Bleacher Report - Articles by Johnny Da Bone

Big East Bias' Weekly Awards and Observations

Johnny Da Bone — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:59:04 -0500

This season I will be writing a weekly college basketball column titled Big East Bias, which will cover everything I deem important in the world of Big East basketball. I sincerely hope those of you who frequent the B/R college basketball pages enjoy this column, and I welcome any comments you have.

Typically, these weekly awards will be administered after the weekend action. But with so much college basketball excitement going on around the country this week, I couldn’t help but dole out some early season goods.

Big East Player of the Week

Dante Cunningham, Villanova

After Nova’s first three games, Dante is averaging 18.3 points per game. Cunningham exploded for an efficient 31 points against Fordham. Wildcat fans have been hoping that their senior forward would develop his shooting touch outside of two feet... so far so good.

Big East Rookie of the Week

Kemba Walker, Connecticut

Expect Kemba to be a mainstay on my R.O.W. award list. Walker scored 21 points against Hartford this week. Best of all, he controls the tempo on the court and makes free throws… something UConn will need.

Big East Team of the Week

Seton Hall

Not even a close call here. What a great win for the Pirates! Coming back against a major program like USC is something that this school can be very proud of. Perhaps Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez can now build a reputation for being something other than a sideline psycho.

Big East Disappointment of the Week

Providence

This one has to go to Providence for losing to Northeastern in their opener. Talk about a sad way to ring in the Keno Davis era. I have high hopes for the Friars this year. Perhaps that is why this loss was soooo disappointing. If Providence makes a run at the NCAA Tournament, this loss is going to be a resume killer!

Observations from Around the Country

-Tyler Hansbrough needs to fire his stylist! The suit and T-shirt combo he rocked from the sidelines of the Kentucky game was atrocious. This was probably the worst college basketball fashion statement since the ongoing Mike Brey / Tommy Amaker mock turtleneck maneuver.

-Every so often I thank the college basketball gods for giving me so much. Lately, I am especially thankful that Eric Devendorf is NOT on the team that I support.

-Did Oregon really loose to Oakland? Where is Oakland anyway? Things are not looking good for Ernie Kent. He is a great recruiter, but that’s about it.

-I don’t know about you, but I’m routing like crazy for N.J.I.T. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not hoping that they get a win, I’m routing for one of sports’ all-time great losing streaks to continue! 35 straight and counting baby!

-Steph Curry is rocketing up my draft board! He is not just a pure scorer, the kid is extremely savvy. We can no longer assume that he will struggle in the NBA because of his size. There is really no player like him on the next level. Can you think of one?

-Lots of people are talking about Mid-Majors Gonzaga and Davidson. I think it’s time to start talking about Siena!

-Don’t rush in to thinking Tyreke Evans is the next Derrick Rose. Evans dogs it when things aren’t going his way. And while he is a superior penetrator, his shooting stroke leaves much to be desired.

-There is no way Blake Griffin is 6’10”...but WHO CARES! This guy is an absolute beast! Griffin has been labeled the next No. 1 pick by many NBA draft outlets, and I can see why. When he wants a board, he gets it. When he wants to posterize a victim, he does it!

-If Kentucky is looking to go back to the drawing board already (and they should be), they may want to take a look at their uniforms. Extra tight T’s and baggy three quarter length shorts/pants are not getting it done. I’m surprised the alumni are putting up with clown pants.

-Poor St. John’s. I guess there isn’t any real shame in losing to B.C., but it’s sad to see that this once proud program is now the only team in the Big East conference with absolutely nothing to look forward to.

-"Whatever I wanted to do, I was able to do." Those were the words of UVA freshman Sylven Landesberg after his first collegiate game! Why so much confidence? Landesberg is averaging 24.5 ppg. He is the obvious early leader for ACC Rookie of the Year.

Big East Sophomores Ready to Break Out!

Johnny Da Bone — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:15:13 -0500

This season I will be writing a weekly college basketball column entitled Big East Bias, which will cover everything I deem important in the world of Big East basketball. I sincerely hope that those of you who frequent the b/r college basketball pages enjoy this column, and I welcome any comments you have.

