choice. This is a premier rivalry in the sport and it should be fireworks in the Dome. At least for Syracuse. Added viewing pleasure is seeing Hopkins transfer Tommy Palasek try to light up his former team in the Carrier Dome. Should be a great one.
Labels: Big East, Georgetown, Georgetown Still Sucks, Lacrosse, Rivalries
The Orange::44 Podcast Episode 4 - MARCH MADNESS!
0 Comments Published on 3.14.2011 by Brian Harrison
It's that time again. Grab a bracket!
Welcome back to March Madness, and the Orange::44 Podcast. We return for Episode 4 to discuss Syracuse and the bracket overall. What are the sexy first round games? Who in the Big East will advance? Do we still like lacrosse? All of these questions are answered as John and I discuss everything having to do with March Madness. We also take a detour and talk about the Big East Tournament, as well as finishing up talking about Syracuse lacrosse. It's an hour of solid Syracuse and bracket talk that will get you ready for tip time and maybe help you fill out a bracket. Speaking of brackets, join the official O::44 Bracket Challenge at ESPN. Click here and use the password "orange44". All Syracuse and Big East fans and friends are welcome. You can listen to the episode below or download this or any previous episode here. My bracket is above and John's is below.
Labels: Audio Euphoria, Basketball, Big East, Lacrosse, NCAA Tournament
Connecticut - Syracuse BET Postgame Reactions OR Alright UConn, You Can Have One
0 Comments Published on 3.13.2011 by Brian Harrison
You know all you guys have stunk in the Big East this year right?
Well you knew Connecticut was going to be hard to stop. And honestly, Syracuse did the best at it, forcing an overtime period before the Huskies finally retired the Orange. It was another classic match, and of course it had to go into overtime (to which John Brennan correctly called would happen). Unfortunately the Huskies were destined to pull off the "upset" as they win in overtime 76 to 71.
The game started even. Connecticut and Syracuse went back and forth as Syracuse humped out to a slight lead early. The teams were very close at the half as Syracuse was just able to take the lead back from the Huskies 26 to 25. Then it was more back and forth until UConn was able to amass a slight lead. With a six point lead, Scoop managed to nail a three with 20 seconds left. Then Shabazz Napier missed a free throw. Sure enough Scoop Jardine nailed another three point jumper to tie the game with less than five seconds left. Then overtime. The overtime was almost all UConn, as Scoop Jardine's luck just ran out as he missed two three point basket near the end of overtime to seal the game for Connecticut.
- Both Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine had 20 points in the game. Joseph went 7-19, 4-9 and Scoop went 7-22, 4-8 from three. Joseph had nine rebounds as well.
- Scoop could have become a little legendary in tying the game to send it to overtime and then winning, but he rushed a shot from way back in the overtime essentially ending SU's chances. Scoop giveith and Scoop takeith away.
- Rick Jackson had 12 points going 6-10 and eight rebounds. He even added two assists, steals, and blocks. A nice night for Rick, who should have been passed the ball more to see what he could do. On occasion he seemed unstoppable when left defended by one person.
- Baye Moussa Keita and Brandon Triche as starters combined for six points in pretty forgettable nights. Keita had two key rebounds and a nice bucket, but Triche had a dreadful shooting night from start to finish. He went 2-9, 0-4 from the floor. Boeheim when asked if there was a reason Triche sat so much in the second half responded "yes". This was why.
- CJ Fair and Fab Melo were also pretty unnoticeable on offense. Melo failed to score after a career outing the day before. Fair added only five points. However, Fair did add eight rebounds, which kept Syracuse in the game late.
- Dion Waiters did better coming in. While he racked up three fouls he did have eight points hitting 2-3 from long range. He was 3-9 on the day. He is still in need of more maturing but he will be a solid player in the future.
- Syracuse failed to stop Kemba Walker as much in this game as his first game against Syracuse when he had a season low eight points. In had 33 in this game against Syracuse.
- SU shot just worse than UConn from the floor. They finished shooting 37.9% (25-66) to Syracuse's 36.8% (28-76). Surprisingly SU did way better from behind the arc making 10-24 (41.7%) to UConn's 4-17 (23.5%).
- SU lost the battle of the boards trailing UConn's rebounding 45 to 37. SU led in assists 15 to ten. UConn had 8 steals to SU's 6. Both teams had seven blocks and 12 turnovers.
