Pete: I absolutely agree that J Wright will be playing a lot of small ball lineup next year.  Redding, Stokes and T King will most definitely be logging time in at the PF slot to make a four guard lineup with the 6’8 post option in Pena.  J Wright and Tom Crean definitely make the top 5 list of big conference coaches that embrace small, quick, guard oriented lineups with a one athletic, or sound, post player. 

Big East: Bout freaking time all the ACC pundits are getting shut the hell up by the deep runs all the Big East teams are making in the tournament.  I just cannot believe people were legitimately, for half the regular season,  comparing teams like Florida St, Boston College, Virginia Tech and Maryland (Clemson I really like, their loss was a fluke) to the 4-6 teams in the Big East like Nova, Syracuse and Marquette.  The whole Big East/ACC argument was just ludicrous to me all year…three teams that finished mediocre-bad in the BE (N-Dame, G-town, Providence, Cincinnati) trump most middle tier ACC teams in sheer talent. 

There is also the fact that if Dominic James did not get hurt for Marquette, the Golden Eagles would have also been a legitimate Elite Eight candidate.  Nova and Marquette were really starting to peak at the same time in late January-early February, and when D James went down, as impressive as Marquette’s play was after that for losing such an important piece, Nova did a great job of taking advantage oftheir loss to climb in the standings.

But back to Nova. This team has that killer instinct and is locked in right now. Their kids won’t ever back down or give up, and are playing as the most cohesive TEAM left in the Tournament. Keep in mind they only show 42% last night and Reynolds has yet to go off in the Tournament. Pitt should be very scared.

HATE each other. I guess when you grow up in the area, you tend to like all the Big-5 teams, but if you go to Nova or SJU, it’s different. Didn’t even know the game between the 2 of them was called “the Holy War” until a couple years ago either.

Dave T-

Great point on Pena. really disappointing this year. Is really going to have to step it up next year. He’s got the ability to. I could see them starting King or Stokes at “Forward” next year and him being the only big man on the court a lot. 

Pena right now lacks polish, repetitions, and finishing around the basket…but the guy is a total old school throwback kind of big.  He gets EXCELLENT positioning when boxing out, is great at sealing his defender in the post, has a very nice array of post moves, and his interior footwork is really several notches up from most big men…and I mean that on a national level.  I think he’s barely been talked about this year because of the massive improvement that Cunningham added to his game the past two years…but with him and Clark gone, Pena’s now going to get his chance to shine.  And I don’t just see him as a replacement…I think the next two years Pena is going to become a legitimate low block option for Nova, and one of the best frontcourt players in the Big East. 

Ahmad Nivins: Regardless of how St. Joe’s finished the year (as Pete says, it was a disappointing year…I’m very surprised the Tasheed Carr/Govens/Nivins/G Williamson combo did not fair better)…Nivins may well be one of the least talked about forwards in the country.  The guy can flat out ball.  Great bball IQ, great rebounder (offensive and defensive), very nice 15 foot jumpshot, can score with back to the basket.  I’m sure he’ll be picked up by a team in Europe, and hopefully he can be one of the college seniors to get his stock to rise enough in pre-draft camps to be chosen in the 2nd round for the NBA.  At 6’9, and with his quickness, I’d certainly take him over many others draft boards have going late.

And Pete, since when did Nova and SJU hate each other?  I lived in the area and city for 21 of my 25 years and this is the first I have hear of this.  Weird.

Anyone else rooting for a Nova, Lousiville, UCONN and Syracuse Final Four?

IT’S AWESOME BABY!!! 

GO SIXERS!!  (I HOPE THEY DVR’d NOVA’s VICTORY!!)