Tag Archives: Marquette

Game Previews & Recaps

Providence Big East Schedule Review: Part I

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This is Part 1 of a 3 part series giving my impressions of Providence’s Big East schedule in 6 game blocks. This first block looks at games 1-6 from 12/31/14 through 1/17/15. My evaluation of each 6 game block will take into account a few factors: road trips/travel, potential fan attendance/games over school breaks, opponent’s schedule around time of PC game and other factors.

Game 1: vs. Creighton

  • Where: Dunkin’ Donuts Center – Providence, RI
  • When: 12/31/14 7:30pm
  • How: Fox Sports 1/WEEI 103.7 FM
  • Last season’s final RPI: 10
  • Last season’s final Kenpom rating: 24

This is a cool move by the Big East/Fox to have a primetime rematch of the Big East Tournament Championship game from last March. Some of the key players that made last year’s final game so exciting have graduated, namely Doug McDermott and Bryce Cotton. Having said that, this should be a solid conference opener for the Friars. Creighton is in rebuilding mode as they lost more than just Dougie McBuckets from last season’s team that finished 2nd in both the regular season (behind Villanova) and the Big East Tournament. The Friars will have 9 days between their last non conference game against Miami (FL) on December 22nd at the Barclays Center and this first Big East contest on December 31st. I’m sure there will be time spent with family for Christmas but there is also going to be plenty of time for Ed Cooley and his staff to scout and install a Creighton-specific gameplan. The Bluejays still have some talented players on the roster but they are going to be somewhat young and inexperienced overall and this is a game Providence should be favored in and I would expect them to win. The crowd will be interesting to see as it’s a bit of a late start on New Year’s Eve but I would expect the building to be loud either way because people will probably start the partying early that day.

Providence will get Creighton twice during this first 6 game block with game two coming at the always full CenturyLink Center in Omaha.

Continue reading Providence Big East Schedule Review: Part I →

Recruiting News

Recruiting News: Scout.com Releases Updated Class Of 2015 Top 100 Recruit Rankings

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Scout.com updated their class of 2015 rankings Thursday. This is the first look at how where each player’s stock is at after the July live evaluation periods. Recent PC commit Alex Owens is not among the top 100 after falling out from #96 during the previous update but (get ready for that knife in your back to be twisted) Donovan Mitchell went from unranked to #20. One other note is that 42% of the top 100 is already committed.

To see the entire top 100, click here.

PC Recruits:

Continue reading Recruiting News: Scout.com Releases Updated Class Of 2015 Top 100 Recruit Rankings →

Big East News

First Season In the Books: How Did The Big East Do?

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Rewind to Big East media day, October 16, 2013. Val Ackerman, the Big East’s new commissioner said the following to the media: “There’s no doubt the eyes of the basketball world and the eyes of others in college sports are definitely on the Big East.”

How true those words would be. And not surprisingly, the “eyes of the basketball world” were quick to be negative. Without the backing of ESPN, the Big East was constantly knocked and, even when good things happened, not given its full due. It was not an ideal first season for this new basketball-centric league. Marquette and Georgetown were picked 1 and 2 in the Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Many thought that it was crucial for Marquette, a team that has had a good run of success since joining the conference in 2005, and especially Georgetown, a school that was a big part of the original Big East’s foundation, to be successful both in the conference and nationally. Injuries and lack of on court chemistry seemed to do in both the Golden Eagles and Hoyas as the teams would finish 6th and 7th after 18 regular season games. Only two teams were ranked heading into the Big East Tournament and there was a concern that those two teams might even be the only schools to make the NCAA Tournament.

You Only Get One First Impression

Continue reading First Season In the Books: How Did The Big East Do? →

Big East News

BREAKING: Marquette Hires Duke Assoc HC Steve Wojciechowski, per Jeff Goodman

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Now it makes sense why other guys started to “withdraw” their names from consideration last night. They were trying to save face because they were likely informed Marquette had made a decision and it wasn’t them. I’m initially happy with this hire because he’s a “name” coach even as an assistant at Duke. But thinking about this long term, I’m a bit concerned he isn’t long for this job. He has widely been known to be the “coach in waiting” at Duke once Coack K decides to call it a career but that might not be for another 5 years according to Coach K himself. Marquette fans have been talking about how they don’t want their coaching position to be a stepping stone. Well they might have just hired a coach who sees this job as jus that.

For Wojciechowski this makes a lot of sense. He will go to a school with huge backing for the basketball program. He’ll get a nice pay increase and he will get some head coaching experience. Obviously there is a risk involved that he  could fall flat on his face and then maybe his chances of heading back to Duke in a few years takes a hit but I have a feeling he will be successful. The issue for Marquette will be that they might have to go through another coaching search in 3-5 years if and when the Duke job opens up. But for now, I like this hire and think he will be successful. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see some of the recruits stick around now. To me, this is a better move than a Ben Howland and I’m sure we will see some floor slapping going on at Marquette now.

Recruiting News

Recruiting Update: 2014 Signee Paschal Chukwu To Play In Jordan Brand Classic Regional Game

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The regional game of the Jordan Brand Classic will be held at the Barclay’s Center on Friday, April 18th at 4:30pm. The rosters for each team include some former PC targets like Abdul-Malik Abu (NC State), Terry Larrier (VCU), Marial Shayok (Marquette) and Jared Terrell (Oklahoma State).

The rosters in the regional game are:

Home Team
Khadeen Carrington (Bishop Loughlin/Brooklyn, NY/Seton Hall)
Adonis De La Rosa (Christ The King/Middle Village, NY/Undecided)
Dwayne Foreman (Massanutten Military Academy/Woodstock, VA/Rutgers)
Terry Larrier (Phelps School/Malvern, PA/VCU)
Abdul-Malik Abu (Kimball Union Academy/Meriden, NH/NC State)
Cheddi Mosely (St. Anthony /Jersey City, NJ/Boston U)
Shavar Newkirk (Cardinal Hayes/Bronx, NY/St. Joe’s)
Trayvon Reed (Life Center Academy/Burlington, NJ/Maryland)
Desi Rodriguez (Abraham Lincoln/Brooklyn, NY/Seton Hall)
Ismael Sanogo (Union Catholic/Scotch Plains, NJ/Seton Hall)
Samson Usilo (Nazareth Regional/Brooklyn, NY/Manhattan)

 

Away Team
Paschal Chukwu (Fairfield College Prep/Fairfield, CT/Providence)
Angel Delgado (The Patrick School/Elizbaeth, NJ/Seton Hall)
Devin Eke (Union Catholic/Scotch Plain, NJ/FDU)
Kobie Eubanks (Our Savior New American/Centereach, NY/Undecided)
Paul Jorgenson (Don Bosco Prep/Ramsey, NJ/GW)
Ja’Quan Newton (SS Neuman-Goretti/Philadelphia, PA/Miami)
Michael Nzei (Our Savior New American/Centereach, NY/Undecided)
Marial Shayok (Blair Academy/Blairstown, NJ/Marquette)
Sterling Taplin (Williamsville/Williamsville, NY/Undecided)
Jared Terrell (Brewster Academy/Wolfeboro, NH/Oklahoma State)
Dominique Uhl (Point Pleasant Beach/Point Pleasant, NJ/Iowa)
Michael Williams (Bishop Loughlin/Brooklyn, NY/Rutgers)
Links of the Day

#pcbb Links of the Day 3/25/14

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Links of the Day

#pcbb Links of the Day 3/5/14

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