AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

By Paul Casey Gotham

And then there were seven

Northwestern fell to St. John’s. Pitt defeated UConn. As if it matters, that leaves Cincinnati, Duke, Kansas, Ohio State, San Diego State, Syracuse and UCF without a blemish. Any guesses as to which team will avoid defeat the longest?

Point guard paradox

Once was a time when a point guard’s role could be described as getting the ball into the hands of teammates who can score, where they can score.  Sounds simple, right? Somewhere along the line, scoring became more of the focus for the primary ball-handler, and the combo guard found its way into basketball parlance.

Like anything else, something new can seem easier until one tries it.

Take for instance the Kansas State Wildcats. Long before the suspensions of Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly, K-State had its problems, and they all started at point. With Denis Clemente handling the ball last year, the Wildcats advanced to the Elite Eight. Had it not been for an overtime thriller with Xavier that left them drained, the Wildcats might have made it to the Final Four.

Clemente graduated, and the problems began. Frank Martin made Pullen his point guard. It seems logical. Pullen is 6′. He handles the ball well (unless he is playing against Kyrie Irving). He sees the floor well. All the necessary characteristics of a successful point guard. Here’s the problem. The Wildcats need Pullen to carry a majority of the burden for scoring. An average team playing together can neutralize an offense like this. The problem manifested itself against Florida. The Gators threw the kitchen sink at K-State – man to man traps, zone traps, zones that morphed into man after an entry pass, and a little run and jump to round it off. K-State managed 44 points and worked up a whole heap of frustration. Florida knew they didn’t need to protect the perimeter. They loaded up in the paint and squeezed Pullen leaving the All-American very few alternatives. The shooting guard turned point guard found baskets more than difficult to come by.

Speaking of Florida, the Gators have their own problems at point – a little surprising considering head coach Billy Donovan’s success in the past.    The Gators deploy Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker at guard. The two share ball-handling responsibilities. It seems like it should work. Right? Two guys with a handle  should make for twice the amount of success. After Florida muddled its way through a pair of sub 60-point performances with less than 12 assists and 40 percent shooting, Donovan pointed to the selfishness of his guards. Opponents knew Boynton and Walker were only passing as a last resort instead of playmaking as their primary focus.

Maybe this combo guard thing isn’t so easy after all.

Tu Holloway and Xavier also learned this lesson. Holloway scored 28 in a win over Iowa and 31 versus Seton Hall. Old Dominion went zone. Holloway scored 14, and Xavier lost. It looks the Muskies have figured it out. Against Wake Forest, Holloway dished out 14 assists (he had a combined 12 hand outs in the three games above) and scored 14 points – five of those points did not come until the games final moments with the Demon Deacon defense spread out trying to defend the entire team.

Kemba Walker and the UConn Huskies will also need to consider this. Walker leads the nation scoring nearly 27 points a game. Last night, as the Huskies opened Big East play, Walker dropped 31. His teammates combined for 32 as Pitt won 78-63. Not one of Walker’s teammates scored in double figures. It’s not going to get any better against the top half of the Big East.

All in the family

In the past, I have noted father and son duos that have made their mark in college basketball. There’s Rhode Island head coach, Jim Baron and his sons Jimmy and Billy.  ESPN did a piece on Duke’s Nolan Smith and the memory of his late father, Derek. There are others. Duke’s transfer, Seth Curry, keeps the family lineage started by his dad, Dell. Tim Hardaway Jr. keeps his father’s tradition. Indiana’s Jeremiah Rivers follows in the footsteps of his dad, current Boston Celtics coach and former Marquette star, Doc Rivers.

But it was a teammate of Rivers that gave me reason to pause the other day. Freshman, Will Sheehey stepped to the line, and I looked at his name and at his face and wondered. No sooner did the thought enter my mind then Steve Lappas confirmed that Will Sheehey is the nephew of Tom Sheehey from Rochester, New York.  The mention sent me back in time to the Rochester City-Catholic League circa 1982-83. What a great time. We knew that we were watching good basketball, and the players went on to prove it. The elder Sheehey eventually played at Virginia – was a three-year starter and eventually taken in the fourth round by the Boston Celtics.

