Gonzo Unplugged

Sorry for the delay, but I'm just now emptying the notebook from Seton Hall media day last week. Here are some interesting comments from the head coach on a variety of topics, listed in the order they came up during the press conference:

On Melvyn Oliver:
“He’s been doing a great job working out on his own. He is a little bit of project. We know he has to lose some weight and get in shape. Not having basketball in so many weeks hasn’t been a positive. He’s going to be a guy who could be a big positive for us. We’re all waiting very intently.”

On the use of walk-ons:
“I was never against it. The problem always has been, I’m not saying we practice harder than anybody else, but we go very hard. It’s very difficult for kids to practice that hard, to sacrifice that kind of time….at big schools you have a lot of choices with walk-ons. When you’re at the small schools it’s hard to get a lot of kids who are walking around the campus who want to dedicate that kind of time and commitment.”

On transfer Keon Lawrence:
"We are going to put in an appeal on Keon Lawrence. He wants that, his family wants that. There’s certainly no pressure from our end. We haven’t said we only have eight guys possibly---you have to play. We haven’t done that. We said to him, ‘How do you feel about it?’ I think he can handle sitting a whole year. He’s not against that, but if he plays the second semester it’s high visibility in the Big East, then he comes back his senior year, he has a whole year to do well, he could be looked at and get drafted."

On Stix Mitchell:
“I think Robert is a terrific player and he’s going to surprise a lot ot people. Brian Laing left and he took 19 points (per game) with him. Mitchell, I don’t want to put pressure on him, being a sophomore, but if he doesn’t get all 19 of them I thin he’s going to be able to get 16 of them back. Robert Mitchell is a natural scorer, he reminds me of an old-school George Gervin---very difficult to defend, makes threes, slithers to basket, finds ways to score, plays with supreme confidence.”

On Mitchell playing power forward:
“You guys are gonna want to kill me during the season for this, I know that, it’s been an ongoing thing. If I could ever recruit a 4 that could get on the court and be eligible, I wouldn’t have to play this way. When we play the non-conference part of schedule we can play Robert Mitchell at the 4 spot and get away with it and play four quick and one big guy inside. When you play the USCs of the world and the Big East Conference, we’re gonna have to play two forwards because you just get pounded on the inside and you get hurt rebounding.”

On the Mitchell suspension:
“If the administration felt that was right I’m going to support that. I’ve been head coach 10 years. This is not about me trying to act like I’m on some moral righteous high ground. I want to make this clear, set the record straight for anyone who’s unclear----I have never had a major violation in 16 years, and me and my staff care about little things that might go wrong. For people who think we’re being reckless or careless, that’ s not true."

"You go and sit on any campus in the country---Duke, Ivy league---you’re going to see a secondary violation even if it’s by accident because the rule book is this thick and I changes every six months. They happen."

"The big thing is not so much that they happen, but I can handle them. Do you handle them in house? Do you publicize them? Do you call the NCAA for what should be the punishment? Everybody does it differently across the country. There’s secondary violations at other schools and guys aren’t being suspended. I’m going to respect whatever decision Seton Hall makes, because I’m the coach here and I respect them."

On the non-conference schedule:
"I know people think with the Delawares and James Madisons, we’re supposed to win, but they’re tough games. We were trying hard to get Michigan and Arkansas. California Baptist: It was right before exams and we could not get anybody to pay. We said we’ve just got to get a game. I didn’t want an 11-day layoff from December 2 to December 13. Instead of getting an exhibition game like we did two years ago, we said they’re an NAIA team and they won 26 games, That’s what happened there . . . you play 18 league games, you play that many games that are tough, tough games, how many more tough games do you want? At the end of every year it’s a meat grinder, everybody gets beat up."

On Paul Gause:
"We went 2-9 without him, showshow important he was. We certainly felt like we would have won a couple of those games. He recognizes that and this year he’s on a mission. This is his team. He’s a great leader. He’s the epitome of the kind of guys you want, with that football mentality.
His knee is just about about 100 percent. I can’t really tell he was hurt."

