ESPN: How good is the new Big East?

[Tugg Speedman]

This is the free part.  Can someone with an insider account post the rest?

How good is the new Big East?
Taking stock of the league's top four contenders for 2013-14

http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9417894/marquette-golden-eagles-favorites-new-big-east-conference-college-basketball

I can't think of another case where a major conference has kept the same name yet changed its membership as radically as the Big East has. Just last season "the Big East" referred to a 15-team league in basketball terms. Now that number is down to 10, forming a rather striking new amalgam comprised of seven holdovers in DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova, and three new arrivals in Butler, Creighton and Xavier. So don't be fooled by the same old name. This is, in fact, a much different conference.

What impact will this shift in membership have on the quality of play in the Big East? At the risk of stating the obvious, it's not a good thing when your conference loses both the reigning national champion (Louisville, now found making a one-season appearance in the American Athletic Conference) and a team coming off a Final Four appearance (Syracuse, which is about to make its ACC debut). Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, South Florida and Rutgers have also moved on. Add former member West Virginia to this list of the dear departed, and the Big East has suffered what can only be termed a mass exodus over the past two seasons.

In adding perennial hoops heavyweights like Butler, Creighton and Xavier, arguably the three strongest mid-major programs this side of Gonzaga, the Big East made the best of a bad situation. And, with top-25 mainstays like Marquette and Georgetown still in residence, the Big East will continue to be regarded as a "major" conference in basketball. The overall strength of the conference is, unavoidably, about to dip. The halcyon days of 2013, when half the Final Four came from the Big East, will be difficult to repeat.

That being said, the Big East is going to have some very good teams in 2013-14. Here's how I see the top of the conference shaking out in the first season of the league's new smaller configuration.

[klyrish]

Any way to get the rest of the article?

[MU Buff]

I can't think of another case where a major conference has kept the same name yet changed its membership as radically as the Big East has. Just last season "the Big East" referred to a 15-team league in basketball terms. Now that number is down to 10, forming a rather striking new amalgam comprised of seven holdovers in DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova, and three new arrivals in Butler, Creighton and Xavier. So don't be fooled by the same old name. This is, in fact, a much different conference.

What impact will this shift in membership have on the quality of play in the Big East? At the risk of stating the obvious, it's not a good thing when your conference loses both the reigning national champion (Louisville, now found making a one-season appearance in the American Athletic Conference) and a team coming off a Final Four appearance (Syracuse, which is about to make its ACC debut). Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, South Florida and Rutgers have also moved on. Add former member West Virginia to this list of the dear departed, and the Big East has suffered what can only be termed a mass exodus over the past two seasons.

In adding perennial hoops heavyweights like Butler, Creighton and Xavier, arguably the three strongest mid-major programs this side of Gonzaga, the Big East made the best of a bad situation. And, with top-25 mainstays like Marquette and Georgetown still in residence, the Big East will continue to be regarded as a "major" conference in basketball. The overall strength of the conference is, unavoidably, about to dip. The halcyon days of 2013, when half the Final Four came from the Big East, will be difficult to repeat.

That being said, the Big East is going to have some very good teams in 2013-14. Here's how I see the top of the conference shaking out in the first season of the league's new smaller configuration.

1. Marquette Golden Eagles

Last season Buzz Williams had lost his two best players from 2011-12 (Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom), and he went all the way to the Elite Eight anyway. This season Williams returns several key performers, namely Davante Gardner, Todd Mayo and Jamil Wilson. National championship, here we come, right?

Well, maybe not. This will still be a relatively small team, and the Golden Eagles didn't exactly storm into the 2013 Sweet 16 without breaking a sweat (beating Davidson 59-58 and prevailing against Butler 74-72). One thing I do know, however, is that Marquette is going to score points. Year in and year out, that is what Marquette does.

Williams has been at the helm for five seasons now in Milwaukee, and the Golden Eagles have never recorded less than 1.07 points per possession in Big East play. Repeat: 1.07 is Williams' floor. That's what Marquette scored in 2012-13 in conference play, and it was good for No. 1 in the Big East. Throw in three top-100 freshmen (shooting guard JaJuan Johnson, wing Deonte Burton and point guard Duane Wilson), and Williams will have enough talent to advance to the NCAA tournament's second weekend for the fourth time in a row.

