Tag: Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Women’s Basketball Falls in Big East Semifinals
by The Cowl Editor on March 21, 2019
Friar Sports
Friars Finish Season with Winning Record; Secure Spot in WNIT
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
After an impressive regular season, the Providence College Women’s Basketball Team headed to Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois to test their fate in the Big East Tournament. The official seeding was not set until the final weekend of Big East play. The Friars earned the #7 seed in the tournament and were faced with the task of the #10 seed, the Xavier University Musketeers.
The Friars were able to down the Musketeers by a final score of 70-62 to advance to the Big East Quarterfinals. The Friars held a 12-point lead at half but, the Musketeers kept pursuing the Friars, cutting the lead within six at one point before the Friars went on a 6-0 run and ultimately won the game. The Friars were led in scoring by Olivia Orlando ’21 who caught fire for a career high 18 points (9-11 FG). Maddie Jolin ’19 poured in another 15 points for the Friars.
The keys to the win were the Friars’ ability to control the glass and also only turn the ball over eight times which was the second lowest total of the season. “We have very little chance tomorrow if we turn it over a bunch like we’ve done the two times we’ve played DePaul,” stated Providence Head Coach Jim Crowley. “Now, they force it, they play at a really high pace, but we have to be better taking care of the ball. We’re fairly efficient offensively when we do take care of it.” The Friars’ win over Xavier was their first victory in the Big East tournament since 2001.
The Friars faced the future Big East Champs, the DePaul University Blue Demons. The Friars once again fell early as they trailed 9-20 after the first quarter. At one point, the Blue Demons were on a 12-0 run before the Friars took a timeout. The Blue Demons continued to roll in the second quarter where the lead was pushed up to 19 points before the Friars used a run of their own to close it within 12. In the second half, the Friars closed the defecit to single digits halfway through the third quarter before the Blue Demons were able to close things out and defeat the Friars 85-60. Mary Baskerville ’21 scooped up 10 of her team high 17 points in the 4th quarter. Each squad finished the game with 19 turnovers but benefited DePaul. “Their shot-making is exemplary, it’s outstanding, and they really put a lot of pressure on you because you make a mistake and they make you pay, and they did so to us,” Crowley commented after the game.
Although this loss ended their regular season and conference play, Coach Crowley alluded to some hope for postseason play. “Having coached in the WNIT a few times, we think that’s an amazing opportunity and we’d be honored to be a part of that.”
On Monday night, the Women’s National Invitation Tournament field was announced, and the Friars were able to secure a bid. This is the Friars’ first postseason appearance since 2010. The Friars will host the University of Hartford Hawks on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Alumni Hall.
Women’s Basketball Gears Up for Big East
by The Cowl Editor on March 7, 2019
Friar Sports
Friars Prepare for Tournament with Senior Game
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Basketball Team ended the Big East regular season the way that they began it—with a pair of home matchups against two of the best teams in the Big East, #24 DePaul University and #13 Marquette University.
Last Friday night, the Friars hosted DePaul, who used a late run to fuel a 76-61 victory over the Friars. The Friars were able to keep it close by ending the first quarter with a 7-0 run to trail by only one basket. The Friars were able to tie things up at 17 a piece before DePaul had a 10-0 run. At the half, the Blue Demons led the Friars 34-24.
In the third quarter, Maddie Jolin ’19 and Jovana Nogic ’19 combined for 17 points and outscored the Blue Demons 24-19. The Friars were able to stay within five points at the start of the fourth quarter before the Blue Demons used a 12-0 run to gain a comfortable lead, ultimately leading to their 76-61 victory over the Friars.
For the first time this season, the Friars were defeated after they out-rebounded their opponent (31-30). A lot of the Friars’ troubles came at the hands of the Blue Demons defense, which forced 23 turnovers and allowed them to score 34 points. Nogic led the Friars with 17 points.
