BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (10/13/2008)
A few season preview articles found on Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, as well as looks at Cincinnati and West Virginia as they prepare to begin their seasons. An update on the qualifying status of John Riek is also available today.
A couple commitments to Big East schools happened over the weekend as Jeremy Tyler is heading east and you can check out our Cincinnati Team Blog site for news on their commitment from Sean Kilpatrick of Notre Dame Prep.
There is also a recruiting update on Givon Crump, who is back from an excellent official visit, and Dominic Cheek, who has shuffled his official visits a little bit. We also have a look at a key rule change for 2008-2009 and an update on the search for Mike Tranghese’s successor as commissioner of the Big East Conference.
A good article in Sunday’s South Bend Tribune on Notre Dame basketball as the Irish enter the 2008-2009 season with high expectations. This year’s squad will not be sneaking up on anyone after two strong seasons in ‘06-07 and ‘07-08. In those preseasons, the Irish were picked 11th and 9th in the Big East, a far cry from this year where they are a title contender and picking up many top 10 national rankings. ND Hoops is Solid, but Next Step Awaits and questions will need to be answered along the way for the Irish to challenge for that ‘next step.’
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Speaking of the ‘next step’, that is also a theme for Pittsburgh as the Panthers are Motivated to Advance Deeper in NCAA Tournament (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) as they return Sam Young, Levance Fields, DeJuan Blair and Co. from last year’s 27-win, Big East Tournament Championship squad. With four Sweet 16’s, six Big East Tournament final appearances and two BET championships in the last seven years, deeper runs in the Big Dance are all that is missing from the Pitt resume. This year, that seems to be the overwhelming motivation for a team that is ranked by many in the top two or three in the country as they prepare to hit the practice court this week to prepare for their November 14th season opener with FDU.
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The arrival of John Riek to Cincinnati is still unknown as Riek’s Test Score Doesn’t Make the Deadline (FoxSports.com) for him to be eligible for the first semester. There has not been a determination if he has, or has not, received a qualifying score, but the score from his attempt from September has not posted at this time. Riek will continue to rehab his knee which had surgery early this summer at IMG Academy in Florida. Riek, a 7-foot-2 center, originally from Sudan, is not expected to be healthy enough to play in game competition until at least January if declared eligible.
With or without John Riek this season, the Bearcats are Ready to Play Hoops (Cincinnati Enquirer) as Mick Cronin looks to move up the standings and begin to challenge in the Big East in his third year as the UC head coach.
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West Virginia kicked off their basketball season a bit early (a hot topic around the country as Early Madness Irritates Some Coaches, according to FoxSports.com) with their early ‘Midnight Madness’ event Friday night for the public to come and see. It was the much anticipated debut of coach Bob Huggins’ touted freshman class as the quintet (Devin Ebanks, Kevin Jones, Darryl ‘Truck’ Bryant and Dee Proby) did not disappoint. The three freshman (Ebanks, Jones and Bryant) are expected to play major roles this season and the Goofy Frosh are Truly Bursty (Charleston Gazette), which allows them to fit right in.
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Saturday night the news was reported in our Louisville Recruiting Report that the Cards Bag Another Big Man (Louisville Courier-Journal) with the commitment of San Diego big man Jeremy Tyler. The 6-foot-9 BF/C is one of the top prospects in the nation for the class of 2010.
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Dominic Cheek has re-shuffled his official visit schedule a little bit as Cheek Sets Pitt Visit (ZagsBlog.net) and a trip to Memphis is up in the air at this point. Cheek will visit Kansas this coming weekend (10/17) for ‘Late Night in the Phog’ and then follow that up with a trip to Villanova the weekend of October 24th. Cheek will be in Pittsburgh to ‘trick-or-treat’ as his Pitt visit is scheduled to begin on Halloween (10/31). Visit dates for Memphis and Indiana have not been set, and there is still the possibility of unofficial visits for local schools such as Seton Hall and Rutgers.
The early signing period runs November 12th through the 19th.
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One final recruiting note, a source with knowledge of the situation informs NBE that Brewster Academy wing Givon Crump had a very good visit this weekend to South Florida. Crump is scheduled to visit Rutgers this week and has also completed official visits to Oregon State and Baylor.
As the college basketball season is just around the corner and teams begin official practices this week, one of the rule changes to watch is the impact of the new three-point arc, which has been extended a foot from the previous 19-feet-9 inches we have come to know. We will see how College Players Adjust to Longer Three-Point Attempts (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) and how much of an impact it has on other aspects of the game.
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The New Jersey Star-Ledger has the latest names involved in the Big East search to replace commissioner Mike Tranghese, who is stepping down after the 2008-2009 seasons are complete in the conference. The Big East hopes to have a replacement named prior to the New Year and the Big East Search Includes Tim Pernetti, a former Rutgers tight end.
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