Post by elp525 on Mar 12, 2010 5:40:19 GMT -5
March 12, 2010
Despite loss, Syracuse likely to stay a No. 1 seed
By Dave Hickman
Staff writer
NEW YORK - This is not quite the way Jim Boeheim envisioned going into the NCAA tournament, not after the season Syracuse just enjoyed.
Yet after losing in the Big East quarterfinals to Georgetown Thursday afternoon, he didn't sound all that shocked. In fact, the Orange coach is actually excited to have league play over and face someone new.
"Teams in our league at this stage of the year know how to attack us,'' Boeheim said after Syracuse lost 91-84 to the Hoyas. "We're looking forward to getting out and playing somebody that hasn't seen us.''
The loss by Syracuse - only the sixth by an overall No. 1 seed in its tournament opener in the league's 31 years - was the second straight for the Orange, which fell at Louisville in the regular-season finale last Saturday. That doubled the loss total this season for a team that last week was ranked No. 1 in the polls.
Still, it seems doubtful that the back-to-back defeats will significantly change SU's NCAA tournament seeding. The Orange (28-4) might slip down in the pecking order of No. 1 seeds, but it is unlikely Syracuse will fall to a No. 2.
And losing consecutive games won't diminish SU's optimism, either.
"No,'' Boeheim said. "Not at all.''
Georgetown, on the other hand, seems to be headed up. After dealing with Austin Freeman's diabetes diagnosis and losing four of five late in the season, the No. 22 Hoyas have now won three in a row in convincing fashion, beating Cincinnati in the regular-season finale by 27 points, South Florida by 20 and now No. 3 Syracuse.
And it wasn't as if the Hoyas beat a Syracuse team that played all that poorly. The Orange had 17 turnovers but shot 54 percent, stayed virtually even in rebounding and got 24 points from league player of the year Wes Johnson and 14 points and 10 assists from Andy Rautins.
But Georgetown also got a spectacular performance from two of its three stars - 27 points and six assists from guard Chris Wright and 15 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists from center Greg Monroe. Freeman also had 18 points and Jason Clark 17 for the Hoyas, who shot 69 percent in the second half and 58 percent for the game.
Naturally, while Syracuse is already looking forward to the NCAA tournament, Georgetown (22-9) has other matters to consider, beginning with today's 7 p.m. semifinal against Marquette.
"Next week seems like a long way away,'' said Clark. "But it's definitely a confidence boost. I don't think this team lacks confidence.''
And neither should Syracuse, according to Georgetown coach John Thompson III.
"A dangerous team? That's an understatement,'' Thompson said in regard to the Orange. "That team is still one of the best, if not the best, in the country despite [Thursday's] outcome.
"And do I expect to be a dangerous team? Absolutely.''
nn
The double-bye teams started out 0-for-2 when No. 10 Villanova was knocked off by hot-shooting Marquette, which shot much better from 3-point range (11-of-18, 61.1 percent) than on its attempts from inside the line (14-of-34, 41.2 percent).
Villanova had beaten Marquette by two points twice in early January. But the Wildcats, like Syracuse, did not finish the season strong, losing five of seven. One of those was a home defeat to West Virginia last Saturday.
"We've gotten better [during the break since the WVU loss],'' said Villanova guard Scottie Reynolds. "We didn't get good enough to win this game, but we got better since West Virginia.''
Villanova lost despite 22 points (including 6-of-7 on 3s) by Corey Stokes. Marquette was just too hot with Darius Johnson-Odom and David Cubillan, who combined to make eight of their 12 3s.
In Thursday's night games, second-seeded Pitt played Notre Dame before third seed West Virginia faced upstart Cincinnati.
nn
Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin tried to play on the kind-heartedness of Bob Huggins before he sent his Bearcats out to meet West Virginia in Thursday night's late quarterfinal game.
Not that Huggins listened, of course.
Cronin has worked in the past as an assistant to both Huggins at Cincinnati and to Rick Pitino at Louisville. He knocked off Pitino in the late Wednesday game 69-66 to earn a shot at WVU Thursday night. The Bearcats were the only team that played on Tuesday to survive until the quarterfinals, rekindling their faint NCAA tournament hopes.
"I have a great deal of love and affection for both [Pitino and Huggins]. But I need to win more. I'm younger,'' said Cronin. "Hopefully, they take that into account. They're both in the NCAA tournament. We need to keep winning. Hopefully, coach Huggins will feel my pain and help me out.''
The Bearcats were 18-14 heading into Thursday night's game with West Virginia and might need to win this week's tournament in order to get an NCAA bid. Perhaps making it to the finals would be enough, but that would require not only a win against WVU but another in tonight's semifinals. Cincinnati's biggest drawback might be a 7-11 league record during the regular season, which got it just a No. 11 seed this week.
Cronin knows that, but he also knows that winning games this week is just as valuable as winning league games during the season.
"Anybody who saw us play knows we're better than an 11th seed, but that's life in Big East basketball,'' Cronin said. "If you play in this conference and you win in this conference, you're going to be in the NCAA tournament. Your fate is decided in Big East play. So we'll just stay focused on this tournament. That's all we're worried about.''
