Georgetown's Greg Whittington Out for the Season

[Aughnanure]

Ouch.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9398053/sources-georgetown-hoyas-forward-greg-whittington-miss-season-injuring-knee

[The Lens]

I feel like we've joined the A-10.  I hate that we're the best team in this thing.  And yes I know Creighton returns Doug McDermott.

[Aughnanure]

I feel like we've joined the A-10.  I hate that we're the best team in this thing.  And yes I know Creighton returns Doug McDermott.

? Does not compute.

[Bocephys]

? Does not compute.

Lens wants to turn us into SLU

[Pakuni]

I feel like we've joined the A-10.  I hate that we're the best team in this thing.  And yes I know Creighton returns Doug McDermott.

Yeah, totally sucks that Marquette is its conference favorite. Imagine all that annoying national play MU is going to get from the Fox network. I shudder to think of what it'll be like to see Marquette being promoted during NFL playoff games. Just like the A-10.
Also feeling terrible right now: Kentucky and Duke.

[swoopem]

Even if G'town returned Otto Porter I'd feel we're the best team in this league, which is sweet.

[Aughnanure]

Yeah, totally sucks that Marquette is its conference favorite. Imagine all that annoying national play MU is going to get from the Fox network. I shudder to think of what it'll be like to see Marquette being promoted during NFL playoff games. Just like the A-10.
Also feeling terrible right now: Kentucky, Kansas, and Duke.

fify

[The Lens]

We're the top-ranked team in a conference of teams all ranked outside the Top 25.  Kansas has OK State, UK has FLA.  Duke has UNC, Cuse, Pitt, ND, NC State.   

If you do not see the difference, I don't know what to tell you.

[barfolomew]

I feel like we've joined the A-10.  I hate that we're the best team in this thing.  And yes I know Creighton returns Doug McDermott.

Totally agree. I'd much rather be looking forward to our exciting home-and-home against SMU. At least, that is, until the Football Gods re-roll their yatzee dice and our new biggest rival becomes the UC-Santa Cruz Banana Slugs.

[The Lens]

Look, we did the absolute best we could.  I have no qualms about the decision.  I just wish that going to this important inaugural season we wouldn't have every other team outside the Top 25.  We've gotten 3 seeds two years in a row.  That's going to be awfully tough to duplicate from this league if so many teams are just average. 

[Galway Eagle]

We're the top-ranked team in a conference of teams all ranked outside the Top 25.  Kansas has OK State, UK has FLA.  Duke has UNC, Cuse, Pitt, ND, NC State.   

If you do not see the difference, I don't know what to tell you.

You do realize no official polls have been released right?  So you saying we're the top ranked team in a conference of teams all ranked outside the Top 25 is just a matter of opinion.  What about a couple of years when a huge amount of teams are in the top 25?  You're just upset because the timing of the conference is a rebuilding time for a bunch of the teams. 

[Pakuni]

We're the top-ranked team in a conference of teams all ranked outside the Top 25.  Kansas has OK State, UK has FLA.  Duke has UNC, Cuse, Pitt, ND, NC State.   

If you do not see the difference, I don't know what to tell you.

My point wasn't to compare the new BE to the ACC or even SEC.
My point was to poke fun at the notion that being the preseason conference favorite is something worthy of hate.

[GGGG]

We're the top-ranked team in a conference of teams all ranked outside the Top 25.  Kansas has OK State, UK has FLA.  Duke has UNC, Cuse, Pitt, ND, NC State.   

If you do not see the difference, I don't know what to tell you.

OK...and what do you suppose Marquette should do about that?

[muarmy81]

Look, we did the absolute best we could.  I have no qualms about the decision.  I just wish that going to this important inaugural season we wouldn't have every other team outside the Top 25.  We've gotten 3 seeds two years in a row.  That's going to be awfully tough to duplicate from this league if so many teams are just average. 

Gonzaga would beg to differ

[Pakuni]

Gonzaga would beg to differ

And, fwiw, Xavier earned a #3 seed in 2003 and 2008 and a 4 seed in 2009, coming out of a conference weaker than the new BE.
Memphis earned two #1 seeds and two #2 seeds between 2006 and 2009 coming out of a conference weaker than the new BE.

I mean, in a sense he's right .... MU won't be able to rely as much on its conference opponents to boost its SOS, RPI and seeding.
1. So what?
2. Nonconference scheduling can mitigate some of that

[dgies9156]

I'm sorry for Georgetown and Greg Whittington. Still, I think they will be better than most people think. The House of Thompson finds ways to win.

As for us, quit your griping. It's like we have nothing better to do so we complain. It's the off-season I guess.

Issue 1: We may have a lower RPI than in year's past. We knew that would happen when Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse did splitsville on our Big East. What we lost in the process was Cincinnati and UConn, neither one of which will be a Top 25 team.

Item 2: If we take care of business, cut through our schedule like a hot knife through butter, beat the Badgers and win when it counts on our non-conference slate, We'll be fine. Lose to Blundering Bucky, have a .500 record when we head to conference and we're going to pay the price.

Item 3: I still really like our team in 2013-2014. We're stacked and deeper than I ever remember us. We have something special coming and if Buzz and the guys take care of business, we're a legitimate Final Four contender -- and maybe more. I don't care where we end up seeded in the NCAA or ranked during the season, we've got to win six games after the conference tournament to attain our goal. At least five of them will be bloody tough.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I believe what Lens is saying makes a ton of sense.  You want this conference to do well the first few years.  One would expect to have G'Town, Butler, MU at the top vying for the regular season title, but as other teams dilute the perception of the league might weaken in the media and among fans...not a good thing for a young league.