Joe Arlauckas

Sheehey played against the likes of Rob Rose (Cardinal Mooney), Joe Arlauckas (Jefferson), Tim Harvey (Monroe), Chris Schiano (Aquinas) and Joe Binion (Madison).  All of these guys moved on to division one basketball. Rose went to George Mason where he earned All-Colonial Athletic honors. He played two games with Los Angeles Clippers before spending more than ten seasons in the Australian National Basketball League. Twice, Rose won the league MVP. Arlauckas suited up at Niagara and was part of  a Purple Eagle squad that upset then number one ranked St. John’s coached by hall-of-famer Lou Carnesecca. The Sacramento Kings took Arlauckas in the fourth round. He laced them up for just a few games before going to Spain and playing ten seasons. He was part of two Euroleague champions and also won a league MVP. Harvey wore the Blue and Gold at Canisius but did not get any professional chances. Schiano played at Manhattan and chose law over a professional basketball career. Binion was 2-3 years older than the rest of these guys. He earned a scholarship to North Carolina A&T. The Spurs took him in the 1984 draft. Binion eventually played one season with the Trail Blazers.

Joe Binion

Despite all the talent, the best team in the City-Catholic League at the time was probably the Charlotte High Lakesiders. Charlotte more than held their own against these teams and went on to win two New York State Class C titles. The guys on Charlotte were just as talented as those that went on to successful college and professional careers from McQuaid, Cardinal Mooney, Jefferson, Monroe and Madison. The difference? While Sheehey, Rose, Arlauckas, Harvey and Binion were well-known to college coaches, Chris Tuck, “Press” Murphy and other Lakesiders were well-known on the local police blotters.

What’s in a game

Earlier this month, Xavier knocked off Butler 51-49. Since that game Butler has averaged 79 a game winning five in a row. Xavier is 2-1 with a 64-54 loss at Gonzaga.

Last year, the Bulldogs beat the Muskies at Hinkle 69-68. Most people treated that game as two “cute” little programs battling it out. Few took either team serious.  Then Butler came within a Gordon Hayward heave of winning the national title. Xavier advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the third consecutive time (only Michigan State has also made the last three Sweet Sixteens).

After struggling early in the season, Butler took care of Florida State and Washington State – the latter by 16 – in the last week.  Butler is starting to find itself. Xavier lost to Gonzaga, but they held the Bulldogs to 13 points under their team average.

By the end of last season, Butler’s victory over Xavier was viewed differently. Instead of looking at the game as a pair of pretenders fighting for relevance, fans eventually realized the Bulldogs and Musketeers were contenders. Does that carry over to this year? For example, Butler beat Florida State. Is that perceived as a team from the ACC  losing to a team from the Horizon League? Or is that game viewed as the Seminoles losing to the reigning national runner-up? If and when Butler and/or Xavier lose in their conference, is that seen as the strength of the conference? Or is it seen as a weakness for the Bulldogs and Musketeers?

Rebounds and Putbacks

Renardo Sidney continues making news for all the wrong reasons. Mike DeCourcy takes a look at the cautionary tale of the Mississippi State Bulldog.  Props to the Presbyterian Blue Hose out of the Big South Conference. The Blue Hose are not eligible for the NCAA Tournament. But as Dana O’Neill writes, opponents might not want to overlook Presbyterian. Gary Parrish has an interesting twist on the Kansas State suspensions. Looking for a list of early-season pretenders and contenders? Luke Winn has a read for you.   Add Seth Davis to the “ACC is the most disappointing league” contingent. Interesting that Davis ranks North Carolina at 20th, UCF at 23rd and Texas A&M at 24th. Rush the Court has some love and some hate. YOu will want to read it.

1st Team All-Casey

PG Kemba Walker – UConn

SG Jimmer Fredette – BYU

SF Kyle Singler – Duke

PF Marcus Morris – Kansas

C Jared Sullinger – Ohio State

2nd Team All Casey

PG Tu Holloway – Xavier

SG E’Twaun Moore – Purdue

SF Kahwi Leonard – San Diego State

PF  Matt Howard – Butler

C Keith Benson – Oakland

Got any college basketball splinters? Share them here.

Walker drives by past Josh Harrellson. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)

By Paul Casey Gotham

It is that time again. Let’s hear from you readers. We had another week of stellar performances. Pick the ONE (1), UNE, UNO that stands out to you, and tell us a story.

UConn’s Kemba Walker grabs my POTW.

