Tuesday, March 6, 2012

On the Ninth Day of Conference tourneys, the Buffet gave to me...

A Volunteer mailbag
Drexel debate begins
Can Cuse run the table
ESPN thinks championship week just began
Waiting Line for A10
Davidson is crowned
WCC thriller
And Penn tries to force a tied Ivy.

Time for the major conferences to get tipped off and going, although, truthfully, the A10 and Conference USA are probably no "bigger"as conferences than the WCC, Horizon or Missouri Valley ... in any event, here's the way the Buffet breaks down the BCS conference tourneys and the Mountain West. Since if you're reading the Buffet you've got an appetite for college hoops unlike most (or else you and the editor are friends and you feel guilty not at least clicking the link - eyeballs and click-throughs, that's what we're all about ladies and gentlemen, and with that appetite and/or guilt, comes with enough basketball knowledge to last many lifetimes, so for us to sit and give you summary of conference season, would be a expenditure of time the Buffet doesn't always have. Instead, we'll reveal the brackets, preview the matchups, and discuss Waiting Line... implications for each individual team or if said team is already spooning lo mein from the Chinese station in the northwest corner of the buffet.

With that said, let's see what's happening today, as pause and realize in the last two days we've likely lost Iona, Middle Tennessee State, Oral Roberts, and Denver - a lot of teams who had fantastic years, spoiled in their conference tournaments and a lot of free $$ opportunities out the window...

Today's schedule
Atlantic 10
11 George Washington @ 6 Dayton, 7pmET
10 Richmond @ 7 La Salle, 7pm ET

12 Charlotte @ 5 Saint Joseph's, 7pm ET
9 Duquesne @ 8 Massachusetts, 7pm ET

Big East
16 DePaul v. 9 Connecticut, 12pm ET, ESPN2
13 Pittsburgh @ 12 St. John's, 2pm ET, ESPN2

15 Providence v. 10 Seton Hall, 7pm ET, ESPNU
14 Villanova v. 11 Rutgers, 9pm ET, ESPNU

Big Sky
2 Weber State v 3 Portland State 730pm ET, Altitude
4 Eastern Washington @ Montana, 10pm ET, Altitude
Horizon League
CHAMPIONSHIP
3 Detroit @ 1 Valparaiso

Ivy League
Penn @ Princeton, 7pm ESPN3 *not a tournament game per se, but with the Ivy title hanging in the balance major NCAA tournament implications*

Mid-Eastern Athletic
8 Hampton v. 9 Morgan State, 11am ET
7 North Carolina A&T v. 10 Howard, 130pm ET

5 N.C. Central v. 12 Maryland Eastern Shore, 4pm ET
4 Bethune-Cookman v 13 South Carolina State, 630pm ET

6 CoppinState v. 11 Florida A&M, 9pm ET

Quick notes from last night:
VCU 59 Drexel 56 - Perhaps deciding that the strength of their final four run was not in the constant "will they, won't they, did they deserve to" patter last March, VCU raced out to a big lead and then held on for dear life, but not literally, because had Darius Theus actually held on for dear life, that game would've been sealed before the last, nervous seconds the Rams sweat through. Now Drexel is an interesting case - before last night, they had won 19 straight and 25 of 26. Their resume is a big void - a home v. VCU, road way at Cleveland St, and victories over Mason and Princeton. 3 100+ losses, a non-conference SOS of 224 (210 overall) and double-digit losses to Virginia and St. Joe's. They did win their conference and made their conference final. They are the quintessential mid-major conference Waiting Line team. If the Buffet selected today, they'd be, but just barely. And with the amount of conference tournament games out there with teams having opportunities for resume building wins, these next 5 days could be very long... stay tuned to the conference tournament results, it'll go a long way to revealing Drexel's fate.

St. Mary's 78 Gonzaga 74 ot
Just a great game all the way around, Elias Harris stepping up when Kevin Pangos could buy a bucket. Brad Waldow not backing down from Robert Sacre. Robert Sacre stepping out and guarding Captain Caveman on pick/iso plays and actually WAVING OFF Gonzaga wing defenders from switching with him AND SUCCEEDING. And Buffet favorite Sam Dower showing just he's the most frustrating player on the Gonzaga roster, mixing in moments of brilliance with moments of ill-advised-ness. The takeaway for the Buffet is now finally St. Mary's looks like they'v regrouped from the Stephen Holt injury and found their stride without him. Gonzaga played a great game and has nothing but bitterness towards their rival to be feeling Both teams are set up in the 6-7 range next week, and we expect 1-2 two wins, minimum out of them. Wouldn't want to be the 2 or 3 that stares them down in a weekend tilt.

It took two overtimes, but Davidson survived the power of the finger wag, and sayonara Oral Roberts - just not enough good in the profile for you to withstand conference championship week.

Buffet Mailbag:
Q: One of my friends at work is a moonshining Appalachian hillbilly from the wilds of eastern Tennessee and a big Derek Dooley fan. He's been talking for quite some time about Tennessee being in the waiting line, and I've mostly dismissed his talk because I've seen little to nothing of the Vols in the Buffet. They did, however, finish in a three-way tie for second place in the SEC, and have a few decent wins (Florida twice, Vanderbilt) to go with a whole boatload of losses, some of them not-so-good (e.g., a four-game losing streak to Oakland, Pitt, Austin Peah, and Charleston). The Buffet yesterday listed them in the Waiting Line, among the second four out. What should I tell my friend about what they need to do this weekend in New Orleans? There are a lot of teams to leapfrog, so I'm guessing they need to win all three games, but do they have a chance if they win two games and lose to Florida or Kentucky? SJA in Reno

A: We like coaches with lifetime losing records who get coveted SEC football jobs because of their last name too! Who we really like is Cuonzo Martin. To be honest, we tried and tried and tried to have to consider Tennesse, but upon further inspection - you have to. First, they have a slew of solid wins that would make Drexel, VCU and Northwestern blush: Vanderbilt (26), twice over Florida, and Connecticut. Second, who doesn't love a team whose fortunes turned around by the insertion in the lineup of a kid who was LITERALLY in high school in October. You read that right. Third, piggy-backing off item #2, Tennessee has been a much different team with Jarnell Stokes, than without, and as they sit being evaluated as potential tournament team, the Vols HAVE Jarnell Stokes. Since adding stokes, they have 1 bad loss (in his just his second college game ever, over halfway through the season), 3 top 50 (really top 35) wins, and a trio of top 100s (Arkansas, Ole Miss, LSU), and they rose from 1-4 in SEC play to a share of second and the #2 seed in the upcoming conference tournament. Now, they weren't some dominant force with Stokes (lost by 25 @Kentucky, 12 @Alabama, need OT to beat LSU), but they are a team worthy of deep at large consideration. Their SEC tournament bracket shapes up like so: first, they'll get the winner of Ole Miss/Auburn - presumably, it'll be Ole Miss, and if so, that's a good old fashioned bubble elimination game (but not qualification). Then comes Vandy - if the Vols beat Vandy for the first time, the Buffet is almost CERTAIN they'll get in - even if its Auburn that they beat to get there. If they lose, but they beat Ole Miss, your buddy with the Dukes of Hazzard lunch box will still need to be on high alert next Sunday, but not to bet the farm, and since he's from wilds of E-Tennessee, we mean that quite literally, because they've got a tough mountain to climb. If it's Auburn they face and then a loss to Vandy in the semis, that's just not going to be enough quality wins. Even worse, if Georgia pulls the upset twice, Tennessee could lose, even if they don't lose. Although, given the Pac12 disaster, Texas's spirits broken like Alexis Wangmene's wrist (and more people in Austin talking about the April 1 Orange/White game than the hoops team), and Seton Hall destroying all of their Georgetown victory capital - if the brackets don't even break right, and Tennessee gets to the final, losing to Florida or Kentucky or even Alabama, there are scenarios where they can get in.
2012 Atlantic 10 Championship
sponsored by: Reece's Peanut Butter Cups & Buick
March 6: Campus sites
March 9-11, Atlantic City, NJ, Boardwalk Hall, capacity: 10,500

Temple: Welcome back Temple. You were missed a little, playing more frenetic style, the Owls, and their 6 total losses and only 6 in conference, they are locked in, currently projected to be a 4, Temple can probably only lose this week. They are unlikely to usurp any of those 3 seeds, perhaps Baylor - but unlikely, and with Vandy, Notre Dame and the OVC champ Racers just behind them, there are 3 teams who either made their noise or can make noise this week, and should Temple drop their first game to tonight's UMass/Duquesne winner - it's look out below, as Temple could conceivably take a two seed penalty and end up as a 6.

