RUTGERS MAKES BIG EAST TOURNEY DEBUT UNDER FRED HILL

March 10, 2009


The conference tournaments can offer teams a second chance on a season. A virtual do-over on a season gone wrong. There is probably no team in the country in more need of a 'do-over' than Notre Dame.

Starting off the season as a universal pick to be among the top four teams in the Big East and a near consensus as a Top Ten preseason team in the country, the Irish season started off well enough, reaching the finals of the Maui Invitational with a win over highly regarded Texas before falling to No. 1 North Carolina. They fell a week and a half later to Ohio State on a neutral floor, but Luke Harangody was still recovering from a bout with pneumonia.

The Irish then started off Big East play at 3-1, but a surprising loss at St. John's opened some eyes. However, nobody could forsee how quickly the Big East could demoralize a team, especially a veteran-laden squad as highly regarded as the Irish.

The Irish lost at Louisville, in overtime, to fall to 3-2. It was the first game of a difficult period of their schedule. As the games kept coming, so did the losses, seven in a row in all, knocking the Irish to 3-7 in the Big East and 12-10 overall.

The losses stopped suddenly, with a 90-57 pasting of Louisville at the Joyce Center, but the damage was done. The Irish finished 8-10 in the league and 17-13 overall, squarely on the wrong side of the NCAA bubble.

Now, they have new life. The Irish showed they can be capable in their thrashing of conference champ Louisville to break their streak, but frustrating defensive lapses and lack of consistent scoring from anyone outside of Harangody and Kyle McAlarney has derailed their season. Senior Ryan Ayers has shown a better scoring touch of late, and they will need more of that in the Big East Tournament.

So, tonight, in Madison Square Garden, begins a clean slate for Notre Dame as they tip off the 2009 Big East Tournament against Rutgers.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found online today:

Rutgers vs. Notre Dame (Chicago Tribune)
Hill Likes Rutgers' Chances (Asbury Park Press)
Kyle McAlarney is Notre Dame's Best Hope for Tournament Run (Chicago Tribune)
History Not on Notre Dame's Side (South Bend Tribune)

Two weeks ago, Notre Dame rallied form a 35-27 halftime deficit on their home floor to defeat Rutgers, 70-65. The Scarlet Knights are using that game as a confidence booster as they prepare to face the Irish on the Madison Square Garden floor.

In his third year as head coach of the Scarlet Knights, this is Fred Hill's first trip to the Big East Tournament. After seasons of 3-13 and 3-15, Rutgers actually went backwards in his third year, finishing 2-16 in the Big East and 11-20 overall on the season.

With McDonald's All-American freshman Mike Rosario and highly touted Greg Echenique as freshmen starters from day one, this was supposed to be the start of Rutgers move under Fred Hill up the standings, not another season of the 'same ol Rutgers.'

The March Madness betting odds have the Irish as an 11 1/2-point favorite in this game. With Notre Dame still believing they are a good team, look for a solid effort out of the Irish while the Scarlet Knights' offensive woes continue under the lights of Broadway.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Notre Dame 74
Rutgers 58

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SOUTH FLORIDA @ RUTGERS

March 7, 2009


JR Inman, Anthony Farmer and Jaron Griffin were supposed to represent a new direction for Rutgers basketball as the three local Jersey recruits were wooed into staying home by Gary Waters. However, Waters did not make it past their freshman seasons and now, with a 1-16 Big East record in their final season, the three seniors look to end their final home game in the RAC on a positive note.

South Florida stunned NCAA hopeful Cincinnati earlier this week, and in doing so, the Bulls set a Big East season-best in their history with four conference wins. Dominique Jones once again led the way with a 30-point performance in the win.

Luckily for both teams this is not their last game as the 2009 Big East Tournament has expanded to include all 16 conference teams. So, they will both get to lace them up at least one more time this year. It will be USF’s first trip to the Big East tournament, same for RU coach Fred Hill, Jr.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on the game:

Rutgers Men’s Basketball Seniors Know Expectations Were Not Met, Are at Peace (Star-Ledger)
For RU Seniors, A Day of Reckoning (mycentraljersey.com)
Trio Takes Away Bond of Friendship (Asbury Park Press)

A week ago, USF looked absolutely gassed as their short-handed team was running on empty in a home loss to West Virginia. This week, however, UC rebounded and showed life with a strong second-half in a win over Cincinnati, a team playing for their NCAA Tournament lives.

Now they hit the road for the regular season finale with Rutgers. A team that will look to salvage a little something in their season gone wrong. At 1-16 in Big East play, RU has little left to play for except for a chance to send their three seniors out as winners. Distractions foreshadowing a possible rocky offseason have begun with the Corey Chandler transfer possibilities becoming public after Tuesday’s blowout loss to Syracuse.

The lone conference win for RU this season was a home beatdown of winless DePaul earlier this year. This should be their second conference win…if not…well, there really is not much lower they can go at this point.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Rutgers 66
South Florida 60

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RUTGERS LOOKS TO HALT LOSING AT SYRACUSE

March 3, 2009

It is senior night in the Carrier Dome and Syracuse, winners of three of their last four, come into the home finale feeling a little bit better about themselves. Last week, SU applied a thorough beatdown on both St. John's, in Madison Square Garden, and Cincinnati, at home, to improve to 9-7 in the Big East and 21-8 overall.

