SB Nation User Blog: Mike Rutherford

The best Louisville game of the decade tournament: 7 vs. 10

Mike Rutherford — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:11:11 -0000

This is my favorite matchup of the first round and I'm very interested to see how it plays out.

7. LOUISVILLE STUNS TENNESSEE IN THE FINAL MINUTE AT THE HALL (12/20/01)

Just about everyone I've talked to who attended this game claims it was the loudest they've every heard Freedom Hall. There are also countless stories of high-fives and hugs with nearby strangers.

Neither team would end up making the NCAA Tournament, but this game was special for a number of reasons.

1) It was Pitino's first year.

2) This team was sorely lacking in talent but was already overachieving and playing with more energy than the fans had seen in years.

3) The frustration of the final Crum years were still fresh in everybody's minds.

4) It very well could have been the most exciting finish of the decade...

10. EDGAR SOSA STICKS A DAGGER IN THE COLLECTIVE HEART OF BIG BLUE NATION (1/4/09)

Coming off of a one-point home loss to UNLV - the third already for a squad that was a fixture in every major preseason top five - Louisville avoided a massive meltdown in the final minute against arch-rival Kentucky when Edgar Sosa buried a bomb from 30-feet out with just under three seconds to play.

Yes, this would probably end up being the worst Wildcat team of the decade, but that doesn't make the shot any less important or the finish any less thrilling. Who knows where the season goes if Sosa's shot is a couple of inches to the right or if he doesn't take it at all.

"It would have been difficult if we had lost," Pitino said afterward. "We played great, basically outplayed them for 38 minutes. To lose that game would have been emotionally and physically devastating. I wouldn't have wanted to be in the locker room trying to motivate those guys if we had lost that game."

A Louisville basketball victory over Kentucky that was decided in the final seconds.

I celebrated.

This is a toughie, but if you don't make a decision the Thanksgiving Pilgrim won't bring you any toys this year.

Poll

Which Louisville game was better?

The best Louisville game of the decade tournament: 6 vs. 11

Mike Rutherford — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:03:34 -0000

In my mind there are three games this decade which clearly stood out above all the others. After those three, however, the comparable contenders are bountiful.

There is a legit case for the higher seed in each of the matchups not involving the top three, and perhaps the biggest example of this is the 6/11 matchup we tackle today.

6. REECE GAINES BREAKS HEARTS AT MARQUETTE (2/15/03)

Coming off of a 59-58 Wednesday loss to St. Louis that was their first since an early season defeat at the hands of Purdue, Reece Gaines and No. 2 Louisville broke the hearts of a record crowd at the Bradley Center that saw No. 11 Marquette's home-winning streak snapped at 28 after a crushing 73-70 loss.

With the Cardinals leading 70-67, Marquette point guard Travis Diener came off of a screen and stroked a three-pointer to tie the game with 15.3 seconds to go.

Before Marquette fans even had a chance to stop high-fiving, Gaines had brought the ball down the floor and pulled up from well beyond the three-point line to deliver a dagger with six seconds remaining. Diener missed a desperation three at the buzzer.

"I knew that was the best shot I was going to get because I couldn't move to the basket," Gaines said. "They were going to trap me, and (force me) to pass it to somebody else."

Gaines finished with 20 points, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, and Taquan Dean added 18 points for the Cardinals.

This is still the single greatest Louisville-related celebration I've ever been a part of. One second I'm sitting with five or six of my favorite depressed for the moment Cards fans in my buddy's basement, the next I'm in the middle of a pile-on on the other side of the room, and when I look over our host is running around the room holding his dog in the air.

It was awesome.

11. LOUISVILLE STOMPS PERENNIAL POWERHOUSE MIAMI AT PJCS (9/16/06)

The game wasn't competitive, but this was the moment Louisville football really captured the attention of the American public.

After the Cards had suffered a crushing three-point loss in Miami two years prior, this statement game was hyped all summer by Louisville fans and local media. The intensity was ratcheted up a notch when a war of words broke out between U of L linebacker Nate Harris (a UM transfer) and Hurricane quarterback Kyle Wright in the days leading up to the contest, and then set ablaze when players from The U elected to stomp on the Cardinal bird during pregame warm-ups.

After falling behind 7-0, Louisville ripped off 31 straight points to score one of the biggest victories in program history and establish themselves as a legitimate contender for the national championship.

"Well it was pretty obvious today we were embarrassed," Miami coach Larry Coker said after the game. "Our players are embarrassed. Our coaches are embarrassed. We thoroughly got whipped."

