CaribouJim
11-08-2013, 08:44 AM
Big East Article
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-1108-bkc-big-east-20131108,0,6218914.story
As teams change affiliations and conferences change names, the Big East carries on.
More specifically, the Big East name carries on. Technically, the American Athletic Conference is the "old" Big East, taking over its infrastructure, its offices in Providence, R.I., and its NCAA bids.
The "new" Big East is a basketball-driven conference anchored by the seven Catholic schools — including DePaul and Marquette — that bolted en masse a year ago.
But even though the new conference retained the old name, it must establish a brand, an identity and a connection with the nation.
"We're going to make this basketball conference a force," Commissioner Val Ackerman said at Big East media day last month in New York. "There's no doubt the eyes of the basketball world and the eyes of others in college sports are definitely on the Big East. Everybody in our league uses that as a source of motivation."
The so-called Catholic Seven — longtime conference mainstays Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, Villanova and Georgetown are the other five — invited Creighton, Butler and Xavier to form the new Big East.
"Every coach is going to say they play in the best league," said Marquette's Buzz Williams, whose team was picked No. 1 in the coaches' preseason poll. "But if you objectively study the numbers, what this league has done the last five years speaks for itself. I think this year that will hold firm too."
Georgetown's John Thompson III noted the Big East is still a place for name-brand coaches, even if the glory days of his father locking horns with Jim Calhoun, Jim Boeheim, Lou Carnesecca, Rollie Massimino and Rick Pitino are just a fond memory.
"Yes, we lost some Hall of Fame coaches," Thompson said, "but I don't think too many teams want to go up against the guys in this room."
It's not only the names and jerseys that have receded into history; the style figures to change too. The old Big East was known for physical play, but officiating will change. New defensive rules, most notably the curtailing of hand-checking, figure to promote freedom of offensive moment everywhere.
"That's going to be interesting in the Big East because we've all taken pride in our defense," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "And the three teams that are coming in are the same way. I think you're going to see some ugly games early."
The Big East will have some of the same problems as the AAC — neither will have the RPI power of the old Big East, in which a .500 conference record almost guaranteed an NCAA tournament bid and a high seed was there to be earned.
While the AAC had three teams — Louisville, Memphis and Connecticut — ranked in the preseason coaches poll, the Big East had only Marquette at No. 17.
MU Article
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-1108-bkc-marquette-20131108,0,1762557.story
Just a couple of weeks ago, Marquette was picked to finish atop the reconfigured Big East in its first season.
Just two days ago, Marquette's coach wasn't sure whom he was going to pick to start the first game.
"I have no idea," Buzz Williams said Wednesday. "I honestly don't know. I'll start Chris (Otule). I don't know who else. That's not coachspeak; I'm not holding our guys hostage. I told them the same thing (Tuesday) afternoon.
" 'Some of you guys look good together. Some of you guys look terrible together. Some of you guys need to be manipulated to look good together.' We've got to kind of figure that out."
That few coaches so deftly adjust what they do to what they have should alleviate most lingering concerns, though Marquette's adjustments may be more profound than usual. Williams estimated he has more uncertainty about his lineup than ever before, and he also has a team turned inside-out.
A rapacious backcourt has been a virtual certainty for the Golden Eagles. It is an area of ambiguity at the moment, while the team looks front-loaded with the 6-foot-11 Otule, 6-8, 290-pound Davante Gardner and 6-7 Jamil Wilson among the most known quantities.
"Recent years it's really been in the backcourt," Gardner said. "We've got more experience, we know what to do, we have to help out the young guys. So we'll be good."
How good may depend on how quickly the backcourt components settle. Touted freshman Duane Wilson suffered a stress fracture that will cause him to miss the early portion of the season, so the point guard role falls to junior Derrick Wilson (no relation).
That might not be a bad thing. According to Gardner and Williams, no matter the lineups or matchups, Derrick Wilson's team usually wins all practice scrimmages.
