Big East In Review: South Florida

Stan Heath did more with less better than any other coach in Big East this past season at USF.  (Photo courtesy of Voodoo Five)


Before I go any further, let me preface this by saying that I picked the University of South Florida to finish last in the Big East back in October the same way many other people did.  How were we to know that the Bulls would end up advancing to the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament?  All speculation aside, USF truly was the Cinderella story in the Big East for the second time in three years; with Stan Heath, who in my five years has earned the distinction of being my favorite interview and the nicest guy you can ever cover, earning well-deserved conference Coach of the Year honors.


Maybe the Sun Dome should be renovated again next season.  With the Bulls forced to play most of their home games at the Tampa Bay Times Forum while their on-campus venue was being fixed, USF managed a 14-2 record between the home of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the University of Tampa.  Their opening contest in the conference, a 60-57 loss to UConn that was eerily reminiscent of their overtime loss back in 2009, should have served as the foreshadowing of what was to come.  From that moment on, the Bulls won twelve of sixteen to vault themselves into the NCAA Tournament field (at least in this writer's opinion) going into the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden.  Yet here were the experts (I won't name names for the sake of being professional, but anyone and everyone who knows USF knows who the leader of this brigade is) maligning the Bulls' less than spectacular nonconference record, stating it would preclude them from a spot in the field of 68.  They should have known better.


After nearly defeating Notre Dame in the Big East tournament, head coach Stan Heath remarked that his team's style of play wasn't the most attractive, but that beauty was "in the eye of the beholder."  California found that out in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, when USF led 36-13 at halftime.  Victories over the Golden Bears and Temple before a loss to Ohio University got USF to a 22-14 record that hardly anyone expected would be the end result for a team still searching for a happy medium after Dominique Jones declared for the NBA two years prior.


What makes this team even more impressive was that the Bulls were a cast of role players by and large.  Think about this: USF did not have a single player averaging more than ten points per game, with senior big man Augustus Gilchrist (9.5 points per game) serving as the team leader.  When Gilchrist wasn't getting it done, two new faces made their presence known in a big way.  Swingman Victor Rudd, an Arizona State transfer, made his first impact by singlehandedly defeating St. John's back in January; while freshman Anthony "AC" Collins, despite being a rookie, solidified his reputation as one of the best point guards in the Big East by averaging over five assists to go with nine points per contest.  Junior forward Toarlyn Fitzpatrick blossomed with his extra playing time, becoming a sharpshooter off the bench with his 41 percent clip from beyond the arc, with Shaun Noriega and Blake Nash providing valuable offense in reserve roles as well.  Hugh Robertson and Ron Anderson Jr. may not have always filled up the box score, but both came to be known as high percentage shot takers that always made sure they were in the right place at the right time.  Then there was Jawanza Poland, who for all the missed layups, endeared himself to Bulls fans with his high-octane style.


Four players make their way to Tampa next season in a recruiting class that is headlined by swingman Musa Abdul-Aleem, a junior college transfer from Georgia.  The Bulls also get Waverly Austin should he be declared eligible, as well as forward Zach LeDay and shooting guard Javontae Hawkins, ranked 23rd at his position by Rivals.com.  Stan Heath's son Jordan, who was injured prior to the season and did not play, may also rejoin the team.  All in all, USF may not be the most exciting team to watch, but the Bulls got the job done.  Next season will hopefully provide more of the same.  If nothing else, all those (myself inclusive) who failed to take the Bulls seriously this season now have something to steer them in a positive direction if they make the same mistake again.

Big East In Review: Louisville

Rick Pitino still intends to celebrate after miraculous Final Four run with Louisville.  (Photo courtesy of New York Times)


Following a season last year in which his team had to use its managers during practice to make up for the multitude of injuries that had befallen them, Rick Pitino would have been more than satisfied with just getting Louisville back to the NCAA Tournament.  What he received was far greater than anyone would have expected.


Fresh off their second Big East championship in four years, the Cardinals went to their second Final Four under Pitino, disposing of former national champions Michigan State and Florida along the way before narrowly losing to Kentucky.  For a coach like Pitino who has taken four schools to the field of 68, and one of only two (John Calipari being the other) to guide three programs to a national semifinal, this latest run gives the 59-year-old even more of a case for the Hall of Fame induction he most certainly deserves.


"They made me really, really proud," said Pitino shortly after his team was eliminated last week by Kentucky.  This run was no different from last season, as several Louisville players were injured at one point or another; namely swingman Mike Marra, lost for the season just two games in.  With one of their shooting threats unavailable, Pitino's two seniors stepped up in more ways than one.  Kyle Kuric, a role player through each of his first three seasons, became the Cardinals' leading scorer with averages of 12.6 points per game and 33 percent from three-point range; while Chris Smith, a one-time Manhattan College transfer, shot 40 percent from beyond the arc and drained clutch shot after clutch shot during Louisville's run.  Fellow guard Russ Smith (no relation) averaged over eleven points per game off the bench in his sophomore campaign, and is well on his way to becoming the latest in a long line of exceptional Pitino guards.  Speaking of backcourt prospects, junior point man Peyton Siva had by far his finest season in the Commonwealth.  The Seattle native may have only averaged nine points per game, but his biggest strength lies within the way he facilitates the Cardinal offense.  With an average of close to six assists per game, Siva enters his final year as one of the best point guards in the Big East.  Louisville also has Wayne Blackshear back for a full season after the freshman wing made a significant impact down the stretch.


Up front, the Cardinals lose Jared Swopshire to graduation, but bring back Rakeem Buckles for one more year to provide depth for arguably two of the better forwards in the conference.  Chane Behanan will enter his sophomore season coming off a rookie year that saw him average over nine points and seven rebounds per contest while posing a matchup problem for opponents simply due to his brute strength.  Behanan will be joined by Senegalese sensation Gorgui Dieng, who comes off a dominant second campaign that saw the 6-10 big man average over three rejections per night to establish himself as the Big East's premier shot blocker.  Dieng backed it up offensively as well, with averages of 9.1 points and rebounds per game to give Pitino a solid six scoring threats on a team that went 30-10 when all the dust settled on a miracle season.


Louisville only has one commitment at the moment, and it comes from six-foot point guard Terry Rozier, who turned down Cincinnati and former Pitino disciple Mick Cronin to play for the Cardinals. Louisville also picks up the services of forward Luke Hancock, who sat out this past season after transferring from George Mason. Hancock is said to have impressed Pitino and his staff in practice thus far, and is considered a lock to be part of the starting five next fall.  Already ranked as high as second in some early preseason polls, Louisville already has a lot of momentum to build on for next season.  Hopefully for Cardinals fans, the team can stay healthy throughout the year and give Rick Pitino even more leverage for what will ultimately be a spectacular Hall of Fame career once he finally gets enshrined.

