The Basketball Blog - Viewer's Guide to the Tourney

 

Welcome back to the Basketball Blog! Today we offer your complete Viewer’s Guide to the 2009 Big East Tournament, also known around South Bend (or at least around this Blog and by Zach Hillesland) as the Drive for Five (more on Hillesland later).

 

(Click here for Todd Burlage’s preview and the tournament schedule)

 

Accomplishing the monumental task of five wins in five nights would give the program its first Big East Tournament Championship as well as an automatic berth in the Field of 64 next week. Four wins in four nights would most likely land the Irish back in the Big Dance, as three of those victories would come vs. quality to top-ranked competition.

 

Three wins in three nights would certainly put the Irish back in the conversation, and they might get the benefit of the doubt from the Selection Committee as that third win would be vs. Pittsburgh, which would give the Irish victories over No. 1 seed (Louisville); No. 2 (Pittsburgh); No. 6 (Providence); and No. 7 (West Virginia) over the course of the season.

 

(Personally I feel they’d come up just short in this scenario. Regardless, three wins including a victory over Pittsburgh would give the program and its fans something of which they could be proud this March).

 

Two wins (Rutgers and West Virginia) would simply yield a home date next week in the NIT. However, die-hard Irish fans could take pride in this occurrence as Notre Dame has NEVER won consecutive games in the Big East Tourney (Trust me: I forced myself to triple-check something I already knew).

 

One win (Rutgers) would be par for the course for a program that sought and found mediocrity in ’09. 1-1? Sign us up!

 

Zero wins? Let’s move on…  

 

Take Care of Business

Senior Night vs. St. John’s last Friday provided a nice send-off for Ayers, Hillesland, McAlarney, and Zeller: four guys that know they should be playing for higher stakes next week.

 

The seniors had their offensive moments, took turns hitting the floor for loose balls, and ended their scheduled Irish careers with a dominant win over a team that somehow upset them back in January (the single biggest blow to Notre Dame’s NCAA resume).

 

St. John’s, by the way, is a terrible, undisciplined basketball team. It was John Keats that wrote “A thing of beauty is a joy for ever.” He wasn’t talking about St. John’s offense. Wow. Double Yuck.

 

But back to the point: During the brief senior speeches after the contest, each player thanked the coaches, students, fans, supporters, etc. The standard senior fare...

 

But Zach Hillesland wins my award for best comment of the Irish season. To paraphrase Hillesland: I think everyone has been thanked by now. Thanks for all of your support. I hope this is the last time we play here after taking care of business next week in New York…

 

(Notre Dame would likely play a home game or two in next week’s NIT unless they make a deep Big East Tourney run).

 

Hillesland didn’t say anything about “letting it rip,” or “taking our best shot” or embracing the role of the cute little underdog. We’ve heard enough of that.

 

Do I think the Irish can make a run to the Big East Finals? Nope.

But I’d like to thank Zach Hillesland for not shying away from the team’s last chance to make a mark in ’09.

 

Who to Watch (Besides the Obvious)

I’ll blog at least until the Irish are eliminated/emerge victorious, then the Basketball Blog goes really Old School with NIT news! Can’t wait…anyway, Big East game scouting reports will continue to appear on the home page, so there’s no need to go in-depth here, but let’s take a quick look at players that could make a mark over the next five days.

 

Is There a Gerry McNamara in the House?

Ask a Big East basketball fan about the best performance he or she has ever witnessed and most will come back to 2006 and Syracuse's Gerry McNamara. Click here to read more, and here to witness the show (a brief language warning applies to the second link, and the highlights are better in the 3rd).

 

There have been plenty of deep tournament runs fueled by individuals in underdog roles, but McNamara’s will always be my favorite. Is there a similar run from someone among this year’s low seeds? (9-16 seeds play Tuesday; 5-8 join on Wednesday.)

 

1.)    Jonny Flynn (Syracuse – #6): Flynn wouldn’t shoot Syracuse to a title run, but he could lead them there as the most unstoppable offensive force in the tournament. His Orange teammates have the talent to easily go along for the ride, as Flynn the Creator could wreak havoc vs. higher seeds in his personal NBA showcase.

2.)    Luke Harangody (Notre Dame – #10): Harangody is capable of back-to-back-to-back 30-point/15-rebound games. But that third game (Pittsburgh) would likely be an Irish loss or the most exhausting win possible… with fresher teams UConn/Syracuse waiting in the Semi’s.

3.)    Da’Sean Butler (West Virginia – #7): Ryan Ayers has a tough assignment on his hands if the Irish advance to Round 2, as Butler can go off from beyond the arc, in transition, and with multiple trips to the free throw line. His 43-point outburst vs. Villanova this season ranks as the Conference’s best.

4.)    Jerel McNeal (Marquette – #5): McNeal’s Golden Eagles are obviously capable of a run, but without point guard Dominic James (foot) they’re clearly in an underdog role (finished 0-4 without him). McNeal pouring in 25-30 points in 2-3 games would not be a surprise.

 

Rutgers’ (#15) Mike Rosario (gunner); South Florida’s (#14) Dominique Jones (all-around excellence); and Seton Hall’s  (#11) Jeremy Hazell (uber gunner) are all scorers capable of springing an upset, though only Hazell (Seton Hall actually plays South Florida) has enough help on his roster to win a second game.

 

And finally, they’re a #4 seed, so this might not count, but look out for a three-game run from Villanova led by point guard Scottie Reynolds.

 

A Shooter’s Chance:

You’re heard of a “puncher’s chance” in boxing parlance? Well die-hard fans beware: these dead-eyes could end your season with one scorching hot half of basketball.

• Kyle McAlarney (#10 Notre Dame)
• Scottie Reynolds (#4 Villanova)
• Alex Ruoff (#7 West Virginia)
• Andy Rautins and Eric Devendorf (#6 Syracuse)
• Mike Rosario (#15 Rutgers)
• Jeremy Hazell (#11 Seton Hall)
• Ryan Ayers (#10 Notre Dame)

 

Bad Team with the Best Draw:
Cincinnati – #9 (DePaul, Providence, Louisville…): Raise your hand if you’d like that slate for the 10^th seeded Irish.

Good Team with the Hardest Route to the Title:

West Virginia – #6 (Bye, ND, Pittsburgh, then UConn/Syracuse, Championship game)
 
My Sure-to-be-Incorrect Entire Tournament Projection:

 

Tuesday:

Cincy over DePaul (Mark Aguirre is not walking through that door); Seton Hall (close) over South Florida; ND over Rutgers; St. John’s over Georgetown in a game that sets college basketball back about 40 years.

 

Note: if possible, I’d like to predict Georgetown somehow finishes 0-3 in this year’s single-elimination tournament.  

 

Wednesday:

Cincinnati over Providence, bursting the Friars’ bubble; Syracuse in a tough battle for 30 minutes over Seton Hall; Marquette over St. John’s because St. John’s is terrible at basketball; West Virginia, in the best game of the tournament, over a competitive Irish squad.

 

Thursday (Quarter-Finals):

Louisville big over Cincinnati; Villanova outlasts Marquette in the 6'9" and under league; Pittsburgh close in the rivalry game over West Virgina; Syracuse to upset UConn in an old school Big East classic.

 

Friday (Semi-Finals):

Villanova over Louisville; Pittsburgh over Syracuse

 

Saturday (Championship):

Pittsburgh over Villanova

 

Public Service Announcement: Remember, if you happen to be in Las Vegas – hitch your wagon to the original Big East Teams first, and then those teams with the best coaches. This tournament still means more to the Conference’s orginal programs.