Who takes the title for Best Conference this year? Insofar as number of teams in the Tournament is concerned, here's the breakdown of the reasonable contenders:
Big 12 (7): 70%
Big Ten (7): 50%
Big East (6): 60%
ACC (6): 40%
SEC (5): 36%
A conference getting 70% of it's teams in the tournament is wildly impressive, but when three of them lose 5 hours after the Tourney tips, you have to question whether they can reasonably be awarded that title.
Seems pretty reasonable to consider the Big East the second best conference of 2014-15.
Hard to put the Big East over the ACC, because the top half of the ACC was so strong.
This year, my rankings would as follows:
1. Big 12 (but falling with their showing so far)
2. ACC
3. Big East (very close behind the others)
4. Big 10
5. Pac 12
6. SEC
Quote from: MUFlutieEffect on March 19, 2015, 04:13:19 PM
Who takes the title for Best Conference this year? Insofar as number of teams in the Tournament is concerned, here's the breakdown of the reasonable contenders:
Big 12 (7): 70%
Big Ten (7): 50%
Big East (6): 60%
ACC (6): 40%
SEC (5): 36%
A conference getting 70% of it's teams in the tournament is wildly impressive, but when three of them lose 5 hours after the Tourney tips, it whether you can reasonably award them that title.
Seems pretty reasonable to consider the Big East the second best conference of 2014-15.
I'm kind of confused by your post since the Big East was already the second best conference based on RPI (to The Big 12). If you're basing it on teams in the tournament, I think that 60% beats the Big Ten's 50% right out of the gate.
Quote from: JamilJaeJamailJrJuan on March 19, 2015, 04:15:12 PM
Hard not to put the Big East over the ACC, because the top bottom half of the ACC was so strong weak.
Quote from: LittleWade on March 19, 2015, 04:18:14 PM
I'm kind of confused by your post since the Big East was already the second best conference based on RPI (to The Big 12). If you're basing it on teams in the tournament, I think that 60% beats the Big Ten's 50% right out of the gate.
That's a fair assessment, but does that suggest, given the Big 12's immediate struggles, the Big East moves to the top as the best conference?
Quote from: MUFlutieEffect on March 19, 2015, 04:21:12 PM
That's a fair assessment, but does that suggest, given the Big 12's immediate struggles, the Big East moves to the top as the best conference?
Crapshoot is the only counter argument. I'm thinking that the no breaks Big East schedule is the best preparation for the NCAA. We shall all see soon.
Quote from: MUFlutieEffect on March 19, 2015, 04:21:12 PM
That's a fair assessment, but does that suggest, given the Big 12's immediate struggles, the Big East moves to the top as the best conference?
I'd hold off until we see how Providence, G'town, SJU all do in their games (assuming Nova gets a pass this round)--don't count those chickens yet.
Big 12 tearing up so far. 0-3
Looked up conference RPI's going into tourney on 6 services. Big 12 was 1 and BEast was 2. Based on today, give it to BEast. Screw the ACC. They were 3. And they have Duke and ND in there who are arrogant.
Gottlieb can still suck it.
State of Texas 0-4
What happens in the tournament doesn't add or diminish what happened over the course of a season in terms of conferences. For a team with high expectations then maybe, but for a conference hardly.
When the Big East got 11 teams in and only Marquette and UConn saw the second weekend did that negate how good that conference was all season? Hardly. If anything having the 10th place school win the whole thing validated that. Teams get beat in a one and done format and it's happening at a higher rater now that there are far fewer great teams every season.
Quote from: rocky_warrior on March 19, 2015, 04:49:43 PM
State of Texas 0-4
Put the Cowboys in there and they are 0-5. Different tourney, but could not resist a Packers reference there!
Quote from: mattyv1908 on March 19, 2015, 04:58:21 PM
What happens in the tournament doesn't add or diminish what happened over the course of a season in terms of conferences. For a team with high expectations then maybe, but for a conference hardly.
When the Big East got 11 teams in and only Marquette and UConn saw the second weekend did that negate how good that conference was all season? Hardly. If anything having the 10th place school win the whole thing validated that. Teams get beat in a one and done format and it's happening at a higher rater now that there are far fewer great teams every season.
I wouldn't go as far as to say I completely disagree, but I definitely don't think you can simply exclude post-season play from the debate. After all, the post-season (NCAA, NIT, or otherwise) is one of the few opportunities to see quality inter-conference action all season (the other being the early holiday tourneys).
