ZarleyZalapski's Blog

Is the Big East really this bad?

By ZarleyZalapski | View all Posts
Posted Monday, March 21, 2011 09:31 AM   9 comments
When I sat and watched team after team from the Big East lose over the weekend I began to wonder... how many of these terrible teams made the field of 64?  The number 11 kept popping in my head but I needed to get to my bracket to confirm.  This had to be wrong, there's no way 11 of these teams made the big dance. 


Yet to my surprise, 11 it was.  Now they're down to 2.

Don't get me wrong, Kemba Walker is great and Marquette is a well coached squad.  That being said, even the two teams that advanced will be lucky to make it any further.  Both teams only had to beat fellow conference teams to continue dancing.

So the question arises, why did the committee think that the Big East was such a beast?  Is it the TV exposure that these

teams receive being in the biggest markets?  You tell me.

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ownedbymerc says:
03/21/11 10:24AM
Good blog. My first guess is just parody. People see the same teams coming out of the ACC and Big 12 every year and start to write off those conferences as "a few top schools and a bunch of bottom dwellers".

In the Big East, it seems like 8-10 teams have a chance every year. To their credit, they do have a lot of great coaches, Boeheim, Calhoun, Dixon, Pitino and others. For ESPN, its good TV to have all of those teams ranked in the top 20 playing every week.

Probably more to it than that, but that's my first blush.

Stevierags says:
03/21/11 06:17PM
Good blog for today as it is a hot topic. The BE had a 29-16 record against BCS league opponents. The only other conference with a winning record was B12 at 25-20, with a much lesser of a schedule. If you look at those 29 wins the BE had against BCS opponents, many of them were against teams ranked in the top 25. There were times this year that 10 teams were ranked in the top 25. That being said, the 11 berths were warranted. The ESPN tie and east coast bias is for those looking for excuses. This tourney is a one and done and lends itself to many upsets. I wonder if the same BE bashers are saying the Patriots(undefeated at the time) sucked and were over rated because they lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl
HumbledGambler says:
03/22/11 01:44AM
I don't know about great coaches! Lousiville and Villanova both lost because of mental and physical lapses at the end of their games. Bad decisions by the coaches and players. Villanova was running and gunning when they were up 6 with 3 mins to play. Louisville was not ready to play from the outset and Pitino looked like a coach that thought it would all play out in his favor at the end. Wrong! What has Boheim done without since Melo? I like Dixon but he has to have his players off the paint for that last FT. I think the conference is overrated, especially the coaches. The guy at ND? Joke!
yankees1913 says:
03/22/11 02:20AM
Remember two big east teams got sent home by two Big East teams. There were 2 big east matchups in the 2nd or 3rd round is what they were calling it. Big East is not bad.
Ponch says:
03/22/11 10:22AM
That's the only reason why two Big East teams advanced. Biggest BE win thus far in the tournament = Marquette over Xavier. Here are the results:

1. West Virginia beats Villanova and loses to Kentucky.

2. Marquette beats Xavier and Syracuse.

3. Cincy beats Mizzou and loses to UConn

4. UConn beats Bucknell and Cincy.

5. Louisville loses to Morehead St.

6. Georgetown loses to VCU

7. Notre Dame beats Akron and loses to Florida St. (BIG)

8. Pitt beats UNC Ashville and loses to Butler

9. St. John's loses to Gonzaga (BIG)

10. Villanova loses to West Virigina

11. Syracuse beats Indiana State and loses to Marquette.

You can't defend these results can you?

Ponch says:
03/22/11 10:32AM
They are 6-6 against non-Big East opponents. Their wins are over the following teams:

16- UNC-Ashville

15- Akron

14- Bucknell

14- Indiana State

11- Missouri

6- Xavier

Losses to:

13- Morehead St.

11- VCU

11- Gonzaga

10- Florida St.

8- Butler

4- Kentucky

3DailyWinners says:
03/22/11 10:50AM
From Charles Barkley to many around the country, the smirky grins were seen coast to coast as only two of the original Big East teams made the Sweet 16.

Let’s try and go with the idea that the Big East probably did deserve to have as many bids as they received, but continual hype of this league having so many games broadcast on ESPN turned a collection of good teams into something more than they deserved. If you recall back in early November, the general consensus among basketball experts was the conference might be down a little, with less great teams and more balance. In the end that assessment was on the nose.

Superman4132 says:
03/22/11 12:13PM
Duh.....it happens like this every year. The Big Eat plays gets a ton of exposure and Pub all year long and when it comes time for selecting the tournament the committe takes this into consideration...plus these teams have huge followings so the committee takes that into consideration as well....dollar bills yall. I mean look at it....if these teams were that great how come they all struggle on the road. Come tournament time they always struggle and will contine to struggle!!!!
sego says:
03/24/11 06:36PM
The Big East is easily the deepest conference in the nation. 11 teams in the tournament was completely warranted and the early exits are the nature of the beast that is the NCAA Tournament. With 9 teams in the AP poll TWICE this season and a 6-1 record against top 10 opponents I don't know how people can hate on the conference so much. Maybe the physical beating these Big East teams inflict on one another throughout their gauntlet of a conference schedule is what caused the early exits. I agree that the conference was not as good as it has been in past years but the credentials of the coaches and the numbers for the conference speak for themselves.
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User: ZarleyZalapski
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Location: South Carolina
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