Everyone knows the details: Harris' fumble recovery, Brohm's injury, Cantwell's first pass, George Stripling's ridiculous speed and, of course, the Mario stiff-arm.

What an ass-kicking and what a day to be a Louisville football fan.

Voting closes in 24 hours.

Poll

Which Louisville game was better?

Cards a five seed in first bracketology

Mike Rutherford — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:20:58 -0000

Cards a five seed in first bracketology

HOLY SHIT I LOVE THIS BRACKET.

Rutgers game time, tv coverage set

Mike Rutherford — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:10:15 -0000

The Steve Kragthorpe era will almost certainly come to a close with a game played at 11 a.m. on a Friday.

Feels right.

ESPN2 has the coverage.

An additional note: my little sister (who knows nothing and cares nothing about sports) has a communication class with a football player who shall remain nameless, and just informed me via text that the player stated he is "in constant conflict with his coach" and that the cause of the conflict is "lack of respect."

Eleven a.m., Friday, Nov. 27. Go ahead and wear black.

Forde: Louisville being left out of ESPN's Top 65 a "glitch"

Mike Rutherford — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:11:49 -0000

ESPN The Magazine''s college basketball preview issue hit stores this week and caused quite a stir in the Derby City when it was discovered that the publication left the Louisville Cardinals out of its "Top 65" team rankings.

The Cards fiinished last season ranked first in both major polls and begin this season ranked 19th by the Associated Press and 23rd by the coaches.

When asked about the puzzling omission on Twitter, ESPN's Pat Forde responded that he was told it was a "glitch" and that Louisville was "meant to be No. 29."

Quick question: how in the hell does that happen?

You have more resources than anyone in the world of sports, more staff members than anyone in the world of sports and yet apparently it's still quite possible to completely screw up and mistakenly leave one of the biggest programs in college basketball out of your preseason rankings.

In ESPN's defense, it's not like Louisville basketball has been in the news much recently. No major storylines hanging over this team as it heads into the season.

I guess we'll give you a break, since this is absolutely the first time you've ever screwed up.

The best Louisville game of the decade tournament: 1 vs. 16

Mike Rutherford — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:26:34 -0000

Not gonna lie, setting this up is pretty fun.

The first round rages on as the top seed is revealed...

1. LOUISVILLE BEATS WEST VIRGINIA TO GO TO THE FINAL FOUR (3/6/05)

After dismantling top seed Washington two days prior, it's safe to say that Louisville fans were confident heading into an Elite Eight matchup with seventh-seeded West Virginia. That confidence was shaken quickly as the Mountaineers quickly hit the Cardinals with a barrage of three-pointers and built a 20-point first half lead.

"I've never seen anything like it in my life," Rick Pitino said. "They were falling out of bounds, shooting from half-court and banking them in. You've got to give them all the credit in the world."

Pitino abandoned the zone defense in the second half and Louisville pressed, trapped and clawed its way back into the game.

With leading scorer Francisco Garcia on the bench with five fouls and Taquan Dean suffering from cramps, homegrown Larry O'Bannon took the game over. His driving lay-up with less than a minute to play ultimately sent the game into overtime where the Cardinals were able to hold off an exhausted Mountaineer squad.

The win secured Louisville's first trip to the Final Four since 1986 and made Pitino the only coach to ever lead three different programs to the national semifinals.

When Brandon Jenkins blocked J.D. Collins' shot and Taquan Dean started toward the other end of the floor with the clock ticking down in regulation, I'll always remember thinking in the back of my mind: "I've never felt a feeling like this in my chest...oh my god, am I dying?" It was an amazing, amazing day.

16. THE 2001 LIBERTY BOWL (12/31/01)

Dave Ragone threw three touchdown passes as Louisville (11-2) set a school record for wins in the process of knocking off No. 17 BYU 28-10 in the 2001 Liberty Bowl.

"What I've always said about this team is we might not have the most talent, but we have the most heart and we play together," Ragone said. "This is one of the best Louisville teams to come through in here."

The Cougars had started the season 12-0 and campaigned hard for a spot in a BCS game, but fell to Hawaii in their season finale and were throttled by the Cardinals three weeks later.

Ragone, the game's MVP, was 19 of 28 for 228 yards. He put away the contest with a 49-yard TD strike to Ronnie Gant 49 seconds into the final quarter.

The Cardinals, who had captured their second Conference USA title in as many seasons, secured the program's first bowl victory since a Liberty Bowl win over Michigan State in 1993.

