Player and Rookie of the Week [week of 2/11 - 2/17]

Player of the Week:

Otto Porter

Otto Porter has led the Georgetown Hoyas on a seven-game winning streak, including three wins over ranked opponents.  In two wins last week over Marquette and on the road at Cincinnati, Porter finished with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 16 points, 7 rebounds respectively.  Early in the season the verdict was out on the Hoyas and it looked as if they were going to be a middle of the pack Big East team this year, but led by Porter, Georgetown is tied for first in the conference with six games to go.

Rookie of the Week:

Omar Calhoun

Calhoun is the youngin’ in the talented trio of guards – with Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright - that make the Huskies go.  It would have been easy for the talented freshman to withdraw from UConn before even playing a game given their postseason ineligibility, but he stuck to his word and is now the third leading scorer on the team (behind Napier and Boatright), averaging 11.5ppg. He has consistently gotten better as the season has progressed and he had his best week of the season yet last week, finishing with 15 and 16 points against Syracuse and Villanova respectively, including multiple big shots against their home upset victory over the Orange.  

Twitter:  @soupTOOnuts

UConn Cracks the AP Top-25 - Overreaction?

By:  Shane McCarthy

UConn did not receive a single vote for the preseason AP Top-25. They lost two players that ended up being lottery picks, three others transferred out of the program and their hall of fame head coach retired a month before the season. Now they play one game, beat a top-25 team and become the 23^rd best team in the nation?

I’ll be rooting for the Huskies all season and pulling for Kevin Ollie to get a long-term extension. Both would be great stories. But as of right now, cracking the AP Top-25 seems to be a bit of an overreaction. Here’s why:

• The game was played on a different continent in a different time zone. While both teams had to make the same trip and play under the same circumstances, who knows how travel and fatigue affected each.
Michigan St. went through long spurts of not playing defense whatsoever. UConn was getting both easy buckets in transition and wide-open looks at will.


When Michigan St. did get their act together on the defensive end, they shut down UConn with ease and quickly gained momentum. They seemingly closed a 20 point deficit at the end of the first half in about five minutes.


And it was UConn’s lack of size that made it easy to shut them down. No question they have some of the most talented guards in the country, but their lack of size is going to be a serious hindrance gong forward. You are not going to emerge victorious on most nights when getting out-rebounded 38-25.


And finally, this was the first game of the season for each team. Just as we shouldn’t overreact about UConn’s win, we shouldn’t overreact about Michigan St.’s loss. It’s a long season, let’s let them play a few games.

UConn is playing this season for themselves and their pride, as there is no post-season this year. But that’s the mentality all teams should have. One game at a time, all about the team. You can tell this team was fired up for their first game and wanted to get Coach Ollie his first win - which was great, and much deserved. And I don’t want to take anything away from them because Napier, Boatright and Calhoun looked great, but I’m just saying – let’s see a few games first.

Twitter:  @shane_t_mac

Big East Preview: #12 Connecticut Huskies

Previewing all 15 teams in the Big East from #15 to #1

By:  Shane McCarthy

After going through a season in turmoil, the Huskies are prepping to start the 2012-13 season without their Hall of Fame head coach and four starters from a year ago.  The sense of déjà vu mid-season seems likely.

Who’s Back:

Shabazz Napier –G– Junior – 35 Min, 13.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.8 apg

Ryan Boatright –G– Soph – 30.1 Min, 10.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.0 apg

Tyler Olander –F– Junior – 17.6 Min, 4.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.2 apg

DeAndre Daniels –F– Soph – 12.1 Min, 3.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.5 apg

Niels Giffey –F– Junior – 11.7 Min, 2.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.4 apg

Enosch Wolf –C– Junior – 1.3 Min, 0.3 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.0 apg

Incoming Recruits:

Omar Calhoun – [Shooting Guard] – 6 foot 5, 195

ESPN’s 32^nd ranked player and 7^th ranked Shooting Guard

Rivals.com’s 39^th ranked player and 10^th ranked Shooting Guard

Phillip Nolan – [Power Forward] – 6 foot 9, 210

ESPN’s 23^rd ranked Power Forward

Rivals.com’s 118^th ranked player and 21^st ranked Center

Leon Tolksdorf – [Small Forward] – 6 foot 8, 220 

Incoming Transfers:

R.J. Evans – [Shooting Guard] – 6 foot 3, 210

R.J., a transfer from Holy Cross, will have one year of eligibility as he will be a graduate student at UConn.  He was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year for the 2008-09 season and averaged 12.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg during his career at Holy Cross.

Who’s Out:  Jeremy Lamb, Andre Drummond, Alex Oriakhi, Roscoe Smith

Overview:

When it comes to sports, I had always been of the view that talent will prevail no matter the circumstances.  I stuck with UConn last year given the fact that their front and back court was better than almost every team they played on a game to game basis. 

I’m also an avid NFL fan, and didn’t think much of the Saints going to a second interim coach being a huge detriment.  I mean they were still going to roll out Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham and a plethora of other stars to run up the scoreboard on Sundays. 

But UConn ended up being very average last year as they suffered through a roller coaster season, barely snuck into the NCAA Tournament, and quickly exited after being handled with ease by Iowa St. 