After the game, Head Coach Jim Crowley said, “Too many turnovers and fouls in the second quarter. A great third quarter, we gave ourselves a chance, and then again it’s too many turnovers.” Crowley credited DePaul’s defense, stating, “They’re good enough without giving any possessions away, and we just gave them way too many.”
The Friars had a quick turnaround and had to prepare for another nationally ranked opponent on Sunday: the #13 Marquette Golden Eagles.
Friar fans were able to celebrate three Friar players for Senior Day. Clara Che ’19, Maddie Jolin ’19 and Nogic each walked out to half court during the pre-game ceremony and were greeted by Athletic Director Bob Driscoll, President Father Brian J. Shanley, O.P., Crowley, and many others.
The Golden Eagles sported some of the best players not only in the conference, but in the nation. However, the Golden Eagles lost two of their starters due to injury and dropped a road game against Creighton University on Friday night. The Golden Eagles needed a win to win the Big East Regular Season Title outright, and the Friars were still jostling for seeding position in the Big East.
The Friars started the game on a 5-0 run before the Golden Eagles closed the quarter on a 18-3 run and led 18-8 after the first. The Friars turned the ball over seven times in the first quarter which gave Marquette eight points.
Marquette was able to push their lead to 17 at one point during the second quarter before the Friars used a 12-4 scoring run, capped off by Chanell Williams ’21 making a lay-up at the horn before time expired. Williams tallied eight of her 12 points in the second quarter.
In the third quarter, the Friars got within three points with 3:14 to go before Marquette went on a 8-3 run to end the half. Marquette flexed their muscles in the final frame, outscoring the Friars 22-7, resulting in an 80-57 win for the Golden Eagles.
After the game, Crowley stated, “I thought we competed hard, but it was similar to Friday night where after two quarters, the game got away from us…you look at the stat line and things are fairly even until you get to one big number and that’s our turnovers.” The Golden Eagles employed similar defense tactics as the Blue Demons did on Friday night with their full court pressure that led to many turnovers in the first half. Friars turned the ball over 22 times in the loss. Williams led the Friars in scoring with 12 points while Jolin added 11 points, including three long-balls from downtown.
The Friars finish the regular season with a 16-14 overall record and an 8-10 mark in Big East play. Their 16 wins is the most since the 2009-2010 campaign, and their eight Big East victories is the most since the 1996-1997 season.
Two Friars received regular season awards. Mary Baskerville ’22 was awarded Big East Freshman of the Year. She led all freshmen in scoring with 9.4 points per games and rebounding with 7.3. Nogic was named to the All-Big East Honorable Mention Team after breaking the College’s 3-point record and scoring 13.7 points per game.
The Friars snagged the #7 seed in the Big East tournament held in Chicago at Wintrust Arena and are set to face the #10 seed, Xavier University.
Women’s Basketball Splits Weekend Series
by The Cowl Editor on February 14, 2019
Friar Sports
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
This past weekend, the Providence College Women’s Basketball Team returned home, where they had a two game homestand against the Seton Hall University Pirates and the St. John’s University Red Storm. The Friars had previously played both of these teams on the road earlier in the year, falling to the Pirates back on Jan. 13, 79-73. The Friars hosted Seton Hall on Friday, February 8, defeating them 82-75 in Alumni Hall.
Both teams started the game off hot by shooting over 50 percent from the floor before Seton Hall took a nine-point lead heading into halftime. The Friars were able to keep it close thanks to Kyra Spiwak ’22, who scored 11 points in 12 minutes off the bench in the first half of the game. It was all Friars in the second half, led by Maddie Jolin ’19 who scored 21 of her 25 total points in the second half. Jolin finished the game three for five from behind the arc and a perfect 10 for 10 from the charity stripe. Mary Baskerville ’22 also pulled in a strong performance for the Friars, notching her 4th career double-double, scoring 14 points, 14 rebounds, and adding three blocks. Baskerville now has 41 blocks, tying the freshman program record, with five more Big East regular season contests to come.
