St. Joe's Archives - Crossing Broad https://www.crossingbroad.com/category/st-joes Philly's irreverent sports blog Tue, 05 Nov 2024 21:26:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://www.crossingbroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/cb-icon-260-150x150.png St. Joe's Archives - Crossing Broad https://www.crossingbroad.com/category/st-joes 32 32 The Big 5 Went Undefeated On Opening Night https://www.crossingbroad.com/2024/11/the-big-5-went-undefeated-on-opening-night.html Tue, 05 Nov 2024 21:26:50 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=205503 The Big 5 started off HOT! Is college basketball back in the City of Brotherly Love? Will we have more bids than the entire Big East had last year? Probably not. It was a slobberknocker in almost every single game. A lot of slow starts, a lot of back and forth, and not a lot […]

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]]> The Big 5 started off HOT! Is college basketball back in the City of Brotherly Love? Will we have more bids than the entire Big East had last year? Probably not. It was a slobberknocker in almost every single game. A lot of slow starts, a lot of back and forth, and not a lot of spreads covered.

Here’s a round-up of everything. We’ve got Big 5 Action, yo!

Temple

The stars were out on North Broad to watch the NCAA’s Most Wanted:

It was tighter than expected as Sacred Heart rallied to a 10 point lead in the first half and it was tight the rest of the way until the Owls pulled away in the second half. Can’t get out-rebounded by Sacred Heart and 16 turnovers is too much, but they showed how deep they run after the bench scored almost 33% of their points.

I am officially declaring Jamal Mashburn Jr. HIM.

26 points from the Minnessota transfer:

Play of the night:

Did they cover? No. A team in desperate need of a cover just to get some heat off their backs because, you know, didn’t cover.

 

Villanova

Lets head over to a three-bid league where the Big East fluffers are already trying to pad Nova’s resume for March:

With Eric Dixon missing the game because of one of the dumbest rules in the NCAA. It was a lot like the Temple game. Back and forth with nine lead changes in the first half until the Cats went on a 13-2 run six minutes into the second half and never looked back.

Wooga Poplar led the Cats with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Speaking of Wooga, there is no shot the wine and cheese crowd out on the Main Line are going to be able to pronounce half the names on this roster:

Play of the night. My goodness:

Did they cover? Not even close. The Cats were 20.5 point favorites.

La Salle

La Salle opened a new arena. Gone are the rows that extend vertically 100 feet in the air. It’s now an intimate spot that looks pretty sick to watch a basketball game. Feels like the crowd is on top of the players which will provide an even better atmosphere:

No announcements yet on what they’ve done with the old smoke machine.

I’m pretty sure Daeshon Shepherd might be able to fly. This is how you open a new arena:

Game was closer than it the final score let on. The Explorers and American Eagles (don’t know how that hasn’t been a lawsuit) traded buckets most of the first half until La Salle went up 11 heading into the break. Coming out of the locker room the Eagles got the game to within three. The Explorers stifled the attack and went up 13 and the Eagles never recovered. If we don’t have a President after tonight then maybe the Explorers can be declared the winner for a couple hours. They own Washington D.C. They’ve won four straight against opponents from D.C. (h/t GoExplorers.com)

Play of the night. Not to make this all about Temple, but I’m going to make it all about Temple because I can. First points in Glaser Arena come from a former Temple player, Jahlil White, coached by a former Temple coach, Fran Dunphy:

Did they cover? Yes.

St. Joes

St. Joes has the best backcourt in the Big 5 and Erik Reynolds is probably the best player in it. He paced St Joes with 29 points:

His running mate Xzayvier Brown, who worked with Kyle Lowry this summer, went off for 22. St. Joes might get smoked on the boards this year, but they are going to score so many points. They’re easily the most exciting team to watch in the city and there’s no reason why this team shouldn’t compete for a bubble spot in the tournament.

Play of the Night. A ridiculous and-1 from Xzayvier Brown. PCL tough:

Did they cover? No. Lot of Big 5 teams got off to a slow start including St. Joes who was down double digits to Navy halfway through the first half as 16.5 point favorites.

Penn

 

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Penn was lucky to escape this one. They were down double digits most of the game and at one point 17 in the second half before going on a 23-5 run in the last 13 minutes. Look at these Quakers actually show some fight! How does a team only score five points in the last 13 minutes? This was brutal. Both teams shot in the 30% margin from the field and in the 20% threshold from three. There were only 12 fastbreak points. If you love basketball when it was played in black and white you should’ve been in Newark, NJ.

Play of the night: I don’t even know if this game had one single camera in the arena. I can’t find any video on social media. For all I know it didn’t happen. Just close your eyes and imagine a white guy shooting a deep three and I think you get the gist.

Did they cover? No.

Drexel

I’ll throw Drexel a bone since they now get to participate in the Big 5 Classic. The boys in University City BLEW OUT a college that I don’t think is even real. They’re so bad it’s one of those teams that ESPN doesn’t even have a logo for on the app. If you know where Georgian Court is located congratulations. You’re a real college basketball sicko. Apparently they’re a D2 college out of Lakewood, NJ. Well they traveled 75 miles on 295 to have their butts WHOOPED by 50.

Play of the night. Gimme that!

Did they cover? I don’t even think there was a line, but if you could find one it’s safe to say they did.

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]]> Delonte West was Arrested https://www.crossingbroad.com/2024/06/delonte-west-was-arrested.html Thu, 06 Jun 2024 18:46:41 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=189431 TMZ: 9:21 AM PT — The Fairfax County Police Department tells TMZ Sports … Delonte West suffered a medical emergency as cops were attempting to arrest him Thursday morning. Police say officers had been trying to serve a warrant on the former NBA star for violating the conditions of his release … when he took off. According to the FCPD, […]

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]]> TMZ:

9:21 AM PT — The Fairfax County Police Department tells TMZ Sports … Delonte West suffered a medical emergency as cops were attempting to arrest him Thursday morning.

Police say officers had been trying to serve a warrant on the former NBA star for violating the conditions of his release … when he took off.

According to the FCPD, during an ensuing foot pursuit, they lost sight of West briefly, before they ultimately discovered him “unresponsive.”

“Narcan was administered by officers,” cops tell us, “but [it] did not have the desired effect. He was transported to a local hospital and Narcan was administered again, which yielded the desired effect. West was released from the hospital and transported to the ADC.”

Just brutal. Delonte has been struggling for years now, but he had turned a corner after Mark Cuban stepped in to get him help.

Long story short, the former St. Joe’s star has struggled with bi-polar disorder since leaving the NBA, and was seen panhandling on the streets of Dallas back in 2020. Cuban tracked him down, reunited him with his mother, and got him into a rehab facility. He later got a job at that same facility and that was the last update we had on him.

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]]> A Look at the NIT Opener Odds for St. Joe’s and Villanova https://www.crossingbroad.com/2024/03/a-look-at-st-joes-and-villanovas-nit-opener-odds.html Wed, 20 Mar 2024 17:03:08 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=175889 Villanova and St. Joe’s are still in contention for a postseason trophy! The Wildcats have to be questioning why they’re in the NIT for a second year in a row, while St. Joe’s is probably relishing the opportunity to keep playing after its run to the A-10 tournament semifinals. Nova earned a No. 1 seed […]

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]]> Villanova and St. Joe’s are still in contention for a postseason trophy!

The Wildcats have to be questioning why they’re in the NIT for a second year in a row, while St. Joe’s is probably relishing the opportunity to keep playing after its run to the A-10 tournament semifinals.

Nova earned a No. 1 seed in the NIT, and the home-court advantage that comes with it, because of the new format that favors power-conference teams, and also because of a ton of opt-outs from its fellow power-six schools.

New Jersey online sports betting and Pennsylvania online sports betting will ramp up a little after noon on Thursday, with the full slate of NCAA tournament games. But if you’re itchy to play the locals tonight, The ‘Cats are a 7-point favorite against VCU and the Hawk’s are a 7.5-point underdog at Seton Hall.

For what it’s worth, underdogs won outright in five of the nine NIT games on Tuesday night and the Big East went 0-3.

 

VCU at Villanova (-7) (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

If you haven’t watched VCU in a decade, the same principles apply.

The Rams, even though they are on their third head coach since Shaka Smart, play at a slower pace and make life hell for opponents with their defense.

VCU holds a 15-20 record to the over and the under hit in four of the last five games. The Rams are also 6-4 against the spread as an underdog.

Villanova is 6-6 ATS as a favorite of seven or more points, but it’s worth noting that four of those covers came against DePaul and Georgetown.

The ‘Cats are on a run of nine straight unders that dates back to mid-February. Even Wednesday’s over/under of 132.5 could go under. The losing team in all of Villanova’s games in February and March failed to reach 70 points.

It’s also worth noting that motivation, or lack thereof, is a huge factor in this game. Villanova had NCAA tournament aspirations and it turned in its share of disappointing performances in big spots all season.

 

St. Joe’s (+7.5) at Seton Hall (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Motivation probably plays a role in Newark as well.

Seton Hall was close to making the NCAA tournament and an NIT game could be viewed as a major let down spot for the Pirates.

St. Joe’s could continue the momentum from its A-10 tournament run in which it won outright as an underdog twice.

The Hawks are 6-7 ATS as an underdog, but they’re 3-1 ATS as an underdog of five or more points. They covered against Kentucky, Villanova and VCU in that spot.

Seton Hall is 1-4 ATS in its last five contests and 4-5 ATS as a favorite of seven or more points this season.

Add up those stats and the abundance of upsets on Tuesday night and you have the perfect concoction for a potential St. Joe’s win. As of this writing, FanDuel had the Hawks at +255 on the money line and DraftKings listed them at +270.

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]]> Assessing St. Joe’s and Temple’s Updated Odds of Winning Conference Tournaments https://www.crossingbroad.com/2024/03/assessing-st-joes-and-temples-updated-odds-of-winning-conference-tournaments.html Fri, 15 Mar 2024 15:43:52 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=175716 We’ve somehow made it to Friday of Championship Week with two Philadelphia area schools still alive in their respective conference tournaments. The St. Joseph’s Hawks are a semifinalist in the chaotic Atlantic 10, where the top three seeds were eliminated on Thursday. The Temple Owls won two games in two days to reach the American […]

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]]> We’ve somehow made it to Friday of Championship Week with two Philadelphia area schools still alive in their respective conference tournaments.

