Wow. Talk about playing without heart. That had to be more than just painful for any Providence fan. You could see just from the body language of the Providence players from start to finish. They didn’t want to be there. A hollow, shell team.

That’s the kind of performance that gets coaches fired, or at least causes the fans to really turn.

WVU just had their way with them. I will say Herber, for WVU, is the biggest flopper I’ve ever seen in the Big East. And I don’t know why he does it. In this conference, that is counter-productive. He doesn’t get many calls and then gets calls going against him, when he actually does take a real charge.

[Originally posted on College Basketball, Diary. Italics, indicate additional items added.]

First the notes regarding some teams in the BET.

UConn’s Rashad Anderson has been cleared to practice and play in the BET by doctors. Despite losing their leading scorer for 7 games, UConn went 6-1 (losing to UNC). Anderson has lost 15 pounds and was in the hospital for 2 weeks. The article says Calhoun will slowly work him back into the rotation. I imagine, very slowly right now.

Pitt, ND and WVU all were late getting to NYC — missing the Big East Banquet — because of bad weather in NYC. Pitt actually got there first, but doesn’t play until tomorrow. WVU got as far as Scranton, before taking a bus on I-81. ND got in sometime this morning. Turns out Seton Hall missed the banquet as well — traffic. It will be interesting to see what happens this afternoon and evening for WVU and ND.

For the Domers, it appears that the feeling is that the guards will lead them — Falls and Quinn. Looks like Chris Thomas’ game against Pitt has the media and fans already moving on from him. Then another columnist wonders why the Irish under Brey fade down the stretch.

Up in Massachusetts, you hope they appreciate the work done by Al Skinner. Instead, they seem to be wondering if he might look to go somewhere else. No, that’s not entirely fair. They just seem to assume that he will not leave. There are the advantages that he is a New England native and starred at UMass, still you would think that some other programs would take a run at a guy who just wins the way he does. Recruits anywhere, and really, really develops the kids. Why Virginia doesn’t take a run at him, I’ll never know.

So is the Big East Tournament important? This is part old-school — detracts from the importance of the regular season. Part greed — lots of money raked in by the Big East. Part caution — risk of injury to players on NCAA-bound teams. Part

I go with the approach of Jim Calhoun about its importance and wanting to have them.

“What would you rather do, practice or play against some of the best in Madison Square Garden?” Calhoun said. “Those are the best practices you can have for the NCAA tournament. … You go to the tournament, and maybe (the teams you face) in the first two rounds aren’t as good as that.”

And then for the teams that are on the “bubble,” it is one more chance to take matters into their own hands about getting to the NCAA.

Everyone has predictions. The NY Daily News sees a repeat of last year. So does Frank Burlison of Scout/FoxSports.com. Bob Snyder at the Syracuse Post-Standard seems to be leaning that way (he does his in odds, UConn and Pitt are #1 and #2). In the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, they hedge by just listing 4 candidates: UConn, Syracuse, Villanova and Pitt. Lenn Robbins of the NY Post just sees a wide open tournament. Even the NY Sun offers an opinion — UConn over Villanova. Now I don’t bet, but I recognize that gamblers (at least the good ones) know what is going on.

UConn has re-emerged as the team to beat and the team to bet. The Huskies have covered in 10 straight games and their only straight up loss during that span came at the hands of UNC.

The good news for co-conference champion Boston College is that means they are still considered somewhat of an underdog despite dominating the conference for most of the season.

Best bet: UConn +120. I’ve watched them a lot lately and they look as strong as the odds suggest. They have a tendency to start a little sluggish, however, and might be a good first-half fade.

DonÂ’t waste your money on: Syracuse +550. The status of guard Billy Edelin could leave the Orange with a short and unhappy bench. Coach Jim Boheim has sat him for the last three games and won’t say why. Villanova +500. Team leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, Curtis Sumpter, has a knee that swells up like a basketball from overuse since injuring it a couple months ago. Nova needs him, but his knee might not hold up in back-to-back-to-back games.

What the BET is for NYC, is an annual chance to bask in the glow of a collegiate sport. There is no real college football. Other than producing talent, NYC is not the center of college basketball, except for one Saturday night a year. It also, to a significant extent, exposes a lot of the NYC writers for a lack of familiarity of present college game; preferring, instead, to reflect on the past. It’s understandable, considering most of the focus on sports in the area is at the pro level.

Now, I think the game between WVU and Providence, today at 2, will be an open, exciting game. But everyone is already focusing on tomorrow’s game between Pitt and Villanova.

Remarkably, the quarterfinal round of the tournament matching the fourth and fifth seeds tomorrow will pit two of the more dangerous teams in the country, No. 19 Villanova and No. 22 Pittsburgh. The last time they were seeded in that order at the Garden was 1985. Villanova not only beat the Panthers but went on to win the NCAA championship in Lexington with a performance for the ages.

The Wildcats have been back to the big tournament eight times but not since 1999. It would be a first for coach Jay Wright at the school and a first for a recruiting class from the metropolitan area judged among the best in the country when it entered in 2002. Not only did Allan Ray, Randy Foye, Curtis Sumpter and Jason Fraser carry the burden of great expectations but they were embroiled in a telephone credit card controversy last season that cost each several games of eligibility. And the injuries, particularly to the 6-9 Fraser, have been too numerous to catalogue.