The Friars continued the charge with their defensive presence by holding the Big East leading scorer Shaheen Samuels to just three points in the second half after her 14-point burst in the first half. The Friars came back from a 13-point deficit to split the season series.
After the game, Head Coach Jim Crowley believed that his team was outhustled in the first half, “The last three minutes of the 3rd quarter got us believing…a couple of shots dropped, and it just got us going.” Coach Crowley emphasized his team “being able to get to the foul line” was key in the second half. The Friars shot 18 for 19 from the free throw line in the game while going 17 for 17 from the line in the second half.
On Sunday, the Friars took on St. John’s University. The Friars defeated the Red Storm in overtime back on Jan. 11 with a score of 67-66. The Friars started the game hot with a 9-0 run before St. John’s was forced to call a timeout.
The Friars continued to surge in the second quarter, when an 8-2 run put them ahead 23-12 before St. John’s closed the half on a 15-4 run. The Friars once again tried to get to the free throw line in the second half as they did on Friday night. The Friars were a perfect 10 for 10 but were unable to lift the lid off the basket. Friars shot just 1-14 from downtown in the game. The Friars were defeated in the end by a final score of 60-57. They were once again led by Jolin, who scored 14 points while Baskerville followed suit with another double-double, scoring 11 points and snatching 11 rebounds. The Friars are now 14-11 ooveralland 6-7 in the Big East.
The Friars will head out to play the Xavier University Musketeers and the Butler University Bulldogs on the road before heading back to Providence to finish their regular season with a three game homestand. You can watch the Friars take on Xavier this Friday on Fox Sports 2 at 7 p.m.
Who Should Win the Naismith College Player of the Year?
by The Cowl Editor on February 7, 2019
PCI
Ja Morant will Win the Naismith Award
by Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Winning a national championship is always a top achievement for a college basketball player. But being named the best player in the country? That accolade may be even more special. The reigning award-winner is Jalen Brunson from Villanova University who was able to achieve both.
Every year it is a challenge to predict who will be the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year because there are so many intriguing candidates. On this year’s list, players such as Zion Williamson, Grant Williams, Markus Howard, and Rui Hachimura are all vying to be the best player in all of college basketball.
A player who may not be known to many casual college basketball fans but is well-known to hardcore fans is a 6’3” sophomore guard from Dalzell, South Carolina. Ja Morant plays for the Murray State University Racers, a team in the Ohio Valley Conference that has strong history of being one of the best mid-major teams in the country.
Murray State has had its success with strong guard play with Cameron Payne and Isaiah Canaan being the most recent NBA draftees. This season, Morant is averaging 24.1 points per game, 10.3 assists per game, and 5.6 rebounds ber game. Morant was not unknown coming into this year. CBS Sports writer Matt Norlander had Morant in his pre-season top 101 college basketball players.
His number really started to buzz when he dropped 25 points and 7 assists against a ranked Auburn University Tigers squad. Morant also put on a show against University of Alabama, where he scored 38 points on 16-29 shooting and tallied nine rebounds and five assists. Morant’s legacy really started to come full circle when he made a Vince Carter-esque dunk earlier in the year on a defender that surfaced on social media.
And yet, many college basketball fans are wondering why such a talented sophomore guard chose Murray State. In fact, his recruiting story is an interesting one. As a high school sophomore, Morant was playing with freshman Zion Williamson on a local South Carolina AAU team. Williamson’s fame took off when he went to the more prestigious Adidas circuit and Morant would stay with his local AAU team. Murray State “accidentally” fell upon Morant when they were recruiting another player. Before Murray State finally offered a scholarship, the only other schools involved in his recruiting were South Carolina State University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and Duquesne University. After Murray State offered him, more schools began to take a look at Morant. Soon in-state rivals Clemson University and University of South Carolina began recruiting him. In the end, a total of 13 schools were actively recruiting Morant, and for good reason.
