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Filed under: Big 12, Mid-Majors, Pac-10, Media Watch, Big East Tournament

The Big 12 and the Pac-10 get their conference tournaments underway. For the Big 12, you will need a handy -- if slightly confusing -- chart (PDF) to find what channel is showing first round action. The Pac-10 only has one game since USC is in self-imposed punishment for past wrongs.

I would include Conference USA, but while they get their tournament started today, none of the games are televised. For media purposes, nothing happens in C-USA until Thursday.

The Big East has second round action that will end up dominating much of the TV time. While today starts the shift away from the one-bid conference tournaments to the major conference fun, there's one more one-bid conference championship.

 

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Florida State University sophomore forward Chris Singleton has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball Defensive Player of the Year by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.

Filed under: Cincinnati, Big East Tournament

FanHouse Big East senior writer Brett McMurphy is in New York breaking down every game of the Big East tournament.

NEW YORK TABLOID HEADLINE

TOP 'CAT: STEPHENSON SPARKS CINCINNATI

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NEW YORK -- Three times Cincinnati had advanced to the Big East tournament. Three times the Bearcats had left town with an opening round loss.

The worst defeat came last year when the Bearcats were upset by No. 16 seed DePaul, becoming the first team to lose to a No. 16 seed in an NCAA or conference tournament.

Tuesday night against Rutgers, the Bearcats finally broke through for their first Big East victory, holding off the Scarlet Knights 69-68.

Brooklyn native Lance Stephenson, just hours after he was named the Big East freshman of the year, sparked the Bearcats by scoring 11 of his 13 points in the second half, including the game-winning free throw with 1.8 seconds remaining. He also had nine rebounds and a team-high five assists.

It was a happy homecoming for Stephenson, the all-time leading scorer in New York high school basketball history, but not without some anxious moments.

 

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Filed under: Seton Hall, Big East Tournament

FanHouse Big East senior writer Brett McMurphy is in New York breaking down every game of the Big East tournament.

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NCAA TOURNAMENT WORTHY? HALL YES

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NEW YORK -- Before one of his players could answer the question following Seton Hall's wild 109-106 victory against Providence Tuesday night, Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez interrupted and provided the response.

"I'll take that question," Gonzalez said. "Our kids are not going to discuss that."

The off-limit subject? Seton Hall's NCAA tournament's chances.

If Tuesday night's shootout with Providence would have gone a few seconds longer, Gonzalez wouldn't have to worry about discussing the NCAA tournament.

The 10th-seeded Pirates (19-11) raced to a 55-39 halftime lead and built their cushion to 29 points before the bottom nearly fell out. Fifteen-seeded Providence (12-19) made up all but three points in the final 13 minutes only to watch Duke Mondy's game-tying 3-pointer miss at the buzzer.

When the game concluded, Providence's Vincent Council and Mondy collapsed to the floor. In the locker room afterward, Council needed an IV.

 

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Filed under: Connecticut, Big East Tournament

NEW YORK -- The last time UConn played in the Big East tournament, the Huskies battled and fought for six overtimes and 70 minutes. On Tuesday, the Huskies couldn't even show up for 40 minutes.

The Huskies were outplayed, outhustled and out-everythinged in an uninspiring 73-51 loss to St. John's in Madison Square Garden.

"Quite frankly [St. John's] handed us our butts," UConn coach Jim Calhoun said.

Actually if St. John's would have handed UConn its butts, the Huskies would have fumbled them out of bounds.

UConn committed 20 turnovers against St. John's, shot 37.5 percent from the field (21 of 56) and missed 12 of 18 free throws.

"It was definitely embarrassing," UConn sophomore Kemba Walker said.

Embarrassing was exactly how Calhoun said he felt in his first game back from a seven-game absence Feb. 13 when UConn lost to Cincinnati and was held to a season-low 48 points.

 

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Filed under: Connecticut, Big East Tournament

FanHouse Big East senior writer Brett McMurphy is in New York breaking down every game of the Big East tournament.

NEW YORK TABLOID HEADLINE

NORM!!!! CHEERS FOR ST. JOHN'S COACH IN UCONN WIN

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NEW YORK -- During a media timeout of Tuesday's St.John's-UConn game, former St. John's coach Lou Carnesecca was shown on the Madison Square Garden video board.

The fact the legendary coach received a loud applause wasn't surprising. The fact that St. John's actually received louder applause for its play on the court in what's been a somewhat disappointing season was a surprise.

St. John's 73, UConn 51 - and, as the cliché' goes, it wasn't even that close.

The Red Storm (17-14) actually returned six players with starting experience and were picked to finish 11th in the league. However, they lost nine of their final 13 games and finished 13th in the league.

However, for at least one afternoon St. John's fans applauded its present as much as its past.

"I don't know if [the win] removes the frustration," St. John's Malik Boothe said. "I know it was a good win."

Junior forward Sean Evans paced the Red Storm with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Kemba Walker, who missed 13 of 17 shots, led UConn (17-15) with 12 points.

St. John's led by 13 at halftime and the Huskies could come no closer than eight points in the second half as the Red Storm avenged a 16-point loss at UConn in January.

"I think the second-effort players, second- and third-effort plays, those sometimes come down to winning a game," Booth said. "And I think we did that more than they did."

The Red Storm registered their most wins in six seasons under Roberts and ended a nine-game losing streak to UConn. Now, the Red Storm hopes to continue their momentum against Marquette.

Last season, St. John's upset Georgetown in its Big East Tournament opener, only to get pummeled by Marquette 74-45.

"We also can't celebrate this win [against UConn]," Boothe said. "Last year we were in the same position going against the same team in the next round and they pretty much had their way with us."

STAR POWER

Junior guard Paris Horne didn't lead St. John's in points (13), rebounds (four), steals (two) or assists (one). He was the team leader, though, in floor burns. With the Red Storm comfortably ahead by 17 points, Horne ran and then dove on the floor near mid-court for a loose ball. Horne landed on the basketball and actually bounced once off the court and then called timeout. Norm Roberts called it a huge energy play. "Paris jumps headfirst to get the ball and call timeout," Roberts said. "Those are the plays you have to make to win championships." Added Sean Evans: "When Paris dove for the ball, that set the tone. We're going to play hard to the last minute. Paris could have gave up on that play, instead he dove on the ball and put his body on the line."

 

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