If "We in Da Liberty Bowl" or "Rollin' to Da Liberty Bowl" were anywhere online, you can bet your life that you'd see them below.

Voting closes at 2 p.m. tomorrow.

Poll

Which Louisville game was better?

'05 Elight Eight victory over West Virginia

265 votes

'01 Liberty Bowl win over BYU

14 votes

279 votes | Poll has closed

JJ Moore commits to Pitt

Mike Rutherford — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:13:20 -0000

JJ Moore commits to Pitt

Not unexpected, but still a bummer.

The best Louisville game of the decade tournament: Sweet 16

Mike Rutherford — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:48:58 -0000

My uncontrollable affinity for year-end lists has been pretty well documented on this site, so with an actual decade coming to a close in about 50 days, you can expect rankings of just about anything and everything to be hurled your way at a furious pace for the next month and-a-half.

The pageantry begins with a 16-team (or game) tournament to decide what was the best Louisville Cardinal game of the culminating decade.

Some notes:

1. Only basketball and football games were included since those are the two major sports this site covers.

2. Only Louisville wins were selected.

3. I didn't use any specific criteria to determine which games were selected and how they were ranked. There's a healthy mix of great games, games that were important to the program and blowout victories that were awesome for one reason or another.Your voting philosophy is your own.

The seedings were extremely hard for me to do and are easily debatable, but this leads me to believe that a lot of the matchups will be highly competitive. Everything will be settled on in the ~~field~~ voting box.

Without further ado, here's your opening matchup: a very solid 8/9 death game .

8. THE 2004 LIBERTY BOWL (12/31/04)

The '04 Cardinals were a dropped interception at Miami away from an undefeated regular season and a likely spot in a BCS bowl game. Instead, the C-USA champions were relegated to the Liberty Bowl and a date with undefeated Boise State.

What followed was nearly 900 combined yards of total offense, the highest scoring Liberty Bowl of all-time and a Louisville victory sealed with an interception by Kerry Rhodes, the star safety who had let the ball bounce off his chest months earlier in the Orange Bowl.The 44-40 victory snapped Boise's 22-game win streak and vaulted the Cardinals to a season-ending ranking of No. 6.

Senior quarterback Stefan LeFors earned MVP honors by going 18-of-26 through the air for 193 yards and rushing 12 times for 76 more yards. The Cardinals rushed for 329 yards against a defense that had been the nation's fourth-best against the run. In all, Louisville outgained the Broncos 564 to 284.

The game also served as a coming out party of sorts for one, Michael Bush.

9. LOUISVILLE UPSETS NO. 1 KENTUCKY IN LEXINGTON (12/27/03)

In what Rick Pitino stilo refers to as the best win of his coaching career, the 20th-ranked Louisville Cardinals came into Rupp Arena and stunned No. 1 Kentucky 65-56, snapping the Wildcats' 27-game regular-season winning streak. UK hadn't been beaten outside of the postseason since an 18-point pummeling by the Cards the year before.

"Kentucky is a great basketball team that just happened to lose tonight," Pitino said after the game. "We were very fortunate to win. We had that special moment that happens once in a lifetime."

The surprising star of the game was reserve Otis George, who finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. Larry O'Bannon and Luke Whitehead each added 11 points while Francisco Garcia netted 10.

"This is just a great feeling," Whitehead said. "Coach Pitino already told us how much this game means to him. He said it meant a lot to us, him and the city and it just makes us so happy."

The Cards trailed by five at halftime but shot 54.2 percent from the field in the second half and knocked down 15-of-16 free-throw attempts. They also out rebounded the heavily-favored Wildcats 38-30.

So who moves on to the round of eight? It's your call.

The poll closes tomorrow at noon.

Poll

Which was the better Louisville victory?

The 2004 Liberty Bowl win over undefeated Boise State

117 votes

The 2003 victory over No. 1 Kentucky at Rupp

132 votes

249 votes | Poll has closed

Five Arkansas players suspended for Louisville game

Mike Rutherford — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:20:38 -0000

When the Louisville basketball team open its season a week from tonight in St. Louis against Arkansas, it will be facing a Razorback team trying to make do without two starters and a trio of reserves. Head coach John Pelphrey announced the suspension of the five players, resulting from a variety of disciplinary issues, Wednesday afternoon.

Courtney Fortson, the team's leading returning scorer, and fellow starter Stefan Walsh have been suspended indefinitely. Reserve Marcus Britt, who appeared in all 30 games a year ago, will miss the team's first six games. Freshman Glenn Bryant has been suspended for two games while walk-on Nick Mason will not be allowed to play during the fall semester.