The Dome faithful will look to send the lone SU scholarship senior, Kristof Ongenaet, off as a winner when the Orange host floundering Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights dropped two more last week, at Notre Dame and vs. Rutgers, and are now 1-15 in the Big East.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's game:

Happy Days are Here Again at SU (Post-Standard)
Orange Scouting Report: Syracuse vs Rutgers (Post-Standard)
Syracuse-Rutgers Scouting Report (Asbury Park Press)
Griffin Making an Impact for Rutgers (Asbury Park Press)


There really is not a whole lot to analyze in this game. The Orange, according to the latest college basketball odds are 15 1/2-point favorites. SU will likely sit in their trademark 2-3 zone defense and dare the Scarlet Knights to make shots and create off the dribble by attacking the seam of the zones. Rutgers continues to struggle with a gameplan and then the execution of getting the ball into the paint. If you are unable to do that, the SU zone will tear you apart.

Offensively, Syracuse has too many athletic weapons for Rutgers to keep up with. Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris can all score and then Andy Rautins comes off the bench to drain three's and liven up the crowd. In the paint, Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson will at least hold their own against the under-utilized Greg Echenique and under-developed Hamady N'Diaye. Off the bench in the frontcourt is Ongenaet, a likely source of energy and toughness that will give his team an emotional lift when needed.

For Rutgers, the game will likely hinge on if freshman Mike Rosario can shoot the Knights into the game from beyond the arc. There seems to be little plan of attack after that. The script usually reads the RU opponent racing out to a big early lead and the Scarlet Knights bombing away from three-point range hoping to make a run. If Rosario is on against the zone it could happen. If not, it could be ugly...I am thinking it might be closer to the ugly side tonight.

NBE Blogger Preview:

Syracuse 86
Rutgers 67

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RUTGERS LOOKS TO SPOIL IRISH NCAA HOPES

February 25, 2009


Mike Brey has stated his goal is for the Irish to make things interesting come Selection Sunday. Things were not looking like it would be very interesting when the Irish were mired in a seven-game losing streak, however ND has rebounded to win three of four including a thrashing of Louisville and a road win against Providence to make things interesting yet again. At 6-8 inthe Big East, they certainly have work left to do, and it starts tonight with a game they can not afford to slip up on against Rutgers.

As for Rutgers, playign out the string of another season is not sitting well for fans. The Scarlet Knights are 1-13 and in Fred Hill's third season, fans are quickly growing tired once again of the lackof success on the court. Some recruiting excitement lifted expectations heading into the season, but the continued losing ways will quickly wipe away any of that momentum.

Rutgers is led by freshman shooting guard Mike Rosario and classmate Greg Echenique has manned the paint adequately this season. While those two are certainly the building blocks for the future, they need help. The season long struggles on the court of Corey Chandler have been very evident by his drop in production and effectiveness after a promising, yet injury-plagued freshman season. Mike Coburn, another sophomore, is coming off a solid outing in their 74-56 loss versus WVU on Sunday, but he has not built on a solid frosh campaign either. Seniors Jaron Griffin and JR Inman continue to underachieve as their time on the floor seems to vary from half to half. Senior point guard Anthony Farmer has been solid throughout, but the lack of player pushing him for time does not give one much hope for a brighter future anytime soon for RU.

Luke Harangody continues to be a double-double machine and that is not likely to slow down against Rutgers. While the shot-blocking ability of Hamady N'Diaye and length of Inman might cause Harangody some difficulty at times, it is nothing greater than what he usually sees and is unlikely to deter him from racking up the points and rebounds. Teams are able to expose 'Gody defensively and wear him down to make him less efficient on offense, but RU seems adverse to going inside on offense, so do not expect them to challege the reigning Big East Player of the Year on that end of the floor.

With Rutgers likely in a 'playing out the string' mode at this point in time, do not be surprised to see Kyle McAlarney and Ryan Ayers finding open spaces to 'tee-it-up' from beyond the arc. When they get time, they are deadly. The Irish offensive abilities will carry them a long way against RU in this game.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Notre Dame 84
Rutgers 65


Irish Still Have Shot to Salvage NCAA Hopes (Post-Tribune)
Patience Pays Off for Notre Dame Bench Players (Chicago Tribune)
Notre Dame Not Taking Rutgers Lightly (Star-Ledger)
Fighting Irish Not Giving Up on NCAA's (Asbury Park Press)
Ejection Reaction Positive for Nash (South Bend Tribune)

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ RUTGERS

February 22, 2009


West Virginia has won three of their last four games to move to 7-6 in the Big East and 18-8 overall. All three of those wins came at home and now they embark on a three-game road swing of winnable games, but they have lost their last three conference road games.

The first opponent for WVU in this road swing is the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers, who are 1-12 in Big East play. The game is a homecoming of sorts for junior small forward Da’Sean Butler and forward Wellington Smith, a pair of Jersey natives in the WVU starting line-up.

Huggins Sees No Let Down at Rutgers (Times West Virginian)
WVU Hits Road for Three Games (Times West Virginian)
Rutgers’ Frosh Sensation (Charleston Gazette)

West Virginia finds themselves in a pretty good position heading into the Big East stretch drive. They have climbed over .500 in the conference and they have a favorable slate to close out, even with the next three on the road.

