Zags on Big East

http://www.zagsblog.net/2008/10/17/big-east-news-notes-picks/#more-5104
DID YOU KNOW?

In the final 2007-08 ESPN/USA Today poll, seven Big East teams were ranked in the Top 25. No other conference had more than three. Eight teams made the NCAA Tournament, including Big East regular-season champ Georgetown and tournament winner Pittsburgh.

BY THE NUMBERS


The conference returns 23 of its top 30 scorers, 15 of the top 20 rebounders and 9 of the top 10 assists leaders.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT THIS YEAR?

All 16 teams will make the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden, meaning Rutgers, Seton Hall and St. John’s are automatically in, unlike last year, when only Seton Hall made it.

HOW DEEP IS THIS LEAGUE THIS YEAR?

“It’s the best league in country by far, it’s not even close. You can be the 10th best team in the league and one of the Top 50 teams in the country. It’s a joke how deep this league is. I don’t think anybody has any clue who’s going to come out of this thing on top. We know who we think some of the better teams are going to be. But you’re going to take so many body blows in that league throughout the course of the year, who knows how teams are going to react to it over the course of the season?”

–ESPN analyst Jay Bilas in a phone interview


HOW GOOD IS UCONN?

“I’m looking at UConn [as the favorite] with [Jeff] Adrien, the power guy, Hasheem Thabeet, who may be the most improved player in America and then a three-guard lineup of Jerome Dyson, A.J. Price and Kemba Walker.”

–ESPN analyst Andy Katz on ESPNU

“Connecticut has a chance to do damage in the league and nationally. They’re that deep and talented, they’ve added some people.”

–Billy Raftery on ESPNU

CAN LUKE HARANGODY WITH BACK-TO-BACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARDS?


“He doesn’t need to worry about defending the Player of the Year trophy, and just throw himself into his team. We’ve talked to him about that, and I think he believes that. And I think you’ll see a little more added to his game; we’ve got him outside some, and we want to move him around a little bit. He just can’t wrestle in the post with the size in the Big East all the time, and he has the ability to get out on the floor a little bit. Fortunately, he has a really good supporting cast to play off of.”

–Notre Dame coach Mike Brey on ESPNU

ZAGSBLOG BIG EAST REGULAR SEASON PROJECTIONS

1-UConn (24-9, 13-5 Big East)

2-Pittsburgh (27-10, 10-8)

3-Louisville (27-9, 14-4)

4-Notre Dame (25-8, 14-4)

5-Syracuse (21-14, 9-9)

6-Georgetown (28-6, 15-3)

7-Marquette (25-10, 11-7)

8-Villanova (22-13, 9-9)

9-West Virginia (26-11, 11-7)

10-Cincinnati (13-19, 8-10)

11-Providence (15-16, 6-12)

12-St. John’s (11-19, 5-13)

13-DePaul (11-19, 6-12)

14-Rutgers (11-20, 3-15)

15-Seton Hall (17-15, 7-11)

16-South Florida (12-19, 3-15)

ZAGSBLOG PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Luke Harangody, Notre Dame

ZAGSBLOG CO-ROOKIES OF THE YEAR

Samardo Samuels, Louisville

Kemba Walker, UConn

ZAGSBLOG PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST FIRST-TEAM

Luke Harangody, Notre Dame, Jr.

Levance Fields, Pitt, Sr.

Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati, Jr.

Jeff Adrien, UConn, Sr.

Hasheem Thabeet, UConn, Jr.

Dominic James, Marquette, Sr.

Jerel McNeal, Marquette, Sr.

Eric Devendorf, Syracuse, Sr.

Scottie Reynolds, Villanova, Jr.

Earl Clark, Louisville, Sr.

Edgar Sosa, Louisville, Jr.

SECOND TEAM

A.J. Price, UConn, Sr.

Kyle McAlarney, Notre Dame, Sr.

Sam Young, Pitt, Sr.

DeJuan Blair, Pitt, So.

Terrence Williams, Louisville, Sr.

Lazar Hayward, Marquette, Jr.

Paul Harris, Syracuse, Jr.

Geoff McDermott, Providence, Sr.

Anthony Mason Jr., St. John’s, Sr.

Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall, So.

