SB Nation - Wesley Johnson

Christmas Eve Links

Sean Keeley — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:38:13 -0000

Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating. Happy Holidays to everyone else. Well, Happy Holidays to everyone. Christmas celebrators AND non-Christmas celebrators. Bases...covered.

All-Decade Fantasy Tournament: Quarterfinal Voting | IL Blog Central
Vote for Syracuse lacrosse in the All-Decade Fantasy Tournament

YouTube - Wesley Johnson Making Noise At Syracuse
Syracuse forward Wesley Johnson talks about his rising star at Syracuse

2009-10's five most surprising teams - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN
Perhaps no team has done more with less preseason esteem than the Syracuse Orange.

Andy Katz's Daily Word: Recapping the season's first six weeks - ESPN
The Orange had the offseason hype of adding Iowa State transfer Wesley Johnson, but the loss of Jonny Flynn was supposed to be a disruptive force. That wasn't the case at all. Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine have handled the point guard role quite well. The bigs of Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson have been a force at times. The Orange went from a marginal top-25 team to a Big East title tri-favorite and national title contender. Picking Syracuse to win it all doesn't sound nearly as strange as it did a couple of months ago.

Orange Fizz: Syracuse Orange Sports Blog, Recruiting and Podcasts.
As The Fizz reported back in July, an Upstate vs. Downstate All-Star Football game was in the works after the cancellation of the annual NY vs. NJ Governor's Bowl. Now we know, with the blessing of Syracuse's head man, the All-Star game is a go.

Cruz: Marrone trying to get Syracuse football program better fast | Orange Football Blog - syracuse.com
"He’s recruiting older guys," Cruz told The Tribune-Democrat. "Coach Marrone is trying to get the program better fast. That’s the only explanation for getting two seniors."

Jimmy Dean would sing: 'Wide at the shoulder, narrow at the hip. That's Rick. Big, bad Rick.' | Bud Poliquin -
"I am Trash Man," Rick announced earlier this week at the Carrier Dome. "And I love it."

Men's Basketball Game on Dec. 29 vs. Syracuse - SOLD OUT - SHUPirates.com
Seton Hall Athletics has announced that the men's basketball BIG EAST contest vs. Syracuse on Tuesday, December 29 at Prudential Center is officially sold out.

LostLettermen.com: Dedicated Solely To Former College Athletes
Last spring The Big Lead named Devendorf the most hated player in the NCAA Tournament. His response? "I know everybody thinks I’m an a**hole" – with a smile on his face.

Charlie Weis, NFL Network among top 10 flops of 2000s - 2000s: The Decade in Sports - SI.com
The "flop" technique drew national ire first with Shane Battier in the early part of the decade, then J.J. Redick came along with his "offensive flop," in which he kicks his legs out on a jump shot. But even Redick had to make way for the master, Greg Paulus (pictured).

Syracuse to be on ESPN Classic twice next week - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician
ESPN Classic is going to be airing the best games of the decade coming up starting on December 26 and running until January 2.

A Syracuse Year-End Music List | NewsHouse
Music probably isn't the first thing you think of when you hear Syracuse (it's probably not even one of the top five things you think of) That said, there's more going on than you'd imagine if you haven't paying attention in 2009. Presenting perhaps the first ever year-end music list specific to the 315...

Kenny Haas of Kenny's 2 Pennies recaps a couple of Syracuse wins over St. Bonaventure and Oakland and previews the Big East opener vs. Seton Hall on December 29th.

K2P - The Orange Hoops 12/24/09 Show from FingerLakes1.com on Vimeo.

Daily Links - Goodnight, Doc

Sean Keeley — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:05:52 -0000

Orange Fizz: Syracuse Orange Sports Blog, Recruiting and Podcasts.
Orange Nation probably only gave it a cursory glance when West Virginia assistant John "Doc" Holliday was announced as Marshall's new head coach. But SU fans should breathe a sign of relief.

Monday Look Back: Xavier fails at math, Gonzaga fails at basketball - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com
Wesley Johnson has long been declared the nation's most impactful transfer. He deserves that title.