Big East In Review: West Virginia

Kevin Jones and Truck Bryant leave West Virginia and Big East with four NCAA Tournaments and a Final Four to their credit.  (Photo courtesy of Associated Press)


Since he returned to his alma mater in 2007, Bob Huggins has brought West Virginia to arguably its highest level of success as a basketball program on the heels of five consecutive NCAA Tournaments and a Final Four in 2010.  This year's Mountaineers team only went 19-14, but the toughness and grit symbolic of all Huggins teams was ever-present in this West Virginia bunch before, during and after their round of 64 loss to Gonzaga.


In what would be their final season in the Big East, the Mountaineers opened the season 9-3 before winning their conference opener against Villanova to start what looked like yet another run to a double bye in the Big East tournament.  A stretch in which West Virginia lost seven of nine before winning two straight to close the regular season prevented that from happening, but the Mountaineers still secured a single bye into the second round at Madison Square Garden, where they fell to 2011 national champion Connecticut in overtime.


Mount Vernon product Kevin Jones, a forward who over his four years became one of the most underrated players in the nation; leaves Morgantown upon his graduation next month, as does Brooklyn native Darryl "Truck" Bryant.  Together, Jones and Bryant formed one of the best senior one-two punches in the nation: An all-around talent inside coupled with a dynamic combo guard.  Jones' averages of nearly 20 points and 11 rebounds made him one of only two players in the Big East (Seton Hall's Herb Pope was the other) to average a double-double for the season, while Bryant's 16.9 points per game would be good enough to make him the leading scorer on several other programs in the conference.  Behind them, power forward Deniz Kilicli enjoyed his finest season in a West Virginia uniform, pulling in nearly eleven points and over five rebounds per contest.


A Bob Huggins team is nonexistent without its several role players, and none filled that important piece of the puzzle more than freshman Gary Browne.  Underrated at the start of the season, Browne proved several critics wrong as the Mountaineers' campaign went on; not only averaging nearly three assists per game off the bench as a backup to fellow freshman Jabarie Hinds, but also singlehandedly winning a crucial game against conference rival Cincinnati with his clutch heroics.  The aforementioned Hinds, a product of Bob Cimmino's Mount Vernon High School program just like Kevin Jones, averaged over seven points and three assists per night in his first season at the controls of Huggins' offense.  In limited action, Aaron Brown proved himself to be a very capable scorer and shooter whose numbers translate to ten points and seven rebounds per game when adjusted for 40 minutes.  Brown also shot 39 percent from three-point range.


West Virginia leaves the Big East for the Big 12 this summer, and will almost certainly be projected to finish within the top half of their new conference, which includes rivals the likes of Kansas, Baylor and Texas among others.  Three new faces will also make their way into Morgantown, headlined by 6-9 forward Elijah Macon.  Macon, who could become the replacement to Jones over time, turned down offers from fellow Big East institutions Cincinnati and Pittsburgh to suit up for the Mountaineers.  He will be joined in the rookie class by a pair of shooting guards in 6-3 Eron Harris of Indianapolis and 6-5 North Carolina product Terry Henderson, both of whom were heavily recruited at the mid-major level.  Harris and Henderson are listed as three-star prospects by Rivals.com, which also ranks Macon as 57th overall in the nation among 2012 recruits.  West Virginia is looking at a new conference and new face of the team next season, but with the core of last year's group back, don't be surprised to see the same end result from Bob Huggins and company.

Big East In Review: Connecticut

Jeremy Lamb was one of few bright spots during emotional UConn season one year following Huskies' third national championship.  (Photo courtesy of Hartford Courant)


Last year, the University of Connecticut accomplished something that may never be duplicated, winning their last eleven games during the Big East and NCAA Tournaments to deliver the third national championship in program history to Storrs.  Seven months later, UConn was a different team following the departure of Kemba Walker to the NBA.  However, in typical UConn fashion, the Huskies soldiered on through a season in which the description of "roller coaster year" could be best described as an understatement.


Connecticut started the season 10-1 before opening conference play without the services of Hall of Fame head coach Jim Calhoun, who was suspended for the team's first three Big East games for the Nate Miles scandal that Calhoun had absolutely nothing to do with directly.  Associate head coach George Blaney, who once guided Seton Hall through the Big East in the 1990s, was made the interim boss.  Calhoun eventually returned, but took medical leave in February after being diagnosed with spinal stenosis; and with Blaney taking over until the Hall of Famer returned on March 3rd against Pittsburgh, the Huskies had suddenly lost 11 of 16 games to find themselves on the bubble for a tournament in which they were the last team standing less than one year prior.  UConn eventually made the field of 68, but lost to Iowa State in the round of 64.


Among the first questions at the start of the season for the Huskies was who would step up and lead the team in the absence of Kemba Walker.  Sophomore guard Jeremy Lamb, who is widely expected to declare for the NBA draft in the coming days, took advantage of increased shooting opportunities on his way to first team all-Big East honors and an average of nearly eighteen points per game.  The Georgia product also shot 48 percent from the field while backcourt partner and fellow second-year star Shabazz Napier blossomed as the starting point guard, averaging thirteen points and nearly six assists per contest.  Once he was declared eligible, Ryan Boatright filled the role Napier occupied as a freshman last season; and provided glimpses of Walker's freshman year in the process, one that resulted in a Final Four appearance in 2009.  A native of Chicago who changed the game as soon as he took the court, Boatright quickly made a name for himself with averages of ten points and four assists per game on a team in which he was not the only outstanding rookie.


Andre Drummond, the conference's preseason pick for Rookie of the Year honors that ultimately went to Moe Harkless of St. John's, averaged ten points in his own right; but his biggest contributions were those on the defensive side of the ball, with averages of almost eight rebounds and nearly three blocked shots per night.  When Drummond was not under the boards, junior forward Alex Oriakhi; who just last week announced he would be transferring, teamed with fellow big man Tyler Olander and swingman Roscoe Smith to give UConn a combination of size and rebounding that defied their young age.


DeAndre Daniels and Niels Giffey also return to shore up the Huskies' bench, and if everything goes according to plan, UConn will bring back everyone except Lamb and Oriakhi.  Andre Drummond has been rumored to declare for the NBA draft as well, but other reports are also indicating the 6-11 center will be staying for his sophomore season despite the NCAA ruling on Thursday that denied UConn's appeal of a penalty that keeps them out of both the Big East and NCAA Tournaments next season as a result of low APR scores.  There is still a slight chance that the NCAA can change their calculations to reflect a four-year period that will get the Huskies back into the field, but UConn is out at the moment.


This decision has not changed the outlook in the Nutmeg State, and incoming recruit Omar Calhoun is still on track to join the Huskies out of Christ the King High School in Queens.  One thing is certain regardless of where UConn's season ends, and that is the fact that their team will embody the fighting spirit of their legendary head coach; so even if the Huskies are only a regular season team, their will to win and desire to prove the critics wrong will shine brighter than ever before.