"I feel like I'm ready," Derrick Wilson said. "I feel like all the work I've done has prepared me. Not having (Duane Wilson) does hurt — he's a really good player — but we also have five other guards who are really good players as well."
Now Williams must figure out whom he can count on, and when. Then Marquette can go about the business of finding success in the new Big East much as it did in the old version.
"We're in a little bit of a flux in that Chris and Davonte and Jamil, those three guys have had an impact in meaningful minutes, positively and negatively," Williams said. "Derrick and Jake (Thomas) and Todd (Mayo) and Juan (Anderson) and Steve (Taylor) have always been, 'Well, whatever you do helps us, and if you're hurting us, you don't get to play.'
"Well, you can't be those guys anymore. Some of you have to turn into real guys. That's what we're trying to figure out."
Marquette at a Glance
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-1108-bkc-cap-marquette-20131108,0,4492078.story
2012-13 record: 26-9, 14-4 Big East (T-1st).
Big East tournament: Lost to Notre Dame in the quarterfinals.
NCAA tournament: Lost to Syracuse in the Elite Eight.
On the offensive: A program renowned for perimeter production may get turned inside-out. Davante Gardner and Chris Otule are frontcourt stalwarts and might play beside one another. Forward Jamil Wilson has all-conference potential, so coach Buzz Williams may go big.
Getting defensive: The Golden Eagles were, as usual, ferocious a year ago, ranking 24th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, per kenpom.com. Can freshman guards JaJuan Johnson and Duane Wilson quickly buy into applying pressure on the perimeter?
The number: 3. Consecutive Sweet 16s reached by the Golden Eagles in the midst of eight straight NCAA tournament appearances.
The talk: Marquette was voted the preseason favorite in the reconfigured Big East, but that will depend on Williams continuing to be one of the most adaptable coaches in the country. Big men are this squad's strength, and then it's a matter of how quickly the talented freshmen get seasoned.
Prediction: Enough is on hand to make a run at a Big East title, though charging into a fourth straight Sweet 16 might be a chore.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-1108-bkc-big-east-20131108,0,6218914.story
As teams change affiliations and conferences change names, the Big East carries on.
More specifically, the Big East name carries on. Technically, the American Athletic Conference is the "old" Big East, taking over its infrastructure, its offices in Providence, R.I., and its NCAA bids.
The "new" Big East is a basketball-driven conference anchored by the seven Catholic schools — including DePaul and Marquette — that bolted en masse a year ago.
But even though the new conference retained the old name, it must establish a brand, an identity and a connection with the nation.
"We're going to make this basketball conference a force," Commissioner Val Ackerman said at Big East media day last month in New York. "There's no doubt the eyes of the basketball world and the eyes of others in college sports are definitely on the Big East. Everybody in our league uses that as a source of motivation."
The so-called Catholic Seven — longtime conference mainstays Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, Villanova and Georgetown are the other five — invited Creighton, Butler and Xavier to form the new Big East.
"Every coach is going to say they play in the best league," said Marquette's Buzz Williams, whose team was picked No. 1 in the coaches' preseason poll. "But if you objectively study the numbers, what this league has done the last five years speaks for itself. I think this year that will hold firm too."
Georgetown's John Thompson III noted the Big East is still a place for name-brand coaches, even if the glory days of his father locking horns with Jim Calhoun, Jim Boeheim, Lou Carnesecca, Rollie Massimino and Rick Pitino are just a fond memory.
"Yes, we lost some Hall of Fame coaches," Thompson said, "but I don't think too many teams want to go up against the guys in this room."
It's not only the names and jerseys that have receded into history; the style figures to change too. The old Big East was known for physical play, but officiating will change. New defensive rules, most notably the curtailing of hand-checking, figure to promote freedom of offensive moment everywhere.
"That's going to be interesting in the Big East because we've all taken pride in our defense," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "And the three teams that are coming in are the same way. I think you're going to see some ugly games early."
