REBUILDING CH2K8 (CPU vs. CPU)

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RUTGERS STUNNED AT HOME BY DARTMOUTH, 69-67
Alex Burnett steals game with a heartbreaking three

Nov. 20, Piscataway NJ - Dartmouth stunned Rutgers with a heartbreaking 69-67 upset victory at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. Alex Burnett sank a trifecta with 3 seconds to go to steal the win for the Big Green. The game was tight all the way with halftime ending at 38 apiece.

The Scarlet Knights were still up with a minute to go in the second half by a single point, 64-63. From hereon the lead would change hands three times. Devon Mosley hit a three that gave the lead to Dartmouth for the first time, 66-64, before Anthony Farmer replied with his won three to hand the lead back to the Knights time down to 31 seconds.

The Big Green made up for a 24-33 disparity in rebounds with outstanding performances by Mosley, who was named Player of the Game, and Barnett. Mosley and Barnett top scored game with 20 and 19 points respectively for Dartmouth. JR Inman, who picked up a game high 7 boards, and Kai Sotto led the Knights with 17 and 16. Farmer finished with 9 the same as Alex Legion.

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RUTGERS BREAKS 3-GAME LOSING STREAK, BEATS PRINCETON
Scarlet Knights poured 52 second half points in 91-63 rout of the Tigers

Dec. 1, Piscataway NJ - Rutgers finally got itself back in the winning column with a 91-63 thrashing of Princeton in front of an appreciative crowd at the Louis Brown Athletic Center breaking a three-game losing slide. Up 39-22 at halftime, the Scarlet Knights poured it on in the second half unloading 52 points on a torrid 64% from the field.

Alex Legion top scored for the Scarlet Knights with 14 points but it was the all-around performance of JR Inman that gave him the nod for Player of the Game honors. Inman had 2 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Anthony Farmer chipped in 12 while Corey Chandler and Earl Pettis added 10 apiece. Kyle Koncz led the Tigers with a game high 16 points while Noah Savage and Lincoln Green contributed 15 and 12 respectively.

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UCONN HUSKIES TRIP THE GONZALO BULLDOGS, 66-57
Alabama-Birmingham too good for Cincinnati, 67-57

CONN (6-1) d. GON (4-4), 66-57

Dec. 1, Spokane WA - Connecticut pulled off an impressive victory over Gonzaga in a road game at McCarthey Athletic Center, 66-57, to improve its standings at 6-1. The Huskies overcome from behind a 9-point deficit in the first half to lead 39-31 going into the second half. The Bulldogs rallied and even grabbed the upper hand, 47-46, at the final 7-minute mark.

After the Huskies responded to regain the lead, the Bulldogs tied the count at 50-all but that proved to be their last straw. Doug Wiggins and A.J. Price combined to pull Connecticut away for the victory. Wiggins led the Huskies and was named Player of the Game while Price finished with 10. Josh Heytvelt was the only Bulldog in double-figures with 10. Bad news however for the Connecticut Huskies, sophomore forward Curtis Kelly is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL.

UAB (6-3) d. CIN (3-4), 67-57

Dec. 1, Birmingham AL - Birmingham-Alabama defeated an outclassed Cincinnati team, 67-57, in front of an ecstatic hometown crowd at the Bartow Arena. The Blazers, which led 34-28 at halftime, limited the Bearcats to only 37% shooting from the field. Cincinnati was able to cut the lead to a single point at 46-45 but it was Alabama-Birmingham from thereon.

Lawrence Kinnard led both teams in scoring and was named Player of the Game. Walter Sharpe chopped in 13 and a game high 9 boards for the Blazers. Deonta Vaughn was the only Bearcat in double figures with 10 points.