"We will continue to address disciplinary matters in a straight-forward manner and take action when players do not meet the expectations of conduct required of our student-athletes," Pelphrey said in a statement. "Our program remains committed to representing the University of Arkansas, individually and collectively, in an appropriate manner."

Fortson averaged 14.8 ppg and handed out 172 assists as a freshman a year ago. He was suspended, at least in part, for a crude comment he posted on Twitter after a woman accused three of his teammates of rape at an August fraternity party.

"One thing I would say is with regards to Courtney, his is a little bit different," Pelphrey said. "He has come to me. He has a couple of personal issues he wants to try to handle and we’re going to try to do that with him. And we’re going to support him and try to get him better. His says indefinite suspension, this is not something we’re going to resolve over a weekend or whatever."

Arkansas is already dealing with the loss of sophomore forward Michael Sanchez, who is battling plantar fasciitis.

The Razorbacks will dress nine players against Louisville. One, Stephen Cox, is a member of the golf team and another, Brandon Mitchell, is a former football player.

The 2009-2010 Card Chronicle Big East basketball preview

Mike Rutherford — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:27:04 -0000

Predicted Order of Finish

1. West Virginia

The Mountaineers laid a huge egg in the NCAA Tournament against Dayton, but Bob Huggins’ third West Virginia squad is loaded. Da’Sean Butler may be the most underrated player in the country and Devin Ebanks is primed to breakout and become a full-fledged superstar.

2. Villanova

Losing Dante Cunningham is an enormous hit, but the sensational guard trio of Scottie Reynolds and the Coreys (Fisher and Stokes) return from last year’s Final Four squad and Jay Wright reeled in one of the top recruiting classes in the country. Don’t be surprised if the much-hyped Wildcats drop a game or two they shouldn’t before Reggie Redding returns to the team after Christmas.

3. Connecticut

A.J. Price is gone, but Kemba Walker should make a strong push for the title of "best point guard in the Big East" in his sophomore season. The bigger loss is in the post, where Jim Calhoun will be looking to replace Hasheem Thabeet’s defensive presence. How well freshman big man Alex Oriakhi adapts to the college game could determine whether or not the Huskies again challenge for the league title.

4. Cincinnati

This is higher than I’ve seen the Bearcats placed by anyone else, but I don’t think there’s a more complete starting five in the league. Cashmere Wright is healthy and ready to take much of the ball-handling duties away from Deonta Vaughn, Yancy Gates is one of the best big men in the league, and Lance Stephenson, the Big East’s most talented newcomer, has been cleared to play by the NCAA. The pressure is on Mick Cronin to win now.

5. Louisville

History has not been kind to college basketball teams trying to recover from losing two lottery picks, but the defending Big East regular season and tournament champions do return a strong nucleus from the squad that ended the ’09 regular season ranked No. 1 in the country. Samardo Samuels and Terrence Jennings will both demand significant attention in the post, but how well Pitino’s team shoots from the outside will likely determine its fate more times than not this year.

6. Georgetown

Though the nation kept waiting it for happen, the Hoyas were never able to click and get on track a season ago. Still, expectations to produce are again prevalent as John Thompson III returns multiple starters including reigning Big East Rookie of the Year Greg Monroe.

7. Notre Dame

Returning nearly everyone from a team that almost captured the ’08 regular season conference title, no squad disappointed more than the Fighting Irish a season ago. But preseason Player of the Year Luke Harangody is back and has more than enough talent around him to guide this team back into the NCAA Tournament. If Notre Dame doesn’t go dancing, Mike Brey could be spending the summer looking for a new job.

8. Seton Hall

The biggest wild card in the league, Seton Hall is loaded with talent at every position. Jeremy Hazell and Eugene Harvey are two of the most explosive offensive players in the Big East, and Bobby Gonzalez has brought in three big-time transfers who he hopes can transform the Pirates into legitimate contenders. You can justify picking this team to finish just about anywhere.

9. Pittsburgh

No coach has a tougher job this year than Jamie Dixon, who must find a way to replace the superstar trio of DeJuan Blair, Sam Young and LeVance Fields. Freshman Dante Taylor is the real deal, but some guys who have been role players up until this point in their Panther careers are going to have to step up significantly for Pitt to finish in the top half of this league.

