Jim Boeheim Named Coach of the Year
Even with his team's early exit from the NCAA tournament, Jim Boeheim of Syracuse University was named by AP as the college basketball coach of the year.
During the regular season, Syracuse rose to a No. 1 ranking for the first time since 1990. In 2010, Syracuse's record was 30-5.
Boeheim has been Syracuse's coach for over 30 seasons. He is a Hall of Fame coach and holds the Div. I record with 32 20-win seasons. With his 829 victories, he is the sixth-best all-time and second among active basketball coaches.
Kansas State's Frank Martin had eight votes behind Boeheim's 38 votes.
Copyright (c) 2010 Gather Inc
No surprise No. 1 Pioneers one-and-done
ALBANY -- Upsets are the theme during the month of March, whether they come on the court or rink.
That's why no one should be totally surprised that Rochester Institute of Technology, playing its first NCAA Tournament game, took down No. 1-seed Denver, 2-1, in Albany on Friday.
Still, it was pretty shocking.
The Tigers never trailed, after Chris Tanev's goal, five minutes into the game.
"The days of having an imbalance in the 16-team field is long gone," Denver coach George Gwozdecky said. "RIT and every team in this tournament deserve to be here."
Gwozdecky should know. He's the only person to win a national title as a player, assistant coach and head coach - he led the Pioneers to back-to-back titles in 2004 and '05 (when RPI coach Seth Appert was an assistant coach).
The victory doesn't really have any equivalent to a top-seed going down in the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, which has never happened. It has happened in college hockey before and that's exactly what the RIT players were thinking about after their monumental victory.
"There's 16 teams here right now trying to win hockey games," said Cameron Burt, who scored the game-winning goal for the Tigers. "I don't really look at conferences. We come out and put on our skates on just like they do."
Denver knew that RIT was a good team and that anything can happen when everything is riding on one game.
"It hurts more than I can explain right now," said Denver sophomore Joe Colborne, who scored the Pioneers lone goal. "We had the team, but in these one-game playoffs you have to come out and start strong."
That's what the Tigers did, getting Tanev's goal at 5:02 of the first period. That's why the Pioneers are heading home as a top-seed for the second straight season.
"It definitely stings a lot," said Denver senior and Hobey Baker finalist Rhett Rakhshani. "It's the end of the road for a great group of guys."
The Tigers were not only one of four No. 1 seeds, but they were ranked No. 1 in the entire country on two different occasions this season.
The second No. 1-ranking was at the end of the season, heading into their conference tournament. After losing back-to-back games at the WHCA Final Five, the Pioneers, who only lost seven games during the regular season, thought they could turn it around in one game. They didn't.
That's all it took though for their dreams to end in upsetting fashion.
(c)Copyright 2010 The Record
Burden of big expectations buries 'Nova
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Scottie Reynolds made a late shot to push Villanova into the last Final Four, and soon the Wildcats would celebrate the way college students always do. They would pile on top of one another, and they would worry later about the accumulating weight.
That's the problem, though, with sports: Later always arrives.
So there will be no Final Four for Villanova this spring, St. Mary's seeing to that Saturday with a 75-68 second-round NCAA Tournament victory. That meant that for the first time in nearly a year, swollen eyes would replace swollen expectations in the Villanova locker room.
That's what they were all along. They were swollen expectations, not necessarily unfair, but at some point uncomfortable. The Wildcats had lost Dante Cunningham to the NBA, Dwayne Anderson to some premium media-guide space, and any chance to sneak quietly into another Final Four. Yet there they were, everyplace. They were on the cover of a Sports Illustrated college basketball preview edition. They were prominent in the preseason polls. They were hotter than Tiger Woods' text list.
And once the season began, the Wildcats would justify the praise. They would win 20 of their first 21 games. But why not? They were expected to supply such success. The popular assumption was that it was just a matter of positioning Rollie Massimino in a front-row seat for the Elite Eight, and then alerting the TV directors.
Burdens ... burdens, all.
"It was a challenge all year," Jay Wright said. "It was a first time for us. And we've talked about that a lot with our team, that there's so much expectation, but that a lot of guys on this team haven't earned that. And there wasn't just expectation. There was a lot of praise put on this team that we really hadn't earned.
"But I'm proud of this team. Our journey was not an easy one. It was a tough one. And we stuck together to the bitter end."
Some ends are more bitter than others, and Villanova's was sharply unpleasant Saturday, for as recently as six weeks ago, two polls agreed that the Wildcats were the No. 2 team in the nation. And that, unlike those October magazine covers, was earned, not photo-shopped.
