So is the Big East good or bad?

[NavinRJohnson]

There's Villanova, there's Creighton, and then there is a group of Providence, Xavier, St. John's, Marquette, and Georgetown that truthfully are all about the same. Roughly half that group will go to the NCAA. I look at those teams and come to the conclusion  that they just aren't very good. Have I just been jaded into believing that by watching MU all year, or are these teams and subsequentlythe conference a little better than I think they are?

[bradley center bat]

Big East ranks in all the computer rankings the 3 or 4 best league. There is no nights offs. Just lost the star power in Syracuse.

[brandx]

There's Villanova, there's Creighton, and then there is a group of Providence, Xavier, St. John's, Marquette, and Georgetown that truthfully are all about the same. Roughly half that group will go to the NCAA. I look at those teams and come to the conclusion  that they just aren't very good. Have I just been jaded into believing that by watching MU all year, or are these teams and subsequentlythe conference a little better than I think they are?

A decent conference. Obviously, not the old BE, but not bad.

[jesmu84]

I do wonder about a conference with no signifcantly great or terrible teams. If all the ones in the middle beat themselves up, then doesn't the conference get punished? As well, all those teams in the middle get hurt in the rankings. Unless our conference had a GREAT non-con, then I think we were hurt by not having teams that everyone can grab a bunch of wins against. Someone who understands more about numbers can probably prove or disprove this.

[nyg]

Big East ranks in all the computer rankings the 3 or 4 best league. There is no nights offs. Just lost the star power in Syracuse.

And Louisville, UCONN, Cincy, PITT and ND.  Miss the old BE and ESPN coverage.  

[tower912]

Good.   Not great.   Computer rankings are accurate, IMO.    There is a lot of average basketball being played nationwide.   The Big East is tough from top to bottom, other than DePaul sans Melvin.   

[BenCat12]

It is hard to say.  There are two legitimate final four candidates, then a bunch of underachievers.
Georgetown and St. Johns don't score enough to be a legitimate tourney threat.  Xavier and Providence could win a game in the tourney but most likely they will be 8/9 seeds and draw a 1 in the second round, don't see either knocking off a 1.

I do think the conference only gets better from here on out.  Recruiting is trending upward and the national TV exposure, albeit Fox instead of ESPN, is still a positive moving forward.

[wardle2wade]

The Big East is better than people realize.

It also has a "great team" which doesn't get much pub.  Villanova will get a #1 seed if they win a game or two in nyc.  Their head-to-head neutral win over Kansas is big... Nova is very underrated.  

[bradley center bat]

And Louisville, UCONN, Cincy, PITT and ND.  Miss the old BE and ESPN coverage.  

I miss L'ville from the Conf. USA as well. ND should be playing MU in the non-conference.  Pitt's program is overrated. Xavier has done better than Pitt in the post season.

I love how I saw so much coverage of the Big East in the non-conference on FS1 and CBS Sports Network. Every game on National TV.

[79Warrior]

And Louisville, UCONN, Cincy, PITT and ND.  Miss the old BE and ESPN coverage.  

You raise a very good point. While the computer rankings have the conference Top 4 or 5, you would never know it. Fox paid the money but ESPN is still far and away the leader for exposure in college hoops.

[4everwarriors]

Good question. Gotta be honest, the new conference doesn't excite me. Has mid-major written all over it. The ACC plays the best basketball.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I have to think Val Ackerman and many of the other schools feel G'Town and MU let the conference down.

Go ahead and flame away at me, but I believe that to be the case with some of the Fox folks that I chat up with.  Neither was bad, but neither was good or stayed in the rankings this year.  I think the rankings blow, but for some people they live and breathe by them and they provide pub.  Two of the marquee teams really didn't deliver on that front which is unfortunate. Both were expected too.

[The Lens]

I have to think Val Ackerman and many of the other schools feel G'Town and MU let the conference down.

Go ahead and flame away at me, but I believe that to be the case with some of the Fox folks that I chat up with.  Neither was bad, but neither was good or stayed in the rankings this year.  I think the rankings blow, but for some people they live and breathe by them and they provide pub.  Two of the marquee teams really didn't deliver on that front which is unfortunate. Both were expected too.

If FOX is relying on Marquette, and to a lesser extent Georgetown, they have a problem.  We're never going to move the needle.  Heck most college hoops doesn't move the needle.  If anything FOX should be elated bc they got a POY candidate in their deal this year.

Let's face it, they bought a brand (The Big East) that was turned upside down.  We're a really good, deep and solid conf but any smart TV person should know that 10 private schools none of which are Duke or ND are not going be big draws.

[Golden Avalanche]

Good question. Gotta be honest, the new conference doesn't excite me. Has mid-major written all over it. The ACC plays the best basketball.

Hahahaha.

[ChicosBailBonds]

If FOX is relying on Marquette, and to a lesser extent Georgetown, they have a problem.  We're never going to move the needle.  Heck most college hoops doesn't move the needle.  If anything FOX should be elated bc they got a POY candidate in their deal this year.

Let's face it, they bought a brand (The Big East) that was turned upside down.  We're a really good, deep and solid conf but any smart TV person should know that 10 private schools none of which are Duke or ND are not going be big draws.