The WVU toughness and willingness to defend and rebound should serve them well against Rutgers. Expect them to hold a lead throughout with Da’Sean Butler and Alex Ruoff leading the way like upperclassmen should.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 76
Rutgers 64

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RUTGERS TRAVELS TO MEET VILLANOVA

February 19, 2009



Villanova's hot streak was interrupted on Friday night when they were thumped by West Virginia in Morgantown. The Wildcats had won six games in a row entering that game, including hanging 102 points on Syracuse and Marquette in back to back wins before the 93-72 loss at WVU.

Jay Wright's squad is now 8-4 in the Big East and 20-5 overall. They returned everyone of signficance from a club that last season went to the Sweet 16 as a 12-seed and this year they should certainly be looking at a seed anywhere between a 3 or a 6 in the NCAA Tournament.

On the other side of tonight's ledger is Rutgers. It is another disappointment for Fred Hill's squad, although this season was supposed to be different. Expectations were rising for Hill's program as he entered his third season with some solid returning players and some highly regarded recruits. Unfortunately, results on the court have not come very quickly and RU is in real danger of having their worst season yet under Hill.

Rutgers is currently 1-11 in the Big East and suffered out of conference losses, at home, to St. Bonaventure, Lehigh and Binghampton. In three season as Rutgers' head coach, Hill is 6-42 in Big East conference games. OUCH!


Here are some pregame stories and previews from the web:

Villanova's Wright Hopes Big Loss Woke Team Up (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Villanova's Reynolds Gives Team Whatever it Needs (Philadelphia Daily News)
Colonia's Donnely Now Helping 'Nova (mycentraljersey.com)

Not so long ago, Fred Hill recruited New Jersey to the benefit of Jay Wright. Hill was a key part of Wright's staff and was the lead recruiter fr players such as Randy Foye, helping Villanova reach the Elite 8. Now Hill is recruiting Jersey for the benefit of his own program and had some impressive success the last couple years with players such as Corey Chandler, Greg Echenique and Mike Rosario. However, recruiting success has not brough success on the court as of yet and the Scarlet Knights are scuffling through another losing season. The continued losing has also slowed down the recruiting momentum as well.

Last season, Rutgers surprised a nationally ranked Villanova squad in the RAC. With everyone back for the Wildcats, they will certainly remember that result as they prepare to meet the Knights this season. This time the game is at the cozy Pavilion on the VU campus.

Villanova is likely to attack the ballhandling and decision-making defeciencies of Rutgers directly. Guards Corey Fisher, Scottie Reynolds and Reggie Redding are all strong defensively and they will extend pressure to take RU out of their offense. In the paint, Dante Cunningham will use his shooting touch to move inside and out to score points.

Rutgers will need a hot-shooting performance from Mike Rosario as well as other players to step up offensively. The interior players such as Echenique, Hamady N'Diaye and JR Inman should be able to find some success in the paint against a smaller Villanova line-up, but the trick is to get them the ball, something the RU guards have been unable to do with any consistency this season.

Villanova is an 18 1/2-point favorite tonight on their home floor. Their combination of hot shooting and pressure defense will be a very tough combination for RU to handle away from home.

NBE Blogger Preview:

Villanova 90
Rutgers 68

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS @ PROVIDENCE

February 14, 2009


On Saturday evening, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights head to Providence to take on Keno Davis’ Friars. Rutgers has been off since last Sunday’s home loss to rival Seton Hall. RU is now just 1-10 in Big East play this season. Providence snapped a three-game losing streak with a 77-62 win at South Florida, pushing their Big East record to 7-5.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on the game:

PC Can’t Afford to Slip Against Downtrodden Rutgers (Providence Journal)
Capsule Preview: Rutgers @ PC (Providence Journal)
PC’s Postseason Hopes May Hinge on Strong Regular Season Finish (Providence Journal)

Well, it is year #3 of the Fred Hill era and, despite the addition of McDonald’s All-American Mike Rosario and highly touted 6-foot-9 Greg Echenique, things are not looking much different than year’s #1 and #2. In fact, this season has a real chance at being the worst yet, a very disappointing, but very real, possibility.

In Big East play under Hill, the Scarlet Knights are a pathetic 6-41, good for a .128 winning percentage. Once again, it is an anemic offense that is the root of their struggles. In Big East play, Rutgers manages just 0.948 points per possession. That would be an offense that ranked 266th in the NCAA and be the worst among all major conference teams. While Providence is certainly not going to win any defensive awards, the RU offense is more of a tonic for the PC defense than the PC defense for the RU offense.

On their home floor, PC can definitely score some points and they have plenty of scoring options, while Saturday’s opponent seems to rely solely on Mike Rosario to shoot them into games. On the road, this is probably not a good game plan to follow.

As for the Friars, like the South Florida game, PC needs to avoid any possibility of slipping up in this game to remain in the top half of the conference and to keep their slim NCAA Tournament hopes alive. With their best non-conference win coming against the A-10’s Rhode Island, the importance of finishing up strong in the Big East is not lost on Keno Davis.

“I think finishing in the top half is very important because if you don’t finish in the top half, you have to have a very good RPI or a very good non-conference coming in,” Davis said in the Big East coaches conference call this week. “Not many people have picked Providence to be one of the top division teams and right now we are. That’s a nice spot to be in and we control our own destiny if we’re going to be in the top half of this league.”