10. Syracuse

No one knew how well the Orange were going to react to the not-so-surprising departure of Jonny Flynn and the extremely surprising departures of Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf. Dropping an exhibition game to a D-III school was not a solid start. Arizne Onuaku is a beast in the middle and Iowa State transfer Wesley Johnson is a legit NBA prospect, but without an established floor general, it’s hard to see turnovers and poor decisions not plaguing this group from season’s beginning to end.

11. Marquette

Lazar Hayward is a star and Mo Acker earned his stripes when Dominic James went down a year ago, but if Buzz Williams' talented group of newcomers doesn’t drastically overachieve then the Golden Eagles are going to struggle.

12. Providence

Despite the toxic mix of a bevy of seniors and a first-year head coach, Keno Davis’ first Providence squad was probably a single win over Louisville in the Big East tournament away from making the Big Dance. This year’s task might be even tougher for Davis, who has a talented backcourt duo in Sharaud Curry and Brian McKenzie but lost nearly all of his other production.

13. Rutgers

Mike Rosario was extremely impressive over the course of his freshman season and big men Greg Echenique and Hamady N’Diaye are both solid defensive presences, but Fred Hill needs at least one more big-time scorer for the Scarlet Knights to avoid the infamous "teen four" status in the Big East. The dismissal of Corey Chandler was a big blow.

14. St. John’s

Believe it or not, this is actually one of the deepest teams in the conference. The health of Anthony Mason Jr. is still a major concern, but there’s enough talent on this roster to pull a major upset or two.

15. South Florida

Dominique Jones is an elite scorer and Chris Howard is a terrific playmaker, but the Bulls still don’t have enough in their front court to really compete in a league like the Big East.

16. Depaul

Will Walker and Mac Koshwal are both good players, but they weren’t good enough to earn the Blue Demons a single conference win in the regular season last year and they won’t be good enough to vault Depaul out of last place in ’09-’10.

League Superlatives

Player of the Year: Luke Harangody, Notre Dame

Rookie of the Year: Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati

Coach of the Year: Mick Cronin, Cincinnati

All Conference Teams

First Team

Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati
Da’Sean Butler, West Virginia
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
Kemba Walker, Connecticut

Second Team

Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall
Lazar Hayward, Marquette
Greg Monroe, Georgetown
Devin Ebanks, West Virginia
Arizne Onuaku, Syracuse

Third Team

Samardo Samuels, Louisville
Dominique Jones, South Florida
Wesley Johnson, Syracuse
Yancy Gates, Cincinnati
Jerome Dyson, Connecticut

Five Biggest Storylines

1. Parity

There was much debate throughout the course of last season over whether or not the Big East was stronger than it had ever been. The fact teams from the conference ultimately comprised half of the Elite Eight and Final Four fields would seem to bolster the case of the folks on the "yes" side of that argument, but when you have three squads with resumes strong enough to earn No. 1 seeds, it also means that a lot of teams in the bottom half of the league are piling up a lot of losses.

By and large, the teams that finished 1-8 a season ago have gotten worse and the teams that finished 9-16 have gotten better, which should make for a jumbled final league standings. Expect the difference between teams 6-11 to be razor thin, and the second day of the Big East tournament to be tremendous.

2. Rick Pitino

Little has gone well for Rick Pitino since his top-seeded Cardinals were bounced in the Elite Eight by Michigan State last March. He lost a pair of lottery picks to the NBA and his offseason was mired by a scandal that involved extortion, adultery and abortion. He’s talked about the matter being behind him and focusing on the upcoming season for the past two months or so, but expect the issue to be thrust back into the national spotlight if the Cardinals go through any significant struggles.

3. National Title Contenders

For all the praise that has been heaped upon the Big East since its expansion, the league hasn’t produced a national champion since Connecticut cut down the nets in 2004. The top-tier teams in the league have the talent to make a run, but it will be more of a surprise if the league isn’t again shut out in 2010.

4. Rebuilding

The Big East has lost a significant chunk of star power as all but two of the 11 players named to the first and second All-Conference teams a year ago have moved on. Perennial powerhouses Pitt, Syracuse and Louisville have been especially rocked by graduation and early defections. The door now appears to be open for teams like Cincinnati and Seton Hall to make their moves toward the top half of the standings.

5. The big, big Big East Tournament

The league has opted to stick with the 16-team tournament format for a second straight season after it was more exciting than anyone could have anticipated in its trial run. If another significant alteration to the tournament is going to take place, it will likely come after this season.

