From Katz's Blog on Insider
What's next for UConn?posted: Monday, January 21, 2008
STORRS, Conn. -- Well, that was impressive.
But what does Connecticut's 89-73 victory over Marquette Sunday mean for the Huskies, the Golden Eagles and the rest of the Big East?
If the current trend continues, then it may not have as much of a lasting effect in the conference.
Through Sunday, and that includes West Virginia's win at South Florida without the Mountaineers' best player (Joe Alexander was out with a groin injury), there have been only 10 road wins.
You could certainly argue that the quality road wins were Cincinnati at Louisville, Providence at Connecticut, maybe Villanova at Syracuse (UMass and URI had already won there, too, though in nonconference games) and maybe Georgetown at DePaul.
Still, separating teams in the Big East could be the toughest chore the NCAA Tournament selection committee may have in March, especially once it begins to compare these teams against other like competition in high-profile conferences, let alone top teams at lower-profile leagues.
"There's not a bad team in our league," Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said. "That's what's mind-boggling. In my 22 years in the league, I never remember it being like this.
"I don't know if this is a good reason why we shouldn't have 16 (teams in the Big East),'' Calhoun said. "But where we're at right now, I fear we're going to eat our own. I'm just afraid that we don't have a one seed (in the NCAA Tournament).''
Calhoun's probably right. Georgetown, the only team that would have a shot at being a No. 1, let alone a No. 2, is at West Virginia this week and certainly could lose that game.
Marquette coach Tom Crean said he has no idea how many losses the Big East winner will have at season's end. Through Sunday, the Hoyas had only one but eight teams had two, and four teams, including Marquette and Connecticut, had three.
The Huskies were facing a must-win game against the Eagles. Calhoun said as much after the game. Losing to Providence at home Thursday put the game in that category, even in mid-January. The Huskies go to Cincinnati and have a nonconference game at Indiana this week. Then they come back to play Louisville and Pitt at home next week.
The Cincinnati game has suddenly become one of the tougher games in the league after the Bearcats beat Pitt, which added to their list of stunners (at Louisville and Villanova and Syracuse were the other surprises). "He's done the best coaching job in the league,'' Calhoun said of Mick Cronin and the 4-2 Bearcats.
The Huskies did little wrong Sunday, with center Hasheem Thabeet scoring (15 points), getting to th free-throw line (9-of-13), rebounding (seven) and blocking shots (six).
The Huskies made 3s (six) with three different players hitting two each (Stanley Robinson, A.J. Price and Doug Wiggins), and that was without the team's perceived top shooter (Jerome Dyson) missing his only attempt. Reserve Craig Austrie got to the line for a perfect 7-of-7. However, the Huskies are still careless with the ball at times, committing 13 turnovers.
Still, the Golden Eagles were never in play, down 15 at the half, and unable to rebound at the guard position that Crean has deemed so important (Dominic James had two, Jerel McNeal had zilch, while Wesley Matthews had five). "We've got to rebound the ball at our 1, 2 and 3,'' Crean said.
Crean had every reason to be despondent, but he was quick to remind everyone that "eight or nine days ago [it was on Jan. 12] we beat Notre Dame by 26.''
Since then, though, the Golden Eagles dropped a 20-point game at Louisville and the 16-point loss to the Huskies. "It's crazy, it's crazy, just the way the league is, who saw Louisville losing at Seton Hall [Saturday],'' James said. "Teams that go on the road and face adversity will be on top. We've got to find our identity.''
But what's the difference for the Eagles? There has been such a dramatic swing for them home and road. "I feel like we've been playing different on the road,'' James said. "We can't play that way to accomplish the goals we want.''
Crean and James admitted that he's not the same player with a right (shooting) wrist injury. James, who went 4-for-10, 0-for-1 on 3s and 1-for-3 at the line, said his wrist is at a five out of 10 right now.
He injured the wrist against Seton Hall and in the two games prior to Sunday was a combined 7-of-20 and 3-of-9 on 3s. "I'm OK once I get out there and start playing,'' said James, who was wearing a brace on his wrist. "But it gets kind of irritated. So, I'm trying to play through it. I'm just trying to help my team and contribute. But right now it's hurting.''
While the Eagles haven't been close on the road, The Huskies have been one of the most competitive road teams in the Big East. They lost to Georgetown on a Roy Hibbert 3-pointer and made a valiant comeback at Notre Dame. Still, Calhoun said the Huskies didn't get 'the W.'
We'll know this week if the Huskies can change the trend.
I feel the Big East is going to get a shaft this year. There will be one or two less invites to the Tourney if this beating continues.
It doesn't help Marquette's case if they lose by almost 20 points on the road. Single digits, fine. But not when games are over by halftime.