Off The Boards by Jack Scheuer – March 7, 2018 Edition

Off The Boards

By Jack Scheuer

March 7, 2018 Edition

At the end of the season, the Big 5 honors its first and second team selections, plus several other awards. Here are the “Boards” picks for the 2017-18 season:

First team- Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges,  B.J. Johnson, Shavar Newkirk, Donte DiVincenzo, and Omari Spellman.

Second team-Eric Paschall, Pookie Powell, AJ Brodeur, Ryan Betley, Quinton Rose, and James Demery.

Player of the Year-Brunson; Rookie of the Year-Spellman; Coach of the Year; Steve Donahue (and I know what a great job Jay Wright has done).  However, Penn is 22-8 right now,and sharing a title after going 13-15 last year.

Drexel is not in the Big 5, but junior guard Tramaine Isabel should certainly be recognized for his excellent season.

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Those Penn Quakers are in a pretty good position in their hopes of returning to the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2006-07 season.  In the Ivy playoffs, Penn will meet Yale on Saturday, and if victorious, likely will play Harvard on Sunday (assuming the Crimson defeat Cornell).  Neither game will be easy,  but will be played at the friendly Palestra, where the Quakers went 7-0 against league foes during the regular season.

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Don DiJulia, Saint Joseph’s long time athletic director, was officially retired in a ceremony last Saturday, and he will be sorely missed.  He played both baseball and basketball at Hawk Hill in the mid-60’s, and has since gone on to be involved with the university in some capacity for six decades.  No one is more respected than this man, and his induction into the Big 5 Hall of Fame should happen as soon as possible.

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Trivia Time: Which player is the NBA’s all-time leader in turnovers? Answer at the end of the column.

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Cincinnati’s lovable coach Mick Cronin showed his class in the Bearcats game against Wichita last Saturday.  Awaiting his team after a timeout was called, he turned around and verbally blasted and embarrassed someone on his bench, (either an assistant or a manager), in full view of a national TV audience.  Little Mick makes volatile South Carolina coach Frank Martin look like Mr. Rogers.

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This and That: Temple’s Shizz Alston Jr. has  missed only 3 free throws all season. He’s 48 for 51….One of the most underrated big men in the country is North Carolina junior forward Luke Maye, averaging over 17 points per game, 10 boards, and he’s as tough as they come….Upcoming  league tournaments: Tomorrow La Salle plays UMass; Thursday, Nova meets the winner of Marquette- DePaul, and Temple has Tulane; Saint Joe’s with  a double bye, is off until Friday….  And finally, here are some things in basketball that you rarely ever see: Jay Wright in a un-pressed suit… Kentucky not ranked in the top 10…Phil Martelli with a comb… Kansas with 7 losses… Ben Simmons take a 3-pointer… Mike Krzyzewski agreeing with a call…. Bob Huggins smiling…. Markell Fultz.

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Answer to Trivia Time : In his long and great career, Karl Malone turned it over 4,524 times.

 

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