Big East: Most Intriguing Conference In College Basketball

[Tugg Speedman]

Big East: Most Intriguing Conference In College Basketball
by Nathan Giese 1d ago

http://hoopshabit.com/2015/01/09/big-east-intriguing-conference-college-basketball/


Should we really be surprised this is happening?

Entering the 2014-15 college basketball season, the Big East conference had this outlook: Villanova, a potential Final Four team, as the easy favorites. After that, it was anybody's guess.

Thus far, the outlook has been exactly that, though the conference is a bit deeper than most had anticipated. While Villanova is the best team in the conference as expected, they are not alone at the top. In fact, they may have a harder time winning the conference than Wisconsin has in winning the Big Ten. That's not saying much about the gap between Nova and the Badgers, rather it says more about the team depth between the Big East and the Big Ten.

How crazy has the first week or so of Big East play been? Consider the following: only DePaul has not lost a game through three games. DePaul entered conference play on a six-game losing streak,which included a 31-point loss to Oregon State,  but have promptly put away Marquette and Xavier at home and upended Creighton on the road by 10. They now sit the top of the standings, and are loving it.

Not much is certain in college basketball, but as CBSSports' Jon Rothstein likes to say, "College basketball — where the unexpected becomes the ordinary." The Big East has been the living embodiment of this statement so far.

This all sort of began in non-conference play, more correctly Nov. 19 when Creighton, a team few expected to rise above the losses of Doug McDermott and Ethan Wragge, knocked of then-No. 18 Oklahoma, a team some saw as a potential Big-12 champion. That win for the conference ingnited a month-long excursion from teams that came away with numerous high-profile victories over ranked opponents.

A quick rundown of some of the wins from the Big East in non-conference play outside of Villanova: Seton Hall knocked off George Washington, Providence crushed Florida State and Miami (FL), Georgetown outed No. 18 Florida and narrowly missed on knocking off No. 2 Wisconsin in back-to-back days, Butler dominated No. 5 North Carolina for a win and St. John's got a big road win at Syracuse.

Add all of these games to Villanova's schedule, which included 13-straight wins to open the season and wins over No. 16 VCU, No. 19 Michigan and Syracuse and you have one conference that tore it up outside of Big East play.

With all of these teams playing tough non-conference schedule, every Big East team is battle-tested, which makes them stronger during conference play. That, in turn, makes every conference game more difficult and very exciting. That's what we've gotten through three games, and we can expect more of the same as the season moves along.

Putting things in perspective can be a bit difficult, even impossible, to explain what is happening out east, even though the conference is technically not really in the east anymore. With the states of Nebraska and Indiana both represented in this conference, the Big East isn't very east-oriented, but the action, and the implications of every game, are still very big.

Villanova, while nationally prominent and one of the best offensive teams in the country, has fallen victim to this improved conference in just its second game in Big East play. Seton Hall took them down in overtime after defeating St. John's, giving the Pirates two of the conference's seven total wins over ranked opponents this season (four of them occurred this past week with Nova's loss and St. John's three losses).

Of the Big East's 10 teams, eight of them have over 10 wins already and none have a losing record. Xavier (20th) and Villanova (30th) are in the upper echelon of the nation in scoring. There's a lot of talent in this conference as a whole, but the offense belongs to the Wildcats and Muskateers.

Now, there is some question that could be raised as to whether the conference is really good, or if it's medicority rising up, appearing to be better on paper than they areally are. That question should be put to bed. The strength of the conference is there, and has more overall talent than say the Big Ten or the SEC has to offer. Strength in numbers is what takes a conference to the top of the mountain in college basketball, and the Big East is a conference once again on the rise.

While this conference may never reach the heights of its old form, the Big East has quickly turned into one of the most intriguing, and surprisingly powerful conferences in college basketball.

[Tugg Speedman]

Same Author two weeks ago

The Big Ten And Decline Of Major Conference College Basketball

http://hoopshabit.com/2014/12/26/big-ten-decline-major-conference-college-basketball/

Heading into the 2014-15 college basketball season, there was only one certainty for the Big Ten conference. That certainty was that Bo Ryan and the Wisconsin Badgers were far and away the best team the conference had to offer. A Final Four-caliber group with two, maybe even three, All-American candidates, a Hall of Fame head coach that finally got over the hump last year and an overall team makeup that makes basketball purists swoon.

But after the Badgers, it was anybody's guess as to who would be the second-best team in the conference. In fact, that's really all it was. A guess. Aside from Wisconsin, there were too many questions, too many losses and too much uncertainty for all of the other teams in the conference to put confidence in them.

