Okay, I’m not getting involved in a college basketball blogpoll (if you think I have some bias in football, I think I could drive people to incoherent rages with how I’d treat the ACC). I am, however, going to participate in the Big East Power Poll, put together by Big East Basketball Blog.

I did not vote in the preseason All-Big East Squads, because I didn’t feel informed sufficiently on the individual players — primarily from the 4 new squads. There is a lot of buzz, though, regarding Sam Young.

Anyhow, this was my pre-season prediction for the Big East.

1. UConn — So much talent: Josh Boone, Rudy Gay and Marcus Williams headline. Plenty around them, plus a coach in Calhoun who always gets them playing better deeper into the seaosn. Only glaring weakness is the lack of depth at point guard. If Williams has to play back into shape during BE season, they could finish 3d or even 4th.
2. Louisville — It’s a Pitino team. It’s a brand name for quality college basketball.
3. Villanova — The loss of Sumpter and the slow return of Fraser makes the once hot pick to win the BE a little shakier.
4. Syracuse — A point guard who has had a fantastic career, now the veteran leader expected to carry a large load with a squad around him that has questions and inexperienced, young talent. Could be a disaster, except they have a proven, experienced, Hall of Fame coach who has shown he can make it work in the regular season.
5. Georgetown — Bowman and Green will continue to develop and thrive under JTIII. This team could finish 3d or take a surprising step backwards and drop to 8th. It depends on how quickly the new players embrace the style of play.
6. WVU — While this team hit its stride at the end of the year, it was a very up and down team. I expect more of the same this season.
7. Pitt — See Syracuse, but take out the Boeheim factor.
8. Cinci — Adam Kennedy coaches a team with talent, but is a lame-duck, interim. He has one eye on auditioning for a future head coaching job elsewhere and another on joining Huggy-bear at his next coaching gig.
9. ND — I don’t see them having enough inside offense or interior defense. Teans will be all over Falls and Quinn to keep them from having open looks.
10. Marquette — Very young team.
11. St. John’s — Good team, good coach, insufficient depth.
12. DePaul — Some talent, an average coach.
13. Rutgers — This is a sleeping gian– No, I can’t even type that. They will win a couple more games than last year, but it would have been hard to lose more in the conference.
14. Providence — Now Brewington is an issue. Not a good scene for the Friars this year.
15. USF — I’m going out on a limb by saying they won’t be the worst team in the Big East.
16. Seton Hall — Louis Orr, dead man walking. His players know it.

It is no exaggeration to say that one-quarter of the head coaches are likely coaching for their jobs this season. Louis Orr, Seton Hall; Gary Waters, Rutgers; Adam Kennedy, Cinci; and Tim Welsh, Providence. If they fail to even get their squads to the Big East Tournament, they are guaranteed toast.

Welsh, may be surprising to some, but after the underachieving season they had last year, there is real pressure to show some progress and not that he was just lucky to have Ryan Gomes.

Okay, I’m not getting involved in a college basketball blogpoll (if you think I have some bias in football, I think I could drive people to incoherent rages with how I’d treat the ACC). I am, however, going to participate in the Big East Power Poll, put together by Big East Basketball Blog.

I did not vote in the preseason All-Big East Squads, because I didn’t feel informed sufficiently on the individual players — primarily from the 4 new squads. There is a lot of buzz, though, regarding Sam Young.

Anyhow, this was my pre-season prediction for the Big East.

1. UConn — So much talent: Josh Boone, Rudy Gay and Marcus Williams headline. Plenty around them, plus a coach in Calhoun who always gets them playing better deeper into the seaosn. Only glaring weakness is the lack of depth at point guard. If Williams has to play back into shape during BE season, they could finish 3d or even 4th.
2. Louisville — It’s a Pitino team. It’s a brand name for quality college basketball.
3. Villanova — The loss of Sumpter and the slow return of Fraser makes the once hot pick to win the BE a little shakier.
4. Syracuse — A point guard who has had a fantastic career, now the veteran leader expected to carry a large load with a squad around him that has questions and inexperienced, young talent. Could be a disaster, except they have a proven, experienced, Hall of Fame coach who has shown he can make it work in the regular season.
5. Georgetown — Bowman and Green will continue to develop and thrive under JTIII. This team could finish 3d or take a surprising step backwards and drop to 8th. It depends on how quickly the new players embrace the style of play.
6. WVU — While this team hit its stride at the end of the year, it was a very up and down team. I expect more of the same this season.
7. Pitt — See Syracuse, but take out the Boeheim factor.
8. Cinci — Adam Kennedy coaches a team with talent, but is a lame-duck, interim. He has one eye on auditioning for a future head coaching job elsewhere and another on joining Huggy-bear at his next coaching gig.
9. ND — I don’t see them having enough inside offense or interior defense. Teans will be all over Falls and Quinn to keep them from having open looks.
10. Marquette — Very young team.
11. St. John’s — Good team, good coach, insufficient depth.
12. DePaul — Some talent, an average coach.
13. Rutgers — This is a sleeping gian– No, I can’t even type that. They will win a couple more games than last year, but it would have been hard to lose more in the conference.
14. Providence — Now Brewington is an issue. Not a good scene for the Friars this year.
15. USF — I’m going out on a limb by saying they won’t be the worst team in the Big East.
16. Seton Hall — Louis Orr, dead man walking. His players know it.