- Overall Syracuse played a good game, but poor defense in the second half (Syracuse never could seem to get a stop), and absolutely horrific shot selection in the first half really doomed the Orange in this game.
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Big East Tournament, Rivalries, UConn
Syracuse students agree: We meet again Connecticut.
Syracuse has won four games in a row against Connecticut in the Big East Tournament, including 2006's overtime game when Connecticut was ranked #1 in the country, and the last being the famous six overtime game. Syracuse also won in their one meeting during the regular season in Hartford in the XL Center. But none of that matters. Nor does the fact that Syracuse is ranked higher in this game in both rankings and seeding. Rest assured, this game will be another nail biter and go down to the wire. Kemba Walker, despite not being voted the league's best player, is like player 1a. And he has been sensational in the Big East Tournament, averaging 26ppg. Not to mention he was an assassin on the last shot against Pittsburgh. Earlier in the year he had his worst game against Syracuse, only gaining eight points shooting 3-14 from the floor. He will do better in this game, but historically he has not played that well against Syracuse in his career. Regardless, he has been on his game and UConn will be taking shots from behind the arc. Syracuse righted their season by beating UConn in Hartford. Since then, Syracuse's defense has been much better and more active. Additionally, Scoop Jardine has broken out of his funk. While St. John's caused a lot of turnovers against Syracuse, that is the nature of their defense. It pressures and harasses. UConn does not pressure as much, therefore turnovers should not be as much of a factor for Syracuse. SU only had nine turnovers in Hartford. The key to this game will be rebounding for Syracuse, and keeping Kemba Walker from getting easy shots in the lane. The zone will help that somewhat, as it will force UConn to pass into the lane and then pass out. Syracuse also needs to try and limit the Connecticut transition game. Limiting easy baskets and trying to contest every shot is very key in the Big East Tournament. As for Syracuse, Triche's second half yesterday put most minds at ease after a horrific first half. Scoop Jardine staying out of foul trouble early and being on the floor with Triche is clearly a good combination. And finally, staying active and in motion on the offensive end to continue scoring is a must. Fab Melo had a career high 12 points against St. John's. I'm not banking on that tonight, but it would be a bonus. Roscoe Smith, injured and received eight stitches from an elbow to the face versus Pittsburgh, should be playing tonight for the record. Syracuse focused so much on Walker in their last meeting Jeremy Lamb, a freshman, had a ridiculous 22 points. Watch and see if Syracuse covers him extra tight allowing Walker to get some more open looks. This game is a coin flip essentially and anything can happen in MSG, including multiple overtimes. This game is practically impossible to predict. I don't buy that Walker or UConn will be flat or tired because this is their fourth game in four days. That argument should be void these days. But, because Syracuse won earlier in the year, and because they are playing so well right now, I'll just go with the fact UConn's luck may be out for this BET and say Syracuse will win this one by five.
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Big East Tournament, Preview
St. John's - Syracuse BET Postgame Reactions OR SU Still Owns NYC
0 Comments Published on by Brian Harrison
A fabulous day in NYC for Melo.
Syracuse was the only team that managed to beat St. John's in Madison Square Garden this season. Not even Pittsburgh could manage that. So again they were tested in the quarterfinal round of the BET. And once again Syracuse managed to come up victorious. Sadly DJ Kennedy was a casualty of the war. We at Orange::44 wish him a speedy recovery. But we are also glad the Orange survive and advance, beating St. John's 79 to 73.
This game was back and forth the entire time. Syracuse actually had a nine point lead early in the first half, their largest lead of the game. But St. John's roared back and took the lead and kept it for the last nine minutes of the first, taking a five point lead to the locker room at the half. It only took two minutes for Syracuse to take the lead back, thanks to Brandon Triche playing lights out when he returned to the floor. Syracuse never relinquished the lead. The game was tied with 2:25 to go, and Syracuse made play after play and finally sealed the game.
- Brandon Triche finished as Syracuse' leading scorer. He finished with 22 points on 5-13, 4-10 shooting. He was also a perfect 8-8, giving him the all time consecutive free throw record for Syracuse with 37 and counting. The old record was 34. He also had six rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Unfortunately he had three turnovers in the first half and looked awful. He was night and day better in the second half, when most of his points came.