St. Louis: So, we guess Rick Majerus can coach after all. It was a slow climb, as the Billiken weren't setting records, but they were also 20 game winners in 2007 under Brad Soderberg - but, slowly but sure - after a brief step back in 2008, SLU has won 18, 23, and now 24, after last year's disappoint season - and they are on the doorstep of their first NCAA tournament bid in 12 years. A strong start to the season, was tempered when of Southern Illinois, Washington, Boston College, Villanova, and Oklahoma, only Washington (and to a small extent), has panned out as a strong as they usually are. A loss to LMU didn't send warning signals, because a 6 game winning streak over a collection of fringe Division 1 teams preceded losses @ New Mexico and in the A10 opener at Dayton. Things turned around for the Billikens, especially during a tournament reinforcing 6 game winning streak - but things are all cement and happiness in Missouri - Saint Louis has 0 wins versus the top 50, although they did go 7-2 versus 51-100, including road wins at Xavier and St Joe's, a pair of A10 and Waiting Line comrades. St. Louis was a big of a home court hero, winning 14 of 15 at Chaifetz Arena, and only going 6-5 away, losing to New Mexico, Dayton, UMass, LMU and their real resume killer - Rhode Island (ranked 255). Their RPI and SOS helps (30 and 96 respectively), and their other computer numbers are golden: KenPom and BPI 12 - but St. Louis isn't SO secure as a 9. Opening against the La Salle/Richmond winner, if they lose that game, you could very well see Rick Majerus and his kids on CBS in chairs, waiting and hoping. We bet the #2 team from the A10 with their top 100 work, good computer numbers and and quality road wins (plus wins over Waiting Line hopefuls: Washington, Xavier, (twice), Dayton, St. Joe's) will be enough, but it's not a super clear path. They win that first game, then they will have a bid clinching opportunity when they likely face Xavier, and a 3rd win over the Musketeers should do it. An 10 final appearance, and we'll give your the marker to write their name in.

Xavier: Xavier, Xavier, Xavier, Xavier. To borrow a line from ourselves: hours and pages could be spent analyzing the 2011/12 Musketeer season. From the incredibly hot start, to the seemingly season altering fight, to a near complete collapse - this team has won one, maybe 2 quality games since December 10th's brawl - a 68-55 home win over St. Joe's (54) and an 86-83 overtime home win over Dayton (72) - Tu Holloway looks like a kid carrying the weight of his poorly received reaction, mixing in brilliant performances (his 3 game 20-23-32 straight in mid February) with absolute duds - including head scratching 2-11, 10 pt performance at UMass and 1-6, 4 pt showing @Saint Louis and the entire team has followed his "lead." Now, the early season work does carry clout - it includes a road win over Vanderbilt, a win over Purdue, and the Cincy blowout win that started it all - Cincinnati. Not to mention that the Oral Roberts loss (Holloway, Lyons, Dezmine Wells) and the Long Beach St Loss (Lyons, Wells) was with a short-handed team. This, notwithstanding, because while the committee will take that into account, hard to see them really looking to give too much leeway to a team whose players were missing due to suspension, this Xavier team has work to do. They are 2-7 against the top 50, 4-3 against the top 100, and have a road loss at Hawaii (211) when the players were back in the lineup hanging over their heads. A strong SOS (48) and decent RPI (57) to go with a KenPom score of 60 and a BPI of 61, Xavier must get by the Dayton/GW winner or they will most likely be out. Then, what will be a tournament clinching opportunity versus St. Louis, and a loss there, as the team currently third among last teams in the Waiting Line (i.e. the 2nd team to come out if anyone plays their way in), could prove at-large big fatal.

St. Joseph's: St Joseph's is an interesting case. No road wins of note. 3 pretty rough losses. Especially losing to teams hovering at 100 or over in the last 2 weeks of the regular season. Only 2 wins of note (Temple and Creighton), but good wins at that. But then you look and see that they beat fellow Waiting Line waiters Drexel and Dayton and you wonder. 64 in KenPom, 58 in BPI - they have an RPI of 53 and an SOS of 43. You put them up against a Texas, and its clsoe, the difference, to the Buffet, being UT's one less bad loss, one extra strong win (Temple game cancel, and Creighton/Drexel vs. Kansas State/Iowa State favors the latter, ioo), and the fact that Texas has that string of losses against Kansas (3), Baylor (5 twice), Missouri (1), Iowa State (6) and Kansas State (4), that evidence a team strength that St. Joe's doesn't have. And as of this morning, the Buffet has the Longhorns out. Which means the Hawks are behind them in line. the tournament sets up this way - Charlotte tonight is meaningless, unless they lose and they can go ahead and pack it up. Then they face St. Bonaventure, which again, isn't much of a resume builder - but it does provide a 2 game momentum opportunity going into a semi-final match up with Temple. Get there and win that, and suddenly, we think the A10 could place 4 (provided Xavier doesn't slip up), but outside of that, the road to the tournament for St. Joe's is Ticketmaster

The Buffet picks: Xavier. The are the three seed, but this is an Upset pick through and through. We like Chris Mack, Xavier has crazy talent, and that comeback against a bad Charlotte team to save their at-large hopes is the Tu Holloway wake up call, or so we predict.


Upset Special: Don't sleep on La Salle, not that tournament resume = conference tournament, but it should a little right? They have a sneaky good resume - 55 in KenPom, 57 in BPI, and 79 RIP. They beat Xavier, swept UMass, and lost by a total of 6 points and an OT in 2 games against Temple, and they have a lof of offensive contributors. Watch out for the Explorers.

Schedule
Tue Mar 6
Game 1: #9 Duquesne @ #8 Massachussets, 7pm ET, http://www.atlantic10.com/allaccess/?media=307611
Game 2: #12 Charlotte @ #5 Saint Joseph's, 7pm ET, http://www.atlantic10.com/allaccess/?media=307611
Game 3: #10 Richmond @ #7 La Salle, 7pm ET, http://www.atlantic10.com/allaccess/?media=307611
Game 4: #11 George Washington @ #6 Dayton, 7pm ET, http://www.atlantic10.com/allaccess/?media=307611

Fri Mar 9
Game 5: #1 Temple v. Game 1 winner, 12pm ET, CBS Sports network
Game 6: #4 St. Bonaventure v. Game 2 winner, 230pm ET, CBS Sports network

Game 7: #2 Saint Louis v. Game 3 winner, 630pm ET, CBS Sports network
Game 8: #3 Xavier v. Game 4 winner, 9pm ET, CBS Sports network

Sat Mar 10
Game 9: Winner Game 5 v. Winner Game 6, 1pm ET, CBS Sports Network
Gamw 10: Winner Game 7 v. Winner Game 8, 330pm ET, CBS Sports Network

Sun, Mar 11
Championship Game, 100pm ET, CBS Sports

Temple Owls (24-6, 13-3)

Ken Pom: 34

ESPN BPI: 26

RPI: 13

SOS: 51

Best wins: Duke (4) 78-73; Wichita St (15) 78-74ot; @St Louis (30) 72-67; St Joseph’s (54) 78-60; Xavier (57) 85-72

Best losses:

Worst Losses: @Richmond (121) 65-76; @Bowling Green (160) 64-67

Players to watch

Ramone Moore – 17.8 pts, 4.2 rebs, 3.5 assists

Khalif Wyatt – 17.1 pts, 3.2 rebs, 3.3 assists, 2.1 steals

Juan Fernandez – 11.4 pts, 2.8 rebs, 3.8 assists, 1.0 steals, 43% 3pts

Rahir Hollis-Jefferson – 9.1 pts, 6.5 rebs, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals

Micheal Eric – 9.2 pts, 8.7 rebs, 2.1 blks (over last 4: 15.4 pts, 11.5 rebs, 2.8 blks)

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Hollis-Jefferson - 62% Moore - 75%

Aaron Brown – 63% Wyatt – 83%

Eric – 45% Fernandez – 75%

Saint Louis Billikens (24-6, 12-4)

Ken Pom: 12

ESPN BPI: 12

RPI: 30

SOS: 96

Best Wins: @Saint Joseph’s (54) 72-60; Xavier x2 (57) @73-68, 70-59; Washington (53) 77-64; Dayton (72) 58-50

