Fighting Irish, MSU's Varnado earn honors
By Andy KatzESPN.com
AP Photo/Jim LytleJarvis Varnado has been a force in the middle for his entire MSU career.Editor's note: This edition is for games played from Monday, Feb. 22, through Sunday, Feb. 28.
Team Of The Week: Notre Dame
Last week: Beat Pitt 68-53; won at Georgetown 78-64
The Irish weren't on the bubble a week ago, but as coach Mike Brey said, a week in the Big East can change everything.
The Irish are proving to the NCAA tournament selection committee that they can win without Luke Harangody, who, according to Brey, might be done for the season with a hyperextension/bone bruise in his right knee. The Irish are playing better defensively and admittedly are more patient offensively as they try to limit the defensive possessions by using more of the offensive shot clock.
It's pretty simple now: If the Irish split their last two games against Connecticut and at Marquette, it might be hard to keep them out of the Dance.
A year ago, the Irish were one of the country's bigger disappointments after they lost seven straight in the middle of the season. This season, they could be one of the most surprising teams to earn a bid. Let me reiterate that if the Irish get in, they will have earned the bid without Harangody.
Other contenders
New Mexico: Unless you've lived in the state, it's hard to comprehend how much the Lobos mean to its residents. UNM is the pro team for the majority of the state. Winning the league title, especially on the road against rival BYU, is quite an accomplishment that was not expected during the preseason. The Lobos also historically have been a poor road team, but not this season, with seven conference road wins.
Syracuse: The Orange crushed a defensively challenged Providence team earlier in the week, then took a few shots from Villanova in the first half Saturday before running away from the Cats in the second half. No one in the country is playing better basketball than Cuse right now. Get your tickets to Buffalo for the first and second round and then likely Houston for the regionals.
Maryland: The Terps made sure Wednesday's game at Duke is relevant to the ACC title. Maryland came back from 15 points down to beat Clemson and then won in double overtime at Virginia Tech. The Terps could get a piece of the ACC title if they beat Duke.
Cal: Enough Pac-10 bashing for now. The Bears deserve props for winning the Pac-10 title for the first time in 50 years. Mike Montgomery, who engineered one of the more remarkable program-building jobs ever at Stanford, proved yet again why he's one of the most respected coaches. He took a team that had talent, and even though it dipped at times, it still won what it was supposed to -- the Pac-10 title with a sweep of the Arizona schools.
Marquette: The national coach of the year race could easily start and end in the Big East. Sure, UNM's Steve Alford will be in the mix, but it's hard to argue against the jobs done by Syracuse's Jim Boeheim, Pitt's Jamie Dixon and Marquette's Buzz Williams. The Golden Eagles coach has taken a team that was supposed to be down this season but continues to win games it must to earn a tournament bid. They have won three straight overtime games on the road against Cincinnati, St. John's and Seton Hall. The Eagles next face Louisville and Notre Dame at home and have a real shot to end their season with 12 Big East wins. No one predicted that finish in the preseason.
The Rest Of The Rotation
Rick Jackson, Syracuse: If you're looking for yet another reason the Orange could win the national title, it lies inside. Jackson has been a force in the middle for the Orange this season, and this past week was no different. Jackson scored 28 points and had nine boards in the Orange's win over Providence, then registered 19 points and eight boards in their win over Nova, shooting 22-of-32 from the field for the week.
Anthony Johnson, Fairfield: He lit up Iona for 28 points and 12 boards, then followed with 24 points and 23 rebounds in a win over Niagara on Sunday. Why highlight the 20-9 Stags? Because if you're looking for a team that could upset Siena and send the Saints sweating into Selection Sunday, it is Fairfield, which finished second in the MAAC at 13-5.
Hassan Whiteside, Marshall: Marshall coach Donnie Jones has quite a find with Whiteside and will be fortunate to keep him for more than a season. Whiteside scored 19 points and grabbed 17 boards in a win over Rice, then registered his third triple-double of the season in a triple-overtime win over Central Florida with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 13 blocks.
Greivis Vasquez, Maryland: Last week's player of the week made another case to be the ACC player of the year. He scored 41 points with 7 boards and 6 assists and went 10-of-10 at the free throw line in the double-overtime win at Virginia Tech. He scored 15 points and had 13 assists (4-of-4 at the line) in the win over Clemson.
Five Coaches Who Deserve Praise
Blaine Taylor, Old Dominion: The Monarchs won earlier in the season at Georgetown and were the preseason pick to win the CAA. It was a grind, but the Monarchs did what they were supposed to do by claiming the conference title with a win over VCU on Saturday. Taylor has flown under the radar for years.