There was reason to tout the Cats as national championship contenders. They were fast, growing faster and dangerous from multiple offensive angles. They may not have been the 2009 Wildcats, but they could pass for them in a lineup. Reynolds was deep into a national Player of the Year campaign. Wright was doing his thing with his detailed scouting reports. There were few, if any, available tickets, even for the games moved to the Wachovia Center.
Even then, though, Wright was firing the warning flares, insisting that no team is ever as good or as bad as it seemed. And, well, he was right: The Cats were not that good. But why?
Since the players were all highly regarded, either as recruits or as proven college contributors, the suspicion was that there was something else in play. And there were some gravely moments. Reggie Redding was suspended at the beginning of the season, following a minor marijuana arrest. Corey Stokes later was cited for urinating in public. Taylor King reported "personal" issues, costing him playing time. Reynolds and Corey Fisher lost their starting backcourt jobs for the NCAA opener against Robert Morris, Wright imposing a "teaching" moment.
Burdens ... burdens all?
"We just ran out of time," Reynolds said. "And time was not on our side this year."
It happens that way. One mad March, a shot with a half-a-tick left means the Final Four. The next, there is not enough time to win one game in regulation against a couple of mid-majors in Rhode Island.
"I thought we were playing hard at the end," Wright said. "We probably played the hardest (Saturday) that we played all year. But we understand that the expectations were much higher for this team. And we have to take what comes with that. We do. Because we took the praise, and that's part of being an athlete these days. It's part of being a team at this level that gets this type of attention."
Reynolds has played his last game (already?), and the Wildcats will be different next season. For what it's worth, Wright is being heavily rumored as a candidate to coach either the Sixers or the New Jersey Nets. Either way, Villanova doesn't rebuild, for that's how smoothly Wright has his recruiting apparatus humming. So figure the Wildcats to be in the postseason next March, as usual.
And they won't even have to be worried about any magazine-cover jinxes.
"I can't really think about next year," said Maalik Wayns, as his freshman season ended.
It would only be added weight, anyway -- weight Villanova just doesn't need.
Copyright 2010 The Delaware County Daily Times
Selection Sunday the Precursor to Madness
This year in college basketball, no team separated itself significantly from the rest of the competition and was dominant throughout the year. There were many good teams and some great ones as well, but no top dog.
Kansas was atop the weekly Associated Press Top 25 Poll and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll for much of the year, but it did lose two games, one at Tennessee and the other at Oklahoma State. Kentucky suffered two defeats as well and Syracuse was 28-3 before losing in the quarterfinals of the Big East championship tournament to Georgetown.
Defending NCAA champion North Carolina will not get the opportunity to repeat as it went through a dreadful season, and Connecticut, another top team from last season, will not be going to the Big Dance either. Mid-major conference teams, such as Butler and Gonzaga, had great years once again, but they were joined by New Mexico, Brigham Young, Temple and the University of Texas at El Paso among the top teams in the country. The Big East continued to produce solid teams all around, while the Pac-10 had a down year with no ranked teams.
The latest bracket predictions from ESPN's Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi lists Kansas, Kentucky and Syracuse as near locks for No. 1 seeds in the tournament. Lunardi currently has the fourth No. 1 seed as Duke, but if the Blue Devils do not win their conference championship, another team could claim the final top seed.
Kansas
With a 29-2 record, the Jayhawks had an excellent season. They were led by senior guard Sherron Collins, junior Cole Aldrich and freshman Xavier Henry. Kansas has a very well-balanced offense and they are very experienced. Both Collins and Aldrich were on the Jayhawks' championship team from two years ago. Kansas has everything it takes to reach the Final Four and it would be surprising if they do not at least get that far. This team can easily be the last one standing.
Kentucky
Kentucky has the same record as Kansas, but unlike the Jayhawks, it is very inexperienced. The Wildcats feature two star freshman players in John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins and a third freshman, Eric Bledsoe, is also an important contributor. Kentucky's youth did not affect its performance during the regular season, but in the NCAA tournament, inexperience could be a detriment. The Wildcats will still likely reach the Final Four, but should fall short of a championship.
Syracuse
Syracuse is a great defensive team with its 2-3 zone and has seven players that could start on just about any team. Junior transfer Wesley Johnson is the team's best player, and the team had five players that average at least 10 points per game. Syracuse's chances in the NCAA tournament could hinge on the status of forward Arinze Onuaku, who injured his knee in its loss to Georgetown. Onuaku averages 10 points and five rebounds per game and also guards the big post players on opposing teams. If Onuaku cannot play in the NCAA tournament, then the Orangemen are going to have a difficult task on defense and in rebounding and will not reach the Final Four. If Onuaku plays and is close to 100 percent, then Syracuse is as good as any team in the country and should join Kansas and Kentucky among the last four teams remaining.
