Three Bid League?

[ChuckyChip]

Heard Mike & Mike this morning discussing the latest bracket predictions form Lunardi.  Good news is that he had Villanova as a #1 - bad news is that Providence and St. Johns were in his "first four out".  So that leaves Creighton and Xavier as the only other BE teams (I assume).  Or is this just the ESPN anti-Big East bias showing through?

[MU B2002]

No, I believe this is reality showing through.  I have seen several other projected brackets that have just about the same thing, and none of those were from ESPN people.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Very likely to be a 3 bid league right now.  Unless the Johnnies or PC do well in the tournament, or someone other than XU, VU, or CU win the BET.  SJU's start to the season is really killing them.  PC's finish to the season is killing them.  MU's lack of any quality wins killing us. 

[Silkk the Shaka]

Assuming one of Nova, Creighton, or Xavier wins the BET, I think the BE gets 4 bids provided St. John's, Providence, or Georgetown makes the finals knocking off one of Creighton or Nova along the way. If any two of St. John's, Providence and Georgetown face off in the championship game, I think we could get 5. Hopefully we join the list with a nice 3 games in 3 nights run though!

[NersEllenson]

It will be a travesty if the A-10 gets more team in than the Big East.  Head to head against A-10 the Big East has performed quite well...

MU over GWash
Georgetown over VCU
Creighton over St. Joes on road
Providence over LaSalle Neutral, win over Rhode Island away, OT loss at Mass on road
St. Johns by 50 over a bad Fordham club
Nova over St. Joes by 30

One bad loss - Creighton to GeorgeWashington..

[NavinRJohnson]

Shaping up that way. I think St, johns may be able to play their way in, but I think Xavier is hanging by a thread. They lose to MU they are probably in trouble. The good news is that they have to select 68 teams, but I actually think only 2 teams remains a possibility. Georgetown or St. John's may need to get hot.

[wardle2wade]

When it all shakes out, I think the Big East gets at least 4 bids. 

I also believe that the St Johns-Prov winner is in. 
If Georgetown beats Depaul, I think the tourney squeaks them due to their big wins. 
If Xavier loses to us, they'll probably be the first team out. 

[MUfan12]

When it all shakes out, I think the Big East gets at least 4 bids. 

I also believe that the St Johns-Prov winner is in. 
If Georgetown beats Depaul, I think the tourney squeaks them due to their big wins. 
If Xavier loses to us, they'll probably be the first team out. 

Agree on 1 and 3. X will be hoping for a trip to Dayton if they lose to MU.

I think Georgetown has to make it to Saturday to feel secure.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

It will be a travesty if the A-10 gets more team in than the Big East.  Head to head against A-10 the Big East has performed quite well...

MU over GWash
Georgetown over VCU
Creighton over St. Joes on road
Providence over LaSalle Neutral, win over Rhode Island away, OT loss at Mass on road
St. Johns by 50 over a bad Fordham club
Nova over St. Joes by 30

One bad loss - Creighton to GeorgeWashington..

+1

This is why the committee baffles me sometimes. They reward leagues where the great teams demolish the weak (AAC, ACC, Big 12, SEC, A10, etc) and punish those where there is true competition. If Villanova lost to Depaul (before they lost Melvin) in regular season play, I would be surprised...but not dumbfounded.

The BEast also killed itself by scheduling soft non-cons. Besides us, who had a truly tough non-con slate? Numbers 3-7 in the BEast all have RPIs in the 50s and 60s but are actually in the top 40 teams in the nation.

[LAZER]

I think a team other than Villanova, Creighton, or Xavier will win the BET.  St John's in MSG will be tough.

[denverMU]

Very likely to be a 3 bid league right now.  Unless the Johnnies or PC do well in the tournament, or someone other than XU, VU, or CU win the BET.  SJU's start to the season is really killing them.  PC's finish to the season is killing them.  MU's lack of any quality wins killing us. 


[/

Palm, at CBS Sports, has 4 BE teams in right now.  While I agree our lack of good wins is hurting us, what is killing us is our playing 5 teams with RPI's over 300.  Move those games to 150-200 RPI and we are in easily.