Best Losses: Temple (13) 67-72; @New Mexico (33) 60-64

Worst Losses: @Loyola Marymount (118) 68-75; @UMass (86) 59-72

Players to watch

Brian Conklin – 13.9 pts, 5.0 rebs

Kwamain Mitchell – 12.1 pts, 2.6 rebs, 3.5 assists, 1.4 steals

Cody Ellis – 10.8 pts, 3.6 rebs, 40% 3pts

Dwayne Evans – 7.8 pts, 7.2 rebs

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Mitchell - 62% Conklin - 80%

Evans – 64% Ellis – 80%

Jordair Jett– 60%

Xavier Musketeers (19-11, 10-6)

Ken Pom: 60

ESPN BPI: 51

RPI: 57

SOS: 46

Best wins: @Vanderbilt (30) 82-70ot; St Joseph’s (54) 68-55; Purdue 66-63 (40); Dayton (72) 86-83ot

Best losses: @Memphis (18) 68-72; Gonzaga (23) 65-72

Worst losses: @Dayton (72) 72-87; @La Salle (79) 70-80; @Hawai’I (214) 82-84 ot

Player to watch

Tu Holloway – 16.7 pts, 3.6 rebs, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals

Mark Lyons – 15.7 pts, 3.4 rebs, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 40% 3pts

Dezmine Wells – 10.1 pts, 5.1 rebs, 1.2 assists, 40% 3pts

Kenny Frease – 9.3 pts, 6.2 rebs, 1.1 blks

Andre Walker -5.5 pts, 5.8 rebs

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Wells - 66% Holloway - 85%

Frease - 45% Lyons – 75%

Travis Taylor – 58%

Andre Walker – 53%

St. Joseph’s Hawks (19-12, 9-7)

Ken Pom: 63

ESPN BPI: 59

RPI: 54

SOS: 43

Best wins: Creighton (20) 80-71; Temple (13) 82-72; Dayton (72) 77-64; UMass (86) 73-62; Drexel (66) 62-49

Best losses: @Harvard (36) 69-74; Iona (43) 99-104 2ot

Worst losses: @American (146) 60-66; Charlotte (164) 52-57; Richmond (121) 49-52

Players to watch

Carl Jones – 16.3 pts, 3.5 rebs, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals

Langston Galloway – 15.9 pts, 4.5 rebs, 2.3 assists, 1.1 steals, 48% 3pts

C.J. Aiken – 11.0 pts, 5.1 rebs, 3.7 blks

Ronald Roberts, Jr. – 11.1 pts, 6.0 rebs

Halil Kanacevic – 8.1 pts, 8.1 rebs, 3.6 assists, 1.6 blks

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Roberts Jr. - 54% Jones - 79%

Kanacevic - 50% Galloway – 77%

Aiken – 73%

Daryus Quarles – 76%


Massachusetts Minutemen (20-10, 9-7)

Ken Pom: 97

ESPN BPI: 77

RPI: 86

SOS: 135

Best wins: St Louis (30) 72-59; St. Joseph’s (54) 71-62; Davidson (62) 73-65

Best losses: @Temple (13) 88-90ot; Miami FL (55) 75-83

Worst losses: @Rhode Island (255) 78-81ot; Coll of Charleston (122) 61-85

Players to watch

Chaz Williams – 16.2 pts, 4.1 rebs, 6.4 assists, 2.3 steals; 40% 3pts

Raphiael Putney – 10.1 pts, 5.7 rebs, 1.0 steals, 1.5 blocks

Sean Carter (Jay-Z?) 7.9 pts, 6.3 rebs, 1.1 blocks

Terrell Vinson – 9.3 pts, 5.2 rebs

Jesse Morgan - 9.8 pts, 2.8 rebs, 2.5 assists, 1.4 steals

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Putney - 60% Williams - 79%

Vinson – 68% Morgan – 74%

Carter– 51% Carter – 72%

Riley – 50%

Lalanne – 60%

La Salle Explorers (20-11, 9-7)

Ken Pom: 55

ESPN BPI: 57

RPI: 79

SOS: 121

Best wins: Xavier (57) 80-70; Bucknell (84) 78-52; UMass x2 (86) 82-75, @72-71

Best losses: Temple (13) 70-76; St. Joseph’s (54) 66-70

Worst losses: @Delaware (157) 66-70; @Richmond (121) 76-78; v.Robert Morris (108) 44-51; @Fordham (241) 62-67; @Villanova (116) 69-75ot

Players to watch

Earl Pettis – 15.2 pts, 4.0 rebs, 2.3 assists, 1.9 stls

Ramon Galloway – 14.1 pts, 4.6 rebs, 3.3 assists, 1.5 steals, 44% 3p

Tyreek Duren – 13.6 pts, 3.5 rebs, 4.0 asts, 1.8 steals, 41% 3pts

Sam Mills – 10.9 pts, 2.5 rebs, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 41% 3pts

Jerrell Wright – 9.7 pts, 5.8 rebs, 1.1 blocks

Devon White – 5.7 pts, 4.8 rebs, 1.0 blocks

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Wright - 57% Galloway - 77%

White – 66% Pettis – 78%

Duren – 82%

Mills – 76%

Other players to watch
B.J. Monteiro, Duquesne, Sr, 15.0 pts, 5.3 rebs, 2.1 assists, 1.0 blks, 1.1 steals
Sean Johnson, Duquesne, Jr, 13.5 pts, 3.1 rebs, 1.4 assists
T.J. McConnell, Duquesne, So, 11.4 pts, 4.3 rebs, 5.5 assists, 45% 3pts
Chris Braswell, Charlotte, Jr, 15.6 pts, 7.6 rebs, 1.2 assists, 1.2 blks, 1.1 steals
Javarris Barnett, Charlotte, Sr, 12.2 pts, 5.7 rebs, 1.3 assists, 41% 3pts
DeMario Mayfield, Charlotte, So, 11.1 pts, 7.0 rebs, 2.6 assists
Chris Johnson, Dayton, Sr, 13.0 pts, 6.4 rebs, 1.4 assists, 41% 3pts
Kevin Dillars, Dayton, Jr, 12.9 pts, 2.6 rebs, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals
Josh Benson, Dayton, Jr, 10.9 pts, 5.2 rebs, 1.0 assists, 1.1 blks
Darien Brothers, Richmond, Jr, 14.0 pts, 2.9 rebs, 1.7 assists
Kendall Anthony, Richmond, Fr, 13.4 pts, 1.3 rebs, 1.6 assists, 43% 3pts
Derrick Wililams, Richmond, So, 11.1 pts, 5.5 rebs
Cedrick Lindsay, Richmond, So, 11.0 pts, 2.6 rebs, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals
Tony Taylor, George Washington, Sr, 13.3 pts, 2.6 rebs, 4.4 assists, 1.3 steals
Lasan Kromah, George Washington, Jr, 11.2 pts, 5.2 rebs, 1.7 steals
David Pellom, George Washington, Jr, 10.1 pts, 5.9 rebs, 1.1 assists
Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure, Sr, 17.9 pts, 8.3 rebs, 1.0 assists, 1.6 blks
Demetrius Conger, St. Bonaventure, Jr, 12.1 pts, 6.1 rebs
Atlantic 10 Conference Jack Leasure Award: Langston Galloway, Saint Joseph's, 84/177, 48%. One of the easiest JLAs to day - the second most attempts in conference and a blow everyone away 48% accuracy clip. Congrats Langston, we honor you by not even mentioning the other competition.

Atlantic 10 MVP: Andrew Nicholson, Senior, Saint Bonaventure

Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year: Fran Dunphy, Temple

Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year: Kendall Anthony, Richmond

First Team All-Atlantic 10:

Chaz Williams, Massachusetts
Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure
Brian Conklin, Saint Louis
Ramone Moore, Temple
Tu Holloway, Xavier

Second Team All- Atlantic 10Team:
Kevin Dillard, Dayton
Chris Gaston, Fordham
Ramon Galloway, La Salle
Langston Galloway, Saint Joseph's
Khaliff Wyatt, Temple
2012 Big East Championship
presented by American Eagle Outfitters
March 6-10, New York, New York, Madison Square Garden, capacity: 19,763
It's been an Orange, Orange world. Clearing second place by 3 games, and with an asterisk next to their only loss as it came during Fab Melo's academic-based 3 game island getaway. The Big East is supposedly down. And, yes, there is some evidence supporting that from the fact that they are only projected to put 3 teams on the top 4 lines, and 5 in favored seed position - five may sound like a lot, but when you've got 16 teams, it isn't. Watch for Marquette to make a run this week, that team is sneaky good, while all of the "other than Syracuse" accolades have been bestowed on Georgetown (probably because it took pollster about 5 weeks too long to figure out that Jason Clark & the boys were good, and Mike Brey's latest reclamation project, they failed to notice that Mr. Two-Step into the Heart of Mountaineer fans everywhere, Buzz Williams, had a bit of a sleeping giant on his hands.