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DEPAUL, ST. JOHN'S SCORE OVERTIME VICTORIES
Louisville, Rutgers win anew on opening night

UL d. CIN, 86-82

Jan. 1, Louisville KY - Louisville won its opening game in the conference with a home victory at the Freedom Hall against tough Cincinnati, 86-82. The Cardinals led all the way taking the half at 45-41 but had to overcome jitters in the end when the Bearcats asserted their power off the boards. The Cardinals were routed off the boards, 23-36, but shot 52% from the field shot compared to the Bearcats’ 41%.

Jerry Smith and Terrence Williams led the Cardinals with 20 and 16 points respectively while Derrick Caracter and David Padgett had 11 apiece. Marcus Sikes was high point man for the Bearcats with 15, Alvin Mitchell and Jamual Warren added 12 and 10.

RUT d. USF, 69-60

Jan. 2, Tampa FL - Rutgers led all the way en route to a 69-60 road victory at the Sun Dome against South Florida. Up by a slim 31-30 at the half, the Scarlet Knights created a separation midway in the second half to win with a comfortable margin.

Freshmen Corey Chandler and Alex Legion led the Knights with 15 and 13 points respectively. Another freshman Kai Sotto, who have been nursing a hamstring injury since the start of the season was 4 of 15 from the field good for 10 markers. Rutgers main man JR Inman had 9 points and 9 rebounds. Orance Chin, Kentrell Gransberry and Dante Curry shot an identical 11 points for the Bulls.

SJ d. SYR, 81-78 OT

Jan. 2, Syracuse NY - Anthony Mason Jr. pumped in a trifecta with no time remaining in the first overtime lifting St. John’s to a road victory at the Carrier Dome against Syracuse, 81-78. Regulation ended at 70-all after Eugene Lawrence hit a trifecta while Eric Davendorf missed a side jumper as time expired.

Larry White was the game’s high scorer with 22 points on 5 triples. Lawrence, who shot 4 treys, chipped in 14 while Mason and D.J. Kennedy had 13 apiece. Rob Thomas contributed 10 markers and Dele Coker a game high 11 rebounds. Donte Greene led the Orange with 21 points while Devendorf added 16 and Rick Jackson 10.

DEP d. VILL, 93-84 OT

Jan. 3, Chicago IL - DePaul staved off a comeback by Villanova in the overtime period to preserve a home win at the Allstate Arena, 93-84. Shane Clark calmly sank 2 free throws to level the cont at 78-all to end the regulation. However, it was all Blue Deacons in the extension period as Matt Koshwal asserted his dominance in the middle.

Koshwal finished with a double-double 15 points and a game high 15 rebounds but it was the dynamic duo of Karron Clarke and Draelon Burns that topped the Blue Deacons scoring. Clarke pumped in a game high 27 points while Burns chipped in 23 on 4 triples. Clark and Scottie Reynolds led the Wildcats scoring with identical 17 points while Dwayne Anderson and Corey Stokes added 15 and 11 respectively.

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2008-2009 BIG EAST CONFERENCE PREVIEW

Big Three of the Big East

Tournament champion Georgetown may have lost Player of the Year Jeff Green but forward Dajuan Summers looks poised to fill Green’s spot seamlessly. They have enough veteran talent mixed in with blue chip recruits to ensure another trip to the dance. The Hoyas have seniors Roy Hibbert, the conference leading scorer (19.3 ppg) and shot blocker (2.3 bpg) and guards Jonathan Wallace (9.5 ppg) and Jessie Sapp (10.6 ppg). Freshman Austin Freeman has been averaging in double-figures (10.7 ppg) while Patrick Ewing Jr. is nursing a bruised heel. Currently ranked #1 nationally the team is good enough to make the Final Four again, but the Hoyas will definitely contend for the Big East championship and should be a solid play throughout the season.

