I think many journalists, bloggers and jealous fan bases are experiencing schadenfreude watching the "destruction" of the Big East in the tournament. Part of this is due to the fact that out of 11 teams at the start only 2 are left. Well, most observers fail to do any math when looking at this. First look at the ratio of BE teams to the total number of teams in the tourney (11/68). This makes 16.17% of all teams. However, because of the seedings only 9 of 68 (13.2%) could possibly make it to the Sweet 16. (this is due to fact that the brackets were set up to have 4 BE teams meet in the second round if they win their first round games) Well guess what folks? The BE has 2 of 16 or 12.5% of the remaining teams. (12.5% vs a 13.2%) I would call that a slight underperformance. I would call the Hampton upset of Louisville and the Butler upset of Pitt to be the difference to major outperformance and slight underperformance.
I think it is time for MU and UConn to carry the Big East Banner all the way to the Final Four!!!
Our 1, 2 and 3 seeds failed to make it out of the first weekend.
Just not a great look for the BE.
Quote from: APieperFan3 on March 22, 2011, 09:00:10 AM
Our 1, 2 and 3 seeds failed to make it out of the first weekend.
Just not a great look for the BE.
+1
Sad to say its true.
Unfortunately, teams are judged by one game in the tournament, and not their body of work.
If seeding would have held to form, the BE would have five teams in the Sweet 16. The fact that it only has three means that the conference has under-performed.
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on March 22, 2011, 09:24:01 AM
If seeding would have held to form, the BE would have five teams in the Sweet 16. The fact that it only has three means that the conference has under-performed.
2
You can't have it both ways. You can't crow about getting 11 teams and then say it's not big deal when we are awful in the tournament. There's no way to put a smiley face on it, the Big East has really stunk in this tournament (your and my favorite university excepted).
Once again who cares.
Marquette is in the sweet 16. And Marquette is only needs to carry the banner for Marquette not a group of teams that it plays during the year.
Quote from: downtown85 on March 22, 2011, 08:55:47 AM
I would call the Hampton upset of Louisville and the Butler upset of Pitt to be the difference to major outperformance and slight underperformance.
I think it is time for MU and UConn to carry the Big East Banner all the way to the Final Four!!!
I agree with the last bit, but the post is diminished a bit when you point to the Hampton upset of Louisville. It was Morehead State that upset Louisville, while Hampton was decimated by Duke.
Well here's a different take.
Quote• The Big East has two teams left in the NCAA tournament, but it's not a reflection on the regular season. The Big East deserved every one of the 11 bids. Those are two different arguments. I never believed outside of Pitt that the Big East had a team that could even reach the Final Four. Connecticut still could and, of course, so can Marquette, but the odds are less likely based on the East regional. But crushing the Big East in the NCAAs is a moot argument. The 11 bids were deserved.
From Katz:
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog/_/name/katz_andy/id/6243738/blame-officials
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on March 22, 2011, 09:24:01 AM
If seeding would have held to form, the BE would have five teams in the Sweet 16. The fact that it only has three means that the conference has under-performed.
Actually we only have two, which just brings the point home even more.
The conference deserved 11 teams, but the conference underperformed in the tournament. It's a crapshoot...unfortunately most of our teams crapped and didn't shoot very well. ;)
The funny thing about this argument that the Big East is awful is a joke... Lets look at the teams entering the tourney and what occurred in the tourney. I personally believe 10 teams should have made it.
Villanova should not have made it with the way they ended the season.
First round Loses (7-4)
St Johns - second best player hurt and did not play
Georgetown - Chris Wrights first game back was the tourney game
Louisville - Lost their leading scorer Knowles with 8 minutes to go
Villanova - Lost 11 of their last 15 i believe... not an NCAA tourney team the second half of the season...
Second round Loses (9-9) total record
WV - lost to kentucky.. In my eyes kentucky was the best team(top 15 team)
CINCY - Lost to a big east team... so what does that say?
Syracuse -lost to a big east team... so what does that say?
Pitsburgh - lost to the runner up of the NCAA championships last year in a game they lost in a crazy ending
ND - got worked by a great team who has the best field goal percentage against who was under seeded because they didn't have their best player for 3 weeks with an injury
So honestly if all of the Big east teams were healthy and didn't get lined up against each other in the second round their record would be better and I would expect 4 teams at least in the sweet 16.
let people run their mouth cause they have no idea what they are talking about