Has Otto Porter Run Away with Big East Player of the Year?

Last year’s Big East Player of the Year race was hard-fought by three players: Kevin Jones of West Virginia and Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom of Marquette. While Jones had the best statistical season of the three, it was Crowder’s well-rounded play and Marquette’s success that earned him the prize in the end.

This year, the Preseason Player of the Year Award went to Peyton Siva. And at the halfway mark of the season, or the transition from non-conference to conference play, it looked as if the player of the year recognition was going to be someone from the group of: Russ Smith, Michael Carter-Williams, Jack Cooley or Sean Kilpatrick.

But now, with a week and a half left in the regular season, it looks as if Otto Porter has already locked it up.

Russ Smith, Michael Carter-Williams and Sean Kilpatrick all had monster first halves, and while they all continue to play well and put up gaudy statistics from time to time, none have had the consistency or thrived in multiple big spots like Porter has. And Siva, whose presence on the court is invaluable, has underwhelmed when it comes to a statistical stand point.

And while you can still formulate an argument for the stated players above, the only player I would be okay with receiving the award over Porter is Jack Cooley. While Cooley’s rebounding prowess has cooled off a bit (he was the only player in the country pulling down more than 20% of both available offensive and defensive rebounds for a while, but his offensive rebounding has slipped to 18.6% - still second best in the nation), he still is the only player in the Big East averaging a double-double. And yet he still goes un-talked about and seen as underrated somehow.

But Cooley does not possess that one shining moment that Porter has. In Notre Dame’s biggest game of the year to date (their five overtime thriller vs. Louisville), Cooley fouled out with more than five minutes to go in regulation. The Irish almost played an entire game without him and still won. In Georgetown’s biggest game of the year to date, Porter dropped 33 points at Syracuse and singlehandedly willed the Hoyas to victory.

In the games leading up to the ‘Cuse showdown there were whispers beginning of Porter even creeping into the National Player of the Year race, and upon that performance he firmly cemented himself in that discussion. He further proved is worthy-ness last night when he converted the winning basket in double overtime at Connecticut – a strong but fluent drive to the rim that finished with a layup with 8 seconds remaining.

Porter is averaging 18 points and 7.5 rebounds in conference play and has Georgetown on a 10-game winning streak. The Hoyas, now 12-3 in the conference, who were picked to finish 5^th in the preseason, now have a one game cushion with three to go. There are a bunch of factors that go into team success, and as a team Georgetown has become great defensively (currently second in the Big East behind Louisville), but if it weren’t for the play of Porter on the offensive end, this team would not be sitting at 22-4. And while the Syracuse game will likely be his defining moment, he has put the team on his back multiple times throughout the season and has been very successful doing so.

Otto Porter for Big East Player of the Year is a lock (but please vote to the left and leave a comment below for who you think it should/will be).

Twitter:  @soupTOOnuts

Taking a Look at The Russdiculous End to the Notre Dame vs. Louisville Game

By now, if you didn’t watch the game last night, you’ve all seen the highlights of the epic five-overtime thriller between Notre Dame and Louisville.  We all know that Jerian Grant scored 12 points in the final 45 seconds, that Garrick Sherman scored 17 points without getting a minute of playing time in regulation, and that Louisville just couldn’t close.  But let’s take a look at the final moments of regulation and each of the overtimes, because Russ Smith may have broken a record for most game-winners missed in a single game.  Seriously.  If such a record existed, it was surely broken last night.

End of Regulation:

Peyton Siva dribbles to the top of the key, looks to have a wide open jumper if he wants to take it, but decides to dump it down to Gorgui Dieng in the low-post with three guys around him, and can’t handle it.  No shot is attempted.

End of 1^st Overtime:

Russ Smith slowly dribbles the ball up the court, comes to a complete stop at half court with roughly five seconds remaining, and Russ, seemingly unaware that the clock is running, is forced to jack a 3 from about 10 feet beyond the 3-point line, and it clanks off the glass and rims out.

End of 2^nd Overtime:

This time Russ Smith slowly dribbles past half court, but has enough time so that he can attempt a drive.  He opts to go left and his erratic, running extended layup from high off the glass doesn’t even hit the rim.  Chane Behanan gets a chance with the put back, but it was highly contested and rushed, and also didn’t get any rim.