Buffet's prediction: This is not Syracuse hate. They are good, uber-talented, deep team who plays D like no one would believe and when they get going in the open court, you will be down 8-10 points before you know it. But here's the thing - there are questions. Syracuse has rebounded at historically bad pace for a team that is trying to be historically great. In fact, the Mr. CBB statistics himself, Ken Pomeroy, discovered a stat that over the last 10 years, no NCAA tournament games every been won by a team that is this poor of a rebounding team. Now, obviously that streak is going to come to end, and probably will several times over. But I think at least once the rebounding issue will rear its ugly head, probably against a team like North Carolina. But, more likely, in the Big East tournament, when a Orange team with absolutely nothing to play for, will get bounced, paving the way for Buffet early upset pick for one Final Four spot Marquette.

Upset special: USF. Bare with me here. USF is getting in the NCAA tournament. Accept it, Arkansas fans. And the bracket really opens up nicely for them. First Villanova/Rutgers winner. Then a Notre Dame team whom the numbers game has seen to catch up with them, and they'd be best served, giving a 1 and doneski effort and resting up for the NCAAs as the season long Tim Abromaitis cover job has taken its toll. Then they get Marquette, that does not = opening up nicely, but given the Syracuse prediction from the preceding paragraph, they would avoid the top seed after facing the #2. Yes, it's a difficult road, but that's what upset specials are for.

In the Waiting Line... Big East Edition:

Syracuse: The Orange have been eating for long long time, and they've been eating the head table for about that long too. No matter what does/does not happen in the Big East tournament, this team is headed for a #1 seed.

Marquette: The Golden Eagles are in an interesting spot. A fantastic late season run, marked only by 2 road losses, and they rose passed the presumed #2 Georgetown and they critical darling Irish straight to the # 2 seed. At 6-4 versus the top 50, including a top 10 win over Georgetown and a fantastic road win versus Big 10 #4 Wisconsin (and a projected 4 seed), Marquette has really solidly locked up a #3 seed. In fact, with Louisville, Seton Hall or USF as the likeliest opponents before the final (because if they make the final they WILL be a #3, minimum), none of those losses seem to be able to jeopardize their seeding. The interesting case is if they win, and beat Syracuse, Notre dame and Louisville in the process. What do you do with them? The top 8 this year seem pretty locked in. But what if Missouri falls to Oklahoma State (a loss to Texas Tech in Missouri is unfathomable)? Or Duke, fresh off their home dud v. UNC, adds intrigue to injury by losing to Virginia Tech or Clemson? Can't say a 2 is impossible, but it would take, at least, a Big East Tournament championship to do it.

Notre Dame: Notre Dame was playing so well, Irish faithful were getting on the Buffet were underseeding them. But, they were seeded just about right, and, as explained above, think the season's toll and minute redistribution after Abromaitis went down has taken a bit of its toll. Now the week off should do wonders, and we even think Notre Dame should show up, get their participation ribbon and get back to South Bend. The seed isn't getting below a 7, and probably won't get above a 5, unless they do run the BE table, because there is some weakness in that 4 line. Lose to USF/Rutgers winner, and you're looking at a 6 or 7, win that but fall to Marquette, depending on the spread, definitely a 6 and maybe a 5 (if you beat USF and not Rutgers), get to the final - definitely a 5. Win the final, pending what the teams on that line do, you could possibly get over Florida or Temple (or UNLV/Murray, depending on whose Bracket you're looking at at the time)

Cincinnati - Now this is an interesting team. As the #4 seed in the Big East tournament, they normally seem like an absolute lock, but we're burying the lead on this one. They will at-large qualify with what may be the worst loss on the board - falling at home to Presbyterian on November 19th. Their non-conference schedule was 319th in the country, thank heavens for them that they play in the Big East, raising their overall SOS to 103 - but it can't be ignored that they lost 3 games playing that bottom level schedule - then Cheikh Mbodj stepped on Kenny Frease, and things changed* **

*First of all, could Doug Gottleib get any more flustered in this clip? It's awesome
**Second, no Mark Lyons, no one knows what you're saying.

Cincy rebounded, jelled, and ran off a 7 game win streak. Now, fortuitous scheduling: Wright State, Radford, UA Pine Bluff, Chicago St, Oklahoma helped said bonding, but soon came wins over Notre, @Georgetown, @Connecticut, an OT loss @West Virginia, plus wins over Louisville, Seton Hall, capped off by an 11 point win over Marquette that put the cherry on top of an excellent BE conference season that has the Bearcats very much safely into the tournament. Currently, Cincy sits in the 10 spot, just below 2012's RPI vaccuum Southern Miss (can anyone explain the 17 rationally?), and really in good range to push to a 9. An 8 seems like a stretch, but a couple BET wins and suddenly, we're in range, and a BET title - well then all seeding bets are off.

Georgetown: Now this is a resume. 8 Top 50 wins, 2 great road wins. No losses above 100, and even if they do, that will be a loss at Pittsburgh, the Zoo will always be the Zoo. Now, they're hiccups of late are slight causes for concern. Blown out @Seton Hall, dominated by Marquette, their seed is pretty securely a 3, but their championship prospects will grow a bit dimmer if they are bounced from the BET early, because suddenly they can't win outside of D.C. - which is the guaranteed location of every tourney game they play - outside of D.C.

South Florida: Now here's a more curious case than Cincy - they finished 6th in the Big East with 12 conference wins. The less enlightened on TV will pound tables and talk loudly (when they should just be reinforcing their argument. Otter, name THAT quote!) about 12 wins being a guarantee, blah blah blah. But it isn't. Well, allow us to rephrase, 12 might be, but when they were 10-5, and the 10 wins were: Rutgers (1 - #11 BE), Villanova (2 - #14 BE), Seton Hall (3 - ), St. John's, (4 -)DePaul (5 - ), Providence (6 -), Pittsburgh (7 - ), Providence, again (8), Villanova, again (9) and Pittsburgh (10 -) - and you 1 other win in the top 100 at the time (Cleveland State), you aren't guaranteed anything, except you should be super competitive in the NIT, CBI, or CIT. But then the end of the season game, and a nice home win over Cincy followed by a big time road win at Louisville, and USF is sitting pretty comfortably. They did drop their home finale to WVU and we'd caution them against losing to the Villanova/Rutgers winner, but a top 50 RPI, the 24th toughest schedule in the country, against which they won 18 games, 6 top 100 wins (including 5-0 against those ranked 50-100, i.e. the Bubble) and you've got yourself the formula for a tournament team. Their issue is 3 top 100 losses (Old Dominion, Auburn and Penn State) which would become a 4th if they drop their matchup with Nova and/or Rutgers. right now USF is on the 11 line. Lose that first round game, and suddenly you are seeing if California and/or Washington make it to the P12 final, if Northwestern or Texas go on a mini-run in their tournaments, if Seton Hall and their much better trio of non-conference wins can parlay them into additional BE wins, or if Xavier, Miami Fl or Tennessee feel like making real noise this week. In short, USF might be projected in and clear of the the Last 4 in, but the bed they're in isn't heavenly.

Louisville: This is a team moving in the wrong direction. UL has become one of the more difficult teams to watch on offense - and their recent results - 51 pts in a loss to Syracuse, 59 in a loss to Cincy, only 57 in a 3 point home win over Pitt, 51 in a home loss to USF, 49 in their return matchup with the Orange. Louisville is a 5 seed teetering in either direction, a run in the BET could bump them up to a 4, a quick out could see those on the 6 line make the leap, and a win should lock them in right there.

West Virginia: West Virginia became a curious case, a pretty stocked resume - ORU, v.KansasState, Georgetown - became a shaky one, they lost 5 of 6 in late January/early February, and from then on out, couldn't beat any of the top line teams - but back to back wins, one not so impressive (DePaul) and one impressive (@South Florida) got them to .500, and pretty much punch their ticket. Nothing's for certain. For one, when Texas Tech or Nebraska (RED ALERT!) win their conference tournaments, no bid will be safe - but more to the point, WVU lethargic run isn't long forgotten, and a loss puts them at 9-10 in the Big East. Speaking of 9/10, that's likely where the Mounainteers will be hanging out, although with the premium placed on winning the BET, the ceiling could be 7/8 at that point - but a quick loss, and the words Texas, Drexel, Northwestern, and Pac12 will become ubiquitous.

