Looks like BE is getting seven bids....

[Dawson Rental]

You think it is possible to get 8 bids?  Providence was on the bubble as they are playing in Dayton.  We were a 10 seed.  Keep everything the same and assume that Georgetown was 9 - 9 in conference.  Now unless St. Johns and Depaul go 0 - 18, those winds have to come from somewhere and that may knock out someone else.

Point is it is a really narrow path to spread the wins around to get 8 bids.

Of course, its possible - that's a mathmatics question.  Now is it probable?  It depends on what you mean by probable.  If someone who knew probability theory wanted to take the time, they could come up with a pretty good number.  Ideal conditions would be a great nonconference season and a league with two awful teams and the other eight very closely matched in terms of conference record.

[Tugg Speedman]

You got to kick ass in out of conference play.

The Big East does that every year.  And then out of conference play ends in late December.  The 8th team probably goes 8 - 10 (tying with the 7th place team) but has a bad loss (Depaul) or two.  So it has serious doubts.  By definition the 8th team will be on the bubble so its has a very narrow path.

[warriorfred]

7 out of 10 Bis East teams in the tournament is incredible.  I don't believe it will be topped, even by the Big East of the future.

[brewcity77]

You think it is possible to get 8 bids?  Providence was on the bubble as they are playing in Dayton.  We were a 10 seed.  Keep everything the same and assume that Georgetown was 9 - 9 in conference.  Now unless St. Johns and Depaul go 0 - 18, those winds have to come from somewhere and that may knock out someone else.

Point is it is a really narrow path to spread the wins around to get 8 bids.

Possible? Yes. Probable? No. You need 8 teams that are pretty competitive and two dogs.

Next year, more likely Georgetown is down there than St John's, though it's impossible for two teams to go 0-18 as they will play each other twice.

[DavidBoone2inchesTaller]

I think the National Championship by Villanova went a long way in helping the conference get 7 bids this year. That championship carried a lot of weight in the national polls all year long and helped keep 'Nova near the top. That really helped the conference overall. 

The only way we are going to get 8 teams in a future NCAA Tournament is three-fold and as follows: 1) crash the Final Four with 2 or 3 teams (like in 1985) so there is no doubt that the Big East is the best basketball conference on the planet, for the benefit of following seasons; or, 2) a perceived lower status Big east team like DePaul or Saint John's needs to make the Final Four to give the national perception that the Big East has strong programs top to bottom for the benefit of following seasons.

Then, if one of those two scenarios occurs the perceptual benefits, nationally, should last 2 to 3 years. Within that 2 to 3 year window the Big East teams would need to kick absolute butt in the non-conference in a given year. All of those things would provide justification for the selection committee to take an eighth or ninth Big East team, even if they have a conference record that is less than .500.     

[MU82]

I think the National Championship by Villanova went a long way in helping the conference get 7 bids this year. That championship carried a lot of weight in the national polls all year long and helped keep 'Nova near the top. That really helped the conference overall. 

You're probably right.

The only thing that matters to me is that BEATING the defending national champion went a long way in helping my favorite Big East team get a bid this year!

[Loose Cannon]

Come to DePaul: Almost all of our losses were to teams that made the NCAA Tournament!!!

Yep, with this theme and bringing the Logo back, it just might work.