Murray State head coach Matt McMahon raves about his athleticism and explosiveness but also praised his basketball IQ. Morant leads the country with 10.3 assist per game. Morant has rocketed up NBA mock drafts where many have him as a lottery draft pick, even just behind his former AAU teammate.
Baseball Writers Elect Four to Cooperstown
by The Cowl Editor on January 31, 2019
Professional Sports
Three Pitchers & First Designated Hitter Cement Their Legacy
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
With the winter meetings in the rearview mirror, the next big event on the baseball calendar before spring training in March is the annual Baseball Hall of Fame election. The voting for this prestigious honor is left in the hands of an exclusive few who are also known as as the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA).
Four members on this year’s ballot were voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Mariano Rivera garnered 425 votes out of the possible 425 votes.
Rivera is the first player ever to be a unanimous decision. Ken Griffey Jr. was the closest in 2016, earning 99.3 percent of the possible votes. Edgar Martinez and the late Roy Halladay ushered in 85.41 percent of the vote, while the final candidate to be elected was Mike Mussina with 76.71 percent of the vote.
Mussina was as steady and reliant as a pitcher could be. Mussina, a five-time All Star and seven-time Gold Glove award winner, posted 17 consecutive seasons with 11 or more wins while finishing in the Cy Young top-5 six different times.
Mussina started his career with the Baltimore Orioles before heading to the New York Yankees via free agency. Many debated whether he should be inducted because he holds the 3rd highest ERA for a pitcher to be elected into the Hall of Fame. Some argued this is because he pitched in the hitter-friendly Camden Yards and Old Yankee Stadium, while others state that he was pitching in a time when hitters were dominating the game of baseball.
Martinez had to wait 10 years but, in his final year on the ballot, he was able to reach the 75 percent threshold. Martinez was used to waiting, though. Signed for $4,000, Martinez hit .173 in his first minor league season where he did not get a starting job until he was 27 years old. Martinez ended up spending the entirety of his 18-year career with the Seattle Mariners, where he was a seven-time All Star, five-time Silver Slugger, and led the American League in Average twice. Martinez’s number may not be the flashiest, but fellow Hall of Fame Pitcher Pedro Martinez ranked Edgar as one of the five toughest hitters he faced in his career due to the fact that he “was a guy that had the ability to foul off pitches, and it pissed me off because I couldn’t get the guy out.” Edgar only scratched three hits in 25 plate appearances against Pedro, but his legacy lives on.
The late Roy Halladay got into the Hall on his first try and well deservingly. Halladay passed away suddenly in 2017 after a plane crash, but memories of him live on through his family and his fans.
Halladay was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays as the 17th overall pick in the 1995 draft, but he struggled early on in his career. In fact, Halladay was demoted to Single-A to work on his mechanics. Halladay persevered and became a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Halladay was one of the most dominant pitchers in the modern era.
He was an eight-time All Star, a two-time Cy Young award winner, and recorded 61 complete games from 2003-2011. This is 30 more complete games than CC Sabathia, who was second. Halladay was a consistent workhorse for both the Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies. During his tenure with the Phillies, Halladay threw a perfect game and a no-hitter, both in the same season. He became the first player ever to throw both in one season and become only the second player ever to throw a no-hitter in the postseason. Many remember Halladay by his nickname “Doc” for his flat-out dominance and control on the mound, and he will be missed by the baseball community
Surprisingly, it took this long for a player to be unanimously voted into the Hall of Fame, but there is no better candidate than Rivera. Better known by his nickname “Mo,” Rivera is a five-time World Series Champion and is currently the all-time leader in saves with 652.
Rivera’s story is a unique one. In 1988, Herb Raybourn, a scout, noticed Rivera playing shortstop at a youth tournament in Panama and decided to pass up on him. Rivera began to pitch and a teammate of his called Raybourn, who was then the Director of Latin American Operations for the Yankees. In February of 1990, behind Rivera’s house, he threw only nine pitches before Reybourn quickly signed him to a $2,000 bonus, and the rest was history.
