We are not an elite team. Our league is a joke and if we win the league it will not change the fact that we are a good team that cannot win game 2 in March. We are so inconsistent. We cannot shoot. We beat a Seton Hall
team that is overrated and not very good on the national scene. I give our guys props for playing hard but I see nothing to indicate we do anything in March. Sorry but it is what it is - OUR League is a joke.

Huge games tonight for playoff implications in the West

Pelicans vs Spurs 8pm
Timberwolves vs Thunder 8 pm

Pelicans own the tiebreaker. Everyone wants to see the Thunder vs the Warriors in the first round and it would be an absolute crime if Russell Westbrook does not get to play in the playoffs. For my money, he is the most entertaining player to watch in all of sports. A Westbrook vs Warriors series would be really fun to watch.

You would think the Thunder have the inside track since the Spurs are playing their best right now, but the interesting thing is that if the Spurs win they lock in as the 2 seed and will be playing the Mavericks who have given them some trouble.

I am going with a Spurs and Thunder win.

Westbrook is the MVP in my book, but it will probably come down to Curry or Harden. It's amazing that LeBron is sort of an afterthought in the MVP race when he had another outstanding season, but he won't win because of, let's call it voter fatigue.

nm

great article on ESPN.com today.
Incredible persistence.
Can someone please link
Thanks Larks

From everyone's favorite Philly writer.

http://mobile.philly.com/sports/?wss=/philly/sports/colleges/&id=364580741&betaPreview=redesign

NO ONE.... I DONT EVER REMEMBER A VILLANOVA BIG CLOSE TO AVERAGING NEAR A DOUBLE DOUBLE,,,,,POINTS AND REBOUNDS FOR A SEASON.......AND TO BE HONEST I DONT EVER REMEMBER ANY COLLEGE BASKETBALL PLAYER IN YEARS DO THAT IN TWENTY TWO MINUTRS PER GAME.........SIXTY THREE PERCENT FGP.....THIRD IN BIG EAST IN SHOTBLOCKING......DANNY HAS BEEN AMAXING.......OF COURSE, ALL BIGS CAN BE INCONSISTENT........ITS THE VERY NATURE OF THAT POSITION....SO IM SURE WE AS FANS WILL HAVE OUR FRUSTRATING MOMENTS FROM TIME TO TIME.......... TWO....WE ARE DOING A GREAT JOB OF RUNNING OUR OFFENSE OUT OF THE POST AREAS OR INSIDE OUT, BUT HAVE REALLY STRUGGLED AT TIMES MAKING WIDE OPEN SHOTS...........THREE...I REALLY LIKE EVERYTHING ABOUT JALEN, BUT LAST NIGHT THERE WERE MOMENTS WHEN THIS FROSH WAS VERY VISOBLY UPSET OR FRUSTRATED.......ITS THE IST TIME IVE SEEN THIS, THIS SEASON.....HE SEEMS TO BE HIS OWN WORST CRITIC, AND NEEDS TO HAVE MORE FUN PLAYIN THIS GAME.....GREAT KID.....FOUR....OUR DEFENSE WAS STELLAR THROUGHOUT THE GAME....WE REALLY BATTLED TOOTH AND NAIL EVERY POSSESION....AGAINST A GOOD TEAM.......SETON HALL CAN BEAT MOST TEAMS IN THIS NATION ON A GIVEN NIGHT..........FIVE....FOR WHATEVER REASONS...COACH WRIGHT REALLY GETS JACKED UP FOR WILLIARD AND THESE SETON HALL GAMES......I DONT THINK THERE IS ANY LUV LOST BETWEEN THESE TWO TEAMS.....THE HALL CAN BE VERY VERY AGRESSIVE AT TIMES.....BORDERING ON THUG LIKE PLAY....................FINALLY...I GIVE OUR ASST COACHES ALOT OF CREDIT....FOR CONTINUING TO DEVELOP OUR PAYERS......DANNY O.......JOSH HART....CONTINUE TO GET BETTER..........ALSO HEARING....ERIC PASCHALL, POTENTIALLY MAY BE THE BEST BASKETBALL PLAYER ON THE TEAM......BETTER THAN ADVERTISED......VERY COMMITED TO GETTING BETTER EACH DAY.......KILLLIN PEOPLE IN PRACTICE ETC.............

