When did you know the season was over?

[WarhawkWarrior]

I knew the season was over when the fair weather fans no longer cared to cheer for their team.  Sad.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Think this one's more based in perception than reality.

The 2015 Big East — not the mythical "Big East" of Patrick Ewing and Carmelo Anthony, nor some hypothetical Frankenstein-inspired Big East/AAC creation — is ranked #2 in the country for conference RPI.

Villanova is 27-2 and ranked ahead of the best teams in the Big Ten (Wisconsin), Pac-10 (Arizona) and Big 12 (Kansas), respectively.

With tournament time just around the corner, most sources predict 6 NCAA bids for the Big East. That's 6 out of 10 conference teams making the field of 68. How is that less impressive than the Big Ten sending 7 of 14 teams? Or the ACC sending 6 of 15 teams? And how does that possibly qualify as mid-major?

I'll grant you that there aren't a lot of big-name players beyond Kris Dunn, Chris Objekpa and Josh Smith. But there's a lot of talent in this league. Come tournament time, chances are that others will be making names for themselves.

My advice: stop pining for what the Big East used to be. It used to be a highly unstable conference that pull all its chips on football and lost big-time when school after school — including BC, Louisville, Miami, ND, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, VT, WV — left for greener pastures.

The current Big East is a great basketball conference with a strong foundation and a bright future. It doesn't have to try to be the ACC or the Big Ten. In today's chaotic college athletics landscape, I wouldn't want Marquette anywhere else.

Nice post, and I agree. I'd be lying if I told you that IF a few basketball only schools (say Nova, Gtown and Marquette) were invited to the Big 10, ACC or even the Big 12, that I wouldn't want them to join. It'd be great, but the bottom line is the Big East is going to be a pretty solid conference from top to bottom, every year.  The Big 10 and ACC cannot say that. However, that scenario is never going to play out.

The BE is a good place to be, and the recognition will come with time.  I also think the new TV contract is fabulous....every single game is super duper accessible if you're willing to fork over a little dough, something I have zero problem doing to be able watch my favorite team.

[willie warrior]

Xavier, DePaul, Villanova and Creighton should be natural rivals. Back in the 60's and 70's we played Creighton every year, it seems. Villanova and Georgetown from the BEast. Xavier could also be a traditional rival.

[wadesworld]

If by "done" you mean not going to be making any noise in March, I knew it the second we finished last season 17-15 and did not return our top 4 players from the team...

[GoldenZebra]

What is the point of a thread like this? We all know we suck, so why beat a dead horse?

[Marcus92]

The BE is a good place to be, and the recognition will come with time.  I also think the new TV contract is fabulous....every single game is super duper accessible if you're willing to fork over a little dough, something I have zero problem doing to be able watch my favorite team.

Looking at what all the universities of the Big East have in common, the conference has a chance to be stable for 10+ years. I think there's a far better chance of adding a school or two than losing anybody.

Right now, the schools of the Big East cover some of the top metro markets in the country:

#1 NY/Newark (St. John's, Seton Hall)
#3 Chicago (DePaul)
#6 Philadelphia (Villanova)
#7 Washington, D.C. (Georgetown)
#28 Cincinnati (Xavier)
#33 Indianapolis (Butler)
#38 Providence (Providence)
#39 Milwaukee (Marquette)
#60 Omaha (Creighton)

I see 4 realistic contenders:

Dayton
Doesn't have quite the same basketball pedigree as much of the conference, but a strong program historically on track to make its second NCAA tourney in 2 seasons. Plays in the same football-only conference as Butler (the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League). Trails Omaha in market size at #71.

St. Louis
Similar to Dayton in terms of on-court success. Made the tourney the past 3 years, but struggling this season. No football team. The big difference: St. Louis, Missouri is the country's #19 metro market. That's got to be a big attraction.

Virginia Commonwealth University
Predicted to make its 5th straight NCAA tourney this year, with a Final Four in 2011. Headed by one of the best-known young coaches in college basketball in Shaka Smart. Plays club-level football. About 100 miles south of Washington, D.C., Richmond is the #44 market in the U.S.