The Big East will have some of the same problems as the AAC — neither will have the RPI power of the old Big East, in which a .500 conference record almost guaranteed an NCAA tournament bid and a high seed was there to be earned.
While the AAC had three teams — Louisville, Memphis and Connecticut — ranked in the preseason coaches poll, the Big East had only Marquette at No. 17.
MU Article
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-1108-bkc-marquette-20131108,0,1762557.story
Just a couple of weeks ago, Marquette was picked to finish atop the reconfigured Big East in its first season.
Just two days ago, Marquette's coach wasn't sure whom he was going to pick to start the first game.
"I have no idea," Buzz Williams said Wednesday. "I honestly don't know. I'll start Chris (Otule). I don't know who else. That's not coachspeak; I'm not holding our guys hostage. I told them the same thing (Tuesday) afternoon.
" 'Some of you guys look good together. Some of you guys look terrible together. Some of you guys need to be manipulated to look good together.' We've got to kind of figure that out."
That few coaches so deftly adjust what they do to what they have should alleviate most lingering concerns, though Marquette's adjustments may be more profound than usual. Williams estimated he has more uncertainty about his lineup than ever before, and he also has a team turned inside-out.
A rapacious backcourt has been a virtual certainty for the Golden Eagles. It is an area of ambiguity at the moment, while the team looks front-loaded with the 6-foot-11 Otule, 6-8, 290-pound Davante Gardner and 6-7 Jamil Wilson among the most known quantities.
"Recent years it's really been in the backcourt," Gardner said. "We've got more experience, we know what to do, we have to help out the young guys. So we'll be good."
How good may depend on how quickly the backcourt components settle. Touted freshman Duane Wilson suffered a stress fracture that will cause him to miss the early portion of the season, so the point guard role falls to junior Derrick Wilson (no relation).
That might not be a bad thing. According to Gardner and Williams, no matter the lineups or matchups, Derrick Wilson's team usually wins all practice scrimmages.
"I feel like I'm ready," Derrick Wilson said. "I feel like all the work I've done has prepared me. Not having (Duane Wilson) does hurt — he's a really good player — but we also have five other guards who are really good players as well."
Now Williams must figure out whom he can count on, and when. Then Marquette can go about the business of finding success in the new Big East much as it did in the old version.
"We're in a little bit of a flux in that Chris and Davonte and Jamil, those three guys have had an impact in meaningful minutes, positively and negatively," Williams said. "Derrick and Jake (Thomas) and Todd (Mayo) and Juan (Anderson) and Steve (Taylor) have always been, 'Well, whatever you do helps us, and if you're hurting us, you don't get to play.'
"Well, you can't be those guys anymore. Some of you have to turn into real guys. That's what we're trying to figure out."
Marquette at a Glance
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-1108-bkc-cap-marquette-20131108,0,4492078.story
2012-13 record: 26-9, 14-4 Big East (T-1st).
Big East tournament: Lost to Notre Dame in the quarterfinals.
NCAA tournament: Lost to Syracuse in the Elite Eight.
On the offensive: A program renowned for perimeter production may get turned inside-out. Davante Gardner and Chris Otule are frontcourt stalwarts and might play beside one another. Forward Jamil Wilson has all-conference potential, so coach Buzz Williams may go big.
Getting defensive: The Golden Eagles were, as usual, ferocious a year ago, ranking 24th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, per kenpom.com. Can freshman guards JaJuan Johnson and Duane Wilson quickly buy into applying pressure on the perimeter?
The number: 3. Consecutive Sweet 16s reached by the Golden Eagles in the midst of eight straight NCAA tournament appearances.
The talk: Marquette was voted the preseason favorite in the reconfigured Big East, but that will depend on Williams continuing to be one of the most adaptable coaches in the country. Big men are this squad's strength, and then it's a matter of how quickly the talented freshmen get seasoned.
Prediction: Enough is on hand to make a run at a Big East title, though charging into a fourth straight Sweet 16 might be a chore.