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Notre Dame

  • Bad sign: Big prize eludes Irish
    Signing Day for Notre Dame hit a sour note as the program waited for its West Coast commitments to send in their letters of intent.Thursday
  • Irish ready to sign class of 2012
    Notre Dame is expected to sign the rest of its 2012 recruits today.Wednesday
  • Irish stay hot, upset UConn
    Notre Dame continued its impressive run through the Big East, beating another ranked opponent and sending No. 24 Connecticut to its third straight loss.Monday
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Games to watch
Syracuse at West Virginia, noon Jan. 16: The surprising team against the expected powerhouse will meet on ESPN in Morgantown, W.Va. It will match the league’s top offense (the Orange) against the No. 3 defense (the Mountaineers).
Connecticut at Villanova, 9 p.m. Feb. 15: A matchup of two Final Four teams from a season ago will highlight ESPN’s Big Monday broadcast.
West Virginia at Villanova, noon March 6: When these two teams meet at the end of the regular season it could be not just for the Big East regular-season title but could as have top-seed implications for the NCAA tournament.
Postseason prospects
NCAA: Villanova, West Virginia, Connecticut and Syracuse can lace up their dancing shoes now. Louisville and Georgetown should also join the tournament field.
NIT: Pittsburgh has the defense, giving up 56.9 points per game, but lacks offensive punch, 65.6 points per game, landing the Panthers in the NIT. South Florida and Seton Hall could also make their way to postseason play.
Dark horse
Notre Dame (11-2): If Tim Abromaitis (15.8 points per game) and Ben Hansbrough (12.7 ppg), who both sat out last year, continue to provide extra scoring punch behind Luke Harangody, and the Irish find a way to stop people – they are giving up 69.1 points per game – the Irish could be a threat come tournament time.
Associated Press photos
Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody is leading the Big East in scoring (24.5 points per game) and defensive rebounding (7.6). He could win his second player-of-the-year award.
Published: December 24, 2009 3:00 a.m.
BIG EAST PREVIEW

Still big, but no beasts

Conference has lost some luster but should continue to be a force

Tony Krausz | The Journal Gazette
Connecticut’s Jerome Dyson has come back strong from a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee.

The Big East isn’t the beast of college basketball it was last year with four teams reaching the Elite Eight and two making the Final Four.

But there is still plenty of talent with experience that will continue to make the conference one to watch this season.

Luke Harangody of Notre Dame and Jerome Dyson of Connecticut returned for their senior seasons, and Syracuse – after a shocking exhibition loss to Le Moyne – has reloaded and righted itself.

While Pittsburgh and Marquette will likely be down this season because of loss of talent from last year, Cincinnati and Seton Hall appear to be on the upswing.

Here are some things to look for as Big East play gets set to tip off Saturday when Seton Hall plays host to West Virginia.

Top players

Luke Harangody, Sr., F, Notre Dame: The Irish’s statistical monster is leading the Big East in scoring, 24.5 points per game, and defensive rebounding, 7.6 per game. The 6-foot-8 forward is the only player in Notre Dame history to have 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds and could be in line for a second Big East Player of the Year award by season’s end.

Jerome Dyson, Sr., G, Connecticut: The torn lateral meniscus in his right knee that kept him out of the last 12 games last season and brought him back for a final season is the Huskies’ gain and the rest of the conference’s nightmare. The 6-4 guard is third in the league in scoring, 19.3 points per game, and tied with the Irish’s Ben Hansbrough in assists, 4.9 per game.

Dominique Jones, Jr., G, South Florida: The 6-foot-4 guard has some help this season with three other Bulls averaging double figures in scoring, but he still makes the team go. Jones is fourth in scoring in the Big East, averaging 18.6 points, and he leads the Bulls in assists (57) and steals (26).

Da’Sean Butler, Sr., F, West Virginia: The 6-7 forward leads four Mountaineers in double-digit scoring and is eighth in the Big East with a 16.9 average. He also has the ability to keep his teammates involved with 31 assists, second on the team, and he stays active around the basket with a team-high 30 defensive rebounds and is tied for second on the team with 6 rebounds per game.

Scottie Reynolds, Sr., G, Villanova: The 6-foot-2 guard’s 16.7 scoring average, ninth in the Big East, leads five Wildcats in double-digit scoring. He is not all about his own shot, dishing out 44 assists, and he has 19 steals.

Top teams

Syracuse (12-0): The Orange’s stunning 82-79 exhibition loss to Le Moyne is a distant memory as one of the surprise teams this season has vaulted to No. 5 in The Associated Press Top 25 with wins over North Carolina (87-71 on Nov. 19) and Florida (85-73 on Dec. 10). Syracuse leads the conference in scoring, averaging 88 points, but don’t try to focus on one player, as six players average double figures and the team leads the league in assists with 22.5 per game.

West Virginia (9-0): The second-highest nationally ranked team (No. 6) in the conference entered the year as one of the favorites to win the Big East and possibly reach the Final Four. The Mountaineers have done nothing to diminish their preseason prediction. While in the middle of the pact in scoring, eighth with 76.4 points per game, West Virginia is third in defense in the Big East (58 points per game).

Villanova (11-1): The Wildcats are looking for a return to the Final Four, and they have the offense to do it. Villanova is fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 83.4 points, but it will need to shore up a defense that is giving up 68.6 points per game, 12th in the league. The Wildcats can also get to the free-throw line with a Big East-best 307 attempts, and they connect on the free shots with a league-leading .752 free-throw percentage.

Connecticut (8-2): The addition of 6-foot-11 freshman Ater Majok, a forward with 7-7 wingspan from Sudan, gives the Huskies a strong post presence. Connecticut is ninth in scoring, 73.3 points per game, and defense, 63.4 points per game, but as its players mature through the season expect a tournament-ready team.

tkrausz@jg.net

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