 

End of 3^rd Overtime:

Louisville is forced to go the length of the court after inbounding it from under their own basket in less than four seconds.  Obviously they inbound to Russ, he runs and dribbles as fast as he can, and he attempts a running jumper from approximately the 3-point line.  The attempt didn’t go and it wouldn’t have mattered because the ball was still in his hand when the buzzer sounded. 

End of 4^th Overtime:

The Cardinals once again have to go the length of the court upon inbounding it from the opposite end, but this time they have just over six seconds to work with.  Again they inbound the ball to Smith, he scampers down the floor only to have it knocked away at the 3-point line, but he is able to regain control just in time to jack a fade-away five feet beyond the arc that ends up being an airball. 

End of 5^th Overtime:

This time the circumstances are different.  Instead of the game being tied like the previous instances, Louisville is now down three with under 10 seconds to play.  But like the four previous overtime periods the ball was in Russ Smith’s hands last.  On this occasion he dribbles to the top left of the arc, sets himself right in front of Coach Pitino (hoping for him to will it in I presume), but the deep three clanks off the iron.  The Irish win.

Summary:

The Louisville Cardinals had the final shot at the end of regulation and every overtime period, opted to not use an available timeout in every instance, didn’t get a shot off once, and Russ Smith had the ball in his hands for the final possession in all five overtimes and didn’t make a single shot.  I have a feeling that not only will the Cards use a timeout in these situations in the future, but they will be dedicating large portions of their practice sessions to these situations over the next month.  And maybe next time they will actually have some sort of set play to run rather than it just being a chaotic Russdiculous situation. 

Twitter:  @soupTOOnuts

Wooden Award Finalists from the Big East

The 25 Wooden Award finalists were announced on Thursday night, and the Big East has five representatives.  Of the five candidates, none are a real surprise.  If there was a surprise it's the absence of Louisville point guard, Peyton Siva (the Big East pre-season Player of the Year).  Siva continues to improve as this is his fourth year on the team, and he has developed into an upper-echelon point guard, but he has been out-done statistically by his teammate Russ Smith.  However, this list is not set in stone as players can be added and removed as the season progresses.   

The Wooden Award is given annually to the nation's most outstanding player.  Below are the five current finalists (in alphabetical order) from the Big East and what they have done to date and what needs to be done to win the award.

Michael Carter-Williams

12.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 9.6 APG and 3.2 SPG

MCW is one of the most dynamic point guards in the country as he leads the nation in assists, but it is his defense that is equally impressive, but doesn’t get talked about (he’s fourth in the nation in steals per game).  However, when he struggles so to have the Orange.  If he can become more consistent, especially in shooting, he could lead Syracuse to a Big East season title, conference tournament championship and a deep run in March, all en route to a Wooden Award for himself.

Jack Cooley

15.2 PPG and 11.2 RPG

Jack Cooley is the only player in the Big East averaging a double double.  Actually, he is the only player in the Big East average double digit rebounds, which is more than two full rebounds over the next (Eugene Teague at 8.6 RPG).  Moreover, Cooley is the only player in the nation to pull down more than 20% each of available offensive and defensive rebounds.  Don’t expect this pace to cool down any time soon, but it will likely take some monster games in the Big East tournament for Cooley to get some serious looks at the Wooden Award.

Sean Kilpatrick

17.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.0 APG and shooting 34% from 3

Kilpatrick has struggled a bit recently, but when he gets hot, he’s as hot as they get.  While he did have an 8-12 game from 3 earlier in the season, it is imperative for him to think ‘get to the basket’ first for Cincinnati to have success.  In the three games that the Bearcats have lost Kilpatrick got to the line a total of three times.  He will have to turn up his points per game (which means becoming more of a slasher!) and hit a couple game winning shots if he is to win the Wooden Award.

Otto Porter

12.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 2.8 APG

Porter’s numbers don’t blow you away, but when you watch the Hoyas play (which can be painful at times) you see how important he is to the team’s success.  First and foremost, Porter needs to get Georgetown back on the right track, but if he’s going to be considered a serious contender for the Wooden Award he will have to start taking over games, which he is more than capable of, and score more.