[Litehouse]

We did our part this week to help Providence and St. Johns get those bids.

[madtownwarrior]

Funny - one team's bad loss is another team's good win

It will be a travesty if the A-10 gets more team in than the Big East.  Head to head against A-10 the Big East has performed quite well...

MU over GWash
Georgetown over VCU
Creighton over St. Joes on road
Providence over LaSalle Neutral, win over Rhode Island away, OT loss at Mass on road
St. Johns by 50 over a bad Fordham club
Nova over St. Joes by 30

One bad loss - Creighton to GeorgeWashington..

[kclem]

The BEast also killed itself by scheduling soft non-cons. Besides us, who had a truly tough non-con slate? Numbers 3-7 in the BEast all have RPIs in the 50s and 60s but are actually in the top 40 teams in the nation.
[/quote]

Reply:
On ESPN's RPI site, they list Marquette's strength of schedule as #57. Other teams in our conference: Georgetown-#9, Creighton-#17, DePaul-#24, Xavier-#40, Villanova-#45, and St. Johns-#52. Everyone in our conference had a strength of schedule below #100.

[CTWarrior]

On ESPN's RPI site, they list Marquette's strength of schedule as #57. Other teams in our conference: Georgetown-#9, Creighton-#17, DePaul-#24, Xavier-#40, Villanova-#45, and St. Johns-#52. Everyone in our conference had a strength of schedule below #100.

If you're in the mood to pile on, our schedule was another area that did not work out well at all this year.  The schedule was very challenging but did not come with a commensurate strength of schedule because the buy games were so terrible.

[brandx]

Assuming one of Nova, Creighton, or Xavier wins the BET, I think the BE gets 4 bids provided St. John's, Providence, or Georgetown makes the finals knocking off one of Creighton or Nova along the way. If any two of St. John's, Providence and Georgetown face off in the championship game, I think we could get 5. Hopefully we join the list with a nice 3 games in 3 nights run though!

That's what I've been saying. Of course it is pre-BET so things could change and we get 4.

[ChicosBailBonds]

An article that touches on this and the A-10


http://www.providencejournal.com/sports/college/content/20140309-kevin-mcnamara-big-east-tourney-carries-a-lot-of-weight-this-year.ece

[THEbig0]

I see this as the pro and con of a smaller (only 10 team) league vs. the old big east.  Harder to get more than half the conference in the ncaa tournament because the losses have to come from somewhere.  But in a down year, it seems much more realistic to have a chance to upset and win the conference tournament.  Last year, no chance in heck could we win with the 16 team big east and playing that many nights in a row.  Now with only 3 games in a row, seems more up for grabs.  I kind of like that, more tourney excitement.

[brandx]

I see this as the pro and con of a smaller (only 10 team) league vs. the old big east.  Harder to get more than half the conference in the ncaa tournament because the losses have to come from somewhere.  But in a down year, it seems much more realistic to have a chance to upset and win the conference tournament.  Last year, no chance in heck could we win with the 16 team big east and playing that many nights in a row.  Now with only 3 games in a row, seems more up for grabs.  I kind of like that, more tourney excitement.

That was my reasoning as well when I would debate with the guys who were saying 5 or 6. Simple mathematics.

[ChicosBailBonds]

That was my reasoning as well when I would debate with the guys who were saying 5 or 6. Simple mathematics.

I suspect SLU and someone else will push us to 12 teams in the next few years, which will help a bit as well.

[wardle2wade]

I suspect SLU and someone else will push us to 12 teams in the next few years, which will help a bit as well.

I was hoping this season would bring to light who that #12th team might be, but I still don't have a clue.  Wonder if it'll end up being Dayton when the time comes. 

Sidenote... As strong as the #ABD movement was on scoop, Dayton fans do enjoy their basketball... always surprise me how well they travel.

[Texas Western]

I think the down years by Marquette and Georgetown impacts the perception of the league. The emergence of the middle class teams was great but not enough to offset .  The conference tourney is going to be fought tooth and nail.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Results like tonight don't help

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

The only way it becomes a 4 bid league this year if MU wins the BET against PC or St. Johns.

[MUfan12]

Results like tonight don't help

Providence and Xavier need wins tomorrow.