As we ease into the middle of November, there is not a lot of actual college basketball news to discuss...just the calm before the preseason tournament storm and the countless predictions and polls!

Although it would be nice to hurry up and play ball (no offense Duke v. Georgia Southern), the Bias thought it would be a good opportunity to take one last shot at a preseason prediction. This week, we’ll take a look at BIG EAST SOPHOMORES who are ready to BREAK OUT.

Last year’s Big East All-Rookie Team was strong! A number of future pros debuted on this list.

2007-08 BIG EAST All-Rookie Team

Mac Koshwal, DePaul, Dar Tucker, DePaul, Austin Freeman, Georgetown, DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh, Corey Chandler, Rutgers, Justin Burrell, St. John’s, Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall, Dominique Jones, USF, Jonny Flynn, Syracuse, Donte’ Greene, Syracuse, Corey Fisher, Villanova.

It would be way too “captain obvious” to say that one of the players on last year’s list is going to have a breakout sophomore season...if you made the all-rookie team, you’ve already arrived at the college level.

After analyzing the projected lineups for this year’s Big East squads, I see two incredibly talented sophomores who are guaranteed to break out!

Corey Stokes, Villanova

Corey Stokes started last season in a peculiar spot: He was on the bench behind Reggie Redding. More so than any other Villanova freshman, Stokes’ growth as a college player was hampered by Jay Wright’s constant juggling of his lineup. Stokes was clearly a player who needed to be on the court during his freshman adjustment period.

Once Stokes finally moved into the lineup last year, he was outstanding. If you witnessed Corey’s performance down the stretch, you can understand why he will be a breakout soph.

Stokes averaged 12 ppg over his last 12 games, including a 20-point explosion in Nova’s win over Sienna in the NCAA tournament. During that stretch, it felt like Stokes was putting up a new career high each time on the court. Stokes has one of the sweetest strokes in the country, and he is a legitimate pro prospect.

Chris Wright, Georgetown

Talk about an incredible opportunity! After playing in only 16 games last season, point guard Chris Wright steps into the shoes of Hoya Hero Jonathan Wallace. Many analysts assume that Georgetown will struggle to replace Wallace’s three point shooting and leadership, but don’t sell Chris Wright short...he could quickly be better.

If you recall, Wright won the high school McDonald’s All-American three-point contest. There is no doubt that he can chuck it!

Last season in limited action, Wright’s shot from downtown looked great! In his first game back after missing the entire regular season, Wright contributed nicely to the Hoyas' record-breaking three-point performance in the Big East tourney. In the NCAA tourney, Wright shot 70 percent from three.

Most Georgetown fans will tell you that if Chris Wright had been healthy all of last season, another Final Four appearance would have been possible. This kid has the pedigree of a leader and a year of observation under his belt. Look for Wright to get plenty of ink as the season progresses.

The First ESPN/USA Today College Basketball Poll Has a Big East Bias!

Johnny Da Bone — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 03:07:03 -0400

Yesterday ESPN and USA Today released the very first college basketball poll. There are not a lot of surprises here, perhaps a few omissions, and definitely some misalignment.

Overall, the Bias is pretty happy.

ESPN/USA Today Poll

1. North Carolina, 2. Connecticut, 3. Louisville, 4. UCLA, 5. Duke, 6. Pittsburgh, 7. Michigan State, 8. Texas, 9. Notre Dame, 10. Purdue, 11. Gonzaga, 12. Memphis, 13. Tennessee, 14. Oklahoma, 15. Arizona State, 16. Miami (Fla.), 17. Marquette, 18. Georgetown, 19. Florida, 20. Davidson, 21. Southern California, 21. Wisconsin, 23. Kansas, 24. Wake Forest, 25. Villanova

With seven teams in the Top 25, the Big East Conference occupies 28 percent of the Poll! Not impressed? How about the Top 10? The Big East owns 40 percent of that!

I thought about doing a little research to find out if any other conference has ever achieved such dominance in the first meaningful national poll of the year...but that didn’t sound like much fun. Instead, I’m going to let my Bias take over and assume that this accomplishment is unprecedented.

Although I am happy to see UConn at No. 2, it still comes as a surprise. The Huskies’ offseason had more drama than an episode of Entourage. With all of their transfers, injuries, and criminal activity, I really can’t say that Connecticut deserves this spot right now.

