BRACKETOLOGY 2020-21

[DudeAnon]

I recall lots of Big East fans said UCONN needed the BE far more than the BE needed UCONN. Safe to say it was far more mutually beneficial.

Do you think UConn gets a bid if they were in the AAC?

[Husky_U]

I recall lots of Big East fans said UCONN needed the BE far more than the BE needed UCONN. Safe to say it was far more mutually beneficial.

Do you think UConn gets a bid if they were in the AAC?

We probably would have finished 2nd in the AAC, meaning we would have been squarely on the bubble, possibly needing the AQ to get in. Again, this turned out to be a beautiful marriage.

[adoraz]

I recall lots of Big East fans said UCONN needed the BE far more than the BE needed UCONN. Safe to say it was far more mutually beneficial.

Yeah I was always in favor of it because it's good to have a big school for down years like this one. That's especially true for a league the only had 10 teams, far less room for error.

Last year we would've gotten 6/7 teams in easily. This year could've gotten ugly without UConn.

Worst case scenario we only get 3 in this year and it's disappointing but not terrible since Nova and UConn are elite brands. We have top recruiting classes for next year, too. But if we only got 2 in that'd be really bad.

[Hall2012]

I recall lots of Big East fans said UCONN needed the BE far more than the BE needed UCONN. Safe to say it was far more mutually beneficial.

It was always going to be mutually beneficial - the Big East wouldn't have taken UConn if they thought there was no benefit. Big picture though, I'm still of the opinion that UConn needed it far more. Essentially, the Big East is successful and (despite this one down year)trending up - the goal of adding UConn is to make us better, upping us from usually a top 3 conference and occasionally in the #1 debate to usually in the #1 debate. UConn, on the other hand, was going nowhere fast in the AAC. It was clearly a program on the decline and this move injected some much needed energy as well a massive recruiting boost (you have a couple great players on your roster who pretty much said there's no shot they'd be in Storrs without the Big East move). So while I agree it's mutually beneficial, I do think UConn was coming from a place where they needed it more.

[DudeAnon]

I recall lots of Big East fans said UCONN needed the BE far more than the BE needed UCONN. Safe to say it was far more mutually beneficial.

Do you think UConn gets a bid if they were in the AAC?

We probably would have finished 2nd in the AAC, meaning we would have been squarely on the bubble, possibly needing the AQ to get in. Again, this turned out to be a beautiful marriage.

It has. But lets not forgot this is probably the worst year of the NBE since is inception, I expect UConn to battle much harder to achieve 3rd place or better going forward.

[Hall2012]

I recall lots of Big East fans said UCONN needed the BE far more than the BE needed UCONN. Safe to say it was far more mutually beneficial.

Do you think UConn gets a bid if they were in the AAC?

We probably would have finished 2nd in the AAC, meaning we would have been squarely on the bubble, possibly needing the AQ to get in. Again, this turned out to be a beautiful marriage.

With your current team, I think you guys would've won the AAC. Houston would give you a fight but I really don't think they're much if any better than you.

[GumbyDamnit!]

It doesn't really matter who needed whom. UConn is now one of us and will undoubtedly help the league. And like him or hate him, Hurley isn't going to concede an inch. He grew up in the BE--a tough as nails SH Pirate--and embraces that us against the world mentality.

I also don't buy into the idea of it being zero sum when it comes to things like recruiting, etc. I've seen Hall, PC and SJU fans (not necessarily on this board) bemoan that Hurley's ability to recruit, and UConn's return, will hurt them. I don't accept that mentality. First, don't get sucked into the ranking # next to the name. Jay W brought in some local 3* kid ranked in the 200's who was also being recruited by low & mid majors. The next year a McD All-American PG, who was expected to step in immediately. Player 1 is Collin Gillespie and player 2 J. Quinnerly. Who would you rather have? The Champagnie brothers were in the 200's; Posh A was 250+. Anyone want them on their team? Darrun Hilliard, Kamar Baldwin, etc. etc. etc. Not all of them are 4 and 5 start kids. Recruit kids who fit your system and don't get too worried about how many 4/5 stars Mr. Hurley is bringing in.

The return of UConn will make all the coaches work harder to try to beat them. Jay has certainly made the BE coaches work harder to keep up over the past 6-7 years. That is what good teams do for other teams. Competition makes you better, not worse. Proof in point, the BE put 6 different programs into the FF back in 2000's (VU, G'town, Cuse, L'ville, WVU, UConn). Pitino, Wright, Calhoun, Boeheim, Huggy, JT3. 5 HOF's and the son of a 6th. Think any of those guys backed down to a challenge? I say: "if you want to play with the big boys, strap yourself in and fight like hell, and take what you want." Or sit in the corner, complain and accept being dominated. I hope this conference evolves back into a kill or be killed identity. Think the BET is fun now, wait until there are 4 or 5 legitimate FF teams beating the crap out of each other in MSG.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

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Bracketology – Joe Lunardi, ESPN – February 16, 2021

2. Villanova
5. Creighton
9. Xavier
10. Seton Hall

First Four Out: UConn

Bracketology – Joe Lunardi, ESPN – February 23, 2021

2. Villanova
5. Creighton
11. Seton Hall
11. Xavier (First Four Play-in Game)

Last Four In: Indiana, Xavier, Minnesota, Colorado St.
First Four Out: Stanford, UConn , Duke, Richmond

Joes Latest: https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story ... acketology

12..X
11..UCONN
11..Hall
4...Creighton
2...Villanova

Bracketology – Joe Lunardi, ESPN – Tuesday March 9, 2021 at 11:15 PM ET

4. Villanova
5. Creighton
9. UConn
12. Xavier (First Four Play-in Game)

Last Four In: Drake, Boise State, Colorado State, Xavier

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[Django]

The Morning Joe:

X 12 (last team in)
UCONN 9
CU 5
VU 4

Hall 5th team OUT

https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story ... acketology

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

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Bracketology – Joe Lunardi, ESPN – Wednesday March 10, 2021 at 11:34 PM ET

4. Villanova
5. Creighton
9. UConn

First Four Out: Utah State, Saint Louis, Xavier, Memphis

Bracketology – Jerry Palm, CBS Sports – Thursday, March 11, 2021

3. Villanova
5. Creighton
7. UConn

First 4 Out: Xavier • NET 62 , Saint Louis • NET 46, Ole Miss • NET 53, Utah State • NET 49

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