Connecticut: An odd season for UConn, they struggled their way through the Bahamas, losing to UCF and then using overtime to beat a better than we thought Florida State team. Then they rattled off 6 more wins, including nationally ranked Harvard and a road win over soon to be tournament bound South Florida. But then the losses started, a pair of roadies at Seton Hall and the RAC, but that was tempered by two more tournament quality wins versus West Virginia and in South Ben. Then 4 straighthappened - Cincy, Tennessee, Notre Dame exacted revenge, and a 14 point bottoming out loss to Georgetown. Notice, though, none of these losses (except Rutgers, and the RAC, and all its mythical glory, is a difficult place to play) are resume hurters, they just show signs of a team struggling to be CONNECTICUT. Now, the Huskies haven't exactly righted the ship, after this losing streak they won 4 and lost 5, but they've accomplished just enough, and certainly stock piled enough good wins to go with the nation's #3 schedule, to be safely in the tournament. Jim Calhoun, who shows Coach K just how you have a midseason back injury is back. Ryan Boatright is finally cleared and eligible, after issues regarding impermissible benefits cost him 9 games this season (6 to start, and the 3 midseason, when, apparently the NCAA just gets to flip an ineligible switch on and off as they look into things that they apparently couldn't look into back in November). But Boatright can't be explained for everything, as since returning in late January, they are only 4-7 with him, but working him into the lineup and finding cohesion and chemistry can't be easy when the NCAA is declaring him ineligible at their whim. Another issue is the TJ Ford syndrome, as UConn has spent many a game waiting for Kemba Walker to take over, instead, of say, Jeremy Lamb. But these are the defending champs, they are super talented, and Jim C is back - expect some noise this week. Currently a 9 seed, we don't expect too much trouble this morning with DePaul, then comes a really interesting game with West Virginia, both teams are safely in, especially UConn, but this could be a favored seed (1-8) elimination game - the winner catapulting into the 6-8 battle, and the loser sticking at 9, or in WVU's case, a 10.

Seton Hall: The Pirates are a polarizing bunch. A nice slew of top 50 wins (G'town, UConn, WVU and VCU) to go with a couple more bubble caliber wins in the 51-100 range (St Joe's and Dayton + 97th ranked Pittsburgh). But there are 3 bad BE losses, and some ugly results against tourney teams (Syracuse by 26, UConn by 23 a month after the win, Notre Dame by 13) and a Bubble showdown loss with Northwestern. They played only the 130th ranked schedule against non conference opponents (the Big East sched raised them to 50th), and their RPI is a bit lofty at 60. Right now, the Buffet sees then, after a big of a re-eval, as one of the last 4 in, the first of the last four, to be exact. They start off today with Providence, a game that cannot solidify a thing, but if they lose, they will be in the NIT. Then they would face Louisville. Win that, and, barring a bunch of non-NCAA tournament caliber conference tournament winners, they are good to go, lose that, and they've pretty much hit reset to now, and that'll just be a close call that depends on pretty much the same list as discussed under South Florida.

Schedule
Tuesday, March 6
Game 1: #16 DePaul v. #9 Connecticut, 12pm ET, ESPN2
Game 2: #13 Pittsburgh @ #12 St. John's, 2pm ET, ESPN2

Game 3: #15 Providence v. #10 Seton Hall, 7pm ET, ESPNU
Game 4: #14 Villanova v. #11 Rutgers, 9pm ET, ESPNU

Wednesday, March 7
Game 5: #8 West Virginia v. Game 1 winner, 12pm ET, ESPN
Game 6: #5 Georgetown v. Game 2 winner, 2pm ET, ESPN

Game 7: #7 Louisville v. Game 3 winner, 7pm ET, ESPN
Game 8: #6 South Florida v. Game 4 winner, 9pm ET, ESPN

Thursday, March 8
Game 9: #1 Syracuse v. Game 5 winner, 12pm ET, ESPN
Game 10: #4 Cincinnati v. Game 6 winner, 2pm ET, ESPN

Game 11: #2 Marquette v. Game 7 winner, 7pm ET, ESPN
Game 12: #3 Notre Dame v. Game 8 winner, 9pm ET, ESPN

Friday, March 9
Game 13: Game 9 winner v. Game 10 winner, 7pm ET, ESPN

Game 14: Game 11 winner v. Game 12 winner, 9pm ET, ESPN

Saturday, March 10
Championship Game, 9pm ET, ESPN

Syracuse Orange (30-1, 17-1)

Ken Pom: 6

ESPN BPI: 2

RPI: 1

SOS: 28

Best wins: Marquette (7) 73-66; Georgetown (10) 64-61 ot; Connecticut x2 (34) 85-67, @71-69; Louisville x2 (28) 58-49, @52-51; Florida (29) 72-68; West Virginia (44) 63-61; Seton Hall (60) 75-49; NC St (56) 88-72; Marshall (67) 62-56l @Cincy (68) 60-53

Best losses:

Worst loss: @Notre Dame (39) 58-67

Players to watch

Kris Joseph – 14.1 pts, 5.0 rebs, 1.4 steals

Dion Waiters – 11.9 pts, 2.4 rebs, 2.6 assists, 1.9 steals

Brandon Triche – 9.4 pts, 2.4 rebs, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals

Scoop Jardine – 8.6 pts, 2.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists

C.J. Fair – 9.1 pts, 5.5 rebs, 1.1 steals

Fab Melo – 7.7 pts, 5.8 rebs, 3.1 blks

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Jardine - 51% Joseph - 77%

James Southerland - 67% Waiters – 70%

Melo – 60% Fair – 72%

Rakeem Christmas – 62%

Marquette Golden Eagles (25-6, 14-4)

Ken Pom: 17

ESPN BPI: 15

RPI: 7

SOS: 17

Best wins: Louisville (28) 74-63; @Wisconsin (21) 61-54; Seton Hall (60) 66-59; Mississippi (58) 96-66; v.Washington (53) 79-77; South Florida (45) 67-47; @Connecticut (34) 79-64; @West Virginia (44); Cincy (68) 95-78

Best losses: @Syracuse (1) 66-73; @Georgetown (10) 70-73

Worst losses: @LSU (88) 59-67; @Notre Dame (39) 59-76; Vanderbilt (27) 57-74P

Players to watch

Darius Johnson-Odom – 18.3 pts, 3.4 rebs, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steals, 40% 3pts

Jae Crowder – 17.6 pts, 7.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.4 steals, 1.0 blocks

Davante Gardner – 9.7 pts, 5.5 rebounds,

Junior Cadougan – 6.4 pts, 2.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists

Vander Blue - 8.7 pts, 4.4 rebs, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals

Todd Mayo - 7.8 pts, 2.5 rebs, 1.2 assists

Jamil Wilson - 7.1 pts, 3.9 rebs, 1.2 assists, 1.2 blks

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Vander Blue - 65% Johnson-Odom - 77%

Crowder – 72%

Gardner – 74%

Todd Mayo – 82%

Cadougan – 73%

Jamil Wilson – 74%

Georgetown Hoyas (22-7, 12-6)

Ken Pom: 13

ESPN BPI: 18

RPI: 10

SOS: 9

Best wins: Marquette (7) 73-70; Memphis x2 (18) 70-59 & 91-88ot; @Louisville (28) 71-68; UConn (34) 58-44; @Alabama (32) 57-55; So Florida (45) 75-45

Best losses: Kansas (6) 63-67

Worst losses: @Pittsburgh (98) 60-72

Players to watch

Jason Clark – 14.3 pts, 4.2 rebs, 1.8 steals, 1.7 steals

Hollis Thompson – 13.0 pts, 5.6 rebs, 46% 3pt

Henry Sims – 11.1 pts, 5.6 rebs, 3.4 assists, 1.4 blks

Otto Porter – 9.0 pts, 6.8 rebs, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Nate Lubick - 50% Clark - 73%

Porter – 68% Sims – 73%

Thompson – 69% Markel Starks – 78%

Jabril Trawick – 76%

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (21-10, 13-5)

Ken Pom: 40

ESPN BPI: 43

RPI: 39

SOS: 45

Best wins: Syracuse (1*no Melo*) 67-58; Marquette (7) 76-59; @Louisville (28) 67-65 2ot; @UConn (34) 50-48; @Seton Hall (60) 55-42; @West Virginia (44) 55-51; So Florida (45) 60-49

Best losses:

Worst loss: @Rutgers (153) 58-65; v.Georgia (112) 57-61; v.Missou (16) 58-87; @Gonzaga (23) 53-73

Players to watch

Jack Cooley – 12.5 pts, 9.2 rebs, 1.6 blocks

Eric Atkins – 12.4 pts, 3.2 rebs, 4.1 assists, 1.3 steals

Jerian Grant – 12.5 pts, 2.9 rebs, 4.9 assists, 1.3 steals

Scott Martin – 9.5 pts, 5.5 rebs

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Scott Martin - 67% Atkins - 77%

Grant – 79%

Cooley – 72%

Alex Dragicevich – 71%

Louisville Cardinals (22-9, 10-8)

Ken Pom: 30

ESPN BPI: 17

RPI: 28

SOS: 15

Best wins: Memphis (18) 95-87; Connecticut (34) 80-59; Vanderbilt (27) 62-60 ot; @Seton Hall (60) 60-51; @West Virginia (44) 77-74; Long Beach (35) 79-66

Best losses: Syracuse (1) 51-52; @Kentucky (2) 62-69; Georgetown (10) 68-71; Notre Dame (39) 65-67 2ot

Worst losses: @Providence (154) 59-90

Players to watch

Kyle Kuric – 12.9 pts, 4.6 rebs, 1.3 steals

Russ Smith - 11.9 pts, 2.6 rebs, 2.0 assists, 2.3 steals

Chris Smith – 10.1 pts, 3.8 rebs, 2.2 assists

Gorgui Dieng – 9.5 pts, 9.1 rebs, 1.2 steals, 3.2 blocks

Peyton Siva – 8.4 pts, 2.9 rebs, 5.4 assists, 1.7 steals

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Dieng - 68% Kuric -81%

Behanan – 61% R.Smith – 73%

C.Smith – 74%

Siva – 74%

Cincinnati Bearcats (22-9, 12-6)

Ken Pom: 34

ESPN BPI: 40

RPI: 68

SOS: 130 (319 NC)

Best wins: @Georgetown (10) 68-64; @UConn (34) 70-67; Notre Dame (39) 71-55

Best losses: Syracuse (1) 53-60; @WVirginia (44) 74-77ot;

Worst losses: Presbyterian (245) 54-56; @Rutgers (153) 54-61; St. John’s (150) 55-57

Players to watch

Sean Kilpatrick – 14.6 pts, 4.8 rebs, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals

Dion Dixon – 13.5 pts, 3.4 rebs, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals

Yancy Gates – 11.8 pts, 9.4 rebs

Cashmere Wright – 10.7 pts, 3.7 rebs, 4.5 assists, 2.0 steals

Jaquon Parker – 9.2 pts, 5.0 rebs, 43% 3pts

Justin Jackson - 5.4 pts, 4.4 rebs, 1.1 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.5 blks

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Gates - 55% Kilpatrick -73%

Wright – 68% Dixon – 71%

Justin Jackson – 52% Parker – 77%

South Florida Bulls (19-12, 12-6)

Ken Pom: 67

ESPN BPI: 65

RPI: 45

SOS: 23

Best wins: @Louisville (28) 58-51; Cincinnati (68) 46-45; Seton Hall (60) 56-55

Best losses: @SoMiss (17) 51-53; Connecticut (34) 57-60; West Virginia (33) 44-50

Worst losses: Penn St (159) 49-53; @Auburn (141) 40-52; Old Dominion (107) 66-68; @Kansas (6) 42-70; @Marquette (7) 47-67; @Georgetown (10) 45-75

Players to watch

Augustus Gilchrist – 9.9 pts, 4.8 rebs, 1.3 blocks

Jawanza Poland – 8.9 pts, 3.6 rebs

Victor Rudd – 8.4 pts, 4.5 rebs

Toarlyn Fitzpatrick – 8.3 pts, 6.6 rebs, 1.0 blocks, 41% 3pts

Anthony Collins - 8.0 pts, 1.9 rebs, 5.3 assists, 1.6 steals

Ron Anderson Jr. - 7.5 pts, 5.6 rebs, 1.2 assists

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Fitzpatrick - 62% Gilchrist - 71%

Ron Anderson, Jr. – 53% Poland – 77%

Hugh Robertson – 67% Rudd – 76%

Collins – 82%

Nash – 81%

Noriega – 85%

West Virginia Mountaineers (19-12, 9-9)

Ken Pom: 49

ESPN BPI: 43

RPI: 44

SOS: 13

Best wins: Georgetown (19) 74-62; Miami FL (55) 77-66; Oral Roberts (49) 78-71; Kansas St (42) 85-80 2ot; Akron (63) 77-56; v.Marshall (67) 78-62; Cincinnati (68) 77-74ot

Best losses: @Syracuse (1) 61-63; v.Baylor (9) 81-83 ot; Marquette (7) 60-61

Worst losses: St. John’s (150) 62-78; Kent St (105) 60-70

Players to watch

Kevin Jones – 20.0 pts, 11.2 rebs, 1.1 blocks

Darryl Bryant – 17.1 pts, 3.1 rebs, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals

Deniz Kilicli – 10.9 pts, 5.4 rebs

Gary Browne – 6.3 pts, 3.9 rebs, 3.0 assists

Aaron Brown 4.4 pts, 41% 3pts

Jabarie Hinds - 7.7 pts, 2.5 rebs, 3.4 assist, 1.4 steals

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Kilicli - 55% Jones - 76%

Jabari Hinds – 66% Bryant – 77%

Browne - 62%

Brown – 55%

Connecticut Huskies (18-12, 8-10)

Ken Pom: 38

ESPN BPI: 36

RPI: 34

SOS: 3

Best wins: Florida St (24) 78-76 ot; West Virginia (44) 64-57; Seton Hall (60) 69-46; Harvard (36) 67-53; Notre Dame (39) 67-53; @South Florida (45) 60-57

Best losses: Notre Dame (49) 48-50

Worst losses: @Rutgers (153) 60-67; @Providence (154) 70-72

Players to watch

Jeremy Lamb – 17.6 pts, 4.8 rebs, 1.3 steals

Shabazz Napier – 12.4 pts, 3.7 rebs, 5.9 assists, 1.7 steals

Ryan Boatright – 10.3 pts, 3.2 pts, 4.1 assists, 1.2 steals, 40% 3pts

Andre Drummond – 10.2 pts, 7.8 rebs, 2.6 blks

Alex Oriakhi – 6.9 pts, 4.8 rebs, 1.2 blks

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Drummond - 34% Lamb - 84%

Oriakhi – 56% Napier – 75%

Boatright – 73%

Tyler Olander – 82%

Roscoe Smith – 74%

Seton Hall Pirates (19-11, 8-10)

Ken Pom: 62

ESPN BPI: 55

RPI: 60

SOS: 49

Best wins: Georgetown (10) 73-55; Connecticut (34) 75-63; West Virginia (44) 67-48; vSt Joseph’s (54) 78-70; @Dayton (72) 69-64

Best losses: @South Florida (45) 55-6

Worst losses: @Villanova (116) 76-84; @Syracuse (1) 49-75; @UConn (34) 46-69 (no Herb Pope); Rutgers (153) 72-77ot; @DePaul (196) 58-86

Players to watch

Herb Pope – 15.3 pts, 10.3 rebs, 1.1 steals, 1.6 blocks

Jordan Theodore – 16.0 pts, 3.0 rebs, 6.7 assists, 1.9 steals

Fuquan Edwin – 12.6 pts, 6.3 rebs, 3.1 steals

Patrik Auda – 6.7 pts, 4.0 rebs

Aaron Cosby - 8.2 pts, 2.2 rebs, 1.5 assists, 40% 3pts

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Pope - 60% Theodore - 81%

Edwin – 63%

Aaron Cosby – 50%

Patrik Auda – 61%

Brandon Mobley – 67%

Haralds Karlis – 67%

Other players to watch

Ashton Gibbs – 16.8 pts, 2.4 rebs, 2.8 assists

Tray Woodall – 13.3 pts, 3.0 rebs, 6.8 assists, 44% 3pt

Nasir Robinson - 12.1 pts, 6.5 rebs, 2.2 assists

Eli Carter - 13.5 pts, 3.1 rebs, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals

Maalik Wayns - 17.5 pts, 3.7 rebs, 4.6 assists

Dominic Cheek - 13.2 pts, 3.9 rebs, 1.4 assists

Mouphtaou Yarou - 10.9 pts, 8.2 rebs

JayVaughn Pinkston - 10.0 pts, 5.2 rebs

Cleveland Melvin - 17.4 pts, 7.3 rebs, 1.1 blks

Brandon Young - 14.8 pts, 2.7 rebs, 4.9 assists, 1.6 steals

Vincent Council - 16.2 pts, 4.0 rebs, 7.5 assists, 1.2 steals

Bryce Cotton - 14.4 pts, 2.6 rebs, 2.3 assist, 1.0 steals

LaDontae Henton - 14.3 pts, 8.6 rebs, 1.1 assist, 40% 3pts

Gerard Coleman - 13.5 pts, 5.1 rebs, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals

D'Angelo Harrison - 17.0 pts, 3.7 rebs, 2.1 assists, 1.5 steals

Moe Harkless - 15.0 pts, 8.6 rebs, 1.4 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.5 blks

Nurideen Lindsay - 12.4 pts, 4.9 rebs, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals

Gd'sgift Achiuqa - 9.1 pts, 5.4 rebs

Big East Conference Jack Leasure Award: Darius Johnson-Odom, 69/172, 40%. Style of play evidences itself here - as our weakest JLA to date, a great player, but only 40% and not even 200 attempts? Hollis Thompsonand his 46% made him a contender, but just not enough shots hoisted. And the big shooters - Darryl Bryant (216), Gibbs (203), D'Angelo Harrison (212), Sean Kilpatrick (209) and Kuric (180) - couldn't cross the 40% threshold we required here on the Buffet Jack Leasure Standards and Practices Board.

*Awards announced prior to evening session on Tuesday*

Big East Player of the Year:

Big East Coach of the Year:

Big East Freshman of the Year:

All-Big East First Team:

All- Big East Second Team:

2012 Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference Championship
March 6-10, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum , capacity: 14,665

We love college hoops here at the Buffet, but wouldn't you rather we be covering this?http://www.meacsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=20800&ATCLID=205237641

But we're not, so instead let's talk about the great story that is Savannah State. In 2004-2005, they finished 0-28, not surprisingly, that gets a coach fired. Horace Broadnax was brought in. Back in 1997-2002, he served as the head coach of Bethune-Cookman university, twice being named conference coach of the years (he went 11-16 and 14-16 in those years, which tells you something about the program B-Cook.) A slow sleady climb, has brought us to this year, where the Tigers went 21-10 in their first ever season in the MEAC, leading the conference in scoring defense (58.9 per game), and finishing with just 2 conference losses. But as we've seen so many times before, the standings look like this: 2-3-4-5-6-7 .... which means, hijinks will likely ensure at the Joel Coliseum.

Will it be Norfolk, who finished with an RPI above Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Texas A&M, Providence, Oregon St, Washington St, Arizona St, Utah, Southern Cal, DePaul, Auburn and South Carolina. Norfolk holds wns over Drexel, LIU-Brooklyn and TCU ... and lost by only two to Marquette in the championship of the Paradise Jam. They dropped some questionable ones - including a twelve point loss to Elizabeth City. But, Norfolk, despite Savannah's story and season has to be the odds on favorite due to their entire body of work, they come in on a 4 game win streak and 6 of 7. They also played that MEAC game of the year, as Brandon Wheeless hit a 3pointer with 1 second left, seconds after his turnover had allowed Savannah State to take a 58-57 lead, to lift Norfolk to a thrilling win over the eventual regular season conference champion

The three seed, Delaware State swept Norfolk and endured an 8 game losing streak when leading scorer, Freshman Tahj Tate was suspended by coach Greg Jackson for "conduct detrimental to the team" -- Tate got himself figured out, and so did Del State, who responded with 8 straight wins after the losing streak, and other than a pair of thrillers with the Big South's Gardner-Webb (1 point loss) and Morgan St (1 point loss) - they ripped off a streak that others envy. Curiously, they did not play regular season champion Savannah State once this season, so provided they get there, and survive the doozy that would be Norfolk/Delaware St III, looking forward to that first matchup as MEAC foes.

Bethune-Cookman, who split with former coach Broadnax in two games, and won at Delaware St, is the team to keep your eye on.

The Buffet picks: Norfolk St. Savannah D's up, Delaware St might be playing the best ball, and it's the MEAC, so close your eyes and point - but Norfolk was the most impressive non-conference team and only lost 3 game in the MEAC all year - they're the pick.


Upset Special: For reasons state above - Bethune-Cookman.

Schedule
Tues Mar 6
Game 1: #8 Hampton vs. #9 Morgan State, 11am ET, http://www.livestream.com/tenwebtvu?&DB_OEM_ID=20800&t=678338
Game 2: #7 NC A&T vs. #10 Howard, 130pm ET,
Game 3: #5 North Carolina Central v. #12 Maryland-Eastern Shore, 4pm ET
Game 4: #4 Bethune-Cookman v. #13 South Carolina State, 630pm ET
Game 5: #6 Coppin State v. #11 Florida A&M, 9pm ET

Wed Mar 7
Game 6: #1 Savannah State v. Game 1 winner, 6pm ET,
Game 7: #2 Norfolk State v. Game 2 winner, 8pm ET,

Thur Mar 8
Game 8: #3 Delaware State v. Game 5 winner, 6pm ET
Game 9: Game 3 winner v. Game 4 winner, 8pm ET

Fri Mar 9
Game 10: Game 6 winner v Game 9 winner, 6pm ET,
Game 11: Game 7 winner v. Game 8 winner, 8pm ET,

Sat, Mar 10
Championship Game, 1pm ET, ESPN2

Norfolk St Spartans (22-9, 13-3)

Ken Pom: 213

ESPN BPI: 180

RPI: 131

SOS: 295

Best wins: Drexel (69) 61-56; Long Island (89) 73-62; v.TCU (100) 66-53

Best losses: v.Marquette (7) 57-59

Worst losses: @Delaware St x2 (234) 63-73 ot, @50-67; Coppin St (266) 82-87; @Marquette (7) 68-99; @Illinois St (103) 36-68; Morehead St (166) 69-75

Players to watch

Kyle O’Quinn – 15.9 pts, 10.6 rebs, 2.8 blocks

Chris McEachin – 13.4 pts, 3.1 pts, 1.4 steals

Pendarvis Williams – 11.6 pts, 3.7 rebs, 2.5 assists, 1.1 stls

Jamel Fuentes – 3.4 pts, 2.6 rebs, 3.2 assists

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

O’Quinn - 69% McEachin - 77%

Marcos Tamares - 67% Williams - 82%

Brandon Wheeless - 47% Rob Johnson - 88%

Fuentes – 45%

Savannah State Tigers (21-10, 14-2)

Ken Pom: 164

ESPN BPI: 190

RPI: 180

SOS: 334

Best wins: NCCU x2 (231) 60-47, @67-57

Best losses:

Worst losses: @Chattanooga (307) 63-65; @Bethune Cookman (252) 62-68; @No Florida (184) 57-62; Georgia Tech (190) 45-65

Players to watch

Rashad Hassan – 12.9 pts, 5.1 rebs, 47% 3pts

Deric Rudolph – 11.2 pts, 1.8 rebs, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steals

Arnold Louis – 9.6 pts, 7.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals

Preston Blackmon – 8.7 pts, 2.2 rebs, 5.1 assists

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Hassan - 53% Rudolph - 74%

Louis - 51% Montgomery - 76%

Blackmon - 68%

Cedric Smith – 39%

Delaware St. Hornets (15-13, 12-4)

Ken Pom: 238

ESPN BPI: 240

RPI: 234

SOS: 318

Best wins: Norfolk St x2 (131) 67-50; @73-63ot

Best losses:

Worst losses: @Howard (291) 65-72; UM- Eastern Shore (316) 60-63 ot; Bethune Cookman (270) 59-60; @Geo Washington (163) 59-77

Players to watch

Tahj Tate – 16.0 pts, 2.7 rebs, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals

Casey Walker – 13.2 pts, 3.7 rebs, 1.1 steals

Marques Oliver – 11.5 pts, 7.1 rebs, 1.3 assists, 1.1 steals, 2.4 blks

Jay Threatt (NOT Sedale's son, but Delaware freshman Jarvis's brother) – 9.1 pts, 3.6 rebs, 6.1 assists, 3.1 steals

Tyshawn Bell – 7.4 pts, 2.9 rebs, 40% 3pts

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Oliver - 62% Tate - 77%

Amere May - 50% Walker - 71%

Threatt – 83%

Bell – 81%

Bethune Cookman Wildcats (15-16, 11-5)