2. Creighton Bluejays

I've been a little surprised to find that Doug McDermott's decision to return to Omaha for his senior season hasn't translated into more respect for Creighton as a team heading into 2013-14. The last I checked, McDermott was kind of an important player for the Bluejays, and Ethan Wragge and Jahenns Manigat are nothing if not well versed in the art of seizing opportunities created by McDermott's prominence on offense.

Yes, losing Gregory Echenique will be tough. The big guy was much better than commonly realized on the offensive glass, and he swatted away a fair number of shots as well. But, Echenique averaged just 23 minutes a game, so we've already seen what the Bluejays will look like without him. In fact, they were without him almost half the time in 2012-13. Whether or not Grant Gibbs is granted a sixth season of eligibility by the NCAA, I'm wagering that head coach Greg McDermott will be able to scare up a serviceable pass-first point guard one way or another. With perhaps the best offensive player in Division I, Creighton will be a top-25 team.

3. Georgetown Hoyas

Otto Porter Jr. is gone, and Greg Whittington suffered a torn ACL last week and could miss much or perhaps even all of the 2013-14 season. But, I'm going to be stubborn (or foolish) and share a heretical notion: There's still a lot to like here even with a post-Porter roster.

After all, Whittington was also absent last season after late January due to an academic suspension. The Hoyas were defined by their defense (only Louisville held Big East opponents to fewer points per possession). Chances are good that it will once again be difficult to score against John Thompson III's team.

Even without Whittington, Thompson will have a solid and experienced nucleus, with Markel Starks, Nate Lubick, D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera and Jabril Trawick all coming back for another season. That's a respectable upper-division Big East profile right there, and any support supplied by UCLA transfer Josh Smith will be mere icing on the cake. That, by the way, has been the most advisable attitude to take toward the sizable and talented but as of yet unreliable Smith thus far in the young man's college career.

4. Villanova Wildcats

Speaking of teams defined by a defense that was better than people recognized, look at what Villanova did last season. While no one was paying much attention, the Wildcats limited Big East opponents to just 0.95 points per trip, thanks primarily to an interior defense that was almost as good as Louisville's at making opposing teams miss their 2-point shots.

That interior D should take a hit with the departure of Mouphtaou Yarou, but the good news for Jay Wright is this offense can look a lot better in a hurry. Aside from hapless Seton Hall, Nova led the Big East in turnover percentage in conference play last season. I expect fewer turnovers in 2013-14, as JayVaughn Pinkston and Ryan Arcidiacono do what they do -- free throws (Pinkston) and 3s (Arcidiacono).

[netty24]

1. Marquette Golden Eagles

Last season Buzz Williams had lost his two best players from 2011-12 (Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom), and he went all the way to the Elite Eight anyway. This season Williams returns several key performers, namely Davante Gardner, Todd Mayo and Jamil Wilson. National championship, here we come, right?

Well, maybe not. This will still be a relatively small team, and the Golden Eagles didn't exactly storm into the 2013 Sweet 16 without breaking a sweat (beating Davidson 59-58 and prevailing against Butler 74-72). One thing I do know, however, is that Marquette is going to score points. Year in and year out, that is what Marquette does.

Williams has been at the helm for five seasons now in Milwaukee, and the Golden Eagles have never recorded less than 1.07 points per possession in Big East play. Repeat: 1.07 is Williams' floor. That's what Marquette scored in 2012-13 in conference play, and it was good for No. 1 in the Big East. Throw in three top-100 freshmen (shooting guard JaJuan Johnson, wing Deonte Burton and point guard Duane Wilson), and Williams will have enough talent to advance to the NCAA tournament's second weekend for the fourth time in a row.

Small team? I beg to differ.

[tower912]

This will NOT be a small team.   This will be a team with an inexperienced backcourt.    However, by my count we will have 6'11, 6'9+ (McKay) 6'8, 6'7,6'7,6'7.   This is going to be the tallest MU team in some time.     Do your homework.   

[Galway Eagle]

That's a fair take on things, though I feel like they're always gonna call us small till we have a PG who is tall enough to play center as well. 

[Atticus]

I understand that there is a lot of brand equity attached to the "Big East," but half the charter members are gone. Most of the membership joined post-2005. I still would have liked a name change. Whatever.

