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MSG.com has learned that one of the top prep school basketball players in the nation, California native Melvyn Oliver, has given a verbal commitment to attend Seton Hall University this fall.
The 6-foot-11, 330-pound center played for Mississippi Elite Christian Academy this past season where he averaged 20 PPG, eight RPG and three BPG, while helping his team to a 20-5 record.
When reached by phone at home Monday night, Oliver's prep school coach Victor Evans told me, "It appears that is the case, but I'm waiting to talk to Melvyn first thing in the morning."
Evans also added, "Oliver has all the tools to be special."
Evans feels a demanding coach like Seton Hall's Bobby Gonzalez will help Melvyn reach his potential.
On the first weekend in May, Oliver is expected to visit the Seton Hall campus and make it official.
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One of the nation's top high school quarterbacks has decided to announce early where he will be going to college in 2009. Tom Savage, a product out of Philadelphia's Cardinal O'Hara, will hold a press conference at the school on Thursday at 2:00 pm.
MSG Network has learned that the 6-foot-3, 231-pound pro-style QB is expected to choose Rutgers University, and its Head Coach Greg Schiano, over Miami, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisville, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Michigan, Virginia and Florida State.
Savage has decided to announce before his senior season and will become the third high school football player in the 2009 class to select the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers' football program has never had this many advance verbal commitments in a single year.
The Philly native, who missed five games due to a foot injury as a high school junior, still threw for over 800 yards and eight touchdowns. This is the first time the Scarlet Knights have had a Top-25 prospect select their football program straight out of high school.
I caught up with Savage and asked him why he decided to attend Rutgers and what he hopes to bring to the program.
What people are talking about this morning ...
- The Rangers and Devils square off in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals tonight at Prudential Center. Watch it LIVE on MSG and MSG Plus, beginning at 6:30 pm EDT.
- Security was tightened on the Golden Gate Bridge and elsewhere around San Francisco Tuesday as officials prepared for massive protests of China's crackdown in Tibet during the Olympic torch's only North American stop on its journey to Beijing.
- According to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick, outfielder Jordan Schafer, a top prospect in the Atlanta Braves system, has received a 50-game suspension for use of human growth hormone.
What people are talking about this morning ...
- Mario Chalmers hit a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left in regulation to push the game into overtime, and the Kansas Jayhawks grinded it out from there for a 75-68 victory Monday night over Memphis in one of the best NCAA title games in recent memory. (NCAA.com)
 After leading Kansas to its first NCAA title in 20 years, Bill Self said he hopes to stay with the Jayhawks.
Reports have been circulating claiming Bobby Gonzalez's time at Seton Hall has come to an end.
In my exclusive interview, Gonzalez puts the rumors to rest as he talks about staying on as Seton Hall's head basketball coach. MORE:
Talented American Christian Academy (PA) senior guard Tyreke Evans is getting closer to making a decision on where he will attend college next year.
 The announcement will take place on April 16th. The schools still involved with the MVP of the McDonald's All-American game are Memphis, Villanova and Seton Hall.
Just last Tuesday, Evans met with Villanova head coach Jay Wright and then on Wednesday evening, Seton Hall head coach Bobby Gonzalez was at the Evans’ family home for an hour and a half. The family was impressed by both coaches and has decided to now choose between the three schools.
The Parade All-American will play at Madison Square Garden April 19th in the Jordan Brand All-American Game.
In other news, the non-story in Sunday's NY Post about the future of Bobby Gonzalez being in jeopardy at Seton Hall has outraged high-ranking officials at the university. Sources tell me this is a "fairy Tale" that is a result of irresponsible journalism.
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Hey all ... Megan from the Sales Team checking in.
Holy Final Four! I don't know about you, but I'm getting really excited for the season because of all this March Madness. It has been so much fun watching the tournament and all the superstar seniors that will be finding out their new WNBA homes on April 10th!
 As PC mentioned, the office is in an intense bracket battle with Head Athletic Trainer Lisa White leading the pack. Yours truly is in third place and looking forward to the Geno vs. Pat Summit showdown; sorry to all those LSU and Stanford fans!