He not only excelled on the field, but he was flat out dominant. More people have walked on the moon (12) than men who have scored against Rivera in the postseason (11), and he faced 527 hitters in the postseason, yet only two of those batters hit a home run off him. You can love him or hate him, but you have to respect the fact that our generation has grown up with one of the best closers in the game, and we may have taken him for granted.
The 2019 Baseball Hall of Fame class is truly unique due to the fact that many of these players had to grind their way through and experienced failures along the way. It proves to any athlete or baseball player that pure determination and effort can take you anywhere you want to go.
Women’s Basketball Sweep Homestand
by The Cowl Editor on January 24, 2019
Friar Sports
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
The weather this weekend was well below freezing in the Providence area, but the Providence College Women’s Basketball Team continued their scorching hot streak, winning four of their last five Big East games. The Friars improved their Big East conference record to 4-4 with a thrilling triple overtime victory over the Butler University Bulldogs on Friday and a 71-58 victory over the Xavier University Musketeers.
Friday’s game also featured the 12th annual Project Providence game where there were over 1,000 local elementary and middle school students from eleven schools in three different states. The home court advantage was seen early on thanks to the over 1,000 local kids that turned up. The Friars started the game on an 11-2 run where their suffocating defense led to a fast offense. The Friars started 3-3 from downtown with two of those shots coming from Maddie Jolin ’19. The Bulldogs mounted a 14-0 run in the second quarter but the remainder of this game was a back and forth affair with eight lead changes and six ties. In the end, it was the Friars defense that outlasted the Bulldogs after their second leading scorer Tori Schickel fouled out in the second overtime period.
A layup by Earlette Scott ’22 sealed the win for the Friars with the final score being 74-68. After the game, Jovana Nogic ’19 really stressed the defensive effort of her and her teammates. “We know defense wins games and we were always going into the next overtime thinking we need to win this game on defense.”
Nogic also added a game total of 24 points to the winning effort. The Friars scoring was also aided by Kaela Webb ’22 who piled on 16 points. Coach Crowley praised his squad’s offensive aggressiveness throughout the game. “A big key was our offensive aggressiveness…we fouled out four or five of their kids because we were being really aggressive offensively,” Coach Crowley stated. It was only the fourth triple overtime game in Big East history. The game that would help set up success for the rest of the weekend.
In Sunday’s victory over the Xavier Musketeers, the Friars led the game straight from the opening tip until the end of the game. Nogic led the Friars with 16 points on 6-16 shooting from the field. It was also a freshman showing in Alumni Hall with Webb putting up 15 points and with Mary Baskerville ’22 producing 11 points and 6 rebounds. Webb’s performance this week garnered her Big East Freshman of the Week honors. She averaged 15.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, three assists, and two steals this past week which helped lift the Friars to a weekend sweep.
Webb is the second Friar to earn the Big East Freshman of the Week honors. Mary Baskerville earned the award three times this year including the prior two weeks. In fact, four of the last five weeks a Friar has been awarded the Big East Freshman of the Week award. It is the first time since 2000-2001 that two freshmen Friars have earned this award. Both freshmen contributed to a strong weekend showing, and it was the first time since the Big East realignment that the Friars have swept a weekend series.
With the 4-4 conference record, it is their best start in conference play since 2011-2012 as the Friars look to continue this recent success when they hit the road for the next three games. The Friars will head out to Omaha to play the Creighton University Bluejays this Saturday, January 26 at 2 p.m. You can tune in to the Big East Digital Network on Fox Sports Go to catch the action.