Russ Smith

19.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.0 APG and 2.6 SPG

Oh has Russ Smith been playing extra Russdiculous this year.  He may be the most fun player in the country to watch for combined pure entertainment value and actual basketball skill.  And this year he has cut down on the amount of negative ridiculousness that he has pulled in the past.  But in all seriousness – he is one of the favorites in the nation to win the Wooden Award and he just has to keep doing what he is doing.   

Players who could make their way into the discussion:

Peyton Siva – great point guard who is likely the most important piece on one of the best teams in the country.

Gorgui Dieng – if he hadn’t missed a month due to a broken wrist, he would have made the finalist list, guaranteed.

C.J. Fair – the more aggressive he gets, the better chance he has to become one of the best wing players in the nation.

Tray Woodall – the Pitt Panthers aren’t really being talked about right now, but when they do gain some recognition the conversation will start with Woodall.

Shabazz Napier – Uconn isn’t eligible for any post season play, but that hasn’t stopped Shabazz from being one of the most electrifying scorers in the college basketball.  

Twitter:  @shane_t_mac

Big East Preview: #1 Louisville Cardinals

Previewing all 15 teams from #15 to #1

By:  Shane McCarthy

After a seemingly improbable run to the Final Four, how will the Cardinals fare when a repeat trip is expected?  This team should be even better than last year’s, but the Big East and NCAA Tournament is a bear.  So before they start booking their tickets for Atlanta, they must take the season one game at a time.

Who’s Back:

Gorgui Dieng –C– Junior – 32.8 Min, 9.1 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 1.1 apg

Peyton Siva –G– Senior – 31.7 Min, 9.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 5.6 apg

Chane Behanan –F– Soph – 26.0 Min, 9.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 0.8 apg

Russ Smith –G– Junior – 21.5 Min, 11.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.9 apg

Wayne Blackshear –G/F– Soph – 7.0 Min, 2.5 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.1 apg

Kevin Ware –G– Soph – 5.3 Min, 1.0 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.5 apg

Angel Nunez –F– Soph – 4.6 Min, 2.0 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.2 apg

Incoming Recruits:

Montrezl Harrell – [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

Incoming Transfers:

Luke Hancock – [Guard/Forward] – 6 foot 5, 190

Luke, a transfer from George Mason who was forced to sit out the 2011-12 season, will now be an integral part of a title contender.  As a sophomore at George Mason, he averaged 10.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 4.3 apg, and led the team to a 27-7 record and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2010-11.  Coach Pitino has named him co-captain of this year’s squad (along with Peyton Siva) and is expecting big things from him.  “Luke Hancock has been great this year.”  Coach Pitino said.  “He’s our best basketball player.  He’s mentally the best player on the team and physically the best player on the team.  He’s a true basketball player in every sense of the word.”  So expect Luke to be more than just a role player for the Cards this season.  

Who’s Out:  Kyle Kuric, Chris Smith, Rakeem Buckles, Jared Swopshire 

Overview:

When you bring back this much talent from a team that went to the Final Four the previous year – expectations are naturally going to run high, and rightfully so.  If they could do it last year, they should be able to do it again.  Consistency is huge in college basketball, and that is why the Cards are the #2 ranked team in both preseason polls.

It’s fair to expect a Final Four run, and it’s also fair to expect improvements from last season.  They no doubt struggled in the middle of the season and there seemed to be a point where getting into the NCAAs was in jeopardy.  They ended up finishing 11^th in the Big East in scoring and 155^th in the country.   Much of the struggles can be attributed to sloppy play, but injuries also played a role.

Injuries cannot be predicted, but for what it’s worth – the Cards are entering the 2012-13 season healthy.   Last year they played much of the regular season without Wayne Blackshear, a highly touted recruit who was rehabbing a shoulder injury.  When he finally got on the court towards the end of conference play, he struggled.  But on the big stage against Kentucky in the Final Four he showed his potential by going for nine points and four rebounds in just 14 minutes of playing time. 