[keefe]

I understand that there is a lot of brand equity attached to the "Big East," but half the charter members are gone. Most of the membership joined post-2005. I still would have liked a name change. Whatever.

Finch?

[The Equalizer]

This will NOT be a small team.   This will be a team with an inexperienced backcourt.    However, by my count we will have 6'11, 6'9+ (McKay) 6'8, 6'7,6'7,6'7.   This is going to be the tallest MU team in some time.     Do your homework.   

By doing their homework, I would assume you mean checking out the official MU website and looking at the roster.  There, one will find we have exactly one player  taller than 6'8. 
http://www.gomarquette.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/marq-m-baskbl-mtt.html

Sorting the roster by position, relatively short is not an unfair characteristic.

PG 6'1 Derrick Wilson & 6'3 Duane Wilson
SG 6'3 Todd Mayo & 6'4 Deonte Burton
WF/G 6'7 Jamil Wilson & 6'5 JaJuan Johnson
PF: 6'7 Steve Taylor & 6'8 Jameel McKay
C: 6'8 Davante Gardner & 6'11 Chris Otule. 

Bench of 6'3 Jake Thomas, 6'2 John Dawson & 6'6 Juan Anderson.

Again, sizes are from MU's official listings, and sizes don't strike me as particualrly big.

[Spotcheck Billy]

I understand that there is a lot of brand equity attached to the "Big East," but half the charter members are gone. Most of the membership joined post-2005. I still would have liked a name change. Whatever.

Finch?

not a good alternate for a conference name

[Coleman]

I understand that there is a lot of brand equity attached to the "Big East," but half the charter members are gone. Most of the membership joined post-2005. I still would have liked a name change. Whatever.

Villanova, Georgetown, St. John's, Providence and Seton Hall would beg to differ. Half of the charter members are NOT gone. Only 3 are: Syracuse, UConn and Boston College, who was already gone.

Think of it this way, 5 of the first 8 teams are still there. Pitt, West Virginia, Rutgers, and Notre Dame were all later additions as well. These additions came later in the mid 1980s when the league decided to sponsor football.

The core of the original league (a non-football, basketball league if you recall) is still there.  

This conference resembles the original Big East far more than the 2005-2013 Big East did.

[keefe]

not a good alternate for a conference name

Atticus?

[The Equalizer]

Villanova, Georgetown, St. John's, Providence and Seton Hall would beg to differ. Half of the charter members are NOT gone. Only 3 are: Syracuse, UConn and Boston College, who was already gone.

Actually, Villanova wasn't a charter member.  They joined in for the 2nd year.

[bradley center bat]

The Big East is now the American Conference. This new conference called the Big East, looks a lot the old BE than the AAC does.

[77ncaachamps]

I love the balance in the article: MU "sweat" it out with the likes of Davidson and Butler. But doesn't even mention the pure dominance of a favorite and higher ranked seed, Miami.

I guess you choose the evidence that supports the argument.

[DFW HOYA]

I understand that there is a lot of brand equity attached to the "Big East," but half the charter members are gone. Most of the membership joined post-2005. I still would have liked a name change. Whatever.

Charter, still here (4): Georgetown, St. John's, Providence, Seton Hall
Charter, left (3): BC, UConn, Syracuse

(Villanova arrived a year late in 1980 due to Eastern 8 commitments.)

[Dawson Rental]

I understand that there is a lot of brand equity attached to the "Big East," but half the charter members are gone. Most of the membership joined post-2005. I still would have liked a name change. Whatever.

Yeah let's dump name recognition in favor of a new conference name that would have college basketball fans saying: "whose that?" for five years or so.  Sorry, but that doesn't sound like a viable marketing strategy to me.

[MUMonster03]

Also, Cincy, UConn and South Florida didn't leave, we left them behind.

[Coleman]

Charter, still here (4): Georgetown, St. John's, Providence, Seton Hall
Charter, left (3): BC, UConn, Syracuse

(Villanova arrived a year late in 1980 due to Eastern 8 commitments.)

And my understanding is that Nova was included in the formation of the league, but as you said, could not join until the 2nd year. Ok so they aren't technically "charter members" but to me that's 5 of the original 8. And MU, Butler, Xavier, etc. fit the profile of the original league way more than USF, Cincinnati and Louisville.