- Kris Joseph was next in line with 12 points. he shot 4-9, 0-2 from the floor with 6-10 on free throws. He had a spectacular missed dunk, followed by a easy, two handed flush at one point. He also had a critical finger roll down the stretch to help seal the game. However, he did not play well the majority of this game.
- Fab Melo had 12 points off the bench, shooting 5-5 from the floor and making 2-4 free throws. This was a career high. He also had four rebounds and two blocks. He played excellent offense, and both passed and defended well. Hopefully with the confidence boost and continued practice and playing time, he will continue to get even better as the year winds down.
- Rick Jackson was one rebound shy of a double-double, finishing with ten points. He also finished with four assists, three steals, and four blocks. Scoop Jardine also added ten points, shooting 4-11, 2-6 from the floor. He was out most of the first half with two fouls, having picked them up before the under 16 time out. He played without a brain for the first half essentially, having one turnover in which he simply just threw the ball over Triche's head. He recovered in the second half however, making assists, moving the ball, and hitting threes.
- Dion Waiters played well in 12 minutes on the floor, hitting 3-5, 1-1 and earning eight points. CJ Fair also saw some good minutes, only scoring three points, but managing seven rebounds, all of them on the offensive end.
- St. John's shot just better than Syracuse on the day. The Johnnies hit 47.4% from the floor, while Syracuse made 44.1% (44... drink!)
- St. John's performed about as well from behind the arc as they usually do, making 4-14 (28.6%). Syracuse did better with 7-19 (36.8%). While they made several in the second half, the first half was a lot of chucking shots up unnecessarily.
- Syracuse was also better on free throws, making 20-29 (69%) to St. John's 15-24 (62.5%).
- Both teams had 34 rebounds. Syracuse led in assists, steals, and blocks. 18-13, 13-4, and 10-1 respectively. You can see how active the Syracuse defense was, earning 13 steals and 10 blocks. St. John's did not even come close to those numbers.
- While Syracuse had a turnover fest in the first half, Syracuse actually ended up with less total than St. John's. They had 19 while Syracuse had 15.
- Syracuse really had a bad first half. Nobody moved around on the floor without the ball and SU committed nine turnovers. That allowed St. John's to take the lead into the half. Syracuse came out of the gate shooting well, moving around on the floor, and limiting mistakes. They were night and day sharper on the floor in the second half.
- Dwight Hardy is a very good player. He finished with 22 points as well.
- This was Syracuse's 46 Big East Tournament win. That is second only to Georgetown who has 49.
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Big East Tournament
Syracuse students agree: It's nice to survive and advance.
St. John's entered the Big East Tournament as the 5 seed, having faced Rutgers yesterday in game that ended up going down to the wire. Well, that would be if the game was actually completed. It actually ended with 1.7 seconds left on the clock. If you're a basketball fan you know what happened and you know who's fault it is. Either way, St. John's is now facing 4 seed Syracuse, the only Big East team to beat St. John's on the floor of the Garden. The season has progressed, but the scene of the crime stays the same. While the morning sessions are usually the clear undercard to the night caps, this time it is probably the opposite. First #9 Connecticut faces #1 Pittsburgh, and then St. John's will play Syracuse for bragging rights in the Empire State. It's the MSG match that everyone wanted to see. And it should deliver. Syracuse beat St. John's on January 12th 76-59. This game should be closer. It is the BET after all. Syracuse held St. John's to just 36.8% from the floor. The failure of having outside shooting truly killed the Johnnies in the game. They were 3-10 against Rutgers yesterday. Defense will again be the key in this game. Both teams will score, but the ability to stop shots, including blocks from Rick Jackson, and rebounding will be the way either team wins. Both teams are firing on all cylinders. However, St. John's was also sloppy with the ball yesterday, having nine first half turnovers. Mistakes like that can't be made in a tournament setting. Syracuse has the statistical edge in this game. If Syracuse can stop Dwight Hardy in the lane, Syracuse should dominate in this game. I like the Orange to advance to Friday in this game. The Orange over the Red Storm for continued Garden supremacy by nine.
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Big East Tournament, Preview
Time for another magical week from the City.
Another great season of Big East basketball is in the books, maybe the toughest of all time. The bracket is set for another huge and amazing tournament of top talent converging on the Mecca of Basketball. New York City is ready. Are you?
