Lieberman: A look back at the first half of Big East action

It seems like it just started, but we’re already halfway through the Big East… It seems like it just started, but we’re already halfway through the Big East schedule.

Now it’s time to review the first and preview the second half of the season in Big East basketball.

MVP: Dominique Jones, South Florida

I’ve been on South Florida’s bandwagon for a couple weeks now, and with good reason since its upset win over Georgetown. Jones is leading the Bulls, averaging 22.4 points per game, good enough for third in the Big East. But it’s not all about points, as Jones is in the top 10 in the Big East for assists and steals (4.2 and 1.9 per game) and 11th for rebounds, averaging 5.0 defensive rebounds per game.

A player like Jones can carry a team, but he needs help. It comes in the form of 6-foot-10 sophomore Gus Gilchrist, who averaged 18.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game before injuring his ankle.

Best Game: Jan. 9 — Georgetown 72, Connecticut 69

Georgetown looked dead and forgotten in the first half of this game. The Hoyas trailed 40-25 thanks to 29.6 percent shooting. However, Austin Freeman and the rest of the Hoyas picked it up in the second half. Freeman led the Hoyas with 28 points in the second half, shooting 50 percent from the field and prevailing during a late flurry of action to top Connecticut.

Biggest Upset: Jan. 20 — DePaul 51, Marquette 50

It had to happen at some point. Junior Mike Stovall made sure DePaul won its first Big East regular-season game in 24 tries. Stovall hit a long jumper with 0.7 seconds left to give the Blue Demons a victory. It was its first under interim coach Tracy Webster.

Best Freshman: Alex Oriakhi, Connecticut

Oriakhi’s onus (say that five times fast) was replacing the NBA-bound Hasheem Thabeet. So far, Connecticut hasn’t even seen his full potential, and Oriakhi is averaging 5.4 points per game and 7.8 rebounds. His 11-point, 10-rebound double-double was spoiled during the aforementioned Georgetown loss. Oh, and he has one of the sickest dunks on YouTube.

Biggest Surprise: Tie — Pitt and Connecticut

Connecticut’s string of startling defeats has dropped the Huskies from Big East title contenders to scraping the Big East basement. Meanwhile, Pitt’s rise and fall has many (yours truly included) scratching their heads wondering which Pitt team will show up daily. Wins against Syracuse and Cincinnati look good, but losses against Seton Hall and Indiana also stick out.

Tip-Ins:

OK, OK, I know I’mtalking myself up a bit here, but here’s a quote from my column earlier this year: “The Bulls are an upset threat to any team willing to relax on them, thanks in large part to their relatively unknown leading scorer (Dominique Jones).” Yes, I called the Bulls’ resurgence, to a certain extent, this year. But I can’t say that I, nor many others, expected an upset win over Georgetown Wednesday night. This team might make noise in the Big East tournament, on the way to a possible NCAA Tournament berth.

When does fan behavior cross the line? It did in Morgantown Wednesday night. I’m not quite sure those watching on television got the full feel of this one. Not only were West Virginia students yelling multiple vulgarities in unison, they were borderline physically abusive. It’s bad enough to get negative press and a fake movie scene devoted to your fan base, but when you reaffirm those media messages with actual behavior, it only warrants such assertions. Not even West Virginia coach Bob Huggins could plead the crowd into better behavior. The university “warned” its students to not get rowdy, which consisted of a public address message as soon as shirts and cups flew from the stands onto the floor. But that didn’t stop one person from throwing an apparent coin at Pitt assistant coach Tom Herrion. Head coach Jamie Dixon said Herrion was fine after the game. But now that fan behavior in Morgantown has reached this level, something above university punishment needs to be enforced.

Awards:

Big East Player of the Week:

Austin Freeman, Georgetown — Freeman averaged 21.5 points and 4.5 rebounds and shot 58.6 percent from the floor for Georgetown this week.

Big East Team of the Week:

Syracuse — The fourth-ranked Orange are off to their best start in school history. Thanks to a nine-game winning streak, the Orange are 22-1 on the year. Syracuse’s previous best was 21-1 in the 1979-80 season.

Big East Matchups to Watch:

No. 2 Villanova at No. 8 Georgetown, Saturday — Arguably the game of the day in the nation, these two teams tipoff at the Verizon Center at noon. The Wildcats look to move to 10-0 in the Big East on the year.

Georgetown at Providence, Tuesday — The Hoyas are put on upset alert after the matchup against Villanova. Watch Jamine Peterson, one of the biggest talents in the Big East, bring his 18.3 points per game to the floor against the Hoyas and pull the upset.

Who’s Hot:

Rutgers — What a difference a week makes. Rutgers is on a two-game winning streak heading into Saturday’s matchup with Louisville. The Scarlet Knights dumped Notre Dame 74-73 for their first Big East regular-season win, then beat St. John’s 84-72 for their second.

Who’s Cold:

Connecticut — Losses to Marquette and Louisville have put the Huskies record at 13-9, and just an abysmal 3-6 in conference. I guess Jim Calhoun really means a lot to this team.