Charles Barkley was right about the Big East being overrated.

[willie wampum]

The Big East deserves every bit of mocking it will now get.

[Steve Buscemi]

I thought you said you weren't trolling?

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

The Big East deserves every bit of mocking it will now get.

Your Mom is underrated.

[esotericmindguy]

Its a great league, just no great team. Marquette Just killed the #1 A10 school.

[willie wampum]

Your Mom is underrated.

Personal attacks instead of defending the poor play of the Big East.

You guys might not think it's a big deal, but there is no way in heck the BE is getting 10 or 11 teams in the tourney next year.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Its a great league, just no great team. Marquette Just killed the #1 A10 school.

This is correct and what I said a few weeks back.  The top of the Big East just isn't as good as the 2008 version...it isn't close.

I'm starting to think the NCAA did us a favor scheduling two NCAA Big East games against conference foes....at least that way we get a few teams that far. 

The sad thing is Pitt was in the easiest bracket.

[Dish]

Personal attacks instead of defending the poor play of the Big East.

You guys might not think it's a big deal, but there is no way in heck the BE is getting 10 or 11 teams in the tourney next year.

Because of what happened in this years tourney? You realize anything that happens in the tourney this year has ZERO effect on what happens next year, right? They might as well never play the NCAA tournament ever again in that case, or any sports ever again.

[groove]

This is correct and what I said a few weeks back.  The top of the Big East just isn't as good as the 2008 version...it isn't close.

I'm starting to think the NCAA did us a favor scheduling two NCAA Big East games against conference foes....at least that way we get a few teams that far. 

The sad thing is Pitt was in the easiest bracket.

Well like i posted in the other thread I think maybe the heavy toll of the big east regular season may hurt the conference in the post season. Last Big East team to win the NCAA was 2003, and that was also the last Big East team to make the final. The Big East tourney is a ridiculous format also, too many games in too few nights.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

What happens in the tournament doesn't change that the Big East beat the living tar out of every other conference all season long. A couple of close losses in the tournament doesn't change that. Anyone with half a brain would know that.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Well like i posted in the other thread I think maybe the heavy toll of the big east regular season may hurt the conference in the post season. Last Big East team to win the NCAA was 2003, and that was also the last Big East team to make the final. The Big East tourney is a ridiculous format also, too many games in too few nights.

Maybe, but our conference tournament ends on Saturday and the top seeds play 3 games max.  No different that the ACC or the Big 10.

The Big Ten sent 7 of 11 teams to the NCAA this year, so it's not like they have it any easier.

[groove]

What happens in the tournament doesn't change that the Big East beat the living tar out of every other conference all season long. A couple of close losses in the tournament doesn't change that. Anyone with half a brain would know that.

not one tournament, more like seven.

[groove]

Maybe, but our conference tournament ends on Saturday and the top seeds play 3 games max.  No different that the ACC or the Big 10.

The Big Ten sent 7 of 11 teams to the NCAA this year, so it's not like they have it any easier.

true.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

not one tournament, more like seven.

What?

[ChicosBailBonds]

I like the theory that smart teams with traditional players who understand how the game is played have an excellent shot each year to knock off more "talented" teams who lack those same fundamentals.  Happens every year.

The team that wins it all usually has a combination of smarts and athleticism.

[77ncaachamps]

Personal attacks instead of defending the poor play of the Big East.

You guys might not think it's a big deal, but there is no way in heck the BE is getting 10 or 11 teams in the tourney next year.

They only got 11 in this year because everyone else was PATHETIC.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Personal attacks instead of defending the poor play of the Big East.

I didn't attack you. I was talking about your Mom. Sorry for the confusion.

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

The Big East isn't overrated because it's body of work over an entire season earned its members 11 bids.  AS CBB is fond of saying, the Tourney is a crap shoot.  The horrid ending to the Pitt game is proof of that.

The quality of the rest of the field is not an issue; it's the best 68 teams THIS YEAR, not all time.

[marquette09]

Take a look at all the pre-season tourney's and out of conference games the BE won.   The BE was dominant in November and December.  I know that doesn't translate to success in March, but it does show the relative strength of the BE. 

[mviale]

The Big East deserves every bit of mocking it will now get.

Charles Barkley is so smart

[El Duderino]

Watching the Pittsburgh game, i didn't think they really played poorly.

They shot 56% from the field and out rebounded Butler by 10. Butler just played a good game also and as we've seen so many times in college basketball over the years, the three point shot can be the great equalizer. Butler made 12 threes and Mack was 7-12 from three point land, nothing was near as important than that for why Butler won tonight.

[El Duderino]

Take a look at all the pre-season tourney's and out of conference games the BE won.   The BE was dominant in November and December.  I know that doesn't translate to success in March, but it does show the relative strength of the BE.

I think many people often put to much stock in the NCAA Tournament for rating how good each conference was. These are one game at a time events which matches teams in most cases where neither is more than a 4-5 point favorite.

If say Louisville played Morehead St. 10 times, they likely win 8-9 times. Louisville just laid an egg that game. If that guy on Morehead St. misses that late long three pointer, Louisville squeaks out a win and very well could have beat Richmond. If Hancock misses that late three for George Mason, Villanova likely wins.

I'm not making excuses for either team, it's just that with so much parity in college basketball, we are seeing the results in the tournament. Tons of close games that often are largely being decided on whether a guy makes or misses a coinflip jumper in the last 5-15 seconds. How a random player does at the line in the last 10 seconds. It sure is great drama.

The two teams entering the tournament that i has serious doubts about were Villanova and Georgetown given how both played the last month of the season. Georgetown was a shell of the team they were early in the Big East schedule and Villanova had chances to seal their game vs George Mason at the free throw line, but gagged, an all to common thing we've seen in other games.

[MarquetteDano]

The Big East has underperformed but another way you could look at the Big East is if Marquette wins, that would be two Big East teams in the Sweet Sixteen who each had NINE conference losses.

A conference must be pretty good who can get two separate teams to the Sweet Sixteen who lost nine teams in their conference who were ranked 9th and 11th in the conference.

[bamamarquettefan]

I'm glad you've found something else to complain about to take your mind off how depressing it is for you to have Marquette win the opening round and be one of the top 32 teams in the country in the tournament as well as in both computers.  I'm sure you will be back to trashing MU again tomorrow either for losing to the 11th best team in the country or for Buycks turning the ball over at least once!

The 11th team to get in from the Big East beat the A10 champ.  The 10th team to get in lost at the last second to GMU which would be logical for a 9th seed.  Don't see how that indicates 11 teams shouldn't have gone this year.  As I posted in great detail, BE didn't have a Final Four team this year, but had the best season overall.

[KenoshaWarrior]

Who cares...If Marquette wins today it wont matter.

[esotericmindguy]

I like the theory that smart teams with traditional players who understand how the game is played have an excellent shot each year to knock off more "talented" teams who lack those same fundamentals.  Happens every year.

The team that wins it all usually has a combination of smarts and athleticism.

Yes, they're called duke.