First Round - Tuesday March 8th
Game 1: #9 Connecticut v. #16 DePaul 12:00pm EST (ESPN 2)
Game 2: #12 Seton Hall v. #13 Rutgers 2:00pm EST (ESPN 2)
Game 3: #10 Villanova v. #15 South Florida 7:00pm EST (ESPN U)
Game 4: #11 Marquette v. #14 Providence 9:00pm EST (ESPN U)
Second Round - Wednesday March 9th
Game 5: Winner of Connecticut/DePaul v. #8 Georgetown 12:00pm EST (ESPN)
Game 6: Winner of Seton Hall/Rutgers v. #5 St. John’s 2:00pm EST (ESPN)
Game 7: Winner of Villanova/South Florida v. #7 Cincinnati 7:00pm EST (ESPN)
Game 8: Winner of Marquette/Providence v. #6 West Virginia 9:00pm EST (ESPN)
Quarterfinals - Thursday March 10th
Game 9: Winner of Game 5 v. #1 Pittsburgh12:00pm EST (ESPN)
Game 10: Winner of Game 6 v. #4 Syracuse 2:00pm EST (ESPN)
Game 11: Winner of Game 7 v. #2 Notre Dame 7:00pm EST (ESPN)
Game 12: Winner of Game 8 v. #3 Louisville 9:00pm (ESPN)
Semifinals - Friday March 11th
Game 13: Winner of Game 9 v. Winner of Game 10 7:00pm EST (ESPN)
Game 14: Winner of Game 11 v. Winner of Game 12 9:00pm EST (ESPN)
Championship - Saturday March 12th
Championship: Winner of Game 13 v. Winner of Game 14 9:00pm EST (ESPN)
Analysis
Best First Round Matchup: #12 Seton Hall v. #13 Rutgers
The “biggest rivalry in the Big East”, the battle for New Jersey is renewed in the first round of the BET. Winner takes on St. John’s and then Syracuse in the bracket that is the battle of the greater New York area. But Seton Hall and Rutgers are pretty even on paper and both are trying to come back from the dregs of the league to a modicum of respectability. Seton Hall is on a nice little win streak, winning against St. John’s and Marquette to finish the year. But Rutgers and the Hall split their games this season, so this is the decider, and the Hall has something to play for, as a few wins in New York could send this team to the NCAA or NIT.
Best Potential Second Round Matchup: #12 Seton Hall v. #5 St. John’s OR #10 Villanova v. #7 Cincinnati
Seton Hall beat St. John’s in the second to last game of the year to knock the Johnnies out of a double bye in the BET. St. John’s would love some payback on their own home court. For the Hall, a win over the Red Storm would go a long way in helping them get a postseason bid somewhere. Peaking at the right time in March does wonders for your resume.
Villanova will look familiar to Syracuse fans. SU had a four game skid in the middle of the season. Villanova is having it at the end. Having lost four in a row, starting with then #20 Syracuse in Philadelphia, Villanova has lost to the last four teams they have faced, all of whom are ranked. Cincinnati is in a different direction, having been 5-1 in their last six including wins over Louisville and two wins over Georgetown. Both teams want to advance. Villanova has more talent but is not playing well. Cincinnati is playing well but without much talent. Something has to give.
Best Potential Quarterfinal Matches: #5 St. John’s v. #4 Syracuse
It’s no secret that Syracuse has owned St. John’s in the last decade, including in Madison Square Garden, Syracuse’s other home court. That includes earlier this season. However, St. John’s has played very well at home, only losing to Syracuse and Cincinnati at home. Syracuse was the only ranked team they lost to in the Garden. St. John’s is yearning to regain home court advantage over Syracuse, while Syracuse wants to continue their dominance over the Red Storm, and get back their reputation as unbeatable in New York.
Best Potential Semifinial Matchup: #1 Pittsburgh v. #4 Syracuse
While Louisville versus Notre Dame would be a great game, Pittsburgh versus Syracuse has a little more luster, especially in New York. Pittsburgh and Syracuse area always dangerous to advance in New York. In their one meeting this season Pittsburgh won a eight point loss in Pittsburgh, while Syracuse’s Kris Joseph was sidelined with a head injury. Despite jumping to a huge lead, Syracuse came back and the game was tied in the second half. And these teams always have epic games in the Garden.