Winning on Saturday is another step in securing that possibility and give them 8 league wins. With Louisville, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, before finishing with a rematch against Rutgers and then a conference finale with Villanova ahead on the schedule, this is a most-win game for the Friars.

While Rutgers will likely scrap and try to get physical, the Friars will have too much offense and the offensive struggles of the Scarlet Knights are likely to prevent them from keeping up in this one.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Providence 78
Rutgers 63

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SETON HALL @ RUTGERS

February 8, 2009

It is already time for the rematch between Garden State rivals on Sunday when Rutgers and Seton Hall square off at high noon at the RAC. Just 10 days earlier, Seton Hall held off a late Rutgers rally for a 70-67 win in the always hotly contested match-up.

Seton Hall is riding the momentum of a three-game winning streak in the contest which has been largely thanks to the extremely hot hand of Jeremy Hazell. The sophomore scorer-extraordinaire scored 35 in the win over Rutgers, with 28 coming in the second half. In his last outing, a 91-81 SHU win over St. John’s, Hazell scored 31 more.

Rutgers finally got their first Big East win of the year as they beat up on punching bag DePaul last weekend. They followed that up with a 57-47 setback at Georgetown and now face their rivals, looking for revenge from the earlier defeat.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on the game:

Friendly Rivals (Asbury Park Press)
Mike Rosario is Still Working Hard for Rutgers as SHU Comes to the RAC (NJ.com)
RU vs. SHU: The Sequel (mycentraljersey.com)

We keep waiting for Rutgers to show some progress and improvement in Fred Hill’s third season as head coach. The Scarlet Knights were 2-14 and 3-15 in his first two seasons and there was some hype surrounding this year’s club with the additions of Mike Rosario and Greg Echenique. However, it has not translated into success on the court as RU is just 1-9 in the Big East this season.

Rosario has done his part as one of the top freshman in the Big East, unfortunately, the team around him often plays in a dysfunctional manner with little flow on offense and often playing into the opponents preferred style.

Seton Hall will try and get Rutgers into their manic style of basketball. That is often easier done at home than on the road where the crowd and officials can be more favorable to tilt the game in their favor. Now, they will have to get back onto the road and see if their momentum of three straight wins will carry over.

The Pirates just finished a four-game home stand, winning their last three, and now face RU and DePaul on the road before the schedule toughens once again. They certainly have some impressive offensive talent, now they will have to come together on the road for a win.

The college basketball lines this morning show Rutgers as a 1 ½-point favorite on their home floor. While SHU looks to be the better team, Rutgers is likely to play this game as it is their season on their home floor. Look for the Knights to come out with a win, in a very intense battle between the two Jersey schools of the Big East.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Rutgers 73
Seton Hall 70

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS HITS ROAD AGAINST HOYAS

February 3, 2009


It is now or never got John Thompson III and his Georgetown Hoyas. If they can not snap out of their funk tonight in the Verizon Center when they host Rutgers, it might never happen this year.

Georgetown has lost five games in a row and now sit at 3-6 in the Big East at the halfway mark of conference play. They return home after an 0-3 road swing that included losses at Seton Hall, Cincinnati and Marquette.

Rutgers snapped their own nine-game losing streak with a 75-56 drubbing of DePaul at the RAC this weekend. It was the first conference win for the Knights who are 1-8 in conference play.


Here are some pre-game stories and previews from around the internet this morning:

At Big East Midpoint, Hoyas Face Steep Climb (Washington Post)
Knights Draw Sliding Hoyas (Asbury Park Press)

Georgetown did get injured DaJuan Summers back for their game against Marquette over the weekend. The Hoyas' leading scorer had missed the entire second half with an injured ankle the previous game, a loss to Cincinnati, and was listed as doubtful for the game with the Golden Eagles. Summers helped the struggling Hoya offense with a team-high 22 points and Chris Wright added his best performance in a while with 19 points and 8 assists.

However, on a day they got some offense (was averaging just 58 points in their previous three losses), Georgetown could not stop Marquette from scoring in the 94-82 loss. The game was tied at 42 at halftime, but the quickness of Marquette was too much for Georgetown as they committed 27 fouls and were outscored 30-8 from the foul line. So, despite shooting 56% from the field and hitting 10 of 20 from three-point range, it was another loss for the Hoyas.

Rutgers won the Big East Super(bad) Bowl on the eve of the Big Game by keeping DePaul (0-9) winless in the conference. Led by Mike Rosario and Jaron Griffin's season-high 16 points a piece, RU cemented the place of the Blue Demons in the conference basement.

Georgetown is listed as a 16 1/2-point favorite in the latest NCAA basketball betting odds. The line seems to be dead-on, but could be skewed with the early season effeciency numbers of the Hoyas which have not been the same of late.

Rutgers seems dysfunctional at times on the floor with poor decisions and gameplanning, but they do seem to play hard and they can utilize some size that might give the Hoyas some trouble at times. Georgetown definitely has more talent, especially in the starting line-up, but their lack of depth and inside muscle could keep Rutgers hanging around, at least a little bit.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 76
Rutgers 63

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: DEPAUL @ RUTGERS

January 31, 2009


Well, something has to finally give here. DePaul travels to New Jersey to take on Rutgers in a battle between the last remaining winless teams in Big East play. Both the Scarlet Knights and Blue Demons are 0-8 in conference play.