Louisville have returned a solid nucleus of contributors and athletes. Coach Rick Pitino always has his players performing at a high level and this year will be no different. The Cardinals are led by forwards Derrick Caracter (13.4 ppg) and David Padgett (12,2 ppg) and Terrence Williams (10.1 ppg) while the backcourt will be tended by sophomore Jerry Smith (10.2 ppg) and senior Edgar Sosa. Sosa, however, broke an ankle and may be out for a lonh while. Given the level of talent and depth on this team, there is reason for said optimism. Louisville will be one of the better plays in the Big East throughout the season and a return to the Big East Tournament Final Four is a big possibility.

Marquette defines veteran experience. Returning all five starters to a team already performing at a high level has raised expectations this year even higher. The Golden Eagles are deep and talented and have had players improve every year. Leading scorer Dominic James (14.2 ppg) is already one of the top guards in the country and both Wesley Matthews (11.1 ppg) and Jerel McNeal (10.3 ppg) and are doing great jobs. McNeal is out with a broken shoulder but sophomore forward Lazar Hayward (10.4) has stepped up.

Middle of the Pack

Big East Tournament finalist Pittsburgh has enjoyed rebirth in the Big East over the last five years. They’re looking at a tougher year this season. They have a very deep and talented back court and are ranked #12. However with leading scorer Mike Cook (13.8 ppg) and Sam Young (13.1 ppg) and guards Levance Fields (10.8 ppg) and Ronald Ramon (10.2 ppg), the Panthers should be good.

Connecticut is a difficult team to keep out of the class, thus they warranted the creation of a new distinction, “Middle of the Pack”. They certainly have athletes, but they’re raw, undisciplined and they seemed to go backwards upon the conclusion of last season. Blue chip sophomore guard Jerome Dyson, whose 17.2 ppg is third in the conference behind Hibbert and Harangody, can bring better stability to the team, but until UConn starts taking and making better shots, they are destined to be a second tier team in a great Big East. But this is a team with talent especially up front, Jeff Adrien (11.1 ppg), who leads the Huskies in rebounds at 10.2 rpg, and 7’3 Hashem Thabeet (9.5 ppg), whose 3.8 blocks a game led the Big East last year, and a pair of gifted guards Craig Austrie (11.5 ppg) and A.J. Price (11.5 ppg) who leads the conference in assists (7.3 apg).

Syracuse is Syracuse so even when they’re destined to have a rough season as they are this year, they can still be counted on to bring a talented crop of youngsters. Junior Eric Devendorf (14.0 ppg) and sophomore Paul Harris (13.1 ppg and 10.6 rbg) will lead but expect freshman Donte Greene (16.0 ppg) to be strong at the strong forward position.

Providence returned four of five starters, but the void created by the loss of stud big man Herbert Hill is not a small one. The team still has high hopes, but it’s likely to be rough sledding this year in a very deep Big East. Juniors Sharaud Curry (12.7 ppg) and Weyinmi Rose (10.3 ppg) are leading the Friars who will go as far as its maturity and depth takes them. Transferee Jeff Xavier (11.5) and redshirted Randall Hanke (13.4) are making instant impact to the team.

Notre Dame overachieved and had a solid campaign in the conference last year culminating in a Big East Tournament semifinal finish. Do not expect the same out of them this year as they have lost two starters from that squad and frankly don’t have the same level of talent as the big dogs in the Big East. 18-20 might not be out of the question, but they won’t come anywhere near their 11-5 conference record of last year. They return a lot led by 3-point artist Ryan Ayers (10.1 ppg) and Big East All-Rookie recipients Luke Harangody (19.0 ppg) and Tory Jackson, the first time the Irish had two players named to the team in the same season. Senior Rob Kurz (10.6 ppg) plays Harangody’s twin down below

The Rest

Villanova is officially in full on rebuilding mode. They certainly have talent coming in, especially in the back court, but are going to endure a tough season. How quickly their youngsters grow up will determine how successful they will become, but they have players like last year’s Big East Freshman of the Year Scottie Reynolds (12.5 ppg) who can have significant impacts in the future, junior forward Shane Clarke (10.8 ppg) and brilliant rookie guard Corey Fisher (11.9 ppg).