On Mike Davis:
"He’s in twice as good shape as he was ayear ago, he runs the floor better. He’s dong a lot of little things---diving on floor, blocking shots, rebounding. He came here as a 6-10 guy who thought he was going to be a skilled, face-up shooter. Now he realizes that in order to get on the court he’s going to have to do dirtywork. Because he understands it now, he can help us more now that he did last year."

On his one-game suspension:
“I came to Seton Hall set in my ways because I was a head coach for seven years and I felt that for me to be successful I’ve got to do things my way. It’s taken me a couple of years to learn the culture at Seton Hall, how things are done here. It’s been a little bit of an adjustment period.

Coaches at the end of the day are pretty much judged on three things:
If they personally do what they’re supposed to do as a human being; the kids that they are bringing in have a good graduation rate---they go to school; and ultimately, how many games did you win?

I understand the bottom line. When I go here they put three words in my contract: It said, ‘just win baby.’ I’m being wise, but I’m saying, at the end of the day the administration wants Seton Hall to be successful and so do I.

I have a strong opinion. I have an intense personality. I am who I am. I am going to adjust to certain things to make sure I’m not hurting Seton Hall’s image, hurting the program, but at the same time I got here because of who I am and I’m only going to change so much.”

On recruiting:
"When you are at a brand-name program that sells itself because they’ve had years and years of success, it’s hard to upset the order of things. It’s hard to jump up. What you have to do is do what those teams did when they got there. Foreign guys, JUCO kids that are tough, prep school kids, diamonds in the rough, guys that aren’t McDonald’s All-Americans but they can compete with them on a given night. Then you have to blend them together.

It can be done at Seton Hall. It’s not easy. You have to be creative with your recruiting. And we need a couple of breaks. We’re not far away from being a team that most teams in this league both don’t want to play.

It’s so hard to get that one top 10 guy to take that leap of faith and believe in you. They’re being told, ‘if you want to be great, go to a Kansas. Why would you want to stay around and go to Seton Hall? There’s so much pressure on these kids to go away, we’re swimming against the stream.

I thought when I first came because we went to the NCAA Tournament at Manhattan and we beat Florida by 15, I’ll be able to do it at Seton Hall. I thought I could do it my first year. Now I’m saying to myself, ‘I’ve got to get enough good players to help us win to get that great player to take a look at us.”

Big East media day, Part II

First, a few links:

Here is my notebook, with coaches' quotes about the toughness of the league, Rick Pitino's comments on Rahway H.S. grad Earl Clark, comments from Luke Harangody and a status report on Pitt's injured guard Levance Fields:
Toughest league ever?

Here is Paul Franklin's excellent column on the smartest man in sports, Mike Tranghese, and the top two candidates to replace him:
Gigantic shoes to fill

Here the story about Jim Calhoun's suprising praise of Rutgers from Gannett New Jersey's Scarlet Scuttlebutt blog:
Calhoun: "The signs are there"

Here is a new Big East-oriented blog, The Big Beast, run by a couple of enterprising young guys. If you're like me and you can't get enough college hoops talk, check it out:
http://thebigbeastnj.blogspot.com/

Now, to HOOPS HAVEN'S BIG EAST RANKINGS:

1. Louisville. Book the Final Four.
2. UConn. Something's missing...
3. Notre Dame. Best player, best shooter.
4. Villanova. Will be fun to watch.
5. Pittsburgh. Fields' foot worries me.
6. Syracuse. Superb backcourt.
7. Marquette. New coach = questions.
8. Georgetown. Newbies must learn system.
9. West Virginia. Can beat any of the first 8.
10. Providence. NCAA talent.
11. Rutgers. Two fab frosh lead the way.
12. Seton Hall. Need more bodies.
13. Cincinnati. Not sold on this "sleeper."
14. St. John's. Zzzzzzzzz.
15. DePaul. Coach on the hot seat.
16. South Florida. They own this spot.