The St. Joseph’s Hawks are a semifinalist in the chaotic Atlantic 10, where the top three seeds were eliminated on Thursday. The Temple Owls won two games in two days to reach the American Athletic Conference quarterfinals.

I don’t think anyone, even the biggest fan boys of their respective schools (Sup, Kyle Pagan), expected either team to still be alive.

Temple carries much longer odds to win the AAC than St. Joe’s does the A-10. The Owls have the longest odds of any remaining team in the AAC at DraftKings at +7000. They’ve impressively gone 6-2 in their last eight games, but only one of those wins, Thursday’s triumph over banged-up SMU, came against a top-eight conference team.

Temple is a seven-point underdog against Charlotte in the late tipoff in Fort Worth on Friday. KenPom projects Charlotte’s margin of victory to be five points, so there’s at least a glimmer of hope for the Owls to keep the Cinderella story alive for one more day, but I don’t think they advance past the semifinals.

Florida Atlantic is in a different stratosphere from Temple, and even though those Owls don’t need the AAC’s automatic bid, they would probably beat the Philly-based Owls by double digits, especially when you consider it would be Temple’s fourth game in four days.

Regardless, it’s a nice finish to the season in Adam Fisher’s first season. There’s at least some hope things turn around there.

As for St. Joe’s, there’s a real opportunity to be the A-10 bid stealer. The Hawks are +310 to win the A-10 tournament at Pennsylvania sportsbooks and New Jersey sportsbooks.

The Hawks face the highest seed left in the bracket, No. 4 VCU, but because of the day off between the quarterfinals and semifinals, they’ll be fully rested for the clash with the Rams.

(It’s bullshit that the A-10 scheduled this day off. True conference tournaments should not have an off day in the middle.  The A-10 killed all the buzz around it this year because of all the upsets that happened on Thursday. I get that it wants to have the Sunday final, but adjust your schedule accordingly then). 

St. Joe’s only lost to VCU by four points on February 25th. The Rams lost four of six to close the regular season and struggled with Fordham in the second round. As we’ve seen so far in Brooklyn, no favorite is safe.

St. Bonaventure and Duquesne play in the other A-10 semifinal. The Hawks split the regular-season series with Duquesne and lost by 19 to the Bonnies. Despite that, the Bonnies may be the preferred final opponent for St. Joe’s since Duquesne is 8-1 in its last nine games.

St. Joe’s is essentially playing with house money, and it probably should just embrace the underdog role this weekend in Brooklyn since it will be the dog in any potential matchup.

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]]> The Hawk Will Never Die! St. Joes Takes Down the #1 Seed in the A-10 Tournament https://www.crossingbroad.com/2024/03/the-hawk-will-never-die-st-joes-takes-down-the-1-seed-in-the-a-10-tournament.html Thu, 14 Mar 2024 19:42:20 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=175693 The Fighting Billy Langes! The one-bid league might get multiple teams in the tourney now that they could be dancing on Hawk Hill. They took down #1 seed Rich-what? Richmond earlier today: THE HAWKS TAKE DOWN #1 SEED RICHMOND 66-61 🦅 Vintage Erik Reynolds 30 PTS. @SJUHawks_MBB complete 10-pt second half comeback. Billy Lange and […]

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]]> The Fighting Billy Langes! The one-bid league might get multiple teams in the tourney now that they could be dancing on Hawk Hill. They took down #1 seed Rich-what? Richmond earlier today:

This team is starting to play like the one many thought they were going to be when they won the Big 5 Championship. A team led by tough guards from Philly and Erik Reynolds, who is a walking bucket.

A. Walking. Bucket.

If you’re looking for a team from Philly with the best chance to make the Big Dance, this is the one. They’re fun! They’ll also give you a heart attack. Do you like double-digit deficits, poor shots, and a team full of dogs that never say die? Of course you do! You’re a Philly sports fan. That’s this team. When it’s nut cutting time they rise to the top. Hold that L!

I’ll even be pulling for them even though Billy Lange opened the gym for Ben Simmons when he was on his sabbatical. People don’t forget! THWND!

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]]> Screenshot 2024-03-14 at 3.04.07 PM Assessing the Chances of Philly’s College Basketball Teams Winning their Conference Tournaments https://www.crossingbroad.com/2024/03/assessing-the-chances-of-phillys-college-basketball-teams-winning-their-conference-tournaments.html Mon, 11 Mar 2024 17:58:13 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=175494 Only four of the Philadelphia area’s six men’s college basketball teams can still get into the NCAA tournament. Penn did not qualify for the four-team Ivy League tournament and Drexel shit the bed as a No. 2 seed in the CAA quarterfinals on Sunday. None of the remaining teams, Villanova, St. Joe’s, La Salle and […]

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]]> Only four of the Philadelphia area’s six men’s college basketball teams can still get into the NCAA tournament.

Penn did not qualify for the four-team Ivy League tournament and Drexel shit the bed as a No. 2 seed in the CAA quarterfinals on Sunday.

None of the remaining teams, Villanova, St. Joe’s, La Salle and Temple, are a top-four seed in their respective conference tournaments. They’ll have to win at least four games to earn an automatic bid.

If you’re scanning the odds and looking for value on your Pennsylvania sports betting apps and NJ sports betting apps, that means each member of the quartet is a long shot to win their respective conference tournaments.

 

Atlantic 10 

  • St. Joe’s: +1800 (FanDuel) +2500 (DraftKings)
  • La Salle: +25000 (FD), +35000 (DK)

La Salle needs to win five games in five days to earn the Atlantic 10’s automatic berth. The Explorers haven’t won more than two games at the A-10 tournament in more than a decade. The good news? La Salle went 4-2 in its last six games and beat No. 7 seed St. Bonaventure during that stretch. The Bonnies await the Explorers if they beat George Washington on Tuesday. The bad news? La Salle is 1-4 with four double-digit losses to the top four teams in the A-10

St. Joe’s has not won multiple games in a row since January 31 and February 3. The Hawks’ longest winning streak in conference play was three games. The Hawks could beat George Mason in the 8-9 game, but they’ll probably be close to a double-digit underdog against top seed Richmond.

American

  • Temple (+50000, DK)

Temple hasn’t won more than three games in a row this season. The Owls need to win five in a row in Fort Worth to win the American tournament.

By the way: what an awful conference tournament site. I get it, the AAC has four Texas-based teams, but find a more central location.

Anyway, Temple could beat UTSA in the first round, but it won’t have an extended stay in Fort Worth.

Big East

  • Villanova: +1600 (DK) +2000 (FD)

Villanova is realistically the only Philly area team that can make the NCAA tournament.

The ‘Cats will beat DePaul, and probably by double digits, but more on that Wednesday when the spread comes out.

Villanova must beat Marquette on Thursday to feel okay about itself, but it probably needs to defeat Marquette and then Creighton on Friday to feel 100 percent safe about its chances. Kyle Neptune’s team can advance far because Marquette is dealing with some injury issues and they beat Creighton earlier in the season. And don’t forget the experience Eric Dixon and Justin Moore have. Both of those players need to have massive tournaments for Nova to go far at MSG.

That was a long-winded way to say it’s Villanova or bust for the area, and if not, hope you like the NIT!

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]]> There’s a Rumor that One of the Best Traditions in Sports is Coming Back for the Big 5 Classic https://www.crossingbroad.com/2023/12/theres-a-rumor-that-one-of-the-best-traditions-in-sports-is-coming-back-for-the-big-5-classic.html Fri, 01 Dec 2023 18:18:24 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=172554 The inaugural Big 5 Classic is tomorrow, Saturday, and there’s a rumor that the greatest tradition in sports will be returning: Hearing a rumor one of the greatest traditions in sports is coming back tomorrow pic.twitter.com/ddVxbdghT6 — Kyle Pagan (@CBKylePagan) December 1, 2023 Bring out the streamers!! Drexel celebrates their first made basket as an […]

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]]> The inaugural Big 5 Classic is tomorrow, Saturday, and there’s a rumor that the greatest tradition in sports will be returning:

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m talking about streamers baby!

After each team’s first basket during the game, streamers in that team’s colors are thrown from the student section. The tradition was carried for decades before the NCAA cracked down on it, because people started to throw more than just streamers on the court. Going forward, any fans who threw streamers during a Big 5 game would be assessed a technical foul. In 2014, streamers were brought back for one game thanks to Temple and La Salle:

Both teams were assessed a technical and each team had their player intentionally step over the foul line, which waved off the basket.

This is going to be sick to watch in person! If you got some kids and you want them to learn about the history of the Big 5, come out tomorrow. Three games for one ticket ($45). Streamers, roll outs, and I’m hearing Temple is bringing back the tradition of dressing in black for the Hawks’ funeral:

We’re having a funeral for a bird. Do attend:

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]]> There's a Rumor that One of the Best Traditions in Sports is Coming Back for the Big 5 Classic - Crossing Broad The inaugural Big 5 Classic is tomorrow, Saturday, and there's a rumor that the greatest tradition in sports will be returning: Hearing a rumor one of the greatest traditions in sports is coming back tomorrow pic.twitter.com/ddVxbdghT6 — Kyle Pagan (@CBKylePagan) December 1, 2023 Bring out the strea drexel,la salle,penn,st. joes,temple,villanova Jay Wright a Proponent of New Big Five Classic – “It’s Something We’ve Been Talking About for Years” https://www.crossingbroad.com/2023/11/jay-wright-a-proponent-of-new-big-five-classic-its-something-weve-been-talking-about-for-years.html Thu, 30 Nov 2023 16:36:51 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=172513 It’ll be Temple vs. St. Joe’s for the Big 5 title on Saturday, following a pair of ridiculous Wednesday games in which the Owls outlasted La Salle in three overtimes and the Hawks upset Villanova on the road. That gives us some JUICE going into the inaugural Big 5 classic tripleheader, which now looks like […]

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]]> It’ll be Temple vs. St. Joe’s for the Big 5 title on Saturday, following a pair of ridiculous Wednesday games in which the Owls outlasted La Salle in three overtimes and the Hawks upset Villanova on the road. That gives us some JUICE going into the inaugural Big 5 classic tripleheader, which now looks like this:

Nova lost to both Penn and St. Joe’s in pod play, so they open against Drexel at 2 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center. It’s La Salle and Penn in consolation game 1, then Temple/SJU for the title.

Jay Wright is enjoying retirement and won’t be coaching in the tripleheader, but he’s a proponent of the event and excited for it.

