Little brother fights back … Big 5 update

by Jason Weisbecker

Thursday December 3, 2009 

Little brother fights back … Big 5 update thumbnail

Did you ever compete against a younger brother growing up?

Time after time you would beat your younger sibling in whatever challenge was on the table. Whether it was backyard whiffle ball or eating Oreos, you always had the upper hand. Sure there were time’s when you let you brother almost win (kinda cruel wasn’t it?), but by the events end you always got the upper hand. After all, that’s what being the big brother is all about.

I was reminded of that this week watching the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. It is an event that features 11 teams from the ACC taking on 11 teams from the Big Ten. For the last 10 years it has been big brother picking on little brother year after year. There were times when little brother got close and may have fooled some into thinking he had a chance, but in the end it never developed. Coming in to this season the ACC was 10-0 in the event.

Then something funny happened. On Wednesday Wisconsin took down mighty Duke to give the Big Ten a 6-5 win his season, their first such in the rivalry.

At last a victory for little brother.

Will it last? Probably not. The ACC may just go on and win the next ten vents. But for one day, little brother stands tall.

 Now an update on the Big 5:

 La Salle (3-2): The Explorers have performed about as well as expected thus far, getting nice wins over Davidson and Tulane, and holding their own against a much better Villanova team, before fading in the second half. Rodney Green has given the team a consistent low post threat, providing 17 points and seven rebounds a game.

 Penn (0-4): Off to the worst start in the Big 5, Penn has had trouble on offense, scoring over 65 just once. That came in a tough 97-95 overtime loss to Drexel. The team has a shot at its first win on Friday when it takes on Navy (3-4).

 Saint Joseph’s (3-3): It’s been an uneven season for the Hawks, who have dropped three straight after a hot start. Things don’t look to get any easier for St. Joe as it faces a Cornell team that is 6-2 and Villanova in its next two contests. The Hawks do have balance, with four players averaging between 10.3 and 12.5 ppg.

 Temple (5-2): Fran Dunphy has his team off to a fast start, though the Owls have not knocked off anyone that would be considered a quality opponent. Their best showing (at least credibility wise) might have been a loss, when they led Georgetown for much of the fourth quarter before falling by one. As expected, Ryan Brooks is leading the team in scoring with 13.6 per game.

 Villanova (7-0): After a couple of close wins in the first week of the season, the Wildcats appear to have hit their stride. Led by Scottie Reynolds (13.9 ppg) Villanova has risen to No. 3 in the rankings and is a favorite to get to the Final Four. Their first big test may not come until Jan. 2 when they open Big East play against Marquette.

Filed Under Big 5

Comments

Got something to say?