Perhaps those who vote in this poll realize that Connecticut’s men’s basketball program has some experience overcoming these “obstacles.”

Louisville, Pitt, Notre Dame, and Marquette appear to be positioned fairly. There should be little doubt that these four squads will be wire-to-wire poll sitters.

Yes, I know, at 18 Georgetown may be a little higher than they should be. But when you replace All-Americans with McDonald’s All-Americans, your program gets the benefit of the doubt in the preseason polls.

I would like to see Syracuse and West Virginia ranked. They could easily replace teams like Wisconsin and Kansas. Both 'Cuse and WVU received a respectable number of votes required to earn a spot in the top 25. Suffice to say, we’ll see you guys in the polls very soon!

I don’t want to end this piece on a sour note, but there was one thing that really bothered me about this poll. Villanova should be ranked much higher! Nova went to the Sweet 16 last year, and they return EVERYBODY.

In an attempt to compare apples to apples, I do recall Nova squeezing Arizona State and Florida out of a bid to last year’s big dance—and now they are ranked behind them? I realize that James Harden is a potential lottery pick, and Nick Calathes has a really cool haircut, but these two teams didn’t prove much down the stretch last year.

That’s all for now. It’s a great week for the greatest conference in the land!

Who Got Snubbed at Big East Media Day?

Johnny Da Bone — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 05:34:40 -0400

This season I will be writing a weekly college basketball column entitled Big East Bias, which will cover everything I deem important in the world of Big East basketball. I sincerely hope that those of you who frequent the b/r college basketball pages enjoy this column, and I welcome any comments you have.

Big East Bias’ Preseason Player of the Year

Luke Harangody, Jr., F, Notre Dame

You can’t argue with this pick, but you have to admit that it’s a little weird. When you look at all the studs that have come up through the high school ranks, who would have ever expected Gody to be in this position? How many three-star prospects end up with a chance to be a two or three-time Player of the Year?

Good for Gody though! His numbers certainly support his awards: 20.4 ppg, 10.6 rpg.

With those stats, he is way too good to be called a poor man’s Tyler Hansbrough...maybe just Tyler Hansbrough in an economic downturn.

Last week at Big East Basketball Media Day, the coaches agreed with the Bias—they also named Harangody Preseason P.O.Y.

Here is a look at the rest of the Coaches’ picks for the “first team.”

Luke Harangody, Jr., F, Notre Dame; Deonta Vaughn, Jr., G, Cincinnati; A.J. Price, Sr., G, Connecticut; Hasheem Thabeet, Jr., C, Connecticut; DaJuan Summers, Jr., F, Georgetown; Terrence Williams, Sr., F, Louisville; Jerel McNeal, Sr., G, Marquette; Kyle McAlarney, Sr., G, Notre Dame; Sam Young, Jr., F, Pittsburgh; Jonny Flynn, Soph., G, Syracuse; Scottie Reynolds, Jr., G, Villanova.

Who got the Snub?

That one is easy—Louisville Junior Earl Clark got snubbed! Clark became a double-double machine last year. He was also the guy who took control of The Ville during their impressive run in last year’s NCAA tournament.

I fully expect Earl Clark to appear on the year-end first team list. I also expect Clark to challenge Harangody and Sam Young for P.O.Y. honors. I’ve said it before, Earl Clark is the most legitimate pro prospect in the Big East Conference. He deserves to be on this team.

Who doesn’t Belong on the First Team?

Obviously this list is built on last year’s performances. With that in mind, one player does not belong on the first team: DaJuan Summers.

Last season Summers averaged 11.1 ppg and 5.4 rpg...not bad. But after Summers’ outstanding freshman year, he took a huge step back. As his sophomore campaign progressed, DaJuan got worse and worse. By the end of last year, he was totally unreliable in tournament play.

Don’t worry though, Hoya fans. Summers will have the opportunity to make first team at the end of the year. Along with Austin Freeman, Summers will get as many looks as he wants on offense.

Speaking of players who haven’t lived up to their freshman year, how about Dominic James missing the first team? I realize that this isn’t a surprise after his performance last year, but when you consider what he accomplished during his marvelous freshman year, it’s an absolute shock!