“I love this,” he said on Monday’s episode of Crossing Broadcast. “It’s something we’ve been talking about for years, and to finally put this together, I think Dan Hilferty was a big part of this, and to have Comcast-Spectacor behind this is really good for the city of Philadelphia and good for the teams. It’s hard for traditional Big 5 fans to understand, that as college basketball changed, and TV contracts changed, it’s so difficult to schedule these games. As much fun as the games are, it can actually affect your next game sometimes, or your previous games. It was actually sometimes hurting Big 5 teams, where you had to put this game in on Sunday, you’ve got a league game on Monday, but it’s a Big 5 game and you’re emotionally invested, then you come to your first league game and you’re not ready. That’s a little bit of an exaggeration, but it did happen sometimes.”

Wright noted that Big 5 games would get lost in the scheduling process, diminishing the significance and awareness of local competition.

“I know we would sometimes play Temple in February,” he continued. “Because it was Temple’s home game and ESPN had the rights, and they would dictate that’s where they wanted the game, which was great to get it on ESPN, but Temple would be playing Houston right before us, we’d be playing Connecticut, it would be crazy. And then, you didn’t know who the Big 5 champion was, because you never knew when it ended or when it started. We always wanted this to be a positive for the teams and a positive for Philadelphia basketball. Now, you’re gonna know who the Big 5 champion is. It would end sometimes and no one even knew that the Big 5 season ended. You’re gonna know who the champion is. You’re going to get to see everybody. And as we build this thing, everybody in the Big 5 should make money off this tournament for their programs. In the past, everybody lost money on Big 5 games, because the schools all invested in these games but lost money.”

When we had Fran Dunphy on the show a few weeks ago, the veteran Philly native and coach spoke about the idea of Philadelphia providing so many sports and entertainment options in 2023. There are four pro teams in the city limits, the Union in Chester, concerts, restaurants, and events, but the figurative attention pie doesn’t expand. It remains finite.

Wright is keen to that idea of oversaturation, and the thought that the Big 5 needed to evolve and find a new way to carve out a city niche.

“This where I applaud Dan Hilferty, because he has started to build this and promote this,” Wright said. “There used to be a director of the Big 5. That was back in the day, when you had doubleheaders at The Palestra, and teams were making money, and it was a good business venture, too. But now there is no organization of the Big 5, it’s just the athletic directors or the schools. We could keep building this thing, where you’ve got a TV contract, where teams are making money, they share the revenue, or we add Coaches vs. Cancer to this, where we benefit cancer research in the city – and really make this thing a big event. To Fran’s point, you’d have a Big 5 game, let’s say Temple/Villanova, the winner of that game is Big 5 champion, and the game was in February, and the Sixers had a game, and Flyers had a game, and St. Joe’s was playing Dayton for first place in the Atlantic 10, and no one even knew (about the Big 5 title). If this is the same weekend, and we know when it is, people know that’s what they do on that weekend, over time I think it could really become a great event in Philadelphia.”

Tickets are available at the WFC/Big 5 Classic website. $45 for the entire day, so you get to see all three games.

Here’s the full interview with Jay:

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]]> big 5 matchups St. Joe’s Beat Double-Digit Favorite Villanova and Fans Beelined it for Jay Wright’s New Road https://www.crossingbroad.com/2023/11/st-joes-beat-double-digit-favorite-villanova-and-fans-beelined-it-for-jay-wrights-new-road.html Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:26:19 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=172504 What a move from the students of Hawk Hill Thursday night: St. Joes beat Villanova by double digits and Hawks fans beelined it for “Wright Way”. The road dedicated to Jay Wright before the game 👀 (via @king_cubit) pic.twitter.com/h1rfMPrFQ0 — Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) November 30, 2023 This right here is the type of shit that […]

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]]> What a move from the students of Hawk Hill Thursday night:

This right here is the type of shit that the Big 5 needs. Rivalries, hatred, streamers, roll outs, upsets, and more. Nova was a 12 point favorite last night at home and the Hawks came in and beat them by double digits.

For the Big 5 to work, it needs to be competitive year in and year out. It needs the fans to buy in. I love that the first thing these students immediately did after beating Nova for the first time in 11 years was going to Wright Way and flashing V’s down. They haven’t had a moment to celebrate against Nova since Halil Kanacevic flipped off the Cats student section:

That’s the Holy War. Great games and great fanbases with no love lost.

It wouldn’t hurt to keep a couple guys home either who understand the history. Just last night we had Zion Stanford (West Catholic), Hysier Miller (Neumann Goretti), Lynn Greer III (Roman), Jahmir Brickus (Coatesville), Eric Dixon (Abington), Jordan Longino (GA), Hakim Hart (Roman), Xzayvier Brown (Roman), Anthony Finkley (Roman) all play significant minutes during their games. That’s amazing! They might’ve not grown up in the heyday of the Big 5, but they definitely remember attending games or watching on TV.

The intensity last night at the Temple/La Salle game was awesome! Back and forth back and forth. It took three overtimes to decide who was playing in the championship on Saturday:

It was one of the best games I’ve ever been to and both teams treated the game like it meant a lot more than just another Big 5 matchup. Temple grinded out a win after five players fouled out. Brickus set a Big 5 record with 41 points. We even had one of the greatest stat lines I’ve ever seen:

That’s Big 5 basketball!

Sure the Wells Fargo Center wanted Nova in the Big 5 Classic championship so they could sell the most tickets (on sale now). But do these two teams in the championship not scream Big 5? Two teams led by guards from Philly, undersized, and underdogs. It’s the perfect matchup for the first championship under the new Big 5 format.

The post St. Joe’s Beat Double-Digit Favorite Villanova and Fans Beelined it for Jay Wright’s New Road appeared first on Crossing Broad.

]]> StJoePlayerFinger Fran Dunphy Hopes New Big 5 Classic Can be a “Total Event that Everybody Shares in” https://www.crossingbroad.com/2023/11/fran-dunphy-hopes-new-big-5-classic-can-be-a-total-event-that-everybody-shares-in.html Thu, 16 Nov 2023 16:03:02 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=172185 In 2022, Barstool Sports ran an invitational tournament at the Wells Fargo Center which drew a little more than 5,000 people. There were no Philadelphia teams in the event, which featured Mississippi State and the mid majors of Toledo, UAB, and Akron. Nineteen days later, a Big 5 doubleheader involving La Salle, Temple, St. Joe’s, […]

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]]> In 2022, Barstool Sports ran an invitational tournament at the Wells Fargo Center which drew a little more than 5,000 people. There were no Philadelphia teams in the event, which featured Mississippi State and the mid majors of Toledo, UAB, and Akron. Nineteen days later, a Big 5 doubleheader involving La Salle, Temple, St. Joe’s, and Penn, drew only 3,000 people at The Palestra.

Granted, the Barstool games took place on a Friday night, while the Big 5 games were on a Wednesday, but it was unfathomable to think that a Barstool event involving four non-local teams would outdraw local squads in their hometown.

That’s a snapshot of the current Big 5, which is fighting for relevancy in an oversaturated Philadelphia sports market. Understanding the need to do things differently in 2023, Drexel was added to the group as an official member, and a new tripleheader event was scheduled for December 2nd at the Wells Fargo Center. Dubbed the “Big Five Classic,” all six teams will play on the same day.

We had La Salle head coach Fran Dunphy on Wednesday’s episode of Crossing Broadcast, and asked him about the new approach.

“There’s been talk throughout the Big 5 schools over the last number of years, of how we can do this better,” Dunphy said. “I have a great admiration for Jay Wright in so many ways, and obviously he did a phenomenal job coaching at Villanova. What he accomplished was extraordinary. And he’s always been in favor of continuing the Big 5 as it’s been, because he felt it was important. I think we all felt that way, that we did not want this to die, and things go in cycles, you know? When I was a kid, you would have never thought about going away to college. There were so many great choices here in Philadelphia. That’s what we all did, however, time’s have changed, life is different. ESPN has changed everything we’ve done in college basketball. Every game we play is on ESPN+ at the minimum, and so is any other division 1 team. So you can see any games you want on TV. I think that diminishes the on-site (reasons) for why people go to games. It’s easy to watch it on TV. It’s that way.”

Dunphy was pragmatic in talking about the reality of the Philly sports climate in 2023.

“There are so many more things to do compared to when college basketball in Philadelphia was in it’s heyday,” he admitted. “There were a lot of people going to the Palestra, which is still one of the great nights, in my memories, I still like going to the Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs, just to sit there in the corner and watch two great games. But people are different these days. We have to figure out how to do this better, and this is our try to do it better. …I applaud those people within the Big 5 and the university administrators, to say ‘lets try something different and see what we can do.’

The tripleheader is the culmination of a new format in which the six teams are split into two groups for pod play. This year, La Salle is with Temple and Drexel, while Villanova, St. Joe’s, and Penn are in the other pod. Each team plays the other two on campus, then will be seeded for the tripleheader. The top seeds in each pod play for the championship, the second place teams play each other, and same with the third place teams.

“It’s a start,” said Dunphy of the format change. “Maybe we can make this thing a total event that everybody shares in. Not just the six schools, but the city itself is benefited by the uniqueness that we have in Philadelphia, where everybody does try to play everybody else. It doesn’t happen in D.C., or New York, or Chicago, or LA, or what have you.”

“It’s interesting what we do and what we have. Let’s celebrate it rather than letting it go by the wayside.”

Big 5 Classic tickets are $45 at big5classic.com. That’s $15 per game, with access to all three. Here’s our full interview with Fran:

 

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]]> The Hawk Will Never Die, but it will Get a Slight Refresh https://www.crossingbroad.com/2023/08/the-hawk-will-never-die-but-it-will-get-a-slight-refresh.html Fri, 25 Aug 2023 19:36:34 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=169399 Meantime, on Hawk Hill: Introducing the newest evolution of The Hawk. After two decades, hundreds of thousands of flaps, and countless games and appearances, the hardest working mascot in college athletics gets a new look. The Hawk Will Never Die! @MascotHall pic.twitter.com/No18jULxXO — Saint Joseph’s University (@saintjosephs) August 25, 2023 Aight, so the face is […]

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]]> Meantime, on Hawk Hill:

Aight, so the face is different. And no feathers. Those are the two things that jump out when you look at the old hawk:

Yeah alright. Looks fine. Did it need a rebranding? Maybe, maybe not. It seems like the reaction to this, at least on social, is lukewarm to negative. Don’t see a lot of “rah rah let’s go, this looks great” type of responses.

