Okay, I’m a day late, sorry . . . but its the spirit that counts! Slainte!!
Snakes In My Pants
Cause, you know, we need more people talking ’bout sports.
Category Archives: NCAA Basketball
Enough is Enough
On March 8, 2007 (almost exactly 1 year ago), I wrote an empassioned plea to the Athletic Director and President of Providence College, asking them to fire the head coach Tim Welsh.
UConn! UConn! Ucan’t beat the Friars… Oops…!
So, #13 and 23-7 UConn lost… AGAIN… to 15-14 Providence on Thursday. The Friars keep their Big East Tourney and post season (NIT) hopes alive, while sending UConn - a team with significant Final Four hopes - hurtling out of a top 2 or 3 seed. Both in the NCAAT and in the Big East Tourney.
But the more critical question is:
What’s a Cruizer - PC Alum but UConn apologist - to think?! 
Wow. My Team is HOT!
They might not be particularly “talented” or “good,” but manalive: my alma mater’s women’s hoops team is SMOKIN’!
Avert your eyes from the very middle… but the rest of that front row… hoo-ah! (#10 out of Greece was a particularly solid international recruiting job) 
http://www.bubearcats.com/sports/wbask/roster.html
Looks like Jim O’Brien won…
Friar “Cruiser” Mike mentioned Jim O’Brien in his list of possible next coaches at Providence. Here’s the latest from SI.com: The Ohio Supreme Court declined to hear Ohio State’s appeal of the case it lost against former coach Jim O’Brien, who stands to gain $2.7 million to $3 million from the university. O’Brien, a raspy-voiced Brooklyn native, coached St. Bonaventure and his alma mater, Boston College, before coming to Ohio State in 1997. He led the Buckeyes for seven years, going 133-88 (although the NCAA later ruled that using an ineligible player left his mark at 51-57). His sanctions expire next month and he can go back to coaching if he wishes.
Student-Athlete Three-Peat
Bob is gonna LOVE the topic of this post… Altho, when he sees how his beloved Eagles did when compared to Duke and Notre Dame in the NCAA D-I Collegiate Power Rankings, he might have other thoughts.
So, what’s this? The NCSA - the National Collegiate Scouting Association (whatever that is) - does a neat little thing: they aggregate three major and long-standing college rankings to show how well schools do at producing quintessential “student-athletes,” consolidating proxy rankings for Academics, Athletics, and Graduation Rate. The NCSA’s ranking average the U.S. Sports Academy Directors’ Cup ranking (Athletics), the NCAA student-athlete graduation rate of each college/university (from the NCAA) and the U.S. News & World Report ranking (Academics).
Duke - for the 3rd straight year - came in first in 2007. The Student-Athlete Three-Peat! Notre Dame came in 2nd (after placing 3rd and 5th - they’re moving up!). BC was 9th, mostly on the strength of academics and graduation rate. Other SIMP almae matres include: Georgetown #11; Syracuse at #40; Delaware #51; Providence #73. Oh, and Middlebury was #3. That’s right. #3! In D-III. Go Middies!!
(thanks to the BC Chronicle for the image!)
Another one bites the dust
In March of 1997, the PC Friars beat Duke and two other teams to reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. In the Regional Final, Providence lost by 4 points in OT to eventual champs Arizona. In the 11 seasons since, the other schools in the Big East have won 3 National Championships, gone to 6 Final Fours, and held the #1 ranking countless times in establishing the Big East as the preeminent conference in college basketball. During this period of unprecedented league success, the Providence College Men’s Basketball program under the direction of Head Coach Tim Welsh has failed to deliver anything even remotely resembling a good season. Get the whole story
Hartford THREE Party
The grueling Big East basketball season is finally underway, and last night was a big night in Hartford as the Providence Friars crushed the UConn Huskies, 77-65.
The Friars shot the proverbial lights out last night, hitting 14 3-pointers, including a white-hot 8-12 from beyond the arc in the 2nd half. Get the whole story