As Greg Paulus may have his eyes on the NFL Draft, the yippers are about to yip some more | Bud Poliquin -
"Me? I loved the Paulus experiment. I believe it bought needed time for Ryan Nassib (if, indeed, Nassib is next in line as the Orange quarterback). I believe it added some pizazz to a program that had fallen somewhere between football dormancy and football irrelevancy."

Three Idiots on Sports: Stalking is a Crime Bud
Bud likes Greg more than Mel likes Flight of the Conchords. I fully expect Greg to be at the family home opening Christmas presents on Friday morning and Bud will be peering in the window taking photos. It's getting creepy at this point.

Mike Waters Podcast | The Axeman - Brent Axe -
What happens when you team up the beat reporter for SU Hoops for the Post-Standard and a lowly blogger/radio host? Podcast magic my friends. Podcast magic.

Orange Fizz: Home of the FizzCast " Blog Archive " FizzCast: Big Ten Expansion - FL Recruiting - St. Bonnie
Team fizz reunites for a Christmas fizzcast. Conroy and Couzens discuss the St. Bonaventure game, then bring DA in to talk about Big Ten expansion plans, and a potential opening of the Florida recruiting scene.

YouTube - Derrick Rose puts Donte Greene on a poster.
Derrick Rose puts Donte Greene on a poster.

Mike's Mailbag: Wasn't Nicholson's shot to Rautins the same as Oregon football player? | Orange Basketball Blog - syracuse.com
Was the Andy Rautins nut-punch akin to the LaGarette Blount punch? Eh...not quite.

Niagara Gazette - MEN'S BASKETBALL: Bona star Nicholson not suspended; Benn close to return
Andrew Nicholson, Bona’s star center, won’t have to serve a one-game suspension following his ejection from Saturday’s game for hitting Syracuse’s Andy Rautins in the groin, a team spokesman said Monday evening.

Vox Populi " The 10 best Georgetown-themed holiday gifts
A "Got Georgetown?" sticker is one of them? Are Georgetown people living in 1996?

Titans LB Keith Bulluck Tears ACL, Will Miss Rest Of Season - SB Nation
Bad news for the Tennessee Titans: linebacker Keith Bulluck will miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL during last week’s win over the Dolphins, according to The Tennessean.

Even Derek Jeter wants you to Shut It Down (H/T: Coach Murph):

Boeheim, Hopkins Talk Mookie Jones

Sean Keeley — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:07:16 -0000

via media.syracuse.com

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Jim Boeheim appeared on the Doug Gottlieb show yesterday and Mike Hopkins stopped by Brent Axe's show and both touched on the touchy subject of Mookie Jones and his "demands" for more playing time. First up are Boeheim's comments on Mookie's PT:

He's concerned about playing time...and as I explained to him before and after the game, Florida, they're a pressing team and we were gonna go with our three best ball-handling guards. Mookie struggles handling the ball, he's a very good two-guard, shoots it well...he'll play, probably in most every game, just, he does struggle against pressure defense. But there's a lot of teams that don't press.

Did Boeheim take Mookie's comments personally?

No, not at all. I want guys to want to play. If [Mike Waters] had handled it right, he would have asked him "are you upset with your playing time," and he would have said "yeah, I wanna play." And I want everybody to wanna play. I don't want anybody sitting on my bench to think he can't play here at Syracuse. So I don't mind that.

The only problem was that we'd talked about it beforehand so he kinda knew what was gonna happen in the game and, you know, he's working in practice, he came back and had a good game the other night against St. Francis and I expect him to play in the next two non-conference games and I hope he keeps getting better.

The thing is, too, Doug, we redshirted him last year so he's still a freshman. But I think the one thing you see in college basketball...I saw a freshman that went home from South Florida in our league after two games. (Laughs) You know, he wasn't playing enough after two games...I think, you know, that's the problem in basketball today.

Freshmen used to have a little patience. You could kinda get a freshman through that year...by sophomore year if he'd was playing he'd be fine but it's pretty much "I wanna play right now."

