October 24, 2007

Big East Conference

NEW YORK -- Georgetown and Louisville are the co-favorites to win the regular-season title in the 2007-08 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll. The two teams tied for first place in the balloting with 217 points.

Both teams received eight first-place votes. The coaches did not place their own teams on their respective ballots.

Georgetown's 2007-08 season ended at the NCAA Final Four with a 30-7 record. Along the way, the Hoyas were 13-3 in the BIG EAST and won the BIG EAST Championship Presented by Aeropostale. Coach John Thompson III will have to find a way to replace Jeff Green, the BIG EAST Player of the Year, but will be able to lean on four returning starters. Senior center Roy Hibbert is the '07-08 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year and senior guard Jonathan Wallace made the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.

Louisville finished 24-10 last season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship. The Cardinals, coached by Rick Pitino, return their top seven scorers, including four starters. Junior forward Terrence Williams led the squad in scoring with a 12.4 average. Williams and senior center David Padgett were named to the 2007-08 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.

Marquette was a solid third-place choice. The Golden Eagles have earned NCAA berths in their first two seasons in the BIG EAST. This year, coach Tom Crean welcomes back his top seven players from last season. Junior guards Dominique James and Jerel McNeal were selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.

Pittsburgh was tabbed for fourth place. The Panthers are the only league team to play in the last six NCAA tourneys and win more than 10 BIG EAST games in each of those seasons. Coach Jamie Dixon must replace three starters, including All-BIG EAST First Team center Aaron Gray. Senior forward Mike Cook is the team's top returning scorer at 10.5.

The BIG EAST coaches slotted Syracuse for fifth. Coach Jim Boeheim has to replace his starting frontline, but SU's history still suggests success. Under Boeheim, the Orange have won at least 20 games in 29 of his 31 seasons. Junior guard Eric Devendorf is on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.

The voting results for the next three places were very close. Connecticut was picked sixth with 149 points followed by Villanova for seventh (143 points) and Providence eighth (141 points). UConn is still a young club, but has its top 11 players returning from last season. Junior forward Jeff Adrien made the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.

Villanova figures to be led by sophomore guard Scottie Reynolds, who was the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year last season. Providence has an experienced squad with a strong junior class. Junior forward Geoff McDermott, one of the league's most versatile players, was picked for the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.

The coaches selected Notre Dame ninth. Last season, the Irish returned to the NCAAs after three straight trips to the NIT. Coach Mike Brey is excited about three returnees who averaged in double figures last season, but he has two replace the team's top two scorers, forward Russell Carter and guard Colin Falls.

West Virginia was chosen for 10th place. The Mountaineers won the NIT crown last season. New coach Bob Huggins inherits a team that loses only one starter and has compiled a 73-31 record over the last three seasons.

DePaul, which reached the NIT quarterfinals last year, was picked 11th. The Blue Demons and coach Jerry Wainwright will have to deal with the loss of two NBA draft picks, forward Wilson Chandler and guard Sammy Mejia.

The league coaches tabbed Cincinnati for 12th place. Second-year coach Mick Cronin welcomes back the team's top three scorers from last year to go along with a large recruiting class.

Seton Hall was picked 13th followed by St. John's, Rutgers and USF.

2007-08 Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Georgetown(8) 217
1. Louisville (8) 217
3. Marquette 191
4. Pittsburgh 170
5. Syracuse 153
6. Connecticut 158
7. Villanova 143
8. Providence 141
9. Notre Dame 122
10. West Virginia 112
11. DePaul 79
12. Cincinnati 62
13. Seton Hall 56
14. St. John's 52
15. Rutgers 32
16. USF 23

Georgetown's Hibbert named BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Courtesy: BIG EAST Conference
Release: 10/24/2007

Courtesy: BIG EAST Conference

Georgetown's Roy Hibbert has been named 2007-08 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year.

NEW YORK -- Georgetown senior Roy Hibbert, a unanimous selection to last season’s All-BIG EAST First Team, has been named the 2007-08 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year by a vote of the league’s head coaches. Syracuse freshmen Jonny Flynn and Donte’ Greene were selected BIG EAST Co-Rookies of the Year. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.

A 7-2 senior, Hibbert helped the Hoyas to the 2007 NCAA Final Four. For the season, he averaged 12.9 points and 6.9 rebounds. Hibbert also was the BIG EAST’s most accurate shooter. He was first in field goal percentage in all games (67.1 percent) and in BIG EAST play (71.2 percent). A native of Adelphi, Md., Hibbert is the first Georgetown player to be accorded BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year recognition since Alonzo Mourning shared the honor with Malik Sealy of St. John’s in 1991-92.