HOOPS HAVEN'S PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST

First Team
G-Jerel McNeal (Marquette)
G/F-Terrence Williams (Louisville)
F-Sam Young (Pittsburgh)
F-Luke Harangody (Notre Dame)
C-Hasheem Thabeet (UConn)

Second Team
G-Kyle McAlarney (Notre Dame)
G-Scottie Reynolds (Villanova)
G-Eric Devendorf (Syracuse)
F-Jeff Adrien (UConn)
F-Earl Clark (Louisville)

Feel free to post your ranking in the comments section. I like getting all points of view.

Big East media schmooze-fest

QUICK THOUGHTS FROM THE GARDEN:

* Jim Calhoun went out of his way to praise Rutgers as "a program on the rise" and for "building a foundation the right way." From the sound of it, Calhoun has taken Fred Hill under his wing.

* Rick Pitino had great things to say about Rahway H.S. grad Earl Clark's work ethic, which, the coach added, was non-existent when the junior forward arrived two-plus years ago.

* There was a lot of chatter about how the league could get 10 teams into the NCAA Tournament. That's doubtful, but nine is not out of the question. Syracuse, West Virginia and Providence have Madness-worthy rosters.

* The league's veteran coaches universally agree that the biggest difference between the Big East now and, say, 10 years ago is that it's much harder to build a program from the bottom now. There are too many teams to kick you in the face. Both Calhoun and Pitino said they wouldn't want to be a young coach in this conference today.

* For Rutgers, Hamady N'Diaye and Anthony Farmer attended. They, along with Fred Hill, were bombarded with questions about the freshmen. It wasn't as crowded as the UConn or Louisville tables, but it was the most reporters I've seen hovering around the Scarlet Knights here.

* For Seton Hall, John Garcia and Eugene Harvey attended. Paul Gause missed it because of an exam. Joe Quinlan was there, too. Wonder if he took the bus back? Still no word from the Clearinghouse on Mel Oliver, by the way.

* Tonight I will post my full notebook, with quotes, plus colleague Paul Franklin's story on resident genius Mike Tranghese, who is retiring.

PRESASON COACHES' POLL
(with Hoops Haven's commentary -- we'll post our own ranking tomorrow)

1. Connecticut (9) 214: They’re loaded. Just ask Jim Calhoun.
2. Louisville (3) 205: Nobody has more experience and depth. Plus Rick Pitino looks more and more like Al Pacino.
3. Pittsburgh (3) 200: It all rides on the troublesome left foot of gritty guard Levance Fields.
4. Notre Dame (1) 195: If Mike Brey can’t win some postseason games with Luke Harangody banging and Kyle McAlarney swishing, he never will.
5. Villanova 153: Everyone’s back from Sweet 16 squad. A big man must emerge for the Cats to take the next step.
6. Marquette 146: New coach, but same savvy backcourt trio.
7. Georgetown 141: Wow, did they really lose that much? Just shows you how stacked this conference is.
8. Syracuse 139: Shocker: Jim Boeheim wasn’t happy with this ranking (or anything else).
9. West Virginia 121: This is an NCAA Tournament team. How many leagues can say that about No 9?
10. Providence 99: With point guard Sharaud Curry back from injury, the Friars are a big-time sleeper.
11. Cincinnati 91: The chic pick for most improved. Deonta Vaughn can fill it up.
12. Rutgers 53: Believe it or not, this is the Scarlet Knights’ best showing in several years. The fab frosh make their first impact.
13. Seton Hall 50: If Keon Lawrence gets a waiver and Mel Oliver gets through the Clearinghouse, slide the Pirates up two spots.
14. St. John’s 44: Same old story. This once-proud program has become irrelevant.
15. DePaul 43: The teacher from The Breakfast Club -- er, we mean head coach Jerry Wainwright -- is having a tough go of it.
16. South Florida 26: Enjoy football season while it lasts.

PRESEASON AWARDS

Player of the Year
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame

Co-Rookies of the Year
Greg Monroe, Georgetown
Samardo Samuels, Louisville

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

Honorable Mention
Jeff Adrien, Connecticut, Sr., F
Earl Clark, Louisville, Jr., G/F
Dominic James, Marquette, Sr., G

More on the way later...

Seton Hall media day

Here is my story in Wednesday's Gannett NJ newspapers:

Big question for Hall: Is eight enough?