As for Hopkins, he shared some stories that you hope have not been lost on young Mookie:

"One of the great things about this, especially with coach (Boeheim) is we have all been through this. Coach (Boeheim) came off the bench. Coach (Boeheim) was a walk-on officially when he first came to Syracuse. When I first came to Syracuse, I red-shirted. I was never supposed to play, I didn't play (laughs). Then you have Lazarus Sims. It took four years, then he led us to the Final Four. We have all been through this, we have a lot of guys on staff, Gerry McNamara has been absolutely terrific. The best way to respond to that, like with a case like Mookie, is to working harder, show them you do deserve to play, and that your potential goal is to get better."

So I guess you can put away your Mookie Jones TransferWatch Bingo card for now. The coaches know what they're doing. Make sure you listen to both interviews as they talk also about how the team is doing so well and the success of Andy Rautins, Wes Johnson and others.

ESPN Hearts Syracuse

Sean Keeley — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:37:47 -0000

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If you've been looking for the kiss of death now that Syracuse basketball is getting more hype than Balloon Boy, look no further than the fact that ESPN has officially taken hold of the reigns on the SU Bandwagon.

First up, Joe Lunardi has updated his Bracketology and look who went from 10-seed from 1-seed. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the fact that he has us playing the winner of the opening-round game means we're his top overall team. Oh boy. Though the fact that we're in the West Region instead of the East leads to believe that's not true. What the hell do I know... (Ed. Note - East Regional in Syracuse, so we can't play there. Got it!)

And then of course, there's the piece de resistance in knowing that any college basketball topic is mainstream...Dick Vitale's interns are writing about it.

Syracuse has demonstrated that it will be legit power in the Big East this season.

Let's go learn something from Dick.

Think about it, the Orange were picked sixth in the Big East preseason poll after losing Jonny Flynn, Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf. Jim Boeheim has a team that has physicality in Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson, and versatility in All-Marco Polo Wesley Johnson.

Think about it? Think about what? This sentence is not an answer to a question you posed in the first one. It's a statement of facts following a separate statement of fact. There is nothing to think about nor did you imply that I needed to think about anything. ARGGGGG.

The former Iowa State star has been a prime-time performer (PTP'er) and combined with outstanding guard play from three-point shooting wiz Andy Rautins and solid point guard ability from Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine, they have proven they can compete with the best.

I love that in this paragraph he goes to the trouble of denoting what PTP'er stands for just after calling someone All-Marco Polo in the previous sentane and providing no frame of reference for that at all. Not that I don't know what he means because it's been burrowed into my skull ad nauseum, but either this is written for Vitale Junkies (ugh) or its not.

Am I being harsh on Dick? Absolutely. But tell me what you learned there? Anything? Was that worth spending the time to read? No, right? That's pretty much the same feeling you have when you listen to Vitale call a game too, isn't it?

Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate...

Daily Links - Big Win Leftovers

Sean Keeley — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:42:14 -0000

Leftover thoughts from Syracuse's big win over Florida | Orange Basketball Blog - syracuse.com
Andy Rautins - "We’re a confident team. But we still go out every game like we have something to prove. Rankings mean nothing. We’re a very humble team. And we’re hungry. We’re hungry for every win."

Basketball Prospectus | Unfiltered
I’m hearing a lot about how good the sassy new-look larger-player Syracuse defense is this season. The numbers from the Orangemen’s 9-0 start are indeed quite gaudy (the ‘Cuse has allowed opponents to score just 0.82 points per trip), and after last night’s 85-73 win over Florida in Tampa, Pete Thamel proclaimed this D the best he’s seen from his alma mater in the last 15 years.

Pac-10, Syracuse Top College Basketball Christmas Naughty or Nice List - Blodic.us
The Big East coaches picked the Orange to finish sixth in the league. At this rate, the team that Bob Knight called the most impressive in the country might not finish worse than sixth in the country. Iowa State transfer Wesley Johnson is a legitimate Player of the Year candidate.

Syracuse University football team receives academic honor | Orange Football Blog - syracuse.com
The Syracuse University football team is one of 41 to earn the 2009 American Football Coaches Association Academic Achievement Honorable Mention Award, marking the 18th time the Orange has been honored.