I just got back from a short vacation to the Bahamas. My main goals were simply to relax and get a tan - mission accomplished! I also got the chance to climb Dunn's River Falls in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and visited Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman.
But now it is full speed ahead into the season, May 18 is right around the corner ... that means myself, along with the rest of the sales team, has to get back to working on selling out The Garden!
See you this summer!
Megan
[Go back to NYLiberty.com]
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After winning the last two NCAA Tournaments, Billy Donovan brings his young Florida Gators to The Garden in hopes of capturing an NIT title.
I caught up with the coach to get his thoughts on playing at Madison Square Garden, his team's transformation and their chances of winning the tournament. MORE:
What people are talking about this morning ...
 For the first time in NCAA Tournament history, all four No. 1 seeds are in the Final Four. (NCAA.com)
- The Rangers begin the final week of the 2007-08 regular season with a very big game this evening at The Garden in the back end of a home-and-home set against the Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh Penguins. (NYRangers.com)
C. Vivian Stringer's Lady Scarlet Knights are storming through the Women's NCAA Tournament, and on Sunday, the 800-win coach will try to help her team get their swagger back in a Sweet 16 matchup vs. No. 6 George Washington.
I caught up with Coach Stringer at practice ...
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The number of teams in the men's NCAA Tournament have shrunk from 65 to a "Sweet 16," and over the next two days we'll find out who's advancing to the "Elite Eight."
Here are the keys to each matchup ...
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NCAA Bank shots for Thursday first rounders...
(10) Arizona vs. (7) West Virginia at Washington D.C
Wildcats head to NCAA for first time since 1977 without Lute Olson on the bench. Kevin O'Neill was 2-2 with Marquette. 'Zona has gone south when not seeded high. They are 1-6 when seeded 5th or worse!
WVU's Bob Huggins is one of the best on the bench, though his Cincy Bearcats always fell short of a Final Four. Huggins reached a Sweet 16 in 2001 and is headed back this time.
Prediction: Moutaineers send 'Zona packing for the desert!
(3) Xavier vs. (14) Georgia At Washington D.C.
Xavier has been to the Dance seven of the last eight years! Has won at least one game in four of the last five years. The Musketeers reached the Elite Eight as a No. 7 seed in 2004, the last time the Final Four was in San Antonio.
Georgia has been very close in its last four appearances , losing by a total of nine points! Fairfield was the last team to reach the NCAA in 1997, after winning four or fewer conference games. The Bulldogs won only four in the regular season before matching that with a four-game sweep in the SEC tournament.
Prediction: Dennis Felton, 0-3 in NCAA games with Western Kentucky, gets his first win!
(11) Baylor vs. (6) Purdue at Washington D.C.
The Bears last NCAA tournament win? 1950, when they reached the Final Four. Baylor has skidded into postseason, losing eight of 13.
Purdue has won nine straight first round games. The Boilers are making their first back-to-back appearances since '99-00. Purdue gave eventual champion Florida their toughest test last year.
Prediction: Purdue rolls into second round.
(5) Michigan St. vs. (12) Temple at Denver
The Spartans have been to the Final Four in four of the last nine years! They've lost in the first round in three of the other five trips!
Temple is making its first appearance since 2001, after making 17 straight from 1984-2001. The Owls rode a wave of emotion and Fran Dunphy's coaching to the Atlantic 10 tournament championship, and have won at least one game in seven of their last nine appearances under John Chaney.
Prediction: Owls get Dunphy's second NCAA win (He was 1-9 with Penn).
(5) Notre Dame vs. (12) George Mason at Denver
This is the fifth NCAA appearance in school history for Mason. Jim Larranaga wants to go out with a bang before joining the Big East as the new head coach at Providence. Watch Will Thomas, one of just 16 players in Division One to average 15 PPG and 10 REB.
The Irish were first round victims at the hands of Winthrop last year, and are just 29-32 all time in the Big Dance.
Prediction: This Notre Dame team is much better than last year's. The Irish survive to play another day.