Five general observations from South Orange:

1. Gonzo vowed to slow the game down, running and pressing in spots only, and to play two bigs at the same time against Big East competition.

2. Everyone from the coach on down talked about how much more mature Eugene Harvey is. Gonzo said Harvey is "one of the most improved players in the program," and has matured to the point where "I don't recognize him, he's a completely different person than he was two years ago."

3. Gonzo acknowledged the limited roster is not ideal but made it clear that he's willing to take chances this year for a potentially big payoff next year.

4. Negative recruiting is hammering Gonzalez, who acknowledged that building a winner here is tougher than he thought it was going to be.

5. There were 20 media members present, compared maybe 7-8 last year, and on the whole the coach handled the barrage of questions pretty well. Media there included Bryan DeNovellis of News12, Steve Politi, John Rowe, J.P. Pelzman, Colin Stephenson, Adam Zagoria, Gary Cohen, Dave Popkin, Anthony Fucilli and Jay Gomes. No New York papers as far as I could see.

I think the startling lineup will be: Eugene Harvey Jeremy Hazell, Stix Mitchell and John Garcia as regulars, with Paul Gause and Mike Davis rotating in the fifth spot based on the opponent.

PLAYER RUNDOWN:

John Garcia: Held court with the media for several minutes on a variety of topics. Said Mike Davis is vastly improved and confirmed that Stix Mitchell will be the go-to guy offensively. Not sure whether he will return for his final year of eligibility yet, citing a need to help his family (his father is a realtor and these are tough times for that business).

Paul Gause: Said he's not 100 percent but feeling better every week. Based on watching practice it looks like he's the vocal leader of this team.

Eugene Harvey: Promised his defense will be better. Gave his No. 15 to Pope, felt it was the right thing to do as a leader and captain.

Herb Pope: Swears he's sticking around this year and that he came to SHU with the understanding that he would most likely have to sit.

Stix Mitchell: Said he sees himself as a wing but is ready and willing to bang at the 4 if called upon (and he will be called upon).

Mike Davis: Made Dean's list both semesters last year, is 15 pounds thinner, said his main focus this season is rebounding.

Jordan Theodore: Was articulate and thoughtful, very impressive for a freshman. Clearly has a good head on his shoulders. Is rooming with Harvey and while they get along they compete at everything -- to the point where they don't even talk during practice.

Notable Gonzo quotes:

"I'll be the first to admit. I have not gotten it done yet at the Big East level, but I'll tell you what, I like my chances a hell of a lot better than a lot of other people because I’ve been there (the NCAAs) and I know what it takes. I’ve got a chip on my shoulder. I know I can coach. None of you guys will be able to tell me any different."

"I look at the glass as half full instead of half-empty. When we got here we had eight, nine bodies that first year. I don't want to knock the program, we inherited some nice kids, but I don’t know if we had eight Big East players. Last year we had more talent than the year before, this year we have more talent than last year."

"We don’t have the depth that I’d like because we decided to take some chances on guys who could be difference-makers next year, Pope and Lawrence. Sometimes you’ve go to take a half step backward in order to take a full step forward. To me, Herb Pope and Keon Lawrence are worth taking a chance. In the short term, we’ve got to suck it up a little bit, we've go to be creative."

"Sometimes you've got to adjust in your philosophy, play more zone, cut your practices down, not press as much. Basically the onus is on me, the challenge is on me . . . I like what we have. We have 8-9 guys who I feel good about, who I’m not afraid of putting into a game."

Then he added about Brandon Walters: "I don't have a ton of confidence in him right now, but everybody else I feel great about."

"I’ve never been one that said, 'the last guy left me with nothing, we were picked 15th, the program's in the garbage can.' I haven't said that for two years . . .

The last two years we tried to win as many games as we could while we were building. But at the same time people have to have some patience, some vision, of where we’re going with the team. I’m trying to build them in my image, and my image has always been toughness, cutthroat, unapologetic, a team that can win at this level. We feel like we can do this, if not this year then next year. We feel like we’re close to turning a corner. It’s tough to move up in this league."