Syracuse University Athletics - SU Makes ESPN The Magazine's List Of The Year's Top Sports Stories
Syracuse is featured twice on ESPN The Magazine’s list of the top 100 sports stories of 2009. The list appears in the Dec. 14 issue and includes the men’s basketball team’s classic six-overtime BIG EAST Tournament victory against Connecticut (No. 29), as well as Kenny Nims’ game-tying goal with 4.5 seconds left versus Cornell in the NCAA men’s lacrosse national championship game (No. 90).

Ernie Davis Heisman 1959 Syracuse Championship Ring - eBay (item 220525056478 end time Dec-17-09 11:22:17 PST)
A Syracuse University 1959 National Championship Ring Salesman Sample for Ernie Davis is up for auction.

Boneyardpin - War Otto Pins
Get your very own War Otto pin.

Facebook | "Orange out" the Syracuse vs. Villanova game
Villanova beat us twice last year, including a game in the Dome. lets ORANGE OUT the dome and show the world the best fans in college basketball wear orange!

Earn a chance to win Bulldogs tickets - Sports - Daily Review
In what was originally shaping up as an already exciting Elmira Bulldogs season opener has just taken a even more sudden twist. A last minute addition to the game roster for the visiting Hudson Valley Hype is former Syracuse University star player Louie McCroskey.

Casual Communication: Where Amazing Doesn't Happen - Casual Hoya
You stay classy, Hoya fans..."For players, my favorite was for Syracuse guard Eric Devendorf, in light of his assault charges. It was a simple "You hit wo-men" (clap, clap, clap clap clap). "

Dick Weiss Was Right: Syracuse 85, Florida 73

Sean Keeley — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:56:52 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

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Dick "Hoops" Weiss was voted Syracuse the No. 1 team in the country for three week's running. Me thinks he might be on to something. The Orange withstood a three-point rally from the Gators and put forth an effort that reaffirmed everything we were hoping as No. 7 Syracuse beat No. 10 Florida 85-73. (boxscore)

Rick Jackson recorded 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Wesley Johnson added 17 and 10, as No. 7 Syracuse handled the 10th-ranked Florida Gators, 85-73, at St. Pete Times Forum.

Neither team was ranked entering the season but both were unbeaten coming into the game. Only Syracuse (9-0) left with a perfect mark, though, thanks to a 52.5 percent shooting effort and a 43-31 rebounding advantage.

Andy Rautins scored 16 points, while Kris Joseph chipped in 12 points and 10 boards for the Orange, who have won every game this season by double digits.

First of all, it's been a while since we've been able to root for a truly dominant team in football or basketball. It feels...strange. In a good way, mind you. But, now that we know for sure that the Orange truly can win every single game they play, it's a very different feeling.

Second, Florida has terrible fans. Here's what's going to happen...people who watched the game last night are going to say Syracuse didn't really have to play in front of a hostile crowd because there were so many SU fans there. You know why so many SU fans stood out last night? Cause there's was no one else there! Upper deck? Empty. Mezzanine? Spotty. If not for Syracuse fans traveling 3,000 miles that place would have been a graveyard. Florida fans apparantly couldn't make the two hour drive to watch their top-ten team play another top-ten team. It's not SU's fault it has good fans, so I don't want to hear it...got it, Katz?

Third, and here's the part that should scare the rest of the country...Wes Johnson had a so-so game The anointed savior and cult leader who has been destined since birth to lead us to glory had an everyman kind of evening. And we still beat the No. 10 team in the nation by double-digits. Yeah he scored 17 and grabbed 10 boards but he really didn't get rolling until the 2nd half. Florida had many an opportunity to run away from Cuse and couldn't do it. Yikes to everyone.

Fourth...Rick Jackson, ladies and gentlemen. 21 points and 11 rebounds. Welcome to the bigtime, Rickles. And for SU fans, we can add Rick to the list of players more than happy to step up and be a leader for us when needed.

Fifth, speaking of leaders...Andy Rautins! The cajones on Andy when he hit the three in the 2nd half to kill Florida's rally. He immediately turned to his teammates, started up a "let's do this" mantra and did what we've come to expect of him.

Seventh, want to know what the "official" rotation is going to look like? Now you do. Boeheim played seven guys (Jackson, Onuaku, Johnson, Rautins, Triche, Scoop & Joseph). That's it. Mookie, deal with it or do not.

