BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SETON HALL @ RUTGERS

January 30, 2008


In this year's version of the Big East, a two game win streak can be considered 'hot'. In this case, the battle of New Jersey features two of the 'hottest' teams in the conference when Rutgers welcomes in-state rival Seton Hall to the RAC.

Local media preview articles:

Rutgers, Seton Hall Begin Turnarounds (Courier News)
RU/SHU Scouting Report (Courier News)
Hall Grows in Gause's Absence (Star-Ledger)
Rutgers/Seton Hall Still a Hot Ticket (Asbury Park Press)

Rutgers enters tonight's game full of surprising momentum after a week that saw them beat Villanova at home and then shock the Big East with a win at Pittsburgh, a win that seemed to shock their own players! Led by freshman guards Michael Coburn and Corey Chandler, with solid post play, especially on the glass and defensively, by Hamady N'Diaye and Byron Joynes, RU stormed past the Panthers on Saturday.

The Scarlet Knights stumbled out of the conference gates by looking completely in disarray, especially on the offensive side of the ball. After dropping thier first five, they were looking pretty hopeless and 0-18 whispers began. However, there is more talent on this team than what was being shown and they showed signs offensively at DePaul before a 2nd half collapse allowed a 2nd half lead slip away. JR Inman is a talented and athletic inside/out forward and Jaron Griffin and Anthony Farmer are also juniors who have logged a lot of Big East time and needed to step up. The freshman pair of Coburn and Chandler hold a lot of promise for the future, but the play of the juniors and the big man duo of N'Diaye and Joynes could determine how tough an out the Scarlet Knights are the rest of the way.

Seton Hall also started off slowly, losing their first three conference games. However, the Pirates have stormed back with aggression, winning four in a row (which matches last year's league total) with impressive wins against Louisville and at Providence included. Senior Brian Laing is consistently putting up big numbers as a do-it-all undersized forward with the heart of a lion and the perimter shooting combo of Jamar Nutter and Jeremy Hazell guarantees someone is on from the outside to help put up points in a hurry. The Pirates fly up and down the court and their ability to score fast and often allows them to rally from nearly any deficit no matter the situation.

Rutgers, who are thin on numbers, would like the game to be played at a slower pace. To force the pace to a speed they prefer, the Pirates will pressure the RU guards to induce quick shots and turnovers, that is where SHU is at their best, creating offense off of their defense. The slower the pace of the game, the less SHU can crank up the pace and use their style to their advantage. However, in a weekend win over Cincinnati, the Pirates showed they can buckle down if they have to.

Usually in this rivalry the home team has the edge. I am not convinced Rutgers is ready to beat a team as equally amped to play the game as they are...yet. You know Bobby Gonzalez will have his Pirates on edge for the game, sometimes that can work against a squad, but with the style of play the Pirates prefer, that is exactly what they need.

The RAC will rock, but in the end, SHU has a little too much offensive talent to get by in this one.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Seton Hall 80 Rutgers 71

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS @ PITTSBURGH

January 26, 2008



There definitely should be a little extra hop in the step of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights when they travel to face Pittsburgh Saturday evening. The Scarlet Knights have struggled mightily offensively this season, but after nearly knocking off DePaul on the road, they returned home and dominated Villanova at the RAC for their first conference victory of the season.

Pittsburgh rebounded from a disappointing loss at Cincinnati by taking St. John's out behind the woodshed of Madison Square Garden during an 81-57 victory. Sam Young continues to make his case for Big East Player of the Year candidacy with 26 points in the victory.

The key for the Panthers seem to be early starts offensively. In their three losses this season, Pitt has struggled to score in the first 8-12 minutes. Although each game was still close through that portion of the game, runs by the opponent later put Pitt in a tough spot. However, those games were on the road, at home the Panthers seem to be a different level of team. Even with Levance Fields out at least another three weeks and Mike Cook gone for the season, Pitt has made their case to be one of the top teams in the Big East. Freshman DeJuan Blair teams with Young to give the Panthers one of the nation's best 1-2 combination in the front court. Young seems to be a bureoning star in the league and is scoring in a variety of ways both inside and out. The senior guard combination of Keith Benjamin and Ronald ramon entered the season expected to play complimentary roles, but have shown to be more than adequate in the Big East. Freshman such as Gilbert Brown, Brad Wanamaker and Gary McGhee are improving with more playing time and junior Tyrell Biggs could likely be the next Panther to step up his game when called on.

Pittsburgh can be tested by teams that pressure on the ball with a deep group of guards or an effective zone that limits Young's ability to penetrate if their perimeter shooting is off. Foul trouble is also a point to watch as the Panthers are thin in numbers (Fields, Cool, Austin Wallace and Cassin Diggs all out with injuries) and foul problems with Blair could be especially damaging.

