DAILY DISH: Seton Hall knocks off UConn; Virginia on the rise

By: Kels Dayton

Seton Hall improved to 13-2 (2-1/Big East) Tuesday night, dismantling No. 8 UConn in a dominant 75-63 win. The Hall is led by senior point guard Jordan Theodore (16.0 ppg, 7.3 apg) and senior forward Herb Pope (18.3 ppg, 10.7 rpg), both of whom are playing like All-Big East candidates. The Pirates now own wins over VCU, St. Joseph’s, Dayton, West Virginia and Connecticut. The schedule also sets up favorably for the Hall, which will play five winnable games in a row and has a real chance at reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006.
Herb Pope and the Hall destroyed UConn at home. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Things are looking up for Big East basement dwellers Rutgers and Providence, as well. Scarlet Knights head coach Mike Rice has already beaten top-ten opponents Villanova and Florida in back-to-back years, and has a nice foundation in place, led by freshmen point guard Myles Mack and power forward Kadeem Jack. The Friars have also signed two excellent players for next year’s recruiting class, in guards Ricardo Ledo and Kris Dunn, both of whom rank among ESPNU’s Top 100 recruits in 2012.

Tony Bennett is off to a blistering start at Virginia (13-1). Led by senior forward Mike Scott, the Cavs could be one of the best teams in the ACC. The fact that Bennett has UVA ranked (No. 23) already is a testament to just how good a coach he is. If you can take Washington State to the Sweet 16, (Bennett did in 2008) you can coach.

Cincinnati has won seven straight since its ugly brawl with crosstown rival Xavier, including wins over Oklahoma, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame. Yancy Gates missed the first six of those games, and scored just 6 points in 21 minutes in Wednesday night’s victory over Notre Dame. But the Bearcats have turned around what was an ugly start to the season, including losses to Presbyterian and Marshall, and have done it because head coach Mick Cronin lit into his team following the brawl. Cronin heavily disciplined his players, snatching their jerseys off in the locker room immediately after the Xavier game and making them earn them back. Xavier, on the other hand, allowed its players to conduct one of the dumbest postgame interview sessions of all time, and has lost five of six. The Musketeers have fallen from a No. 7 national ranking all the way out of the Top 25. Coincidence? I think not.

FIVE ON THE RISE: Georgetown, Murray State, Iowa, Saint Joseph’s and UNLV. Congrats to those guys.
FIVE FADING: Boston College, Minnesota, Villanova, Nebraska and St. John’s. Step your game up, kids.

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