Teammate Jonathan Wallace is one of 10 members of the 2007-08 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Wallace, a 6-1 senior guard, has been a steady contributor since his freshman season. Last year, he averaged 11.4 points, while shooting 50.7 percent from the floor and 49 percent from 3-point range.

The BIG EAST coaches made Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds a unanimous selection. The 6-2 sophomore guard earned BIG EAST Rookie of the Year honors last season after averaging 14.8 points and 3.8 assists. In league play, he was even more productive. Reynolds ranked second in scoring, averaging 18.4 points, and was first in 3-point shooting at 43 percent.

Marquette also placed two players on the preseason all-league squad. Dominic James and Jerel McNeal are a pair of junior guards who have helped the Golden Eagles to NCAA berths in their first two seasons. James, who was an All-BIG EAST First Team performer last season, averaged 14.9 points. His 4.9-assist average was fourth in the league. McNeal was the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year last season, though he contributed in several areas. Besides his defensive prowess, McNeal averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.6 steals.

Louisville, tabbed as a co-favorite with Georgetown in the BIG EAST preseason coaches’ poll, is represented by junior forward Terrence Williams and senior center David Padgett. Williams is a 6-6 junior who earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors last season after averaging a team-leading 12.4 points and 7.0 rebounds. Padgett played through knee injuries and joined Williams on the all-conference second team last year. Padgett averaged 9.5 points and 5.6 boards.

The Preseason All-BIG EAST Team also includes Jeff Adrien of Connecticut and Geoff McDermott of Providence, a pair of junior forwards. The 6-7 Adrien was an All-BIG EAST Second Team selection after averaging 13.1 points and 9.7 rebounds. McDermott was an all-around contributor for the Friars, averaging 9.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists.

Kentrell Gransberry is the first USF player to earn BIG EAST preseason honors. The 6-9 senior patrolled the paint effectively for the Bulls last season. He was the only player in the league to average a double-double. Gransberry posted averages of 15.6 points and 11.4 rebounds. His rebound mark was third in the nation.

Eric Devendorf, a 6-4 junior from Syracuse, is one of the league’s top offensive threats. He averaged 14.8 points and 4.1 assists, while seeing action at both guard positions.

Two of Devendorf’s teammates, Flynn and Greene, are expected to make an immediate impact for the Orange. Flynn is a 6-0 guard from Niagara Falls, N.Y. Greene is a 6-9 forward from Baltimore, Md. Both enjoyed outstanding high school careers and they already have experience playing with each other. They were teammates this summer on the USA Basketball Under 19 squad that won a silver medal at the 2007 FIBA World Championships in Serbia.

2007-08 Preseason Player of the Year

Roy Hibbert, Georgetown

2007-08 Preseason Co-Rookies of the Year

Donte’ Greene, Syracuse

Jonny Flynn, Syracuse

2007-08 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team

*Roy Hibbert, Georgetown (Player of the Year), C, Sr., 7-2, 278, Adelphi, Md.

Jeff Adrien, Connecticut, F, Jr., 6-7, 238, Brookline, Mass.

Jonathan Wallace, Georgetown, G, Sr. 6-1, 188, Harvest, Ala.

David Padgett, Louisville, C, Sr., 6-11, 245, Reno, Nev.

Terrence Williams, Louisville, F, Jr., 6-6, 210, Seattle, Wash.

Dominic James, Marquette, G, Jr., 5-11, 185, Richmond, Ind.

Jerel McNeal, Marquette, G, Jr., 6-3, 200, Chicago, Ill.

Geoff McDermott, Providence, F, Jr., 6-7, 230, New Rochelle, N.Y.

Kentrell Gransberry, USF, C, Sr., 6-9, 270, Baton Rouge, La.

Eric Devendorf, Syracuse, G, Jr., 6-4, 180, Bay City, Mich.

*Scottie Reynolds, Villanova, G, So., 6-2, 195, Herndon, Va.

*unanimous selection

2007-08 Preseason Honorable Mention

Edgar Sosa, Louisville, G, So., 6-1, 175, New York, N.Y.

Levance Fields, Pittsburgh, G, Jr., 5-10, 195, Brooklyn, N.Y.

http://bigeast.org/

It will be an interesting basketball season. I don't expect the final finish to be anywhere close to what this list says, but we will see.

Card fans are already talking basketball when we are in the middle of the football season?