Hart #20

20. Josh Hart, Villanova Wildcats
Junior | Guard

Say this for Villanova coach Jay Wright, he consistently gets exceptional inside-outside production on offense from high-possession-usage guys who are 6-foot-5 or 6-foot-6. The same assembly line that brought us uncannily effective scorers like James Bell and Darrun Hilliard has now produced Hart. Maybe the junior's extreme shooting percentages (40 percent outside the arc, 66 percent inside it) will correct toward normalcy, but for now you're looking at possibly the most potent weapon on one of the nation's top offenses.

congrats to both fan bases. Your bar is set so low that you can celebrate these type of magical seasons.

just now watching the Seton Hall game

Bridges has a great handle for a big man
Love his game
If he fixes his deep stroke the sky is the limit

Late last fall, the Boston Alumni Association hosted what I think was their 20th or so annual golf outing. Over the last few years, the team running the event has done a very nice job improving the overall quality (better venues, better food, larger crowd, etc.) with some money going to Andy Talley's Bone Marrow drive but additional money going to a Boston Alumni Chapter Scholarship.

As part of that effort to raise money for the Boston Chapter Scholarship, this year the team added a 50/50 raffle with the goal to sell at least 100 tickets, up to 300 tickets. They are making the final push before the drawing, which I think they're having before the Providence game next month.

I volunteered to post here for any of you who might be interested in participating (I know a few of you have already been strong-armed by me and everyone else already donates hand over fist to Nova anyway). Deal is $100 per raffle ticket, with 50/50 proceeds - 50% to the Boston Alumni chapter for their scholarship fund and 50% to the winner. You can sign-up on-line (unfortunately, they have it tied into the golf outing sign-up, but just select raffle in the activities section.)

http://alumni.villanova.edu/s/1695/alumni/index.aspx?sid=1695&gid=2&pgid=626&content_id=405

Apologize for the Spam... but your odds should be better than tomorrow's power ball

gr8 article here about why he's a HoFer - because hit hit a post 9/11 HR.
NOT because he was a catcher hitting .330, 30 HR, 100 RBI for a decade straight.
A staggering piece of CoDB self love and 9/11 obsession.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/14502743/the-night-mike-piazza-became-hall-famer

Seems to me our high pick-and-roll game is working better this year than it ever has before. Do you agree, and can that be attributed to our putting 4 shooters on the floor virtually all the time? When the Chief dives to the basket, Pinky's man used to be able to rotate over. They can't help off Jenkins or Hart, though. Am I on to something here? Unlikely, but it occurred to me during one of the replays last night.

Cat tip to D.O. He looks like a different player in terms of being decisive and playing aggressive without fouling. He's playing outstanding ball and makes us a different team if he keeps going.

1. With 8:32 left, we were up by only 5. Arch and Bridges made the spread 10 by making 5 free throws in a row. Not one of them touched even the rim. No extra points for that, but our guys definitely looked comfortable even when SH made their runs.

2. The difference in the way the Creighton and Seton Hall games were officiated was pretty striking. I prefer the way last night's game was called, but aside from that, our players and coaches deserve far more consistency than that.

3. I wouldn't feel any more strongly that Kevin Willard is a douche if he tattooed "I am a douche" on his expansive forehead.

4. Fred Hill is a sexy guy these days. I feel like he toned down the extra hair this year. I continue to endorse him for the Rutgers job when Eddie Jordan gets fired.

5. I never thought I'd see Brunson play a game like that. He was way off. Even his open looks didn't come close.

6. The dagger by Hart with 4:18 left to extend the lead to 13 was tremendous.

7. I hate to say it, but Seton Hall reminds me a little of our 2003-04 team. They are super-talented in that sophomore class; they just have no attention to the little things that are needed to win games. Fortunately, they are stuck with Willard and likely won't have a Lowry type coming in behind that class. I'll be surprised if all the sophs are there next year and shocked if they all stick around to be seniors. That's just not how Seton Hall rolls.

8. As satisfying as that game was (and it was my favorite of the season, given the opponent), Seton Hall does expose some of our weaknesses, which will be big problems against some Big East teams (Providence comes to mind) and certainly major conference teams in the Tournament. The game in Newark also will be no fun.

Game summary:
https://www.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1000&CID=1843223#sthash.tzhNIega.dpbs

I really enjoyed last night's game. May have been my favorite of the season. Use to love those old Big East clashes where it was just good defense, ugly offense, team that put the most effort out there won the game. I love when guys are colliding and diving around the court, when you get knocked down, get back up again and run down the court to play defense. Its all about rebounding and loose balls. Which we destroyed them on last night. Give me this brand of basketball all day long over jacking up three point shots and running back.