Big East In Review: Seton Hall

Even though Seton Hall was relegated to NIT, Jordan Theodore's senior season will be one Pirates fans will not forget anytime soon.  (Photo courtesy of ESPN)

Over the past several years, Seton Hall has statistically been the dominant of the three Big East programs in the greater New York area.  A lot of this success is attributed to former coach Bobby Gonzalez, whose players helped increase the Pirates' win total in each of his four seasons at the helm.  When Gonzalez was replaced by Kevin Willard in March of 2010, the former Iona coach inherited a team ready to take the next step toward a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006.  However, a 13-18 record marked with more setbacks than a New York Jets season discounted Seton Hall in the eyes of many critics and fans going into this past season.  Fortunately for those in South Orange, the combination of Willard's philosophies and Gonzalez's former players who were determined to bring their program back to its past glory provided a peaceful marriage during a 21-13 season.


Seton Hall eventually fell short of the field of 68, instead playing in the NIT following an end to the regular season that featured losses to two teams in Rutgers and DePaul who finished below the Pirates in the conference standings.  Those two losses, coupled with a close defeat at the hands of Louisville in the Big East tournament, precluded Seton Hall from reaching the promised land; and they concluded their 2011-12 campaign with a win over Stony Brook and loss to Massachusetts in the NIT, but the foundation for a new era in the Garden State is as strong as it has ever been.


The Pirates will have to replace two important pieces to their puzzle in power forward Herb Pope and point guard Jordan Theodore, both of whom will graduate next month.  After playing last season while recovering from open heart surgery the summer prior, Pope's numbers returned to his 2009-10 levels, as the Pennsylvania native once again averaged a double-double for the season (15.1 points, 10.4 rebounds per game) just as he had done two years before when the Pirates reached the NIT and lost to Texas Tech.  Theodore is arguably even harder to replace.  A point guard who conceivably could (and should) have been a first team all-Big East selection since his numbers and contributions were far greater than those of Georgetown's Jason Clark, Theodore leaves South Orange as the program's single season assist leader, (his 6.6 helpers per contest ranked eighth in the nation) and one of just four players in Pirate history with over 1,200 points and 500 assists over his tenure in New Jersey.  Theodore's strong leadership both on and off the court, coupled with a maturity far beyond the average level of a collegiate student-athlete, will be greatly missed over the years to come.


Nonetheless, the Pirates push on with mostly everyone else coming back.  Freshman Aaron Cosby will most likely be the starting shooting guard after a rookie campaign which saw him average nearly eight points per game and shoot 38 percent from three-point range.  The Pirates will also have the favorite for Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors in swingman Fuquan Edwin, who will begin his junior season at Seton Hall.  The last link between Seton Hall and Gonzalez, as Edwin signed while Bobby was still the coach; but never got to play for him, the Paterson Catholic product led the nation in steals, averaging three thefts per game.  Patrik Auda and Brandon Mobley will likely be the main characters up front next year in Pope's absence.  In his sophomore season, Auda broke through on the stat sheet with averages of nearly seven points and four rebounds per game; while the freshman Mobley provided clutch shooting (36 percent from three-point range) and natural rebounding ability despite missing nine games at the start of the year, as well as playing only 20 minutes per game on average.  Aaron Geramipoor also returns for his junior season, and whether he is in the game to infuse offense (as our friends at South Orange Juice consistently pointed out this past season) or just simply doing the little things under the rim that may not show up in a box score, the Englishman provides experience on a team that will welcome it with open arms next season.  The Pirates will also welcome back Haralds Karlis and Sean Grennan to their bench, while also introducing two new transfers in Gene Teague, a 6-9 big man by way of Southern Illinois; as well as Brian Oliver, a former Georgia Tech marksman whom many feel can assume the role previously filled by former Pirates legend Jeremy Hazell.


Freddie Wilson looks to be in the mix at point guard, although he will get competition in the form of Tom Maayan, a 6-1 guard from Israel by way of the Canarias Basketball Academy, the overseas school which produced Auda, Geramipoor and Karlis.  Seton Hall has also received a verbal commitment from 6-9 forward Raymon Austin, but he has not yet signed.  Kevin Johnson could also be a newcomer to South Orange if the big man whom Willard recruited last season is declared eligible.


On the surface, it looks like Seton Hall is in position to take a step back with the losses of Theodore and Pope, as well as walk-on and ESPN celebrity Peter Dill.  However, if you read between the lines, you'll see that the team from South Orange is actually going to mirror the 2011-12 incarnation of the Seton Hall Pirates: A squad who, despite being overlooked, will overachieve enough to leave a positive impression in the minds of their fans.

Big East In Review: Rutgers

Youth and 14-18 record aside, Mike Rice still improved in his second season at Rutgers, taking Scarlet Knights to 11th-place Big East finish after ending his first campaign in the No. 13 spot.  (Photo courtesy of Newark Star-Ledger)


Just like St. John's, Rutgers entered the 2011-12 season in a similar situation.  After the loss of four seniors, three of whom were starters for head coach Mike Rice in his maiden voyage on the banks of the old Raritan, the Scarlet Knights seemingly rebuilt from scratch with one of the program's highest-rated recruiting classes in recent memory.  The end result was a 14-18 record which included within it just as many lows (losses to Illinois State, Richmond and DePaul) as there were highs.  (Upset wins over Florida and Connecticut as well as a near-upset of Big East regular season champion Syracuse)


In this campaign, Rutgers did uncover a hidden gem in the form of freshman guard Eli Carter.  Carter, a former star at St. Anthony's in Jersey City under Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley before transferring to prep school at Brewster Academy, was Rice's only player to average double figures this past year.  With a 13.8 points per game clip and 35 percent three-point shooting rate, Carter picked up the slack left by former point guard James Beatty by performing just as well on the ball as he did off it.  When Carter served as the Scarlet Knights' shooting guard, Jerome Seagears was Rutgers' main facilitator.  The Maryland native's three in overtime to defeat Seton Hall at the Prudential Center helped keep the Pirates out of the NCAA Tournament; and when Seagears was not at the controls of the Rutgers offense, fellow rookie Myles Mack was.  A starter at the beginning of the season, Mack came into his own once Rice brought him off the bench, highlighted by a 22-point performance in the Scarlet Knights' victory over Stony Brook at Madison Square Garden.  Junior forward Dane Miller was the team's leading rebounder despite an inconsistent offensive season that saw his productivity dip amid expectations that he would replace Jonathan Mitchell as the face of the program, while Mike Poole and Austin Johnson joined Mack as the main sources of production off the bench.


