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Minutes after he likely ended Seton Hall's NCAA Tournament aspirations with a 68-54 win in the second round of the Big East Tournament, Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey told the assembled media not to forget about the Pirates as Selection Sunday fast approches.
	 
"You know what, right now nobody is going to talk about Seton Hall," Brey said. "Just give it a few days. Keep Seton Hall on the board.
	 
"My only thing would be take a deep breath before you do anything with Seton Hall, the way this thing is going to play out nationally."
	 
Not surprisingly, Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez had no objections Brey's thoughts on the subject.
	 
"I couldn't agree with him more," Gonzalez said. "For some reaons, there's all these gurus and experts that listen to what everybody says. And they say, well, if Notre Dame wins, they're in. If Seton Hall wins, they're in. But if Notre Dame doesn't win, they're still in, (but) if Seton Hall doesn't, they're out.
	 
"Coming into this game tonight, our RPI was higher than Notre Dame. Our strength of schedule was higher than Notre Dame. We both had three wins against the top 50, and we beat them head-to-head. So I'm not quite sure where they got that from on the resume, and who they thought had a better profile."
	 
But while Gonzalez, in typical coach-speak, wasn't lying, he also wasn't telling the whole story. The reasons Notre Dame is in, and Seton Hall likely is out, are these:
	 
Against the Top 25 in the RPI, Notre Dame is 3-2; Seton Hall is 1-7.
	 
Against the Top 100 in the RPI, Notre Dame is 11-7; Seton Hall is 6-12.
	 
To make a long story short, it's probably going to take a lot of help for Seton Hall to emerge as a legitimate member of the field of 65. They'll likely need several upsets from among these teams – Memphis and UAB in Conference USA; San Diego State in the Mountain West; Rhode Island and Dayton in the Atlantic 10; Ole Miss and Mississippi State in the SEC; Arizona State and Washington in the Pac-10; and Illinois and Minnesota in the Big 10 – to have any kind of shot at making the field.
	 
But whether or not they make the field, Gonzalez thinks he has a team capable of making some noise in March.
	 
"There's no doubt we can beat somebody if we go to the NCAA Tournament," he said. "No doubt."
	 
The problem for Gonzalez and his team is that, more than likely, they won't have a chance to prove it.
	 
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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Future for Roberts at St. John's is up in the air

March 10, 2010 , ι Tim Bontemps

Norm Roberts walked off the podium after his postgame press conference following St. John's 57-55 loss to Marquette today in the second round of the Big East Tournament, and walked about 15 yards before turning around to face the crowd of roughly 25 reporters with microphones on.
	 
Everyone was thinking the same thing, including Roberts himself: will he be the head coach at St. John's for the upcoming season?
"I think we're making progress as far as being in tough games, staying in games," Roberts said when asked how his team has progressed this season. "There was times that we had gotten blown out when we got down, fighting back, coming back in the three overtime games, battling today after being tied ... we've done a lot, a tremendous amount of growth, and we're gonna continue to get better."
But have they done well enough thus far to allow Roberts to get a seventh year on the sidelines as the team's head coach? That's the question everyone is waiting to have answered.
St. John's may have a shot at the NIT, but will likely have to contend with the likes of Connecticut, Cincinnati, South Florida and Seton Hall for a bid, and it's hard to imagine the Big East getting five teams into the 32-team field – especially when you consider at least several bids are already handed out to teams that won their conference's regular season title and failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament by winning their conference tournament.
That may mean that the last game St. John's plays under Roberts came today, when the Red Storm did what they always do for Roberts – they played extremely hard for 40 minutes, and didn't quit. It may not translate into Roberts getting a chance to carry on with the several juniors he has on the team for next year, but it wasn't lost on his opponent yesterday, Marquette head coach Buzz Williams.
"I told Coach Roberts this before the game. I told him this after the game. I said it after we played at Carnesecca Arena. Coach Roberts doesn't get the credit he's deserving of for how hard his team plays. And not that I'm old, but I always trust our players to tell me the truth about other players. And if you were to ask our players who is the hardest-playing team in the league, they would tell you St. John's.
"I don't think teams play hard just for one another. I think they play hard for one another, and for their coach. I think that's what St. John's does. I think that's what they did yesterday, and I thought they were the hardest playing team today."
No one would argue with the fact that St. John's plays as hard as anyone, or that Roberts is as good and decent a guy as there is among the Division I college basketball head coaching ranks. But even Roberts admitted that the lack of wins in his six-year tenure – which, while it has restored credibility and respectability to a once-down-trodden program, so far has produced no NIT or NCAA appearances – could be used as a reason to replace him.
"Yeah, that's fair," Roberts said. "That's all fair. It's life, because we're paid to win games, that's the bottom line. In coaching we're paid to win games and that stuff, but you also pay the process, and that things are right and you're doing the right things. All we can do is do the right things and work really hard."
But one thing Roberts wouldn't do is use the lack of resources his program has in comparison to other schools, such as Connecticut, Syracuse and Louisville, as a crutch.
"That's life, too," he said. "It is what it is. St. John's does everything to help our program be as good as it can be.
"There are teams in our league that you could say are corporations, and there's the, we call them 'knuckle-up' teams, that you've gotta be tough (against), and we want to be one of those knuckle-up teams because that's what we are.
"That's what St. John's has always been ... a little school in Queens that works really hard."
The question now is whether that little school in Queens will allow Roberts, the native New Yorker, to keep working for them.
tbontemps@nypost.com

