OT: The Big East is Earning Respect

[Swaggs]

With UCONN and Notre Dame (ugh) moving into the Sweet 16 and highly seeded Syracuse (deserved a 2 seed) and Pittsburgh playing tomorrow, the Big East is 6-0.

Time for some respect to the Big East. Boston College obviously belonged--probably as an 8 or 9 seed, and Seton Hall probably should have snuck in as one of the last four or six teams admitted.

What exactly to the Pac 10, Big 10, Big 12, and to a lesser extent, SEC and ACC bring to the table that the Big East does not? I am not saying that the Big East is better than any of these conferences, but why no respect?

We have our share of outstanding pros (Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, Alonzo Mourning) and have been represented in the Final Four, both recently and historically. Any thoughts?


P.S. Marmel, sorry in advance if I just jinxed Syracuse. :)

[Marmel]

I agree, this year could be big for the Big East. The two teams playing tomorrow are favored, and if they advance, 25% of the Sweet 16 will be Big East teams, and the BE will be 8-0.

The lack of respect comes from the lack of Big East teams making the final four in the past decade.

UConn won it all in 1999.
Syracuse lost to Kentucky (comprised of 15 first round NBA picks) in 1996.

That is it since 1990. That has to change for the Big East to get the national respect it once again deserves. I would not be surprised to see 2-3 BE teams in the Final Four this year. But they have to continue that in the future.

[Swaggs]

Am I mistaken, or didn't Boston College also advance to the Final Four a few seasons ago (Jim O'Brien and Scoonie Penn lead, prior to both leaving to Ohio State)?

[Marmel]

No, I think that is the team that knocked off #1 seed UNC as an 8 seed, but they failed to advance to the Final 4.

[GoldenEagle]

I thought the Big East was overrated. Ill give them credit.

I still hope Pitt gets beat.

[aquavit]

This was supposed to be a off year for the Big East yet again it's mowing through the competition.

[henry296]

Originally posted by Swaggs
Am I mistaken, or didn't Boston College also advance to the Final Four a few seasons ago (Jim O'Brien and Scoonie Penn lead, prior to both leaving to Ohio State)?

Nope, it was after leaving BC. They made it with Ohio State.

Todd

[tucker342]

I don't know much about the Big East, but it seems like the conference doesn't have much depth. They have great teams up top, but the real indicator is the level of the teams at the bottom. But I admit that the Big East is becoming one of the best basketball conferences in the nation.

[Marmel]

Pitt is about to make the BE 7-0. Hopefully the 'Cuse can keep it going.

[MrBug708]

Isn't half the Big East in the NIT as well?

It'll be sad to see Howland come to UCLA though, for the Big East that is

[Swaggs]

Villanova, Boston College, Providence, Georgetown, St. John's, and Seton Hall all made the NIT, with all but Villanova and St. John's advancing to the second round.

I just think it is absurd that Boston College, who finished 10-6 in the Big East, was left out of the NCAA and some of the the teams from "power conferences" get teams in that cannot even finish over .500 in their own conferences (Indian @ 8-8, Auburn and LSU @ 8-8). If you don't have a winning record in your own conference, can you really be considered one of the elite teams in the country?

[aquavit]

Originally posted by tucker342
I don't know much about the Big East, but it seems like the conference doesn't have much depth. They have great teams up top, but the real indicator is the level of the teams at the bottom. But I admit that the Big East is becoming one of the best basketball conferences in the nation.

The only really crap teams in the Big East are Virginia Tech and West Virginia. Even my Mountaineers still beat Florida this year!

[Marmel]

8-0!

Go Cuse.

[Radii]

As a major Big East detractor I must say they've earned my respect so far. They've got to keep it going and put a team in the final four though.

I think a big reason for the lack of respect is the traditionally weak non-conference scheduling, and the fact that the highest ranked big east team for most of the season had a laughable non-conference schedule. John Thompson was the worst about this and, as Marmel showed me in an earlier NCAA post Pitt was really the only horrible offender this year in this regard.

I really think though, if the power teams in the Big East would make more of an effort to schedule truly top teams early in the season the stereotype would go away quickly.