(13) Oral Roberts vs. (4) Pitt at Denver
It's a school record seventh straight appearance for Pitt. They've reached the Sweet 16 in four of the last six years. The Panthers can only go so far, it seems. They have not reached the Elite Eight in the last six years, and haven't been to a Final Four since 1941, the third time the NCAA was played.
Scott Sutton, son of Eddie Sutton, leads Oral Roberts, which has won 17 of 20 since Jan 1. Their forte is defense, holding opponents under 40% shooting.
Prediction: Panthers prevail in a low-scoring affair.
(6) USC vs. (11) Kansas St. at Omaha
A showcase for two of the Top-5 picks in this summer's NBA draft. Both could help the Knicks, so watch this one closely. Michael Beasley is better built for the league, with his double-double every night mentality, while O.J. Mayo can score, but can he makes other around him better?
Prediction: Kansas St. had a poor record against the field in the regular season, but USC should be playing on the weekend.
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Let's skip the bubble nonsense and increase the field to 96. Eliminate the NIT; it has been rendered meaningless. Play the lower 64 seeds on Day One in 32 games at the home courts of the teams with the highest seeding. Then begin Day Two with 64.
What, No Defending Champ?
For the first time since 1980, when Bird and Magic weren't around to help Michigan St. and Indiana St. get back to the tournament, the defending champion Florida Gators failed to make it into the tournament.
Sure Things?
#1 or #2 has worn the glass slipper in 21 of the last 29 NCAAs!
Year Of The Dark Horse?
Watch out for Clemson, the best team in the ACC conference. They didn't win the regular season or the tournament, but they look like the best team. Even though Oliver Purnell is 0-3 all time in NCAA games.
 UConn:
The Huskies have never lost a first round game under Jim Calhoun (14-0). He's 38-12 in the Dance. UConn won its two national championships playing out of the West region. Guess where they start this time? They've won both of their titles in San Antonio! Do you believe in coincidence???
Most Improved On The Way To The Dance:
Drake went from 17-15 to 28-4 under Keno Davis, who is the son of Dr. Tom! Miami was 12-20 and comes in at 22-10. Temple went from 12-18 in Fran Dunphy's first year to 21-12, giving Philly three participants and New York none!
Who Had Won The Most Against The Best 64?
UCLA is 14-2, Tennessee is 12-4, and so is Texas. Trust the teams who faced the toughest opponents.
The Worst Against The Best 64?
Kansas St. 3-8; Arizona 4-10; West Virginia 5-9.
ACC Going Down?
After putting at least two teams in the Sweet 16 for 27 straight years, only North Carolina reached the sweets in 2007 out of seven ACC participants.
Don't Sleep On The SEC!
The SEC has had at least five teams for 11 straight years! Three Final 4 teams in the past two years, after going the previous five years with at least one final 4 player.
Gonzaga Better As An Underdog? You Better Believe It!
The Zags are making a 10th straight appearance. In five trips as a single digit seed, they are 5-5. As a double digit seed, they're 7-4!
 Beware Of The At-Large Lower Seeds!
Only twice since 1985 have at-large teams seeded 10 or higher gone winless, both in last four years, '07 (0-6) '04 (0-7). Since 2000, of the 51 teams seeded 10 or lower, 16 have won in the first round.
Northeast Conference Not!
The only conference never to win a first round game! It's been 10 years since a Northeast Conference Champ has been within 10 points of a first round opponent. UConn defeated Fairly Dickinson, despite Elijah Allen's 43 points, by a score of 93-85.
Final Four Failures:
BYU has been to the dance 22 times, winning 11 games but never reaching a Final Four.
Xavier (18 trips) and Boston College (17 trips) are next on the never list.
Winning Isn't Everything, Winning It All Is!
Illinois has been to the NCAA more than any school without grabbing the brass ring, 38 times!
Notre Dame (29) and St. John's (27) are next on the futility list.
First Round Streaks:
Kentucky has won 17 straight first-rounders. UConn has won 13, and Purdue has won nine.
Bid Happy:
The Big East has hit the jackpot with six teams or more, 11 times. The Big Ten has done it 12 times, and the ACC 10 times.
Beware The Underdog:
Villanova has the most wins as a lower seed, with 12. UCLA is next with 11, then Temple with nine.