Bill Coen, Northeastern: Unless you've been to Northeastern, seen college hoops in Boston and understood the lack of interest in the CAA, you have no idea how difficult a job Coen has with the Huskies. Yet Coen has done a superb job keeping the Northeastern near the top of the CAA the past two seasons. The Huskies finished second to ODU and are a legitimate contender for the league's automatic bid or an NIT berth.
Todd Bozeman, Morgan State: Bozeman has dealt with injuries, illnesses and players having to handle rough personal problems this season. But he has the Bears atop the MEAC again. Bozeman went to resurrect his career and has quietly done a remarkable job.
Scott Drew, Baylor: The Bears fumbled away their chance in the Big 12 last season but still rallied to make the NIT final. They weren't supposed to contend for a bid out of the Big 12 this season but have consistently won on the road to share a third-place standing with Texas A&M and Missouri through 14 games. Drew's Bears are a threat to win in Kansas City in the Big 12 tournament and a game or two in the NCAA tournament. Drew has always recruited well and now should be applauded for his coaching, too.
Herb Sendek, Arizona State: Sendek always has been one of the most respected coaches in the business. No one doubts his intellect or ability to adjust. But Sendek might have done his best coaching job in his lengthy career this season after losing James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph to the NBA. The Sun Devils went into Saturday's game at Cal with a chance to win the Pac-10. They lost, but they still can finish second above Washington. Sendek won't win national coach of the year, but he should claim the Pac-10 honor.
Places To Be This Week
Morgantown, W.Va., Monday: Let's see whether Georgetown can finally start a consistent streak. The Hoyas were out of sync against Notre Dame on Saturday. Morgantown isn't exactly the place to find yourself, but the Hoyas must try.
Gainesville, Fla., Tuesday: Florida probably won't win at Kentucky on Saturday, which means beating Vanderbilt at home is somewhat important to securing a berth.
Huntington, W.Va., Tuesday: The center matchup with UTEP's Derrick Caracter and Marshall's Hassan Whiteside should be one of the best we'll see this season. UTEP is also mounting a strong seed campaign, not just a bid.
Lawrence, Kan., Wednesday: If Kansas State wants to make any kind of campaign for a No. 1 seed, it must win at Kansas.
College Park, Md., Wednesday: Maryland has a chance to turn back the clock to 2002 and challenge Duke for the ACC title by beating the Blue Devils.
Salt Lake City, Wednesday: I don't care what Utah's record is at this time of the season. The BYU-Utah game is always one of the most competitive and fiercest rivalry games of the season.
South Bend, Ind., Wednesday: Notre Dame and Connecticut are on the bubble but continue to look stronger each week. The loser won't be out.
Birmingham, Ala., Wednesday: UAB still has the win over Butler to shout about, and beating Memphis at home would be another notch to promote.
Akron, Ohio, Friday: The MAC regular-season title is on the line between two schools separated by just 14 miles: Akron and Kent State are both 12-3 in league play and 22-8 overall.
Durham, N.C., Saturday: For the same reason the BYU-Utah game stands out, don't dismiss North Carolina in the Duke game. This rivalry is too good to be caught up in records.
Louisville, Ky., Saturday: Cue the memories for Freedom Hall. Syracuse will help Louisville close its building. Cardinals coach Rick Pitino said the 1987 NCAA tournament wins over Alabama and Georgetown with his former Providence team are his favorite moments.
Columbia, Mo., Saturday: Guarantee you that Mizzou will be rocking for Kansas on this date. The Jayhawks could go to Kansas City for the Big 12 tournament wobbling a bit or strengthened by yet another tough road win.
Philadelphia, Saturday: West Virginia-Villanova will be another grinder game with both teams vying for important seeding in the Big East tournament.
Starkville, Miss., Saturday: Tennessee is safely in the field now, but Mississippi State might need to win this game to earn a bid.
El Paso, Texas, Saturday: UAB concludes a brutal week at league leader UTEP, which already has clinched the top spot in the C-USA tournament.
Atlanta, Saturday: I don't think it's a reach to say Virginia Tech might need to win at Georgia Tech to feel better about its chances for a bid.
Lexington, Ky., Sunday: The Rupp fans will get a chance to say thank you to John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson because they all might bolt to the NBA draft after the season. Florida will be the sacrificial lamb here.
Champaign, Ill., Sunday: Illinois' home loss to Minnesota has given this game against Wisconsin even more importance. The Illini probably need to win to feel they have a bid locked up.
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