Here are some pregame stories and previews:

Rutgers-DePaul Scouting Report (Asbury Park Press)
Blue Demons Head East to Rutgers (bluedemons.com)

Thus far this season, Rutgers has proven to be an enigma, as their talent does not seem to be matching their results. DePaul, on the other hand, just seems to be plain old bad.

Even though it was a stretch to think RU was going to compete for a spot in the top half of the league, they seemed to have a mix of potential and experience that could make them dangerous, but their 0-8 start in the league has things looking bleak.

DePaul has already been swept by South Florida, losing both handily, so we see where their standing in the conference currently is. Mac Koshwal and Dar Tucker are good players and will be matched against Mike Rosario and Greg Echenique of RU. The supporting casts for each team have been a disappointment, but the group at Rutgers should be the difference in this game.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Rutgers 66
DePaul 60

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS @ SETON HALL

January 29, 2009


The battle of New Jersey in the Big East will commence tonight in Newark at the Prudential Center, aka 'the Rock', as Seton Hall will welcome in Rutgers.

This is as true of a rivalry game as there is. In many cases, it is the fans that get worked up for a rivalry game, but this is one that the players, coaches and everyone else associated with each school and program has a deep desire to win.

Last season the two teams split their two meetings, each winning on the other's home court in thrilling fashion. The second meeting, the RU win at Seton Hall, set off quite an interesting post-game with Bobby Ganzalez's tantrum toward the officials that led to his one-game suspension that was served in their conference-opening loss to Syracuse last month. From the handshake between the coaches after the game to the postgame comments, this was a rivalry game that meant something.

Here are some pregame stories and previews from the internet this morning on the game:

Rutgers' Farmer is Approaching 1,000 Points, but all he Wants are Wins (Press of Atlantic City)
Rutgers, Seton Hall Reunite at the Rock (Asbury Park Press)
Rutgers, Seton Hall Excited to Renew Rivalry (Star-Ledger)
Scouting Report for Rutgers-Seton Hall (Asbury Park Press)
SHU Not Taking Rutgers Lightly as RU Looks for First Big East Win
Rutgers Freshman Rosario Makes Most of Transition (NY Times)

Never mind the fact that Rutgers and Seton Hall have a combined Big East W/L record of 1-13. Records will mean very little for the two+ hours that the Scarlet Knights and Pirates will battle tonight in Newark. One could be undefeated and the other winless and this game would still be a battle that will have fans from both schools at the edge of their seats.

There is no question that Rutgers has been a disappointment. While most reasonable prognosticators felt Rutgers would win six, maybe seven in the Big East this season, they are looking like a team that will struggle to exceed last year's total of three conference wins, even matching that will be difficult if they do not find a way to pull out a win very soon.

With star Jersey recruits in Mike Rosario and Greg Echenique making the highly publicized decisions to stay in the Garden State for their college careers, Fred Hill's program was one many thought would begin to rise from the ashes of the Big East cellar. The duo was to join sophomores Corey Chandler and Mike Coburn, junior Hamady N'Diaye and seniors JR Inman and Anthony Farmer to form a line-up capable of playing with the top teams, winning their share against the middle of the pack and pulling themselves out of the bottom. So far, none of that has happened.

While the schedule has not been much of a help, RU has not helped themselves by losing by double-digits on the roas to St. John's and Cincinnati. When looking at RU, you can't really pinpoint their biggest weakness other than they do not have 'it.' What exactly 'it' is can vary from one explanation to the next, but this team seems to have some form of a dis-connect somewhere, which leads to the poor results. Progress was needed in the third year of Fred Hill's tenure, not an 0-7 start with a season looking to be going down the drain quickly like his previous two, and with it is likely any recruiting momentum built with the signings of Echenique and Rosario.

Seton Hall picked up their first conference win on Saturday with a 65-60 win over slumping and floundering Georgetown. The Pirates have also not had much luck with a tough early conference schedule, but they also had lost two of their last three out of the conference to the likes of IUPUI (home) and James Madison (away). The schedule eases significantly now with Rutgers twice in 11 days and St. John's at home in the middle and DePaul following the second meeting with RU. That is as winnable of a four game stretch any team will face in the Big East this season and the Georgetown win has given Bobby Gonzalez's team a new thrust of energy.

The Pirates are led by long-range bomber Jeremy Hazell and forward Robert 'Stix' Mitchell going inside and out. Point guard Eugene Harvey runs the show with defensive dynamo Paul Gause, the lone SHU senior, teamming in the backcourt with him.

Where the Pirates are really thin is the frontcourt where oft-injured John Garcia, the under-performing Mike Davis (fouled out in two minutes against Georgetown) and the still-developing Brandon Walters make up the ranks. Walk-on Matt Cajuste has been getting playing time lately to help counter the lack of depth.

Will Rutgers take advantage of their size advantage with JR Inman, Echenique and N'Diaye inside? They have been too content much of the season to let Rosario shoot them into, or just as easily, out of games. Rosario will likly bethe target of the SHU defense and the fans. If RU can find some sort of balance offensively, they would be helping themselves out tremendously.

In the end, SHU seems to have the confidence in themselves and each other, despite the losses. I do not see that with Rutgers. If RU is off to a slow start, it could be lights out for the game...and their season...