Finally, The Biggest Losers?
#16 v. #1 the worst has never beaten the best, ever. But #15 v. #2 that's something different. It has happened four times. The last time: #15 Hampton defeated Iowa St. three times in the 90s. #15 shocked the world. 1991 Richmond over Syracuse. 1993 Santa Clara over Arizona. 1997 Coppin St. beat South Carolina.
Those were just four of my favorite things. Who doesn't love upsets and underdogs?
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So it is officially time for madness – March Madness, that is! Oh what an exciting time in the world of women's basketball. This is what every college program works toward during the regular season. It is time to get your game faces ready and sneakers laced up for the tough NCAA competition ahead.
I was not surprised to see the No. 1 picks. There was some contention that Stanford and LSU would be listed among them, but with only four number one spots, UConn, Tennessee, Maryland and UNC are definitely worthy.
 The one thing that sticks out in the bracket this year is that UConn and Rutgers are in the same region. Oh my! We may have a Big East showdown come regional time in Greensboro.
During the regular season the teams split the series, each winning one game. But with UConn's depth and all-around play they came out as the Big East Champs. It will be exciting to see who comes out ahead in this regional match-up.
Another notable match-up is UNC and LSU in the New Orleans bracket, and I have to give the advantage to LSU. They are planning in a home-court-like situation with shooting guards on the outside surrounding Sylvia Fowles for the inside-out game. It will be interesting to see if Erlana Larkins from UNC can handle the match-up with Folwes down low. Either way I anticipate a great game.
For the Oklahoma City regional, I have Tennessee and Texas A&M. The Vols are the reigning champs and I don't believe that there will be anyone to stop them on their way to Tampa for the Final Four. Texas A&M has been playing well, coming off a back-to-back Big 12 Championship win and I see them going far.
Last, but not least, the Spokane regional. Stanford was upset during the selection show that they are No. 2, but Maryland definitely deserves to be No. 1 with the strength of schedule they played this season. With the passion and fire that both teams play with, I see a Maryland vs. Stanford showdown to determine who goes to the Final Four.
I can't wait for the action to start this weekend. I will be glued to ESPN and ESPN2 this weekend checking out all of the action to come. Who will make it to the Final Four and play for a championship in Tampa? I guess we will just have to wait and see.
Catherine
[Go back to NYLiberty.com]
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Want to speak your mind about the big issues in the world of sports?
Here's your chance!
TODAY'S HOT TOPIC:
In this year's Men's NCAA Tournament, who is your sleeper pick and why?
Post your reactions in the comments section below and tune in to MSG, NY to see if
your response is featured.
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In my last entry, I told you about my trips to some conference tournaments. Well I'm back, so I wanted to give you an update on my trip and looking ahead.
My first stop was at the ACC Tournament. Of course, my flight out of Newark was late and I didn't arrive in Greensboro on time. Two long days, but I saw some great basketball; teams in a tournament atmosphere. The ACC has a great blend of top quality seniors, along with a good crop of underclassmen, who will be future WNBA players.
 My travels took me to the Big 10 Tournament in Indianapolis, where I watched the semi-finals and finals. If you ever have a chance to see a game at Conseco Fieldhouse (perhaps a Liberty-Fever game?), I suggest you do so. It's a cool arena, with a great mix of modern and old school looks to it.
For everyone who thinks the travel aspect of our job is great, it wasn't this go-around. My next plan was to fly to Hartford to meet up with Nick DiPillo for the Big East semifinals. Because of a delay, I ended up not getting there at all.
What will be the keys to success for your team in the NCAA Tournament? When filling out your brackets, you might want to take these points into consideration:
- Having great point guard play is huge. You need the leadership of a great one!
- A crucial element is half-court defense, getting those defensive stops in the last five minutes.
- Finding a good match-up is hard to come by, but great coaches who do their homework find success.
- Injuries are hard to control, but making sure the team is healthy and the bench is deep is clutch.
- Make certain your team has a go-to player who can come up big for a game-winning play.
Hope that you enjoy the next three weeks and that your brackets stand up for at least a few rounds.
