Does a UCONN championship vindicate the Big East?

[Coleman]

I think this is the most important remaining storyline for fans of the Big East. We have been HEAVILY criticized for our performance after getting 11 bids. I personally think nothing short of a UCONN title will silence these critics, and maybe not even then. I personally think every Big East team who got a bid deserved it, but if UCONN comes up short I think it really hurts the chances of the conference getting double digit bids in the future, even in a similar regular season scenario. The selection committee is made up of humans who, despite their best efforts, are influenced by criticism and the talking heads who have been continually arguing against the 11 bids for the Big East.

I think we all need to be UCONN fans at this point. A national title would vindicate the conference, and ensure 10 or 11 bid seasons in the future.

[HoopsMalone]

Just making the Final Four vindicates the Big East.  ACC, Pac-10, Big 10(12), Big 12(10), are all sitting at home. 

[BallBoy]

Just making the Final Four vindicates the Big East.  ACC, Pac-10, Big 10(12), Big 12(10), are all sitting at home. 

I agree.  The Big East is one of two power conferences to make the Final Four (the other being the SEC).  If you look at VCU and Butler both of them knocked out Big East teams early (Georgetown and Pitt) so I don't think they are upsets anymore.

UConn being the 9th team and in the Final Four speaks volumes about how deep the conference was. 

[BrewCity83]

The BE has gotten 11 wins in the tourney so far.  The next closest conference is the Big 10 with 7.

Don't forget, each tourney win by a conference member means more $ for MU!!

Go Huskies!

[tower912]

So an average of win per team with the potential for more. 

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Slightly off topic.  My Sunday paper had a story on how the Big East women were living up to expectation.  All 9 BE teams won their first round game.  Five (5) Big East women's team made the Sweet 16.

[Coleman]

Slightly off topic.  My Sunday paper had a story on how the Big East women were living up to expectation.  All 9 BE teams won their first round game.  Five (5) Big East women's team made the Sweet 16.

I think most were expecting something similar from the men.

[TJ]

It won't happen, but I would love to see the people complaining actually realize that 11 from the Big East = 7 from the Big 10/1/2 because of the difference in conference size.

[wojosdojo]

Don't forget, each tourney win by a conference member means more $ for MU!!

I think there was a thread on this before, but why?

[Goose]

BE stands on it's own regardless of NCAA performance. Overall depth of league is second to none. Pundits can pull out stats whenever they want to disporove BE, but seriously, they do not need anything to happen to be vindicated to anyone who follows the game.

[BallBoy]

I think there was a thread on this before, but why?

The NCAA pays the conference not the school.  The conference then pays out its members.  As the teams go deeper into the tournament the more money that is paid out per individual game. UConn's final four game will probably earn the conference a couple of million dollars.   

[Midget Bar]

Here is an interesting article on how the ACC divides up their money.  It sounds like the NCAA mandates some of the process.  I would guess that the Big East is the same.

http://www.tomahawknation.com/2011/3/15/2053126/economics-of-the-ncaa-tournament

[Badgerhater]

interesting article.  From what I gather, MU has contributed 10 units in the past 6 six years.

All those heartbreaking tourney losses had the BE accountants crying too.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I think UCONN getting to the Final Four vindicates UCONN

No different than saying the Colonial Athletic Association is one of the 4 best conferences in the country or that the Horizon League is because of what one member accomplished.

[Coleman]

I think UCONN getting to the Final Four vindicates UCONN

No different than saying the Colonial Athletic Association is one of the 4 best conferences in the country or that the Horizon League is because of what one member accomplished.

But Chicos, I'm talking about in the eyes of critics who were harping on the Big East based on the crap shoot that is the NCAA tournament.

I'm not saying if UCONN wins we're the best conference in the country. But shouldn't the people who criticized our conference's performance in the tourny, by those same standards, be somewhat silenced based on UConn's ability to win it all (if that happens)? I'm talking strictly about implications for future tournaments and selection committees willingness to take double digit bids from a conference.

[HouWarrior]

The number of BE teams was a sidebar story  lasting from selection Sunday to the begining of the Sweet 16 games.

For almost 2 weeks every year, people care and argue about the conference entries, strengths, and results. I think its because the ultimate results are still weeks away, we need interim victors/losers and we have to try to attach immediate significance to an event, in our quick TV cycles....and of course....
"..There's a, um tradition in tournament play- to not talk about the next step until you've climbed the one in front of you. I'm sure going to the state finals is beyond your wildest dreams, so let's just keep it right there. " N. Dale


From the Sweet 16 on  the announcers, reporters, and most fans are focused  much more on the 12 games(8/4), and the Final Four.

The Final Four is no longer about conferences (that was the story 2 weeks ago), its about the story of each team.

UConn is playing for UConn; Uconn should win for UConn

Butler of course, is playing for something else, entirely:

"Let's win this game for all the small schools that never had a chance to get here." M. Webb

[Avenue Commons]

Yes.

One part of the Big East bashing that was really unfair was that in the Round of 32 four Big East teams had to play each other for two spots in the Sweet 16. By default, two Big East teams had to go home. If the seeding was a little different, perhaps there would have been four Big East teams in the Sweet 16. No one would be hammering the Big East in that instance.

[groove]

Yeah I thought the committee could have done a better job spreading out the big east teams

[MU1980]

Correct me if I am wrong, but UCONN has 9 losses this year and all of them were to Big East schools.  Nobody else could beat them all year, including some very good schools.  I think that fact alone tells a lot about how tough the Big E
ast is.   

[MarquetteDano]

Correct me if I am wrong, but UCONN has 9 losses this year and all of them were to Big East schools.  Nobody else could beat them all year, including some very good schools.  I think that fact alone tells a lot about how tough the Big E
ast is.   

No correction required.  UConn is now 15-0 versus non Big East opponents including Wichita State, Michigan State, Kentucky, Harvard, Texas, Tennessee, Bucknell, San Diego State, and Arizona.

Against the Big East?  Only 15-9.

[TJ]

Cancel that.

[MarquetteDano]

Small correction.

I am confused.  Isn't UConn 15-9 against the Big East?  You have to including the regular season, the Big East tourney, and the Cincy game in the NCAA's.

[TJ]

I am confused.  Isn't UConn 15-9 against the Big East?  You have to including the regular season, the Big East tourney, and the Cincy game in the NCAA's.

Sorry, I'm an idiot.  I forgot about the BE Tourney.  It's late.

[TJ]

Yeah I thought the committee could have done a better job spreading out the big east teams

The changes would have been so simple to make I have to conclude that it was done on purpose to make sure that 11/16 of the Sweet 16 couldn't be from the same conference.

My problem with that is again that the Big 10/1/2 should have had one inter-conference matchup too, given that they had a disproportionately high number of participants in the tourney this year as well.  Or just remove Penn State who shouldn't have been in, but "earned" a bid with a craptastic win against UW & a win against bubble team MSU in the Big 10/1/2 tournament.

[Patso2]

The Big East was 11-10 with two head-to head games in the second round. I would say this was a mildly disappointing but that Connecticut could and should redeem the conference's reputation