Seton Hall is a 7 1/2-point favorite in this game tonight.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Seton Hall 74
Rutgers 65

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS @ ST. JOHN'S

January 24, 2009

Rutgers, 0-6 in Big East play, will look for their first conference win tonight when they travel into the Big Apple to take on St. John’s at Carnesecca Arena. The Redstorm were left reeling after collapsing down the stretch in a 71-60 loss against Cincinnati Thursday night. The ‘storm had an 11-point lead in the second half, put were outscored 31-9 to finish the game.

One has to wonder how St. John’s will rebound from that loss with such a short turnaround. Luckily for the Redstorm, Rutgers has enough of their own problems that will probably make sure this is a competitive ball game.

One thing SJU will do is defend. They play tough on the defensive side of the ball and will look to pressure the Rutgers backcourt into mistakes and forced shots. The RU offense is nearly entirely centered and dependent on Mike Rosario connecting from the perimeter. That is a lot of pressure for a freshman on the road who will face a pretty good defensive team.

However, SJU has their own ballhandling concerns with point guard Malik Boothe out with an injury and freshman Quincy Roberts running the show. While SJU is at home, there is something that keeps telling me that Rutgers is not as bad as their 0-6 record would indicate. After being thoroughly embarrassed by Louisville on their home floor this week, I look for a more urgent performance and the front court trio of Greg Echenique, Hamady N’Diaye and JR Inman to control the paint on both ends of the floor. If Mike Rosario does not shoot the Knights out of it, I like for them to come up with a surprise and win one on the road, even if the college basketball odds tell me I am wrong by listing SJU as the 4 ½-point favorite at home.


NBE Blogger Prediction:

Rutgers 67
St. John’s 64

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS HOSTS LOUISVILLE

January 21, 2009


Louisville will hope to extend their 4-0 start in Big East play while preventing Rutgers (0-5) from earning their first conference of the year.

The Cards come in hot after beating Notre Dame and knocking Pittsburgh from their top-ranked perch last week. Now, ahead of a date in the Carrier Dome against Syracuse this weekend, Louisville travels to take on Rutgers at the RAC.

Rutgers continues to sputter in the third year of the Fred Hill era. There was some new excitement around the program heading into the season as the Scarlet Knights added McDonalds All-American Mike Rosario and highly toured Greg Echenique to a line-up that had some solid returning players. However, much like the first two years under Hill, wins have been hard to come by in the Big East. Hill is now just 5-34 in Big East games as a head coach. With a new athletic director soon to be coming on board, the pressure on Hill and his staff to find some wins is sure to mount.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the internet:

Rutgers Game Not a Trap Game to Cardinals (Louisville Courier-Journal)
Pitino Talks About Rutgers Match-up (Courier-Journal)
It's Apparent Cards Possess a T-Will to Win (Courier-Journal)
Pitino Pep Talk Charged Cards After Tough Loss (Kentucky.com)
Former St. Benedict's Stars Echenique and Samuels to Face Off Tonight (Star-Ledger)
Echenique, Samuels Meet Again (Asbury Park Press)

Although Louisville is saying all the right things, it is only natural to have a letdown tonight. That does not mean Rutgers is an 'upset' alert or the Cards will not win handily, but after the two tough games at home last week, overtime win over Notre Dame and stirring comeback against Pitt, the Cards probably need to take a breath and come up for air...and, with SU looming ahead this weekend, they might be taking that breath tonight.

On the flip side, and this makes this conference SOOOO tough, Rutgers is desperate for a win, playing at home against a hot opponent with a lofty national ranking, Rutgers will come out firing on all cylinders.

However, when the game gets settled down, Louisville's talent will take over. Senior Terrence Williams has assumed command of the UL ship and is coming off an MVP-worthy week where he compiled 24 points, 16 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals against ND and then followed it up with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in the win over Pittsburgh. Rutgers' Corey Chandler will have his hands full on both ends of the floor with T-Will.

Rutgers put a scare into Pitt and Marquette on their home floor and will look to do so against Louisville tonight. Mike Rosario scored 22 against both Pitt and MU, but in the other three conference losses, the former McDonald's AA is shooting just 12-50 (24%) from the floor overall and 5-28 (18%) from three-point range. He has totalled 36 points on those 50 shot-attempts.

Rosario certainly has the confidence to make 'the next one' and the green light to do so, but often times it looks to be at the expense of getting the ball inside. In those very same three losses, Greg Echenique, Hamady N'Diaye and JR Inman have combined for 51 field goal attempts (one more than Rosario) and 75 points. So, where should the RU coaching staff be trying to get more scoring opportunities from?

In the end, Louisville will have the better game plan and their constant defensive pressure should prey on the Rutgers backcourt that is prone to make poor decisions and force shots when panicked. The oddsmakers have pegged Louisville as a 10 1/2 point favorite on the road. At times I think RU will make a few runs to make it somewhat interesting, but the Cards will turn it on when they need to in order to get the win, but a little closer than expected at the end.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 70
Rutgers 60

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS @ CINCINNATI

January 14, 2009


Rutgers and Cincinnati meet tonight in a Big East conference match-up between two schools looking for their first wins of the 2008-2009 conference season. Rutgers is zero for four in Big East play, losing at home to Pittsburgh, Marquette and, in their last game, Syracuse. They were also bombed by UConn, 80-49, in their lone road game.

The Bearcats are 0-3 in Big East play, losing on their home floor to Providence and Connecticut. To open Big East play, they were mauled on their road against Marquette.