Ken Pom: 282

ESPN BPI: 276

RPI: 252

SOS: 321

Best wins: Savannah St (180) 68-62

Best losses:

Worst losses: @Florida A&M (325) 62-68; @Houston Baptist (320) 74-76 ot; @Stetson (271) 60-65; Jacksonville (264) 55-65; NCCU x2 (231) @64-69, 79-81; v.Tennessee Tech (140) 59-67; @North Florida (184) 56-61; @Auburn (141) 41-67


Players to watch

Kevin Dukes – 11.6 pts, 1.9 rebs, 2.4 assists,

Adrien Coleman – 11.1 pts, 4.0 rebs, 1.4 assists, 1.4 steals

Anthony Breeze – 11.0 pts, 5.0 rebs, 1.1 steals

Garrius Holloman – 10.4 pts, 6.5 rebs, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals

Stanley Elliot – 5.5 pts, 3.3 rebs, 1.3 assists, 1.2 steals

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Coleman - 57% Dukes - 80%

Anthony Breeze - 67% Johnson - 85%

Holloman - 49% Elliot – 70%

Bryant – 71%

Coppin State Eagles (14-15, 9-7)

Ken Pom: 272

ESPN BPI: 280

RPI: 266

SOS: 313

Best wins: Norfolk St (131) 87-82

Best losses: @St. Joseph’s (54) 72-81

Worst losses: v.San Jose St (282) 66-81; North Carolina A&T (278) 92-93 ot; Delaware St (234) 81-84; @Savannah St (180) 60-72; @Charlotte (164) 63-74

Players to watch

Tony Gallo – 17.0 pts, 2.6 rebs, 3.8 assists, 1.3 steals

Akeem Ellis – 12.2 pts, 5.4 rebs, 3.5 assists, 41% 3pts

Michael Harper – 12.3 pts, 3.1 rebs, 1.5 assists, 42% 3pts

Logan Wiens – 10.2 pts, 3.4 rebs, 1.5 assists, 41% 3pts

Antonio Williams – 8.9 pts, 8.4 rebs

Taariq Cephas – 5.7 pts, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 40% 3pts

Michael Murray – 5.4 pts, 3.8 rebs

Who to foul: Who not to foul:

Ellis - 67% Gallo - 74%

Williams - 66% Wiens - 92%

Cephas – 64%

Murray – 46%

Jordan Lee – 64%

Other players to watch

Dominique Sutton, North Carolina Central, Sr, 16.6 pts, 7.4 rebs, 1.7 assists, 2.2 steals

Landon Clement, North Carolina Central, Sr, 15.9 pts, 1.6 rebs, 2.0 assists, 44% 3pts

Ray Willis, North Carolina Central, Jr, 15.2 pts, 5.7 rebs, 1.4 steals

Nic Simpson, North Carolina A&T, Sr, 11.4 pts, 2.0 rebs, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steals

Marc Hill, North Carolina A&T, Sr, 10.8 pts, 1.6 rebs, 3.5 assists

Adrian Powell, North Carolina A&T, Jr, 10.0 pts, 5.3 rebs, 1.3 assists, 1.6 steals

Darriom Pellum, Hampton, Sr, 18.1 pts, 4.2 rebs, 1.7 assists, 1.2 steals

David Bruce, Hampton, So, 9.9 pts, 8.0 rebs

Dewayne Jackson, Morgan St, Jr, 12.4 pts, 3.1 rebs, 1.4 assists, 1.7 steals

Kevin Thompson, Morgan St, Sr, 10.8 pts, 7.9 rebs, 1.7 assists, 1.3 blks

Mike Tuitt, Hampton, Sr, 9.7 pts, 3.9 rebs, 4.7 assists, 1.9 steals

Glenn Andrews, Howard, Sr, 13.3 pts, 2.8 rebs, 1.0 assists, 1.3 steals

Amin Stevens, Florida A&M, Jr, 16.9 pts, 10.6 rebs, 1.3 blks, 1.6 steals

Reggie Lewis, Florida A&M, So, 11.3 pts, 2.2 rebs, 1.4 assists

Hillary Haley, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Sr, 11.0 pts, 4.2 rebs, 1.3 assists

Percy Wood, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Jr, 10.7 pts, 2.5 rebs, 3.2 assists, 1.7 steals

Tyler Hines, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Dr, 8.3 pts, 7.1 rebs

Brandon Riley, South Carolina St, Sr, 17.3 pts, 3.8 rebs, 1.0 steals

Omar Sanders, South Carolina St, Sr, 11.0 pts, 8.2 rebs, 2.0 blks

Khalif Toombs, South Carolina St, Jr, 10.8 pts, 2.5 rebs, 4.4 assists, 1.2 steals

MEAC Conference Jack Leasure Award: Michael Harper, Coppin State, 68/161, 42%. The MEAC has some bombers - Deric Rudolph of Savannah with 271 attempts, Darrion Pellum of Hampton with 229, Tony Gallo's 221 - but at 35, 23 and 35 - the accuracy of Mr. Harper, just edges him out over Deric Rudolph and his three 3s per game.

MEAC Player of the Year: Kyle O'Quinn, Sr, Norfolk State

MEAC Coach of the Year: Horace Broadnax, Savannah State

MEAC Rookie of the Year: Tahj Tate, Delware State

All-MEAC First Team:

Kyle O'Quinn, Norfolk State
Darrion Pellum, Hampton baby Hampton
Jay Threatt, Delaware State
Dominique Sutton, North Carolina Central
Tony Gallo, Coppin State

BUFFETOLOGY, 3/6
1Kentucky1Auto
Syracuse2Auto
Kansas3Auto
North Carolina4Auto
2Missouri5Auto
Ohio State6At-Large
Michigan State7At-Large
Duke8At-Large
3Marquette9At-large
Michigan10At-large
Georgetown11At-large
Baylor12At-large
4Wisconsin13At-large
Indiana14At-large
Florida15At-large
Temple16Auto
5Louisville17Auto
Wichita St18At-large
Florida St19At-large
UNLV20At-large
6Murray St21At-large
Vanderbilt22At-large
Creighton23At-large
Notre Dame24At-large
7New Mexico25At-large
St. Mary's26Auto
Gonzaga27Auto
Iowa St28At-large
8San Diego St29At-large
Memphis30Auto
Purdue31At-large
Kansas St32At-large
9Alabama33At-large
Virginia34At-large
Saint Louis35At-large
Connecticut36At-large
10Southern Miss37At-large
Cincinnati38At-largeStuck in the Waiting Line
Harvard39AutoStuck in the Waiting Line
West Virginia40At-largeStuck in the Waiting Line
11BYU41At-largeStuck in the Waiting Line
Mississippi St42At-largeStuck in the Waiting Line
Colorado State43At-largeStuck in the Waiting Line
South Florida44At-largeStuck in the Waiting Line
12California45At-largeStuck in the Waiting Line
VCU46Auto
Long Beach St.47AutoStuck in the Waiting Line
Washington48AutoStuck in the Waiting Line
13Seton Hall49At-large/Play-inStuck in the Waiting Line
Northwestern50At-large/Play-inStuck in the Waiting Line
Xavier51At-large/Play-inStuck in the Waiting Line
Drexel52At-large/Play-inStuck in the Waiting Line
Nevada64Auto
Davidson65Auto
14Belmont65Auto
Akron73Auto
Montana74Auto
Bucknell75Auto
15South Dakota St76Auto
Valparaiso77Auto
Fairfield78Auto
Long Island79Auto
16North Texas80Auto
UT Alrington81Auto
UNC Asheville82Auto/Play-in
Stony Brook83Auto/Play-in
Mississippi Valley St84Auto/Play-in
Savannah St85Auto/Play-in
Last Four Out:Texas53Stuck in the Waiting Line
Miami FL54Stuck in the Waiting Line
Tennessee55Stuck in the Waiting Line
Oregon56Stuck in the Waiting Line
Next Four Out:Arizona57Stuck in the Waiting Line
Saint Joseph's58Stuck in the Waiting Line
UCF59Stuck in the Waiting Line
Ole Miss60Stuck in the Waiting Line
Last 9 considerMarshall61Stuck in the Waiting Line
Dayton62Stuck in the Waiting Line
Colorado66Stuck in the Waiting Line
NC State67Stuck in the Waiting Line
New Mexico St68Stuck in the Waiting Line
Illinois69Stuck in the Waiting Line
Iowa70Stuck in the Waiting Line
Ohio71Stuck in the Waiting Line
LSU72Stuck in the Waiting Line

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