Walker led the Huskies to the Maui Invitational title with a trio of other-worldly performances. He hit 8-16 from the field and 14-15 from the free throw line for 31 points as UConn opened the tourney with a 83-79 triumph over Wichita State. One night later, Walker dropped 30 on the Michigan State Spartans.  The junior went 10-19 from the field and 6-7 at the charity stripe. For good measure, Walker lit up Kentucky with 29 in an 84-67 win in the championship round. Walker connected on 10-17 field goals including 3-4 from behind the arc and a perfect 6-6 from the line.

Who gets your POTW?

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

By Paul Casey Gotham

Giving thanks

Gone are the days when Thanksgiving week sports viewing was limited to the NFL.  The feast of college hoops on television makes one wonder if the week is more about giving thanks for the beauty of the hardwood than the gridiron. From the Paradise Jam to the Coaches vs. Cancer to the CBE Classic to the Maui Invitational and beyond, college hoops fans have a buffet of action with which to choose.

These early season tournaments offer glimpses of what is to come, but be careful putting too much stock in the results of these games. For many teams and coaches the process helps lay a foundation for broader success.

For a summary of the goings-on, you will need to read this piece by Rush The Court.  While you are there, check out RTC’s Morning Five. Scroll down a little and read the piece on Bruce Pearl. Or, should I say Bruce Pearl’s wife.

Early returns

Hard to ignore Duke’s handling of Kansas State.  I wouldn’t have been surprised had the Wildcats taken that one. Certainly, Kyrie Irving had a coming out party.  Duke didn’t too much wrong, and as we were reminded throughout the match, they are a talented group. Yes, it was chemistry that made it work last year when the Blue Devils won the title. Of course, Coach K knows a thing or two about developing cohesion with stars.

Irving wasn’t the only Duke young gun getting it done. Mason Plumlee is ready to take the reins.

A K-State and Duke meeting in March has the potential of finding its way on to the list all-time greatest games. Rest assured, the bearded-one, Jacob Pullen, would shoot better than 1-12, and the Wildcats will do better than 11-23 from the free throw line.

Speaking of struggling from the free throw line

Maryland’s Terrapins shot a woeful 14-30 from the charity stripe in their 79-70 loss to the Pittsburgh Panthers. That doesn’t include the front ends of one-and-ones missed. Sophomore forward, Jordan Williams, went 2-7 from the stripe. Gary Williams used several teaching moments which, in the short run, might have cost UM the game. But, in the long run, the Terrapins should benefit. Gary Williams pulled Jordan Williams out of the game on a couple of occasions to emphasize patient defensive play. With the 6’10″ Williams on the pine, Pitt dominated the offensive glass. In all, Pitt grabbed 12 boards on the offensive end to Maryland’s 6. Overall, Pitt outrebounded the Terrapins 43-25.

The young and/or untested Terrapins should come together just in time to make  a run in the tournament.  Williams will improve in the post. Adrian Bowie is a point guard’s point guard. That is, he distributes the ball as his first priority. The senior is starting for the first time in his career. His teammates will learn to enjoy having him with the ball in his hands as he knows where and when to give it to them.

McGhee Ds it up

A big part of Maryland’s frustration came from dealing with Pitt’s center, Gary McGhee. The senior center dialed in the most valuable one-point performance possible. McGhee does one simple thing: he moves his feet. He has to be the most agile 6’10″ guy in college hoops along with Purdue’s JaJuan Johnson. He does all the little things on the defensive end. He defends BEFORE his man catches the ball. Think about that. He moves to deny the ball. When he commits a foul, it is NOT a shooting foul. Over the long haul, that will pay diviends. Beyond that, McGhee closes the gate. He doesn’t let his man get by him on the base line. His teammates have to love that. They can get out and deny their man the ball because they know McGhee is not going to need help in the paint.

McGhee doesn’t need to score when he has teammates like Brad Wanamaker. Wanamaker is leading a bunch of veterans that are out-shining the freshmen.

Kemba, Kemba, Kemba

When UConn’s Kemba Walker poured in 42 against Vermont, fans took notice. When he followed that performance with 31 against a very good Wichita State team, people started talking. 30 points against Michigan State? That’s unheard of. Not that he was before, but Walker won’t fly under the radar for the rest of the season.