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St. John's walk-on gets moment his moment in the spotlight

March 10, 2010 , ι By TIM BONTEMPS

John Taubeneck grew up watching future NBA stars Richard Hamilton and Ben Gordon win national championships for head coach Jim Calhoun.But never in his wildest dreams did the the St. John’s junior... Read on

John Taubeneck grew up watching future NBA stars Richard Hamilton and Ben Gordon win national championships for head coach Jim Calhoun.
	 
But never in his wildest dreams did the the St. John’s junior walk-on think he would get a chance to dribble out the clock at the Garden against the Huskies at the end of yesterday’s 73-51 win in the Big East Tournament’s first round.
	 
“It was cool, man,” Taubeneck said. “I didn’t really expect it, playing in the Big East Tournament ... obviously we’re planning on winning as much as we can, but for us to get a lead where I could get in there was pretty fun.”
	 
The 5-foot-11 guard had never previously had a chance to play at the Garden, having only gotten in at Carnesecca Arena.
	 
“It was great,” junior forward D.J. Kennedy said of seeing Taubeneck get in the game. “With him being a walk-on, he don’t play a lot, so we’re just glad we got an opportunity in the Big East Tournament to get him some minutes.”
	 
And not just any minutes, but minutes against the team he grew up watching from his home in Salem, Mass.
	 
“Well, he told me to go in and I got excited,” he said. “I mean the fact that we’re playing UConn on a big stage like this, national television ... I’ve grown up watching UConn my whole life, and to watch them dribble the clock out against them in a 20-point win was kind of surreal.
	 
“I never would have expected it.”

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Stephenson beats Miller for ROY, tourney win

March 10, 2010 , ι By TIM BONTEMPS

Earlier yesterday afternoon, former Lincoln High star and Cincinnati freshman Lance Stephenson edged out Rutgers’ Dane Miller for the Big East’s Rookie of the Year award.Then, in the final game of... Read on

Earlier yesterday afternoon, former Lincoln High star and Cincinnati freshman Lance Stephenson edged out Rutgers’ Dane Miller for the Big East’s Rookie of the Year award.
	 
Then, in the final game of yesterday’s first round of the Big East Tournament, Stephenson managed to drive by Miller, get fouled and make one of two foul shots to give Cincinnati a 69-68 win.
	 
“It was a goal, but I didn’t try to put pressure on myself,” Stephenson said of winning the award. “I just try to win the game, try to get my teammates involved, try to be positive.
	 
“I’m not surprised (that I won) ... I think I worked hard. I get in the gym a lot, and I think I deserve it. I think anybody who works hard and tries to show everybody that they’re one of the best players, they deserve this award.”
	 
Stephenson used all of his 6-foot-5 frame to get past Miller and get to the rim, where he was fouled by Rutgers senior center Hamady N’Daiye. He made the first free throw, and intentionally missed the second, which all but ran out the final
	 
“Lance Stephenson is a great player,” Rutgers coach Fred Hill said. “He has a lot of talent. I really thought that he probably had his best four games when we watched him on film, the last four at the end of the season. Like most freshmen, there was a little bit of up and down throughout the course of the year.”
	 
