The B. East Report: 1/23-1/30

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Orange Flash to Paralyze Bearcats’ Sean Kilpatrick

Apparently, the No. 4 Syracuse Orange (21-1, 8-1 Big East) simply needed to stop Cincinnati guard Sean Kilpatrick to win 60-53 on Jan. 23. The Cincinnati Bearcats (15-3, 5-3 Big East) could have taken advantage of the Orange’s recent first loss to maintain their high standing in the Big East. However, their shallowness showed when ‘Cuse simply flashed a neon orange sign in Kilpatrick’s face. The guard scored only 8 points, far below his average 15.6 ppg.

While forward Yancy Gates (16 points, 10 rebounds) and guard Cashmere Wright (17 points, 4 rebounds) attempted to take control, no other player could make the necessary shots. ‘Cuse kept the Bearcats to 34 percent from the field, despite their own abysmal performance at the arc (3-12).

Syracuse guard Scoop Jardine (13 points, 6 assists), forward Kris Joseph (17 points, 6 rebounds) and Brandon Triche (11 points, 3 rebounds, 4 steals) all rallied to recover after their loss to Notre Dame on Jan. 21. Even without Fab Melo, this team remains composed, finishing on top, even with a nine-point deficit. With a deep bench and a towering front court, this team knows where to aim.

Davante Gardner Bullying the Bulls

If you may recall, in last week’s “B. East Report” I mentioned that No. 18 Marquette’s Davante Gardner scored 17 points against No. 25 Louisville. This kid is a sophomore, and has had to fill the stark gap left by injured center Chris Otule. When the Golden Eagles (17-4, 6-2 Big East) dominated the South Florida Bulls (12-9, 5-3 Big East) 67-47 at home on Jan. 24, Gardner reminded them what their mascot does to its opponents.

Weighing in at 6-feet-8-inches and 290 pounds, Gardner deftly slammed his frame into the paint, scoring 15 points while recovering seven rebounds. Guard Darius Johnson-Odom had 17 points and six boards.

Forward Jae Crowder matched Gardner’s points with 15, but also stole six passes from the unwary Bulls. This Marquette team is a threat with Gardner developing his forward presence. Johnson-Odom (18.1 ppg) always shoots steadily from the field, averaging 44 percent this year. While the Eagles always have had accurate guards, the saving grace of Gardner’s determination and size makes them ever more threatening.

Clumsy Bludgeoning Match

The No. 25 Louisville Cardinals (16-5, 4-4 Big East) reached .500 in Big East play, but they certainly did it in the clumsiest, most violent way possible. In defeating the Villanova Wildcats (10-11, 3-6 Big East) 84-74 in the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville on Jan. 25 (yes, I also agree no arena should be labeled an onomatopoeia), bodies flew and free throws multiplied.

Forward Chane Behanan (14 points, 7 rebounds) and guard Russ Smith (8 points, 4 rebounds) both fouled out in a game that exemplifies the violent intensity of the Big East. Lead scorer G Peyton Siva, while scoring 16 points and boarding four with five assists, ended up with three fouls. He wasn’t alone, as all of Louisville’s starters finished with at least three fouls.

Luckily, those swipes and court collisions gave them twenty-four points from the line. Even with two starters leaving the game, Peyton Siva sank two free throws in the final minute to seal Villanova’s fate.

 

It doesn’t help that Villanova’s top shooter Maalik Wayns–the second-highest scorer in the Big East at 18.7 ppg–racked up four fouls by the first two minutes of the second half. He still dropped 19 points. Beast mode activated.

While none of Villanova’s starters fouled out, valuable rebounder JayVaughn Pinkston (8 points, 12 rebounds) ended the game with four, while bench forward Markus Kennedy struck four times in only 17 minutes of play.

Sophomore guard James Bell (14 points, 13 rebounds) continues to get better and will be essential for the Wildcats in the next two years. However, the team is still lacking a senior forward to rally and glue the players as a unit.

Heedless Harkless and the Red Storm

St. John’s (9-11, 3-6 Big East) doesn’t have a winning record. In fact, it has the worst field goal percentage in the Big East (42.2 percent). The Red Storm even started five freshmen against the West Virginia Mountaineers (15-6, 5-3 Big East).

Ask guard/forward Moe Harkless if he cares. Well, based on St. John’s defeat of West Virginia 78-62 on Jan. 25 in which he scored 23 points with 13 rebounds, I’d say no.

Guard D’Angelo Harrison chipped in 19 points with four assists to give the Red Storm the win in Madison Square Garden. While Mountaineer forward Kevin Jones scored 26 points with an astounding fourteen rebounds, no man can carry a team on his back. The Red Storm kept the rest of West Virginia to 35 percent from the field.

It was just a Red night. St. John’s shot 48 percent, high above its season average, even making 33 percent from the arc (24.4 percent on the season). What astounds me is that these were all freshmen. Harkless is scoring 16 points per game and averaging 8.6 rebounds per match, while Harrison is scoring 15.5. I hear only one thing when I see these freshmen stats: tolling bells foreshadowing an insurgent team.

With head coach Steve Lavin off the sidelines for this year, I only better and better days for this team.

Pitt: The Underdog that Nobody Liked

So, the Pittsburgh Panthers (13-9, 2-7 Big East) have been at the bottom of the Big East rankings for weeks now. In fact, they went for a seven-game losing streak, finally earning their first win against Providence on the 25th. On Saturday, however, they ferociously slashed the No. 10 Georgetown Hoyas (16-4, 6-3 Big East) 72-60 at home.

Pittsburgh is not really the underdog that you’re supposed to love. In 2010, the Panthers earned a 3-seed in the NCAA tournament. They followed that by gaining a 1-seed in 2011. Some of us enjoy seeing Pittsburgh temporarily at the bottom of the heap; it’s not as if they’ll remain there. Nobody really wants to sympathize with this scrappy, unfortunate team.

On Saturday, forward Nasir Robinson scored 23 points (going 9-9 from the charity stripe) and recovered eight rebounds. As a whole, Pitt shot at 52 percent. Incredible. First they lose seven games in a row, now this. Guard/forward Lamar Patterson sank 18 points, with Big East preseason favorite Ashton Gibbs scoring 13. Guard Tray Woodall pitched 10 assists.

Georgetown bench man attempted to flank the Panthers with 14 points and six rebounds. Yet, forward Hollis Thompson could only swat away with 11 points as Pittsburgh out-rebounded the Hoyas 33-22.

This team has the talent. It has the height. It just upset the No. 10 team in the country. Did anybody really consider this losing streak permanent? I see you, Pittsburgh. I know you’re there. Don’t try to fool anybody.

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