It is no exaggeration to say that one-quarter of the head coaches are likely coaching for their jobs this season. Louis Orr, Seton Hall; Gary Waters, Rutgers; Adam Kennedy, Cinci; and Tim Welsh, Providence. If they fail to even get their squads to the Big East Tournament, they are guaranteed toast.

Welsh, may be surprising to some, but after the underachieving season they had last year, there is real pressure to show some progress and not that he was just lucky to have Ryan Gomes.

I see in some comments, a little bit of concern that Pitt struggled in the exhibition game against IUP. Some perspective, please. I know it’s a young team, with lots of new players and, yes, it was IUP, so there should be no excuse. Just consider this: last year, Pitt was actually losing to Carnegie Mellon at the half during an exhibition game.

I’m curious about one thing. The articles talked about lots of turnovers by Pitt. It didn’t say whether any were from calls by the refs for palming the ball. This is something the refs apparently will be calling more of this year (Insider Subs.).

Wake Forest guard Justin Gray was called for palming the ball — one of the officials’ new points of emphasis — four times during Friday night’s overtime win over George Mason in the second round of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. Gray had 10 turnovers total (out of Wake Forest’s 20). Gray, who is replacing Chris Paul at the point, had two turnovers in the first game of the tournament against Mississippi Valley State.

In the George Mason game, Gray was pressed. But four palming calls?

“That might be a record,” Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser said. “That number is accurate, but it does distort the (overall) turnover number.”

Prosser, who is on the rules committee, said officials are looking to see if the player holds the ball in his hand and then turns it over, giving him an advantage in freezing the defender.

“We’ve played four games (two exhibitions and the two regular-season games) and there has been at least one palming call in each one before the palming explosion (Friday night),” Prosser said.

If anyone knows the answer, let me know.

I see in some comments, a little bit of concern that Pitt struggled in the exhibition game against IUP. Some perspective, please. I know it’s a young team, with lots of new players and, yes, it was IUP, so there should be no excuse. Just consider this: last year, Pitt was actually losing to Carnegie Mellon at the half during an exhibition game.

I’m curious about one thing. The articles talked about lots of turnovers by Pitt. It didn’t say whether any were from calls by the refs for palming the ball. This is something the refs apparently will be calling more of this year (Insider Subs.).

Wake Forest guard Justin Gray was called for palming the ball — one of the officials’ new points of emphasis — four times during Friday night’s overtime win over George Mason in the second round of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. Gray had 10 turnovers total (out of Wake Forest’s 20). Gray, who is replacing Chris Paul at the point, had two turnovers in the first game of the tournament against Mississippi Valley State.

In the George Mason game, Gray was pressed. But four palming calls?

“That might be a record,” Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser said. “That number is accurate, but it does distort the (overall) turnover number.”

Prosser, who is on the rules committee, said officials are looking to see if the player holds the ball in his hand and then turns it over, giving him an advantage in freezing the defender.

“We’ve played four games (two exhibitions and the two regular-season games) and there has been at least one palming call in each one before the palming explosion (Friday night),” Prosser said.

If anyone knows the answer, let me know.

Unlike last year, Pitt will not be a regular on the ESPN family this season. This means if you live outside of the Pittsburgh market and want to see the team more than 4 times on ESPN this season you will have to pay.

I’ve been debating taking the plunge on ESPN Full Court — the college basketball pay-per-view package. It’s a rapidly approaching, initial deadline, since the “early-bird” deal of $99 for the season ends on November 18. After that, it’s $109 — not going to happen. Or I can wait and order the “half-season” after January 6 for $75.

Because of the (expected to be) easy non-con opponents on the schedule and Pitt’s expected struggles, most of Pitt’s games are still not being televised. Only 4 of Pitt’s 11 non-con games are going to be on TV.

