Big East: Huskies Lead the Pack
By Dan Shanoff, CNN/SI
Hamilton has the Huskies in the hunt for the national title.
(Manny Millan) | |
| Projected Order of
Finish
|
| Team | Comment |
| 1. Connecticut* | Flawless. |
| 2.
St.
John's* | Mike Jarvis inherits a loaded
squad. |
| 3. Miami* | Now or
never. |
| 4.
Syracuse** | F Ryan Blackwell,
G Jason Hart and
C Etan Thomas form a strong returning
nucleus. |
| 5. Pittsburgh** | Could be conference
sleeper. |
| 6.
Georgetown** | Prop 48 Anthony Perry boosts
backcourt. |
| 7. Villanova**
| Five starters return—from 12-17
team. |
| 8.
Rutgers** | Heading in the right
direction. |
| 9.
Seton
Hall** | Tommy Amaker's recruiting skills are beginning to pay
off. |
| 10.
Providence | F Jamel Thomas is a stud; that's about
it. |
| 11.
Boston
College | Coach Al Skinner doesn't have much to work
with. |
| 12.
West
Virginia | Wiped out by
graduation. |
| 13.
Notre Dame | Ugh. |
*NCAA Tournament lock;
**NCAA Tournament bubble team/NIT
bound. |
|
| |
|
|
All-Conference
Team
|
|
Ron Artest, F, 6' 6", Soph., St. John's
| | 1997-98 Stats: 11.6 ppg, 6.3
rpg |
|
Khalid El-Amin, G, 5' 10", Soph., UConn
| | 1997-98 Stats: 16.0 ppg, 4.2
apg | |
Richard Hamilton, G, 6' 6", Jr., UConn
| | 1997-98 Stats: 21.5 ppg, 40.4%
3-pt | |
Tim James, F, 6' 7", Sr., Miami
| | 1997-98 Stats: 16.8 ppg, 9.4
rpg | |
Jamel Thomas, F, 6' 6", Sr., Providence
| | 1997-98 Stats: 18.5 ppg, 6.9
rpg
|
|
|
Player of the
Year
|
| Richard Hamilton, UConn
| | Superb scorer expected to recover from broken foot in time
to torment league
foes.
| |
|
Coach on the Hot
Seat
|
Leonard
Hamilton, Miami
9th year, 1997-98
record: 18-10 (lost to UCLA in
NCAA South first
round)
| | With his best team ever in Coral Gables, if he can't win
big now, it'll never
happen.
| |
|
Newcomer of the
Year |
| Erick Barkley, PG, 6'1", Fr., St.
John's
| | Excellent ballhandler, distributor and defender offers Red
Storm floor
leadership.
| |
|
Top Three
Storylines to Watch
|
| The Weight of the
World...
| | ...rests on Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun's shoulders. With
such a talented team, only a trip to the Final Four will
do.
|
| Bringing up the
Rear
| | For another year, the once-proud league has way too many
pitiful members. If Irish skip to Big Ten, it'll be Big
East's
gain.
| | A New
Jersey
| | Rutgers and Seton Hall are on the way up; once-ugly games
blossom into a great
rivalry.
|
|
| The Bandwagon |
| St.
John's |  |
We are...jumping
on!
|
| Vonteego
Cummings | | Pitt PG best you've never
seen
|
| 'Nova |  | Still paying for Tim Thomas' brief stay at
school
|
|
|
Games to
Watch |
|
Washington vs. Connecticut (in Chicago), Dec.
1
| | Rematch of thrilling '98 NCAA regional
semifinal.
|
|
Miami at Kentucky, Dec.
5
| | For 'Canes, the acid
test.
|
|
Connecticut at Stanford, Feb.
6
| | Final Four
preview. |
|
Syracuse at UCLA, Feb.
21
| | Winner gets mo' into
March. |
|
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