Here are some pregame stories and previews from the web:

Time for Bearcats to get Ugly (Cincinnati.com)
UC, Rutgers Starved for Win (Cincinnati.com)
For Knights, Rebounding Will be the Key (Asbury Park Press)

The biggest culprit in UC's poor conference start has been their defense. The Bulls have surrendered an average of 84 points a game in the three conference games with opponents bombing away at a clip of 55% (35-64) from three-point range and the field overall (84-152).

Defense was the main ingredient for the Bearcats last season as they raced out to an 8-3 conference mark to begin conference play. However, a rotation that is on the inexperienced size, other than junior Deonta Vaughn, is not creating the defensive pressure that the previous team was able to do. Outside of Vaughn and the potential of freshman Yancy Gates, this is not a team that has the talent on offense to outscore Big East competition.

If your defense is ailing, Rutgers is usually a cure. However, other than their 49-point performance on the road against UConn, the Scarlet Knights are averaging just over 71 in their other conference games. Mike Rosario is leading the offensive improvment, but the key seems to be production from Corey Chandler, something that was not happening consistently in their pre-conference struggles early on.

Rutgers would be much better served if they would be able to get more production from the paint from Greg Echenique, Hamady N'Diaye and JR Inman. The trio has been effecient, but touches and opportunities have been limited as their backcourt has dominated the offensive chances.

Cincinnati can ill-afford to go 0-3 in this rare three-game conference homestand. A win could give the Bearcats some momentum as they hit the road for three games that are winnable with some improved play on the defensive side of the court. UC is an 8 1/2-point favorite on their home floor tonight according to the latest college basketball odds and they should come up with a win.

NBE Blogger Preview:

Cincinnati 69
Rutgers 62

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SYRACUSE @ RUTGERS

January 10, 2009


Every so often Rutgers rises from the depths of despair to pull out a few surprising wins at home at the RAC. And, more than once, Syracuse has been their victim. However, those wins have yet to come in the Fred Hill era, although, they have made a couple runs already in close losses to Pitt and Marquette at home early in conference play.

Syracuse has a killer 10-game stretch beginning next week. They look to close out this four game conference opening stretch with another win, but they can not afford to be looking past the Scarlet Knights who are itching to knock one of the big boys off.

Here are some game articles and previews from the web:

Chandler Excels on the Wing for RU (myCentralJersey.com)
Orange Scouting Report: Syracuse vs. Rutgers (Post-Standard)
Syracuse Heads to Rutgers on Saturday (Syracuse.com)
Orange Set for Scarlet Knights (Syracuse.com)
Super Frosh Chose Rutgers (Post-Standard)

This one might be an interesting game with a Saturday night RAC crowd ready for something positive to happen for their Scarlet Knights. RU has size inside to match up with Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson with Hamady N’Diaye and Greg Echenique starting and JR Inman coming off the bench. Corey Chandler will have his hands full with Paul Harris, but Chandler is not one to back down from a mano-y-mano challenge on the court. SU has a clear advantage at point guard with Jonny Flynn, although Anthony Farmer, a senior, has been playing pretty well at times this season. RU also has a zone buster in Mike Rosario who has the green light to shoot RU into (or, at sometimes out) of games.

The early college basketball odds have Syracuse as a road favorite of 7 ½ points. With SU 3-0 in the Big East and a brutal stretch coming, and the Scarlet Knights 0-3, it will be mighty hard for the Orange not to take a breath in this game and let their guard down. Eric Devendorf off the bench is likely to be the difference in tilting the game to SU’s favor as RU narrowly misses another upset.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 74
Rutgers 69

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: MARQUETTE @ RUTGERS

January 7, 2009


While Rutgers might be through with the brutal stretch of top 5 teams North Carolina, Pittsburgh and UConn, who were ranked 1, 2 and 3 when they played them, the Big East allows no breathers and next up for the Scarlet Knights is Marquette. The Golden Eagles will look to build on their best-ever 2-0 Big East start at the RAC tonight.

Here are some of the pregame stories and previews found on the web this morning:

Seniors Hoping to Avoid Letdown Against Rutgers (Journal-Sentinel)
Stats Don’t Tell Story for Knights (mycentraljersey.com)

Peeking ahead in your schedule is not hard to do in this league, but Marquette will try and concentrate at the task on hand tonight in New Jersey. The Scarlet Knights gave #1 ranked Pittsburgh all they could handle in their Big East opener on New Year’s Eve and that should certainly have the attention of the Golden Eagles this evening.

Marquette is coming off an 84-50 route of Cincinnati and if they unleash their defensive pressure from the outset, they could do something similar to RU. Jerel McNeal, Dominic James and Wesley Mathews have been excellent this season both offensively and defensively. In their last game, they held Deonta Vaughn scoreless against Cincinnati and will look to make life just as difficult tonight against RU freshman Mike Rosario, who seems to be the catalyst of the RU offense.

Marquette is not the biggest team in the conference and the Scarlet Knight could match-up very well in the frontcourt with Greg Echenique, Hamady N’Diaye and JR Inman, but they will only be as productive as their backcourt getting them the ball in position to score.

Marquette is a 9 ½ point favorite on the road, but look for RU to play this one tough. Marquette still pulls it out with more talent, but the young Knights will also use some of their experienced players and play well at home.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Marquette 70
Rutgers 63

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS @ CONNECTICUT

January 3, 2009


Rutgers completes their grueling three-game stretch on Saturday when they travel to Storrs (CT) to take on Connecticut in a Big East conference match-up on Saturday evening.