In the zone

Old Dominion won the Paradise Jam using a frustrating match-up zone. The Monarchs beat Clemson 61-60 to reach the finals, and then knocked off Xavier 67-58. Earlier this season, ODU took Georgetown down to the wire losing 62-59. Old Dominion plays Richmond, Dayton and Missouri before starting play in the Colonial Athletic. Keep your eye on the Monarchs. They beat Notre Dame in the first round of last year’s NCAA tournament and lost by eight to Baylor in a game that was tied with 6:00 remaining. ODU returns four starters from that squad.

Dennis Nett/The Post-Standard

Struggling to get separation

When Syracuse coach, Jim Boeheim, says: “Right now, we are the most over-rated team I have ever had,” he is not using coach speak. Boeheim is not just trying to motivate his guys through the media. The hall-of-fame coach is giving an honest assessment. The Orange led Northern Iowa by three at half before pulling away late on the outmanned Panthers. Two days later, Canisius forced Boeheim to call a timeout four minutes into the second half when Greg logins knocked down a 3 to pull the Griffs within four. Since then, Syracuse trailed Detroit at half and needed late free throws to beat William and Mary 63-60.

Tassels for the Griffs

The Canisius graduation story is now national news. Click here to read the article from Sports Illustrated. Props to Canisius coach, Tom Parrotta, for using education as a recruiting ship. I have the benefit of getting press credentials to cover the Griffs throughout the 2010-11 campaign. If you haven’t already, check out the Griffs victory over St. Bonaventure and their romp over Eastern Michigan.

Byron Mulkey

Sitting courtside gives me the opportunity to see outstanding performances like the one by UB’s Byron Mulkey last night. Playing for the love of the game. Gotta respect it.

Got any college basketball splinters? Post them here.

AP Photo/Nick Wass

By Paul Gotham

Setting: Hot times tonight in the Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center when Jim Calhoun and his Connecticut Huskies (17-12/ 7-9) come a calling for a Big East battle with Mike Brey’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish (19-10/ 8-8).

Plot: A first round bye is at stake. The Irish possess eighth place and the final bye for the upcoming conference tournament. UConn is lurking in tenth.

Sub-plot: Notre Dame continues to play and win without former Big East player-of-the year, Luke Harangody. UConn recently experienced a resurgence when their long-time coach returned from a medical leave of absence.

Flashback: UConn downed Notre Dame, 82-70 earlier this season. Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker both had double-doubles in the victory. Dyson scored 20 to go with 10 assists. Walker also dished out 10 assists and scored 11. Stanley Robinson led the way with 22. After taking the last four head-to-head match-ups,  UConn leads the series 16-6. Notre Dame has won five of nine at South Bend.

Notre Dame has made 29 appearances in the NCAA Tournament – five under Mike Brey. Likewise, UConn has danced 29 times, including a pair of national titles in 1999 and 2004.

Foreshadowing: Forty-nine Fightin’ Irish have graduated to the N.B.A., including current players Matt Carroll, Troy Murphy and  Chris Quinn. Twenty-nine Huskies have laced them up in the Association with the current list including: Ray Allen, Hilton Armstrong, Josh Boone, Caron Butler, Rudy Gay, Ben Gordon, Richard Hamilton, Emeka Okafor, Kevin Ollie, A.J. Price, Hasheem Thabeet, Charlie Villanueva, and Marcus Williams.

Conflict: Notre Dame is coming off a week where they won two games over ranked opponents shooting just under 50 percent (51-104) from the field. UConn limits opponents to 38.7 percent. UConn’s recipe is not a new one. The Huskies have held opponents under 40 percent since the 1995-96 campaign. Once again, UConn is near the top of blocked shots in the nation at 7.9. UConn’s bigs have led the nation eight years running.

The Irish will need to pick their spots carefully. Notre Dame has decreased their number of shots the last two games. This indicates plenty of ball movement and switching sides of the floor. The Irish will need to continue this pattern. Trying to penetrate into the teeth of UConn’s defense without any ball reversal will serve as an exercise of frustration.

Ben Hansbrough and Tory Jackson combine for an assist to turnover ratio of 2.7:1. Jackson gets into the paint from the top of the key. Hansbrough drives the baseline well and sees the floor for kick outs. The two average over 20 points together. Hansbrough hit three threes in ND’s recent win over Georgetown. A similar result tonight would open up the Husky defense and create lanes.

