Big East: Big men leading the way

Names like Alcindor, Hayes, Walton, Sampson, Ewing and Olajuwon dominated the game. This was especially true in the Big East Conference’s halcyon days. The fledgling conference made a name for itself early on thanks to Patrick Ewing, Ed Pinckney, Rony Seikaly and later Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo.

Today, it’s like Jurassic Park come to life in the Big East.

The Big East’s top four teams all boast prototypical pivot players that are integral to their teams’ successes.

Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert, Connecticut’s Hasheem Thabeet, Louisville’s David Padgett and Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody are leading their nationally-ranked teams to the top of the Big East’s standings.

“I don’t think it’s an accident,’’ Georgetown coach John Thompson III said as he noted each of the top team’s reliance on an accomplished big man.

“There’s no question why each of those teams are having success,’’ said DePaul coach Jerry Wainwright. “It's kind of potpourri of pain.’’

Let’s see where it hurts:

Roy Hibbert, Georgetown – The 7-foot-2 senior leads the Hoyas in scoring at 13.2 points per game and rebounding at 6.8 points per game. Those numbers don’t exactly excite the average fan, but Georgetown’s methodical style of play and balanced offense combine to depress Hibbert’s stats.

"They've got such a balanced team, I don't think they need anybody to get big numbers," Rutgers coach Fred Hill said recently. "(Hibbert) is still going to have nights where his numbers will be impressive. He's a terrific player. He's one of the best players in this league, one of the best in the country."

Hibbert had one of those nights on Monday as he compiled 18 points, eight rebounds and six blocks in Georgetown’s win at Providence.

“We’re fortunate to have Roy on our team,’’ Thompson III said.

Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut – Thabeet can impact a game without scoring a point. The 7-foot-3 sophomore leads the Big East and ranks fourth in the country with 4.1 blocks per game.

“I don't know if there's a better defensive player or someone who affects your offense more than he does in the country," Wainwright said of Thabeet.

The thing is Thabeet, a native of Tanzania, is growing into his game. He recently scored 24 points in UConn’s win over Georgia Tech on Feb. 9. Earlier this season, he scored 22 against Cincinnati. And he’s led the Huskies in rebounding in four of the last five games.

"He's kind of the cornerstone of their defense and has improved so much offensively," Wainwright said. "Coach (Jim) Calhoun and his staff have done such a great job in bringing him along.’’

Luke Harangody, Notre Dame – Harangody looks like an extra from the movie “Hoosiers’’ but he has a deceptively modern game. Harangody, a 6-7, 251-pound sophomore, leads the Big East in both scoring (23.1 points per game) and rebounding (11.8 boards per game).

Harangody wasn’t among the 11 players on the Big East coaches’ preseason all-conference team, but he’s the odds-on favorite to win the league’s Player of the Year award.

Harangody averaged 11.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a freshman, but he’s still been something of a revelation this season. He’s led Notre Dame in scoring in nine of the Irish’s 12 Big East games.

David Padgett, Louisville – Padgett was supposed to miss the entire 2007-08 season with a fractured kneecap, but he only missed the first 10 games of the season. Louisville went 7-3 without its 6-11 senior center, but the Cards are 13-3 since his return. Since Louisville coach Rick Pitino installed Padgett back into the starting lineup, the Cardinals are 8-1.

Padgett averages 11.3 points per game, but his contributions go beyond that. He’s a key link in Louisville’s offense; a player who can come to the high post and either into the ball into the low post or reverse it to an open shooter on the wing.

He’s averaging 16.3 points in Louisville’s last three games – wins over Georgetown, DePaul and Providence. In Big East play, he leads the league with a .678 field goal percentage.

"I don't think there's a more valuable player on any team in our league or in the country than David Padgett at Louisville,’’ Wainwright said.

Rising Team

Louisville – Connecticut’s won nine straight games, but Louisville is right up there with the Huskies as the hottest team in the Big East. Louisville has won six straight, eight of its last nine and 12 of its last 14 games. Louisville’s last loss came on Jan. 28 at Connecticut when the Huskies escaped with a 69-67 victory. Louisville’s five recent wins have come by an average margin of 17.4 points.

Falling Team

Seton Hall – Not so long ago, the Pirates were 5-3 in the Big East and staking their claim as the league’s surprise team. But since an 84-71 overtime win at Rutgers on Jan. 30, Seton Hall hasn’t won since. It’s been a brutal stretch. The Pirates’ losses have come at Georgetown, Notre Dame, at Villanova, Marquette and at West Virginia. The schedule gets a little easier from here on out. Of Seton Hall’s last five regular season games only one opponent is above .500 in the Big East.

Player of the Week

Connecticut’s A.J. Price averaged 24.5 points and 8.0 assists as the Huskies defeated Notre Dame and South Florida last week to extend their win streak to nine games. Price scored a career-high 28 points in UConn’s 84-78 win over Notre Dame. Price has averaged 20.0 points in seven games against ranked opponents this season.
 
Freshman of the Week

South Florida’s Dominique Jones scored 29 points in the Bulls’ 89-78 upset win over Syracuse on Feb. 13. Jones made 10 straight free throws in the final 1:24 to clinch the victory. Jones then came back with 16 points as the Bulls nearly knocked off nationally-ranked Connecticut on Saturday. Jones put the Bulls ahead with six seconds left in overtime, but the Bulls lost 74-73 on Craig Austrie’s last-second shot.

Stats of the Week

Jonny Flynn has played every minute of Syracuse’s last seven games, including all 45 minutes of an overtime loss to Georgetown on Jan. 21. Flynn leads the Big East in minutes played. He’s averaging 39.0 minutes per game in conference games.

Providence can boast the Big East’s leaders in both field goal percentage and free throw percentage. Guard Dwain Williams leads the league in free throw shooting at 90.2 percent, while center Randall Hanke’s .672 field goal percentage also leads the conference.

They Said It

“This team just hasn't [shown] the hardness that's necessary to win against a good team on the road. There's still time left to get that, but we haven't gotten there yet.’’ — Georgetown coach John Thompson III after the Hoyas’ loss at Syracuse on Saturday. The Hoyas’ four losses this season have all come on the road – at Memphis, at Pittsburgh, at Louisville and at Syracuse.

Key Upcoming Games

Wednesday, Feb. 20
South Florida at Cincinnati – Now in its third year in the Big East, South Florida is still looking for its first road win in the conference. Cincinnati continues as the surprise team in the Big East.

Thursday, Feb. 21
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame – Two teams in a fight for one of the byes that go to the top four teams in the Big East Tournament. Notre Dame has won 34 straight home games.

Saturday, Feb. 23
Providence at West Virginia – On first glance, this doesn’t seem like a big game. But West Virginia still harbors slim hopes of an NCAA bid and this is the kind of game the Mountaineers can’t afford to lose. Meanwhile, Providence is just hoping to make the Big East Tournament.

DePaul at Seton Hall – This game shapes up almost exactly like the Providence-West Virginia game with Seton Hall in the WVU role. DePaul is in better shape than Providence for a trip to the Big East Tournament.

Sunday, Feb. 24
Louisville at Pittsburgh – Levance Fields’ ankle is healed. Pittsburgh is much tougher with its dynamic point guard. Louisville’s talent is finally playing to its ability.

Syracuse at Notre Dame – Syracuse is in the midst of a brutal end of season stretch. The Orange will have already played Georgetown and Louisville before traveling to South Bend. Syracuse finishes the season with Pittsburgh, at Seton Hall and then Marquette. Whoa.