Wichita State
On its way to a 4th straight appearance in the NCAAs, after winning the NIT in 2010-11. A member of the same conference we plucked Creighton from (Missouri Valley). No football team. Market-wise, Wichita may not be the best fit at #84.

If the Big East is stable, I don't see any reason why the conference has to expand. I don't know if that's even a goal right now. But I'm sure it's being explored.

Personally, I think St. Louis and VCU would make great additions. Both are Top 200 universities focused on basketball, and they would expand the geographic footprint of the conference into two strong new markets (1 on the East coast, 1 in the Midwest).

I wouldn't bet on it happening, though; I'd put the chances of Big East expansion in the next 5 years at maybe 50/50, probably less.

[chapman]

Georgetown seems like the best pick.  We were holding serve at home before that, plenty of close losses on the road.  Went from thinking we could maybe find our fortunes to knowing we just didn't have it and couldn't fake it.

I'm probably against expansion now more than ever.  I wanted one decent basketball program and then BU just to make the road trips, but after the hellish winter they've had up there I'm having second thoughts.

[lohaus]

When Carlino had to be the 'man' and when Burton was coming off the bench.

[Groin_pull]

Think this one's more based in perception than reality.

The 2015 Big East — not the mythical "Big East" of Patrick Ewing and Carmelo Anthony, nor some hypothetical Frankenstein-inspired Big East/AAC creation — is ranked #2 in the country for conference RPI.

Villanova is 27-2 and ranked ahead of the best teams in the Big Ten (Wisconsin), Pac-10 (Arizona) and Big 12 (Kansas), respectively.

With tournament time just around the corner, most sources predict 6 NCAA bids for the Big East. That's 6 out of 10 conference teams making the field of 68. How is that less impressive than the Big Ten sending 7 of 14 teams? Or the ACC sending 6 of 15 teams? And how does that possibly qualify as mid-major?

I'll grant you that there aren't a lot of big-name players beyond Kris Dunn, Chris Objekpa and Josh Smith. But there's a lot of talent in this league. Come tournament time, chances are that others will be making names for themselves.

My advice: stop pining for what the Big East used to be. It used to be a highly unstable conference that pull all its chips on football and lost big-time when school after school — including BC, Louisville, Miami, ND, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, VT, WV — left for greener pastures.

The current Big East is a great basketball conference with a strong foundation and a bright future. It doesn't have to try to be the ACC or the Big Ten. In today's chaotic college athletics landscape, I wouldn't want Marquette anywhere else.

You're right. It's perception...which is reality to many. The league has no buzz. No superstars. And thanks to Fox-AT&T, no exposure. It feels second-rate. Sorry, just expressing my honest feelings.

[Tums Festival]

You're right. It's perception...which is reality to many. The league has no buzz. No superstars. And thanks to Fox-AT&T, no exposure. It feels second-rate. Sorry, just expressing my honest feelings.

AT&T is a small segment of the market (about 6%) when put up against the Comcasts, DirecTVs and TimeWarners of the world. It only seems like a bigger deal because of the AT&T subscribers that have posted here, and it's getting next to no mention in the news.

[tower912]

Early prediction for next year.   I don't know if JJJ is going to transfer or not.   What I do know is that we are counting on guys who didn't set the world on fire this year and high schoolers.     If Henry is truly a 1-and-done talent, 19 wins.   If he is merely very good and not transcendent, .500 is a worthy goal.  So many young, skinny, inexperienced guys.    Next years leaders are.....Duane.....Luke (?)....   Think about that.   Assuming we have the bodies and some depth, next year is the year where we see Wojo start to really put in his system.   But it isn't the year MU gets back to the top 1/2 of the Big East. 

[jsglow]

Personally, I'd like us not to overload the non-con schedule next year.  Sure folks will complain about all the cupcakes but rather than focus on RPI I think we need to rebuild a culture of winning first, especially while depending on so many young guys.

To answer the question, I strongly suspected a very long season following the Omaha and NJIT games.  I saw progress during the Thanksgiving tourney and with the ASU and even Wisconsin games.  Losing at DePaul suggested a return to the bumpy ride for me.