15 Best Non-Conference Games

1. Connecticut vs. Kentucky (Big East/SEC Challenge: Madison Square Garden) (12/9)
2. Louisville at Kentucky (1/2)
3. Connecticut vs. Texas (1/23)
4. West Virginia at Purdue (1/1)
5. West Virginia vs. Ohio State (1/23)
6. Duke at Georgetown (1/31)
7. Cincinnati at Xavier (12/13)
8. Connecticut at Michigan (1/17)
9. Georgetown vs. Butler (Jimmy V. Classic) (12/8)
10. UCLA at Notre Dame (12/19)
11. Washington vs. Georgetown (Wooden Classic) (12/12)
12. Florida vs. Syracuse (Big East/SEC Challenge) (12/9)
13. Villanova at Maryland (12/6)
14. Memphis at Syracuse (1/6)
15. Louisville at UNLV (11/28)

Big Monday Schedule

January 4 – Pittsburgh at Cincinnati
January 11 – Villanova at Louisville
January 18 – Syracuse at Notre Dame
January 25 – Georgetown at Syracuse
February 1 – Connecticut at Louisville
February 8 – Villanova at West Virginia
February 15 – Connecticut at Villanova
February 22 – West Virginia at Connecticut
March 1 – Georgetown at West Virginia

Top 15 Guards

1. Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
2. Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati
3. Kemba Walker, Connecticut
4. Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall
5. Dominique Jones, South Florida
6. Jerome Dyson, Connecticut
7. Sharaud Curry, Providence
8. Mike Rosario, Rutgers
9. Eugene Harvey, Seton Hall
10. Corey Stokes, Villanova
11. Tory Jackson, Notre Dame
12. Jerry Smith, Louisville
13. Corey Fisher, Villanova
14. Will Walker, Depaul
15. Edgar Sosa, Louisville

Top 15 Forwards

1. Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
2. Da’Sean Butler, West Virginia
3. Lazar Hayward, Marquette’
4. Devin Ebanks, West Virginia
5. Greg Monroe, Georgetown
6. Arizne Onuaku, Syracuse
7. Yancy Gates, Cincinnati
8. Samardo Samuels, Louisville
9. Wesley Johnson, Syracuse
10. Stanley Robinson, Connecticut
11. Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati
12. Greg Echenique, Rutgers
13. Mac Koshwal, Depaul
14. Anthony Mason Jr., St. John’s
15. Dante Taylor, Pittsburgh

Top 10 Freshmen

1. Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati
2. Dante Taylor, Pittsburgh
3. Alex Oriakhi, Connecticut
4. Mouphtaou Yarou, Villanova
5. Peyton Siva, Louisville
6. Dominic Cheek, Villanova
7. Maalik Wayns, Villanova
8. Hollis Thompson, Georgetown
9. Junior Cadougan, Marquette
10. Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, Connecticut

Top 5 Rebounders

1. Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
2. Mac Koshwal, Depaul
3. Greg Echenique, Rutgers
4. Lazar Hayward, Marquette
5. Arizne Onuaku, Syracuse

Top 10 Shooters

1. Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall
2. Andy Rautins, Syracuse
3. Corey Stokes, Villanova
4. Jerry Smith, Louisville
5. Casey Mitchell, West Virginia
6. Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh
7. Taylor King, Villanova
8. Preston Knowles, Louisville
9. Sharaud Curry, Providence
10. Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati

Top 5 On-Ball Defenders

1. Jerome Dyson, Connecticut
2. Preston Knowles, Louisville
3. Kemba Walker, Connecticut
4. Paris Horne, St. John’s
5. Eugene Harvey, Seton Hall

Top 5 Shot-Blockers

1. Hamady N’Diaye, Rutgers
2. Greg Echenique, Rutgers
3. Terrence Jennings, Louisville
4. John Garcia, Seton Hall
5. Arizne Onuaku, Syracuse

Top 5 Passers

1. Tory Jackson, Notre Dame
2. Eugene Harvey, Seton Hall
3. Chris Howard, South Florida
4. Chris Wright, Georgetown
5. Reggie Redding, Villanova

Top 10 Impact Transfers

1. Wesley Johnson, Syracuse (Iowa State)
2. Herb Pope, Seton Hall (New Mexico State)
3. Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame (Mississippi State)
4. Keon Lawrence, Seton Hall (Missouri)
5. Taylor King, Villanova (Duke)
6. Ibrahima Thomas, Cincinnati (Oklahoma)
7. Chase Adams, Pittsburgh (Centenary)
8. Jonathan Mitchell, Rutgers (Florida)
9. Anthony Crater, South Florida (Ohio State)
10. Jeff Robinson, Seton Hall (Memphis)