Seton Hall has nowhere to go but up. They have a group of young talented players coming in and the infusion of energy and athleticism is just what the doctor ordered. They are still a year or two away, but Seton Hall should improve on last year’s record even if they will still ultimately remain in the lower half of the conference. Seniors Brian Laing (16.6 ppg) and Jamar Nutter (11.9 ppg) should have special seasons for the Pirates as well as second-year point guard Eugene Harvey (10.9 ppg).

DePaul is another tough team difficult to gauge. They lost their two best players, but Coach Jerry Wainwright has reloaded quite nicely. The Blue Demons has some monsters inside and a lot of youth. Like so many teams, once they start to click, they could be a real force in the second half of the year. They should develop into an upper half of the conference team and have a legitimate shot of making Big Dance. They have an excellent three-point artist in Draelon Burns (12.5 ppg) and slasher Karron Clarke (9.8 ppg) plus talents down low in Mac Koshwal (10.9 ppg).

Cincinnati was awful last year. And while the experience will mean a lot to the talented freshmen guards who played during that disaster of a season, it won’t be enough to make up for an extremely depleted front court. It would be hard for the Bearcats with Big East All-Rookie guard Deonta Vaughn not to improve, but a .500 record is about high as their sights should be set. He leads the Bearcats in scoring with 11.8 ppg followed by the 10.4 ppg of talented freshman Alvin Mitchell (10.4 ppg).

West Virginia is another tough team to decipher. They have a new coach, but a heralded one in Bob Huggins. They lost some talent, but have guys to step in and fill those holes. They do have a problem with depth however and this team will go as far as their starters take them. With Huggins at the helm and a solid nucleus, they could still find themselves fighting in the Big East tournament. Point guard Darris Nichols (14.1 ppg) and scorer Alex Ruoff (13.0 ppg) will lead the Mountaineers this season ably baked up by fowards senior Jamie Smalligan (10.2 ppg) and sophomore Da’Sean Butler (12.3 ppg)

St. John’s has been improving of late, but they still have a long way to go. They seem to take a step forward and then two back when it comes to reliable players. They have lost three starters from last year’s team and while they have talent filling those spots, they are young and untested. Like so many of the young teams in this conference, they face tough trials in this very deep Big East. Anthony Mason Jr. (12.1 ppg) will be tough at the forward position together with rookie Rob Thomas (12.4 ppg) and so will be point guard Eugene Lawrence (10.1 ppg), whose 5.6 assists a game was best in the Big East last year.

Rutgers’ short lived success from a few years ago seems like a millennium ago. They were bad last year, and there isn’t real compelling evidence to suggest they will be much better this year. They have some excellent young talent coming in but they’re likely two years away from making a real splash in the Big East. This team may still surprise with junior forward JR Inman, who leads the team in points (10.8 ppg and rebounds (6.5 rpg) and freshman recruits led by guards Alex Legion (10.3 ppg) and Corey Chandler. Another rookie with great potential is 7’2 Kai Sotto, who has yet to recover from a hamstring injury.

South Florida is still making adjustments in the Big East. To say they are overmatched is an understatement. They were abused last year and they will be abused again this year. The only real value USF has to the betting community is to make big plays against them. Stan Heath is the Bulls’ new coach and he will do a good job when he has his own players. With former Georgia Bulldog Mike Mercer ineligible to play due to NCAA transfer regulations, Heath should be contented to have senior center Kentrell Gransberry, who led the Bulls last year in both points and rebounds and expected to repeat this year (14.4 ppg and 9.9 rpg) and sophomore guard Solomon Bozeman (10.1 ppg).

http://whotobet.net/content/2007-big...season-preview

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PROVIDENCE DEFEATS MARQUETTE IN CLOSE GAME, 81-79
Connecticut, West Virginia win anew at the expense of Seton Hall and Notre Dame

PROV d. MARQ, 81-79

Jan. 3, Milwaukee WI - Providence came out of a tough battle with No. 8 Marquette on a road win in front of a capacity crowd at the Bradley Center, 81-79. It was close all the way with the Golden Eagles taking the half at 43-40. So close that the game was tied 3 times in the final 1:30.