Duke
Duke was the ACC regular season conference champion and was led by its big three: Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler. Each of those three averaged at least 17 points per game during the regular season. If one of the trio has an off game though, Duke is beatable because its next highest scorer averaged just over five points per game. The Blue Devils' lack of an offense beyond their big three will be a problem for them. One of their opponents should be able to contain one of the trio and that will lead to Duke going home early. The Blue Devils will still reach the Sweet 16, but will not advance beyond the Elite Eight.
Teams that have earned an automatic invitation into the NCAA tournament by virtue of winning their conference championship:
Northern Iowa, Missouri Valley Conference
East Tennessee State, Atlantic Sun Conference
Robert Morris, Northeast Conference
Murray State, Ohio Valley Conference
Montana, Big Sky Conference
Winthrop, Big South Conference
Wofford, Southern Conference
Old Dominion, Colonial Athletic Association
Oakland, Summit League
North Texas, Sun Belt Conference
Butler, Horizon League
Cornell, Ivy League
Saint Mary's, West Coast Conference
Siena, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
(c)2010 Associated Content, Inc
UConn eyes record
HARTFORD - Just playing in the Big East can be a recruiting advantage for womens basketball coaches like Syracuse's Quentin Hillsman. Connecticut may carry the banner, but sharing the conference with an elite program improves the stock of all the teams, he said.
But those same teams have to play UConn, and hope the year will come when they have found the right mix of players to compete with the nation's best. Today, the Orange will find themselves in that position, in a big way.
Syracuse defeated Providence, 76-71, yesterday in the second round of the Big East tournament and earned the chance to snap top-ranked UConn's 69-game winning streak. Syracuse, seeded ninth in the tournament, will face top-seeded UConn at 2 p.m. today in the quarterfinals at the XL Center. With a victory, UConn (30-0) would match the women's national record for consecutive wins it set in 2003.
Syracuse guard Erica Morrow claimed she didn't know about the streak and said it wouldn't change her approach. On Feb. 24, UConn beat Syracuse, 87-66, at the Carrier Dome. It may be tempting for the Orange to use their underdog role as motivation, but Hillsman said that can't be his team's mind-set.
"We've got to go play a basketball game," he said. "I think it adds pressure. They're a great basketball team. It's going to be a great atmosphere for a women's college basketball game. We're going to come out to play as hard as we can.
"You have to give them a lot of credit. To have an undefeated team in your conference is a great honor. Somebody has to play them, so I guess it's us. So we've got to be ready to play."
Syracuse (22-9) didn't enter this tournament with any grand goals. Each day has been "survive and advance," Hillsman said. While the top four seeds play for the first time today, the Orange have been surviving since Friday, when they defeated Seton Hall, 65-42. That victory was the first for the program in the Big East tournament since 2005.
Syracuse defeated Seton Hall without its leading scorer and rebounder, Nicole Michael, who injured her right foot in the last game of the regular season. Michael played 18 minutes yesterday and scored 12 points. She expects to be ready to play today, saying her foot is near 100 percent.
What Michael couldn't do, others did. Morrow scored a game-high 24 points and Kayla Alexander added 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Syracuse has gained a reputation for being a defensive team, holding opponents to 33.8 percent shooting. Providence managed to shoot 41.3 percent yesterday, but allowed 18 points off turnovers.
When Hillsman took over the program in 2006 after a year as an assistant, his focus turned to recruiting. And while he was trying to establish himself, he knew just being part of the conference was a benefit. Syracuse's last three recruiting classes have been in the top 25 in the nation.
"We are progressing," Hillsman said. "Coming into this program, we really wanted to focus on recruiting and trying to get players that are going to compete and play hard and are athletic, and that's what we've done."
UConn may be grabbing national headlines with its streak and No. 1 ranking, but Big East teams Notre Dame (No. 6), West Virginia (No. 7), Georgetown (No. 12), and St. John's (No. 16) are all ranked. And for just the fourth time in history, Syracuse has posted at least 20 wins. "[The Big East] is among the best conferences in the country and definitely one of the top two conferences, so you have a chance to come and play on a national scale every night and that's what's so big," Hillsman said. "Every night you're going to have a chance to come out and compete against great talent and great coaches."
(c) Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company
Syracuse Hits #1 on AP Hoops Poll
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse University has reached the number one spot on the Associated Press college basketball poll. The new rankings announced Monday put the Orange at the top for the first time in two decades.
The Orange were the runaway top pick Monday, receiving 59 first-place votes from the national media panel to make the jump from fourth. This is their first time on top since a six-week run during the 1989-90 season.