[Dr. Blackheart]

April 1. It was just a question if it was a reset year or a rebuild year. It was decided it was a reset year.

[Blackhat]

Might be a regret year.

I don't think it is yet but man.

[mattyv1908]

You're right. It's perception...which is reality to many. The league has no buzz. No superstars. And thanks to Fox-AT&T, no exposure. It feels second-rate. Sorry, just expressing my honest feelings.

Dunn, Henton, Ochefu, Obekpa, Harrison, Pointer, Hilliard, Garrett Jr, Gibbs, and Delgado will be/can become NBA players and there's probably some names I forgot to include in this list.

Don't project the sh!ttiness of Marquette this year onto the rest of the league as there are some big time NCAA/potential NBA players in the Big East.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

AT&T is a small segment of the market (about 6%) when put up against the Comcasts, DirecTVs and TimeWarners of the world. It only seems like a bigger deal because of the AT&T subscribers that have posted here, and it's getting next to no mention in the news.

+100. That's what you get when you have a crappy TV provider like Uverse...just expressing my honest feelings there.

[BM1090]

Personally, I'd like us not to overload the non-con schedule next year.  Sure folks will complain about all the cupcakes but rather than focus on RPI I think we need to rebuild a culture of winning first, especially while depending on so many young guys.

To answer the question, I strongly suspected a very long season following the Omaha and NJIT games.  I saw progress during the Thanksgiving tourney and with the ASU and even Wisconsin games.  Losing at DePaul suggested a return to the bumpy ride for me.

I agree with the first part 100%. Our first game will be against a Big Ten team for the Gavitt games. I'm hoping for Northwestern, good shot at a win and an improved team wouldn't be a drag on our RPI. Then I'm hoping for about 4 cupcakes before the Brooklyn tournament. Then a couple more cupcakes and Wisconsin.

I officially gave up hope after the Gtown close loss at home, but you could tell things were bad right from the beginning.

[alexius23]

When De Paul beat us in Chicago. The Blue Demons had been MU's punching bag for a longish time

[HutchwasClutch]

The Georgetown overtime loss was really a shot to the solar plexus.
If I had to pick I'd say there.

I agree with this, Georgetown at home in OT.

At that point it seemed like we still had hope for hovering around .500 in conference.  We started 2-2 in Big East, lost two close road games to X and SJU, we even led by about 9 at half @ X.  I thought if we get that Georgetown game, we're 3-4, things are still OK, and we'll have beaten a good team.  That was the tipping point for my hopes.  You knew at 2-5, we were playing out the string at that point.

[HutchwasClutch]

I officially gave up hope after the Gtown close loss at home, but you could tell things were bad right from the beginning.

Same here, but I was very encouraged when they went down to Disney and took 2 of 3 against teams from power conferences, with the loss being a competitive one against MSU.  And we knew Luke was going to arrive soon at that point.  Although we didn't know two would be exiting as well.   

[brewcity77]

I agree with this, Georgetown at home in OT.

That three-game home stand was such a draining week. We went from a winning record with a chance to go above .500 in conference if we could win three at home to a losing record. Two games we lose leads and then the game in overtime, the other we just get humiliated at home. Before that, I felt the NIT was definitely possible and if we swept the three at home, an at-large bid wasn't completely out of the question. Instead we lose all three, then a few days later lose Carlino to injury.

I'll still maintain the season is not over. Do I think we will four in four days? No. Not at all. But I also don't think there's anyone outside maybe Villanova that we can't beat on a given night. We played too close to these teams for me to think it's impossible that we win one game. Maybe beat DePaul a couple times, then beat whomever comes after that, then see what happens in the game after that (and the game after that).

So I just ran the numbers. Beat DePaul, DePaul, Georgetown, Providence, Villanova. That'd give us a 16-18 record, 102 RPI, and 25 SOS. What seed would we get? I have to imagine it'd be a 15, but if favorites won the conference tourneys, a 16 isn't impossible. Would be kind of funny, though. Anyone up for Wojo and Marquette springing the 1/16 upset over Duke?