BUCKET BRACKETS 103: Best Defense Ever?

Johnny J

The Syracuse Orange were the first team to punch their ticket to the Final Four next weekend in Atlanta by beating Marquette 55-39. The Golden Eagles defeated the Orange back in February 74 -71, but Saturday was all Syracuse. The 2-3 zone swarmed all over Marquette  as they coughed up the ball 13 times. Both teams shot poorly from the field: Syracuse just 38% and Marquette a measly 23%. They shot 12%from behind the arc going 3-25.

"They cover ground really good. You've got to get the ball in the middle, you've got to play inside out, you've got to get to the free-throw line and wear them down with the 3-pointer when you can,"said Marquette's junior guard, Vander Blue. "They're really good at what they do in that zone." Blue went 3-15 from the floor.

Syracuse makes their fourth Final Four appearance, the last time was in 2003, when they won the National Champion. Led by a guy you may know, by the name of Carmelo Anthony. So what's better than having Anthony's jersey retired this year? Wait, wait--what's better than saying good bye to the Big East Conference and saying hello to the Atlantic Coast Conference? I'l tell you what; it's bringing home a Championship trophy and switching conferences at the same time. Hello ACC! Welcome the University of Syracuse, 2013 Champions!

"You want to go out with a win," said junior forward C.J. Fair.

Barack Obama was in attendance as well as Washington Redskins quarterback, Robert Griffin III. I guess Obama had to see the team that beat his team up-close in person (he had Indiana winning it all).  Not a bad way to leave the nation's capital, brushing off your shoulders.

Syracuse played an up and down season all year long. The first part of the season they went 18-1.  They looked like a dominant Big East team that couldn't be slowed down. They finally did in the second half, going 5-7 against teams in the Big East. They played so bad down the stretch, that they had to open the Big East tournament against Seton Hall. Usually a good team in the conference gets a first round bye to let the weaker teams battle it out. Yes, Syracuse was considered a weak team late in the season. They overcame adversity by making it past three teams to reach the Big East Championship. They lost it by 17 to Louisville.

I have no idea how you lose 7 out of 12 games and still be a ranked team. Syracuse were ranked 19th at the end of the season, which helped them secure a four seed in the NCAA Tournament. Somebody must have known something I didn't because they turned it on after that loss to Louisville, winning three straight to reach the Final Four.

The Orange are making more rounds than the Blue Man Group!

Also reaching the Final Four is Wichita St.  A team that has reached the Final Four for the first time since 1956. Since my bracket is totally ruined, I wouldn't mind seeing Syracuse and Louisville in the Championship game. A rematch and a farewell gift. The battle of the Big East for one last time! With Louisville all ready punching their ticket to the Final Four, that scenario is one step closer to becoming a reality.

More NCAA content is available here. 

THE BIG EAZY: The Final Big East Conference Tournament

The Big East final at Madison Square Garden as a special thing to cover. The passion of the players, fans, coaches, everybody.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) March 14, 2013

Johnny J

The "Big Eazy," also known as the "Beast," or simply the Big East Conference, is one of my favorite tournaments to watch. The conference is full of ranked and sleeper teams, including NBA prospects and at a stage that gets no bigger than playing at Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks, are on a four game road trip out west, racking up losses. So who is going to be filling the seats at the Mecca? Fans of college basketball, fans of the big east, fans of the most exciting conference tournament in college basketball  Welcome to the "Big Eazy!"

The Big East Tournament started on Tuesday and goes through Saturday. The teams that played first are the weaker teams of the conference. Seton Hall defeated South Florida and Rutgers defeated DePaul.  Now on to round two, where things get pretty interesting.  The game I believed that could of went either way were between, Villanova and St. John's. These are teams that really didn't get noticed at all, simply because their conference is loaded. There are six, ranked teams in the Big East. Villanova is 20-12 overall and 11-8 in their conference, after beating St. John's on wednesday, 66-53; they are ranked seventh in conference play. The Red Storm, on the other hand ,have lost five in a row. They are 16-15 overall and only 8-11 in the Big East. They took number 15th ranked Marquette to the edge after a 69-67 loss in last Saturday's game.  I figured that might have been enough motivation to make a deep run in the Conference Tournament.  That didn't happen. They're done!

I still think Villanova is on the bubble, although, they do have some upsets on their resume. They've beaten Syracuse, Louisville, and Georgetown at home. They play better at home, yes, but in this tourney, Madison Square Garden is everyone's home. Now a win over Louisville, again, should secure a spot.

Another good match-up I look forward to is, Syracuse and Pittsburgh in round three. The last time these teams played, unranked Pittsburgh won by 10 in early February, while the Orangemen were ranked 6th overall. This time, Pitt is ranked 17th and Syracuse is ranked 19th.  Syracuse started the first half of the season strong, but has dropped in the 2nd half, losing four out of their last six games, but somehow still find themselves ranked. (this UNC Tar Heel fan is furious about this!). You never know with a team like the Orangemen. They played their last game in the Carrier Dome, their home-streak of 38 was snapped and they retired former Syracuse player Carmelo Anthony's jersey, all in the same-day. Where is the emotion? Where is the effort?  Show something for your last Big East run!   Because after this season, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Norte Dame are all heading to the Atlantic Coast Conference, where the conference tournament is held in Greensboro, N.C.

"I was thinking about all the times coming here," said  Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim after his 48th Big East tournament win, 13 more than the second-place coach. "I first came to the Garden when I was a sophomore in college, the old, old Garden. Seems like about 50 years ago. Oh, it was 50 years ago.