More on having eight guys: "I think we have to adjust. You've got to turn the light switch off and on, you've got to take your ego and put it in your pocket. I can't say I believe in running and pressuring for 40 minutes and we're going to do that with whoever we've got. But I do want my guys to be iron tough. They can play 32, 35 minutes without getting tired and making excuses."

On the negativity:
"I know some people think that I'm trying to be Jerry Tarkanian or Father Flanagan. I’m not. We’re not out there trying to save every lost soul. But I will say this: I like tough kids, I like giving kids an opportunity. Seton Hall is a place where that’s what it’s about . . . I’m not saying you constantly have to take kids that have baggage or are borderline academic kids, but I have a soft spot in my heart for kids who are tough guys, warriors, who want an opportunity.

"I could sit here and say there's a couple of guys in the metropolitan area who don't have winning records who got extensions. I’m not knocking them, I’m just comparing. I could say there are guys who haven't proved themselves by having no postseason wins. Or comparing our style, we go up and down and at another school, why would you want to play that way, just standing around?"

"I’m going to sell what's over there on that banner 20 years ago (the Final Four banner), I know some people say it’s a pipe dream, it was a different time, the Big East was smaller, there was no Internet, less pressure to win, but they got to the final game and almost won a national championship. It can be done here."

That's it. I'll take your questions now....

Maddening Questions

College basketball practice begins this weekend, and to tip things off at Hoops Haven here are five “maddening” questions about Seton Hall and Rutgers for 2008-09.

SETON HALL

1. How do you survive with eight players?
We can’t remember a Big East team that started the season with just eight bodies. It’s possible Melvyn Oliver will pass the Clearinghouse or Keon Lawrence will get a waiver for the second semester, but at the moment there are eight hands on deck. Those eight have to stay healthy, avoid foul trouble and keep their legs as fresh as possible. That means picking your spots to run and press. There is enough skill on the roster to score plenty in the half court.

2. How are the knees holding up?
Guard Paul Gause is coming off ACL surgery and center John Garcia has chronic knee trouble. Both are skilled players and leaders, and they should be able to contribute if handled with care. Bobby Gonzalez has to limit their minutes, which will be tough with an eight-man roster, but the alternative could be losing one or both for an extended stretch. That would be a disaster.

3. Which Eugene Harvey will show up?
The talented but mercurial point guard was a sensation his freshman year and a disappointment as a sophomore. Effort and focus were issues last year, but the arrival of freshman point guard Jordan Theodore should provide Nu-Nu with a shot in the arm.

4. Will the Pirates play defense?
They ranked last in the Big East two years running, allowing 77.2 points per game last winter and 72.8 the year before. You can’t get to the postseason that way.

5. Is the whole thing going to implode?
No one expects Gonzalez and athletic director Joe Quinlan to go bowling together, but if the sideshow produced by their ongoing and very public feud continues you can write it down now: One or both of them will not be back next year.

RUTGERS

1. How good is Mike Rosario?
The St. Anthony product was incredibly good in high school. Few freshmen star in the Big East from the get-go, so instant-savior expectations should be tempered. Rosario will have a learning curve, like everyone else, but the bottom line is he’s a natural at the single-most important aspect of the game -- shooting the basketball. That will come in handy.

2. Will the suspensions sidetrack the season?
Say what you want about J.R. Inman, but he’s the most accomplished player on the team. If he misses the first 6-8 games, Rutgers is going to lose some of them, even though the schedule is cupcake city. It’s possible the suspensions of Inman and fellow forward Jaron Griffin will be reduced from 3-6 weeks, which is what we originally heard. When they do return, it’s going to take time to establish chemistry with the newcomers. Stay tuned.

3. Where is the leadership coming from?
Senior Anthony Farmer and junior Hamady N’Diaye will be representing Rutgers at Big East media day next week, so it looks like they’ll be holding the mantle. Farmer seems well-suited for the role. Hamady will have to grow into it.

4. Will there be a frontcourt, finally?
The Scarlet Knights have been getting pounded inside since Rashod Kent graduated. With freshmen Greg Echenique and Christian Morris joining N’Diaye, there is some meat and depth at long last. But, like Rosario, the newcomers will have a learning curve. And in the Big East that curve is always steeper for big men.

