Mighty Big East = No Show

Submitted by Michigan4Life on

The Big East widely considered to be the best conference in the country didn't show up for the NCAA tournament. No more than 3 Big East teams will advance to Sweet 16.  Big Ten has a legitimate shot of getting 3 teams(OSU, Purdue and Wisconsin) making it to the final 4.  Big 10 are 6-2 in the NCAA tourney so far. The so called mighty Big East are 8-6(including Cincy/UConn game) for the tournament.

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PhillipFulmersPants

March 20th, 2011 at 10:17 AM ^

your opinion but it's teams who slow it down like Wisco that tend to dictate tempo. Teams who play them typically can't do much about increasing the number of possessions and playing and play a run and gun game. They don't turn it over (= fewer transition opportunities) and they play good transition D when they miss shots. As you say, it's a good tourney style of play. In my opinion one of the reasons why it's effective in march is because they don't have to adjust to someone else's style of play, no matter what the conferenc . Granted it's not all that pretty at times.

Joined: 01/06/2009

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MGoChippewa

March 20th, 2011 at 12:40 AM ^

Taking the 3 teams that finished ahead of Michigan in the Big10 this year, that means Michigan would have to be better than one of these teams: Pitt, Notre Dame, UConn, St. Johns, Syracuse(who we lost to), in order to be 8th in your hypothetical conference combo.  That's not to mention Louisville, West Virginia, Cincy and Georgetown, all of whom could have an argument for being better than Michigan.  Would you like to re-think your stance?

Joined: 01/06/2011

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Champ Kind

March 20th, 2011 at 9:15 AM ^

They possibly could have two more teams if they didn't play each other, but they could also have two less.  At this point, it looks like they need to play each other to move on.  I think having two out of the four move on is as good as they would do if they didn't play each other.  They way that conference looks, 1-3 would be the next most likely. 

Joined: 01/02/2009

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SFBlue

March 20th, 2011 at 12:13 AM ^

Weird conference.  UCONN somehow lost 9 conference games, and they may be the best team.  Terrific backcourt, including one of the five best overall players in college basketball (Kemba Walker).

Joined: 11/02/2009

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soup-er-UM

March 20th, 2011 at 12:19 AM ^

The Big East's reputation was built on beating out of conference schools during the non-conference portion of the season.  The tournament is predictable, but i don't think Virginia Tech, Boston College, Harvard, Colorado, etc. deserved to make the tournament over the teams from the Big East that did.

Joined: 01/08/2011

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Blue Bunny Friday

March 20th, 2011 at 2:41 PM ^

Pitt

  • 2 point win vs. Texas
  • Lost by 7 to Tenn

Georgetown

  • 2OT win over Mizzou
  • Big win @Memphis
  • Loss @Temple

Cuse

  • 3 point win over early-season M
  • Blew out MSU
  • NOTHING ELSE

Nova

  • Temple @Home by 4
  • 10-point loss to Tenn
  • UCLA by 12

LVille

  • Butler
  • UNLV
  • Loss to UK

ND (decent resume)

  • Wisc
  • Gonz
  • Georgia in 2OT
  • Blown out by UK

UCONN (Very Good)

  • 3-pt win over MSU
  • UK by 17
  • Harvard
  • 1-pt OT win @Texas

I'm stopping here. UCONN looks like the best team of the bunch. They won the BE tourney and have looked solid thus far. ND earned their rep (not a 2-seed!). Most other teams dragged in a lot of preseason hype or benefitted from the overall conference hype.

Joined: 05/01/2009

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JBE

March 20th, 2011 at 7:48 PM ^

My point being that the BE is considered one of the best conferences year in and year out because they have proved it in the non-conference and otherwise over the last few years. Hence, the respect and media love. Also, they put a ton of players in the NBA, so people assume they have a bunch of talent, and they do, more than any other conference.

Joined: 08/18/2008

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Cope

March 20th, 2011 at 12:52 AM ^

In the last 20 years, how many different schools of the so highly rated Big East have made the Final Four? Four. How many different schools from the Big Ten? Nine. How's that for dominance and depth...