Following the 2005-2006 season, I would have laughed in your face if you told me that Dominic James would stay in school all four years. And to see him now, not making the first team as a senior! It’s a sad day.

James’ career reminds me a lot of former Notre Dame point guard Chris Thomas. He went from freshman player of the year to NBA flop. Let’s hope Dominic James does not become a “What ever happened to that point guard from Marquette?” story.

Big East Bias’ Preseason Freshman of the Year

Samardo Samuels, F/C, Louisville

Unlike the Big East Coaches, the Bias is not afraid to pick just one freshman P.O.Y. Samuels has the tools and temperament to handle the demands of the Big East. Not having the pressure to be his team’s go-to-guy as a freshman (which is the primary reason Devin Ebanks was not picked here) will help his development.

Did you miss my thoughts on the Big East Preseason Team Rankings? Check it out here.

Big East Bias: The Preseason Coaches' Poll Is Out!!

Johnny Da Bone — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:13:08 -0400

This season I will be writing a weekly college basketball column entitled: Big East Bias which will cover everything I deem important in the world of Big East basketball. I sincerely hope that those of you who frequent the b/r college basketball pages enjoy this column and I welcome any comments you have.

Poll Position

I spent this offseason patiently waiting on the sidelines for something tangible to pop off about. This week, I got my opportunity when the Big East Conference held their annual basketball media day. After months of preseason “polls” and lame predictions from various outlets, we finally have something relatively solid that we can poke at; so let’s get right to it.

The coaches have voted. Connecticut is the favorite! With nine first place votes, UConn sits at the top of the Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

Preseason Coaches' Poll

1 ) Connecticut 2) Louisville 3) Pitt 4) Notre Dame 5) Villanova 6) Marquette 7)Georgetown 8) Syracuse 9) West Virginia 10) Providence 11) Cincinnati 12) Rutgers 13) Seton Hall 14) St. John's 15) DePaul 16) South Florida

When you look at last year’s results and take into consideration the players and coaches who have been added and subtracted for this coming year, I tend to agree with the basic makeup of this poll.

The bottom half probably has some sleepers, but we’ll get to that later. It is very difficult to argue with the middle of the lineup. Teams 7-10 have so many wildcards; you really could rearrange them any way you like. The teams that occupy the Top Four are exactly right. The only real issue up top is the arrangement.

Connecticut does not deserve top billing!

Other than a nice run in the middle of the season, UConn stumbled down the stretch, finishing fourth in the Big East. They followed up the regular season with wildly disappointing Big East and NCAA tournament appearances.

And this offseason has been anything but productive for UConn Basketball. Stanley Robison is in academic purgatory, freshman Ater Majok has not been cleared to play, rock star recruit Nate Miles has been jettisoned to JUCO, and A.J. Price is recovering from ACL surgery. Do I even need to mention the transfers?

There has been way too much recent turmoil for this team to be ranked at the top! For those who argue that UConn should be the poll leader, based solely on the return of last year’s solid nucleus, don’t buy into it.

If not Uconn, which team deserves the incredibly meaningless title of Big East Preseason Number One? Check it.

Big East Bias’ Alternative Poll.

1) Louisville 2) Pittsburgh 3) Connecticut 4) Notre Dame 5) Villanova 6) Marquette 7) Georgetown 8) Syracuse 9) West Virginia 10) Providence 11) Rutgers 12) Cincinnati 13) Seton Hall 14) DePaul 15) St. John’s 16) South Florida.

Louisville should be ranked No 1. Featuring a lineup loaded with talented juniors and seniors, it is hard to ignore the potential of the Cardinals’ program. Earl Clark has lottery pick written all over him (or maybe those are tattoos??), and Samardo Samuels looks like he could be the nation’s best freshman big man.

When you combine these two studs with the experience of Jerry Smith, Andre McGee, and Terrence Williams, you get a truly lethal combination. If this group can learn to play without fear of being relegated to Pitino’s doghouse, sit back and enjoy.