More importantly, we know the hawk will never die, but will it win any fucking basketball games? St Joe’s hasn’t had a winning season since 2015. Billy Lange has improved the team in three consecutive seasons, but yeah, still under .500. Jameer Nelson ain’t walking through that door. Make the Big 5 great again. MB5GA.

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]]> hawk old Big 5 Classic Tickets Seem Like a Pretty Good Deal https://www.crossingbroad.com/2023/08/big-5-classic-tickets-seem-like-a-pretty-good-deal.html Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:10:10 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=168921 Inbox: PHILADELPHIA (August 15, 2023) – Tickets for the first-ever Big 5 Classic, which will be held at the completely transformed, built-for-basketball New Wells Fargo Center on December 2, are on sale now. Tickets for the tripleheader start at just $45 and are good for all three matchups. Group and premium ticket options are also available […]

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]]> Inbox:

PHILADELPHIA (August 15, 2023) – Tickets for the first-ever Big 5 Classic, which will be held at the completely transformed, built-for-basketball New Wells Fargo Center on December 2, are on sale now. Tickets for the tripleheader start at just $45 and are good for all three matchups. Group and premium ticket options are also available at big5classic.com.

…

Last April, the Big 5 officially welcomed Drexel University and revealed details of a new series format where the Big 5 champion will be determined during a same-day, Big 5 tripleheader in South Philadelphia.

Just last month, the Big 5 announced its new round-robin schedule which will determine the tripleheader matchups at Wells Fargo Center.

For the 2023-24 season, Pod 1 features Drexel, La Salle and Temple while Pod 2 features Penn, Saint Joseph’s and Villanova.

2023-24 Philadelphia Big 5 Men’s Basketball Schedule

(All game times TBA by host school)

  • Monday, Nov. 6 – Drexel at La Salle
  • Friday, Nov. 10 – Penn at Saint Joseph’s
  • Monday, Nov. 13 – Villanova at Penn
  • Tuesday, Nov. 14 – Temple at Drexel
  • Wednesday, Nov. 29 – Saint Joseph’s at Villanova
  • Wednesday, Nov. 29 – La Salle at Temple
  • Saturday, Dec. 2 – Big 5 Classic Tripleheader at Wells Fargo Center

All teams will participate in the Big 5 Classic tripleheader with the first seed in each pod competing for the Big 5 championship, the second-place teams in each pod competing for third place, and the third seeds competing for fifth place.

Honestly, that’s a pretty good deal. Three games for $45? The pod format seems a little corny, vs. having all of the local teams play each other at least once, but they’ve got to try something different to inject some life into the Big 5. Last year they did the Barstool Invitational at the (New) Wells Fargo Center and it pulled more fans than the Palestra doubleheader. Mind you, the Barstool tournament featured the basketball powerhouses of UAB, Toledo, Akron, and Mississippi State, while the Big 5 back-to-back had La Salle, Temple, St. Joe’s, and Penn. Might have been better numbers if Villanova was there, but on no planet should a tournament featuring U-A-fucking-B outdraw the Big 5 in Philadelphia. Embarrassing!

But yeah, let’s give this format a try. You get three games at $15 apiece, and the Big 5 winner will be determined when the two #1 seeds play. It’s different. It’s unique. We are intrigued.

 

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]]> big 5 classic Drexel Officially Becomes a Big Five Member, New Triple-Header/Pod Format Revealed https://www.crossingbroad.com/2023/04/drexel-officially-becomes-a-big-five-member-new-triple-header-pod-format-revealed.html Tue, 11 Apr 2023 15:02:30 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=164263 There’s a press event in South Philly today to announce this: PHILADELPHIA (April 11, 2023) – Today, the Big 5 officially welcomed Drexel University and revealed details of a new series format where the Big 5 champion will be determined during a same-day, Big 5 triple-header at the New Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, December 2, […]

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]]> There’s a press event in South Philly today to announce this:

PHILADELPHIA (April 11, 2023) – Today, the Big 5 officially welcomed Drexel University and revealed details of a new series format where the Big 5 champion will be determined during a same-day, Big 5 triple-header at the New Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, December 2, 2023. The announcement was made on the court at Wells Fargo Center which has been home to numerous NCAA Tournament games, and has featured all of the Big 5 teams in action during its more than 25-year history. 

For the new series, the six schools will be separated into three-team pods: Pod 1: Temple, La Salle, and Drexel; Pod 2: Villanova, St. Joseph’s, and Penn. Each team will play the other two teams from their pod at their individual on-campus arenas. All teams will participate in the Big 5 Classic triple-header at the New Wells Fargo Center on December 2 with the first seed in each pod competing for the Big 5 championship, the second place teams in each pod competing for second place, and the third seeds competing for third place in the Big 5.

…

The Big 5 Classic is the latest event hosted by Spectacor Events and Entertainment (SEE), which finds or builds exciting events for the city of Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center and beyond.  SEE spent the past 6 months working to bring the Big 5 Classic to the Wells Fargo Center and will promote the event of behalf of the schools. 

Thoughts? I have none because the Big 5/City 6 this past season had less juice than a desiccated orange.

When you look at how little interest/attendance there was for those Palestra games earlier this year, I think we were at least in agreement that the local hoops scene needed some kind of shot in the arm, really ANY kind of shot in the arm, so while doing two pods and playing a triple-header at the WFC may or may not the be the solution, it’s good to try SOMETHING different… right? We’ll see what Pagan and other local alums have to say about this. Not sure if the new pod format, which has Temple and Villanova on opposite sides, means the possibility of them not playing at all. We’ll see if they clear that up in the presser.

And honestly, no issue with Drexel being included permanently in this. It does feel goofy to have a “Big 5” with six teams, but that’s how shit works these days. The Big 12 only has 10 teams and the Big 10 has 14 teams, so there are examples of this all over the place at the college level.

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]]> Officially Official: No Philadelphia Men’s Team in March Madness for First Time Since 1977 https://www.crossingbroad.com/2023/03/officially-official-no-philadelphia-mens-team-in-march-madness-for-first-time-since-1977.html Sun, 12 Mar 2023 23:05:01 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=163146 The March Madness bracket was released on Sunday night, officially confirming what we were rather easily able to deduce on Saturday. Zero Philadelphia-area teams are going dancing in 2023. Here’s the full bracket, via CBS: At least we don’t have to do the obligatory “is Villanova a Philly school?” column this year. Final results for […]

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]]> The March Madness bracket was released on Sunday night, officially confirming what we were rather easily able to deduce on Saturday. Zero Philadelphia-area teams are going dancing in 2023.

Here’s the full bracket, via CBS:

At least we don’t have to do the obligatory “is Villanova a Philly school?” column this year.

Final results for our local college basketball teams:

  • Villanova: 17-16 (10-10 in Big East)
  • Temple: 16-16 (10-8 in the American)
  • Drexel: 17-15 (10-8 in Colonial)
  • Penn: 17-13 (9-5 in Ivy)
  • St. Joe’s: 16-17 (8-10 in Atlantic 10)
  • La Salle:  15-19 (7-11 in Atlantic 10)

Penn had the best shot. They were 17-11 at one point, and 9-4 in the conference, but couldn’t beat Princeton this year. Nova lost to Creighton in the conference tournament and that was it for them. No miracle run from the other teams, either.

So yeah, 1977 was about 45 years ago. Star Wars was opening in movie theaters. Jimmy Carter had just taken office and Fleetwood Mac was releasing the Rumours album. It’s been some time since we had a March Madness donut like this one.

The troublesome thing is that this might not be a blip on the radar. Jay Wright is retired, and Nova was totally meh this year. The other five teams don’t stink, but they’re very average and hovering right around .500. Do you see one of Temple, Drexel, Penn, La Salle, or St. Joe’s taking a significant step forward next season? I don’t.

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]]> cbs Philly Could Have Zero Men’s Teams in March Madness for the First Time Since 1977 https://www.crossingbroad.com/2023/02/philly-could-have-zero-mens-teams-in-march-madness-for-the-first-time-since-1977.html Wed, 22 Feb 2023 17:13:46 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=162390 Big win for the Cats NIT chances last night against Xavier, but there’s bad news. Barring Temple, Nova, St. Joes, La Salle, Penn, or Drexel winning their conference tournaments, March Madness will be without a men’s college basketball team from Philly for the first time since 1977: It’s depressing to realize no local men’s team […]

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]]> Big win for the Cats NIT chances last night against Xavier, but there’s bad news. Barring Temple, Nova, St. Joes, La Salle, Penn, or Drexel winning their conference tournaments, March Madness will be without a men’s college basketball team from Philly for the first time since 1977:

I mean, our best hope for a tourney team is Penn. PENN! I know they’ve won seven straight. I’d still rather no team from Philly make the Big Dance than have to watch the Quakers get their doors blown off by a #1 seed. They’ll get that Thursday mid-afternoon time slot against Houston that the bar you’re at doesn’t even waste a TV on. Nobody outside of 33rd through 37th street will even notice they played.

Philadelphia has a college basketball competition problem right now. Villanova was expected to compete in the Big East, even with the Justin Moore injury, due to the fact they had a lottery pick in Cam Whitmore. Kyle Neptune ended up being the best-dressed .500 coach in the nation. I know I had Temple, like a lot of alum wearing cherry-colored goggles, penciled in as a double digit seed before the season and now it looks like their best player might’ve been dismissed from the team. La Salle and St. Joes are La Salle and St. Joes. They haven’t sniffed the tournament since 2013 and 2016. Drexel is young, but playing tough in a stacked CAA.

It might happen again next year.

Every Villanova fan believes they’ll be back at the mountaintop, and how can you blame them after 20+ years of dominance? Only problem is Jay Wright ain’t walking through that door. He had the ability to make four and three-star recruits into NBA role players. Can Neptune do that? Whitmore is leaving for the draft and the only commit they have next year is a three-star small forward to pair with four-star guards Mark Armstrong, Jordan Longino, and Brendan Hausen. Justin Moore’s decision is up in the air and former four star Trey Patterson can’t get off the bench and could transfer. Temple has relied heavily on the transfer portal in the last couple of years and will need to again with Damian Dunn and Khalif Battle likely walking. I don’t know who is scoring next year for the Owls if their names aren’t Hysier Miller and Jamille Reynolds. Zach Hicks is streaky and Jahlil White is a black hole on the offensive end. McKie did actually recruit a kid from Philadelphia now twice in three years in All-Catholic first teamer Zion Stanford, so we have to give credit where credit is due. Little wins. Only problem is his job is in limbo. Did I mention La Salle and St. Joes are La Salle and St. Joes? Drexel has been to the tourney once since 1996. Only positive take away from this is maybe the Big 5 will be more competitive going forward. Too bad they changed the Big 5 format.