Jay O’Brien ’22 Plays in Junior Championships
by The Cowl Editor on January 17, 2019
Friar Sports
PC Freshman Appears in All 7 Games for Team USA
By Thomas Zinzarela ’21
Sports Staff
For many college freshmen, winter break is about going on vacation or binge watching a new show on Netflix. However, for Jay O’Brien ’22, his winter break consisted of representing the United States and traveling to Canada to compete with some of the best under 20-year-old hockey players in the world.
The International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship, more commonly known as the ‘World Juniors,’ is an annual tournament between 10 countries that is rotated between each team. This year’s event was hosted in Vancouver, Canada where Finland was able to beat out the U.S. for the gold medal.
Playing for a national team for any sport at any level is truly a unique experience. O’Brien opened up about his experience, saying, “It was unbelievable, we had a really solid group, really good team, really good coaching staff…everybody checked their ego at the door and when you throw on that USA sweater you are playing for one thing and that is your country and the guys next to you. It was an unbelievable experience other than the fact that we came up short. I thought we gave it our all and had a really good tournament.”
Many hockey fans envision the thrills of USA Hockey through the lens of the Disney movie Miracle, with Mike Eruzione scoring the game winning goal against the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympic games in Lake Placid, New York.
Just as that Olympic game was emotional for many, O’Brien believed that it was an emotional tournament. “There were a lot of highs and lows throughout the tournament. You create new friendships that you will have forever…playing for your country is something very special and something I was fortunate to do a couple of times. It is emotional for sure, I know when I got home it was tough because I missed the group…”
For many, we will never have the opportunity to skate or represent our country and wear a jersey with the letters USA in red, white, and blue across our chest. “Something I will never forget,” O’Brien stated. “After you win and stand next to your brothers and they are playing the national anthem, it’s something special for sure.”
With the U.S. securing a silver medal this year, they have now received medals for the 4th year in a row including gold in 2017. This recent run is by far their most successful streak in the 41 years of the U.S. competing. Prior to the U.S. gold medal in 2004, the U.S. only collected three medals total since the inaugural tournament in 1977. Having collected nine medals since, with four of them being gold, it is safe to say that Junior Hockey in the U.S. is on the rise.
Just as O’Brien brought home another medal for Team USA, he will also try to help the Friars reach their 6th straight NCAA Tournament appearance and bring home some bigger hardware in the likes of a National Championship trophy.
Providence College Investigates
by The Cowl Editor on December 6, 2018
PCI
The University of Alabama Crimson Tide will win the College Football Championship
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
With the college football season nearly over, all eyes will turn towards the four-team College Football Playoff which boasts no. 1 University of Alabama Crimson Tide, no. 2 Clemson University Tigers, no. 3 University of Notre Dame, and no. 4 University of Oklahoma Sooners. My pick to win this year’s playoffs is the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Why Alabama? The Crimson Tide has been one of the best college teams for the past decade, winning the College Football Playoffs last year. Alabama also has one of the best coaches in the country, Nick Saban, who owns a 5-2 overall CFP record. Alabama will square off against the No. 4 University of Oklahoma Sooners, a team that has been hyped around QB Kyler Murray and deservingly so. Murray, this past June, was drafted into the MLB by the Oakland A’s with the ninth overall selection in the first round.
Murray has carried his skills from the diamond to the gridiron with his elusive quickness and power of arm that she has shown as a centerfielder. Murray is the projected winner of the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded to the best College Football Player every year.
The opening game against the Sooners should be a great test for Alabama. There may not be a better coach in the offensive game than Lincoln Riley. The Sooners are averaging 49.5 PPG which is no. 1 in the country. The concern is going to be the defensive side of the ball. Oklahoma did bring in former East Carolina University Head Coach Ruffin McNeill, who has pushed the Sooners defense to new levels, especially in the Big 12 Championship win against the University of Texas. The Sooners defense will have to hold off the no. 2 offense in PPG in Alabama, who averages 47.9 points. The Tide also holds a spoil of riches in the quarterback position with Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa. It was a reversal of the National Championship game when Hurts came in for the injured Tagovailoa and marched the Tide to victory over the University of Georgia in the SEC Championship game last weekend.