5. Can Fred Hill coach all this talent?
Pound for pound, this is the most talent on a Rutgers roster since Kevin Bannon was running amok. But it’s raw, and it’s an odd mix of seniors that used to be a heralded class and freshmen that are getting that top billing now. Hill’s job is to blend it all together, both on and off the court. His coaching acumen will be tested.

What are your questions? As always we welcome reader feedback . . .

The full Fred Hill Q&A

Here is the full version of my Q&A with Rutgers men's basketball coach Fred Hill in today's Gannett New Jersey papers:
Questions, optimism surround Scarlet Knights

Here is the audio version, broken into six parts:
Move over, Larry King!

Fred Hill Q&A

Did a preseason Q&A with Rutgers coach Fred Hill last night. Following are some interesting excerpts (the full transcript will be published, in print and audio forms, tomorrow at www.mycentraljersey.com )

Q. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding your freshmen class. Can you provide us with a couple of quick thoughts on each of the four players?

A. Certainly you’ve got two guys who come in here with big reputations. Mike Rosario from St. Anthony is a McDonald’s All-American. Everybody knows him as a great shooter, but Mike is much more than that. He can put the ball on the floor, he’s got a mid-range game, he can get to the rim. He’s been coached by Bob Hurley. He, because of those experiences, is ready to step in and make an impact for us immediately.
Another guy who’s just like that is Gregory Echenique . . . he was unbelievably well coached by Dan Hurley, he’s very prepared to come in and have an immediate impact from day one. Those two guys come out of the No. 1 and No. 2 high school program last year in the country, so we’re excited.
But I think we also have two guys who a lot of people might not realize their upside and potential. Pat Jackson is a terrific athlete. He’s been doing a great job in the preseason. He’s a guy who can knock down some shots, put in on the floor, he’s a slasher, and I love his length. When he picks up our complete defensive system, he’s a guy who can become a terrific defensive player for us. He gives us some speed and length on the defensive end, which is something we need.
And Christian Morris, when he came in he had put on some weight, but over the course of the summer he’s gone from 348 pounds to 292 pounds. We had to redevelop his body but he’s a big, strong kid, a space-eater, great feet, great hands, and he’s going to be able to give us a dimension where we can score in the post better than we did in the past.

Q. What kind of impact will the indefinite suspensions of seniors J.R. Inman and Jaron Griffin have on the team?

A. We’re hoping to get them back as soon as possible and certainly they’ve done an outstanding job so far with meeting the needs and goals we’ve set for them, some of the parameters to work their way back.
You never want to lose anybody on your team, you never want to have to suspend anybody, especially two seniors. We’re looking for their leadership, for their experience to help integrate the young guys into the Big East and get them prepared to know what they’re going to face. Certainly that experience is invaluable.

Q. Until those guys will be playing in games, who is filling the leadership role for you with the two seniors out?

A. Everybody has kind of banded together, everybody has kind of picked up the slack a little bit. That’s what a good team does, a good family foes. Those guys have been a part of everything we’ve done, so they are still on a day-to-day basis doing everything they would have been doing, they’re just going to miss a few games early in the season . . .

Hamady (N’Diaye) has done a great job, Jonathan Mitchell, a transfer from Florida, has done a terrific job, my sophomores---Mike Coburn, Corey (Chandler), Earl Pettis. It’s not one individual, it’s actually been something that you want to see where everybody comes together and everybody is pulling for each other. When you see those things happening that’s when you start to see the culture you’ve been preaching start to take shape.

Q. Regarding your non-conference schedule, last year you played three major conference teams---North Carolina, Florida and Nebraska. This year you are playing one---at UNC. Why the downshift?

A. It’s not so much of a downshift as much as Florida returns the game next year, so by their request they asked to take year off and come in the following year. You set these things up a few years out. We’re in negotiations with Kansas to start a home-and-home series as the UNC series and Florida series are going to end. And we have already been in negotiations with N.C. State to start a series next year. We also didn’t know if we’d be playing in the Big East-SEC Challenge. We’re not going to play in it this year so that means we’re going to get into it next year.