Tim Abromaitis is third in the nation from long range hitting over 47 percent from behind the arc. The junior struggled against Georgetown (1-9). Returning to familiar confines should help his cause.

Tyrone Nash and Carleton Scott grab just under 10 rebounds a game. They will be called on to do that and then some. The Irish front court will need to stay active on the glass. With the Huskies swatting everything that flies in the paint, Nash and Scott will need to gather what opportunities they can to put points on the board.

Jonathan Peoples and Jack Cooley give the Irish valuable minutes off the bench.

Jerome Dyson leads four Huskies in double figures with 18 and a half. Dyson can hurt an opponent in a variety of ways. He is not afraid to shoot from long range hitting 30 percent (37-122). He does the bulk of his damage inside the arc driving to the basket and getting contact and finishing.

Stanley Robinson averages over 15 points and slightly less than eight rebounds. Robinson is the heart and soul of the Husky lineup.

As a team, the Huskies have made 754 trips to the free throw line. In comparison, the Irish have only taken 642 from the charity stripe. The Huskies thrive on contact and Kemba Walker leads the way making 141 free throws. Walker averages over five assists and almost 15 points.

Gavin Edwards and Alex Oriakhi add 16 points and almost 14 boards. The two combine for four blocks a contest.

Resolution: After getting a boost from Calhoun’s return, UConn came back to reality losing at home against Louisville. Notre Dame shot well in their last two games, but the Irish also out-rebounded  Pitt (31-21) and Georgetown (26-15). This trend will need to continue if ND wants to be successful. UConn will not make it easy though. The Huskies have a rebound margin of +3.4.

Notre Dame is at home which bodes well for their outside shooting. Their best defense will be their offense tonight as the Irish play ball control and minimize UConn’s chances. Notre Dame makes it three in a row over Big East rivals.

Got any comments on the game? Post them here.

‘08 – ’09 Results: 31 – 5 (15 -3 Big East) Lost in the Final Four to Michigan State, 82 – 73.

Coach: Jim Calhoun  557 – 205 (23 years at UConn) 805 – 342 overall (37 seasons)

Key Returners:

Gavin Edwards – 3.8ppg, 3.0rpg

Stanley Robinson – 8.5ppg, 5.9rpg

Jerome Dyson – 13.2ppg, 4.1rpg

Kemba Walker – 8.9ppg, 3.5rpg

Notable Non-Conference Tilts: 12/9 vs. Kentucky, 12/30 at Cincinnati, 1/17 at Michigan, 1/23 vs. Texas

Stat of Identity: 37.7% field goal percentage – third in the nation.

By Paul Gotham

The more things change; the more things stay the same. Sounds complicated, but in Storrs, Connecticut, it’s a way of life. The names on the backs of the jerseys may change every so often, but the way the Huskies play basketball remains the same – rebounding, playing defense, and making the opponent work for everything they get. That is how Jim Calhoun-coached teams play.

Only the Huskies could overcome the loss of Jerome Dyson for the last twelve games of the 2008-09 season. Many programs would have faltered when losing a player of Dyson’s ability. Instead, the Huskies regrouped and made a run to the Final Four.

Last year’s recipe was a familiar one: making it hard for teams to score – 37.7% from the field. UConn accomplished this playing in the deepest conference in the land. UConn also ranked third in rebound margin (8.9) and number one in blocked shots (7.8).

Gone are Hasheem Thabeet, Jeff Adrien, and A.J. Price, but don’t count out the Huskies. If you go back through the years, the Huskies always get it done the same way.

When Dyson went down, Kemba Walker took his spot. Walker responded with a 23-point performance against Missouri in the Elite Eight. Walker and Dyson will have to make up for the loss of Price’s three-point shooting.

Alex Oriakhi and Gavin Edwards may not block as many shots as Thabeet, but combined the two will swat more than their fair share. Stanley Robinson made a name for himself in last year’s tournament averaging 17ppg and 9rpg over the Huskies final six contests. With a full season, Robinson could establish himself as one of the top ten players in the country.

Seven footer, Charles Okwandu will come off the bench along with four freshmen: Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, Ater Majok, Darius Smith, and Jamal Trice.

Twelve former Huskies earn paychecks in the NBA. UConn ranks third with North Carolina in this category.