What I thought Dane did for us, I thought he was extremely consistent throughout the whole Big East season, and in fact maybe even kept getting better and better and better as the whole year went on,” Hill said.
	 
“So, you know, they did a great job, and give them credit. (Stephenson) got to the free throw line, got a foul, and he made a big free throw.”
	 
When he was asked what it would take to make the tournament before the game started, Stephenson didn’t hesitate, saying he thought the Bearcats needed three wins – in other words, to reach the tournament’s semifinals – to have a chance.
	 
“Of course,” he said when asked if his team was capable of doing that. “Anything’s possible.”

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Big East announces All-Conference Teams

March 07, 2010 , ι Tim Bontemps

The Big East announced its all-conference teams this afternoon, and Scottie Reynolds looks like the favorite to win conference player of the year honors.The 16 coaches voted to determine the three... Read on

The Big East announced its all-conference teams this afternoon, and Scottie Reynolds looks like the favorite to win conference player of the year honors.
	 
The 16 coaches voted to determine the three all-conference teams (as well as three honorable mentions), and the all-rookie team. Reynolds, who has starred this season as the point guard and senior leader for Villanova, was the only unanimous first-team selection, which would lead me to beleve he'll be the one taking home the hardware. The list had a distinct metropolitan flavor, as seven of the conference's top 19 players come from the Tri-state area.
	 
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Leading the way for the Big East's All-Rookie Team was, not surprisingly, former Lincoln High standout Lance Stephenson, who, along with Rutgers' Dane Miller was a unanimous selection. It's been thought for some time that the conference Rookie of the Year would be one of those two players, and that seems to be all but a certainty now.
	 
The major conference individual awards (coach of the year, player of the year, rookie of the year and scholar-athlete of the year) will be handed out after the afternoon session of the Big East Tournament's first round Tuesday.
	 
Here is the complete list (* denotes a unanimous selection).
	 
 
	 
ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM
	 
Greg Monroe, Georgetown, C, So., 6-11, 247, New Orleans, La.
	 
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame, F, Sr., 6-8, 255, Schererville, Ind.
	 
Dominique Jones, USF, G, Jr., 6-4, 205, Lake Wales, Fla.
	 
Wes Johnson, Syracuse, F, Jr., 6-7, 205, Corsicana, Texas
	 
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova, G, Sr., 6-2, 190, Herndon, Va. *
	 
Da’Sean Butler, West Virginia, F, Sr., 6-7, 225, Newark, N.J.
	 

	 
ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM
	 
Austin Freeman, Georgetown, G, Jr., 6-4, 237, Mitchelville, Md.
	 
Lazar Hayward, Marquette, F, Sr., 6-6, 225, Buffalo, N.Y.
	 
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh, G, So., 6-2, 190, Scotch Plains, N.J.
	 
Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall, G, Jr., 6-5, 185, Bronx, N.Y.
	 
Andy Rautins, Syracuse, G, Sr., 6-5, 195, Jamesville, N.Y.
	 

	 
ALL-BIG EAST THIRD TEAM
	 
Jerome Dyson, Connecticut, G, Sr., 6-3, 190, Potomac, Md.
	 
Kemba Walker, Connecticut, G, So., 6-1, 172, Bronx, N.Y.
	 
Samardo Samuels, Louisville, F, So., 6-9, 260, Trelawny, Jamaica
	 
Corey Fisher, Villanova, G, Jr., 6-1, 200, Bronx, N.Y.
	 
Devin Ebanks, West Virginia, F, So., 6-9, 210, Long Island City, N.Y.
	 

	 
BIG EAST HONORABLE MENTION
	 
Jimmy Butler, Marquette, F, Jr., 6-6, 215, Tomball, Texas
	 
Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame, F, Jr., 6-8, 232, Unionville, Conn.
	 
Jamine Peterson, Providence, F, So., 6-6, 230, Brooklyn, N.Y.
	 

	 
BIG EAST ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
	 
Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati, G, Fr., 6-5, 210, Brooklyn, N.Y. *
	 
Alex Oriakhi, Connecticut, F/C, Fr., 6-9, 240, Lowell, Mass.
	 
Vincent Council, Providence, G, Fr., 6-2, 180, Brooklyn, N.Y.
	 
Dane Miller, Rutgers, F, Fr., 6-7, 210, Henrietta, N.Y. *
	 
Brandon Triche, Syracuse, G, Fr., 6-4, 198, Jamesville, N.Y.
	 