Eighth, Chandler Parsons looks like an anime character.

Ninth, "I think, just on what I’ve seen of Syracuse, they are capable of winning the national championship. I think Bobby Knight made a comment (Wednesday) night that he thought they were the best team in the country. I haven’t seen everybody play so I can’t comment on that. But I would be hard-pressed to say there were three or four teams better than them. They can beat you in a lot of ways." - Billy Donovan

The Orange improve to 9-0, should grab a couple more first-place votes and could move up a spot or two in the next rankings. It's official, everyone. The realz, we haz them. Until someone shows me otherwise, we're the best team in the nation as far as I'm concerned. Hells yeah I'm biased...but I'm pretty sure Dick Weiss and I are right.

Links and vids after the jump.

FUN IN THE SUN: Syracuse improves to 9-0 after beating No. 10 Florida...Tyler Dunne
Jackson defies gameplan, scores career-high 21 points...Tyler Dunne
Orange hurts Florida on the backboards...Donna Ditota
Syracuse makes big plays to defeat Florida and stay unbeaten...Donna Ditota
Donovan has experience with Triche family...Bud Poliquin
SU-Florida Recap...Brent Axe
Syracuse basketball dumps Florida, stays unbeaten...Donna Ditota
Gator-Skinned: Syracuse-Florida Observations...Three Idiots on Sports
Florida Gets RickRolled, Orange Comes Through In Tight Spots...CuseOrange
Roll: This Game Should Scare Out Future Opponents...Cuse Country
A Win over Florida...OrangeHoops
Donovan: Orange Title Contenders...Orange Fizz
Syracuse big men bully Florida Gators...Adam Beasley, Miami Herald

Game Highlights

Some live action (and Cuse fan head nods) from the game

The 'Cuse is loose!

SFBE.NF — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:30:40 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

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Remember when Syracuse, sans a Jonny Flynn, Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf, began their season with that ugly loss to LeMoyne? The LeMoyne Dolphins, a DII school located just minutes from Syracuse, a city far away from any salt water, and an area uninhabitable by Dolphins.

That debacle was a long time ago. Today Syracuse is making a case for being the top team in the country after last night's 85-73 win over Florida, in which Boeheim's boys were in control of from start to finish. They now sit at 9-0 and look tougher than at least a few of the six teams currently ranked ahead of them.

Wesley Johnson is an absolute stud, one of the few players in the college game who can iso his man and knock down the 15 foot jumper....whenever the hell his team needs a bucket. He finished with 17 and 10 and is slowly garnering more and more attention for not only the Big East, but national POY consideration.

As for Florida, let applaud their effort up to this point of the season. Already this team has overachieved, and boasts a nice duo of Kenny Boynton and Chandler Parsons. But you can't have Alex Tyus flopping around looking like Mikki Moore if you want to be taken seriously. Billy Donovan has a weak frontcourt, and will have to rely on quick hits and high schooting percentages if he expects to be a top 15 mainstay.

College Hoops Go-Round: December 11

Chris Dobbertean — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:14:52 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

Syracuse's Rick Jackson (00) celebrates with teammate Wes Johnson (4) were the stars of the Orange's 85-73 win over Florida Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009, in Tampa. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

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Night two of the SEC/Big East Invitational was the main action on a quiet Thursday night. The two leagues split the doubleheader in Tampa, which means there are no bragging rights this year, thanks to a 2-2 overall series mark.

DePaul was no match for Mississippi State in game one, falling 76-45. As I mentioned at SB Nation, it was one of the quietest crowds I've ever seen for a neutral site game.
The crowd was no issue in game two, as plenty of Orange and Gator fans filled the lower tier of the building formerly known as the Ice Palace. They got to see No. 10 Florida give No. 7 Syracuse a fight before falling, 85-73. Rick Jackson and Wes Johnson both had double-doubles for the Orange, while Kenny Boynton had 20 points and 7 assists for the Gators, with Chandler Parsons adding 19.