SF Husky Wrote:It will be an interesting basketball season. I don't expect the final finish to be anywhere close to what this list says, but we will see.

Card fans are already talking basketball when we are in the middle of the football season?

Only because it is BIG EAST media day.

I can't believe The Ville has its first game vs. another team (scrimmage) on Monday. I am happy to be voted so high, but I will reserve my excitment to see how things play out.

Maize Wrote:2007-08 Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Georgetown(8) 217
1. Louisville (8) 217
3. Marquette 191
4. Pittsburgh 170
5. Syracuse 153
6. Connecticut 158
7. Villanova 143
8. Providence 141
9. Notre Dame 122
10. West Virginia 112
11. DePaul 79
12. Cincinnati 62
13. Seton Hall 56
14. St. John's 52
15. Rutgers 32
16. USF 23

Marquette's Mbakwe done for season
Forward will have surgery on left knee
By TODD ROSIAK
Posted: Nov. 2, 2007

Expected to bring both toughness and athleticism to a Marquette Golden Eagles front line searching for both, Trevor Mbakwe instead is out for the season with an injured left knee.

The diagnosis, an isolated fibular collateral ligament sprain, was confirmed Friday morning by coach Tom Crean after the 6-foot-7, 240-pound freshman forward underwent a series of tests to determine the cause of lingering pain and swelling in the joint.

Mbakwe, who is expected to undergo surgery in the coming weeks, will redshirt, leaving him with four years of eligibility once he returns. At this point he isn't expected to be able to return to the court until April or May at the earliest.

"He's devastated by it, as the team is," Crean said. "We had a great practice (Thursday) but we had just learned what was going on right before, and then we did another MRI. They were working on it late into the night to determine what exactly needed to be done. They put it together this morning. We said this is the best thing, and let's do it."

According to Mbakwe, his knee first began bothering him in May, before his arrival at MU. It was initially thought he was suffering from tendinitis, and he then missed four days of practice early last week after twisting the same knee.

Mbakwe was cleared to return to practice and participated in all team activities through Tuesday, not appearing to be limited in any way.

"I felt good. I didn't think it was nothing serious," Mbakwe said. "My knee was a little swollen, and afterwards our team doctor came and looked at it and suggested I get an MRI. When he said (I had to have surgery) I was shocked. I couldn't believe it."

Mbakwe said he was told had he continued to play on it, he could have jeopardized his future as a basketball player.

"The good thing is they caught it early because it could have gotten worse," he said. "It could have torn more and then it would have been more of a career-ending injury. The doctor said he couldn't see how I was walking right now, let alone practicing. He said by December it would have been so bad I wouldn't have been able to play or walk or anything."

It has been a tough few months for Mbakwe, who missed nearly six weeks of off-season training with the Golden Eagles while the NCAA Clearinghouse scrutinized a summer course he took at a high school in St. Paul, Minn. He was eventually ruled fully qualified and cleared to rejoin the team Oct. 9, just three days before the official start of practice.

"It's real tough, especially going through the Clearinghouse thing and not being able to play with my teammates," he said. "Then I finally get back into the role of being able to do what I do and having this injury, it sets me back awhile. But nothing comes easy."

Without Mbakwe in the mix, things will definitely not come as easily for MU in the paint this season, either.

As far as the starting lineup goes, the immediate burden will fall upon Ousmane Barro at center and either Dan Fitzgerald or Lazar Hayward at power forward. All three will be counted upon to increase their rebounding and provide post defense, both areas in which Mbakwe was expected to specialize.

Junior Dwight Burke, who is the Golden Eagles' beefiest player at 250 pounds, will also see his role increase. Even freshman Pat Hazel could possibly work his way into the equation in certain situations.

"We'll look for improvement in everybody like we have been and some other people will have to step up, certainly in the ability to rebound the ball," Crean said. "(Mbakwe's) one of our two leading rebounders in the practices he's been involved in. We'll have to build through that, and if we're a team of guys that competes the way I think they're capable of competing, I think they will.

"That's the thing that sports teaches you: You've got to deal with adversity."

MU, which on Friday opened at No. 11 in the Associated Press' top 25, plays host to Northern State, a Division II team from Aberdeen, S.D., in an exhibition game 6 p.m. Sunday at the Bradley Center.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=681943

This likely REALLY hurts Marquette's chances to win the league title. I think if this injury had happened prior to the pre-season voting, you would have seen the Eagles predicted a few notches lower. Their weakeness was the front court last season, and it will continue to be now that their top FR is out for the year. UofL & G-Town look to have a heavy advantage in the frontcourt when the teams square off.