Beware The Hoyas

By Jordan Walters
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Hoya Paranoia apparently has returned to college basketball.

With a John Thompson coaching the team and a dominant big man in the middle, the Georgetown Hoyas looked much like their power teams of the 1980s in an easy 65-42 victory over Pittsburgh in Saturday night’s Big East Tournament final. It’s Georgetown’s record seventh Big East tourney title but first since 1989. What made it more impressive was that it was No. 11 Pitt’s worst loss of the season and the Panthers scored the fewest points ever in a Big East final.

Thompson III, the son of legendary Georgetown coach John Thompson Jr., has rebuilt this club back into a national power (when he took over GU was coming off a second-to-last-place finish in the Big East), with the Hoyas having won 16 of 17 games heading into Selection Sunday and up for discussion for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament (at worst they will get a No. 2). Georgetown (26-6) hasn’t earned a top seed in the NCAAs since 1989.

“Now I can sit back and look and see where we stand,” Thompson III said. “Where we’re seeded, I have confidence in the selection committee and where they put us. … We’re playing well right now, and hopefully we can enjoy this. This is special. The opportunity to win the Big East regular season and championship is extremely special.”

This will be a team no one wants to play in March Madness, mainly due to that man in the middle, senior Roy Hibbert, and junior forward Jeff Green, the Big East Player of the Year.

Hibbert struggled in the Hoyas’ semifinal victory over Notre Dame on Friday, but he showed up big on Saturday against Pitt 7-footer Aaron Gray. Hibbert, showing signs of former Hoyas star big man Patrick Ewing, scored 18 points, shooting 8-for-10, and had 11 rebounds. Gray? He didn’t even score until 11 minutes remained and finished with only 3 points on 1-for-13 shooting.

Meanwhile, Green was terrific in the final two games, scoring 30 points and pulling down 12 rebounds against Notre Dame and then adding 21 points and five rebounds against Pitt. Green was named tournament MVP.

“This is the time of the year when good players and good teams play well,” Thompson III said. “There’s no doubt Jeff Green is special in what he can do on the basketball court.”

The fact that Thompson Jr. and Ewing were in the stands watching the Hoyas’ domination seemed to bring this team’s link to the 1980s squads full circle.

“I’ve seen everyone this year, and they’re as good as anyone out there,” Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said after his team’s loss on Friday night.

With Hibbert dominating the post, a rare back-to-the-basket big man in college basketball these days, and Green scoring the big points, the Hoyas will certainly be a tough out. Add in the fact that the team is NCAA Tournament tested (Georgetown lost to eventual NCAA champion Florida in last year’s second round), and this is a club that should contend for the school’s first national title since 1984 and, at worst, a fourth visit to the Final Four.

“We still have some more work to do,” Green said. “We‘re not on top yet. By the end of April, we can see if we‘re on top.”

Go to WagerWeb.com for NCAA Tournament odds and to play the bracket challenge. Information from other news sources was used in this report.

South Region Early Rounds

By Jordan Walters
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The South Region sees the No. 1 team in the polls, Ohio State, as the No. 1 seed. However, even though the Buckeyes are the polls’ top team, they were sent to the South instead of staying in the Midwest. NCAA March Madness Tournament No. 1 overall seed Florida was, for some reason, tabbed as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest. More on the Midwest tomorrow, but here is a breakdown of the South Region’s first-round games and projected second-rounders (with WagerWeb.com odds in parentheses):

1 OHIO STATE (-22) vs. 16 CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE: The Buckeyes, champs of the Big Ten regular season and tournament, are streaking, having won 18 games in a row. Freshman star center Greg Oden is playing his best of the year, averaging 17 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in winning the Big Ten Tournament MVP award. Ohio State will have no problem with these Blue Devils, who won the Northeast Tournament. CCSU has won 17 of 18 … but who are we kidding? Pick: Ohio State.

