Tag: College Basketball

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Duke-North Carolina: A Rivalry Which Will Always Matter

Baseline Perspective | Duke-North Carolina
(Image Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty)

Duke and North Carolina isn’t just a college basketball rivalry, it’s the rivalry.

It’s the matchup which pulls in the casual sports fan and turns a normal Friday night into must-see television.

This game is at the center of the sports world whenever it hits the calendar. The regular season games never feel regular, but when the stakes are raised, however, so does the intensity.

Whenever asked to describe Duke and North Carolina, the thoughts begin to run through my mind like a fast break.

It’s Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill to Eric Montross, George Lynch, and Donald Williams. It’s Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace to Vince Carter and Antwan Jamison. It’s Jay Williams, Shane Battier to JJ Redick and Sheldon Williams. From Raymond Felton, Sean May, and Rashad McCants to Ty Lawson, Danny Green, and Tyler Hansbrough.

It’s Dean Smith to Roy Williams. There’s Mike Krzyzewski. Michael Jordan.

It’s simply Duke and North Carolina. And it always matters.

The backdrop for the next installment in this classic won’t be in the state of North Carolina. This time the stage is set for their semifinal matchup in the ACC Tournament, in Brooklyn.

Duke and North Carolina split their regular-season series this season, each team winning on its home court. The winner will move on to the championship game, with an added emphasis for seeding in the upcoming NCAA Tournament also on the line.

[irp posts=”613″ name=”ACC Tournament: Experienced North Carolina Won’t Panic In Postseason”]

The Blue Devils, behind Marvin Bagley III, shut down Notre Dame in the quarterfinal round. Bagley was dominant, the freshman showed why he’s an elite top NBA prospect. He repeatedly pulled the plug on any momentum Notre Dame could gather in the second half when he made 11-of-12 shots.

Bagley finished with a game-high 33 points and with 17 rebounds. If his next stop is the NBA draft in June, he made a strong case to be the number one pick.

“Bagley was just the first pick in the draft,” Notre Dame Head coach Mike Brey said afterward. “He’s a can’t-miss star in my opinion from what I’ve seen tonight.”

Duke senior Grayson Allen was also can’t-miss in the first half, he drained his first five shots from the three-point line and finished with 23 points.

When Bagley and Allen are both on like that, Duke’s an entirely different monster.

North Carolina took an early punch in the mouth from Miami, in their quarterfinal game, when they fell behind, 14-0. But the Tar Heels, led by seniors Theo Pinson and Joel Berry III, showed their poise and came back to finish the Hurricanes with a game-ending 13-0 run.

Bagley and Allen to Pinson and Berry. Their names can be added to the history between these two teams.

Time to Buckle Up

On a Friday night in Brooklyn, Duke and North Carolina will hit the court fully aware of what’s on the line. The winner moves on to play in the ACC championship game, but they also get to pad their case for a potential number one seed in the NCAA tournament.

It’s been another controversial season for the NCAA with the annual debate of issues and scandals dominating the headlines off the court.

But its rivalries, such as this one, which provides the die-hard and casual sports fan a much-needed break. For two to three hours, the focus shifts to what college basketball is supposed to really be about, the passion.

The stakes are high for this game and so will be the intensity. Most of the talk around Barclays Center this week has been about what if Duke and North Carolina get it on Friday night?

Well, we have it. Buckle up for a rivalry which will always matter.

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Syracuse Must Bring Lunch Pail to Brooklyn for ACC Tourney

Baseline Perspective | Syracuse
Syracuse guards Tyus Battle (25) and Frank Howard (23) with head coach Jim Boeheim. (Image Credit: Dennis Nett )

When it comes to Syracuse basketball, this year’s team isn’t exactly poetry in motion on the court. But give the Orange credit for not trying to be something they’re not.

The ACC Tournament is set to tip off this week in Brooklyn, if Syracuse is to hear their name called on Selection Sunday they’ll need to make a good impression at Barclays Center.

The uphill battle for the 11th-seeded Orange begins with an opening round matchup against 14th seeded Wake Forest. The two teams split their regular season series, but this time its loser goes home.

No first-round byes, no benefit of a high seed in the tournament to reach the quarterfinals. No shortcuts.