Despite loss, Syracuse likely to stay a No. 1 seed
By Dave Hickman
Staff writer
NEW YORK - This is not quite the way Jim Boeheim envisioned going into the NCAA tournament, not after the season Syracuse just enjoyed.
Yet after losing in the Big East quarterfinals to Georgetown Thursday afternoon, he didn't sound all that shocked. In fact, the Orange coach is actually excited to have league play over and face someone new.
"Teams in our league at this stage of the year know how to attack us,'' Boeheim said after Syracuse lost 91-84 to the Hoyas. "We're looking forward to getting out and playing somebody that hasn't seen us.''
The loss by Syracuse - only the sixth by an overall No. 1 seed in its tournament opener in the league's 31 years - was the second straight for the Orange, which fell at Louisville in the regular-season finale last Saturday. That doubled the loss total this season for a team that last week was ranked No. 1 in the polls.
Still, it seems doubtful that the back-to-back defeats will significantly change SU's NCAA tournament seeding. The Orange (28-4) might slip down in the pecking order of No. 1 seeds, but it is unlikely Syracuse will fall to a No. 2.
And losing consecutive games won't diminish SU's optimism, either.
"No,'' Boeheim said. "Not at all.''
Georgetown, on the other hand, seems to be headed up. After dealing with Austin Freeman's diabetes diagnosis and losing four of five late in the season, the No. 22 Hoyas have now won three in a row in convincing fashion, beating Cincinnati in the regular-season finale by 27 points, South Florida by 20 and now No. 3 Syracuse.
And it wasn't as if the Hoyas beat a Syracuse team that played all that poorly. The Orange had 17 turnovers but shot 54 percent, stayed virtually even in rebounding and got 24 points from league player of the year Wes Johnson and 14 points and 10 assists from Andy Rautins.
But Georgetown also got a spectacular performance from two of its three stars - 27 points and six assists from guard Chris Wright and 15 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists from center Greg Monroe. Freeman also had 18 points and Jason Clark 17 for the Hoyas, who shot 69 percent in the second half and 58 percent for the game.
Naturally, while Syracuse is already looking forward to the NCAA tournament, Georgetown (22-9) has other matters to consider, beginning with today's 7 p.m. semifinal against Marquette.
"Next week seems like a long way away,'' said Clark. "But it's definitely a confidence boost. I don't think this team lacks confidence.''
And neither should Syracuse, according to Georgetown coach John Thompson III.
"A dangerous team? That's an understatement,'' Thompson said in regard to the Orange. "That team is still one of the best, if not the best, in the country despite [Thursday's] outcome.
"And do I expect to be a dangerous team? Absolutely.''
nn
The double-bye teams started out 0-for-2 when No. 10 Villanova was knocked off by hot-shooting Marquette, which shot much better from 3-point range (11-of-18, 61.1 percent) than on its attempts from inside the line (14-of-34, 41.2 percent).
Villanova had beaten Marquette by two points twice in early January. But the Wildcats, like Syracuse, did not finish the season strong, losing five of seven. One of those was a home defeat to West Virginia last Saturday.
"We've gotten better [during the break since the WVU loss],'' said Villanova guard Scottie Reynolds. "We didn't get good enough to win this game, but we got better since West Virginia.''
Villanova lost despite 22 points (including 6-of-7 on 3s) by Corey Stokes. Marquette was just too hot with Darius Johnson-Odom and David Cubillan, who combined to make eight of their 12 3s.
In Thursday's night games, second-seeded Pitt played Notre Dame before third seed West Virginia faced upstart Cincinnati.
nn
Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin tried to play on the kind-heartedness of Bob Huggins before he sent his Bearcats out to meet West Virginia in Thursday night's late quarterfinal game.
Not that Huggins listened, of course.
Cronin has worked in the past as an assistant to both Huggins at Cincinnati and to Rick Pitino at Louisville. He knocked off Pitino in the late Wednesday game 69-66 to earn a shot at WVU Thursday night. The Bearcats were the only team that played on Tuesday to survive until the quarterfinals, rekindling their faint NCAA tournament hopes.
"I have a great deal of love and affection for both [Pitino and Huggins]. But I need to win more. I'm younger,'' said Cronin. "Hopefully, they take that into account. They're both in the NCAA tournament. We need to keep winning. Hopefully, coach Huggins will feel my pain and help me out.''
The Bearcats were 18-14 heading into Thursday night's game with West Virginia and might need to win this week's tournament in order to get an NCAA bid. Perhaps making it to the finals would be enough, but that would require not only a win against WVU but another in tonight's semifinals. Cincinnati's biggest drawback might be a 7-11 league record during the regular season, which got it just a No. 11 seed this week.
Cronin knows that, but he also knows that winning games this week is just as valuable as winning league games during the season.
"Anybody who saw us play knows we're better than an 11th seed, but that's life in Big East basketball,'' Cronin said. "If you play in this conference and you win in this conference, you're going to be in the NCAA tournament. Your fate is decided in Big East play. So we'll just stay focused on this tournament. That's all we're worried about.''
