Marquette-Syracuse means Big East in Final Four (The Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — When two teams from the same conference meet with a Final Four berth at stake, fans think it’s great from a rivalry and bragging rights perspective. Conference administrators hear cash registers ringing as NCAA shares are earned. But coaches? Not a chance. Saturday’s Marquette-Syracuse game will be the ninth time since the field expanded to 64 teams that two schools from the same conference played in the regional final. The first of those nine times was in 1987. Georgetown, a No. 1 seed just four years from winning a national championship, met Providence, an up-and-coming program under up-and-coming coach Rick Pitino, in the South Regional final. Georgetown coach John Thompson was asked Friday about playing a team from the same conference with such a big prize at stake. Three times, he colorfully said that it was a pain in the posterior. ”They know you and you know them. There’s no surprise. No coach wants to get somebody from within your…
No. 23 Pittsburgh beats South Florida 64-44 (The Associated Press)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tray Woodall scored 14 points and No. 23 Pittsburgh pulled away in the second half, beating South Florida 64-44 on Wednesday night to hand the struggling Bulls their 10th consecutive loss. Dante Taylor had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Panthers (22-7, 10-6 Big East), who have won nine of 12. They remained in the middle of the race for a double-bye in next month’s conference tournament. J.J. Moore added nine points, and 10 players scored in all for the balanced Panthers, who were trailing when they began a 16-0 run with Lamar Patterson’s jumper 4:42 into the second half. The Big East’s leader in scoring defense, Pitt held South Florida (10-17, 1-14) to 31.9 percent shooting. The conference’s worst scoring offense was held to 50 points or fewer for the eighth time in 15 Big East games. The Panthers have allowed 50 or fewer 10 times this season. Victor Rudd had 16 points to lead the Bulls, who have lost 14 of 15. The teams combined to shoot 32.6 percent (14 for 43) in the first half but went divergent directions in the second half. South Florida missed 10 of its …
What to watch this weekend: Big East showdown highlights best Saturday slate of the season so far (The Dagger: College Basketball Blog)
Ohio State at Michigan State (Saturday, 6 p.m.): A lack of offensive weapons besides Deshaun Thomas remains an issue for Ohio State, but the Buckeyes showed off their defensive prowess last weekend in a win over Michigan.
Three-star Dylan Wiesman drops Bearcats
Cincinnati has suffered another decommitment since Tommy Tuberville was named coach last week. Three-star guard Dylan Wiesman from nearby Cincinnati Colerain said he is opening up his recruitment. He said the coaching change coupled with the shaky situation the Big East is in as a conference created the perfect storm for a decommitment. .notebook-container .article .inlineRecCard .mod-content .gradient-container, .mod-blog-post .inlineRecCard .mod-content .
Rutgers sues Big East over exit fee
First comes expansion. Then come the lawsuits. The ACC has already sued Maryland to try and force the Terrapins to pay the entire league exit fee of more than $50 million before leaving…
Blockbuster BCS main event, with iffy undercard
NEW YORK (AP) — The penultimate Bowl Championship Series gave college football a national championship matchup low on controversy and loaded with star power. No. 1 Notre Dame against No. 2 Alabama in Miami on Jan. 7 for the national title. No complaints. That Fiesta Bowl with No. 5 Oregon against No. 7 Kansas State looks good, too. After that, well, you can see why so many fans are so eager to get rid of the BCS. No. 4 Florida goes to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans to face No. 22 Louisville, a Big East team that was unranked as recently as last week. Then again, at least the Cardinals are ranked. Big Ten champion Wisconsin will be the first five-loss team to play in the Rose Bowl when it faces No. 8 Stanford in Pasadena, Calif. Then there’s the Orange Bowl in Miami, where No. 13 Florida State …
Big Ten’s biggest expansion gamble is itself
Maryland needs the Big Ten for money. Rutgers needs the Big Ten for the same reason, and also to escape the giant pit of quicksand known as the Big East. But every major…
College Football: 5 Games to Watch This Weekend
OK, every weekend there are over 35 college football games that you can watch on television and even more if you factor in broadband. My goal each week is to give football fans…
Nebraska turns 1 as a Big Ten member
Although Sunday didn’t carry the historical significance in the Big Ten as it did in leagues like the Big 12, the SEC and the Big East, it did mark a milestone. Nebraska has…
Alabama to face Cincinnati in 2012 SEC/Big East challenge
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Another major piece of the Alabama men's basketball 2012-13 schedule was revealed this morning, as the Crimson Tide will travel to Cincinnati on Dec. 1 in conjunction with the SEC/Big East Challenge.
