Weekend Results and Notes

Sorry for the lack of posts this weekend! I had some family issues that had to come first. I was even planning on doing my own mock bracket this weekend like that of Joe Lunardi's from ESPN. I never got around to doing that but I was able to watch a lot of basketball this weekend!

Let me start with the most important game...The Orange beating Providence at the Dunkin Donuts Center! Providence was 16-2 at home this year and Syracuse needed the win badly to keep their NCAA hopes alive. A well balanced attack by the Orange helped hold off the Friars and a great game from Herbert Hill. Hill was basically unstoppable inside and that was with Watkins having a great game against him! Just shows how great Hill has become in the last four years.

Nichols, though, had the most important shot of the game! With the score tied at 65-65 and 37 seconds on the clock then Orange ran a curl play for Nichols and he nailed the biggest shot of the year thus far for the Orange! Rautins had another big game with 19 points including an amazing tip in that was something I didn't expect. A well balanced attack is what the Orange has been winning with this year and this game was no different. Big win for the 'Cuse and it all but eliminated Providence.

Before I continue I would like to comment on the Gottlieb comments that he made after the Syracuse game saying how the Orange were still not in the tournament. I hate to say it, but I have to agree with him. I felt that the Orange would lose to Providence but then win their last two. I was wrong on the first count and I am hoping I am correct with the last two because then, as Gottlieb stated, the Orange would be in. Beating Providence at home should be taken more seriously though, Doug, the Friars were 16-2 at home, losing to Brown and Villanova! That is a pretty good record regardless of who they played! They had beated BC, Holy Cross, Marquette, and West Virginia at home...four pretty good wins. Plus, all the games that they should have won, except the Brown game. This was a big win for the Orange.

Something else that I heard as I was watching a lot of basketball this weekend. I don't remember what game I was watching, but it was one of the Big East games and they showed on the screen the "predictions" of who the announcers of the game thought were going to be in the tournament. These guys were even more ridiculuos than Doug Gottlieb. They had...Pitt, G'Town, ND, Marquette, Louisville, Villanova, and Depaul in the tournament! I'm sorry but I don't understand how Depaul and Villanova are better than Syracuse right now. Granted Depaul is on a roll, but if Syracuse hasn't beaten anyone lately then how can you say Depaul has?? Just boggles my mind how the "experts" put so much weight into the RPI. A team with a 7-7 record in the Big East should not be in over a 9-5 team who beat the 7-7 team head to head. I just don't understand it. But, if the Orange just keep winning then everything will take care of itself!

Other games of note this weekend: Georgetown beats Pitt meaning a win against the Orange tonight clinches at least a share of the regular season title for the Hoyas. Big win for the Hoyas. Louisville beat UConn yesterday meaning they are all but guaranteed in the tournament. ND wins at home against Marquette meaning if they win at Rutgers or if the Orange lose again, they get the 4 seed. Villanova won at home against Rutgers to go to 7-7 in the conference with games left at UConn and home for the Orange. Those were the only notable games of the weekend.

Big game tonight at the dome with the Hoyas coming to town. Hope the Dome is rockin' and ready to roll! A win and we are in in my opinion!!

Go 'Cuse!!