Best Potential Championship Matchup: #1 Pittsburgh v. #2 Notre Dame
Pittsburgh has been the best team in the league all season. Notre Dame has been the second best, but Notre Dame beat Pittsburgh in the Pete in their one meeting. These teams have big stars as Ben Hansborough versus Ashton Gibbs will again be wildly entertaining. These two teams are definitely in the NCAA Tournament, but winning the Conference comes with a lot of prestige and a lot of momentum heading into the Big Dance.
Players To Watch For:
#1 Pittsburgh – Ashton Gibbs
He is a shooter and has greatly improved every year to leading the beat team in the conference with 16.4ppg and hitting 46.6% from long range. The best player on the best team has quietly put together a great season and he will lead the Panthers into another BET run, where this team is always dangerous.
#2 Notre Dame – Ben Hansborough
My vote for league player of the year, he has helped Notre Dame become one of the top teams in the conference. He is a deadly outside shooter, hitting 45.1% from behind the arc, and can drive and slash when he needs to. He’s also an excellent passer and can create opportunities for his teammates.
#3 Louisville – Preston Knowles
Seemingly coming out of nowhere, Knowles is the leading scorer for the very dangerous Cardinals. They have managed to consistently win in a very tough league, and Knowles leads scorers on that team. He can shoot well and can find the open man for an easier shot.
#4 Syracuse – Rick Jackson
The Big East defensive player of the year leads the conference in rebounding, field goal percentage, and blocks. He also averages 10.7ppg and is the best center in the Big East. He will be tough to battle down low and gives the Orange a distinct advantage in the low post.
#5 St. John’s – Dwight Hardy
The biggest surprise on the most surprising team, Hardy is a crafty player who is the guy to take the last shot on this team full of seniors. A leader among seniors is a tough thing to do and Hardy does it well, averaging 17.9ppg. He will do some damage on his home court.
#6 West Virginia – Kevin Jones
A key player for WVU a year ago, Jones is second on the team in scoring and first in rebounding for the Mountaineers. A nice post player, Jones is crafty and can find various ways to score. He is a scrappy player and could make the tournament team if WVU gets far enough.
#7 Cincinnati – Yancy Gates
Gates leads the Bearcats in both scoring and rebounding. He has gotten Cincinnati into a position to get a bid to the NCAA Tournament, and his low post play is some of the best in the league. He can body up on players and get some tough buckets for his squad.
#8 Georgetown – Austin Freeman
Chris Wright is out until further notice, which means even more responsibility is on Freeman to score. And he is plenty capable from inside and outside the arc. He is the leading scorer for Georgetown with 17.8ppg, and can create opportunities for himself and his teammates.
#9 Connecticut – Kemba Walker
At one time the best player in the league if not the nation. Now, he may not be the best, but he is still pretty damn good. After the rigors of the Big East slate got him down he is still a very good player in the league and can win a BET game or two just on his own.
Predictions:
I think Pittsburgh will probably win the Big East Tournament as they have been the best team in the league all season. They also have a good track record in NYC. But they are certainly not unbeatable. Notre Dame has a chance to steal the title, but I’m not convinced they will last in the pressure packed environment that is the Big East Tournament. St. John’s or Louisville cannot be counted out either. And yes, Syracuse has another chance to make a good run in the city with a team that is peaking at the right time of the season. Again, Pittsburgh is clearly the favorite, and I think it will probably shake out that way. But Syracuse should at least make it to Friday. Sorry St. John’s (most likely).
So there you have it, your complete guide and preview to the Big East Tournament. Stay tuned everyday right here at Orange::44 for total coverage of every game in the Garden. The Big East has a good chance of getting a record 11 teams in the NCAA Tournament this year, and there will probably be a few upsets along the way, so it should be pretty exciting Be sure you check out John’s preview of the BET via Coaches’ wives right here. And congratulations to Connecticut for facing DePaul. Maybe that means they will finally win one game in New York.
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Big East Tournament, Expert Analysis
Your new scoring leader and POY canidate.
Why yes, Lacrosse Weekly is back here at Orange::44. You'll notice we've updated the format slightly, making it match our basketball postgame reactions, but still with game analysis, poll analysis, conference analysis, and notable games from the week. This feature will be back every Monday or Tuesday every week, until just after Memorial Day Weekend. We hope.