“I feel so good for these kids who have been though so much,” Wright said. “I liked the way they handled the expectations. Then there was the phone issue and the injuries. I think they’ve learned a lesson about life and resiliency.”

Calhoun spoke of the tremendous matchup problems Villanova presents with its dynamic three-guard lineup, an emerging star in Sumpter and the resurgent Fraser. But as good as the Wildcats have been in defeating their last seven opponents, including top-seeded Boston College on campus two weeks ago, they have nothing on Pitt, which snapped out of a late-season slump with resounding road victories at BC and Notre Dame. In both instances, its frontcourt of senior Chevon Troutman and sophomore Chris Taft was overwhelming.

“They represent what the Big East is all about,” Wright said. “They have great toughness overall and base their program on defense. I also think they’ve been very unselfish teams over the years.”

Even while trying to pump all the games, Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese is talking this one up specifically.

“Those are nervous games,” he said. “And when Pitt plays Villanova in the quarters the next day, it will be one of the best first games ever in the history of the tournament. Those are two teams that could win the tournament. It reminds me of Patrick Ewing’s sophomore year when Georgetown was a 5 seed and they had to play Syracuse. I think we’re as strong as we’ve ever been top to bottom right now.”

Lots of fun expected.

A puff piece, I missed earlier on Coach Jamie Dixon.

A major contributor to the Panthers’ recent success has been the so-called New York pipeline that supplies a number of players from the city.

“I think it becomes an easy story for people to write about,” said Dixon. “Anything that involves New York will pick up some steam. “We’re a city school and generally recruit kids from big cities.”

Current player Carl Krauser says of Dixon, “I think he has the best player- coach relationship of any coach in the country.”

Assistant coach, Barry Rohrssen, who is credited with keeping that New York connection together said, “Jamie was born to coach, he knows the game as well as anybody you’re going to meet. We got a great guy here leading the program.”

Yesterday, both ‘Burgh papers gave the attention to Troutman. Today, the love is shifted to Antonio Graves.

Graves, a 6-foot-3 sophomore whose up-and-down season has mirrored Pitt’s in many ways, scored six of his 11 points in the final 6:37 to help salt away Pitt’s 85-77 victory at the Joyce Center. He had a team-high 13 points and three 3-pointers in Pitt’s 72-50 victory at Boston College five days earlier and has scored in double figures in three of the past four games.

“I’m in the moment and playing,” Graves said. “The coaches have been telling me to go out there and do what I do. There’s not a whole lot of thought process now. I’m just out there playing.”

It’s no coincidence that the emergence of Graves and Taft late in the season has translated into the Panthers playing their best basketball heading into a Big East Conference quarterfinal game against Villanova at 2 p.m. tomorrow. Graves, the replacement for Julius Page at shooting guard, knows his play will go a long way in determining how far Pitt goes this postseason.

“I’m ready for that,” said Graves, from Mansfield, Ohio. “The last two games against Boston College and Notre Dame really showed what I can do. It’s given me a lot of confidence. I just can’t sit there and watch. I can’t let Carl, Chevy and Chris do everything. We need strong contributions from everybody.”
…
Graves’ play is usually a pretty good indicator for the way Pitt plays. When he struggles, Pitt usually does, too. In Pitt’s seven losses this season, Graves was 17 for 50 (34 percent) from the field with 14 turnovers. In Pitt’s 20 victories, he is 48 for 107 from the field (45 percent) with 25 turnovers.

Coach Dixon suggests part of his improved play is increasing maturity, but Graves leans more towards having his ankle fully healthy. I tend to lean towards the latter. Graves is looking forward to Thursday’s game.

One game that remains stuck in Graves’ craw is the eight-point loss to Villanova on Feb. 20, when the Wildcats struck for 12 3-pointers and Graves committed several late-game turnovers. Graves, Krauser and Co. could not keep up with the Villanova guards.

“I have revenge on my mind,” Graves said. “I feel like it’s the beginning of the season again for me. My confidence is good. I’m ready to take the next step.”

I was kind of surprised both papers did a story on Graves, but then I realized he’s the only other starter, aside from Troutman, not from the 5 boroughs. There were plenty of “homecoming” stories last year, and more to be expected. Might as well give the others their moment.

As for Villanova, I’ve made no secret that to me, the biggest match-up issue will be forward Curtis Sumpter. Sumpter and several of his teammates are getting their own “homecoming” storylines. A big issue for ‘Nova and Sumpter in the BET will be Sumpter’s knee. It’s been giving him problems since January. It probably won’t be much of an issue in the Pitt game, but is more a concern for the Wildcats if they hope to go beyond in the BET. How can it handle back-to-back games?

In the BET, Pitt has not had much luck against Villanova. Pitt has only beaten them once in 6 tries.

Bad weather, delayed Pitt getting to NYC by 9 hours. They literally flew to NYC, then after circling for a while, had to fly back to Pittsburgh. They ended up flying to Philly and busing it the rest of the way.