Sleepers Who Could Win the Conference

Again, the Top Four is really solid. No other conference in America can match up with the Big East’s big boys (and for that matter, the conference’s lesser teams too). There are very few Big East fans who would be surprised to see any of the Top Four finish with the title. However, if you look a little further down the rankings, there are few teams that are sleepers to win the conference…and they are:

Georgetown is the biggest mystery in the conference at this point. This team could finish anywhere between one and 10! They lost Hibbert and Wallace, but those two all-time great Hoyas are being replaced by faster and more polished prospects, Monroe and Wright. This Hoya squad will be more athletic than ever. The only question is, how quickly will the newcomers grasp the Princeton offense?

Syracuse has its mojo back! If Devendorf and Rautins can regain the form they showed a couple of years ago, they could win the conference. Rautins certainly seems like the type of player who may actually benefit from observing the game for a year…we’ll see about Devendorf. Potentially, Flynn + Devendorf + Rautins = the best backcourt in the conference (sorry Marquette).

Villanova (out of all the potential sleepers in this conference) is the one team outside the Top Four with the best chance to win the conference. Nova is one of the few teams with youth and experience at every position. They return all of their starters from last year’s Sweet 16 run and they are led by scoring machine Scottie Reynolds.

On his good nights (which he will have a lot more of this year), Reynolds can carry his team. However, the key to Villanova’s chances this year will be the development of the two Coreys (Fisher and Stokes). Both players showed us last year that they can be great. If together they blossom into the players they were hyped to be coming out of high school, Nova could be your Conference Champs.

Sleepers Who Could Do Well In the Conference

Providence fans should finally be excited about this team after years of disappointment. Unfortunately the Big East is far too loaded for the Friars to have any logical hope for contention, but they have so much going for them.

This team is healthy and experienced and they now have a coach they can rally behind. Keno Davis brings an exciting new system to P.C. and there is no reason why this veteran team wouldn’t buy into his philosophy. Perhaps Providence can make a run at the big dance. Keno tends to have a fair amount of success in taking over a program.

Rutgers has done its job on the recruiting trail, now it’s time to perform. This team may still be a year away from making any meaningful noise in the conference, but Fred Hill must show some promise in his third year!

Mike Rosario is talented enough to star in any backcourt. Greg Echenique arriving a year early is a gift from the basketball gods. So, if Corey Chandler can share the ball with the rest of the talent, it could be a breakout year.

See ya next week.

It's a Miracle Billy Packer Lasted This Long

Johnny Da Bone — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:38:14 -0400

It was announced today that Billy Packer will no longer occupy the featured analyst chair for CBS Sport’s presentation of the Final Four. With much speculation on this subject during the 2008 Final Four, it should come as no surprise that after 27 years on the job, the polarizing Packer has been sent to the bench.

Every March, legions of college basketball fans wondered how much longer they would have to put up with Packer’s overly critical arrangement…today they got their answer.

Most sports fans can appreciate an analyst who calls the game like he sees it. Unfortunately, Billy Packer saw the game in a way that seemed out of touch with the majority of his audience. Packer made it his mission to hold the level of play to an impossibly high standard…it never felt appropriate. He loved to point out how awful a particular play was, or the agony a coach must have felt after one of his point guard’s foolish turnovers.

Packer’s slant was the one sour note in college basketball’s beloved month of March. The fact that the NCAA tournament is such an unstoppable force in today’s sports landscape was probably the only thing that kept Packer around this long. Surely no one man can put a total damper on the most wonderful time of the year!

Packer’s biggest flaw was that he never seemed to grasp the fact that he was critiquing college kids, not (yet) professionals. Instead of enjoying the raw elegance on the court in front of him, he constantly got caught up in young players’ mistakes. Thankfully Packer is done. No longer must you deal with him like that surly old uncle during the holidays.

What’s next…?

CBS has decided to keep it in the family by giving Clark Kellogg a shot as Billy’s successor. Kellogg, who in years past has spent the month of March in the CBS studio offering lame scripted takes on various NCAA basketball topics, should do an adequate job. But with far more talented analysts available for CBS to capitalize on (namely Len Elmore) it is a shame to see such a simple choice. Luckily, with Packer before him, Kellogg does not have a lot to live up to.

Jim Nantz, your prayers have been answered!