In preparation of our 1st Round Matchup of the Big East Tournament against Villanova, I asked Chris from The Nova Blog to come aboard for what might be our last edition of Bulls Recon for the year. In this edition, we talked about Corey Fisher's availability, Chris' favorite moment in Big East Tournament history, and of course Big East expansion.
----------
1. How is Corey Fisher's knee? Will he be able to go on Tuesday?
It's clearly bothering him, but he's going to play through it. Having Corey Stokes available seems to be the bigger issue as he seems to have regressed from a previous injury. That would be a huge loss for us and would make us rely on Dominic Cheek and James Bell, who have combined for like 3 games all year that would make you feel confident.
Fisher has been doing more harm than good lately with this injury on the court so it'll be interesting to see if he alters his game at all.
2. After starting the season on strong, you all have struggled in Big East play. Where did it all go wrong this season?
Providence comes to mind. We just got shellacked by them. We couldn't hit a shot for the life of us and Providence didn't shoot the ball well either. They still won by 15. That seems like it scared the hell out of us. Since then it's been like we're walking on eggshells trying NOT to make a mistake instead of just playing.
The team's confidence is clearly shaken. It's almost time for a 'f*ck it all' attitude and just go out there and play loose.
3. How are expansion talks going within the Athletic Department. Do you think the donors will be able to pledge the 25 million it will take to make the move up?
They've been very positive according to reports. At the turn of the year it seemed like the school was leaning against the move but in recent weeks they have begun not-so-silently talking to major donors to raise the 25 million they would need as you alluded to. That's nothing but a positive sign. Of course, it means we need to raise $25 million, but we SHOULD be able to hit that number.
VUHoops reported today that Pitt isn't happy with our proposed stadium. I hate Pitt.
4. What's your favorite moment in Big East Tournament history?
I grew up a big UConn fan (which is not a popular topic on my blog). All that aside, I think the best game I ever remember watching was the Ray Allen vs. Allen Iverson matchup in the Championship game in 1996. I remember Georgetown being up by double-digits with less than 5 minutes to play and that UConn held them scoreless the rest of the way. Allen's runner in the lane was insane.
My grandma was the biggest UConn fan on the planet and I can remember her jumping off the couch when he hit that shot. Just a crazy, crazy game.
5. Finally, how do you see this one turning out?
Stokes maybe not playing scares the hell out of me. Fisher's injury is really annoying. None of our role players seem to have any confidence. Maalik Wayns looks like he's in 'F U' mode, which I suppose is good. I can't see us losing to USF in the 1st round, but then again I didn't think we'd lose this many games in a row to this point either. 'Nova by 5 in a game that takes at least 3 years off my life.
----------
Thanks again to Chris for helping us out today. My answers for him questions will be up tomorrow morning over at The Nova Blog. If you aren't already, make sure to follow TNB on Twitter as well.