Huuuuuuuump Daaaaaaaaaay Gaaaaaaaaaame Daaaaaaaaay! And guess what, you get to listen to your best friend on the broadcast tonight. Either that or your mute buttons will get a nice workout.
Looking forward to doing @NovaMBB go at it with LaSalle tomorrow night on cbssn at 8:30! Brings back memories. Join @AndrewCatalon and me!
— Steve Lappas (@stlappas) December 2, 2014
See you tonight in the gamethread!
And now, the "news."
Former Villanova star Chris Ford named Living Legend by sports writers association
Former Villanova University basketball player Chris Ford will receive this year's Living Legend award at the 111th annual banquet of the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association.
At least for the moment, Big East basketball is back | SBNation.com
After a disappointing end to its first year as a "new" conference, no league is off to a better start in 2014-15 than the Big East.
Ask a beat writer: Getting to know Villanova - NewsAdvance.com
More about Liberty's playoff opponent Saturday, the Villanova Wildcats. Brian talked to Chris Lang about the Wildcats.
The Big East has regained its power | The Boston Globe
Villanova is the most impressive, completely dismantling the top team in the Atlantic 10, Virginia Commonwealth, 77-53, and then beating Michigan to win a tournament in Brooklyn. Butler was impressive in finishing third in the Bahamas tournament, including a first-round upset of North Carolina.
Big week for Big 5: Villanova the class of the city | Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
In what will be a huge week for city hoops, as St. Joe’s will also host Temple on Wednesday (6:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network) in the front end of a nationally televised Big 5 doubleheader and Temple will face La Salle at the Palestra on Saturday (noon, ESPNNews).
'Nova-La Salle game could set Big Five pecking order
With a national ranking of No. 10 and two victories already over top-25 teams, Villanova could be considered the choice to win the Big Five championship this season.
NCAA College Basketball Power Rankings | ESPN
Our college basketball experts rank the nation's 25 best teams. Villanova comes in at #8.
Big East Power Rankings: Villanova on top, but then what? | FOX Sports
And so we begin December after some huge and surprising Big East non-conference wins in November: Butler over fifth-ranked UNC, Creighton over 18th-ranked Oklahoma, Georgetown over 18th-ranked Florida, and DePaul over Stanford, a team that made the Sweet 16 a year ago.
The Month in Big East Advanced Stats: November 2014 | Big East Coast Bias
Christopher Novak attempts to be like Corollary and youngBUCK. In all seriousness, worth the read if you are in to advanced stats.
Georgetown basketball offers ‘student-for-a-day’ ticket package - The Washington Post
How to fill student seats during key games that take place over holiday break? The Hoyas have a new plan.
LU football notes: Rare December football - NewsAdvance.com : Chris Lang's Blog
News and notes from Tuesday's Liberty press availability.
UAB is the first FBS school to drop football since 1995 | The Sports Network
The University of Alabama at Birmingham has dropped its football program over what it says are the "fiscal realities" of rising operational costs that have placed a strain on the athletics budget and made it too hard to keep a competitive team on the field.
UAB player live-tweeted school president announcing end of football program - SBNation.com
A heartbreaking scene from Birmingham.