Michigan State, Ohio State and Nebraska seemed like the frontrunners to be the team to challenge the Badgers, with Michigan, Iowa, Indiana and Minnesota just a bit lower on the totem pole. On paper, the pure talent wasn't in the Big Ten anymore, but the teams still had some appeal and could result in an interesting conference battle down the stretch. Most of these teams loaded up their non-conference schedule with easy home games, so at the very least, the Big Ten's overall record heading into conference games would be pretty solid.

Except things haven't gone the way that anybody thought they would. In actuality, all those question marks have not been answered, but rather more question marks have arisen from Big Ten teams. Wisconsin is still doing damage with an 11-1 record and their only blemish is a home loss to top 5-ranked Duke. After the Badgers, though, it's a bit of a mystery to say who's the best team in the conference.

[Atticus]

There aren't any great teams in the BE this year. There are, however about 7 good teams. We will beat up on each other only because no one is good enough to separate from the pack.

[Tugg Speedman]

There aren't any great teams in the BE this year. There are, however about 7 good teams. We will beat up on each other only because no one is good enough to separate from the pack.

To follow-up ... their are a lot of bad teams in the SEC, B1G and even the ACC (hi Brent!)

And regarding your comment ... who are the three bad teams?  Does one of them play in Milwaukee and another is in first place right now?

[Warrior Code]

We're not bad, we're improving.

[RubyWiscy]

Putting things in perspective can be a bit difficult, even impossible, to explain what is happening out east, even though the conference is technically not really in the east anymore. With the states of Nebraska and Indiana both represented in this conference, the Big East isn't very east-oriented, but the action, and the implications of every game, are still very big.

Nice article overall, but I really don't understand this paragraph. Why does the author take a swipe at the BE alignment in an article focused on the strength of its play? What difference does it make in the context of the article's topic?

In similar articles about conferences with a number in the name, Big 10 & Big 12, does the author feel the need to comment that the conference forgot how to count?

[Tugg Speedman]

Nice article overall, but I really don't understand this paragraph. Why does the author take a swipe at the BE alignment in an article focused on the strength of its play? What difference does it make in the context of the article's topic?

In similar articles about conferences with a number in the name, Big 10 & Big 12, does the author feel the need to comment that the conference forgot how to count?

In addition to the above ...

* Schools from Indiana (ND) and Kentucky (Louisville) are in the ATLANTIC COAST conference?  

* West Virginia is in the Big 12 and it closets competition is 1700 miles away (Iowa State).  

* The SOUTHEAST conference includes schools from Missouri and Texas (A&M).

* The Big 10 includes Maryland and Rutgers.

* The PACIFIC Athletic Conference includes these schools that are not close to the ocean, Colorado and Utah.

So, yes let's give it a rest about the geographical oddities.  Every single conference has them.

[Texas Western]

Seton Hall versus Creighton was an excellent game today. Seton Hall made a difficult three pointer with time running out on the road. The arena was packed and it was a great atmosphere.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

In addition to the above ...

* West Virginia is in the Big 12 and it closets competition is 1700 miles away (Iowa State).  

* The SOUTHEAST conference includes schools from Missouri and Texas (A&M).

So, yes let's give it a rest about the geographical oddities.  Every single conference has them.

They are still odd but West Virginia is only 800 miles away from Iowa State. Also, if you divide the country into four equal sections than Texas A&M does actually fall in the southeast.

[RubyWiscy]

Conference alignments are in flux right now. Why does it seem the BE is the only one being beat up for it?

[MarquetteDano]

They are still odd but West Virginia is only 800 miles away from Iowa State. Also, if you divide the country into four equal sections than Texas A&M does actually fall in the southeast.

As the crow flies it is 845 miles from College Station to Lexington.  It is 847 miles from Columbia, MO to Gainesville, FL.  That is not a regional distance.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

As the crow flies it is 845 miles from College Station to Lexington.  It is 847 miles from Columbia, MO to Gainesville, FL.  That is not a regional distance.

Good thing Mizzou, Lexington, and Gainesville aren't in our division. We are also a mere 300 miles from LSU. Mizzou is the one in bumblef*ck nowhere. Same could be said about West Virginia to the Big 12.

[Texas Western]

While it is preferable to have teams closer together, especially for Olympic Sports, there is value in having everyone in the Big East conference with a similar academic orientation, mission and institutional profile. I think over time the general public understand what it means to be a Big East school.