Rutgers has already lost to No. 1 North Carolina on Sunday and #3 Pittsburgh on Wednesday and now must face the second-ranked Huskies to finish an unprecedented three-game stretch. So far, as expected, RU is 0-2 in the stretch. However, they have shown some signs of improvements since dropping home contests to St. Bonaventure, Lehigh and Binghampton earlier in the pre-conference schedule. The Scarlet Knights lost at UNC 97-75 and hap Pitt on the ropes, with a 55-50 lead with just over 10 minutes left on New Year’s Eve before a 20-4 Panther run ended the hopes for an upset.

Connecticut fell from the ranks of the unbeaten when they were surprised by Georgetown at home in the conference opener Monday night in Hartford. The Hoyas took command early with a 15-1 run to start the game and they turned back every Husky run in the 74-63 victory.

Here are some pre-game stories and previews found on the internet this morning:

Rosario Brings Respectability to Rutgers (Bristol Press)
UConn Men Jump Back into Big East Battle (Connecticut Post)
Happy New Year; Sticks to Start, Rutgers Coming In (Hartford Courant)
A Line-up Change for UConn (TheDay.com)


Well, it did not take long, after one-loss, Stanley Robinson is back in the starting line-up and Craig Austrie will be coming off the bench. It was not too long ago that Robinson was an expendable piece of the UConn puzzle, but after Nate Miles was expelled from school and the NCAA decision on the Ater Majok eligibility continues to hang in the balance, the former sheet metal industry professional is back in Jim Calhoun’s starting line-up just three weeks after coming back into the program after a hiatus.

Rutgers will not be intimidated heading into Storrs, but a Jim Calhoun team coming off a loss in a game where he did not like their effort or toughness, the Scarlet Knights could be in some serious trouble. Rutgers is led by freshman scoring machine Mike Rosario, who has averaged 24 PPG the last two against UNC and Pitt, but the emergence of Corey Chandler from an early shooting slump seems to be a catalyst for their improved play.

Improvements or not, look for UConn to be personally challenged and motivated in this game. Jeff Adrien, Hasheem Thabeet and Stanley Robinson is an NBA-sized frontcourt and AJ Price and Jerome Dyson make up an excellent backcourt duo.

Look for a complete effort early on from the Huskies at both ends of the floor as they quickly put the memories on Monday’s beating behind them and put Rutgers, who is a 21 1/2–point underdog according to the latest college basketball odds away early on.

Prediction:

Connecticut 86
Rutgers 66

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: PITTSBURGH @ RUTGERS

December 31, 2008


The crazy week of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights continues on New Year's Eve as RU welcomes third ranked Pittsburgh to the RAC. Rutgers played No. 1 North Carolina on Sunday night and have Connecticut, currently ranked No. 2, on the schedule for Saturday. Rutgers lost the first leg of this three-game stretch 97-75 to UNC.

Pittsburgh has not played since December 21st when they won a tough, physical match-up at Florida State. It was the Panthers first true road game of the season and they got the win despite shooting just 33% from the floor and their floor general Levance Fields going just 1-10. Pitt showed they still had tough defense and strong rebounding, with DeJuan Blair second in the nation in rebounding average, but also Sam Young is a difference maker and his two late baskets keyed Pitt's win.

Here are some of the pre-game previews and stories found on the internet about the game:

Pitt Set to Open Big East Play Today (Tribune-Review)
Rosario, Woodall Enjoy Reunion (Tribune-Review)
Boys Hit the Big Time as Rosario, Woodall Reunite (SNY.tv)
Pitt Opens Big East Play at Rutgers (York Daily Record)

it is still hard for me to believe that Rutgers has lost to St. Bonaventure, Lehigh and Binghmpton at the RAC already this season. They have also struggled mightily against 5-9 Marist (winning by two) and 2-13 Delaware State (winning by 5) on their homecourt which is regarded as one of the tougher venues in the league.

With a roster that has added a pair of freshman all-americans in Mike Rosario and Greg Echenique to a line-up that had veteran upperclassmen in Anthony Farmer, JR Inman and Hamady N'Diaye as well as sophomores Corey Chandler and Mike Coburn who had some success individually as freshmen, this was supposed to be a stronger RU club, but something has yet to jive.

The Panthers come into the game with a 12-0 record, a no. 3 national ranking and a RPI ranking of #1. Pitt has a veteran leader at point guard n Levance Fields as well as a senior star in Sam Young. Also, star-in-the-making DeJuan Blair is a menacing rebounding in the paint.

Not forgotten to the Panthers is a stunning 77-64 home loss to the Scarlet Knights last season, an outcome that is likely to be reminded often to his players by Jamie Dixon. Pitt was without an injured Levance Fields in that contest.

Current college basketball odds show the Panthers as a 14 1/2-point road favorite. Rutgers is likely to play with some renewed energy and maybe even a little extra confidence from their game against UNC last Sunday. While the Pitt defense will likely be tougher and the conference atmosphere will mean a more intense game, RU should keep Pitt from running away with the win. The Panthers also must avoid looking ahead to their date with Georgetown this weekend.


Prediction:
Pittsburgh 67
Rutgers 55

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