Rob Dauster of Ballin is a Habit is the RTC correspondent for the Big East Conference.
After Pitt’s win on Monday night over UConn, I’m officially declaring the Big East a four team race between Georgetown, Pitt, Syracuse and Villanova as we prepare to kick off conference play. Here is a breakdown of why each team will and/or won’t win the conference:
Why They Will Win
- Georgetown: Its a topic that has been beaten to death, I know, but the Hoya backcourt is just that good. Its more than just the individual talent of Austin Freeman, Chris Wright and Jason Clark. Those three play so well together. They are just so in tune with each other on the offensive end of the floor. And, more importantly, John Thompson III has allowed them to play more in transition, taking advantage of the ability of this group to play in the open floor.
- Pitt: The thing I love about the Panthers is just how in tune they are with what Jamie Dixon wants them to do. Every player on the team understands what his role is and how to execute in that role. Their offense is a thing of beauty to watch, which is not something you often hear said about Pitt. They run their plays, they get the look they want, and they ferociously attack the offensive glass.
- Syracuse: Rick Jackson is a new man. He’s streamlined his body and become the most dominant big man in the conference. Think DeJuan Blair plus a few inches and minus a few pounds on the bench press. He anchors a front line that is has been as good as any in the conference and still is not at full strength. With Kris Joseph starting to round into form, the Orange seem to have hit their stride this season.
- Villanova: The Wildcats are going to be in this thing the entire season. Why? Because this team defends. I’ve said it all season long. This group reminds me so much of the team that went to the Final Four in 2009. They have a number of versatile players, they can utilize a number of different lineups, and they have frontcourt depth. That’s not something that you would have said about the Wildcats last season.
Why They Won’t Win
- Georgetown: I’m concerned about the Hoyas winning under pressure. As I said, this team is experienced, but they haven’t exactly experienced success under pressure. In 2009, this team crumbled under lofty expectations and finished below .500 in the Big East. Last season, the Hoyas seemed to lose every time people started talking about them, including in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Ohio. This year, there have been two games against elite competition where the Hoyas had the final possession and were losing. Both times, Hollis Thompson forced up a tough three pointer with plenty of time on the clock. The Hoyas were bailed out against Missouri when Kim English saved the ball under his own basket, but they weren’t so lucky in the loss to Temple.
- Pitt: The Panthers are not as good defensively as they have been in year’s past. They are physical on the perimeter, they are big inside, and they rebound the ball, but they also allow a lot of open shots from the perimeter. Tennessee exploited that defensive weakness. Texas nearly did as well. Even UConn got and missed a number of good looks from the perimeter.
- Syracuse: Are the Orange going to be able to score consistently against better defenses? Putting up 100 points on Colgate is nice. Scoring 53 against Michigan isn’t. They’ve looked better of late, but a lot of teams look good playing cupcakes at home. Which Kris Joseph and which Scoop Jardine show up during Big East play will determine how far this team goes.
- Villanova: Corey Fisher and Maalik Wayns have not been able to fill the leadership void left by Scottie Reynolds. They’ve also not played well in his absence, shooting a combined 38% from the floor and 22% from three. If those two continue to struggle, Villanova is going to be in trouble.
1. Georgetown (11-1) (3)
Last Week: 12/18 vs. Loyola MD 99-75, 12/23 @ Memphis 86-69
Next Week: 12/29 @ Notre Dame, 1/1 vs. DePaul
2. Pitt (13-1, 1-0) (2)
Last Week: 12/18 vs. UM Eastern Shore 97-64, 12/22 vs. American 61-46, 12/27 vs. UConn 78-63
Next Week: None
3. Syracuse (10-0) (1)
Last Week: 12/18 vs. Iona 83-77, 12/20 vs. Morgan State 97-55, 12/22 vs. Drexel 93-65
Next Week: 12/28 vs. Providence, 1/1 vs. Notre Dame
4. Villanova (10-1) (5)
Last Week: 12/18 vs. Delaware 78-59, 12/22 @ Monmouth 76-36
Next Week: 12/30 @ Temple, 1/2 vs. Rutgers
5. Connecticut (10-1, 0-1) (4)
Last Week: 12/20 vs. Coppin State 76-64, 12/22 vs. Harvard 81-52, 12/27 @ Pitt 63-78
Next Week: 12/31 vs. South Florida
The loss at Pitt will end up being a good thing for the Huskies. They needed to come back to earth. UConn is not a bad basketball team, especially with Kemba Walker on the court, but they certainly were not the fourth best team in the country. UConn looked bad against Pitt, but their younger players struggled in the Big East opener on the road against an actual top ten team. For the freshmen, it was their first Big East game ever, and it was also two days after Christmas. It is not yet time to panic with this team.
6. Notre Dame (11-1) (6)
Last Week: 12/19 vs. Stony Brook 88-62, 12/22 vs. UMBC 93-53
Next Week: 12/29 vs. Georgetown, 1/1 @ Syracuse
I really like this Notre Dame team. I like the pace they play at. I like their ability to execute offensively. I like that they have multiple lineups that can be effective. I like the number of different weapons they have. The problem? This team doesn’t force any turnovers. Playing great defense, forcing tough shots, and cleaning up the defensive glass is commendable. But the Irish will be that much better if they can start getting easy baskets off of turnovers.