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Feb. 28, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking:
Record Pts Pvs
1. Syracuse (59) 27-2 1,618 4
2. Kansas (6) 27-2 1,550 1
3. Kentucky 27-2 1,493 2
4. Duke 25-4 1,415 5
5. Kansas St. 24-4 1,377 6
6. Ohio St. 23-7 1,232 9
7. Purdue 24-4 1,169 3
8. New Mexico 27-3 1,151 10
9. Villanova 23-5 1,143 7
10. West Virginia 22-6 1,024 8
11. Michigan St. 22-7 960 14
12. Butler 26-4 762 15
13. Vanderbilt 22-6 741 16
14. BYU 26-4 633 13
15. Wisconsin 21-7 625 17
16. Tennessee 21-7 615 19
17. Pittsburgh 22-7 612 12
18. Gonzaga 24-5 554 18
19. Georgetown 19-8 548 11
20. Temple 24-5 547 20
21. Baylor 22-6 393 24
22. Maryland 21-7 249 -
23. Texas A&M 20-8 210 22
24. UTEP 22-5 124 -
25. Xavier 21-7 101 -
Others receiving votes: Texas 94, Richmond 44, N. Iowa 32,
Oklahoma St. 24, Marquette 21, Missouri 13, Illinois 10, Utah St.
9, Virginia Tech 8, Mississippi St. 7, UAB 6, Cornell 5, Louisville
4, Notre Dame 1, Old Dominion 1.
(c) 2010 Newport Television LLC
Martin has Wildcats trying to reach higher
MANHATTAN, Kan -- In at least two places in sports, winning 20 ain't what it used to be.
On the mound, the 20-game winner has long been listed as an endangered species. The last Royals pitcher spotted in that environment was Bret Saberhagen 21 years ago.
Change the frequency when it comes to 20-game winners among college basketball teams. Today, any program with a pulse has a shot at 20.
We know this because last year 31 teams won at least 20 and didn't score an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. Creighton and Niagara each won 26 and didn't get sniffs.
This isn't meant to disparage Kansas State, which notched what used to be a milepost 20th triumph on Saturday. The Wildcats outlasted Colorado 68-51. They survived a first half so hideous coach Frank Martin couldn't muster any of his trademark animation. He just sat there, innards undoubtedly boiling, taking in the turnover and foul fest.
Turned out, Martin was mostly disgusted with himself. K-State had installed a new approach to Colorado's pesky 1-3-1 zone this week, and although the Wildcats struggled to master the nuances Martin stayed with it.
So the halftime discussion, instead of fire and brimstone, was about returning to the more comfortable scheme, which in a nutshell is to attack without mercy. The Wildcats took it to heart and played up to their No. 9 ranking, especially on defense.
After a sleepy first half, the big lefty lug, Luis Colon, scored the Wildcats' first six after the break and not long into the second half, the two-point lead at the break swelled to double digits and K-State ran away.
Another baseball reference best speaks to the highlight of the half and game. Appropriately, it starts with Denis Clemente, a relative of baseball royalty Roberto Clemente.
His back-to-the-basket deep pass was hauled in by a streaking Rodney McGruder, who dished to Jacob Pullen, who fed Curtis Kelly for the slam. This was K-State's Tinker to Evers to Chance with an extra pass. Unselfish basketball at its gorgeous best and it should go to the top of a season greatest hits mix tape.
The play gave Pullen his 10th assist and a backcourt double-double to go with his 15 points.
While all of this was unfolding the Bramlage faithful, which had cheered itself hoarse through losses to Kansas and Oklahoma State in their previous two trips, had plenty of time to contemplate the deep meaning of the 20-victory season.
Those who remained seated for Martin's postgame radio program that's patched through the building's audio system got to hear the coach address it right off the bat with a nice tribute to former coach Bob Huggins, who may have angered folks with his one-and-done but made certain the kids who had followed him to Manhattan would stay put.
Media types got to query the Kansas State players, and leave it to the astute Pullen to fold in Martin with former Wildcats coaches Jack Hartman, Tex Winter or Lon Kruger.
A current player who understands how important the heritage is to the fan base - at any school - always gets a gold star from me.
Pullen was talking about Martin becoming the first Kansas State coach to win 20 in each of his first three years.
Now, again, not to rain on the parade. But winning 20 in a season when 30 regular-season games are scheduled, plus a conference tournament, is not the grand accomplishment of the shorter seasons in the tenures of the Hartman, Winter or Kruger eras. Or Gardner, Fitzsimmons or Altman.
But Martin is on his way to taking Kansas State to unprecedented heights. Including his first year as an assistant, Martin will join Kruger in leading the Wildcats to four straight postseason appearances.
Also, keep an eye on the school record for victories. It stands at 25, and the Wildcats might blow that out of the water.
And since the NCAA Tournament went to a seeding system in 1979, K-State has never been higher than a No. 4.
If the season ended today, the Wildcats would be no worse than a third seed and could be a No. 2.
In today's game, that and not 20, is the meaningful number.
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