Maalik Wayns, Villanova, G, Fr., 6-1, 185, Philadelphia, Pa.
	 
 
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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How the Big East Tournament field looks today

March 05, 2010 , ι Tim Bontemps

With the Big East Tournament set to tip off in less than four days, we're getting closer and closer to knowing the exact order of the field. Here is how things look heading into this weekend's games... Read on

2. Villanova

3. West Virginia

4. Pittsburgh

5. Marquette

6. Louisville

7. Notre Dame

8. Georgetown

9. South Florida

10. Seton Hall

11. Cincinnati

12. Connecticut

13. Rutgers

14. St. John's

15. Providence

16. DePaul

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If this order stays the same through this weekend's games, here is how the tournament will shape up next week:

Double-Byes: Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia, Pittsburgh

Byes: Marquette, Louisville, Notre Dame, Georgetown

First Round matchups:

South Florida-DePaul

Seton Hall-Providence

Cincinnati-St. John's

Connecticut-Rutgers

Analysis: The Big East will be thrilled to get all three local teams playing on the tournament's opening night - a sure way to help crowds on what likely could be a slow day at the ticket office. It also will be happy to see Connecticut - which incredibly looks like it will enter the tournament with a double-digit seed - which always draws a huge crowd.
	 
Without question, though, the marquee matchup, if things break down this way, will be Lance Stephenson, who Norm Roberts long pursued to come play for St. John's, returning to the Garden with Cincinnati to play against the Red Storm. St. John's escaped with a close victory in the team's first meeting at the Garden earlier this season, and this one would likely go down to the wire, as well.

Second Round matchups:

South Florida/DePaul vs. Georgetown

Seton Hall/Providence vs. Notre Dame

Cincinnati/St. John's vs. Louisville

Connecticut/Rutgers vs. Marquette

Analysis: If the favorites win out on Tuesday, there would be some fascinating second round matchups - all of which would have a huge bearing on how many bids the Big East will get to the NCAA tournament. Heading into the tournament, the top seven seeds (Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Marquette, Louisville and Marquette) all should make the field of 65. That leaves Notre Dame, South Florida, Connecticut, Seton Hall and Cincinnati all with winnable games that would greatly enhance their at-large credentials. And if you look at the potential second round matchups (USF-Notre Dame, UConn-Georgetown, Seton Hall/Louisville and Cincinnati Marquette), there's no reason to think the underdog couldn't win each of those games. If that were to happen, it could really become a wild week, and as many as 12 teams could be sitting around the television on Selection Sunday with a legitimate claim to being an NCAA Tournament team.

Quarterfinals:

South Florida/DePaul/Georgetown vs. Syracuse

Seton Hall/Providence/Notre Dame vs. Villanova

Cincinnati/St. John's/Louisville vs. West Virginia

Connecticut/Rutgers/Marquette vs. Pittsburgh

Analysis: If things play out this way, we'd be in for some fascinating quarterfinal matchups at the Garden. How about Syracuse against its arch-rival, Georgotown? Villanova against Seton Hall or Notre Dame? West Virginia against Louisville or Cincinnati? Pittsburgh against Marquette or Connecticut? I'd sign up to see any (and all)  of those.

However it shakes out, it's sure to be a wild week at MSG. I'll keep revising this breakdown over the next few days, as the field begins to shake itself out as the Big East finishes its final weekend of competition.

tbontemps@nypost.com

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Fordham finishes season winless in conference play with loss to Duquesne

March 05, 2010 , ι Tim Bontemps

Fordham's season-long nightmare has finally come to an end.The Rams finished their miserable season this afternoon with a 111-100 loss to the Duquesne Dukes on Senior Day. The loss dropped Fordham to... Read on

Fordham's season-long nightmare has finally come to an end.
	 
The Rams finished their miserable season this afternoon with a 111-100 loss to the Duquesne Dukes on Senior Day. The loss dropped Fordham to 2-28 on the season, and to 0-16 in Atlantic 10 play.
	 
Senior Brenton Butler paced the Rams in his final game in a Fordham uniform with 29 points, while sure-fire A-10 Rookie of the Year Chris Gaston had yet another impressive game, finishing with 21 points and 18 rebounds. Alberto Estwick added 20 points and six rebounds, while Lance Brown added 18 points and nine boards.
	 