7. Louisville (11-1) (7)
Last Week: 12/18 vs. Gardner-Webb 78-49, 12/22 vs. Western Kentucky 114-82, 12/27 vs. Morgan State 104-74
Next Week: 12/31 @ Kentucky
Louisville slipped up against Drexel, as the Dragons were able to control the tempo and force Louisville into bad shots. So how do the Cardinals respond? By hitting 33-53 from three in routs of Western Kentucky and Morgan State, two teams expected to compete for their conference’s crown. Louisville may not have a star, but in those two games they had three guys (Peyton Siva, Kyle Kuric and Preston Knowles) go for at least 25 points.
8. Cincinnati (12-0) (8)
Last Week: 12/18 vs. Oklahoma 66-56, 12/21 vs. Miami OH 64-48, 12/23 vs. St. Francis PA 94-58
Next Week: 12/28 vs. DePaul, 12/31 vs. Seton Hall
I’m getting sick of writing this about Cincinnati. Their backcourt has been better than expected, their frontcourt is big, and they are undefeated against a Charmin-soft schedule. Come the New Year, we’ll finally start to get a grasp of how good this team is.
9. Marquette (9-3) (9)
Last Week: 12/18 vs. Centenary 81-52, 12/21 vs. Mississippi Valley State 104-77
Next Week: 12/29 @ Vanderbilt, 1/1 vs. West Virginia
I say it every year, and then I sit back and watch as people disregard my advice until it comes to fruition — don’t count out Marquette. This is a scrappy team that competes as hard as anyone in the country. Once Darius Johnson-Odom finds his stroke, the Golden Eagles are going to be a team no one wants to play.
10. West Virginia (8-2) (10)
Last Week: 12/18 vs. Cleveland State 74-63
Next Week: 12/29 vs. St. John’s, 1/1 @ West Virginia
I cannot figure out this West Virginia team yet, and I’m guessing Bobby Huggins hasn’t either. Casey Mitchell went for 20 ppg scorer to 20 mpg role player. Kevin Jones and Deniz Kilicli have had as many brain farts as post moves. Truck Bryant can’t stay out of trouble. There are a lot of pieces in Morgantown, the question is whether or not Huggins can put the puzzle together.
11. Providence (11-2) (11)
Last Week: 12/21 vs. Sacred Heart 84-76
Next Week: 12/28 @ Syracuse, 1/1 vs. St. John’s
Providence is going to be fun to watch this season. They run the floor, they shoot a lot of threes, and they score a lot of points. But will they play enough defense to win games in the Big East? Regardless, Marshon Brooks is a name you need to remember.
12. St. John’s (7-3) (14)
Last Week: 12/20 vs. Davidson 62-57, 12/21 vs. Northwestern 85-69
Next Week: 12/29 @ West Virginia, 1/1 @ Providence
The Johnnies may have had the best half of any game from any team this season when they went 16-20 from the floor in the second half against Northwestern. But can that half erase the memories of a 21 point second half lead they blew against Fordham?
13. Seton Hall (6-6) (12)
Last Week: 12/19 vs. NJIT 68-45, 12/22 vs. Dayton 65-69, 12/26 vs. Richmond 61-69
Next Week: 12/31 @ Cincinnati
The Hall’s season went from bad to worse when Jeremy Hazell was shot on Christmas Day. I just don’t think it is in the cards for the Pirates this season.
14. Rutgers (9-2) (13)
Last Week: 12/18 @ Monmouth 79-56, 12/23 vs. St. Peter’s 55-52
Next Week: 12/28 vs. UNC, 1/2 @ Villanova
The biggest news coming out of Piscataway this week was that the Scarlett Knights opted to redshirt Kadeem Jack. Jack is a top 50 recruit and has the potential to be a very good player down the road. No sense in wasting a year of eligibility on half of a meaningless season.
15. South Florida (6-7) (15)
Last Week: 12/18 vs. James Madison 61-66, 12/22 @ Cleveland State 62-69
Next Week: 12/28 @ Seton Hall, 12/31 @ UConn
Gus Gilchrist quit the team. Then he came back. How many people noticed?
16. DePaul (6-6) (16)
Last Week: 12/18 vs. Loyola IL 81-74, 12/22 vs. Florida Atlantic 71-62
Next Week: 12/28 @ Cincinnati, 1/1 @ Georgetown
DePaul won two games this week. With Big East play starting, it may have been the last two games they win all season.
Looking Ahead
Big East play is kicking off this week. I don’t know about you, but I am more than ready for top 25 matchups, Big Mondays, Jay Bilas and Bill Raftery, Bob Huggins’ track suit, Jay Wright’s Gucci suit, Jim Calhoun’s scowl, the claims that the Big East isn’t the best conference because it’s too big, 3 am replays of Providence-Marquette on MASN, the trash talk between Georgetown and Syracuse fans, and, most importantly, arenas packed to the gills with drunk, screaming college students cheering on their team in games that actually matter.