The Sooners may be the toughest opponent that the Tide will have to face, especially because Oklahoma has been playing better since the firing of defensive coordinator Bob Stoops. The Tide will have to face the Clemson Tigers or the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, both teams that Alabama has beaten in championship games before. The Tide will have their hands full with the Tigers since they arguably have the best defense in the country with a lot of speed on the defensive line. Either way, it should be an entertaining College Football Playoff, with Nick Saban hoisting the trophy once again.
Providence College Investigates
by The Cowl Editor on December 6, 2018
PCI
The University of Alabama Crimson Tide will win the College Football Championship
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
With the college football season nearly over, all eyes will turn towards the four-team College Football Playoff which boasts no. 1 University of Alabama Crimson Tide, no. 2 Clemson University Tigers, no. 3 University of Notre Dame, and no. 4 University of Oklahoma Sooners. My pick to win this year’s playoffs is the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Why Alabama? The Crimson Tide has been one of the best college teams for the past decade, winning the College Football Playoffs last year. Alabama also has one of the best coaches in the country, Nick Saban, who owns a 5-2 overall CFP record. Alabama will square off against the No. 4 University of Oklahoma Sooners, a team that has been hyped around QB Kyler Murray and deservingly so. Murray, this past June, was drafted into the MLB by the Oakland A’s with the ninth overall selection in the first round.
Murray has carried his skills from the diamond to the gridiron with his elusive quickness and power of arm that she has shown as a centerfielder. Murray is the projected winner of the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded to the best College Football Player every year.
The opening game against the Sooners should be a great test for Alabama. There may not be a better coach in the offensive game than Lincoln Riley. The Sooners are averaging 49.5 PPG which is no. 1 in the country. The concern is going to be the defensive side of the ball. Oklahoma did bring in former East Carolina University Head Coach Ruffin McNeill, who has pushed the Sooners defense to new levels, especially in the Big 12 Championship win against the University of Texas. The Sooners defense will have to hold off the no. 2 offense in PPG in Alabama, who averages 47.9 points. The Tide also holds a spoil of riches in the quarterback position with Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa. It was a reversal of the National Championship game when Hurts came in for the injured Tagovailoa and marched the Tide to victory over the University of Georgia in the SEC Championship game last weekend.
The Sooners may be the toughest opponent that the Tide will have to face, especially because Oklahoma has been playing better since the firing of defensive coordinator Bob Stoops. The Tide will have to face the Clemson Tigers or the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, both teams that Alabama has beaten in championship games before. The Tide will have their hands full with the Tigers since they arguably have the best defense in the country with a lot of speed on the defensive line. Either way, it should be an entertaining College Football Playoff, with Nick Saban hoisting the trophy once again.
Big East Title Up For Grabs
by The Cowl Editor on November 29, 2018
Friar Sports
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
With Feast Week wrapping up this past week, we are just over a month away from Big East conference play. The Big East took a hit early on in non-conference play with its strongest team, Villanova University, getting blown out by University of Michigan at home in a rematch of the National Championship game last year. They also lost to Furman University, out of the Southern Conference.
With Villanova losing four of its key players in Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVencenzo, Omari Spellman, and Mikal Bridges all to the NBA Draft in June, this is the widest open the Big East has ever been since realignment. Starting with Villanova, the Wildcats added a graduate transfer, Joe Cremo, from the University of Albany, who can knock down the three, while also bringing back some experience from the National Championship team: Eric Paschall, Collin Gillespie, and Phil Booth. Villanova added 5-star recruit Jahvon Quinerly and one of the best 3-point shooters in the Big East, Cole Swider. The Wildcats also picked up a quality win this past weekend in the Advocare Invitational by defeating Oklahoma State University and against #15 Florida State University in the Championship game. With this win, the Wildcats hoisted their sixth straight November tournament title and have reentered the Top 25 at #23.