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Melquan Bolding led the Dukes (16-14, 7-9 A-10) with 32 points, while Eric Evans had 23 points and 10 assists and Bill Evans had 20 points and 10 rebounds.
	 
While Fordham's season has come to a close, Duquesne will now move on to the A-10 Tournament. They likely will be the ninth seed in the tourney, and will travel to St. Bonaventure to take on the likely eighth-seeded Bonnies Monday in the tournament's first round.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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My "Jerome" Selections

March 03, 2010 , ι Tim Bontemps

While most college basketball fans around here are simply prepping for the Big East Tournament next week, I'm sweating out the Atlantic Sun quarterfinals today, which already saw a large upset (co-regular season champ Lipscomb falling to Kennesaw State in the quarterfinals).
	 
Why? Because I have an entry in the ninth annual "Jerome" pool, which consists of picking the winners of each of the 30 college basketball conference tournaments (there are 31 conferences that earn automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament, but the Ivy League doesn't have a conference tournament; the regular season champion gets the conference's automatic bid instead).
	 
Why is it called the Jerome?
	 Because of this dunk(long-time Big East fans should remember it well).
	 
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So here are the first half of my selections (because the rest of the conference tournaments don't begin until next week, the rest of them aren't due until Monday). I'll be sure to post those predictions here, as well.
	 
America East – Vermont
	 
Atlantic Sun – Belmont
	 
Big Sky – Weber State
	 
Big South – Coastal Carolina
	 
Colonial Athletic – Old Dominion
	 
Horizon – Butler
	 
Metro Atlantic – Siena
	 
Mid-American – Kent State
	 
Missouri Valley – Northern Iowa
	 
Northeast – Robert Morris
	 
Ohio Valley – Murray State
	 
Patriot – Lafayette
	 
Southern – Appalachian State
	 
Summit – Oakland
	 
Sun Belt – Western Kentucky
	 
West Coast – Gonzaga
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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The current field for the Big East Tournament

March 03, 2010 , ι Tim Bontemps

Now that we're less than a week away from next week's Big East Tournament, we can really begin to take a hard look at how the bracket is beginning to shape up. Here are the current rankings of each team in the conference:
	 
1. Syracuse
	 
2. Villanova
	 
3. West Virginia
	 
4. Pittsburgh
	 
5. Marquette
	 
6. Louisville
	 
7. Georgetown
	 
8. Notre Dame
	 
9. South Florida
	 
10. Connecticut
	 
11. Seton Hall
	 
12. Cincinnati
	 
13. Rutgers
	 
14. St. John's
	 
15. Providence
	 
16. DePaul
	 
If this order stays the same through this weekend's games, here is how the tournament will shape up next week:
	 
Double-Byes: Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia, Pittsburgh
	 
Byes: Marquette, Louisville, Georgetown, Notre Dame
	 
First Round matchups:
	 
	 
South Florida-DePaul
	 
Connecticut-Providence
	 
Seton Hall-St. John's
	 
Cincinnati-Rutgers
	 
Analysis: What needs to be analyzed? There is only one matchup here that anyone should look at: Seton Hall vs. St. John's. Since arriving at Seton Hall from Manhattan, Bobby Gonzalez has loudly complained about the fact that Seton Hall should be playing against St. John's at the Garden, rather than at Carnesecca Arena on St. John's campus. Now, he gets his chance to play the Johnnies at MSG, and on the biggest stage possible - the 7 p.m. game on the first night of the tournament. Following that up with Lance Stephenson returning to the Garden once again to take on Rutgers, and the first night would be a heck of a lot of fun.
	 
	 
Second Round matchups:
	 
	 
South Florida/DePaul vs. Notre Dame
	 
Connecticut/Providence vs. Georgetown
	 
Seton Hall/St. John's vs. Louisville
	 
Cincinnati/Rutgers vs. Marquette
	 
Analysis: If the favorites win out on Tuesday, there would be some fascinating second round matchups - all of which would have a huge bearing on how many bids the Big East will get to the NCAA tournament. Heading into the tournament, the top seven seeds (Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Marquette, Louisville and Marquette) all should make the field of 65. That leaves Notre Dame, South Florida, Connecticut, Seton Hall and Cincinnati all with winnable games that would greatly enhance their at-large credentials. And if you look at the potential second round matchups (USF-Notre Dame, UConn-Georgetown, Seton Hall/Louisville and Cincinnati Marquette), there's no reason to think the underdog couldn't win each of those games. If that were to happen, it could really become a wild week, and as many as 12 teams could be sitting around the television on Selection Sunday with a legitimate claim to being an NCAA Tournament team.
	 