Jeff Xavier heaved a trifecta to tie the count at 75-all time down to 1:29. Wesley Matthews went big twice tying the ball game up with midrange jumpers in between free throws by the Friars. But his reaching foul over Sharaud Curry gave the Friars the upper hand at 81-79 with 16 ticks to go. The Golden Eagles mounted one final attack but the Friars stood their ground. Dan Fitzgerald couldn’t make a shot and so was Matthews, who then threw the pass to Trevor Mbawke underneath but Randall Hanke was there to swat the ball as time expired.

Hanke finished with 22 points and was named Player of the Game. Xavier had 4 triples en route to his 14 points while Wayinmi Rose added 12. Curry had 10 markers to go with 8 assists while Geoff McDermott contributed a double-double 10 points and 12 rebounds. Fitzgerald led all scorers with 24. Matthews finished with 18 while David Cubillan added 10.

WVU d. ND, 78-64

Jan. 3, Notre Dame IN - West Virginia dominated Notre Dame right from the start en route to a scintillating 78-64 road victory at the Joyce Center. The Mountaineers led 33-27 at halftime then, with their 31-22 advantage at the boards, coasted along though the Fighting Irish threatened to come within 2 points at one point.

Da’Sean Butler scored a team high 19 points while Alex Ruoff and Jamie Smalligan chipped in 12 and 11 respectively. Freshman Jacob Green had a breakout game grabbing a game high 12 boards. Kyle McAlarney led the Irish with 23 points while Luke Harangody was one rebound less for a double-double with 10 points and 9 rebounds.

CONN d. HALL, 79-60

Jan. 3, Newark NJ - Connecticut led by the all-around game of Hasheem Thabeet routed Seton Hall in front of a disappointed crowd at the Prudential Center, 79-60. The Huskies led 44-36 at the half with an impeccable 57% shooting from the field. Both teams played a helter skelter uptempo kind of a game scattering 32 turnovers each per team.

Six Huskies were in double-figures led Jeff Adrien with 12 points, But it was Thabeet that was the big difference finishing with a double-double 11 points and 14 rebounds to go with 5 assists, 5 steals and 1 block. Jerome Dyson, Stanley Robinson and Jonathan Mandeldove had likewise 11 markers while Craig Austrie added 10. Paul Gause and Brian Laing led the Pirates with 13 and 11 points respectively.

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NO. 1 GEORGETOWN OPENS CONFERENCE BID WITH A 78-60 RUTGERS ROUT
Marquette, Syracuse bounce back while Providence, Connecticut win their 2nd

GU d. RUT, 78-60

Jan. 5, Piscataway NJ - No. 1 Georgetown opened its conference campaign with a 78-60 rout of Rutgers at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. The Hoyas had a slim 34-33 advantage at the half but a crippling 12-2 run at the start of the second half to go with a suffocating defense all but demoralized the Scarlet Knights.

Roy Hibbert played an all-around game with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks while Vernon Macklin added 11 for the Hoyas. Kai Sotto finished with a double-double 15 points and 10 rebounds and Alex Legion chipped in 10 for Rutgers, which has a current dilemma in the paint after defensive forward Hamady N’diaye broke an ankle and will be out indefinitely.

MARQ d. WVU, 77-62

Jan. 5, Morgantown WV - No. 8 Marquette bounced back from a defeat two days ago and routed West Virginia at the WVU Coliseum, 77-62. Dan Fitzgerald top scored with 32 points but more importantly his back-to-back baskets doused a mighty comeback by the Mountaineers, which came from 25 points at one point down to a single-digit.