Rice's other incoming recruits were hampered by injuries (Kadeem Jack and Malick Kone) and lack of playing time, (Derrick Randall and Greg Lewis) but all four along with Austin Carroll; who will return with a medical redshirt, will help pick up the slack vacated by the transfer of sophomore forward Gilvydas Biruta.  Biruta averaged nearly ten points per game despite frequent foul trouble, and was without question the most important player on the court for Rutgers more often than not.  It is widely expected that he will resurface at Rhode Island, where he will reunite with former Wagner coach Dan Hurley, who coached Biruta at St. Benedict's Prep.


Rutgers does not have any incoming recruits for 2012 now that Jordan Goodman has decommitted, but the cupboard is more than full with a group of players that will once again surprise a lot of people next season.  Mike Rice set a goal of a winning record in the Big East prior to last season, and with everyone healthy as the coach prepares for his third year at the helm, the path to the upper half of the conference could be clearer even with the obstacle of having to replace Biruta, as Kansas State transfer Wally Judge will be eligible after sitting out this past year. It is widely expected that Judge will make an impact similar to former Rutgers big man and NBA draft pick Hamady Ndiaye, which will make for even greater optimism on the banks of the old Raritan.

Big East In Review: St. John's

Even though St. John's missed NCAA Tournament, Mike Dunlap deserves credit for keeping ship afloat in absence of head coach Steve Lavin.  (Photo courtesy of New York Daily News)


Next in the series of Big East reviews is a team that captured the imagination and attention of the nation with their 2011 NCAA Tournament run, only to have arguably the most difficult transition the following season.


Following an early exit from the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002, the buzz for this past season at St. John's University was at an all-time high.  With the nation's third-best recruiting class on their way to Queens for their freshman seasons, head coach Steve Lavin was riding a wave of popularity and momentum not seen New York sports since Joe Torre's run of four world championships in five years with the Yankees a decade prior.  Then, the Red Storm was dealt one crushing blow after another.


From Lavin's offseason prostate cancer diagnosis to three of his recruits being declared ineligible, St. John's suddenly went from a deep young team to a seven-man rotation before one player took the court for the opening tip of the season.  One month later, point guard Nurideen Lindsey abruptly transferred midway through the year to leave assistant coach Mike Dunlap; who replaced Lavin six games into the year after the head coach admitted his brief four-game comeback was premature on his part, in charge of the youngest team in the nation, one with only one reserve until Amir Garrett was cleared to join the Red Storm in December.


Garrett's arrival pushed the ranks back up to seven, but that was only temporary until Malik Stith; a junior who was the last remaining connection to both the NCAA Tournament team and previous coach Norm Roberts, left the team in February.  For what it's worth, the 13-19 record St. John's managed this past season may be a letdown; but in the grand scheme of things, finishing just six games under .500 while playing six men and an all-freshman starting lineup over the second half of the season is just as good as an NCAA Tournament appearance no matter how much Lavin and the coaching staff discount moral victories.


The rebuilding for St. John's was made harder two weeks ago when forward Moe Harkless announced his intention to declare for the NBA draft off a season in which he was named the Big East's Rookie of the Year.  The 6-8 Harkless averaged over fifteen points and eight rebounds over his one season at the collegiate level following a prep career that finished at South Kent in Connecticut after starting in the shadows of St. John's at Forest Hills High School, and was the team leader in several statistical categories.  With Harkless out of the picture, shooting guard D'Angelo Harrison; a Texan who was the Johnnies' leading scorer, becomes the face of a still young program.  Harrison averaged seventeen points per game as a freshman and shot 37 percent from three-point range in a year that saw his game mature at an incredible pace as the season went along.  Point guard Phil Greene transitioned well from playing off the ball in the wake of Lindsey's departure, and will be a mentor to Texas A&M transfer Jamal Branch once the Kansas City product becomes eligible in December.  Swingman Amir Garrett should have a breakout sophomore campaign after showing increased improvement down the stretch, while Sir'Dominic Pointer's defensive intelligence will complement junior college transfer God'sgift Achiuwa under the boards.


Lavin has already received two verbal commitments for next season, one of which came from Jakarr Sampson, an Ohio native who had previously signed with the Red Storm last year before being one of the three prospects (along with Garrett and Norvel Pelle, who is still reconsidering where he will sign) declared ineligible.  St. John's has also picked up a verbal pledge from developing shooter Felix Balamou, a 6-2 guard from Long Island.  At the present time, the Red Storm are also heavily involved with Brooklyn swingman Thaddeus Hall as well as big man Chris Obekpa, a high school teammate of Balamou who is said to be choosing between St. John's and Cincinnati.


It was a long road back to respectability and success for St. John's when a senior-laden team got the program back to the promised land.  However, if anyone can replicate the positive results on and off the court; Steve Lavin has already proven that he is more than capable, and his full-time return to the bench next season has already gone a long way in restoring the hope of a fan base desperate to embrace a consistent winner.

Big East In Review: Pittsburgh

Jamie Dixon looks to rebuild at Pitt next year after regular season disappointment and CBI title.  (Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Times)


Our Big East recap rolls on with a trip to the Steel City to chronicle the 2011-12 season that started and ended strong despite a rough patch in the middle.


The city of Pittsburgh has been known for its rich championship tradition over the years.  Be it the Steelers, Penguins or Pirates, fans in the blue-collar city have grown accustomed to one of their own reaching the summit of their respective sport.  Therefore, it was only a matter of time before the Panthers did the same at the collegiate level.  However, if you surveyed Pitt fans at the beginning of the season, hardly anyone would have suspected that Jamie Dixon's team would add to the championship heritage with a crown in the CBI.


Yet that was what happened after the Panthers struggled through a 5-13 Big East slate that started in the midst of an eight-game losing streak.  Somehow or another, Pitt was not the same team that had been the class of the conference in years past, as evidenced by rare nonconference losses to Long Beach State and Wagner.  On top of that, the Panthers' longtime homecourt dominance took a hit as well in their seven losses at the Petersen Center, which saw more than its share of empty seats for the first time since its 2002 inception.


Despite the 22-17 record that Pitt fans will consider a letdown, Ashton Gibbs was at his usual best throughout his final season in a Panther uniform.  The senior from New Jersey was the leading scorer and free throw shooter for Jamie Dixon, averaging nearly fifteen points per game and shooting 86 percent at the line.  Besides Gibbs, point guard Tray Woodall (nearly 12 points and over six assists even after missing eleven games due to injury) and forward Nasir Robinson (a team-leading 6.5 rebounds per game) made the motor run as well.  Swingman Lamar Patterson had a breakout sophomore campaign as well, shooting 41 percent from three-point range in his first season as a full-time starter.  Swingman J.J. Moore and freshman guard John Johnson combined to give the Panthers two more shooting options over the course of the season, and sophomore Talib Zanna joined Dante Taylor to form a potent one-two punch inside after Khem Birch left the program after one month in favor of UNLV.