If Syracuse is going to get it done they’ll need to grind it out every step of the way in order to make a deep run. But this is nothing new for them.

To understand the current scenario for Syracuse requires to first understand how they reached this point. Injuries and a short-handed roster left the Orange no other choice but to scratch and claw for their victories this season.

If this team is to dance in March, they must stick with what got them to this moment, their hustle.

Their big three of Tyus Battle, Oshae Brissett, and Frank Howard must be ready to ball out.

Lunch Pail Mentality

The Orange will also need to bring their lunch pail to Barclays, but what does this mean?

For Syracuse, beginning with their opening-round matchup, they’ll need too to win the turnover battle, make their free throws, and rebound.

Head coach Jim Boeheim is the master of the 2-3 zone defense. In this alignment, there’s an emphasis placed on not letting your opponent score inside the painted area or get to the basket.

The downside to zone is the ability for opponents to rise up and shoot over it. Wake Forest, despite all of their struggles this season, can shoot the basketball. The Demon Deacons shot 37.8 percent from the three-point line, this was good enough for fourth in the ACC.

If Boeheim and Syracuse can keep Wake Forest from getting hot outside, they’ll have a strong chance of moving on.

A good showing by Syracuse in Brooklyn this week only helps improve their chances of making the NCAA Tournament. According to the experts, a win over Wake Forest might be enough to get it done.

It likely won’t be pretty, that’s just not their style. But if Syracuse brings their lunch pail with them, they’ll make for a tough out in the ACC tournament and might just find themselves dancing in March.

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Fordham Falls Short In Comeback Effort Against La Salle

Baseline Perspective | Jeff Neubauer
Fordham Head Coach Jeff Neubauer (Image Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports0

Fordham’s woeful shooting in the first half put them in a big hole. At halftime they were down by 21 to La Salle while just shooting 27 percent from the field. Despite shooting over fifty percent in the second half Fordham lost to La Salle Saturday afternoon at Rose Hill Gym, 73-60.

In the first half, Fordham struggled on defense and on the boards. La Salle out-rebounded Fordham 27-11, eight of those rebounds came from sophomore guard Saul Phiri. For much of the first half, La Salle had a small lead until about the five minute mark where they went on an 11-0 run, led by Amar Stukes. The senior guard finished with 14 points in the first half. Senior center Tony Washington finished with eight points in the first half. The Rams managed only four points in the last eight minutes of the first half.

In the second half, La Salle held control of the game until the 13-minute mark when Fordham cut a 22-point lead down to 10. With the Rams trailing 53-31, senior guard Will Tavares and junior forward Slanina Prokop put together a 22-10 run. Tavares scored 11 points and Prokop added six points. Their second half surge came after both scored an abysmal three points in the first half. With 5:14 left to play and the score 63-53, the Rams looked ready to take over the game. But La Salle managed to pull away with the victory.

Four of La Salle’s starters were in double figures. Senior forward B.J. Johnson led the way with for the Explorers with 23 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks. Stukes added 16 points. Washington had 14 points while  junior guard Pookie Powell also chipped in with 14 points.

Fordham has now lost four in a row and sits last in the conference with a 9-19 overall record, 4-12 in the conference. The Rams have two games left in the season and would like to finish strong.

When asked about the team’s struggles and how to cope with losing Fordham head coach Jeff Neubauer said, “I’ve never been apart of this, so I can’t refer back to some other experience. All I can do is tell my team is I’m not going away, I’m not quitting.”

March 3rd is Senior Day for Fordham at Rose Hill Gym. Coach Neubauer shared his thoughts about the day.

“It’s about the emotion the players feel,” Neubauer said. “It’s about the emotion they bring because as a coach you literally go through senior day every year. As a college basketball player you only get one senior day, you’re a senior only one time, so hopefully our team will bring a fighting spirit.”

Fordham’s next game is against George Washington at the Charles E. Smith Center Wednesday 7pm.

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Seton Hall Keeps Tournament Hopes Alive With Win Against DePaul

Baseline Perspective | Desi Rodriguez
Seton Hall forward Desi Rodriguez earlier this year.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Seton Hall won a tight game against Big East foes DePaul, 82-77 Sunday afternoon in Newark. The win pushed the Pirates to a .500 record in the conference and gave them an 18-9 overall record.  