8 BYU vs. 9 XAVIER (-1.5): Brigham Young, an at-large from the Mountain West, is back in the NCAAs for the first time since 2004. The Cougars are great at home, winners of 31 straight home games, which leads the NCAA Basketball. Obviously, this game won’t be at home, however. Keena Young, the MWC Player of the Year, is the key player for BYU. Xavier, meanwhile, an at-large pick from the Atlantic 10, has won eight of nine, but is heavily dependent on the 3-point shot. The Musketeers usually win a game or two in the NCAAs. Pick: Xavier.

5 TENNESSEE (-7) vs. 12 LONG BEACH STATE: The Vols, an at-large from the SEC, are a pressing, fast-paced team. Bruce Pearl’s club won its final four regular-season games, including beating ranked Alabama and then-No. 1 Florida, before being upset in the SEC Tournament by LSU. This is another club that lives behind the 3-point line. Long Beach State, the winner of the Big West Tournament, is back in the tournament for the first time since 1995. The 49ers also like to put up points, so look for the over in this game but the deeper Vols to advance. Pick: Tennessee.

4 VIRGINIA (-7.5) vs. 13 ALBANY: The Cavaliers, an at-large pick from the ACC, are back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001. This team is totally backcourt dependent, with guards Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds the only players averaging in double figures in points. The Great Danes of Albany, who won the America East Tournament, are in the NCAAs for the second straight year. Jamar Wilson is the star of this club, which almost upset top-seeded UConn last year. Pick: Need to pick at least one big upset … but I just can’t do it here, although it is very, very tempting. Pick: UVA.

6 LOUISVILLE (-5.5) vs. 11 STANFORD: A battle of Cardinals vs. Cardinal. Louisville, an at-large from the Big East, are back in the tournament after a year’s absence. Rick Pitino’s balanced squad is playing well, having won seven of eight, including wins over ranked Pittsburgh and Marquette. Stanford, an at-large from the Pac-10, was likely one of the last four at-large teams given a bid. The Cardinal struggle on offense at times but do have twin 7-footers Brook and Robin Lopez to clog the paint. Pick: OK, here’s the upset — Stanford.

3 TEXAS A&M (-13.5) vs. 14 PENN: The Aggies, an at-large from the Big 12, are in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments for the first time and are a chic Final Four pick Senior guard Acie Law IV is a star for Texas A&M and lives for the big shot, something that is lacking on most college basketball teams. Penn, the Ivy League champ, is in its third straight NCAA Tournament. This is a typical Penn/Ivy League squad: plays safe, smart basketball and doesn’t beat itself. However, the pressure and talent of A&M is too much. Pick: Texas A&M.

7 NEVADA (-1) vs. 10 CREIGHTON: This is arguably the best matchup of mid-majors in the first round. Nevada, an at-large from the WAC, is in its sixth straight NCAA Tournament. The Wolf Pack have a superstar in All-American forward Nick Fazekas, but the key may be whether senior guard Kyle Shiloh plays. He missed the Wolf Pack’s loss to Utah State in the WAC Tournament with a hamstring strain. Creighton, the winner of the deep Missouri Valley Tournament, is coming off its best win of the season, upsetting Southern Illinois in the MVC Tournament. This is a solid, blue-collar team that won’t wow you. Pick: Nevada.

2 MEMPHIS (-18) vs. 15 NORTH TEXAS: Memphis, the winner of Conference USA’s regular season and tournament, is the hottest team in the country. The Tigers have won an NCAA-best and school-record 22 games in a row. But, everyone seems to question how good they are due to the lack of competition in C-USA (no other team made the tournament). Memphis is athletic and will get after you, which isn’t good news for the Mean Green, who won the Sun Belt Tournament. North Texas, in its first NCAA Tournament since 1988, likes the fast pace as well but won’t have the athletes to matchup. Pick: Memphis.

Projected Second-Round Matchups

1 OHIO STATE vs. 9 XAVIER: This would pit Buckeyes coach Thad Matta against his former club in the Musketeers. This could be a grind-it-out game, with Xavier trying to pull the upset from the 3-point line. However, its tallest player is 6-foot-9 forward Justin Doellman, which means he will be completely mismatched against Oden. Pick: Ohio State rolls on.