If you do want college basketball in March? Swarthmore is #15 in the nation right now in D3 hoops. Pack the kiddos in the car, head out to Good Delco, and get some of that sweet, sweet Centennial Conference basketball played below the rim.

 

EDIT: This article would lead you to believe Villanova is a Philly school. It is in fact not.

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]]> Friday News Dump: They Killed the Big 5 Tradition https://www.crossingbroad.com/2023/01/friday-news-dump-they-killed-the-big-5-tradition.html Fri, 27 Jan 2023 22:18:43 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=161346 A little Friday news dump. The Big 5 tradition is dead: The Philly Six has found a solution to keep the Big 5 tradition alive. After months of conversations and searching for solutions to reinvent the deep-rooted city series, administrators and coaches have agreed to institute a new format, starting with the 2023-2024 season, a […]

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]]> A little Friday news dump. The Big 5 tradition is dead:

The Philly Six has found a solution to keep the Big 5 tradition alive. After months of conversations and searching for solutions to reinvent the deep-rooted city series, administrators and coaches have agreed to institute a new format, starting with the 2023-2024 season, a person involved in the planning told The Athletic. Here’s what you need to know:

Under the new format, the six schools — the traditional Big 5 teams of La Salle, Penn, Temple, Saint Joseph’s and Villanova, plus Drexel — will be split into two three-team pods.

The pod teams will play each other in November, with the winners matching up based on their record in a tripleheader (a designated fifth place, third place and championship game, if you will) at the Wells Fargo Center on the first Saturday in December.

I like where the Big 5 is headed, but I hate the new format. The addition of Drexel should be welcomed. They’ve strung together a couple strong seasons and made the tournament two years ago. But a round robin tripleheader is bogus. So you’re telling me I’m not guaranteed to play Villanova or St. Joes every year? If that’s the case make it a tournament and seed teams based on their Big 5/City 6 records the previous year. Give the first two overall seeds a bye to the second round and play it throughout the week. First round is Monday, second round is Wednesday, the championship game is Friday or Saturday. Bring back the streamers. Have basketball alumni compete in some sort of Shooting Stars contest like they do on All Star Weekend. Who wouldn’t want to see Ryan Archidiacono vs. Jameer Nelson vs. Pepe Sanchez vs. Malik Rose vs. Lionel Simmons vs. that white shooter from the 1996 Quakers basketball squad? Get someone who can work the fucking camera too:

https://twitter.com/kylepaganCB/status/1598115667211079681?s=20&t=XdemQBvgn6ZrnNpowE5Chw

I feel like the Big 5 got spooked because they overreacted to nobody going to the doubleheader on a Wednesday in November. Even though both schools involved provided zero transportation and gave away zero tickets. So what did they decide to do? Put the championship game in the Wells Fargo Center. No Big 5 game should be in the Wells Fargo Center. Ever. This was a Temple vs. LaSalle game at the Palestra when College Gameday came in 2014:

https://twitter.com/CBroadBurner/status/1619093064085291013?s=20&t=iOnFV1yoioqO2GRk1i3Pfg

This was the Temple vs. Villanova game this year:

https://twitter.com/kylepaganCB/status/1591256473870409730?s=20&t=vFopmUNe7LAt4kSXbHDCIA

You can’t tell me we can’t get back to that. Even with the new format.

Now does the Big 5 have bigger problems? Of course. Lack of competition and local talent being one of them. All you have to do is look at the Imhotep Charter vs. Camden High game tomorrow. If it wasn’t for the Eagles it’d be the hottest ticket in town:

Why? Two of the best players in the nation, DJ Wagner and Justin Edwards, are going head to head. Where are both of them going? Kentucky. We’ll never get back to the heyday of the Big 5 until the schools around here other than Villanova start becoming more competitive and keeping kids home. While we wait for that to happen the Big 5 should get it’s format right for longterm success.

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]]> FSjVcHtWUAI2_Zq Barstool Invitational Had Better Attendance than Big 5 Doubleheader at The Palestra https://www.crossingbroad.com/2022/12/barstool-invitational-had-better-attendance-than-big-5-doubleheader-at-the-palestra.html Thu, 01 Dec 2022 14:43:32 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=158691 I was casually flipping through YouTube TV last night and stopped for a moment to watch La Salle vs. Temple, which was part of the Big 5 doubleheader at The Palestra. There was nobody in the stands and I kept thinking to myself, “shit, this is gonna be a topic on Thursday morning.” Sure enough: […]

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]]> I was casually flipping through YouTube TV last night and stopped for a moment to watch La Salle vs. Temple, which was part of the Big 5 doubleheader at The Palestra. There was nobody in the stands and I kept thinking to myself, “shit, this is gonna be a topic on Thursday morning.”

Sure enough:

They couldn’t even pull 4,000 people for a Big 5 doubleheader? The Palestra holds a little less than 9,000 when full, so the arena was less than 50% for these two games last night.

For comparison, the Barstool Invitational was played on a Friday night at The Wells Fargo Center and featured UAB, Toledo, Akron, and Mississippi State. Not exactly a marquee lineup of basketball powerhouses, but that pulled more folks than a Wednesday night doubleheader featuring all local squads.

I know these four teams aren’t what they used to be, and Villanova isn’t exactly off to a flying start in the Kyle Neptune era, but it wasn’t long ago that St. Joe’s was in the tournament and La Salle went to the Sweet 16 behind Tyrone Garland and The Southwest Philly Floater.

Eight years ago:

There are ebbs and flows to these things, as you’re seeing with the Flyers right now at the professional level. Sometimes you’re up and sometimes you’re down, as the cyclical nature of sporting relevance guides our usage of the remote control and purchasing of tickets, or lack thereof. Still, with all that the Big 5 has meant to this city over the years, it’s pretty sad to look at this in a vacuum and realize that the juice just doesn’t seem to be there right now.

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]]> The Big 5 Needs to Take a Page Out of Georgia Southern’s Playbook and Bring the Streamers Back https://www.crossingbroad.com/2022/11/the-big-5-needs-to-take-a-page-out-of-georgia-southerns-playbook-and-bring-the-streamers-back.html Mon, 14 Nov 2022 20:26:42 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=158041 I don’t know if you heard, but this weekend the Big 5 officially came back. Is it a coincidence the same weekend we were reminded of one of the greatest traditions thanks to Georgia Southern? Absolutely not. It’s time we get the streamers back in Big 5 games: People say pro sports are better than […]

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]]> I don’t know if you heard, but this weekend the Big 5 officially came back. Is it a coincidence the same weekend we were reminded of one of the greatest traditions thanks to Georgia Southern? Absolutely not. It’s time we get the streamers back in Big 5 games:

For anyone who isn’t familiar with the tradition, during Big 5 games after each team’s first made basket, fans would litter the floor with streamers of their team’s colors. The NCAA banned this in 1985 because they hate fun and thought it was dangerous. Temple and La Salle gave them the middle finger in 2014 via Rob Dauster at NBCSports.com:

The practice has been banned since the early 90s, with technicals being assessed to each team for objects being thrown on the floor. On Saturday, when the technicals were called, the coaches for both teams instructed their players to put their foot on the foul line as they shot, making sure the free throws didn’t count.

Here’s video:

If anything, college basketball needs more tradition. The way conference realignment is going, one day Duke and UNC probably won’t play twice a year. It’s time we get the Big 5 back to the Palestra for every game. The split crowd, the small venue, and the history of the Palestra on the walls as you walk to your seats is unlike anything you can find in college basketball today.

You can even add new concepts to the Big 5 to keep it fresh. Adding Drexel and using the relegation model would be awesome. Have a round robin type of tournament like you do now and whoever comes in last gets relegated to the City 6 until next year. You can seed each team the next year how they finished in the Big 5 standings the year prior. Is it going to matter in the grand scheme of things? Absolutely not. But in hindsight the Big 5 doesn’t matter towards anything except your record. It was always about shit talking and bragging rights. I now own Kyle Scott for the next 365 days. Imagine if Villanova makes it to the Final Four this year. What do I care? Now I can claim the Temple Owls were just as good as a Final Four team.

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]]> The Big 5 Needs to Take a Page Out of Georgia Southern's Playbook and Bring the Streamers Back - Crossing Broad I don't know if you heard, but this weekend the Big 5 officially came back. Is it a coincidence the same weekend we were reminded of one of the greatest traditions thanks to Georgia Southern? Absolutely not. It's time we get the streamers back in Big 5 games: https://twitter.com/psc_highlights/statu lasalle,penn,st. joes,temple,villanova Delonte West Gets Job at Florida Rehab Facility https://www.crossingbroad.com/2021/01/delonte-west-gets-job-at-florida-rehab-facility.html Tue, 19 Jan 2021 15:40:58 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=119695 Hey, here’s some good news to share. Former St. Joe’s star Delonte West continues to do well in his rehab and now has a gig at the facility where he stayed: Update on Delonte West: West now has a job at the Rebound therapy center in Florida, which is the rehab facility he attended. Dallas […]

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]]> Hey, here’s some good news to share.

Former St. Joe’s star Delonte West continues to do well in his rehab and now has a gig at the facility where he stayed:

Long story short, Delonte has struggled with bi-polar disorder since leaving the NBA, and was seen last year panhandling on the streets of Dallas. Cuban tracked him down, got him into that rehab facility, and West seemed to make the transition really well.

TMZ also shared a recent video that shows Delonte in the gym, getting some shots up:

Good for him. Great story.

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]]> Holy War Confirmed: Villanova vs. St. Joe’s Scheduled for Saturday Night https://www.crossingbroad.com/2020/12/holy-war-confirmed-villanova-vs-st-joes-scheduled-for-saturday-night.html Thu, 17 Dec 2020 21:25:29 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=118503 First reported by Mike Jensen at the Inquirer: Officially official, 9 pm FS1 https://t.co/to4U4v1G0a — Mike Jensen (@jensenoffcampus) December 17, 2020 What happened here is that Nova was supposed to play #17 Virginia Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, but UVA had to pull out due to COVID-19. This was supposed to be the first […]

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]]> First reported by Mike Jensen at the Inquirer:

What happened here is that Nova was supposed to play #17 Virginia Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, but UVA had to pull out due to COVID-19. This was supposed to be the first college basketball game at MSG since the Big East Tournament in March, which was halted due to the pandemic.