One of the favorites to dethrone the Villanova Wildcats are the Marquette University Golden Eagles. Head Coach Steve Wojciechowski has the most talented team yet in his tenure, led by the power scoring duo of Markus Howard and Sam Hauser. Both combined to hit 206 three-pointers last year, which was good enough to place seventh in the country. This Marquette team is a potent offense especially with Howard who dropped 52 points on the Friars at the Dunk last year. This year’s team will have to focus on defense and Wojciechowski brought in two transfers in Ed Morrow from Nebraska and graduate transfer Joseph Chartouny from Fordham University, where he was among the nations leaders in steals.
Another team that has stepped into the light has been the St. John’s University Red Storm. The Johnnies bring back leading scorer Shamorie Ponds who is one of the best pure scorers in the country. This talent has garnered him the Big East Pre-Season Player of the Year and is on the watch list for the Bob Cousy Award (Best PG). Head Coach Chris Mullin was also able to pull in prized Auburn University transfer Mustapha Heron. The former 5-star recruit from Waterbury, Connecticut averaged 15.8 points per game in his first two years at Auburn and has now made St. John’s one of the best backcourts in the country. St. John’s will have to hope that their other players like Marvin Clark, Justin Simon, and L.J. Figueroa complement their uber-talented offense. If not, Chris Mullin may find himself in the hot seat.
One team that is consistently at the top of the Big East rankings is the Butler University Bulldogs. In year two under head coach LaVall Jordan, the Bulldogs look to make their 5th straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Bulldogs will look towards Kamar Baldwin and guard Paul Jorgensen after the departure of Kelan Martin last year. Starting the spring semester of this year, Duke University transfer Jordan Tucker will be eligible to play for the Bulldogs. Tucker was ranked No. 40 in th ESPN 100 before transferring to Butler last December due to lack of playing time. Butler was able to knock off the University of Florida Gators in the Battle 4 Atlantis last week and has a good non-conference game against Indiana and a trip down to Gainesville to face the Florida Gators again.
A team that is well under the radar is the DePaul University Blue Demons. Yes, DePaul has been in the cellar of the Big East and the laughing stock for over the last decade but they are a team that is ready to make some noise. Dave Leitao and company are looking to get back to the tournament for the first time since 2004. The Blue Demons will be led by sharpshooting guard Max Strus, who averaged 16.8 points per game last year. DePaul also will see action from Illinois transfer Jalen Coleman-Lands and grad transfer from North Carolina A&T Femi Olujobi. Although DePaul may not finish high in Big East standings, this is a much-improved team and do not sleep on them when it comes to conference play.
The biggest surprise this year is the Creighton University Bluejays. Creighton was tabbed to finish ninth in the Big East pre-season polls and lost three starters from last year. Their best returning player Martin Krampelj is coming off a torn ACL but averaged 11.9 PPG and 8.1 RPG before the injury last year. This year, Creighton holds a 5-1 record with their only loss to #16 The Ohio State University and are fresh off a victory over previously ranked #16 Clemson Tigers to win the Cayman Islands Classic. A lot of their early season success has had to do with sophomore Ty-Shon Alexander. He only averaged 5.5 PPG as a freshman but has quickly emerged as a force to be reckoned with, averaging 19.2 PPG and shooting the three ball at just under 50 percent. Alexander led the charge with 36 points in the championship game against the Clemson Tigers. Damien Jefferson, a New Mexico transfer who sat out last year is providing a nice boost with 10.8 PPG and 5.5 RPG in the starting lineup. The Blue Jays have set themselves up with a rigorous non-conference that can help the conference if they win these games. Creighton hosts #1 Gonzaga on Dec. 1 and is also scheduled to play University of Nebraska and Gonzaga University.
Conference play should be exciting once again with this year being more of a learning curve, we may see some tight and exciting games. The Big East is always a dogfight and it looks to be the same again this year.