In other Thursday night action

No. 12 Michigan State blasted Oakland, 88-57, thanks to 19 points and 12 boards from Draymond Green.
No. 19 Cincinnati held off local rivals Miami, 63-59.
Rhode Island knocked off Northeastern, 79-76.
Western Carolina won again, as they knocked off Campbell, 66-59.
Colorado was pounded by Colorado State in Fort Collins, 77-62.
Montana came back to win on the road at Loyola Marymount, 82-73.

Friday is a good night to do your holiday shopping (like I will) as there isn't much available to a national audience.

The only game available nationally via Full Court is Iowa at Iowa State (8 p.m. ET). The Hawkeyes and Cyclones are playing for second (at best) in the Hawkeye State, as both have already lost to UNI.

The big event of the night is the Sun Belt Invitational in Nashville, where two Sun Belt teams face SEC opponents. Unfortunately, this showcase is only on regional television in parts of the Southeast.

No. 9 Tennessee vs. Middle Tennessee (CSS, 7)
Vanderbilt vs. Western Kentucky (CSS, 9:30)

For a full list of televised games, including contests that are only going to be televised regionally (including Old Dominion at Dayton), visit Matt Sarz' College Sports on TV site.

Casual Communication: Where Amazing Doesn't Happen

Jeff Green's Dad — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:55:47 -0000

More photos » by Julie Jacobson - AP

'Inspector Gadget' is FIRED UP for this round of Casual Communication

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Back for another edition of Casual Communication. Believe it or not, most of these questions came from actual readers. If you want to have your questions answered, email jeffgreensdad@gmail.com and I promise it will, we've got no other options.

What is your favorite obnoxious fan cheer? Cole, Philadelphia, PA

For refs, I will always enjoy "Get off your knees ref, you're blowing the game." It is particularly useful when John Cahill is a referee. For players, my favorite was for Syracuse guard Eric Devendorf, in light of his assault charges. It was a simple "You hit wo-men" (clap, clap, clap clap clap). For teams, I enjoy pulling out the keys and chanting, "Warm up the bus."

Club Trillion has christened Evan Turner "The Villain". What are the best nicknames for current Hoyas that you'd come up with? Harry, Godrics Hollow, England

Chris Wright - The Wrecking Ball. I think this works on a few levels. He can score in bunches, wrecking other teams. He can turn the ball over in bunches, wrecking our team. And when he plows into the lane, he resembles a Wrecking Ball. Chris, you are the Wrecking Ball.

Hollis Thompson - The Kid. He's a stud freshman, he looks like he's 12, he hustles his ass off, and he's a good teammate.

Austin Freeman - JT IV. First, because he looks like our beloved coach's child. Second, because he has become the coach on the floor. On Tuesday, he gently explained to Henry Sims that it's a bad idea to pick up 4 fouls when everyone else has 4 fouls, and also calmed down The Wrecking Ball.

Jason Clark - Inspector Gadget. When he sticks his arms out to steal a pass, it looks like he is activating the Go Go Gadget Arms.

via danoftheday.com

Greg Monroe - Vincent Chase. He's the franchise, we'll only go as far as he does. Like an episode of Entourage, I always have fun watching him, but I also always expect more.

In your opinion, which Hoya player has the most groupies? Coleman, Philadelphia, PA

I can tell you that in the class of 2008, it was definitely Patrick Ewing, Jr. But for the current Hoyas? I think it is Hollis Thompson. The man has a lot of appeal to girls on campus. For freshmen, he's experienced - he's been on campus since last January. He's the cool freshman with the older friends. He's got a sweet shooting stroke. He looks like he's nice and tries hard to be a good teammate. And he's just adorable, right? Am I right? Anyone?

Has Greg Monroe lived up to the hype? Liora, Malibu, CA

An interesting question, especially considering his performance against Butler on Tuesday. The quick answer is no, at this point he hasn't. He was the #1 recruit in the nation for most of his high school career. Let's look at the #1 ranked players the years before Greg.

2007 - Michael Beasley

2006 - Greg Oden

2005 - Gerald Green

2004 - Dwight Howard

2003 - LeBron James

2002 - Carmelo Anthony

Considering LeBron, Carmelo and Dwight are three of the five best players in the NBA, it's clear that Greg doesn't stack up yet. The Hoyas went 16-15 last year and missed the NCAAs. But, Greg wasn't expected to dominate like those guys have. Even in high school, Greg's prodigious talent came with questions about his motor, so his "hype" wasn't nearly as loud.