So in steps St. Joe’s, to make possible the December 2nd Hawks/Wildcats game that was originally postponed.

St. Joe’s is 0-2 and playing Drexel Thursday evening, which will be their first game since November 27th. They, too, had COVID issues and lost a significant chunk of the early part of their season, but now they’re going to play a pair of local games before facing #10 Tennessee on Monday.

This game will take place at Villanova. The Wildcats are 6-1 this season and 2-0 in the Big East.

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]]> No Penn Basketball this Year as Ivy League Cancels Winter Sports https://www.crossingbroad.com/2020/11/no-penn-basketball-this-year-as-ivy-league-cancels-winter-sports.html Fri, 13 Nov 2020 15:31:58 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=117470 The Big Five is gonna be more like the Big Four this season, because Penn is not playing basketball. The Ivy League cancelled all Winter Sports on Thursday night, becoming the first division one conference to do so. Here’s their rationale: “Consistent with its commitment to safeguard the health and wellbeing of student-athletes, the greater […]

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]]> The Big Five is gonna be more like the Big Four this season, because Penn is not playing basketball.

The Ivy League cancelled all Winter Sports on Thursday night, becoming the first division one conference to do so.

Here’s their rationale:

“Consistent with its commitment to safeguard the health and wellbeing of student-athletes, the greater campus community and general public, the Ivy League Council of Presidents has decided that league schools will not conduct intercollegiate athletics competition in winter sports during the 2020-21 season. In addition, the Ivy League will not conduct competition for fall sports during the upcoming spring semester. Lastly, intercollegiate athletics competition for spring sports is postponed through at least the end of February 2021.
 
The unanimous decisions by the Ivy League Council of Presidents follow extended consideration of options and strategies to mitigate the transmission of the COVID-19 virus, an analysis of current increasing rates of COVID-19 – locally, regionally and nationally – and the resulting need to continue the campus policies related to travel, group size and visitors to campus that safeguard the campus and community.” 

It’s a bummer for the Penn Quakers, who went 16-11 last year before the season was cut short right before they were scheduled to play Yale in the semifinals of the Ivy League tournament. They had won three straight games and were carrying momentum into that game against the league’s #1 seed. In the regular season they took out Providence, Temple, La Salle, and Alabama, and were competitive with Villanova and Arizona.

Back in March, the Ivy was the first league to cancel its conference tournaments, and it was also the first to postpone fall sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The story now is whether other conferences follow suit, or attempt to play their season as numbers spike in mid-November and likely though December as well.

Fingers crossed, but it looks ominous. Darkening clouds on the horizon, perhaps.

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]]> Delonte West Update: Looks Like He’s Doing Well https://www.crossingbroad.com/2020/11/delonte-west-update-looks-like-hes-doing-well.html Tue, 03 Nov 2020 16:09:29 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=117028 Update on Delonte West here from Mark Cuban: https://twitter.com/mcuban/status/1323636159839375366?s=20 West, the former St. Joe’s standout, was recently spotted on a Dallas highway, asking for money. Cuban, whom West played for with the Mavericks, was able to track him down at a gas station and get him into a rehab facility. So far, so good, it […]

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]]> Update on Delonte West here from Mark Cuban:

https://twitter.com/mcuban/status/1323636159839375366?s=20

West, the former St. Joe’s standout, was recently spotted on a Dallas highway, asking for money. Cuban, whom West played for with the Mavericks, was able to track him down at a gas station and get him into a rehab facility.

So far, so good, it would seem. This is the second rehab update, and the first came on October 9th, so he’s been in this program for almost a month now. It was a significant win to get him off the streets and into a facility, since people had tried and failed in the past. West suffers from bi-polar disorder and had rejected help previously, but perhaps this is a turning point to get him back on his feet.

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]]> Sixers Add Jameer Nelson as Scout and Assistant General Manager for Blue Coats https://www.crossingbroad.com/2020/10/sixers-add-jameer-nelson-as-scout-and-assistant-general-manager-for-blue-coats.html Wed, 21 Oct 2020 12:35:26 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=116445 Reported first by John Clark and then later confirmed by the Sixers. Jameer Nelson will be joining the front office as a scout and assistant general manager for the Blue Coats. The former St. Joe’s star and Chester native is 38 years old and retired in 2018 after 14 seasons in the NBA. This will […]

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]]> Reported first by John Clark and then later confirmed by the Sixers.

Jameer Nelson will be joining the front office as a scout and assistant general manager for the Blue Coats.

The former St. Joe’s star and Chester native is 38 years old and retired in 2018 after 14 seasons in the NBA. This will be his first foray into a front office role since bringing his playing career to an end.

We can assume that he’ll work closely with Vince Rozman, the Sixers VP of Scouting. Phil Jabour, the team’s Director of Scouting, recently left take on a new gig with the Sacramento Kings while the Sixers also employ two international scouts and five domestic scouts.

With the Blue Coats, Nelson will be the #2 behind General Manager Matt Lilly, who took over for Elton Brand in October of 2018. Lilly was previously the Coats’ Director of Basketball Operations and Scouting and the G-League team actually has not previously used an Assistant GM, so this a new combo/hybrid role that Nelson will fill.

Good hire though, right? Nelson is a local guy, well-liked, with a plethora of NBA experience. He was a 2009 All Star and is 5th on the Magic’s all-time scoring list.

This would be the third front office move the Sixers have made this season, I believe. Peter Dinwiddie was added last week as the Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, serving as Elton Brand’s #2. Prosper Karangwa was brought in to be the Vice President of Player Personnel.

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]]> Mark Cuban Picks up Delonte West at Gas Station, Working with Family to Help Former St. Joe’s Star https://www.crossingbroad.com/2020/09/mark-cuban-picks-up-delonte-west-at-gas-station-working-with-family-to-help-former-st-joes-star.html Tue, 29 Sep 2020 13:26:34 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=115723 Last week St. Joe’s alumnus Delonte West was again spotted on the streets of Dallas, Texas, begging for money as he struggles to cope with mental illness at 37 years old. West has been out of NBA for some time now, living on the streets and having trouble dealing with the bipolar disorder that makes […]

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]]> Last week St. Joe’s alumnus Delonte West was again spotted on the streets of Dallas, Texas, begging for money as he struggles to cope with mental illness at 37 years old.

West has been out of NBA for some time now, living on the streets and having trouble dealing with the bipolar disorder that makes it difficult to get him help. Many former teammates and others in the NBA community have tried and failed to provide assistance.

Enter Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who this week was able to track down West at a gas station.

From TMZ:

Sources connected to West’s family tell us that Cuban — who had been trying to reach DW on the phone for days — finally got in contact with Delonte … who agreed to meet the Mavs owner on Monday in Dallas.

We’re told Cuban took West to a local hotel … while his family formulates a game plan.
Our sources tell us West’s circle of fam and friends have been trying desperately to get Delonte to go to rehab … and he now seems open to the idea.

We’re even told Cuban has offered to help cover Delonte’s cost for treatment.

Great stuff. Maybe Cuban is finally able to facilitate a breakthrough here.

The issue in the past has not been a lack of care, or a lack of trying. The issue has been Delonte’s refusal to cooperate as he struggles with his bipolar disorder. As such, it was always going to have to be about him first accepting outside help, before family and friends could execute any kind of structured plan.

Edit:

Shams has an update –

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]]> Atlantic 10 Reportedly Moving Fall Sports to the Spring https://www.crossingbroad.com/2020/07/atlantic-10-reportedly-moving-fall-sports-to-the-spring.html Fri, 17 Jul 2020 14:41:45 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=112302 Dana O’Neil reporting that the A10 might be following in the footsteps of other conferences: Source: Atlantic 10 will postpone all fall sports and championships to the spring. Will include a re-evaluation period that gives wiggle room for a quick restart should things improve w/ pandemic in near future. — Dana O'Neil (@DanaONeilWriter) July 17, […]

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]]> Dana O’Neil reporting that the A10 might be following in the footsteps of other conferences:

This would affect cross country, field hockey, soccer, and volleyball.

The A10 doesn’t play football, and for basketball we’d have to wait, since it’s considered a winter sport. St. Joe’s and La Salle might end up being delayed, if they do start their season in 2020. Penn basketball is stuck until January 1st, due to the Ivy League’s decision to postpone all sports.

The Hawks actually used to have a football team that stopped playing in the 1930s. La Salle’s football program was discontinued in 2007 following a 0-10 season. Go figure.

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]]> Delonte West Needs Help https://www.crossingbroad.com/2020/01/delonte-west-needs-help.html https://www.crossingbroad.com/2020/01/delonte-west-needs-help.html#comments Tue, 21 Jan 2020 14:54:15 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=105729 Former Saint Joe’s star Delonte West is in the news cycle this morning after a pair of videos were published online, one of him getting beat up in the middle of the street, followed by a discussion with authorities in which most of what he says is indiscernible. West, you may know, is bipolar and […]

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]]> Former Saint Joe’s star Delonte West is in the news cycle this morning after a pair of videos were published online, one of him getting beat up in the middle of the street, followed by a discussion with authorities in which most of what he says is indiscernible.

West, you may know, is bipolar and has struggled with his mental health following an NBA career that saw him play for the Celtics, Sonics, Cavaliers, and Mavericks. These are the videos in question, which resulted in public comments from Jameer Nelson, Phil Martelli, and others looking to get him help:

https://twitter.com/N90sKindOfWorld/status/1219339349843763203?s=20

Martelli was West’s coach at Saint Joe’s and is now an assistant at Michigan. He wrote this in response to a tweet from Nelson, who was Delonte’s college teammate:

TMZ spoke with his former rep:

TMZ Sports has spoken with Delonte’s former agent, Aaron Goodwin, who confirms the person in the video is in fact Delonte West.

Goodwin tells us West is currently recovering from the attack with family members but desperately needs medical attention.

Goodwin says West HAS a support system around him but his close friends and family members need more help to keep Delonte safe and out of trouble.

We’re told the NBA has and is offering to support West and his family. But, the reality is, they can only do so much.