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I Blue Myself

March 20th, 2011 at 1:48 AM ^

By my count, in the last 20 tournaments (beginning with 1991), the Big Ten has had 7 teams in the final four, with 15 total appearances and one national championship (marked with asterisk):

Michigan: 1992, 1993

Indiana, 1992, 2002

Minnesota: 1997 (I had completely forgotten they got there, if I ever knew it)

MSU: 1999, 2000*, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2010 (credit where credit is due)

OSU: 1999, 2007

Wisconsin: 2000

Illinois: 2005

Purdue and Iowa both made their most recent Final Four appearance in 1980.  Penn State 1954, Northwestern never, of course.

Also, to be fair, both Michigan and Minnesota later had their appearances vacated.

The Big East has had 6 of its current members join the conference, but only four while they were members of the Big East, with 9 total appearances and 3 national championships.

Syracuse: 1996, 2003*

UConn: 1999*, 2004*, 2009

Marquette: 2003 (prior to joining conference)

Louisville: 2005 (prior to joining conference)

Georgetown: 2007

Villanova: 2009

I think I'd give the Big East credit for all six, because the comparison is about the current depth of the conference, measured by the current members' recent success.  If you want to say they only have four, you could also say the Big Ten only has five because Minnesota and Michigan had to vacate appearances.

Even if you give the Big East full credit, they still have only 6 out of 16 teams, and 9 appearances, while the Big Ten has 7 of 11 teams, and 15 appearances.  Of course, the Big East gets the nod with 3 championships by two different teams.

Apparently, I need to get out more.

 

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Cope

March 20th, 2011 at 3:45 PM ^

for the clarification.

Certainly three championships to one is advantage Big East. But 15 total Final Four appearances by 11 Big Ten teams to 9 Final Four appearances by 16 current Big East teams has their number.

If depth is based on historic teams' tournament successes, I'd say we're on top.

Joined: 10/07/2010

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tenerson

March 20th, 2011 at 2:48 AM ^

Ah, yes, trying to make sense of the NCAA tournament. It's a lost cause each and every year, especially before the tournament isn't even over. The whole thing doesn't make sense. That's what makes it so great.

Joined: 10/04/2009

MGoPoints: 2371

bronxblue

March 20th, 2011 at 8:52 AM ^

I have always felt that the BE benefitted from all their teams beating each other up as the season progressed. It is kind of like a positive feedback loop - everyone keeps getting "big time" wins over each other, and so the collective view of the conference improves despite the zero-sum nature of the actual games.
<br>Still, the BE is a good bball conference, but just a little overrated.

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Bosch

March 20th, 2011 at 9:32 AM ^

UConn and Cinci played last night, as you pointed out, and Marquette and Syracuse play tonight.  Two guaranteed in but two guaranteed out.

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the_white_tiger

March 20th, 2011 at 11:03 AM ^

Exactly. When ESPN has exclusive TV rights to SEC football and Big East basketball, they slobber all over them. "Who are the best teams in the country, Mr. Bilas?" "I don't see any teams that are playing better than UConn and Pitt at this point, Rece." "Just a reminder, ESPN is televising that game at seven eastern time tonight. Purdue and Ohio State? We don't have any information that that game is happening."

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the_white_tiger

March 20th, 2011 at 1:39 PM ^

They do show quite a few, but the BTN takes up most of the games and at least one or two marquee games per week. The Big East's games are always shown on the Big East Network (which is owned by ESPN IIRC), so they never have an issue of missing out on a game. ESPN can show good Big Ten games, but Wisconssin-OSU in Madison was on the BTN this year, for example.

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ixcuincle

March 20th, 2011 at 11:52 PM ^

As much as I want to defend the BE, when the crown jewels of Pitt and ND are taken out in the "3rd round", it's just a massive disappointing for this conference which was anointed as "the best".

At least Pitt showed up. ND pretty much was hammered the whole game by FSU. Never thought I'd see an ACC team dominate which wasn't named Duke or UNC.

As weak as the BE has looked in this tournament, 2 teams stand out. Marquette and UConn are damn dangerous teams that are red-hot. You dont' want any part of them, especially Kemba.

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Medic

March 21st, 2011 at 1:18 AM ^

Looked even WORSE today. Good god, Barkley was killing them and rightfully so. They never deserved 11 teams, 7 teams...maybe.

The only two teams left are the ones that were supposed to make an early exit due to fatigue, so much for that.

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