Rutgers, however, does not look like a team that can challenge the Panthers' vulnerable areas. The Scarlet Knights are down in numbers as well and the recent development of Courtney Nelson being ineligible for the remainder of the season leaves RU extremely thin. Offensively, Byron Joynes and Hamady N'Diaye do not pose much of a threat to get Blair in foul trouble. Rutgers' best player is forward JR Inman who will be directly matched up with Young in what should be an interesting battle. If Inman relaxes mentally on defense, Young could be past him in a blink and drawing fouls as he attacks the rim.

Fred Hill's most talented offensive option is Corey Chandler, however the freshman guard is battling a nagging stress fracture in his foot and facing the tough, physical Pitt defense could mean a long game for him. Mike Coburn, another freshman, and Anthony Farmer had career games against Villanova and will look to carry over that success. Wing Jaron Griffin is a very streaky shooter whose bad streaks seem to outnumber the good streaks, however, if he is on, he can score some points.

For Pittsburgh, the key is likely the first 10 minutes. If they can avoid early fouls on Blair, but the ball in the basket and get a lead, Rutgers could become discouraged quickly on the road, especially in one of the best home court atmospheres in the college game. It is hard to believe a 1-6 team could be looking at a let down, but Rutgers beat Jay Wright, Fred Hill's former boss, in their last game and they have rival Seton Hall up next, so a quick strike from Pitt could take RU out of the game early.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Pittsburgh 77 Rutgers 61

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ RUTGERS

January 23, 2008

Rutgers remains winless in the Big East but they did show some life in a road loss at DePaul over the weekend. Villanova got a cherished road win at Syracuse over the weekend and are positioning themselves favorably in the Big East race.

Here are a couple local media stories on tonight's game:

Rutgers Men's Basketball Readies for Villanova (Asbury Park Press)
Scouting Rutgers & Villanova (Courier News)


If the Big East was to hold form from what we have seen in the first three weeks, Rutgers would win this game. While, I can't really pull the trigger on the Scarlet Knights, they do have a similar make-up as a team to Villanova. However, their talent level is a notch below. for the Scarlet Knights to win, they will have to give their most inspired defensive effort of the season, come up big on the boards and not suffer one of their normal putrid offensive performances.

Villanova seemingly finds someone to step-up from game to game to lead them to victory. Whether it is Malcolm Grant, Antonio Pena, Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher or another player, Jay Wright has a deep team that gives him several different line-up options. He can go big, small or more of a traditional line-up. Quite a difference from his four-guard line-up out of necessity a few years ago.

Rutgers tends to play Villanova very tough at home from time to time. I think they will be fired up tonight and try to parlay some positives from the DePaul game into a more complete performance against the Wildcats. I do think Villanova has too much talent and once they find the right combination in this game, they will exert that talent to get the necessary stops on defense and get the points needed to win on offense. As a 9-pt favorite, Villanova wins, but it should be closer than expected.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 74 Rutgers 67

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS @ SYRACUSE

January 16, 2008


The young Syracuse Orange return home to meet the offensively challenged Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a Big East match-up at the Carrier Dome. Syracuse dropped a pair of road contests last week, evening their conference mark at 2-2. Rutgers has yet to win in conference action (0-4) and continues to struggle on the offensive end.

Here are the local media previews on tonight's game:

Griffin Shot His Way out of Slump (Courier News)
Rutgers-Syracuse Scouting Report (Courier News)
SU Offense Looks to Get Untracked (Syracuse Post-Standard)


Syracuse is a 17-pt home favorite tonight as the host Rutgers, a team averaging a meager 47.5 PPG in their four conference contests (0-4). How are these for putrid offensive numbers? Rutgers is shooting 33% (70-209) from the floor, 27% (16-60) from the 3-pt arc and 56% (34-61) from the free throw line in their four conference contests. They have also turned the ball over 60 times and has been credited with just 31 assists in conference play.

Leading scorer JR Inman has been coming off the bench for Rutgers in conference play. The reason for the change in the line-up seems to be more than just a ploy to shake things up by coach Fred Hill. Also, excellent freshman guard Corey Chandler has been battling a stress fracture in his foot and it looks like the condition is not going to get better any time soon without extended rest. without being able to practice, Chandler is struggling to find any kind of offensive flow and is 4-29 from the field for a total of 14 points in the three conference games he has played. Without a healthy Chandler, the Rutgers offense has very little potential to imporve any time soon. Junior Jaron Griffin did show some life on Sunday, scoring 23 in a 64-49 loss to Louisville, but he has yet to show any consistency with his shooting touch since arriving at RU.