If Greg leads the Hoyas to an Elite Eight, makes First Team All Big East, and goes in the top 10 in the NBA Draft, I think he will have lived up to the hype. Let's see how it plays out.

Last night (Casual Note: a week ago now) I watched as Taylor King, the former Duke forward, put up 16 against Drexel--shooting 4-6 from behind the 3-pt mark--with 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block to round out his line. And he's essentially the sixth man on this number three Villanova team; King played only 23 minutes last night. While it is fair to note that Nova was playing Drexel and has not really been challenged by their schedule yet this year, King is averaging just over 10 points a game, almost 7 rebounds a game, and is shooting near the .500 mark from downtown. (Casual Note: King also had 20 points, including 4 three-pointers, a couple of which were absolute daggers, and 9 rebounds last night against a surprisingly spunky St. Joe's team) All this begs the question: is Taylor King the best transfer player in the Big East this year? Maybe/Probably. But I'd love to see a list of the best transfer players in the Big East over the last ten years and see how King stacks up, assuming his averages stay the same for the season. Iceberg, Villanova, PA

Look here Iceberg. Casual Communication is about Casual discussion where I get to spout off about nicknames, groupies, and other nonsense. I don't want to do "research" or find "statistics" or use my "brain".

After doing all of these things, as well as getting help from the rest of the Casual Hoya staff, your question has been amended. The Big East is not a conference that tends to attract a lot of transfers, so we're going to do a list of five. We're also going to use transfers from the last five years, since the Big East expanded to 16 teams.

1. Jeremiah Rivers, Georgetown. Though he transferred out of the conference, simply by leaving, he increased the competitiveness of the entire league.

2. David Padgett, Louisville. Averaged 11.2 PPG in 2007-2008 when Louisville finished second in the Big East. Also bonus points for being the only non-Georgetown transfer I remembered without having to use the Google machine.

3. Patrick Ewing Jr., Georgetown. 6^th man on back-to-back Big East Championship teams and 2007 Final Four team. Won the Big East's inaugural 6^th Man Award in 2007-2008 season. Put up Wilt Chamberlain-like numbers on Georgetown's campus.

via www.inquisitr.com

4. Jeff Xavier, Providence. Averaged 10.4 PPG in his two years at Providence. Bonus points for his brother, Jonathan Xavier, running onto the court during a game in January 2009 to confront a referee, subsequently getting arrested for disorderly conduct. Look at his face, what a psycho.

5. Wesley Johnson, Syracuse. Usually, it'd be premature to put a guy who has played eight games, but I mean look at this list. It's really bad. And Wesley Johnson is projected to be a top 5 draft pick. I promise you, Iceberg, that he is the best transfer to come through the Big East in 5 years, 10 years, etc. Does it hurt to admit? Yes. But he's really, really good.

As for Mr. King, he had that great game last night and hit a clutch three to seal the game. My guess is he'll sneak into this top 5 list by the end of the year. If not, he really sucks, because none of these guys really lit it up. Do not ask another question like this, my brain hurts.

How did you feel when told there was no room at the inn on Jeff's day of birth? James, Long Island, NY

I'd say I felt a combination of fear, horniness, and hunger.

Which Hoya (past and present) would fit in best with the cast of MTV's "Jersey Shore?" K Dogg, New York, NY

via www.mtv.com

First of all, for the 20 of you that read this, please watch this show. I beg you. Words do not do it justice. It is the John Wall of reality TV shows, you have to see it to believe it.

As for your question, the past Hoya that would fit in best would be DaJuan Summers. He has the tattoos, the body, the crappy facial hair, and the insecurities that would make him perfect for the show. I might even start calling DaJuan "The Situation". When it comes to current Hoyas, I think my boy Chris Wright would probably fit the best. He's got an "I'll fight anyone, including my teammates" edge to him that is both intimidating and admirable. I have the same conflicting and exciting feelings every time Ronny gets on screen. I would also consider Jeremiah Rivers just because he looks so much like Vinny, who is farthest left in this picture.