Now to get to the colossal match up that just occurred this past Friday in the Carrier Dome with #2/1 Virginia vs. #1/2 Syracuse. Both teams were undefeated heading into the contest, with Syracuse at 2-0 and Virginia at 4-0. Both teams arguably have the best offenses in the nation. And this would be the biggest test for both teams. Everyone thought that this would be a fast paced game and high scoring, and it certainly did deliver.
Virginia started out scoring first, as Shamel Bratton got the Cavaliers up on the Orange. Then Syracuse got going really quickly, scoring 18 seconds later. Then Syracuse took the lead just over a minute later. But Syracuse would not stay up in this game for long. Virginia evened the score in the middle of the first quarter. Then it was Syracuse adding another three goals. The Orange finished the first quarter up 6-4. But Virginia owned the second quarter, outscoring Syracuse 4-1 to be up at the half 8-7. Then the Orange defense really stepped up, limiting Virginia to just one goal in each of the last two quarters. Meanwhile, Tim Desko added three second half goals and the Orange ended up on top 12-10.
- Tim Desko was Syracuse's leading scorer with five goals. And a couple were simply outrageous and amazing. Desko is single handedly putting together a ridiculous lacrosse highlight reel.
- Jeremy Thompson led the Orange in assists with two. He also added a goal of his own, for a total of three points, second highest on the day for the Orange.
- A total of seven players contributed to the 12 made goals for the Orange.
- John Galloway actually led the team in ground balls with four. Both Thompson and Joel White led the field players with three each.
- Thompson was 5-10 on the day for faceoffs, Chris Daddio was 5-9, Ricky Buhr was 2-3, and Josh Knight was 1-1.
- John Galloway earns another win on a ten goals against, nine save day.
- Syracuse led in shots, ground balls, and faceoffs. They were 42 to 38, 26 to 25, and 13-23 and 10-23 respectively.
- Both teams only failed to clear three times. Virginia was 23-26 and Syracuse was 22-25.
- Virginia converted on 1-3 extra man opportunities. Syracuse was a pitiful 0-8, something they really need to improve on if they hope to put away top quality teams.
- Galloway again had nine saves, while his Virginia counterpart, Adam Ghitelman had 15 saves. He again had 12 goals again in 57:59 minutes of work.
- Virginia was more sloppy than Syracuse. The Cavs had 17 turnovers, while the Orange only had 11.
- Syracuse wore throwback uniforms from the early to mid-2000s. They looked pretty sharp, and they should as Syracuse won three National Championships in them.
- The attendance was 14,340, the fourth highest crowd for a home lacrosse game in history, and a very large crowd for the Carrier Dome.
- The complete box score can be found here.
Notable games are listed below. Games involving Big East members are listed below in italics.
Tuesday March 1:
Robert Morris 12 - Colgate 14
Villanova 14 - Drexel 13
Navy 10 - Lehigh 14
Bucknell 6 - Penn 8
Thursday March 3:
Presbyterian 6 - Yale 22
Friday March 4:
Mercer 1 - Yale 22
Lafayette 6 - Penn 7
Saturday March 5:
Cornell 9 - Army 11
UMBC 9 - North Carolina 13
Maryland 9 - Duke 9 in OT
Villanova 10 - Fairfield 6
Princeton 8 - Johns Hopkins 3
Georgetown 13 - St. John's 9
Brown 6 - Massachusetts 9
Colgate 11 - Hobart 7
Rutgers 11 - St. Joseph's 1
Ohio State 5 - Penn State 5 in 3OT
Delaware 9 - Albany 11
Jacksonville 8 - Denver 20
Sunday March 6:
Presbyterian 5 - Providence 6
Drexel 7 - Notre Dame 11
Drexel 7 - Notre Dame 11
Manhattan 6 - Denver 17
Monday March 7:
Bellarmine 8 - Maryland 12
Navy 11 - Bucknell 12 in 2OT
The complete Inside Lacrosse scoreboard can be found here.
Now as we always do, we take a look at the Big East standings. Only one conference game has been played this season.