Pittsburgh gets even more help for what should be a road to redemption with their two incoming freshmen.  James Robinson is a 6-3 point guard who should be able to step in and replace Woodall when he is ready, which should not be much longer.  The DeMatha Catholic product turned down offers from fellow Big East schools Georgetown, Notre Dame and Marquette to play for Dixon, and is ranked 58th in the nation by Rivals.com.  Robinson's future teammate is even more highly regarded, and that is 6-10 forward Steven Adams out of Notre Dame Prep in Massachusetts.  Ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect in the 2012 class, Adams is a New Zealand transplant who is a true big man in the mold of former Panther stars Chris Taft and Aaron Gray, and should immediately make a difference in the Big East despite his lack of collegiate experience.  For what it's worth, Adams did manage 23 points and 13 rebounds in January against highly touted center Nerlens Noel; who may very well be a 2012 commit in his own right, considering Kentucky, Syracuse and Georgetown.


Pittsburgh took a major step back last season, but the whole team is back aside from Gibbs and Nasir Robinson.  With the arrival of James Robinson and Steven Adams, the road to redemption for Jamie Dixon and the Panthers is a lot smoother as they embark on what could be their final season in the Big East before heading to the ACC.

APR Issues Keep UConn Out Of Postseason

Jim Calhoun's most recent national championship last year becomes even more meaningful now that his Huskies will be precluded from postseason play due to subpar academic efforts.  (Photo courtesy of ESPN)


The Big East just got even harder to figure out.


Already a 15-team league now that West Virginia is on their way to the Big 12, the conference that has sent a total of 20 teams to the NCAA Tournament over the last two seasons is essentially dealing with one less after the University of Connecticut's appeal to participate in postseason play despite lackluster academic results was denied by the governing body of college athletics just a few hours ago.


The denial blocks the Huskies, who won their third national championship just twelve months ago, from making the field for the 2013 NCAA Tournament.  In addition, UConn is also barred from competing in next year's Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden.  UConn is the first major program to fall short of the NCAA's new requirements for APR, (academic performance rate) averaging 901 over the last two years when the school needed a mean of 930 to remain eligible for postseason basketball.  The university and head coach Jim Calhoun had hoped their much-improved 2011-12 APR scores would factor into the decision, but the academic results evaluated were those between 2009 and 2011.


It is unclear just how much this decision will affect the program that rose from mediocrity to become a national powerhouse.  Just a year removed from what will go down as his greatest triumph, Jim Calhoun may now be even closer to his much-suspected retirement.  The Hall of Fame coach fought through adversity and medical problems this past season, first overcoming a three-game suspension midway through the year before having to leave the team after being diagnosed with spinal stenosis in February only to come back for the Huskies' final four contests in March.  Age may also be a concern, as the coach turns 70 in May.  Upon hearing of the NCAA's verdict, Calhoun admitted he and his staff made mistakes in the past, but also made clear that the program has atoned for them.  "While we as a university and coaching staff clearly should have done a better job academically with our men's basketball student-athletes in the past, the changes we have implemented have already made a significant impact and have helped us achieve the success we expect in the classroom," Calhoun said. "We will continue to strive to maintain that success as we move forward."


In addition to Calhoun perhaps moving closer to riding off into the sunset, junior forward Alex Oriakhi announced his intention to transfer last week.  Oriakhi is now considering schools the likes of Kentucky and North Carolina among others, while sophomore guard Jeremy Lamb and freshman center Andre Drummond; both of whom are projected to be top ten selections in this June's NBA draft, could very well declare since their professional stock has now risen significantly.  Oriakhi will be able to play immediately due to this ruling, escaping the traditional year that most transfers have to sit out when switching from one team to another.

Big East In Review: Villanova

After a decade of success at Villanova, Jay Wright was dealt major dose of adversity with Wildcats last season.  (Photo courtesy of ESPN)


After profiling two teams with solid futures in DePaul and Providence, a third young group with a bright outlook is next.


A 13-19 record is not the first thing that comes to mind when one pictures Villanova basketball, but neither is the set of circumstances that hovered around the Main Line this past season.  With a team that turned out to be much younger than initially expected, Jay Wright and the Wildcats struggled, yet managed to find themselves toward the end of the season despite a handful of close losses that could very well have been wins in any other year.


When I spoke to Wright at Big East media day in October, he mentioned that the newcomers would have be thrown into the fire to make up for the huge losses of Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes and Antonio Pena; who combined were responsible for guiding 'Nova Nation to a Sweet 16 and a Final Four before two consecutive early exits at the hands of St. Mary's and George Mason, respectively.  It ultimately proved to be a task much taller than most anticipated.


Junior guard Maalik Wayns, who I was most critical of as a potential face of the team, proved me wrong very early in the season.  After serving as an apprentice behind Fisher and Scottie Reynolds for his first two seasons, the Philadelphian averaged nearly eighteen points per game and almost five assists a contest as well.  Sadly, Wayns has decided to take his talents to the next level by entering June's NBA draft.  Had he stayed in school one more season, Wayns could very easily be an All-American.


Wayns' backcourt partners also had breakout seasons, as junior Dominic Cheek (12.5 points per game) positioned himself to be the next team leader; while sophomore James Bell provided clutch shots at various points in the season reminiscent of former Wildcat role player Dwayne Anderson, he of the buzzer-beater in the Big East tournament against Marquette in 2009, just before Villanova advanced to the Final Four two weeks later.  Freshmen Darrun Hilliard and Ty Johnson also saw significant time as the latest pieces to Wright's notorious "four quick" set that is just as much fun to talk about as it is to watch.


Up front, Villanova has size that fans on the Main Line have not been accustomed to seeing over the last few years in the form of Mouphtaou Yarou and sophomore-to-be Jayvaughn Pinkston.  Yarou could be a double-double per night player as the Benin native enters his senior season, and should finally fulfill the mounds of potential he has shown through his first three campaigns.  After receiving a second chance last season following an on-campus incident that got him dismissed from the team two years ago, Pinkston impressed to the tune of nearly ten points and just over five rebounds per contest.  If 6-9 big man Markus Kennedy sees more minutes, he too can be a force to be reckoned with as well.  Picture a poor man's combination of Jared Sullinger and DeJuan Blair in the Big East, and Kennedy will be the first man who pops up.


Villanova's wealth of underclassmen makes for a small recruiting class, but one of the two commitments secured by Jay Wright will make an impact right away.  Ryan Arcidiacono, a homegrown 6-4 shooting guard, was talked about from the day he gave a verbal commitment in October of 2010.  Ranked 64th in the nation by Rivals.com, his sharp shooting will help offset the loss of Wayns even as he recovers from a back injury that cost him his senior season.  As a junior at Neshaminy High School outside Philadelphia, Arcidiacono averaged over 20 points and five rebounds on a team he left as the program's all-time leading scorer.