Quote from: mattyv1908 on March 19, 2015, 04:58:21 PM
What happens in the tournament doesn't add or diminish what happened over the course of a season in terms of conferences.
Of course it does. Ultimately teams and conference need to perform in the post season for public perception sake.
Quote from: LittleWade on March 19, 2015, 04:18:14 PM
I'm kind of confused by your post since the Big East was already the second best conference based on RPI (to The Big 12).
And Kenpom, and Sagarin, and...well, every ranking worth looking at.
Quote from: brewcity77 on March 19, 2015, 06:17:30 PM
And Kenpom, and Sagarin, and...well, every ranking worth looking at.
Sorry, poor diction on my part - not trying to draw any conclusions on the Big East's comparative ranking, just putting the question out there for conversation.
Quote from: mattyv1908 on March 19, 2015, 04:58:21 PM
What happens in the tournament doesn't add or diminish what happened over the course of a season in terms of conferences. For a team with high expectations then maybe, but for a conference hardly.
When the Big East got 11 teams in and only Marquette and UConn saw the second weekend did that negate how good that conference was all season? Hardly. If anything having the 10th place school win the whole thing validated that. Teams get beat in a one and done format and it's happening at a higher rater now that there are far fewer great teams every season.
I think this is very incorrect. Conference RPI comes mostly from November games, because of the holiday tournaments. There are some good games in December, but the biggest games are in November. Once the conference season starts there is very little conference inner play, so the strength of the conference is basically set. Once you are in the conference season its it is almost impossible to compare how much a conference improves over another conference. The NCAA is the final judgement, especially when you have the Big 12 lossing in two games to 14 seeds.
Quote from: LittleWade on March 19, 2015, 04:23:30 PM
Crapshoot is the only counter argument. I'm thinking that the no breaks Big East schedule is the best preparation for the NCAA. We shall all see soon.
Big East 4-0
Big 12 0-3
Is the Big East the best conference in the country?
Quote from: PE8983 on March 19, 2015, 04:29:18 PM
Big 12 tearing up so far. 0-3
And here's ESPN claiming there was never a doubt as to the best conference in 2015...
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2015/story/_/id/12518065/sad-start-ncaa-tournament-big-12 (http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2015/story/_/id/12518065/sad-start-ncaa-tournament-big-12)
Quote from: bilsu on March 19, 2015, 07:12:59 PM
I think this is very incorrect. Conference RPI comes mostly from November games, because of the holiday tournaments. There are some good games in December, but the biggest games are in November. Once the conference season starts there is very little conference inner play, so the strength of the conference is basically set. Once you are in the conference season its it is almost impossible to compare how much a conference improves over another conference. The NCAA is the final judgement, especially when you have the Big 12 lossing in two games to 14 seeds.
Pick any given year and you can name at least one power conference that underperforms in the NCAAT. It happened to the Big East in 2011.
In this mediocre college hoops landscape with the way the tournament is formated it shouldn't really surprise anyone when these upsets happen.
Quote from: MUFlutieEffect on March 20, 2015, 06:53:26 AM
Big East 4-0
Big 12 0-3
Is the Big East the best conference in the country?
Definately no. The best Big East team cannot beat the 6th best ACC team.
Quote from: LittleWade on March 19, 2015, 04:23:30 PM
I'm thinking that the no breaks Big East schedule is the best preparation for the NCAA.
Well, other than when Marquette was on the schedule...
Quote from: bilsu on March 21, 2015, 10:30:19 PM
Definately no. The best Big East team cannot beat the 6th best ACC team.
And the 2nd best Big 12 team couldn't beat the 4th Best CUSA team too..
Quote from: bilsu on March 21, 2015, 10:30:19 PM
Definately no. The best Big East team cannot beat the 6th best ACC team.
you sound as dumb as that hack jon rothstein already referenced
Quote from: LAZER on March 21, 2015, 10:37:55 PM
And the 2nd best Big 12 team couldn't beat the 4th Best CUSA team too..
And whatever conference Georgia State is in is better than the Big 12, because they beat Baylor.
Quote from: ChicosBailBonds on March 21, 2015, 11:13:46 PM
And whatever conference Georgia State is in is better than the Big 12, because they beat Baylor.
That's how math works.