So it’s not a downshift when you take a look at next year’s schedule----we’re going to play North Carolina again, we’re in the Legends Classic, which will take place in the Prudential Center in Newark and we’ll be playing two BCS-type teams in that, we have Florida returning the game from a year ago, we’re are starting a series with N.C. State, and we’re probably going to play in the Big East-SEC challenge. That’s just the way the schedule falls, and we’re excited about it.

We’re excited about this year’s schedule, which gives us a chance to get some guys in games and hopefully get some wins early. There are some good teams that maybe people aren’t aware of---Delaware, we have to go on the road, they have three high-major transfers ready to play this year that sat out last year. We looked at it as an opportunity, a great chance to maybe get a few wins and build some confidence, but there’s going to be some tests in there.

Q. You’ve been around the Big East for a long time. How good is the league this year?

A. Wow. It’s going to be as deep and as good since I’ve been in the league (11 years) . . . it’s an experienced league, it’s top-heavy with juniors and seniors. We’re returning the majority of the leaders in scoring, rebounding and assists. It’s really a monster. Potentially nine teams are starting in somebody’s top 25. . . You could potentially have 10 NCAA Tournament teams out of the Big East.

UPCOMING AT HOOPS HAVEN:

Friday:
--Five "maddening" questions about Seton Hall and Rutgers
--The entire Fred Hill Q&A
Tuesday:
Coverage of Seton Hall media day
Wednesday:
Coverage of Big East media day, including Hoops Haven's own preseason league rankings

Glover lawsuit dismissed

This came across the Associated Press wire a few minutes ago:

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against the NCAA and Big East Conference filed by a former Seton Hall basketball recruit who was declared ineligible.

Michael Glover, a 6-foot-6 forward from the Bronx, was ruled ineligible last fall after enrolling at Seton Hall, a member of the Providence-based conference.

He argued in a lawsuit in August that the NCAA never gave a reason for invalidating his entire senior year transcript from American Christian Academy in Pennsylvania.

The NCAA argued that the Rhode Island federal court system had no jurisdiction over the case, and the Big East argued that it didn't belong in the lawsuit.

U.S. District Judge Ernest Torres dismissed both defendants from the lawsuit after hearing arguments Tuesday.

HOOPS HAVEN SAYS: Everyone with 0bjective eyes knew this lawsuit had just about no shot from the get-go. It was a poor decision and a tremendous waste of time for Glover, who could have been at a JUCO on his way to earning Division I eligibility already. To put a twist on the old Wild West saying, you can't run from the long arm of the NCAA.

As for the Pirates, it's time to move on with that scholarship. It's too late to bolster this year's roster, which is dangerously thin, but they should simply wish Michael Glover well and start looking for more frontcourt help.

Pope's waiver denied

Just got this statement from Seton Hall:

Herb Pope's initial request for a waiver that would enable him to play for the 2008-09 season has been denied. We will be appealing the decision to the NCAA Sub-Committee.

HOOPS HAVEN SAYS: No surprise. Pope's hardship case was a longshot because he wasn't moving back home (unlike Keon Lawrence, whose waiver application should be filed soon). Now the question becomes this: Will the talented 6-8 transfer stick around even though he can't play this year, or will he seek a basketball gig in Europe?

It's a fair question because the main reason Pope considered staying at New Mexico State was his concern over losing a year. Now he's lost it.

If he has an opportunity to earn a paycheck now, he just might take it.

Hitting the links

With less than a week until the start of college basketball practice, here are two Big East-oriented stories to serve as an appetizer:

The challenges facing Marquette's new coach: The buzz on Buzz Williams

A look at Syracuse's Eric Devendorf and other players trying to come back from serious injuries: Trying to answer the bell

ALSO: Building on my last post's theme about the ecomony and sports, here is a meaty piece about that very subject from SI.com. As I tell my students, the sports fan is the rare consumer who just about never gets a sale. Why not?
The recession and athletics

Here is an accompanying survey: You and your sports dollar