I’ll update this if we learn anything else.

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]]> https://www.crossingbroad.com/2020/01/delonte-west-needs-help.html/feed 21 St. Joe’s Beat UConn on the Road https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/11/st-joes-beat-uconn-on-the-road.html https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/11/st-joes-beat-uconn-on-the-road.html#comments Thu, 14 Nov 2019 14:53:33 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=102960 Wait, what? Yes it’s true, the Hawk, which will never die, went up to Storrs last night and beat UConn at Gampel Pavilion. Dan Hurley’s Huskies are a far cry from the Jim Calhoun and Kevin Ollie title-winning squads, but for St. Joe’s to get a win up there is rather significant, especially when you […]

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]]> Wait, what?

Yes it’s true, the Hawk, which will never die, went up to Storrs last night and beat UConn at Gampel Pavilion.

Dan Hurley’s Huskies are a far cry from the Jim Calhoun and Kevin Ollie title-winning squads, but for St. Joe’s to get a win up there is rather significant, especially when you consider the fact that SJU was coming off a 13-point loss to Old Dominion with Billy Lange coaching his third game for the Hawks.

Ryan Daly ripped off 30 points while Hurley said this after the game:

It’s not your grandmother’s UConn.

Nice win for the Hawks, who were up 42 to 18 at one point. Looks like they’ll be fine in the post-Phil Martelli era.

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]]> https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/11/st-joes-beat-uconn-on-the-road.html/feed 2 Phil Martelli to Michigan is a “Done Deal” https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/06/phil-martelli-to-michigan-is-a-done-deal.html https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/06/phil-martelli-to-michigan-is-a-done-deal.html#comments Mon, 03 Jun 2019 21:01:25 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=96221 According to numerous reports: Sources: Former Saint Joseph’s head coach Phil Martelli has been formally offered and accepted an assistant coaching position on Juwan Howard’s staff at Michigan. Martelli, 64, won 444 games in 24 seasons at St. Joe’s, reaching 7 NCAA Tournaments. — Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) June 3, 2019 Done signed deal for Phil […]

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]]> According to numerous reports:

He’ll be an assistant to Juwan Howard, who served on Erik Spoelstra’s Miami staff from 2013 to 2019 and is now taking his first head coaching job.

Personally, I love the move for Martelli. He coached St. Joe’s since 1995 and is now 64 years old, and while I’m sure he could have landed a head coaching gig at a much smaller school, this is an opportunity to go to a huge program with unlimited resources and help a young coach make a significant transition.

It shows me that Howard understands that this is gonna be quite the jump, so bringing in an uber-experienced guy like Martelli while retaining John Beilein assistant Saddi Washington makes a lot of sense to me.

Good for Phil Martelli. New experience and a unique challenge.

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]]> https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/06/phil-martelli-to-michigan-is-a-done-deal.html/feed 7 Jameer Nelson’s Son Decommits From St. Joe’s https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/jameer-nelsons-son-decommits-from-st-joes.html https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/jameer-nelsons-son-decommits-from-st-joes.html#comments Fri, 29 Mar 2019 15:06:08 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=93922 Phil Martelli fallout. You knew the Hawks were going to lose some commits when the longtime head ball coach was fired two weeks ago. Jameer Nelson posted this message on Twitter early this morning: pic.twitter.com/KVIV5AmAr9 — Jameer Nelson (@jameernelson) March 29, 2019 Jameer’s son is a 6’1″ point guard playing his basketball at The Haverford […]

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]]> Phil Martelli fallout.

You knew the Hawks were going to lose some commits when the longtime head ball coach was fired two weeks ago.

Jameer Nelson posted this message on Twitter early this morning:

Jameer’s son is a 6’1″ point guard playing his basketball at The Haverford School. He gave St. Joe’s a verbal commitment and planned to join Martelli as part of the 2020 recruiting class. He also received offers from Hartford, La Salle, Rider, Siena, and St. Peter’s, according to the Inquirer.

The elder Nelson carried the Hawks to a 30-2 record and Elite 8 season back in 2004, then went on to play 14 NBA seasons. He was seen a possible Martelli replacement and actually interviewed for the job.

From Mike Jensen:

“I did have an honest interview, and a follow up face-to-face,’’ Nelson said. “So I definitely was given the opportunity to interview. I was told that I did a good job. What it came down to, some of the other guys just had more coaching experience. I get it. I definitely get it.”

…

Is there any chance he could end up on the Hawks coaching staff as an assistant?

“That question was asked of me,’’ Nelson said. “At this point, I’m not ready to answer that question, to be honest. I’m trying to take all the emotions out of it.”

I can’t see that happening now.

St. Joe’s has lost other commits in the wake of Martelli’s firing. Roman Catholic’s Hakim Hart pulled out of his verbal, along with Kenan Sarvan, a 6’9″ big from Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School in Virginia.

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]]> https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/jameer-nelsons-son-decommits-from-st-joes.html/feed 19 Report: St. Joe’s Targeting Billy Lange as Phil Martelli’s Replacement https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/report-st-joes-targeting-billy-lange-as-phil-martellis-replacement.html https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/report-st-joes-targeting-billy-lange-as-phil-martellis-replacement.html#comments Wed, 27 Mar 2019 20:12:00 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=93812 Mike has been covering college hoops in Philly for a long time, so I would trust his sources on this one: BREAKING: According to several sources, St. Joseph's has targeted 76ers assistant Billy Lange as their next head coach. An announcement could come as early as this week. — Mike Jensen (@jensenoffcampus) March 27, 2019 […]

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]]> Mike has been covering college hoops in Philly for a long time, so I would trust his sources on this one:

Lange is an assistant coach on Brett Brown’s staff and this year took over the defensive duties vacated by Lloyd Pierce, who left for Atlanta at the end of last season. He’s been with Brown since 2013 after spending two years as Jay Wright’s #2 in Villanova.

Lange is a Philly-area native, having graduated from Bishop Eustace Prep School and Rowan University. He coached the Naval Academy from 2004 to 2011 and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy from 1999-2001, in addition to serving as an assistant with Nova (2001 to 2004), La Salle (1998-1999), and Philadelphia (1996-1998).

The timing of this isn’t great, with the playoffs approaching for the Sixers. We can ask Brett about it tomorrow before the Nets game.

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]]> https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/report-st-joes-targeting-billy-lange-as-phil-martellis-replacement.html/feed 14 Phil Martelli Says Saint Joe’s Firing Cut Out His Heart https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/phil-martelli-says-saint-joes-firing-cut-out-his-heart.html https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/phil-martelli-says-saint-joes-firing-cut-out-his-heart.html#comments Fri, 22 Mar 2019 15:03:22 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=93617 I’m in the camp of people who feel this way about Phil Martelli: “Phil, much respect to you. We appreciate everything you’ve done here in 30+ years. It’s time for new blood and it’s time to move in a different direction.” Is that off-base? The days of Jameer Nelson and Delonte West are long gone, […]

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]]> I’m in the camp of people who feel this way about Phil Martelli:

“Phil, much respect to you. We appreciate everything you’ve done here in 30+ years. It’s time for new blood and it’s time to move in a different direction.”

Is that off-base? The days of Jameer Nelson and Delonte West are long gone, 15 years gone, to be exact. St. Joe’s has won a single NCAA tournament game since, while failing to claim a regular season Atlantic 10 title. For all of the great things Martelli did in building the Hawks’ basketball program, the results on the floor were not what they should have been over the past decade.

That’s my take as a neutral, as someone who didn’t go a Big Five school but enjoyed watching SJU hit the Elite Eight back in the day. Phil was always very good to us at CBS 3 and seemed like a straight-up and honest dude, a real down to Earth type of person. New Athletic Director Jill Bodensteiner, who took over after 350 years of Don DiJulia, could have and should have done a much better job transitioning from Martelli to whoever is the next head men’s basketball coach.

Phil went on 94 WIP with Angelo Cataldi this morning to talk about his firing, and said the following, after the jump:

On if he knew he might be fired:

“Well Angelo, I was aware, as every year, that there were critiques, that there were going to be discussions at the end of the year. I’ve always been comfortable with that and I’ve always kind of focused on, are we doing the right things on the court, are we doing the right things off of the court? Are we staying true to our foundations, our cultures? I went into the meeting on Monday knowing that there would need to be changes. None of us were happy with things, (a record of) 14-19. None of us were happy with falling short of preseason predictions, individually and collectively. So, the meeting, when it was called, was ‘we’re gonna get started, we’re gonna make the necessary changes, I will be an agent of change,’ and that we were going to go back to our roots and win our next game, win the next game we play.”

On if his firing was “cold,” (aka St. Joe’s didn’t handle it properly)

“I think I’ve had to separate it, Angelo, the decision and then the execution of the decision. I still don’t know the timing and I have purposely not seen a press release. I’ve not seen a supposed press conference or any of that. It cut out my heart. It irreparably harmed my family and I had to concentrate those areas and not on creating a bitterness and an anger that would not serve me, emotionally, psychologically, or for the future.”

On whether his overall contributions to the program and university serve as consolation:

“(long pause).. It’s a balm, a soothing balm, on a wound that I’m afraid, Angelo, will never heal. I am overwhelmed and if I was to live and at any point in time people thought I was to live or (pause) what it’s felt like Angelo is, I’ve attended my own funeral.”

This interview was actually… kind of hard to listen to. It did indeed sound like a funeral, like somebody lost their life instead of their job.

I don’t want to say that Phil sounds naive, because I don’t think that’s the right word. I think he sounds like a guy who really loved St. Joe’s and made the university and the basketball program his existence for 34 years (he also served 10 years as an assistant). So I’m not gonna sit here and rag the guy for being overly emotional about losing his job after he dedicated half of his life to Hawk Hill.

But I gotta be honest, he sounds like he’s in a bit of denial, just a little bit. I feel like I’m listening to a guy who felt like he was untouchable, like he’s just staggered by the idea that his job could ever be forfeit. When you look at the results on the floor, you find that Martelli has 166 wins, 161 losses, and is 1-4 in tournament play (NIT and NCAA) in the last ten years. His best achievements during that time frame were the pair of A10 tournament championships in 2014 and 2016, when the Hawks took out VCU on two separate occasions.

When you add all of that together, is it enough for a guy to keep his job after 24 years at the helm? How much do you weigh on-court results versus the overall health of the program, graduation rates, and other off-court measures that define what St. Joe’s is all about?