	 
Quarterfinals:
	 
South Florida/DePaul/Notre Dame vs. Syracuse
	 
Connecticut/Providence/Georgetown vs. Villanova
	 
Seton Hall/St. John's/Louisville vs. West Virginia
	 
Cincinnati/Rutgers/Marquette vs. Pittsburgh
	 
Analysis: While Syracuse should likely dominate whoever they play in the quarterfinals, each of the other three games could see some very interesting matchups. Villanova against UConn or Georgetown? West Virginia against Louisville or Seton Hall? Pittsburgh against Marquette or Cincinnati? I'd sign up to see any of those.
	 
However it shakes out, it's sure to be a wild week at MSG. I'll keep revising this breakdown over the next few days, as the field begins to shake itself out as the Big East finishes its final weekend of competition.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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Are Hill, Roberts saving their jobs?

February 15, 2010 , ι Tim Bontemps

It was a good week to be a fan of St. John's and Rutgers. The Red Storm thumped Rick Pitino and Louisville Thursday night at the Garden, and followed that up with a thrilling 69-68 victory yesterday in South Bend over Notre Dame. Meanwhile, Rutgers welcomed No. 7 Georgetown to the RAC yesterday and came away with a 71-68 victory.
	 
Rutgers has now won four out of its last five games (three out of four in Big East play), while St. John's snapped a five-game losing streak with its back-to-back wins. So the question now is, what do both teams have to do in order to save their coaches' jobs?
	 
Here is St. John's remaining schedule: home games against Seton Hall, Marquette and Pittsburgh, and road games against South Florida, Syracuse and DePaul. The Scarlet Knights' remaining schedule is a home-and-home with DePaul; a home-and-home with Seton Hall, a game at home against Connecticut and a game on the road against Pittsburgh.
	 
It may be tougher for Norm Roberts to get a seventh year in Jamaica, at least going by expectations and the schedule. With practically everyone on the team returning this season, a possible NCAA Tournament bid was expected from St. John's this year – or at least significant improvement from last year's 16-18 team (6-12 in Big East play).
	 
	 
But with a 14-10 record, and a 4-8 mark in the Big East, St. John's could have an almost identical record this year. Let's assume they get one of their home games, as well as a win at DePaul, which currently has one win in Big East play. They would finish the regular season 16-14 overall, and 6-12 again in the Big East. That would leave the Red Storm with a first-round game against someone like UConn or Providence in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and it's hard to believe that squeaking into the NIT will be enough to save Roberts – especially when he hasn't made it to either the NCAAs or NIT in his previous five years. It seems clear that St. John's is going to have to do more than a 2-4 finish in order to keep Roberts around.
	 
	 
Fred Hill, though, is looking more and more like he will be back in Piscataway next year. With a combined eight wins in his first three years in Big East play at Rutgers, Hill looked like a goner when his team started conference play 0-8 this year, and lost prized sophomore Greg Echenique for the season to injury, and later lost him completely as he transferred to Creighton.
	 
But out of nowhere, Rutgers has found their footing. With home wins against St. John's, Notre Dame and now Georgetown, the Scarlet Knights have positioned themselves to see a significant increase in their wins from last season. With two games against hapless DePaul, as well as an always intense home-and-home with Seton Hall, on the docket, it wouldn't be shocking to see Rutgers finish with six Big East wins. That would leave them in an almost identical situation to St. John's, being 16-15 overall and 6-12 in the Big East.
	 
But given the fact that Rutgers is younger, and expectations for the Scarlet Knights were much lower, Hill would be in a lot stronger position to get another year – not to mention the fact that he still has three years left on his contract, which makes an even stronger argument for him to stick around, given the economic climate.
	 
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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BRIAN LEWIS With the Post since 1998, Brian Lewis has covered the World Series, NBA Finals, Final Four, NFL playoffs, NYC Marathon, U.S. Open, World Cup, bowl games, and more than a thousand baseball games, including two perfect games at Yankee Stadium. He’s a Rutgers grad, class of 1990.

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