[MJS Blog] How the new league might look in the top 25

[MJS_Says]

How the new league might look in the top 25
               



At No. 25, Marquette is the only member of the Big East's Breakaway Seven in this week's AP poll.

               

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/186828061.html
               

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

How the new league might look in the top 25
               



At No. 25, Marquette is the only member of the Big East's Breakaway Seven in this week's AP poll.

               

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/186828061.html
               

To my surprise, the blog post actually contains nuance. This season we have a down year for Villanova and Xavier, Georgetown knocking at the door at #28, and potential new members Creighton, Butler, and VCU already ranked in the Top 25. SLU was also ranked at one point earlier this season.

[chapman]

Gonzaga at Butler on Saturday?  Nice.

[jsglow]

If one assumes the 'most likely 5', BEast 2.0 right now would be:

Creighton - 12
Butler - 13
Marquette - 25

Also receiving votes - Georgetown.  SLU still projected as an #11 NCAA seed

I excluded both Gonzaga and VCU just because I think that Dayton/SLU are more likely to end up in BEast 2.0.  Just my gut.

If our new league can consistently have 3-4 Top 25 and 5-6 NCAA qualifiers...

[ChicosBailBonds]

The Hall, DePaul, Providence, SJU, Nova need to step up their game.

[icheights]

This again shows me that this new conference is definitely a step down...I just don't understand why so many people are SOOOOO excited to move down a level.

[StillAWarrior]

This again shows me that this new conference is definitely a step down...I just don't understand why so many people are SOOOOO excited to move down a level.

Because without the new conference, once we take into account the programs that are leaving and/or have left (and/or would leave at the first possible opportunity), the list would look like this:

Marquette - 25

Also receiving votes - Georgetown, Temple




Adding Creighton and Butler make it better.  Face it...the Big East that we knew and loved is gone.  Clearly our new conference is a step down from what the Big East was in the past.  But, it's a definite step up from getting stuck in the Big East with Tulane, Houston, etc.

[leever]

This again shows me that this new conference is definitely a step down...I just don't understand why so many people are SOOOOO excited to move down a level.

The Big East was unsurpassed as a basketball conference - but, as we found out, it wasn't a basketball conference.  And it sure as hell isn't one now.

The new conference IS a step down, but personally I'm SOOOOO excited just to have a conference of like minded institutions where we don't have the annual drama of "who's leaving this year".

[Bocephys]

This again shows me that this new conference is definitely a step down...I just don't understand why so many people are SOOOOO excited to move down a level.

It's like you don't realize that we're not leaving the Big East of 2008, but the Big East of 2013.  They are very, very different.

[bilsu]

My concern would be that both Villanova and Xavier are looking at futures that are not as good as their recent history.

[honkytonk]

This again shows me that this new conference is definitely a step down...I just don't understand why so many people are SOOOOO excited to move down a level.

Boom! Totally agree. For some reason, people forget that this is the best case scenario of a worst case situation.

And for those that say they are ecstatic about the new conference because it is comprised of "like-minded institutions.....I guess they were disappointed when we joined the Big EAST and are anything but east and have nothing in common with the fball schools. Oh well.

[chapman]

It's like you don't realize that we're not leaving the Big East of 2008, but the Big East of 2013.  They are very, very different.

This.  If we could keep this year's 15 team conference intact permanently I think we'd all take it (cause it's better without WVU).  Instead we're going to get at a minimum $1.5M more to fund a successful program and will be a part of the best conference available to us.  So yeah, it is pretty exciting to get out of a sinking ship and come out ahead financially.

[StillAWarrior]

So yeah, it is pretty exciting to get out of a sinking ship...

Agreed.  The Titanic survivors probably wished the ship wouldn't have sunk.  But since it did, I imagine the survivors were SOOOOOO excited to have a seat on a lifeboat.