SPORTS

Setting the dance card

Athletes with local ties enter this year’s NCAA Tournament with the high expectations of being the last team standing in Indianapolis.

By Bill Gelman
Add Comment Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Mar. 18, 2010

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Jason Love, an All-Atlantic 10 selection, hopes to wrap up his college career at Xavier with a strong showing in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Prep Charter grads Marcus and Markieff Morris know what it’s like being Public League and PIAA state champions. Come April 5, the sophomore twins, now playing for the University of Kansas, hope to add NCAA champions to their basketball resumés.

When the field of 65 was announced Sunday, the brothers learned their squad was the overall No. 1 seed (Midwest Region). The Jayhawks’ opening-round game is 8:40 tonight against Patriot League champions Lehigh in Oklahoma City. The winner advances to Saturday’s second-round action.

Marcus, who has started 31 of 34 games, spoke about his team’s seeding following the announcement.

“To us, it really didn’t matter. We knew we were going to be No. 1 after we won [the Big 12 Championship Saturday]. After the season, it just matters who goes out and plays and wins,” the forward, who is averaging 12.3 points and 6.1 rebounds a contest, said.

Markieff, a center, also has been a key reserve with his 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds a night.

In Saturday’s Big 12 championship, in which Kansas defeated Kansas State 72-64, Marcus led all scorers with 18 points to go along with eight rebounds.

Neumann-Goretti grads Rick Jackson and Scoop Jardine are ready to help Syracuse live up to its high expectations as the West Region’s No. 1 seed. The Orange open the Big Dance tomorrow in Buffalo against No. 16 Vermont. The winner moves on to face either Gonzaga or Florida State.

Jackson, a junior forward who has started all 32 games, is averaging 10 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. Jardine, a sophomore guard, was recently named the Sporting News Sixth Man of the Year for his efforts as a reserve. He is averaging 8.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists through 32 contests.

 

Closer to home, at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, South Philadelphia High grad Ramone Moore did a little celebrating Sunday afternoon after his Temple Owls defeated the Richmond Spiders, 56-52, for a third-straight Atlantic 10 championship. Moore — the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year — logged 24 minutes and finished with 12 points in Sunday’s title match. His squad has departed for Jacksonville, Fla., for tomorrow’s 12:30 p.m. tip against No. 12 and Ivy League champ Cornell. The winner returns to action Sunday against the Wisconsin/Wofford winner.

Although his squad fell in the semifinals to Temple, Jason Love, of 22nd and Tasker streets, and his Xavier Musketeers are going dancing again as the West Region’s No. 6 seed and head to Milwaukee for tomorrow’s opening-round tilt against No. 11 Minnesota (11:25 a.m.) The winner advances to face the Pittsburgh/BYU winner.

Love, a Third Team all-conference selection, leads his squad in rebounding (8.6 per game) and ranks second in scoring (11.9 per game).

Although his La Salle Explorers missed the postseason, Prep Charter grad Rodney Green closed out his college career with a selection to the Sporting News’ All-Atlantic 10 First Team. He led the Explorers with an 18.5 scoring average, ranking third in the conference, to go along with 5.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game in his final campaign. Green ends his career ninth on the all-time points (1,914) and assists (390) lists at La Salle. He was named to the All-A-10 Second Team by the league’s head coaches.

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