Prior to last season, the last time Jay Wright had no seniors in his rotation resulted in a Sweet 16 appearance in 2008.  Villanova backed it up with a Final Four the following year.  Last season only yielded thirteen wins, but this coming campaign is one where success should make its way back to the Main Line sooner rather than later.

Big East In Review: Providence

Vincent Council had career year this past season, helping usher Ed Cooley era into Providence.  (Photo courtesy of Rumble In The Garden)


Continuing our Big East reviews is the one team who changed coaches prior to last season.


Providence College made the only change in management of the sixteen Big East programs last year, bringing in former Fairfield boss and Providence native Ed Cooley to fix the Friars after three years of Keno Davis were not as successful as the program had envisioned.  After going 15-17 and despite winning just four conference games, Cooley's maiden voyage in the Ocean State truly is a step in the right direction.


Junior point guard Vincent Council, who Cooley told me impressed him the most when I interviewed the coach prior to Providence's Big East opener, did more than just make the motor run for the Friars.  Averaging sixteen points and over seven assists per game, as well as a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio, Council became one of the conference's better floor generals in the process.  Shooting guard Bryce Cotton had a breakout sophomore campaign eerily similar to the numbers posted by former St. John's star Dwight Hardy.  In an unheard of 39 minutes per game, Cotton tied for second in scoring behind Council; averaging over fourteen points per game, while also shooting 38 percent from three-point range and 89 percent from the free throw line.  Council and Cotton become even more critical to the Friars' success next year now that Gerard Coleman has transferred.  The swingman from Boston did have a great second season for what it was worth, as Coleman possessed an uncanny ability for an undersized guard to score as well as rebound.


Up front, the Friars will also lose Bilal Dixon and Ron Giplaye due to transfer, but sophomore Kadeem Batts and freshman Brice Kofane made strides toward the end of the season, which was more noticeable in Batts being that he missed the first half of the season.  Batts and Kofane will be the supporting cast for breakout star LaDontae Henton next season, as the Michigan product will look to improve off a freshman campaign that would have won him Big East Rookie of the Year honors if not for the season put up by Moe Harkless.  Henton's 14-point, eight-rebound averages; coupled with a staggering 39 percent clip from beyond the arc, could make the Rashad Bishop/D.J. Kennedy clone a dark horse candidate for Player of the Year honors, as he is on his way to becoming the Friars' most complete player since Marshon Brooks.


The transfers of Coleman, Dixon and Giplaye would be huge losses for any team to overcome, but the recruiting class that Ed Cooley has attracted to Providence is by far the best the Friars have seen since the Pete Gillen era.  Five-star guard prospects Kris Dunn and Ricky Ledo are among the ten highest-rated prospects in the nation according to Rivals.com, and should provide a Marquette-style three-guard attack together with Council that will give the best teams in the nation consistent fits.  Swingman Josh Fortune and point guard Ian Baker form the rest of Cooley's incoming quartet, with Arizona transfer Sidiki Johnson to join the Friars once the forward becomes eligible in December.  It's been said that a situation needs to get worse before it can get better, and the worst has already come and gone for Providence College as they prepare for what should be a return to glory in year two of the Ed Cooley era.

Big East In Review: DePaul

DePaul may have finished 16th yet again, but Blue Demons are moving up in conference thanks in large part to Brandon Young.  (Photo courtesy of Chicago Tribune)


With college basketball season now in the books until November, I've decided to do an individual review of all sixteen Big East programs in reverse order of finish, which puts DePaul in the hot seat to start out today.


DePaul may have finished last in the conference for the fourth consecutive season, but anyone who watched at least one game the Chicago kids played this year will tell you that Oliver Purnell's Blue Demons are not the same doormat the Big East had seen in each of its last three campaigns.


While DePaul ended up 12-19, there are many positives to that record.  For instance, the Blue Demons' win total was the highest it has been since the 2006-07 season that produced 20 victories; an NIT appearance, and DePaul's last NBA draft pick in former Knick and current Denver Nugget Wilson Chandler.  On top of that, their three Big East wins were also an improvement from that same number over the previous three seasons combined.


Cleveland Melvin, awarded Rookie of the Year honors in his freshman season, continued his rapid evolution in his second year.  The sophomore and former UConn commit was once again DePaul's leading scorer and rebounder, averaging over seventeen points and seven rebounds per game.  Just as he was two years ago, Brandon Young was Melvin's wingman this past season; as the sophomore point guard averaged 14.5 points per game to go with nearly five assists per contest.  Chicago native Jeremiah Kelly provided his usual consistency over his senior season by shooting 34 percent from beyond the arc, and Purnell found a qualified replacement for the shooter in junior college transfer Worrel Clahar; who shot a blistering 47 percent from beyond the arc in his limited long-range attempts, and will be back next season.


DePaul's most surprising contribution came down the stretch from 6-4 freshman swingman Jamee Crockett.  Crockett, who singlehandedly eliminated Seton Hall from NCAA Tournament contention with his 21-point performance in DePaul's rout of the Pirates in their regular season finale; could also be a replacement for Kelly, entering his second campaign in the Second City with a 38 percent clip from three-point range and an average of 8.6 points per game in just eighteen minutes.  Fellow wing Moses Morgan returns next year as well following an injury-plagued sophomore year that still saw the Las Vegas native average nine points per game, good enough for third in scoring on an up-and-coming team.


Only two seniors (Kelly and center Krys Faber) graduate next month, so DePaul gets most of their core back for next season, along with a recruiting class highlighted by swingman DeJuan Marrero.  The 6-5 Marrero is considered a solid rebounder, and turned down offers from programs the likes of Indiana, Memphis, Ohio State and Xavier among others to play for the Blue Demons, where he should see immediate playing time that will only help his exceptional skills develop more in the months to come.


Even though they have only won six conference games in the last four years, DePaul is no longer the guaranteed win that every other team in the Big East can mark on their calendars, and the best truly is yet to come in Chicago.

After The Madness: A Broadcaster's Take

In first year without his services since 1995, Gus Johnson's absence didn't hurt broadcasts during NCAA Tournament.  (Photo courtesy of Sports Illustrated)


Less than 24 hours after Kentucky won its first national championship since 1998 in what amounts to validation for head coach John Calipari, I now have time to offer insights on this year's NCAA Tournament from the perspective of both a fan and broadcaster.  Some of you have considered me a college basketball expert, (a sometimes misguided notion, as I don't believe I'm worthy of such a title yet) so I'll try to justify the hype here.