Syracuse has the opposite issue of Rutgers, the Orange can score with anyone, but they have had a lot of difficulty stopping anyone on the defensive side. They lost a pair of road games last week to Cincinnati (74-66) and West Virginia (81-61) and look to get back home and get back in the win column. Rutgers comes at the perfect time for the young Orange, who have six players in their depleted 8-man rotation playing major 1-A basketball for the first time. Learning the ins and outs of conference play and the increase in the intensity that Big East play brings is an adjustment for the Orange. The young players can not solely rely on their natural talent and ability, but need to be sharper mentally in preparation and their execution.

Syracuse also has few options when things start to go poorly. Jom Boeheim can not afford foul trouble or to sit players for poor decisions, which leads to lazy defense and a slower learning curve for the young team. Tonight, they need to get back to the basics on both ends of the floor with a consistent effort. Donte Greene is a mega-talent offensively, but the team can't get away from getting the ball to Arinze Onuaku in the middle. Syracuse needs to run as their halfcourt offense is not a strength. Rutgers will try to keep the game at a much slower pace than the Orange would like to see, but their shooting woes and inconsistent ball-handling will likely lead to SU getting many break opportunities and players like Paul Harris and Greene finish with the best of them in college basketball.

It would probably be wise for Syracuse to use their man to man press at times to push the tempo when they have the opportunity. If they consistently fall back into the 2-3 zone, the pace could fall into the hands of Rutgers and the Scarlet Knights could find some perimeter shots to their liking, keeping the score closet than anticipated.

I think Syracuse will score quickly and often at times, but Rutgers will creep back into the game once and a while. I think Rutgers will actually break the 50pt barrier, but it wont be nearly enough to win.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Syracuse 77 Rutgers 62

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS @ PROVIDENCE

January 9, 2008



The Big East's version of a cure for your ails is Rutgers and their visit to the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence could not come at a better time for the Friars. After dropping their first two conference match-ups on the road, the offensively challenged Scarlet Knights are a welcome site for PC. Rutgers is also 0-2 in the conference, failing to hit the 50-pt mark in either game.

Here are the local media previes on the game:

PC/RU Preview (Providence Journal)
Rutgers N'Diaye a Formidable Defender (Asbury Park Press)
Providence 'QB' Familiar to Knights (Star-Ledger)
Williams Probable as Friars Chase First League Win (Providence Journal)
Rutgers/PC Scouting Report (Courier News)

The Scarlet Knights sit at the bottom of the Big East in virtually every offensive stat, including points (63.3 per game), field-goal shooting (.396), assists (8.6) and 3-point shooting (.274). Those numbers are actually worse in Big East play as RU is averaging 45.5 PPG, shooting 35% from the floor, 21% from 3-pt range and 29% from the FOUL LINE in two games, losses to Georgetown and at South Florida.

There also has been other factors making things more difficult for Fred Hill's club. First, freshman Corey Chandler has missed several games, and has been limited in Big East play, due to a foot injury. Chandler might be RU's best pure scorer. Also, junior JR Inman, a versatile offensive threat, has been coming off the bench for RU. Reasons for his demotion from the starting line-up have been a bit murky, but there seems to be a little bit of a tug of war going on with the staff and players.

Rutgers still will compete and they will work hard on the defensive end. They hope to keep the game as a low scoring affair and 'ugly' it up by pressuring shots and collecting their share of rebounds.

Scoring is not usually the problem for the Friars, but stopping their opponent has been a missing ingredient for PC the last several years and despite an added concentration to defensive effort this year, it continues. However, the injury bug that has spread through a lot of the conference has also hit PC hard, taking their top two point guards out of the line-up as Sharaud Curry and Dwain Williams have been out of the line-up. Curry is still not even ready to practice, but the news on Williams is better and he is likely to play tonight.

With Williams an adequate point guard, players like Brian McKenzie, Jeff Xavier and Weyinmi Efejuku can concentrate on scoring points, not also playing the role of distributor. The Friars also boast hard-nosed and versatile Geoff McDermott and a true point guard will look to take advantage of his talents and also involve Randall Hanke more in the offense, putting him in position to score.

Inconsistent guard play also leads to defensive breakdowns as the opponent is finding more break and transition opportunities. Defensively and in the post is always going to be an uphill battle for PC, but the defensive effrt is something that most likely will improve as the team gets closer to full strength and cohesive.