"I was thinking in the locker room before the game, about some of the games, and some of the highlights. Things have kind of been two years coming, but now that it's here, your whole life has been spent in this league, and the last 31 years coming to this building, that's a lot. That's a lot of memories, a lot of time."


The Panthers, however, have been gaining momentum: they've won their last four games and have a great record at the Garden, winning 30 out of 45 games there over 13 years and have won two out of three there this season. They have found new life at the right time. They've only lost four times out of the last 15 games, all against Big East teams. They're winning the old-fashioned way; by feeding each other the rock. They rank 8th in assists with almost 17 a game. Their leading scorer, Tray Woodall, averages only 12 points per game; he's their point guard, people! Repeat: a point guard is the leading scorer on the team. That's amazing! This is college, not the pros.  I'm kind of curious to see how far this team will go in the big tournament. They look dangerous finishing their big east record at 12-6. This game is definitely going to be worth watching. The winner plays Cincinatti, or Georgetown in the semi-finals. That game is going to be good as well.

The whole Big Easat Tournament is a joy to watch and very interesting once the 2nd round gets uderway. I like underdogs, so i'm going to go with Villanova winning the Tournament. They have something to prove, plus they have already beaten Louisville and Georgetown. I like them, but getting past Louisville would be the toughest task at hand. The Cardinals still remember that loss and they have won seven in a row entering Thursday's match-up, two against ranked teams. They are led by guard Peyton Siva, who averages close to 10 points and six dimes per game (a point guard, people!). Wow, what a conference!  This is the Big Eazy!  This is the Beast!  R.I.P.

More on the NCAA, here. 

NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE: What's happening to the Jayhawks?

Johnny J

The Kansas Jayhawks lost their third straight game on Saturday: all to unranked opponents. Falling to the Oklahoma Sooners 72-66, it was their second straight loss on the road. Just last week, the then ranked number two Jayhawks were on the verge of being number one when the then, number one Michigan Wolverines fell to the Indiana Hoosiers. Now after three straight loses in conference play, the Jayhawks find themselves now in third place in the conference after starting out 7-0 in the Big 12.

The Jayhawks had won 18 straight games before hitting this three game slide. Now they find themselves in dangerous waters. In the next four games, they play two of the teams whom have already handed them a loss.
   

"Obviously three in a row is not good, but this game to me today [against Oklahoma], I'm not leaving out of here disgusted with my team at all because we actually played better today," said Kansas coach Bill Self, who was highly critical of his team after a loss at last-place TCU on Wednesday.

No rest for the weary as the Jayhawks welcome the 10th ranked Kansas State Wildcats on Monday night. The Jayhawks slid past the Wildcats in their last game by four, but the Wildcats will be looking for a little revenge after winning four straight heading in to this game.

The Jayhawks will be leaning on freshman guard Ben McLemore to help them get out of these muddy waters. McLemore, who had jumped from #3 to #1 on the NBA 2013 Mock Draft has to show why he should be selected with the top pick. A 6-5 shooting guard from St. Louis, he has the size and the durability to become a good pick for an NBA team in desperate need of scoring. McLemore averages 16.3 PPG and 5.4 RPG. McLemore has infinite shooting range shooting 42% from behind the arc. I know this is asking a lot for a Freshman, but he has to step up even more to guide the Jayhawks to a championship this year.

(All stats are as of Monday, February 11, 2013 before tonight's game between the in-state rivals from Kansas--Ed)

As I was watching the game against the Sooners, I watched McLemore use his talents to help create off the dribble. He stood behind the arc and gave a quick pump fake to get the opponent off his feet. He then drove to the hole and drew the foul. He is NBA ready. Anytime you can keep opponents guessing, you will always have the advantage.  So at least he can rest assure that he will be a very high lottery pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. But first, he needs to take over and dominate for Kansas this year.

This was just a bad week in college hoops for ranked teams, as the top five ranked teams all lost (see my "Hot Potato" simile from last week). With the conference tournament a month away. I really don't see an established team to run through the big tournament. Nobody wants the trophy as I think its up for grabs! I wouldn't be surprised if an unranked team wins the whole thing. None of these so-called "good teams" can win away from home: THEY GET HOME SICK!

Kansas is the team I'm most worried about; anytime you are a ranked team and you lose three straight to unranked opponents, red flags just pop up all over the place. That tells me no one is helping McLemore at all. Other players have to help step up and play to the potential, in which they had before winning 18 games in a row.  But the biggest concern about the the Jayhawks is that this is basically a team that is run by upper classmen.  For example, 6 Kansas players played in double-digit minutes against the Sooners.  Two of those players were under classmen.  The other 4 players were all upper classmen.  You're supposed to be a better team!  How is a team led by battle-tested players drop games against unranked opponents?  It just doesn't make sense (so much for staying in school--Ed).  The Jayhawks haven't dropped three straight since 2005.

The last Freshman that comes to mind to take over games...Carmelo Anthony's Syracuse Orangemen, as he pretty much carried that team to a championship in 2003. That team had only one senior, but they had a phenomenal Freshman who averaged 22.2 PPG and 10 RPG.  Can McLemore be that phenomenal Freshman?  Absolutely, but first he needs to show that he can actually dominate and take over this team.  Add the fact that this team, unlike 'Melo's Syracuse team, actually has Senior leadership on the squad and Kansas makes for a great recipe for success in this year's tournament.  However, Kansas needs to step up and step up quick, because Kansas State, I can assure you, will show no mercy.

Tell us what you think below in the comments' section.