2008-09 KEY NON-CONFERENCE GAMES

11/24 - Syracuse vs. Florida

12/6 - Notre Dame vs. Ohio State

12/9 - Villanova vs. Texas (at MSG)

12/9 - West Virginia vs. Davidson (MSG)

12/13 - DePaul vs. UCLA

12/13 - Memphis at Georgetown

12/20 - UConn vs. Gonzaga

12/28 - Rutgers at North Carolina

1/17 - Georgetown at Duke

2/7 - Notre Dame at UCLA

I got some problems with this. AJ Price and Sam Young are first teamers,not 2nd. And no way is Edgar Sosa on the first team

Good article.  Zags is closer to SHU than anybody and truly understands how bad things are over there.

However I agree with Marco, anyone who thinks Edgar Sosa is going to be better or more important than T-Will hasn't been paying attention.  I'd have him or Sam Young 1st team and Sosa nowhere on that list (Hazell either).

I got some problems with this. AJ Price and Sam Young are first teamers,not 2nd. And no way is Edgar Sosa on the first team

I agree. His projections are close what I'd have mine as. I think Georgetown might slip, WVU might rise a bit, I'm not as sold on Cincy but they should be better than the bottom bunch.

If you look more closely, he actually has G-town winning the BE...his standing dont match up with the number rank they are. He has SJU finishing 14th.

If you look more closely, he actually has G-town winning the BE...his standing dont match up with the number rank they are. He has SJU finishing 14th.

Those  are last year's records.

Quote from: Mparty7441 on October 18, 2008, 05:11:53 PM

If you look more closely, he actually has G-town winning the BE...his standing dont match up with the number rank they are. He has SJU finishing 14th.

Those  are last year's records.

ahh, I knew something was fishy when I saw he gave SJU the same the record as last year.

I think we will finish tenth

I think we will finish tenth

I'm hopeful of this. I don't think it's that far of a reach to do so. I think 12 is the most realistic projection while 10 is very possible, and 8 being the reach. This is why you play the games though we could finish 1st or last too

i agree with STJ being 12th.  i feel PROV will have a good year, but not too sure about cincy...

I think we can beat wv and cincy but it all depends on how we start the year off in the 1st 5 games of conference play

i agree we can beat both teams.  but i doubt we do.

i agree we can beat both teams.  but i doubt we do.

Why is that?

Nah we gonna beat west Virginia I think cincy gonna give us a problem and I can't understand why

I'm not sure what Zags is smoking to put STJ 12th.   And how is STJ ahead of SH?  Their guard play is going to make STJ look like they have two JV kids out there. 

I'm not sure what Zags is smoking to put STJ 12th.   And how is STJ ahead of SH?  Their guard play is going to make STJ look like they have two JV kids out there. 

I forgot for a second your love affair with Eugene Lawrence so that would explain your love affair with Eugene Harvey.

seton hall has 8!!!!!! Scholarship players. Now if it duke that's ok but there is no all Americans over there

kob they do have All Americans...All American eaters, John Garcia and Melvyn Oliver has spent more time in the cafeteria than the weight room.

i'm not one to rag on players or teams directly, but while seton hall could catch magic in a bottle and get to... ah... 10th, they have some serious problems:

- outside of the steals, they play awful defense.
- brian laing made that team work because he could run, rebound, and be a matchup problem.  can stix mitchell bang down low??
- they don't shoot well.
- they have bigs who can't keep up with the pace.  if garcia could keep up and produce like he does, they'd be solid.
- if one of their guards gets into foul trouble or God forbid, hurt, they're close to putting in a walk-on.

seton hall has 8!!!!!! Scholarship players. Now if it duke that's ok but there is no all Americans over there

Yes, but their backcourt:

Jordan Theodore
Eugene Harvey
Jeremy Hazell    6'5  - Will team with Mitchell to give SH one of the better shooting duo's i
Robert Sticks Mitchell - 6'6, great shooter, averaged almost 16 as a freshman and an excellent rebounder for a skinny kid. 

Then add Gause and this team has a sick five player rotation.   

Garcia and Davis are back and experienced.  It's not like STJ has any threat besides Burrell. 

I agree that SH plays subpar defense, but that could improve with a full season out of Gause.