Poll

Which Current Hoya's Proposed New Casual Nickname Do You Like Best?

Chris Wright - The Wrecking Ball

25 votes

Hollis Thompson - The Kid

19 votes

Austin Freeman - JT IV

20 votes

Jason Clark - Inspector Gadget

82 votes

Greg Monroe - Vincent Chase

10 votes

156 votes | Poll has closed

College Hoops Go-Round: December 10

Chris Dobbertean — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:29:33 -0000

More photos » by Julie Jacobson - AP

15 days ago: Kentucky's John Wall drives to the basket against Connecticut in the first half of a NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009, at Madison Square Garden in New York. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

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The crowd at Madison Square Garden was treated to a show on Wednesday night, as the SEC and Big East split the first night of their invitational.

Georgia tried to come back in the final moments at St. John's, but fell short, 66-56.
No. 4 Kentucky jumped out to a big lead in the first four minutes on No. 14 Connecticut, who crept back in over the next four minutes, with a back and forth thriller resulting. The Wildcats held off the Huskies, 64-61, with an amazing John Wall finish and subsequent foul shot giving the Cats the lead at the end.

In other Wednesday action

No. 5 Purdue hammered Valparaiso, 86-62.
No. 6 West Virginia doubled up Duquesne, 68-39.
Providence put on a show at George Washington, winning 110-97.
No. 1 Kansas routed Radford, 99-64.
Missouri fell at Oral Roberts, 60-59.
No. 3 Villanova won the Holy War, holding off St. Joseph's, 97-89, at the Palestra.
Michigan got smoked by Utah in Salt Lake City, 68-52.
Arizona had little trouble with Louisiana Tech, winning 83-67.
Washington State defeated neighbors Idaho, 76-64.
La Salle won at Rider, 69-60.
Buffalo beat local rival Niagara, 86-80.
Austin Peay upset Ohio in Athens, 68-66.
Harvard won at Boston College for the second straight season, 74-67. Jeremy Lin scored 25 for the Crimson. He hung 27 on the Eagles last season.
Virginia Tech pulled away from VMI, 98-73.
Notre Dame routed IUPUI, 93-70.
No. 20 Wisconsin fell at in-state rival Green Bay, 88-84 in OT.
California had no problem with Pacific, winning in Stockton 79-54.
New Mexico survived a trip to San Diego, prevailing 82-78.
Cal State Fullerton fell at San Diego State, 82-68.

If you don't see your team's score, click any of the score links above. You'll find a rundown of all of Wednesday's game along the right side of the page.

It's a pretty quiet Thursday, meaning the focus of the college basketball world shifts to Tampa for night two of the SEC/Big East Invitational.

DePaul vs. Mississippi State (ESPN2, 6:30): This matchup is definitely the undercard (ESPN Regional Television is a smart group of schedulers). However, this one would have been something to see if 6-10 DePaul forward Mac Koshwal wasn't sidelined with a left foot injury. Now, Jarvis Varnado should dominate inside and lead the Bulldogs to a comfortable win.
No. 7 Syracuse vs. No. 10 Florida (ESPN, 9): I know I should probably be more neutral, but this is Dobber Bowl III -- as the team I grew up cheering for faces my alma mater. This one should be a good one, as the Orange and Gators are probably the two biggest surprises on the national scene so far. Wes Johnson has established himself as a serious Naismith candidate in Central New York, while in North Central Florida, Billy Donovan seems to have his first team since the beloved 2006-07 repeat national champs to completely buy into his system. This should be a five-star matchup. Expect a pro-Gator crowd, with a heavy dose of Orange. (The crowds at Cuse-USF hoops games at the Sun Dome tend lean Orange.)

Here's a list of the rest of tonight's televised action

Oakland at No. 12 Michigan State (Big Ten, 7)
Chicago State at Nebraska (Full Court, 8)
Miami (OH) at No. 19 Cincinnati (ESPN2, 8:30)
Colorado at Colorado State (the mtn., 9:30)

For a full list of televised games, including contests that are only going to be televised regionally, visit Matt Sarz' College Sports on TV site.