Big East scores of interest

[GUHoya07]

Rutgers beats Norfolk State by only 5 points, 63-58.

Northwestern beats Seton Hall 53-44.

I don't expect us to finish 11th in this conference, and I hope I'm right.

[SpanishHoya]

Relative to the past previous years, the Big East has lost some early post-Big East games... (i.e. Syracuse in Jimmy V, Conn against Mass, etc, etc.. ) Only based on these early season struggles against opponents outside our conference, I predict we won't do as poorly as pre-season polls predict....as other have mentioned on this board, no BE truly scares me..

[ShimmyJr]

geez --> we should take both from Rutgers, even at the RAC - i mean they really suck...so do Louis Orr's SHU Pirates...I mean, that along with the Johnnies, and 6-10 is a VERY realistic record, if not better.

[jerseyhoya34]

SHU has talent on their squad. I wouldn't sell them short just yet.

That said, I think we definitely can pick off some of these teams in BE play.

[Joe Hoya]

BC beat Yale, 82-80. In DOUBLE OVERTIME.

Almost got 'em, Yalies. Yale led by ten at the half and couldn't hold on.

[ShimmyJr]

how does a team like Yale stop craig smith? well, actually after looking at the box score, i see that smith scored 29 --> so as long as we can keep smith to 20pts of so, there is no reason why we shouldn't lay the smack down on BC - really want to get them back for last season and for jetting for the ACC.

UCONN had their hands full with Rice today it looks like too...tho, when all is said and done, i think that UCONN, 'Cuse and Pitt will all be very, very good teams come february, and the rest of the Big East is fairly up for grabs in my opinion...

[DanMcQ]

Joe said:

BC beat Yale, 82-80. In DOUBLE OVERTIME.

Almost got 'em, Yalies. Yale led by ten at the half and couldn't hold on.

sorry - no sideline reports - missed this one to attend my daughter's CYO game instead - far more exciting...

however, BU almost got 'em, as did Holy Cross earlier this year... BC has not come together as a team yet, Hinnant (the starting PG) has been injured, and they play matador defense - giving up layups like they are on sale

[Joe Hoya]

My sister stuck around a couple days after finals to play at the game for the pep band. She IMed me as soon as she got back to her room:

Sister of Joe Hoya: WE ALMOST LOST TO (string of symbols) YALE!!
Joe Hoya: I know.
Sister of Joe Hoya: DOUBLE OVERTIME!! Like, I would have gone home if I'd known...
Joe Hoya: That you guys suck?
Sister of Joe Hoya: That it would be so stressful against YALE. And that we suck.
Joe Hoya: You should have watched the other Eagles play instead.
Sister of Joe Hoya: (checks NFL scores) THEY ALMOST LOST TO DALLAS?

::sigh:: I love sports. Kinda.

[bmartin]

Yale had a 42-35 rebounding margin.

[Bahstin]

"I would have gone home"

Pretty much sums up BC fans for me.

[Cambridge]

Amen bahstin

[Joe Hoya]

Well, to be fair, she doesn't follow the team too closely yet, she stuck around to play with the pep band. I suppose hanging with the band is more important than the game...puzzling, I know.

[hoyarooter]

BC may be playing matador defense in some of its game, but it didn't against UCLA. They completely clogged up the middle in the second half against UCLA, forced the Bruins to take a string of wild shots and commit numerous turnovers, and turned a 9 point second half deficit into an easy win.

[HoyaNyr320]

I just want to go on record as saying that BC's out of conference schedule is a joke this year. I know it doesn't get much worse than our O of C schedule last year, but at least we played a ranked team.

Here's their schedule and results:
Maine- W 72-58
New Hampshire- W 84-62
Clemson- W 79-70
LIU(?!!!)- W 87-46
at UCLA- W 74-64
Holy Cross- W 63-60 (2OT!!)
BU- W 80-74
Yale- W 82-80 (2OT!!)
Duquesne
Kent State
at Umass

Two things I notice right away- no ranked teams and their only real road game (I don't consider UMass a real road game because it's within an hour drive) was their trip to LA. I mean their tournament resume will consist of... Clemson and Kent State (who they could easily lose to.. especially if they had trouble with a Yale team that LOST BY 36 to NIAGRA!) In my opinion, even if they go undefeated out of conference, they have to go 10-6 in the Big East to impress me. My brother that goes to BC told me to "give this team time to gel". I for one think that they've already had 7 HOME GAMES(!) to do that. Hell, even our team looked like it had "gelled" last year towards the end of out of conference.

Bottom line, BC will be joining us in the NIT this year.

[Jack]

No one on BC's non-conference schedule is as bad as Norfolk St. or Citadel. Duquesne is A-10 and would be the top half of GU's non-conference slate. They have a lot of home games there, but the opponents are not terrible.

[GPHoya]

I was at the BC game yesterday and they announced at halftime that BC had the number one RPI ranking in the country. I heard the same thing from Ted Sarandis on WEEI while driving to the Yale game.

If true, there is clearly something wrong with the RPI formula.

That said, there is nothing wrong with BC's OOC schedule and a road win against UCLA and a home win against Clemson are both impressive. If Sean Williams can work out his rules violations issues, BC will be a solid Big East team this year and fully capable of winning 10 or more games in conference. Smith and Dudley are money players and Hinnant, Marshall, Hailey and Watson each have ability in the backcourt and collectively provide a lot of depth and experience. Dornekamp takes up space and Williams is a shot-blocker with offensive skills.

I did not see Holy Cross because I watched the Hoyas play Illinois at the Depot nor did I attend the BU or LIU games. Yale played well and has a decent starting five that capitalized on BC's lack of focus to out-hustle and out-rebound BC throughout. Though playing poorly against lesser competition, BC is still undefeated. A Hoya upset at Conte in January is not outside the realm of possibilities, but it will be an upset as I will be stunned if BC does not beat Georgetown by at least two games in the Big East standings this year.

Before I start bashing undefeated BC, I am much more curious about what is going on with Providence, Seton Hall and Rutgers. St John's is obviously down, though we seem unable to ever beat them. I still think 6-10 and an overall winning record will be a great achievement for this year's team, but we may be closer to a middle of the pack program that is going in the right direction than a cellar dweller without facilities, commitment or a plan. Not a bad achievement in the first month of the season.

[bmartin]

Officially, the UCLA game was on a neutral court (Anaheim), not at Paul(e)y. corrected

And New Hampshire is worse than Norfolk State or the Citadel according to Pomeroy.

[DanMcQ]

bmartin said:

Officially, the UCLA game was on a neutral court (Anaheim), not at Pauly.

Officially, it's Pauley, not Pauly. Pauley's the Pavilion, Pauly's the stand up comic cum movie 'actor'.



Forgive me, I couldn't resist.

[lichoya68]

glad to see the traitors bd leave may they spend great amounts of money in their travel budget and never get to a bcs bowl game and their basketball be doomed by the dukies et a. go hoyas eight and eight in the big east and im not taking drugs except for allergies.. go hoyas go far away bd may your hockey and sailing teams find much competion in the acc NOT have fun traveling down tobacco road go hoyas bye bye bc would love to beat them this last time but will be tough up their and craig smith but its the principle

[lichoya68]

thats bc not bd but i must have been thinking BAD go hoyas