One year ago, I had mixed feelings regarding the multiple networks, and that sentiment has not changed.  The fact that each game was able to be viewed simultaneously is positive in the sense that the live look-ins that were a significant part of my youth are no longer necessary, but the sacrifice made here is the overall quality of the broadcast.  The days of the simple yet authentic CBS presentation have come and gone thanks to the new arrangement, one that is heavily influenced by Turner Sports, just a little too much for the liking of this play-by-play man.  The voices (and I'll get to that later) are not totally at fault here, just the presentation, graphics and advertisements.  Thankfully, the "Napa know-how" commercials that were as ubiquitous as "Written In The Stars" during last year's MLB postseason were few in number this time around, but that didn't stop what was essentially the same ad package from being played on a continuous loop.  Most of the general public not realizing where TruTV was on their cable/satellite lineup didn't help either.


When I analyzed the greatest two weeks in sports last season, I found myself wishing ESPN had purchased the broadcast rights to the tournament, which they almost did until CBS and Turner outbid the Worldwide Leader.  Twelve months later, I've come around a little more on that issue.  As far as the eight broadcast pairings are concerned, I did not have a single problem with any voice in the booth other than Kevin Harlan forgetting the score in the final seconds of the West regional final between Florida and Louisville, where the great Harlan twice called Gator three-point attempts "for the lead" when Florida was in fact down three.  He gets a pass for this one though.  For those expecting criticism of Jim Nantz, you won't get it here.  I understand the perception that Nantz may be a little too dull for the sport, (I disagree completely) but there was no instance in which the face of CBS Sports failed to define the moment.  Brian Anderson was among the bigger surprises, especially following his mixed reviews during TBS' MLB postseason coverage last year; coupled with his lack of experience with basketball, not to mention the man he ultimately replaced in the booth.  Needless to say, Anderson delivered solid performances in Portland, highlighted by the close round of 64 matchup between Wichita State and VCU.


There are only two parts of the tournament that could have been done better.  First, while the $3.99 charge for March Madness On Demand (which impacted me due to my schedule that sometimes facilitated the need to watch games via the iPhone) isn't that big a deal, the lack of a stable 3G connection (unlike the last two years) is where my complaint lies.  One second, you're watching a game, two seconds later you're not.  This repeated several times over the course of an hour or two.  Second, and this is where Turner kills the viewers, the presence of NBA analysts in the studio was completely unnecessary.  This didn't hurt the booth, as Steve Kerr complemented Marv Albert well; while Reggie Miller made an already phenomenal pairing of Kevin Harlan and Len Elmore even better, but there was no reason for Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith to be there.  Barkley is good for ratings in that he attracts the casual fan, and while I accepted Smith based on his standing in Turner's professional product, neither of them belong on this stage.  It's a college basketball broadcast, therefore why not have analysts who know the game?  It's a shame Greg Anthony and Seth Davis were once again relegated to supporting cast members to showcase the marquee names.  For what it's worth, CBS did strike gold once again on the decision to bring coaches in as guest analysts.  Frank Martin and Shaka Smart didn't hit home runs on the second weekend, but Jay Wright and Steve Lavin did the week before; especially the St. John's coach, who spent seven years "barnstorming the country" (in his own words) with ABC and ESPN during his "coaching sabbatical."  All perceived bias aside, I got much more out of Lavin's brief stint in the studio than I did from any other analyst.


Finally, there is the matter of one Gus Johnson.  A man who is either loved or hated depending on whom you speak to, Johnson missed the tournament for the first time in seventeen years after he could not agree to a new contract with CBS.  While most fans were drawn to Johnson for his excitement and engaging style, this year's NCAA Tournament actually benefited from not having him around.  I've already heard some call this year's installment of the Big Dance "cursed" for not having as many close games, but the sad truth is that Johnson would have got in the way on some of the contests this year.  For example, Marv Albert's final call of Norfolk State's upset of Missouri was handled the right way: Not too much pomp and circumstance, just the right way to capture the moment appropriately.  


Overall, this year's NCAA Tournament may not have been as unpredictable as last year even with the two wins by No. 15 seeds, but the general presentation and broadcast quality is a major improvement from twelve months ago, something that helps the product for the future.

Is It His Time? YES!

Once regarded as best coach never to win national championship, John Calipari now has testimonial following Kentucky's victory last night. (Photo courtesy of Newsday)

Just about eight years ago, during this time of year in fact, Phil Mickelson; at that time still known around the PGA Tour and golf community as the best player never to win a major, finally broke through with his career-defining win in the 2004 Masters. Last night, the theme of validation was prevalent in the sports world once again a mere two hours from Mickelson's breakthrough at Augusta National, albeit under circumstances some may consider controversial. Either way, the vindicated man stands atop his profession in the wake of one of the more dominating seasons and complete teams the college basketball world has seen since Larry Johnson and Greg Anthony led UNLV into the history books in the early 1990s under coach Jerry Tarkanian.

Prior to Kentucky's 67-59 victory over Kansas last night in New Orleans to secure the Wildcats' eighth national championship and first since 1998, John Calipari was college basketball's version of pre-2004 Phil Mickelson; one who had been near the top of the mountain before, but had yet to reach the summit. In his near quarter-century as a college coach, Calipari has succeeded at every level in Division I. From taking a little-regarded Massachusetts team and turning it into a Final Four program in 1996 behind Marcus Camby, Edgar Padilla and Carmelo Travieso; to restoring the past glory at Memphis after his brief tenure with the New Jersey Nets turned out to be a bust, to redefining the concept of recruiting at Kentucky, the 53-year-old head man has had a career similar to that enjoyed by legendary actor Robert De Niro, a man to whom Calipari bears a striking resemblance upon closer inspection. Yet for all the accolades and greatness Calipari has garnered, it has not come without its fair share of controversy. After Camby was found to have accepted cash payments from an agent while at UMass and Derrick Rose was alleged to have had someone else take the SAT under his name before enrolling at Memphis, both of Calipari's first two Final Four appearances were vacated by the NCAA. The coach's relationships with rapper Jay-Z and consultant William "Worldwide Wes" Wesley have led many to think that Kentucky could be headed down the same ugly road both of Calipari's first two college stops ended in, but when you look at Kentucky over John's three seasons at the helm in Lexington, you will find nothing other than a coach that; despite frequent accusations of cheating, has played within the rules and used them to his advantage.

Although his roster this past season was comprised of a majority of freshmen and fellow underclassmen who will likely declare for June's NBA draft in the coming days, this national championship does not diminish John Calipari's reputation as a great recruiter and even better in-game coach. In fact, it only enhances it. A coach does not just get great talent to play for him based on connections. Any rabid college basketball fan will tell you, regardless of where their rooting allegiances lie, that Calipari's dribble-drive offense and aggressive, uptempo style has been a success for much longer than people may think. The professional success of players such as Marcus Camby, Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Demarcus Cousins and Brandon Knight have no doubt enticed his latest group of future stars to hone their skills at Kentucky the way Anthony Davis, Terrence Jones, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Doron Lamb and Marquis Teague just did.