Fox will certain promote us, but as I've mentioned several times, not everyone is going to carry Fox Sports One in the first year unless some things change.  We'll see. 

[Silkk the Shaka]

Look, we did the absolute best we could.  I have no qualms about the decision.  I just wish that going to this important inaugural season we wouldn't have every other team outside the Top 25.  We've gotten 3 seeds two years in a row.  That's going to be awfully tough to duplicate from this league if so many teams are just average. 

15-3 or better in this league with a good (not even great) showing against a non-con schedule like we currently have lined up gets you a 3 seed nearly every year.  We had to finish 1st and 2nd in the old Big East to do the same, not sure how this is any different really (in terms of our potential for a 3 seed next year).

[ChicosBailBonds]

15-3 or better in this league with a good (not even great) showing against a non-con schedule like we currently have lined up gets you a 3 seed nearly every year.  We had to finish 1st and 2nd in the old Big East to do the same, not sure how this is any different really (in terms of our potential for a 3 seed next year).

Maybe.  Memphis went 16-0 in their conference and 30-4 overall and got a 6 seed.  I don't think the new Big East will be below CUSA, but I'm merely pointing out that a quality brand basketball school like Memphis with an impressive record could do no better than a 6.   I think the first place Big East team has a shot at a 3, but the margin for error is going to be a bunch smaller than the last few years.

[Pakuni]

Maybe.  Memphis went 16-0 in their conference and 30-4 overall and got a 6 seed.  I don't think the new Big East will be below CUSA, but I'm merely pointing out that a quality brand basketball school like Memphis with an impressive record could do no better than a 6.   I think the first place Big East team has a shot at a 3, but the margin for error is going to be a bunch smaller than the last few years.

Because their best nonconference wins were over Harvard, Ohio and Tennessee, and has no wins over RPI top 25 teams. All three of their wins over RPI top 50 teams were over the same team (Southern Miss)

[boyonthedock]

MU is gonna have at least 10 rpi 100 victories  from the conference schedule. They will be ok, but they will probably need 6 losses or less to get a top 3 seed.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Because their best nonconference wins were over Harvard, Ohio and Tennessee.

Guess somebody missed (or ignored) the part "with a good (not even great) showing against a non-con schedule like we currently have lined up."  Wins over Harvard, Ohio, and Tennesse does not fit that criteria.  Had they beaten 2 of VCU (N), Minnesota (N), Louisville (H), Xavier (A) a.k.a. good but not great, they likely would have been a 3 seed, and at the very least a 4.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Guess somebody missed (or ignored) the part "with a good (not even great) showing against a non-con schedule like we currently have lined up."  Wins over Harvard, Ohio, and Tennesse does not fit that criteria.  Had they beaten 2 of VCU (N), Minnesota (N), Louisville (H), Xavier (A) a.k.a. good but not great, they likely would have been a 3 seed, and at the very least a 4.

I didn't miss it.  I guess it comes down to what is "good, not even great" against non-conference schedule.  Harvard was a NCAA team, Tennessee was on the bubble.    They lost to NCAA VCU, NCAA Minnesota, NCAA Louisville, NCAA bubble Xavier.

Memphis Out of Conference Schedule strength this year was 59.  Marquette's was 84.  I don't think their out of conference schedule was that horrific. 

Certainly not great, but I guess we have different definitions of good enough, especially in line with a 16-0 conference record.  I'm not disputing that a 3 seed is possible, but I also wouldn't be surprised to see the league's winner get a 4 or 5 seed, too. 

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I didn't miss it.  I guess it comes down to what is "good, not even great" against non-conference schedule.  Harvard was a NCAA team, Tennessee was on the bubble.    They lost to NCAA VCU, NCAA Minnesota, NCAA Louisville, NCAA bubble Xavier.

Memphis Out of Conference Schedule strength this year was 59.  Marquette's was 84.  I don't think their out of conference schedule was that horrific.  

Certainly not great, but I guess we have different definitions of good enough, especially in line with a 16-0 conference record.  I'm not disputing that a 3 seed is possible, but I also wouldn't be surprised to see the league's winner get a 4 or 5 seed, too.  

You're getting caught in the minutia.

#1 Win games.
#2 Schedule enough tough games (conf. and/or non-conf) to create a good schedule.
#3 Profit

If MU goes 30-4, they will be higher than a #6 seed. I'd bet my house.

Oh, and just to be clear, I understand that the winner of the Big East is no longer an almost automatic for a #1 seed, but the conference is good enough that the conf. champ should have a reasonable shot at a 1,2 or 3.

[Pakuni]

I didn't miss it.  I guess it comes down to what is "good, not even great" against non-conference schedule.  Harvard was a NCAA team, Tennessee was on the bubble.    They lost to NCAA VCU, NCAA Minnesota, NCAA Louisville, NCAA bubble Xavier.

Memphis Out of Conference Schedule strength this year was 59.  Marquette's was 84.  I don't think their out of conference schedule was that horrific. 

It's not just who you play, it's who you beat. The one NCAA team they beat all year was a 14 seed.
Memphis only beat one RPI top 50 team prior to the tournament.
I can pretty much guarantee you that Marquette will never go undefeated in conference without beating more than one top 50 team.