1. #20/ARV Georgetown 2-1 (1-0)
2. ARV/NR Rutgers 4-0 (0-0)
2. #3 Notre Dame 3-0 (0-0)
2. #1 Syracuse 3-0 (0-0)
2. Providence 2-0 (0-0)
2. ARV/#20 Villanova 3-1 (0-0)
7. St. John's 1-2 (0-1)
Too early to make any great points about the state of the league yet. We'll dive in later, but Syracuse is still the cream of the crop. Tim Desko earns Big East offensive player of the week. John Galloway earned honor roll status for his performance against Virginia.
Syracuse next takes on Georgetown in the Face Off Classic in Baltimore, MD. This will be another test for Syracuse, as it is the first game Syracuse ventures out on the road. While Syracuse handled Georgetown last season in the Dome, it was only a three point victory and Syracuse doesn't like to lose to the Hoyas in anything. Should be another great match in another NFL stadium. We'll have complete pregame and postgame coverage for the weekend. Until then, enjoy the basketball.
Because I didn't want to do real analysis
I'm sure Brian, the real brains behind the good stuff on this blog, will have a real Big East Tournament preview on its way shortly. In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to fill out my BET bracket with the wives of the head coaches. How is the winner selected for each matchup? Mostly the superficial, not gonna lie. Sometimes something completely out of left field might influence my pick. At any rate, have fun, leave comments, and be clean.
First Round
vs. 
#9 Connecticut vs. #16 DePaul - Pat Calhoun vs. Vicky Purnell: This is an intriguing matchup. We all know how bad DePaul is, but we all also know UConn's recent BET history of showing up only to lose their first game. Vicky looks like she has her act together here, so I'm going to keep the streak alive. DePaul pulls the upset over UConn and advances to the Second Round.
vs. 
#12 Seton Hall vs. #13 Rutgers - Julie Willard vs. Kerry Rice: I scoured the web and couldn't find a picture of Kerry Rice. I'm sure she's a fine lady. That said, the best picture I could find of Julie Willard also has her holding her son. Much like the actual matchup we'll see on the hardwood of MSG, this one is a toss-up. The slight edge goes to Seton Hall and Julie Willard.
vs. 
#10 Villanova vs. #15 South Florida - Patricia Wright vs. Ramona Webb-Heath: Guess where I fund Ramona's picture? Twitter. This is her Twitter avatar. Part of me wants to give her props for actually being on Twitter, but this is a pretty crappy avatar. Way to sell yourself! Patty Wright just seems wholesome, but not nearly as well-dressed as her husband. Since Wright is clearly at a game in this picture, and Webb-Heath is seemingly in a hotel room, this one goes to Villanova.
vs. 
#11 Marquette vs. #14 Providence - Corey Williams vs. Krista Davis: Let me say this: there are a lot of Corey Williams' on the internet, and I'm pretty sure none of them are married to Buzz. My guess is that the one married to buzz has never been photographed because she's been too busy getting the sweat stains out of Buzz's wardrobe. Krista Davis sort of has a Kirsten Gillibrand thing going on in this picture. Definitely could be a politician, or a politician's wife. The Friars pull the upset and move on to day two.
Second Round
vs. 
#16 DePaul vs. #8 Georgetown - Vicky Purnell vs. Monica Thompson: Could it be? Could I really pull the trigger and bring a 16-seed into the Quarterfinals? I think it's the glasses and the graying hair, but Vicky Purnell is really impressing me. Monica's dress is just too busy, and it looks like she adopted the eating habits of her husband. Plus she went to Princeton too. DePaul, you should have just been happy to be here, and now you've pulled two upsets!
vs. 
#12 Seton Hall vs. #5 St. John's - Julie Willard vs. Mary Ann Jarou: I'm sure Julie is a great wife, a great mom, and a great person. But this is no time for a 12-5 upset. Mary Ann is an actress. She's attractive. You may have seen her on How I Met Your Mother. Steve Lavin can coach, and he can also marry above his pay grade. Seems fitting that we advance St. John's to face Syracuse in the next round.
vs. 
#10 Villanova vs. #7 Cincinnati - Patricia Wright vs. Darlene Wright-Cronin: I don't make it a habit to follow the marital exploits of Big East coaches. However, my googling seemed to uncover a not-so-amicable divorce between Mick Cronin and Darlene a couple years ago. I don't believe he's remarried, so we'll stick with Darlene for sake of argument. That argument goes like this: Darlene shouldn't be pictured here; likewise, Cincy shouldn't be a 7-seed. Nova should be higher if they hadn't had that late-season collapse. This one goes to Nova.
vs. 