Bruce
[Go back to NYLiberty.com]
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Want to speak your mind about the big issues in the world of sports? Here's your chance!
 TODAY'S HOT TOPIC:
Which Big East team will go the farthest in the Men's NCAA Tournament?
Post your reactions in the comments section below and tune in to MSG, NY to see if your response is featured.
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The brackets are set and we are ready to break down the NCAA Tournament.
Who might be the surprise team? Who will reach the Final Four?
Here's my take on the 2008 Tourney: MORE:
Well, it comes as a shock to me, but the Pitt Panthers ended up winning the Big East Tournament by knocking off top-seeded Georgetown.
How did Pitt do it? Where do they go from here? What happened to my prediction of a Louisville-UConn Final?
Check out my full recap of the tournament right here. MORE:
The seventh-seeded Pitt Panthers knocked off No. 1 Georgetown, 74-65, to win the Big East Championship Saturday night at The Garden.
I was on the court after the game to get some of the Panthers' reactions to capturing the conference title.
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BANK SHOTS:
Officiating a Big East Tournament game has become the toughest officiating job in sports. Following the afternoon session Thursday, veteran official Ed Corbett was standing back near the locker room area, telling me how physically demanding his job had become.
The pace of play and the physical nature of the game in the Big East resembles football most nights. With contact on every possession, in every situation on the floor, officials have to make judgments that keep the game flowing, yet keep the game from getting out of hand.
In the UConn/West Virginia game, there were very few whistles in a rough and tumble first half. When the second half rolled around, the parade to the foul line began at the 10:00 minute mark and never stopped. West Virginia took advantage and upset the Huskies.
Something had to be done to control the physical confrontations in the second half; hence, the sounds of whistles that dominated The Garden. It should have started in the first half, but in that case, all 10 players would have fouled out and no one pays to see bench-warmers determine the Big East title!
PROS:
 There are a number of players making big-time statements this week at The Garden in this tournament. Foremost in the group, is Joe Alexander of West Virginia. He is a kid who grew up outside the United States, but found himself and his game in Mt. Airy, MD at a prep school where John Beilein found him and brought him to Morgantown.
Alexander developed a devastating jumper as a freshman, and now can put it on the floor and create his own shot from mid-range and beyond. He has scored 30-plus points in four out of five games and helped send UConn home early.
The beauty of his game is that he knows when to shoot and how to get the shot off, while allowing the defense to apply minimal pressure. He is quick off the trigger and never sweats. Ask St. John's! Alexander single-handedly willed his team to victory in the final 4:00 of regulation and dominated overtime in the final regular season game at MSG.
The Mountaineers won three straight at MSG prior to their semifinals loss to Georgetown, but are poised to play Cinderella!
CONS:
Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has always prided himself on control and thoughtful decision-making, while running the best basketball conference in America. He went out of his way to embarrass Fred Hill of Rutgers and Bobby Gonzalez of Seton Hall with good reason. Both coaches behaved boorishly in the aftermath of Rutgers' final-second win in New Jersey to end the regular season.
Mike T. was right to reprimand the coaches in public, and hopefully the message got through that coaches' decorum is still an important part of the college scene.
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OK, so my pick for a UConn-Louisville Big East championship game is now a wash. So what happened?
I'll tell you what though, I underrated Georgetown, but am liking what I'm seeing from the top-seed in the Big East. Can you say, "National Championship?" Who knows, but get my latest scoop from all the Day 2 action of the Big East Tournament.
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Here are the top stories on the wires this morning ...
Speaking of a tough sell, baseball in China won't be easy or cheap either. This weekend, two exhibition games will be played in Beijing, the first MLB games in China. It's the first test of the Olympic baseball venue, and MLB's boldest attempt to attract Chinese fans.
- Steve Tisch has scored a remarkable honors double, winning an Academy Award as producer of "Forrest Gump," and a Vince Lombardi Trophy as co-owner of the Super Bowl champion New York Giants. So, which meant more to him?
- For you car racing fans, Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen lap in the first official practice of the Formula One season held up after the second session today in Australia.
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Pat Summitt won her 
Scrambling for tickets is