They spent a lot of money on that brand.  I wouldn't say they are specifically relying on MU and G'Town, but both had high expectations coming in with decent markets and a ton of history. When you have a MU or G'Town near the top of the league all year round, in the rankings, etc, you can build momentum, promos, etc off those brands, which are known.  It is harder to build off of Creighton, though they have tired.  Though they are happy they got Doug McDermott, let's just say Doug McDermott on a G'Town means a lot more.   Its easier to get the casual fan engaged by teams they have heard of....in this business, it means a lot.  The hardcore guy is watching anyway.  

They're plenty smart, they weren't expecting it to be an ACC draw.  They were, however, expecting and hopeful that Nova, G'Town and MU were going to carry a lot of water this year and remain part of a national conversation to help bolster the league.  1 of the 3 did.

[bradley center bat]

Good question. Gotta be honest, the new conference doesn't excite me. Has mid-major written all over it. The ACC plays the best basketball.

I hope you are joking on both.

[Tums Festival]

I have to think Val Ackerman and many of the other schools feel G'Town and MU let the conference down.

Go ahead and flame away at me, but I believe that to be the case with some of the Fox folks that I chat up with.  Neither was bad, but neither was good or stayed in the rankings this year.  I think the rankings blow, but for some people they live and breathe by them and they provide pub.  Two of the marquee teams really didn't deliver on that front which is unfortunate. Both were expected too.

Agree 100% Chicos, the BE needs Georgetown especially to be marquee again. Not sure if JTIII is up to that challenge, but they should be much better next year.

And the ACC is so overrated. After you get past the top four teams, there's nothing all that impressive there.

[MarquetteDano]

Good question. Gotta be honest, the new conference doesn't excite me. Has mid-major written all over it. The ACC plays the best basketball.

I presume you mean it has the most potential?  They got destroyed by the Big Ten in the challenge and the ACC was weak non-con except Cuse.

ACC is actually overrated this year.  I think the ACC gets max two teams in the Sweet Sixteen.  Big East will likely get the same with 5 less teams in the conference.

[MUDPT]

Georgetown has way more traction nationally than MU.  I was thinking during the Providence game, the only way that game would have gotten more viewers (significantly), if Marquette was undefeated and ranked in the top 5. Seriously, has anybody watched a Wichita game this year?  I haven't.  If FS1 was banking on Marquette bringing in huge ratings, bigger than ESPN, they probably need better market research.

[GoldenWarrior11]

The Big East, this season, will (probably) have the POY in McDermott.  They also have not one, but two, potential final four teams in the tournament in Creighton and Villanova.  Their ratings, next week, for the Big East tournament will also be (probably) very high.

Fox's problem, IMO, isn't that the Big East didn't "live up to expectations".  It's trying to fill up the space where Big East basketball (or PAC-12) isn't being showcased.  With the MLB games this summer, the Big XII and PAC-12 football games in the Fall, and the Big East games in the Winter, they are definitely headed in the right direction.

Fox is in the process of brand-building.  The Big East is in the process of re-branding.

[ChicosBailBonds]

The Big East, this season, will (probably) have the POY in McDermott.  They also have not one, but two, potential final four teams in the tournament in Creighton and Villanova.  Their ratings, next week, for the Big East tournament will also be (probably) very high.

Fox's problem, IMO, isn't that the Big East didn't "live up to expectations".  It's trying to fill up the space where Big East basketball (or PAC-12) isn't being showcased.  With the MLB games this summer, the Big XII and PAC-12 football games in the Fall, and the Big East games in the Winter, they are definitely headed in the right direction.

Fox is in the process of brand-building.  The Big East is in the process of re-branding.

I will wager with you that the ratings next week will not be high, let alone very high.

[WayOfTheWarrior]

Overall, the Big East is where I thought it would be. A couple ranked teams at the top with a handful of tournament caliber teams rounding out the top half. Of course the final conference standings were unexpected with us and G-town not living up to preseason hopes.

Hopefully the BE tourney this week will generate some attention since it is at MSG, then again maybe it won't as much.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Georgetown has way more traction nationally than MU.  I was thinking during the Providence game, the only way that game would have gotten more viewers (significantly), if Marquette was undefeated and ranked in the top 5. Seriously, has anybody watched a Wichita game this year?  I haven't.  If FS1 was banking on Marquette bringing in huge ratings, bigger than ESPN, they probably need better market research.

They were banking on some of the marquee teams in the conference staying marquee.  Unfortunately, it didn't happen this year.  Some interesting story lines this year, but its no different than a sleeper taking a power conference in football or hoops, the established programs tend to bring more eyeballs.  It is what it is, hopefully next year a few of the traditional powers in the conference regain their footing.  This league would do better from a national recognition perspective if St. John's, MU and G'Town weren't a combined .500 in the league.

[bradley center bat]

I will wager with you that the ratings next week will not be high, let alone very high.

L'ville Syracuse got a 2.3 rating for the Big East Title Game on ESPN. Average bowls games beats that numbers.

[wardle2wade]

With Zona, Duke, Kansas, and Virginia all losing this week, Nova is looking very good for a #1 seed.  That would be great for the league.