‘Nothing like this league’
UConn win at Villanova caps wild 24 hours in Big East
It began at noon, with Marquette and St. John’s, and Creighton and Seton Hall tipping off simultaneously about 15 miles apart, at Madison Square Garden and the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., respectively.
When it ended around 10 p.m. with Mark Armstrong’s unnecessary 3-pointer swishing through the net at the buzzer, providing the final score in the UConn men’s basketball team’s66-65 grudge match over Villanova, one of the best days regular-season days in Big East history had come to a close.
Maybe there has been a better 10 hours of Big East basketball over its glorious history, certainly there has been in the postseason. But it’s hard to top this past Saturday. Marquette survived three straight missed free throws down the stretch from 93-percent foul shooter Tyler Kolek and had a 73-72 win over Rick Pitino’s Red Storm only when Daniss Jenkins 3pointer at the buzzer was off the mark.
Creighton bounced back from Wednesday night’s ugly loss at UConn for a triple-overtime thriller over Seton Hall, knocking the Pirates out of first place in the process. UConn was happy to take over sole possession of first with its hard-fought, one-point win over Villanova that featured five ties and a pair of lead changes in the second half alone.
OK, there was also Butler’s routine, 74-60 victory over lastplace DePaul on Saturday. But throw in Xavier’s 92-91 win over Georgetown on Friday night and it was a heck of a 24 hours for the Big East: four different games separated by six points, three of them by one point, one of them going three overtimes.
“Every game’s a dogfight,” UConn’s Alex Karaban said when it was all over. “You even saw with Georgetown-Xavier, too, anybody can beat anybody.
You’ve got to come ready to play. Sometimes you’ve got to grind it out, sometimes it’s a blowout. The Big East is so talented from top to bottom. It’s really the toughest league.”
You’ll get no argument from Dan Hurley.
“C’mon, man, this league right here ... there’s nothing like this league,” the UConn coach said late Saturday night. “Everyone bows their incchest out about their league, but show me a more compelling league. Show me a league where the games are played at this level of ferocity and intensity. The coaches are so good, the environments are incredible.” Some might argue the Big 12, Hurley was told. He pondered for a second.
“You’re trying to get me,” he responded, with a laugh. “Don’t ask me questions about the Big 12. Touchy subject.”
Of course, UConn was seriously considered for the Big 12 this past summer, ultimately being glossed over (yet again) for a trio of Pac-12 teams instead. As of Sunday, the Big 12 had three top-10 teams (Kansas, Houston and Baylor) and five other teams (Oklahoma, TCU, BYU, Iowa State, Texas Tech) in the Top 25. It’s a great league.
But the Big East had the No. 1 team — Hurley’s Huskies. And while Hurley will acquiesce with whatever is best for the program, including any potential future move to the Big 12, you get the feeling he’s perfectly happy where he is.
“It’s the best conference,” Hurley said. “It’s the hardest games. There’s nothing to compare these games to. These types of games are ones that are going to make all of us really dangerous in March.”
Hurley is the Big East. Born and raised in Jersey City, N.J. Played at Seton Hall, scoring 1,000 career points, in what he once labeled “the real Big East.” Now, he’s led UConn to a national title and a No. 1 ranking in his six seasons in Storrs.
Hurley and his staff watched the MarquetteSt. John’s and CreightonSeton Hall games on their cell phones Saturday afternoon. Then, they went out and beat a tough Villanova team, riding the coattails of their veterans: Cam Spencer, Tristen Newton, Donovan Clingan and, most notably, Tristen Newton (25 points, 16 of them in the second half ).
“These are not like SEC or ACC-type of games, either,” Hurley reported. “This is a manhood test every time you step on the court in the Big East. It’s UFC type (stuff). Like, steel cage. You can throw elbows, it’s jujitsu, muay thai, it’s everything. It’s tough, especially on the road. We knew we had a week off, and we obviously went with the vets today.”
Hurley called it a “Big East war.”
“You’ve got to be able to win these Big East battles where it’s super-phyisical and the defense is really outstanding on both ends,” he added. “To get a rebound, you’ve got to be willing to go to hell and back to win a game like this.”
At 7-1, the Huskies now sit alone atop the league’s standings. And while we haven’t even reached the midway point of the league season, UConn appears in good shape for a regular-season title. The Huskies hold a one-game lead over Seton Hall and get the Pirates again at Gampel Pavilion in March with a chance to avenge their lone Big East loss. They’re two games up, with a win in hand, on Creighton and 2 1/2-games ahead of Marquette, the two teams most likely to challenge for the league title.
Yes, tough road games at Creighton, Marquette, St. John’s and Providence await. It won’t be easy. It never is in the Big East.
But there’s no doubt that UConn wants a Big East regular-season title. Badly. Despite a national title and No. 1-ranking, the Huskies haven’t won a Big East regular-season title yet under Hurley. (Or a Big East Tournament title, but that’s for later in March).
The cardboard cutout of the Big East regularseason trophy that glares at the Huskies each practice is proof enough that Hurley wants it. There is, after all, no other league like this. And Dan Hurley is the Big East.