And the sloppy play from a year ago should be minimized as Peyton Siva and Gorgui Dieng continue to improve and the young guys have a year of experience.  I already mentioned Blackshear, but Chane Behanan is another player who improved as the season went along and who could be in line for a massive year. 

However, the erratic, sloppy and unpredictable play of Russ Smith does return.  He’s had some ridiculous (aka russdiculous) moments in his career, but his work ethic and burst he brings off the bench is uncanny.  Expect some great moments with an equal amount of head-slapping moments. 

As for the newcomers, Luke Hancock will likely have the biggest impact.  He is a transfer from George Mason who is expected to claim the starting spot that was filled by Kyle Kuric last year.  I tried to find a bad thing said about Hancock, and I failed.  Pitino and all of his former coaches have nothing but great things to say about him.  He’s intelligent, trustworthy, and athletic, has great awareness and can make the big shots.  He sounds like the ideal basketball player.   Montrezl Harrell is a highly recruited incoming freshman who will provide front court depth.

Not only does Louisville have essentially the same roster that went to the Final Four a year ago who is expected to get back there again this year, but Coach Pitino knows a little something about getting to back-to-back Final Fours.  He did it in the 90s at Kentucky.  And he knows it’s no easy task.  There are definitely those who worry that this team was too erratic and untrustworthy last year to be making such bold predictions before the season even starts.  But there are those (including myself) who believe this team never achieved their full potential last year.  They waited until the Big East Tournament to really show off their defensive prowess with their full court press, which suffocated opponents.  They do not need to play that way every game, but when they need to, they are a different team.  Expect this team to be improved offensively (especially Behanan, Blackshear and Dieng with the addition of Hancock), to go along with their stout defense, to be one of the best teams in the country and one that is a serious contender to become national champions.      

Twitter:  @shane_t_mac

Big East Preseason Player of the Year Candidates

By:  Shane McCarthy

Before the conference preseason awards are dished out at Big East Media Day this Wednesday (October 17), I thought it would be useful to look at the likely candidates and pick a winner.

Last year’s Big East Preseason Player of the Year was awarded to Pittsburgh guard Ashton Gibbs.  The season for Gibbs and the Panthers did not go anywhere close to planned.  Pittsburgh finished in the bottom quarter of the league and Gibbs ended up on the Big East Honorable Mention Team come season’s end. 

Those will not be the expectations for the group of candidates below.  The players are listed in alphabetical order. 

Jack Cooley – [Notre Dame] Senior, Forward

Cooley averaged 12.5 PPG and 8.9 RPG last season, earning him Big East Most Improved Player and All-Big East Second Team honors.  Expectations are high for the Irish this season and much of their success will depend on Cooley’s high-motor work ethic in the paint. 

Vincent Council – [Providence] Senior, Guard

Council has morphed into an elite guard in the Big East and his coach, Ed Cooley, went as far this summer to proclaim him THE best guard in the conference.  That's high praise and not at all biased.  But Vincent does deserve a look as he was on the court for almost every minute of the Friars’ games last year (averaging 38.7 per) and averaged 15.9 PPG and 7.5 APG – earning him All-Big East Third Team honors for a team that won only four games in the conference.  Many think of Providence as a cellar dweller in the Big East, but there is potential to surprise this year, and if they do – Vincent will be at the center of that movement.

Gorgui Dieng – [Louisville] Junior, Center

Louisville’s defensive dominance that came to form as the season progressed had a lot to do with the up-tempo press attack they took on, but it also had a lot to do with the development of Dieng.  Gorgui was a raw player on both ends of the floor last year, but another year under the tutelage of Coach Pitino should mold him into an elite big-man.   Expect him to average a double-double and be at the top of the nation in blocks.  If he is not the Big East Player of the Year, expect him to at least be the Defensive Player of the Year in the conference. 

Otto Porter – [Georgetown] Sophomore, Forward

Georgetown, seemingly an elite program year after year, was actually picked to finish in the bottom half of the Big East last year.  The Hoyas ended up surprising the preseason coaches’ picks and finished 12-6; good for 4^th in the conference.  A lot of that success had to do with the instant impact of Porter.  Not only is he a skilled big man on both ends of the floor, he also possesses excellent range.  Porter could very well be the best all-around player in the conference. 