According to the Full Court Schedule (PDF), Pitt will be on 13 times. For the full season with the “discount” that’s about $7.61 a game. The thing is, only 3 of those games will take place before the mid-point — Penn State (Dec. 10), Wisconsin (Dec. 31) and ND (January 4).

Buying the mid-point package puts it about $7.50 a game, but I really wanted to see the Wisconsin game. I’m still shocked that ESPN or CBS didn’t pick that game up for viewing. Seems like one of the few good non-con games at that point.

I am leaning strongly towards making the trip for the Penn State game anyways — it would also be my first time at the Pete — so that makes that a waste.

I just can’t justify another $24 dollars for 2 games, so it looks like the best bet is to stick with waiting until January and slipping the half-season onto the cable bill. Actually, looking at the full schedule, unless you just like watching as much college basketball as possible without regard for the teams, it isn’t worth it for most teams to do much more than the half-season package.

Unlike last year, Pitt will not be a regular on the ESPN family this season. This means if you live outside of the Pittsburgh market and want to see the team more than 4 times on ESPN this season you will have to pay.

I’ve been debating taking the plunge on ESPN Full Court — the college basketball pay-per-view package. It’s a rapidly approaching, initial deadline, since the “early-bird” deal of $99 for the season ends on November 18. After that, it’s $109 — not going to happen. Or I can wait and order the “half-season” after January 6 for $75.

Because of the (expected to be) easy non-con opponents on the schedule and Pitt’s expected struggles, most of Pitt’s games are still not being televised. Only 4 of Pitt’s 11 non-con games are going to be on TV.

According to the Full Court Schedule (PDF), Pitt will be on 13 times. For the full season with the “discount” that’s about $7.61 a game. The thing is, only 3 of those games will take place before the mid-point — Penn State (Dec. 10), Wisconsin (Dec. 31) and ND (January 4).

Buying the mid-point package puts it about $7.50 a game, but I really wanted to see the Wisconsin game. I’m still shocked that ESPN or CBS didn’t pick that game up for viewing. Seems like one of the few good non-con games at that point.

I am leaning strongly towards making the trip for the Penn State game anyways — it would also be my first time at the Pete — so that makes that a waste.

I just can’t justify another $24 dollars for 2 games, so it looks like the best bet is to stick with waiting until January and slipping the half-season onto the cable bill. Actually, looking at the full schedule, unless you just like watching as much college basketball as possible without regard for the teams, it isn’t worth it for most teams to do much more than the half-season package.

It’s really after the fact, but before all the looking to the Backyard Brawl begins, some of what I thought about the game.

I really liked UConn Coach Randy Edsall’s decision to go for the touchdown when they got that penalty that put them that much closer to the goal line. Screw “taking points of the board” mentalities. It was only 3 points and they still would have been down by 11. Considering how dominate UConn had been in the 2nd quarter, though coming up empty — they held the ball for a mind-boggling 12:09 minutes in just the second quarter, but had 0 points. A FG would have been very small consolation for the team. If they had scored a TD going into the half, though, that would have changed a lot of things.

Last year Pitt had a bad offensive line and the best player on the line, Rob Pettiti graduated. This year the O-line has been worse and Pitt will see the best player, Charles Spencer, graduate. I know there is a lot of young talent coming in, but that realization still bothers me to no end.

There will be no power-running game until there is an offensive line that can block and open up holes. Coach Wannstedt and Coach Cavanaugh can talk about it, talk about the transition and the change. But if the O-line can’t block, it won’t make a difference how talented the runner is.

A rusty QB coming off an an injury who was lucky to only be intercepted 3 times with his scattershot aim, did not have the excuse of running for his life. Bonislawski faced no pressure. Pitt’s D-line was hideous.

Bonislawski just had no accuracy with even a medium pass. 1st Quarter: 6-8, 19 yards; 2nd Quarter 6-13, 75 yards; 3d Quarter 2-4, 22 yards; 4th Quarter 4-10, 40 yards and 3 INT. Yeep.

In a game where it seemed the offense appeared to go into ball-control, eat-the-clock mode after the first score. A game where Palko’s longest completed pass was 25 yards — to the Tight End. Where only 4 of Palko’s 12 completed passes were to the WRs. I wonder if there is just a small, deep, buried part of himself that wonders if former back-up QB Joe Flacco had the right idea to transfer?

Explain to me again, why Freshman Fullback Conredge Collins had his redshirt wasted?

10 games down, and I still have no clue about this team. Aside from better secondary play, most of the units seem to still be at about the same level since the about the fourth game. It all depends on the opponent. I guess there is consistency rather than playing up or down to the opponent, but that seems like small comfort.