4 VIRGINIA vs. 5 TENNESSEE: Up-tempo, up-tempo, up-tempo. That’s what this game likely would be. The guards will decide this one, so who do we like better: Tennessee’s Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith or Virginia’s Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds? Lofton outduels Singletary, so we like the Vols. Pick: Tennessee.

3 TEXAS A&M vs. 11 STANFORD: A&M’s recent struggles and over-reliance on Law IV are worrisome. But then so is Stanford’s youth and struggles to score points at times. Difference will be the Aggies’ pressure defense, forcing Stanford into too many turnovers. Pick: Texas A&M.

7 NEVADA vs. 2 MEMPHIS: The Wolf Pack are another team that is very reliant on one player: Faezkas. Nevada does have plenty of experience (and motivation after last year’s first-round loss to Montana). As much as I want to pick this upset, I go with Memphis. Expect John Calipari to have his team very motivated with all of the talk of this club being overrated and having played no one. Pick: Memphis.

So, I’m looking for the Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 5 seeds to move on.

Look for the West and Midwest Region early-round previews on Wednesday, with a few more upsets likely sprinkled in.

Go to WagerWeb.com to check the 2007 NCAA Tournament odds and to play the 2007 March Madness Bracket Buster challenge.

Depleted Jazz

By Marty
Gitlin
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The Utah Jazz haven’t exactly been tearing up NBA hardwoods since the final page was turned on 2006.

And now they’ve added injury to insult.

The Jazz, who are 6-7 since Jan. 5, will be without their starting forwards Monday night against visiting New Jersey. Leading scorer and rebounder Carlos Boozer will miss his first game this season with an injured knee while Andrei Kirilenko is out with a sprained right ankle.

The extent of Boozer’s injury will be known after more tests are conducted. He has enjoyed his finest season at 22 points and 12 rebounds a game, which is fourth in the NBA. Boozer hurt the knee
Saturday night when he collided with New Orleans center Tyson Chandler.

Kirilenko, who missed five games earlier in the year with an injury to the same ankle, is expected to return later this week.

The injuries have played a role in the odds for Monday night’s game, but WagerWeb.com still lists the Jazz as 2-point favorites against the Nets, who broke a three-game losing streak Saturday night in Denver.

SIGH OF RELIEF IN WINDY CITY: Chicago Bulls fans must have seen the season go up in smoke when center Ben Wallace crumpled to the floor after a collision with Miami’s Udonis Haslem Saturday night.

They held their collective breath, but didn’t need to fret. An MRI on Wallace’s left knee
showed no structural damage. Wallace is listed as day-to-day and could return as early as Wednesday night, when the Bulls start a seven-game road trip against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Wallace is averaging 6.5 points and 10.1 rebounds in his first season with Chicago since signing a free-agent contract during the offseason. He is eighth in the league at 2.12 blocked shots a game.

DRIBBLES: Talk about a glorious return. Milwaukee guard Mo Williams had missed the previous nine games with a sprained shoulder, but he scored a game-high 30 points, including a game-winning running jumper with 3.l seconds remaining, in a 107-105 victory Sunday over New York. … Cleveland threw a brief scare into visiting Phoenix on Sunday, but the Suns pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 115-100 road victory. The Suns will shoot for their 18th consecutive win Monday night
in Minnesota. They are a 5-point favorites, according to WagerWeb.com. … The battered Boston Celtics welcomed the return of swingman Wally Szczerbiak, but still lost Sunday to visiting Washington, 105-91. Their 11-game losing streak is their longest in 10 years. They also set a franchise mark by dropping nine in a row at home and have fallen behind Philadelphia into last place in the Atlantic Division. … Wizards forward Antawn Jamison has certainly given high-scoring point guard Gilbert Arenas plenty of offensive help recently. Jamison has scored 69 points on 26-of-45 (58 percent) shooting in the last two games.