Durzblog

Big East Hoops Preview
With the OOC portion of the schedule dwindling down, finally we are here. No more Morgan State, Houston Baptist or Alabama State -- its time for league play. The Big East slate this season in going to be gruesome -- there will be no place to hide. Granted there is some filler at the bottom of the league ( DePaul, St John's, Rutgers and USF) -- but even those games can at times be tests. At the top of the league, you have eight teams currently in the AP top 25 and six in the top 15. How good is the league? I have current #24 Marquette slotted to finish 10th...Here is a quick look at the teams: where they will finish, who the top scorers are (with this year's early averages), and who is going to be All Big East First Team.

• 1) Pitt (14-4) NCAA

Sam Young	F	20.8	6.2	1.9
DeJuan Blair	F	14.9	13.4	1.3
Levance Fields	G	11.0	2.2	7.0

Lots of talent and lots of balance -- this might be Dixon's year to go to the Final Four.

• 2) Uconn (13-5) NCAA

Jerome Dyson	G	15.4	3.5	3.1
Hasheem Thabeet	C	14.5	12.5	0.5
Jeff Adrien	F	14.0	9.1	1.9

Will someone step and hit the three ball? if so the Huskies can also get to Detroit.

• 3) Louisville (13-5) NCAA

Samardo Samuels	F	16.3	5.2	0.8
Earl Clark	G-F	12.5	8.2	3.5
Terrence Williams	F	9.0	9.5	4.3

Always loaded with talent, will Samuels live up to his billing? how do they replace Padgett?

• 4) Notre Dame (12-6) NCAA

Luke Harangody	F	23.0	12.0	1.3
Kyle McAlarney	G	18.9	2.4	3.8
Ryan Ayers	G	13.0	3.3	1.4

Gody and McAlarney are savvy vets that get the job done.

• 5) Georgetown (11-7) NCAA

DaJuan Summers	F	13.7	3.9	1.1
Greg Monroe	C	13.3	5.7	2.0
Austin Freeman	G	13.1	4.6	2.9

Some nice pieces return for JTIII and Monroe looks like a beast.

• 6) West Virginia (10-8) NCAA

Da'Sean Butler	F	15.8	6.8	1.8
Alex Ruoff	G	14.3	2.9	2.3
Darryl Bryant	G	9.9	1.9	2.5

WVU will surprise some folks, getting Ebanks will be big.

• 7) Syracuse (9-9) NCAA

Jonny Flynn	G	19.5	1.8	5.4
Paul Harris	F	14.8	8.9	2.4
Eric Devendorf	G	14.1	1.1	3.1

Devo's days are numbered, but you have to feel that JB is going to will his team into the dance -- three years in a row in the NIT for the Orange? Impossible.

• 8) Villanova (9-9) NIT

Dante Cunningham	F	17.9	8.4	1.1
Scottie Reynolds	G	13.6	3.4	4.8
Corey Stokes	G	12.7	3.7	1.1

I expect Wright's boys to have an up and down year in the rough and tough Big East, not to worry a national top 5 class is coming in next fall with a couple of bigs.

• 9) Providence (8-10) NIT

Marshon Brooks	G-F	14.1	4.0	0.8
Weyinmi Efejuku	G	13.2	4.0	1.2
Jonathan Kale	F	12.4	5.8	0.4

Not a good league for on the job training as Keno Davis will soon find, but the Friars will get better as the season goes on.

• 10) Marquette (8-10) NIT

Wesley Matthews	G	20.4	5.9	2.6
Jerel McNeal	G	18.5	5.0	3.8
Lazar Hayward	F	15.8	9.6	1.1

I always feel that Marquette is overrated, this year I will be right.

• 11) Seton Hall (7-11) NIT

Jeremy Hazell	G	23.5	3.4	1.1
Robert Mitchell	F	15.0	6.8	2.2
Eugene Harvey	G	13.5	4.1	4.9

Gonzo is on the verge of either getting his team over the hump or a nervous breakdown -- recruits always bailing is not a great sign.

• 12) Cincinnati (6-12)

Deonta Vaughn	G	13.7	3.9	4.6
Mike Williams	F	9.9	5.3	1.3
Alvin Mitchell	F	9.7	3.4	1.3

Cinci is a solid club, unfortunately this year -- that gets you nowhere.

• 13) St John's (5-13)

D.J. Kennedy	G-F	14.3	7.3	1.9
Anthony Mason Jr.	F	14.0	4.3	3.3
Paris Horne	G-F	12.7	3.7	2.

Lil' Mase going down is not going to help the always short handed Roberts' squads.

• 14) Rutgers (4-14)

Mike Rosario	G	16.0	3.8	1.0
Gregory Echenique	F	10.4	10.0	0.7
Anthony Farmer	G	8.4	3.6	2.

Despite Rutgersal's proclamations, things are not getting much better on the floor in Piscataway. Hill can recruit, but coach...not so much.

• 15) South Florida (3-15)

Dominique Jones	G	18.5	5.0	4.7
Jesus Verdejo	G	17.2	2.7	1.2
Chris Howard	G	8.8	2.8	4.2

They should beat Memphis in the St Pete's Bowl.

• 16) DePaul (2-14)

Dar Tucker	F	20.3	7.0	1.6
Mac Koshwal	C	12.8	10.8	1.3
Will Walker	G	10.3	2.6	2.4

Morgan State losses are unacceptable, especially on the heels of a 30 point loss to Northwestern.

All Big East Starting Five
Jonny Flynn, Syracuse, G, So.
Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati, G, Jr.
Sam Young, Pittsburgh, F, Jr.
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame, F, Jr.
Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut, C, Jr.