Calipari has arguably become the biggest proponent of the age limit instituted by NBA commissioner David Stern, as most of the players he has recruited into Lexington would have turned pro fresh out of high school if able to. Should someone be crucified just for doing it in an unorthodox fashion? While this writer is admittedly not a big fan of the seemingly annual Kentucky exodus because it really hurts the long-term stability of the game no matter how much Calipari reloads, there is no denying that the coach is a genius both on and off the court for his ability to study the inner workings of the sport and its structure enough to the point where he can operate within it better than anyone.

To me, Calipari comes off much like Jim Calhoun; the Hall of Fame coach who has spent the last 26 years turning the University of Connecticut into a national powerhouse. Calhoun has received the same criticism and same accusations as Calipari over the years, including the Nate Miles scandal that he had no direct involvement in yet was still suspended three games over it, but has turned back his detractors and skeptics with continued success and a display of candor in his interviews that no one chronicles anywhere near as much as they should. Having never been in the same room with Calipari, I cannot speak for how he addresses his perceived flaws; but judging by his comments following Kentucky's coronation last night, the similarity between his misunderstood success and that of Calhoun is easier to see.

Ultimately, the backlash against the man that has been involuntarily branded with college basketball's equivalent of a scarlet letter is simply a case of hatred for the player as opposed to the game that allows Calipari to fill his roster with the mounds of talent each Kentucky player possesses. If people feel so strongly about Kentucky having an unfair advantage, then maybe they should petition the NCAA to change the rules. Until then, as tainted as it may seem; as corrupt as some may feel this victory is, let John Calipari enjoy his moment. If this championship gets vacated in the future, then we can all judge when the time is right. For now, we all need to acknowledge the coach of the team that emerged better than its opponent when they needed to most.

After Phil Mickelson won his first major in the 2004 Masters, he put an exclamation point on his Hall of Fame career with three more majors, including two additional green jackets. With the incoming class he has coming to Kentucky next season, not to mention his standing as an equally successful salesman and tactician, there is no reason to believe John Calipari is incapable of doing the same thing in the years to come. Last night went a long way in changing his perception to the general public. Now, it is John Calipari's time, and only he can determine where he goes from this moment.

Weber Ended Up Getting A Better Job

Kansas State president Kirk Schulz helps give Bruce Weber official welcome as Wildcats' successor to Frank Martin. (Photo courtesy of Kansas City Star)

Something like this usually never happens, but this past weekend was an example of a coach walking into a better situation after being forced out of his previous one.

Despite a 17-15 record at Illinois that precluded the Illini from postseason play, longtime coach Bruce Weber's time on the unemployment line was a relatively short one, as he landed at Kansas State just a couple of weeks later after previous Wildcats coach Frank Martin left the Big 12 for South Carolina. Weber's hire and subsequent introduction was met with an incredibly high amount of criticism, especially for a coach who came just five points short of winning a national championship at Illinois in one of the greatest title games in recent memory in 2005; but in time, the man who retained success in Champaign even if it wasn't as high-profile as it was under Bill Self, will give Manhattan, Kansas more of the same over his first five years at K-State, and most likely for a lot longer than that.

For starters, Weber brings a resume most other coaches in the nation would kill to possess as their own. Before his nine-year run at Illinois, he was the man behind the Missouri Valley's rise to prominence as one of America's best mid-major leagues when he took Southern Illinois to two NCAA Tournaments in five years, including the Salukis' first Sweet 16 appearance in 2002. Prior to that, Weber spent eighteen years as an assistant to the legendary Gene Keady at Purdue; helping develop future NBA stars the likes of Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson and Brad Miller while also working on a staff that, at one time or another, featured fellow head coaches Matt Painter, Kevin Stallings and a then-graduate assistant Steve Lavin, whom Keady now serves under as a special assistant at St. John's. Since getting the opportunity to lead a program of his own, Weber has compiled a record of 313-155. The win total may not be as gaudy as those of his competition, but his .669 winning percentage is enough to inform even the least qualified of fans that he can get it done at a high level; especially considering that ESPN analyst Doug Gottlieb, one of the popular choices to replace Martin, has never coached at the Division I level before.

Some people have already questioned Weber's recruiting, and former Kansas State great Jacob Pullen publicly spoke out against the coach when tweeting that he felt Weber was unfit to lead the Wildcats after the coach passed on him at Illinois; but Weber's connections to Chicago, which are essential to survival for any coach in the Midwest, gives Kansas State more of a national presence as well as a regional one. Nine years at Illinois allowed Weber access to higher-level prospects than local rivals Northwestern and DePaul among others, and although Kansas looms large in his rearview mirror as an in-state rival, Weber knows what it takes to win and will do whatever is necessary. Bill Self may have recruited the 2005 team in much the same way that Matt Doherty recruited the North Carolina group that beat the Illini for the national championship that year, but neither Self nor Doherty won 37 games at the helm the way Weber did. Moreover, the talent of that team; with names such as Dee Brown, Luther Head, Roger Powell and James Augustine, not to mention a point guard who is arguably among the ten best players in the NBA today in Deron Williams, is still fresh in the minds of prospective recruits, most of whom watched Illinois at some point growing up, and could entice several prospects to come to Manhattan and play for a proven winner. The recent success of Weber recruits such as Brandon Paul, Mike Davis, Mike Tisdale, Demetri McCamey, Meyers Leonard, and Jereme Richmond; even if he only stayed one year before prematurely turning pro when he should have stayed in school, only help Weber's cause further.

Finally, there is the state of the Big 12 Conference that Weber is the newest member of. Frank Martin's defection to South Carolina could be viewed as a lateral move to some with the level of competition in the SEC, but Weber is walking into a budding dynasty. Following five consecutive 20-win seasons under Martin that are highlighted by the Wildcats' appearance in the 2010 West regional final, Kansas State's road to conference dominance is now smoother than before with the impending defections of Texas A&M and Missouri to the aforementioned SEC. In addition, almost everyone on the Wildcat roster will return barring any transfers. Weber will lose just one senior in Jamar Samuels, but brings back guards Rodney McGruder and Will Spradling to anchor the backcourt, not to mention inheriting two exceptional freshmen in Angel Rodriguez and Thomas Gipson that will only complement big man Jordan Henriquez as the Westchester County native enters his senior campaign. Looking at the Big 12 on paper, Kansas and Baylor look like the only major threats to Kansas State at the top, whereas John Groce; the former Ohio head man who now succeeds Weber at Illinois, has to contend with Indiana, Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Purdue, and even NIT runner-up Minnesota in the Big Ten next season.

Again, you don't always see a coach get a better job weeks after he gets fired, but Bruce Weber is an exception to the rule; and just as he did at Southern Illinois and Illinois before coming to Kansas State, he will only do more of the same thing the Wildcats have done in the last half-decade under Frank Martin, and that is not just win, but win consistently. It just sets up too well for him not to.