Every Division I tournament. Every team. College Crosse has it all on lockdown. Please send cookies and naptime. Today we're slashing to bits the Big East Tournament.

Kevin Cunningham, Will Casertano, C.J. Small, and Jack Rice. Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death.

Anyway, here's the heat on Villanova.

Villanova Wildcats: Two-Seed

For a more complete, mind-bending picture, here's a .pdf of the complete report.

Three pieces of incredibly important information from my brain to your eyes via your Internet computing machine:

Continue reading this post »

Every Division I tournament. Every team. College Crosse has it all on lockdown. Please send cookies and naptime. Today we're slashing to bits the Big East Tournament.

I'm warning you all right now: If Villanova bounces Syracuse from the Big East Tournament on Thursday, most of DeWitt is going to burn. Sorry, DeWitt. It was nice driving through you 10 years ago.

Anyway, here's the heat on Syracuse.

Syracuse Orange: Three-Seed

For a more complete, mind-bending picture, here's a .pdf of the complete report.

Three pieces of incredibly important information from my brain to your eyes via your Internet computing machine:

Continue reading this post »

Every Division I tournament. Every team. College Crosse has it all on lockdown. Please send cookies and naptime. Today we're slashing to bits the Big East Tournament.

Don't tell anyone, but I've heard that the military is currently exploring ways to weaponize and deploy Notre Dame's defense. Important scientist-types are currently experimenting with the issue as we speak. America is great, isn't it?

Anyway, here's the heat on Notre Dame.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish: One-Seed

For a more complete, mind-bending picture, here's a .pdf of the complete report.

Three pieces of incredibly important information from my brain to your eyes via your Internet computing machine:

Continue reading this post »

Every Division I tournament. Every team. College Crosse has it all on lockdown. Please send cookies and naptime. Today we're slashing to bits the Big East Tournament.

St. John's has been one of the "feel good" stories of college lacrosse this season. Unfortunately, as I'm an emotional cripple, I've written next to nothing about the Johnnies this year. Oh, well. Life is a highway.

Anyway, here's the heat on St. John's.

St. John's Something-or-Other: Four-Seed

For a more complete, mind-bending picture, here's a .pdf of the complete report.

Three pieces of incredibly important information from my brain to your eyes via your Internet computing machine:

Continue reading this post »

Every Division I tournament. Every team. College Crosse has it all on lockdown. Please send cookies and naptime. Today we're slashing to bits the Big East Tournament.

Wooaaaahhhh Nelly! This is a huge game on the bubble. The Syracuse Orange looked like they turned around their season against Princeton early in April. Or maybe the week after when they trashed Rutgers. Well, they're on a two game Big East losing streak after losing to Georgetown and Notre Dame. Villanova looked like a sure at-large... that is until they lost to Providence last weekend. Now this game between the Orange and the Wildcats sets up as an elimination game, with the winner having a slim chance of getting an at-large but realistically needing to win the tournament. The loser, it's all but certain, will not be playing any more lacrosse this season after the completion of the game. Here's a look at how both teams break down.

Every Division I tournament. Every team. College Crosse has it all on lockdown. Please send cookies and naptime. Today we're slashing to bits the Big East Tournament.

Sorry guys, we were only able to rent out CBS' crew and music and slogans for two stories. That stuff gets really expensive quick. On the brighter side, we've still got infographics and analytics to post! Here's a look at the matchup between Notre Dame, who's playing for a 1-seed in the NCAAs, and St. John's, who's looking to continue their season

Every Division I tournament. Every team. College Crosse has it all on lockdown. Please send cookies and naptime. Today we're slashing to bits the Big East Tournament.

A TRADITION UNLIKE ANY OTHER

via thekendallvilleopen.files.wordpress.com

"Welcome back to College Crosse's coverage of lacrosse's most storied battle... The Big East Tournament! Let's now take a close look at the teams participating in this legendary tournament.

At the #1 seed, we have the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame

At the #2 seed, the host team, the Wildcats out of Villanova

After the jump, we've got a look at Syracuse and St. John's so don't go anywhere"

Continue reading this post »

Every Division I tournament. Every team. College Crosse has it all on lockdown. Please send cookies and naptime. Today we're slashing to bits the Big East Tournament.

Remember that time when the Big East didn't have an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament? Yes? Good, because it was actually "all the time that wasn't now." Those were crazy days, I tell you. Syracuse was out there, decimating the lacrosse universe. St. John's didn't have a program for stretches of that time, which is kind of like a 30 year-old telling a young sapling about snap bracelets. Villanova was kind of hanging out in THUNDERDOME!, just waiting for that unemployment check to roll in. And Notre Dame was noticeable, but it wasn't like they were wearing reds and yellows and screaming for a date.

Now, we're living in a different kind of America. Everyone has Notre Dame's number and wants to take them out on Saturday night. St. John's is trying to run for class treasurer and Villanova is writing some interesting things in medical journals and speaking at important conferences. Then there is Syracuse, which barely had enough gas in the bus to make it to town and are trying to bum a carburetor from a garage to even compete in the race. These are strange days, people.

Fancy infographics and detailed team profiles will follow, but for now, here's an overview of the 2012 Big East Tournament that you can study non-stop until your eyes bleed. Everything gets moving with the NCAA's newest "Well, my Mom said I had to invite you" auto-bid recipient on May 3, 2012.

CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT: BIG EAST

Notre Dame is likely a strong favorite in this thing -- I mean, there's a reason that defensive sieges strangle the life out of the attritioned -- but with two teams fighting for their NCAA Tournament lives (Villanova and Syracuse), frantic, motivated play from either team could unseat the Irish from the top of the mountain. The Wildcats and Orange both need wins like Mr. Body needs your lungs, and their clash on Thursday evening should be as hectic as a convict heading for the fence and smelling freedom. St. John's played Notre Dame fairly close at MetLife Stadium earlier in the season and while a Red Storm defeat of the Irish would be shocking -- and a welcomed circumstance for either Villanova or Syracuse as a finalist opponent -- it's not a total impossibility. There are compelling storylines throughout this tournament, but all are somewhat muted by one fact: Notre Dame's defense isn't going to let anyone score a damn thing.

Here's how each team stacks up in some legacy metrics:

The Irish are clearly the class of the participants, but when seasons are on the line, prior performance is only a buoy marker and not necessarily port.

Here's the shakedown on the big offensive weapons taking the field this weekend:

T.O.V. = Total Offensive Value (individual points per 100 offensive possessions). This is updated through all games played by April 29, 2012.
Rank = National T.O.V. rank. This is updated through all games played by April 29, 2012.

So, that's your overview. Who are you taking to take home top honors?