Desi Rodriguez scored a career-high 33 points and Angel Delgado added 16 points with 19 rebounds for Seton Hall. 

The game was close in the first half until Rodriguez sparked a 10-0 run. The senior hit two three pointers in the run which helped the Pirates take a 31-23 advantage. The lead grew to 12 before DePaul went on a 10-0 run of their own to cut the lead to 38-36 at halftime. 

Delgado kept Seton Hall afloat in the first half with another double-double. The senior scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Delgado’s play energized the Pirates at a time where they struggled to get it going.  

Seton Hall barely shot over 30 percent from the field in the first half. But Delgado’s relentless hustle, diving for loose balls and extra effort on the boards helped give his team life. 

In the second half, Rodriguez caught fire by shooting 9 for 11 from the field and making all five of his free-throw attempts. Delgado kept his production up by grabbing eight rebounds and scoring six more points. 

As Seton Hall kept scoring so did DePaul, keeping the game within reach with the lead being no bigger than eight points. Marin Maric kept the Blue Demons in the game. The center shot eight of nine from the field and knocked down two three-pointers. 

In the final minute of the game Seton Hall looked poised to close the game with a win, but DePaul kept fighting and the Pirates found themselves in a tight game. Eli Cain made two free throws for the Blue Demons to cut the lead down to 77-71.  

Seton Hall freshman guard Jordan Walker missed two free throws, which kept the Pirates’ lead at 77-73.  DePaul’s Max Strus hit a huge three to trim the lead down to 79-77. Walker was at the line again, but this time made one out of two free throws. Cain’s missed layup led to Rodriguez closing out the game with two made free throws. 

After the game, Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard described the importance of Delgado’s leadership and why the team feeds off his energy. 

“He’s our emotional leader, Willard said. “He always has been, since day one when he stepped on campus.” 

Willard also confirmed Degado’s improved play and his feeling better after having knee problems. 

“The fact that he feels really good right now, he got back into playing basketball and playing the way he always plays.” 

What’s Next?

Seton Hall will look to get a win streak going against Providence Wednesday night at the Dunkin Donuts Center. 

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Fordham Shoots Their Way Into A Second Half Comeback Victory

 

Baseline Perspective | Ivan Raut
Fordham freshman guard Ivan Raut (Image credit: fordhamsports.com)

After being down as many as 17 points in the first half the Fordham Rams made an incredible come back in the second half to secure a 67-66 win over George Mason, at historic Rose Hill Gym in the Bronx.

Prokop Slanina and freshman Ivan Raut led the comeback by shooting 50% from the 3-point line in the second half. Will Tavares and Joseph Chartouny also contributed with each making a pair of threes in the second half.  

The game started slow for the Rams. In the first half they shot a poor 31 percent from the field and 18 percent from the 3-point line. In the middle of the first half the Rams gave up a 21-0 run which lasted 8 minutes. That run was led by George Mason’s junior guard Otis Livingston II who scored 8 points in that stretch. 

The Rams were killed on the glass, George Mason out rebounded Fordham 28-14 which helped give them a 10 point lead to close out the first half, 33-23. Despite Fordham’s struggles in scoring, junior forward Prokop Slanina led the team in scoring with 9 points while shooting a little under 40 percent.  

Rams Begin To Click In Second Half From Three

Within a few minutes into the second half Slanina started the three-point attack cutting George Mason’s 11 point lead down to eight. The next couple of threes came from senior guard Will Tavares and junior forward Joseph Chartouny, cut the lead down to one, at 47-48.  

In the six minute mark of the second half the Rams took the lead thanks to a critical 3-pointer from Raut making it 58-56. With the three-point surge coming along, the Rams looked more energized on defense and on the glass. Fordham pushed the lead to five, at 67-62, but George Mason’s freshman guard Ian Boyd hit 2 shots to cut the lead the down to one.