The Golden Eagles were comfortable ahead at the half, 41-28, and stretched the lead even farther at 69-45. However, their defense relaxed allowing the Mountaineers to stage a blistering 15-0 run, 69-60, with 2:28 to go. Fitzgerald then went to work while the Marquette held forth. Ousmane Barro and Dominic James chipped in 11 and 10 respectively for the Golden Eagles while Darris James was the only Mountaineer in double-figures with 17.

CONN d. ND, 78-69

Jan. 5, Notre Dame WV - Connecticut won for the second time while at the same time dealing Notre Fame its second lost in the conference with a convincing 78-69 victory at the Joyce Center. Hasheem Thabeet earned his second Player of the Game in-a-row with a game high 18 points.

The Huskies led early in the game but a 9-0 run by the Fighting Irish gave them a 44-32 advantage going into the second half. However with Notre Dame’s main man Luke Harangody in deep foul trouble, Thabeet and Jeff Adrien asserted themselves in the paint and led the Huskies to a crippling 20-5 breakaway for the pull away.

Jerome Dyson and Craig Austrie chipped in 17 and 14 points respectively for the Huskies. Adrien had only 4 markers but hauled down a game high 13 rebounds. Rob Kurz and Ryan Ayers led the Irish with 13and 12 while Harangody had a forgettable 4 points and 7 rebounds.

PROV d. DEP, 93-54

Jan. 5, Chicago IL - Providence won its second straight conference game with a road win at the Allstate Arena against a hapless DePaul team, 93-54. The Friars banked on their flawless perimeter shooting and excellent defense in blowing out the Blue Deacons after establishing an early 43-28 at the half.

Wayinmi Rose pumped in a team high 17 points while Brian McKenzie and Jeff Xavier chipped in 13 and 11 markers for the Friars, which have all its 12 players scoring one point or more. Sheraud Curry missed a double-double finishing with 9 points and 12 assists. Draelon Burns led the Blue Deacons with 17 while Karon Clarke had 11.

CIN d. SJU, 67-54

Jan. 5, Queens NY - Cincinnati bounced from an opening day loss to Louisville with an impressive road victory over Saint John’s, 67-54. The Bearcats, which took the half at 36-27, were overpowering at the boards, 34-24, and limited the Red Storm to 34% field shooting.

Alvin Mitchell led all scorers with 19 points while John Williamson finished with a double-double 15 markers and 10 boards for the Bearcats. Anthony Mason Jr. was the only Red Storm player in double-figures with 11.

SYR d. SFLA, 86-50

Jan. 5, Syracuse NY - Syracuse came out with guns blazing right en route to an 86-50rout of South Florida much to the delight of the hometown crowd at the Carrier Dome. The Orange raced to a 40-22 at halftime then virtually clinched the game with a 16-0 run at the final 8-minute mark.

Eric Davendorf had a game high 18 points for the Orange. Christian O’Donnel had a double-double 14 points and 11 rebounds while Sean Williams and Devin Brennan-McBride added11 and 10 respectively. Orance Chin led the Bulls with 16 while Solomon Bozeman and Dante Curry had 10 apiece.

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PROBLEM FOR COACH FRED HILL AS N'DIAYE SUFFERS INJURY
Broken ankle may take two months to heal

Jan. 6, Piscataway NJ - With Kai Sotto still nursing a hamstring injury, the Scarlet Knights were hit by another injury to defensive forward Hamady N'diaye. N'diaye suffered a broken ankle in yesterday's game against the Georgetown Hoyas and doctors say it may take about 2 months to heal and another 2 weeks for him to fully recover.

The forward lineup has been the problem for Coach Fred Hill ever since the season started after 6'11 transferee Lloyd Higgins was ruled ineligible for this year. Backup center Thomas Ashworth will beef up the forwards for the remaining games but Hill does not promise any assurances and just hope Moses step up with his defense and heft.