The Saints are also enduring a disastrous season compared to the juggernaut they have been in recent years. 

With those two most recent examples, I am finding it difficult to be bullish on the Huskies for the 2012-13 season.

They lost their legendary coach to retirement, two starters to the lottery and two starters who transferred.  I acknowledge that they still have a talented back court with Napier, Boatright and Calhoun, but they have little to no talent in the front court. 

This is without mentioning the fact that they are not even eligible for postseason play of any sort.  A team in turmoil with nothing to play for?  I hope this team shows up on a nightly basis to play for pride, their school and their teammates, but the motivation factor worries me. 

At this point there is no way of knowing how good of a coach Kevin Ollie will be.  I hope he picks up right where Calhoun left off, and that the Huskies remain a powerhouse of the Big East.  But last year they were 3-5 with Calhoun away from the team and will be depending mightily on their guards to win games. 

It’s difficult to be overly optimistic about UConn when they are essentially starting from scratch with so many changes from last year.  I want to believe that talent and tradition will prevail, but that thinking has burned me recently.  

Twitter:  @shane_t_mac

Big East Preseason Rookie of the Year Candidates

By:  Shane McCarthy

The conference preseason awards will be announced at the Big East Media Day tomorrow (October 17).  Before that, let's take a look at the candidates for Preseason Rookie of the Year. (Yesterday, I posted the likely candidates and my pick for Player of the Year)

Last year the preseason honor was given to Andre Drummond, the highly touted center at Connecticut. But he never transformed into the dominant player UConn or the country was expecting.  No worries though, he was still the 9^th overall selection in the NBA draft because well, NBA teams have a serious infatuation with athletic centers.  And rightfully so – as freakishly athletic centers can transform a team and instantly turn them into title contenders. 

However, as stated - Andre never became that player during his one-and-done year at UConn.  The end of the year Big East Rookie of the Year honors went to St. John’s dynamic forward Moe Harkless.  Moe filled up the stat sheet in the Garden and possessed the build and athleticism to earn him the 15^th overall selection in the NBA draft. 

But that was all last year.  Let’s look at the candidates for this year.  In alphabetical order:

Steven Adams – [Pittsburgh] Center – 7 foot 0, 240

ESPN’s 6^th ranked player and 4^th ranked Center

Rivals.com’s 5^th ranked player and 3^rd ranked Center

He has the size and athleticism to overwhelm opponents down low and become a dominant force on both ends of the court.  Most college freshman big-men are still growing into their bodies, but Steven is already there, and possesses a high motor to go along with it.

Cameron Biedscheid – [Notre Dame] Small Forward – 6 foot 7, 174

ESPN’s 64^th ranked player and 15^th ranked Small Forward

Rivals.com’s 28^th ranked player and 8^th ranked Small Forward

Cameron is more of a hybrid wing-type player who is excellent in transition and has a good shot.  He is not likely to start for the Irish, but he will be heavily involved in their normal rotation.

Omar Calhoun – [Connecticut] Shooting Guard – 6 foot 3, 185

ESPN’s 32^nd ranked player and 7^th ranked Shooting Guard

Rivals.com’s 39^th ranked player and 10^th ranked Shooting Guard

Even with the talented back court of Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright, Calhoun should get considerable playing time given his big time scoring abilities. 

DaJuan Coleman – [Syracuse] Center – 6 foot 9, 275

ESPN’s 14^th ranked player and 6^th ranked Center

Rivals.com’s 26^th ranked player and 5^th ranked Center

McDonald’s All-American

Coleman is a big man who should start from day one for the Orange.  Over the summer he made it a point of emphasis to improve his physical conditioning which should help him stay on the floor, dominate the paint and be the center of the vaunted 2-3 zone. 

Montrezl Harrell – [Louisville] Power Forward – 6 foot 7, 225

ESPN’s 90^th ranked player and 18^th ranked Power Forward

Rivals.com’s 82^nd ranked player and 20^th ranked Power Forward

Harrell has exhibited both the explosiveness at the rim and long range ability that a player his size can use to absolutely dominate the competition with.  He is not expected to start for the Cardinals, but given the talent around him, he could be a matchup nightmare for opponents once he gets on the floor.

D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera – [Georgetown] Shooting Guard – 6 foot 3, 210

ESPN’s 58^th ranked player and 10^th ranked Shooting Guard

Rivals.com’s 32^nd ranked player and 8^th ranked Shooting Guard

Smith-Rivera is an excellent shooter who also has the size to score in the paint.  He has an advanced knowledge of the game and should push for a starting role in the Hoyas’ lineup. 

The Pick:  Steven Adams

I know - it seems easy and cheap to pick the highest recruited player on the list.  But at the same time it does make sense.  Not only because he is the highest ranked, but because he is entering a situation where he will make an immediate impact.   Even though Pittsburgh is coming off an incredibly disappointing season by their standards - they are returning a bunch of talent, but are lacking a true big man.  Enter Steven Adams.  Steven should take the opening tip from game 1 and be a significant contributor throughout the season to help Pitt compete for a Big East title in their last season as a member of the conference.  

Twitter:  @shane_t_mac