With 24 seconds to go, Tavares struggled down the stretch. He missed a jumper then turned over the ball, which led to a George Mason steal. The Patriots couldn’t convert that turnover into points cause of a missed layup by Javon Greene. Tavares got another chance to score thanks to a block by Joseph Chartouny and he was fouled. Unfortunately, Tavares missed the free throw and the Patriots got one more chance to win the game. Otis Livingston II, with three seconds left, heaved a long distance three that fell short and the Rams won 67-66.  

Fordham out rebounded George Mason in the second half 20-19. This was huge given that George Mason destroyed them 28-14 on the glass. The star of the night was forward Prokop Slanina. He was the team leader in points scoring 17 while getting 5 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 steals.  

Coach Jeff Neubauer said of Slanina, “He is the center of our universe, he is important. It’s like asking how important is the sun? The sun is pretty important in this world.”  

What’s Next?

The Rams will look to get revenge against Duquesne this Saturday at 12:00pm in A.J. Palumbo Center.  

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Give VCU Some Time, They’ll Figure It Out

Baseline Perspective | VCU
VCU senior guard Jonathan Williams (10) goes up to take a shot past Seton Hall. (Image credit: AP Photo/Mel Evans)

VCU had one more chance to secure a quality nonconference win with their visit Saturday to Newark, New Jersey. The Rams were winless in four games which could have been resume-builders, their 90-67 loss to Seton Hall extended that streak to five.   Continue reading “Give VCU Some Time, They’ll Figure It Out”

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Three Takeaways From Seton Hall’s Win Over VCU

Baseline Perspective | Seton Hall
Seton Hall senior guard Khadeen Carrington (Image Credit: The Associated Press)

Seton Hall continued their strong start to the season with statement win over VCU. The opening game of the 2017 Never Forget Tribute Classic was a forgettable one for VCU. On a snowy Saturday, here are my three takeaways from press row at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey: Continue reading “Three Takeaways From Seton Hall’s Win Over VCU”

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Seton Hall Rolling Towards Conference Play

Baseline Perspective | Angel Delgado
Seton Hall senior Angel Delgado (Image Credit: Twitter: @SHUTickets)

No one has to remind Seton Hall about the lofty expectations surrounding this team. Since the start of the season, all the Pirates have done is go about their business of winning ballgames and taking names.  

The Big East conference schedule is four games away for Seton Hall, but they look like they’re ready to start now.   Continue reading “Seton Hall Rolling Towards Conference Play”

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St. John’s Must Improve On The Boards To Fulfill Tourney Dreams

Baseline Perspective | St. John'sSt John’s has the talent in their backcourt to compete for a spot in the postseason. But it’s going to take more than strong guard play to make headway in the Big East.  

Chris Mullin is in his third season as head coach, it’s been a slow climb for the Red Storm but there’s plenty of reason for hope. 

With sophomores Shamorie Ponds and Marcus LoVett, St. John’s has one of the conference’s more exciting backcourts.  

College basketball game, much like in the NBA, has evolved into more of an emphasis on the guards and perimeter-oriented players. But this doesn’t take away from the importance of being able to rebound.  This is where the Red Storm may struggle. 

In their season opener on Friday night, the Red Storm came away with a 77-61 win over New Orleans.  

LoVett and Ponds played well, as expected. St. John’s was also outrebounded, 42-27, but found a way to still win.  

St. John’s Will Need Marvin Clark III

Against a team like New Orleans, no disrespect to them, Mullin’s team was able to rely on the talent of their guards. But that won’t always be the case as the season progresses.  

If St. John’s is going to take the next step in their growth, they’ll need an improved effort on the glass. There’s size upfront with 6-11 Tariq Owens and 6-7 forward Kassoum Yawke. The knock on 6-7 Bashir Ahmed is he remains erratic and needs to find more consistency in his game.  

The arrival of Marvin Clark III could be key to this team’s rebounding issues. He’s 6-7 but sat out last season after transferring from Michigan State. Clark III brings Big 10 experience with him, that’s going to be valuable this season for Mullin.  

LoVett and Ponds will supply the offensive firepower for St. John’s, but they can’t do it all alone. Mullin is doing a good job at getting this team to take on his identity. They’re tough, play defense, and they’re scrappy.  

This could be the breakthrough season St. John’s has been waiting for, if they find a way to improve on the boards.