MUScoop
MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: ToddRosiakSays on February 23, 2008, 07:15:07 PM
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Wrapping up Rutgers
Written by: Todd Rosiak
I'm going to make this one short, since, quite honestly, there wasn't a whole lot to come out of this one.
-- Georgetown and MU are the lone Big East teams at this point to have won at least 10 games in each of the past three seasons. Pittsburgh has a shot at becoming the third, but will likely need to beat Louisville or win at either Syracuse or West Virginia to do it.
-- MU has now won 20 games for the third straight season, and fifth time in coach Tom Crean's nine-year tenure at MU.
-- MU's 30 victories at this point tie it with Connecticut and Villanova for second-most in the Big East since 2005-'06. Louisville, if it wins at Pittsburgh on Sunday, can also join that group.
-- The Golden Eagles missed by one point tying their Big East record for least points allowed; the record is 47 points, managed by DePaul in 2005-'06 and Rutgers last season.
-- Sophomore F Lazar Hayward got back into double figures for the first time in three games with a game-high 15 points.
-- Junior G Jerel McNeal will be among the top candidates for Big East player of the week honors after averaging 17.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 4.0 steals and 2.0 blocks in victories over St. John's and Rutgers. McNeal also knocked down 14 of 26 shots.
-- Junior PG Dominic James appeared to be no worse for wear after having his right leg rolled up on by 265-pound Byron Joynes in the first half. Already nursing a sprained right wrist, James certainly can't afford any significant injuries to his legs at this point.
-- Freshman F Trevor Mbakwe was the first big man off the bench on Saturday, and he finished with three points and one rebound in 12 minutes. His lone field goal was a monster jam late in the second half, a play that showed he's still got plenty of lift in his legs despite being less than 100 percent recovered from knee surgery.
-- Speaking of monster jams, senior F Lawrence Blackledge had another in his five-minute stint, a one-hander right down the lane off a nice pass from Maurice Acker. The guy is a highlight reel, if nothing else.
-- Bob Donato, the official who made the controversial foul call with less than a second left at Villanova that wound up costing the Wildcats a victory over Georgetown a few weeks back, was part of the crew that worked Saturday's game.
Neither he nor his running mates made much of an impact on the game, though. The two teams combined for just 19 fouls and nine free throws, with Rutgers attempting just two in 40 minutes.
Compare that to the St. John's game, when there were 53 fouls called and 66 free throws attempted. Count me as a major fan of the latter style of calling a game.
(http://blogs.jsonline.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=104895)
http://blogs.jsonline.com/muhoops/archive/2008/02/23/wrapping-up-rutgers.aspx