#14 Providence vs. #6 West Virginia - Krista Davis vs. June Huggins: Gosh, this might just be a bad picture, but goes it look like June is trying to walk the straight line for a field sobriety test? Thing is, she hasn't had a drop of alcohol. All she did was kiss Bobby before the game for good luck. I'm still liking Krista, even though this is the only picture I found of her and maybe she just looks good from this view. Providence pulls the big time upset and moves on to the Quarterfinals.
Quarterfinals
vs. 
#16 DePaul vs. #1 Pittsburgh - Vicky Purnell vs. Jacqueline Dixon: I've been hot on Vicky for a couple rounds now. Cinderella's feet are getting sore from too much dancing. In walks the fresh feet of the 1-seed, and Jackie immediately starts charming us with that smile and that haircut and those painted-on eye-brows. In other words, nothing too special here. But it definitely seems that she belongs with Jamie. I'm advancing Pitt in this one, not because I pick Jackie over Vicky, but because I want this thing to have some legitimacy: I can't have a 16 beating a 1! Even Ochocinco's bracket had the #1 winning.
vs. 
#5 St. John's vs. #4 Syracuse - Mary Ann Jarou vs. Juli Boeheim: Sometimes your Championship matchup comes in an earlier round. I'd go so far as to say that's what we have here. Mary Ann is the New Kid on the Block, while Juli has been on the scene for a while. It's also no mistake that each of the ladies have on low-cut dresses in their pictures. This is really a toss-up, and should be just as exciting as the real game will be on Thursday. But the edge here goes to Juli: she's a dedicated wife and mother, and has a philanthropic streak second to none.
vs. 
#10 Villanova vs. #2 Notre Dame - Jackie Wright vs. Tish Brey: The double-bye has treated Tish well in this tourney. She's had time to go get herself a Justin Bieber haircut and try to perfect that head-tilt and wink. So if you're into that kind of thing, head on out to South Bend. Meanwhile, after slumping in the final weeks of the season, Jackie has come on strong here in the Tourney. However, playing a third game in three days has taken its toll, and the fresh legs of Tish are paying off. Tish 2.0 is taking her talents to the Semi's tomorrow night.
vs. 
#14 Providence vs. #3 Louisville - Krista Davis vs. Joanne Pitino: Supposedly Rick Pitino is credited with setting up Jim & Juli Boeheim. Evidently Jim didn't return the favor. I'll give Joanne credit for wearing that outfit as if she's 30. But she's not. But you have to give me credit for not putting his mistress's picture up there. I mean, I do have to have some sense of decency! The on-fire legs of Krista still seem to be getting the job done. Onto the Semi's she goes!
Semifinals
vs. #1 Pittsburgh vs. #4 Syracuse - Jackie Dixon vs. Juli Boeheim: Two words. Come on! Juli wants an auto-bid for dancing, and we all know she knows how to dance. Jackie, we're pretty sure, just knows how to hold her wrist. Send Juli onto the finals!
vs. #2 Notre Dame vs. #14 Providence - Tish Brey vs. Krista Davis: This is about as intriguing a 2-14 matchup as you could imagine. Providence is just riding on Cloud Nine at this point, while Notre Dame has just gotten her feet wet. Tish has that boyish charm, while Krista has that air of mystery. This one goes into overtime, and although she's clearly getting winded, Krista holds on for the late victory to send her to the finals.
Finals
vs. #4 Syracuse vs. #14 Providence - Juli Boeheim vs. Krista Davis: First let's break down each team's flaws. What could make Juli look better? If I hadn't cropped Jimmy out of her picture. You may notice him trying to flash the shocker. What could have made Krista better? The other side of her face, maybe more of her body. As I said above, a lot of mystery about her. Juli is no mystery. No enigma. What you see is what you get. And it's all good. Krista at this point simply ran out of steam. She may have had a fighting change had she not gone to overtime against Tish last night. The Big East Tournament crown goes to Juli Boeheim and Syracuse!
Thanks for joining us for this fun little piece. Obviously this was done as a fun thing, and should not be construed as a personal attack on any coach or their wives. The wives help make the coach, and to be a Big East coach, you must have done something right in your life. So, kudos, Big East wives! You're all winners in my book. Juli especially.
Labels: Big East Tournament, Satire, WAGs