Thoughts:
1. We are going to miss Daniel Ochefu, yeah I get it Spellman is a top 20 player, great. Daniel Ochefu is the best true center we have had in the Jay Wright era, period, no question. I love how he is rebounding the ball, I love his confidence he has shown the last few games, and his ability to pass the ball is outstanding. His IQ as a center maybe one of the best in the country, he is going to make some NBA team very happy, especially if that sweet j is falling. Add in his defense is 100X better than last year. No hesitation, knows when to go up for the block and close out. I think he has become so good at it that even in games he has the block and his teammate didnt think he would recover in time and gets the foul. Ochefu is playing at high level, enjoy it, he is the best center in the Big East, probably top 5-10 in the country.

2. Our second best player is not a guard either, I would call him a foward. Josh Hart, man if I was an opposing team and I had to watch hours of Josh Hart tape, I would cry myself to sleep the night before games. Kid is about as intense as any player we have ever had. That play that Steve T mentioned where he went out for the ball and Whitehead just kind of stopped, pure Josh Hart. Kid is amazing player, knows when to step up, knows when to hit the shot, his rebounding instincts are off the chart. How about when he tried to save the ball went into the stand and ran back like bat out of hell? That is fun to watch. I get it we didnt a bunch of threes, but plays like that have to make you smile, made me smile.

3. This team is a different team when Ryan Arch is not on the court. I like Booth and Brunson but man do they get frustrated easily. I get it they are young still but they cant let this stuff get in their head, one thing about Ryan is that even when he is having off night or makes a mistake he comes back and doesnt let it deter him. It gets into Booth and Brunson's heads way too easily, again they are young, still need some guidance.

4. Mikal Bridges. Last night we had a mismatch, Bridges vs Sonago. Sonago was not quick enough to stay infront of Bridges or to guard him off the screen, especially after that blow by in the first half. Arch recognized this, twice when Seton Hall was on a run, Bridges is off ball goes to make a cut to the outside, Sonago has to hold him, two fouls, 4 points. Those were big. Bridges has a VERY high IQ, maybe off the charts for a frosh, that is not a play most frosh make.

5. Crybaby Delgado remains the softest big man in the country. Sorry dont get the hype, its easy to get 15 points and 15 rebounds against the Sisters of the Poor, continues to be the most least likeable player in the Big East to me. His constant pouting is that of 25 year old Cry Baby Krauser.

6. Defense in the first half was a thing of beauty, may be the best defensive half we have had this season, Jay loved it, I loved it, it was fun to watch. Cutting off penetrating guards, this is something we can use in the tourney.

7. Seton Hall is the type of team that gives us issues, very talented guards, length at the guard position, good defensively. Seton Hall is a good team, say what you will but Whitehead, Carrington, Rodriguez, Gordon is one of the better back court combos in the Country. We realized the mis match with Ochefu, and we took advantage, great game plan, great job by Dan and the guards to get him the ball.

8. One concern I do have is our plays at the end of halves. Seems like we are content to dribble around and jack up a three, would like to see us in that situation initiate the offense a bit early, maybe go through the post.

Fun game to watch. Will be at Hinkle, hope to see some of you there.

We were coming off two great efforts in our wins over Xavier and at Creighton. We came out tonight and shot 4-22 from 3; shot 36% overall; had more turnovers than assists and still won fairly easily. Played very good D, rebounded and made foul shots. DO and Hart were outstanding. Brunson and Booth both struggled but at the end of the night there is only only one team that is 3-0 in Big East play and that is what matters.

again, the best half time show that Nova has ever had.............

Out for the year with a broken foot. Tough break (literally) for Dylan......may be eligible for a medical hardship ruling by NCAA?

There was another thread about the silliness and ridiculousness of the coaches poll - This guy (Gary Parrish) calls out specific coaches that make HORRENDOUS decisions while ranking teams each week - I love it.

This week he defends Providence while bashing a coach that has them at #17

pollhttp://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25437830/poll-attacks-?ftag=YHR6f8d662

... after a win...just an observation and not a complaint...when is the last time we took a charge?...this is been a staple for us the last couple of years and seems to have disappeared...

We lose badly without our Chief tonight. Hall impressed me, they play hard defense. Jay with the quick shake with Willard, no love loss there. Whitehead has improved, if he comes back they will be VERY TOUGH next year.