Peyton Siva – [Louisville] Senior, Guard

If Louisville is to get back to the Final Four, a lot of their success will depend on Siva.  The Cardinals are loaded with talent all over the court, but it’s the play and leadership of their true point guard that is necessary to make a deep run.  Siva’s play doesn’t fill up the stat sheet, but it is the type of play that wins games. 

The Pick:  Peyton Siva

He is likely the most important player on a team with national championship aspirations.  He should be the favorite – at least for the preseason pick.       

Honorable Mentions:

Anthony Collins – [South Florida] – Sophomore, Guard

D’Angelo Harrison – [St. John’s] – Sophomore, Guard

Sean Kilpatrick – [Cincinnati] – Junior, Guard

Cleveland Melvin – [DePaul] – Junior, Forward

Brandon Triche – [Syracuse] – Senior, Guard

Tomorrow I will take a look at the candidates for Preseason Rookie of the Year. 

Twitter: @shane_t_mac

Evaluating the Louisville Cardinals

Good news – there is more good than bad

Peyton Siva opens up the offense with his slashing abilities

By Shane McCarthy on February 17, 2012

The 18^th ranked Louisville Cardinals are currently flaunting a 20-6 overall record and are 8-5 in the Big East Conference. The Big East may not be what it has been in recent years, but their record is still respectable. With only five games remaining in the regular season and the Big East Conference Tournament quickly approaching, it is wide open to what type of seed Louisville will receive in the NCAA Tournament. Whatever it ends up being, the memory of them going down in the 1^st round last year as a 4 seed to the 13-seeded Morehead St. Eagles will loom large. Let us take a look at the positives and negatives of this year’s team.

We’ll get the negatives out of the way first.

• Shooting – Scoring is a pretty important aspect of the game of basketball, and Louisville certainly doesn’t excel at it. Shooting just 43.5% from the field, they are ranked 174^th in the nation.


• Foul shooting – Louisville currently ranks 210^th out of 344 Division 1 teams in FT%, shooting 68.1% from the charity stripe. They are also only converting 57% of the front-end of the 1 and 1s. If they are not going to shoot well from the field, they have to make it a priority to stand out from the free throw line.


• The team goes as Peyton Siva goes – Louisville was humming on all cylinders this past Tuesday night against Syracuse, at least for the first 10 minutes anyway, at which point Siva was yanked from the game after picking up his third foul. The offense seemed to lose its confidence and direction when he went out of the game. This team needs its junior point guard on the floor as often as possible as he drives the bus.
The positives…
• Coach Pitino – Even though they have gone out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament each of the last two years, it is an enormous positive to have a legendary coach that has a NCAA Championship on his resume.


• Hungry team – the core of this team (Kyle Kuric, Chris Smith and Peyton Siva) have experienced quick exits the last two years, and with Kuric and Smith seniors, they are looking for a deep run.


• Get away from conference play – Louisville is 12-1 in non-conference play this year, with that lone loss being a 7 point defeat at Kentucky, by no means a bad loss. The Big East teams know each other so well that it is very difficult to run the table. Seeing different jerseys on the court with them will be a relief, and should give them an advantage.


• Potential unexpected difference maker – This could easily come from the top recruit, freshman Wayne Blackshear. He just returned from injury a few games ago, but look for him to get more comfortable in the next three weeks and begin to play at a high level.


• Size and point guard – I listed Peyton Siva as a negative, but that is only when he’s not able to be on the floor. When he is on the floor, this team plays with confidence and high energy. They also have big athletic bodies down low to control the paint (Dieng and Behanan).


• Defense – I saved the best for last. With opponents shooting a mere 37.2% against, Louisville is the 4^th best team in the country in yielding opponent field goals. This alone keeps them in games. Their full-court press will make for an unwelcoming experience for opponents that have not seen them yet this year.
If Louisville can improve their shooting and maintain their defensive prowess, this team has the potential to make a deep run in the Tournament. The NCAA Tournament brings out each team’s best fight, which means that Louisville could be in for some close ugly games, but they have the upper classmen leadership and experienced coach to will them on to victory. After flaming out each of the last two years, they are due to make it to at least the second weekend.


@shane_t_mac