Personal opinion, I think Bodensteiner made the right move but handled it incredibly poorly. And Phil Martelli will eventually pull himself out of this postpartum melancholy, this “woe is me” routine, he’ll be honored properly by the university and the greater Philadelphia sports community, and he’ll get himself an interesting new job somewhere else. He’s not the first person to be fired.

Here’s the full interview:

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]]> https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/phil-martelli-says-saint-joes-firing-cut-out-his-heart.html/feed 41 Is Villanova a Philly School? Please Stop Using the “City Limits” Argument https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/is-villanova-a-philly-school-please-stop-using-the-city-limits-argument.html https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/is-villanova-a-philly-school-please-stop-using-the-city-limits-argument.html#comments Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:46:14 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=93467 It’s the most wonderful time of the year, when we debate whether or not Villanova is a “Philly school,” as if it even really matters (spoiler: it doesn’t). It’s just something people say to discredit the basketball program instead of rightfully applauding Jay Wright and his players for their elite-level achievements over the past few […]

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]]> It’s the most wonderful time of the year, when we debate whether or not Villanova is a “Philly school,” as if it even really matters (spoiler: it doesn’t). It’s just something people say to discredit the basketball program instead of rightfully applauding Jay Wright and his players for their elite-level achievements over the past few seasons.

Now, I PERSONALLY BELIEVE that Villanova, despite campus not being physically located within the Philadelphia city limits, is a “Philly school” for the following reasons:

  1. they play a number of home games at the Wells Fargo Center, which is in the Philadelphia city limits
  2. they also play some non-Penn Big Five games at the Palestra, which is in the Philadelphia city limits
  3. Jay Wright has always recruited players like Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree and Maalik Wayns, who come from high schools in the Philadelphia city limits
  4. thousands of people came to watch their national championship parades, which took place within the Philadelphia city limits
  5. they garner more media attention from outlets within the Philadelphia city limits (because they’re a bigger and better program)
  6. the Big Five website describes involved programs as “five prestigious Philadelphia universities”

Those are my arguments.

Please do not give me the geography thing. The geography thing holds up worse than a wet paper bag receiving a Jorge Masvidal left hook.

For instance, St. Joe’s is literally 20 feet from Montgomery County, yet Hawk fans will claim SJU as a “Philly school,” even though it’s closer to Bala Cynwyd, where houses go for upwards of half a million dollars, than any typical Philadelphia neighborhood. Plus, most of the people on both sides of the argument are white kids who grew up in the suburbs anyway.

But if we have to do the geography argument, consider this:

You know how Mike Trout is such a Philly dude? How he lives and breathes Philly sports despite committing his future to the Angels? He’s from Millville, which is 44.7 miles and 48 minutes from City Hall.

Here, see for yourself, after the jump:

Mike Trout is so Philly, having grown up almost an hour away. It’s okay for him to be a Philly guy, even though he was raised well outside of the Philadelphia city limits.

And here’s where Villanova is located, 13.5 miles up Lancaster Avenue:

Trout can be a totally Philly dude while growing up on the Eagles and Phillies in South Jersey, yet Nova, which actually has tangible Philly ties, is not a Philly school.

Got it.

So here’s the thing:

Obviously if you went to Temple or Penn or St. Joe’s or whatever, you probably don’t care about Nova and you don’t cheer for them. I don’t blame you, because you lived Big Five basketball and your justification for disliking Nova is 100% sound. They are a local rival. I would not cheer for Pitt or Virginia Tech in the NCAA Tournament and I wouldn’t expect a Temple fan to cheer for Villanova either. Just say you don’t like them because they’re a rival instead of giving me some dog shit about the Philadelphia city limits.

This is more of a bother for me when it comes to neutral fans who say, “well they aren’t from Philly, so why should I care?”

You don’t have to. Nobody is forcing you to like anyone or anything, but as someone who grew up in this region and did not go to a Big Five school, I found it easy to cheer for local kids like Mikal Bridges and Ryan Arcidiacono a few years back. I found it very easy to cheer for Jameer Nelson and the Hawks back in 2004, even though I personally had no ties to St. Joe’s. Likewise, I was pulling for Fran Dunphy and Shizz Alston Jr. last night. These are feel-good stories for our entire region, which is part of the 8th biggest metro area in the United States, spanning parts of four different states and including more than six million people. If you can’t get down with local kids finding success, then what the hell?

Another reason why the geography argument is weak is because:

  • The New York Giants and New York Jets do not play in New York.
  • The New York Red Bulls do not play in New York.
  • The Buffalo Bills don’t play in Buffalo.
  • The Washington Redskins don’t play in Washington.
  • The Philadelphia Union don’t play in Philadelphia.
  • The Dallas Cowboys don’t play in Dallas.
  • Smarty Jones wasn’t from Philly, he was from Chester County.
  • The Atlanta Braves don’t play in Atlanta.
  • The Washington Redskins don’t play in Washington.
  • The Detroit Pistons didn’t play in Detroit until 2017, when Little Caesers Arena was built
  • The Phoenix Coyotes don’t play in Phoenix (edit: I forgot they changed the name to Arizona Coyotes)
  • The San Francisco 49ers don’t play in San Francisco.
  • The Chicago Fire don’t play in Chicago.
  • etc

But none of that is ever used as a reason to marginalize those teams or horses. You think people in Queens aren’t pulling for the Giants because they play in New Jersey? Of course not. Likewise, folks up in Central PA typically pull for Penn State whether or not they attended the school, because they want to see their regional college football team succeed. The Philadelphia Union, who play in Chester, recruit kids into their academy from within the Philadelphia city limits. 

Furthermore, we love our pro sports teams while fervently supporting everything else Philadelphia, yet the Sixers have zero players from Philadelphia on their roster. They have players from Cameroon, Australia, Pittsburgh, and Serbia. Villanova, Temple, and the other Big Five programs have kids from Bucks County, Montgomery County, Philly, Delaware, and South Jersey. Isn’t it a bit corny to talk a big game about the Philadelphia city limits when 98% percent of the guys who wear pro jerseys aren’t even from here? Claude Giroux is Canadian and Nick Foles is from Texas. They aren’t from the Philadelphia city limits, but we love them anyway.

That’s the dumb side of parochialism, where we come across as a bit near-sighted. Being provincial is, at times, a very positive and very Philadelphia trait, but too much of that makes us myopic.

These are my Villanova takes. If you disagree with me, then, well, that’s just like your opinion, man, as Jeff Bridges once said:

DISCLAIMER: Villanova alumnus Kyle Scott had nothing to do with this post. He did not assign it. I did this on my own volition.

The post Is Villanova a Philly School? Please Stop Using the “City Limits” Argument appeared first on Crossing Broad.

]]> https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/is-villanova-a-philly-school-please-stop-using-the-city-limits-argument.html/feed 61 D2B8bpIWwAAkHYq D2B8bpUX0AYsnl3 Emotional Jay Wright on Phil Martelli’s Firing https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/emotional-jay-wright-on-phil-martellis-firing.html https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/emotional-jay-wright-on-phil-martellis-firing.html#comments Tue, 19 Mar 2019 20:08:56 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=93461 I don’t know what this is. I didn’t know Mike Shh-shef-sky hosted a radio show on Sirius XM. But here we are, with Villanova head coach and Kyle Scott man-crush Jay Wright hopping on “Basketball and Beyond with Coach K.” Wright was a bit choked up talking about the departure of Big Five brother Phil […]

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]]> I don’t know what this is. I didn’t know Mike Shh-shef-sky hosted a radio show on Sirius XM.

But here we are, with Villanova head coach and Kyle Scott man-crush Jay Wright hopping on “Basketball and Beyond with Coach K.” Wright was a bit choked up talking about the departure of Big Five brother Phil Martelli from St. Joe’s:

“I’m really shocked.”

Well, I think it was time for new blood. That’s my opinion as an outsider.

FYI Jay Wright was 14-4 against Phil Martelli and won seven Holy War games in a row.

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]]> https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/emotional-jay-wright-on-phil-martellis-firing.html/feed 7 Phil Martelli is Out at Saint Joe’s https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/phil-martelli-is-out-at-saint-joes.html https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/phil-martelli-is-out-at-saint-joes.html#comments Tue, 19 Mar 2019 14:46:35 +0000 https://www.crossingbroad.com/?p=93445 The Hawk will never die, but the head basketball coaching position is now vacant. Saint Joe’s is moving on from Phil Martelli after 24 seasons, the rumors confirmed by a Tuesday morning press release from Athletic Director Jill Bodensteiner: Bodensteiner is “new” to St. Joe’s, having been in place for nine months now. When she […]

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]]> The Hawk will never die, but the head basketball coaching position is now vacant.

Saint Joe’s is moving on from Phil Martelli after 24 seasons, the rumors confirmed by a Tuesday morning press release from Athletic Director Jill Bodensteiner:

Bodensteiner is “new” to St. Joe’s, having been in place for nine months now. When she was hired, some assumed Martelli’s job might be under more scrutiny than it had been under Don DiJulia, who previously held the role for something like 750 years (it was actually 35).

More importantly, Martelli had failed to make the NCAA tournament three seasons in a row, following up a 28-8 season in 2015-2016 with records of 11-20, 16-16, and 14-19 this year. St. Joe’s finished in a tie for tenth place in the Atlantic 10.

By far, Martelli’s best accomplishment was his 30-2 record in 2004, when the #1 seeded Hawks, led by Jameer Nelson and Delonte West, lost by two-points to Oklahoma State in the Elite 8.

Now 64 years old, Martelli put together a 444-328 record at St. Joe’s, winning four A10 titles and three A10 tournaments. He was the 2004 AP and Naismith Coach of the Year and made seven appearances in the NCAA Tournament. The Hawks also qualified for the NIT on six occasions.

Nelson and West went on to play in the NBA, along with Dwayne Jones (now a Sixers assistant), Langston Galloway, and DeAndre’ Bembry.

With the departure of Martelli, the impending departure of Fran Dunphy, and last year’s coaching change at La Salle, there’s new blood in Big Five basketball for what feels like the first time in a long time.

I didn’t go to a Big Five school, nor do I get to watch a lot of Big Five ball, but Kyle is out here doing his victory lap:

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]]> https://www.crossingbroad.com/2019/03/phil-martelli-is-out-at-saint-joes.html/feed 12 D2BzFMbUcAARYmz