The Friars come into the game tonight as a 14-pt favorite and they should take advanatage of the opportunity Rutgers provides to get well.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Providence 75 Rutgers 58

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: GEORGETOWN @ RUTGERS

January 5, 2008



The Big East's preseason favorite, Georgetown, will begin defense of their conference crown on Saturday as they travel to New Jersey to face Rutgers, at the RAC. Rutgers dropped their league opening contest on the road to South Florida, 68-45, Wednesday night.

Things are not going very well right now for Fred Hill Jr and his Rutgers squad. Not only were they drubbed by South Florida, who was picked 16th in the league by the coaches, but they have been without freshman Corey Chandler and his 14 PPG for a few weeks now. On Wednesday night, their other top player, JR Inman, was not in the starting line-up. I know coach Hill says it was a coaches decision, but there has to be more behind it, maybe a message was being sent and a fresh start is ahead.

The status of Chandler is still unknown, this was the game he was targeting to return, but they hoped he would be available for some time on Wednesday. Without Chandler and with Inman in and out of the line-up, Rutgers goes from a below-average offensive team to, well, not a good one at all. Against USF they shot 39% from the field with just 6 team assists in the contest. They also shot 2-16 from the arc and 1-8 from the foul line...YUCK!

On the other hand, Georgetown is one of the most effecient offensive machines in the nation. Although they have been lightly challenged this season until a date at Memphis where they were handles easily by the Tigers, look for Georgetown to flex their muscles on the road and let the rest of the league know they are serious about defending their crown.

The Hoyas will play nine-deep and it is an impressive group. Seniors Jonathan Wallace and Roy Hibbert, the conference's pre-season player of the year, are joined by sophomore, and leading soorer, DaJuan Summers and junior Jesse Sapp as returning starters from last year's squad. Other key contributors return such as Jeremiah Rivers, Pat Ewing Jr and Vernon Macklin. What makes this squad even more dangerous offensively is the addition of a pair of McDonald All-Americans in the backcourt, Chris Wright and Austin Freeman, who come off the bench.

I think Rutgers will play hard and scrap for a while, but over the course of 40 minutes, too many offensive droughts will catch up with them and Georgetown will go about business as usual and pull away consistently.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Georgetown 78 Rutgers 59

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS @ SOUTH FLORIDA

January 2, 2008


Scarlet Knights Need to Make Right Choices (Asbury Park Press)
Big East Slate Begins in Earnest for Rutgers (Courier News)
Rutgers-USF Scouting Report (Courier News)


Are you ready for this? The South Florida Bulls are an 11.5-pt favorite in a Big East contest! The Bulls, winners of nine of their last 10 games, open Big East play tonight when they welcome Rutgers to the Sun Dome.

We all know Rutgers struggles away from home, and the prospect of playing with a limited, if at all, Corey Chandler, the hopes for the Scarlet Knights definitely looks bleak.

This year, under new coach Stan Heath, USF is deeper and more talented than the editions of the last two seasons. They will once again be anchored in the middle by Kentrell Gransberry. The mountain in the middle averages 14 PPG and 11 rebounds and should find things pretty much to his liking against a thin Rutgers front-line. Byron Joynes will try to body up Gransberry and Hamady N'Diaye will try to use his length and athletic ability, but if Gransberry clogs the lane and catches the ball in deep, he should have his way inside.

However, that is not the only weapon of the Bulls this season. Freshman Dominique Jones has been impressive filling the basket as the Bulls leading scorer with nearly 16 PPG. USF also has a solid, true point guard in Chris Howard who continues to improve and the wing scoring is deeper with former Arizona transfer Jesus Verdejo finding his comfort zone and Florida State transfer Aaron Holmes getting up to speed. Like RU, the Bulls are thin in the frontline after Gransberry, but they definitely have more offensive options this year, playing at home against an offensively challenged opponent, that bodes well for their chances.

Rutgers is led by junior JR Inman and they will need the 6'9 forward to carry them offensively. The versatile threat is averaging 16 PPG and 8 rebounds and the Bulls really do not have a candidate to slow him down. However, who else will score for Rutgers? With Chandler out of the line-up, Jaron Griffin tried to ick up the slack, but shot just 6-17 (0-8 on 3's) in a loss to Rider (61-57) and 1-7 against Manhattan (73-67 win).

Anthony Farmer did become more offensive minded, scoring 34 points in their last two contests and has slid over to the scoring guard role while freshman Mike Coburn has run the team with Courtney Nelson. The pair went scoreless (0-10 from the floor) in the loss to Rider. The uncertainty and inconsistencies on offense will make it very difficult to win on the road.

As mentioned, the Bulls are an 11.5-pt favorite. This might be a team that is also slightly under the radar while Rutgers still has a ways to go to find themselves, especially in the wake of Chandler's injury.

NBE Blogger Prediction: South Florida 75 Rutgers 59

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