Sun 12/1 BE Game Thread (6 games)

[stever20]

You have no idea what the bubble this year is going to look like. To say what teams usually get in with was mostly before the NCAAT was expanded again and it was before the BE exploded. The BE isn't the only conference with a weaker SOS in-conference. The conference strength of schedule has gone down for some former BE schools too like Lousville, Uconn, & Cincy. The A-10 lost Butler & X. Not saying it wouldn't be hard butI think a 19-11 team can make the NCAAT.

If anything it's going to get harder for a 19-11 team to make the tourney. There will be more 21-22 game winners now than before even.

[TheHall]

You have no idea what the bubble this year is going to look like. To say what teams usually get in with was mostly before the NCAAT was expanded again and it was before the BE exploded. The BE isn't the only conference with a weaker SOS in-conference. The conference strength of schedule has gone down for some former BE schools too like Lousville, Uconn, & Cincy. The A-10 lost Butler & X. Not saying it wouldn't be hard butI think a 19-11 team can make the NCAAT.

If anything it's going to get harder for a 19-11 team to make the tourney. There will be more 21-22 game winners now than before even.

Against who though? Way more low RPI teams in most other conferences.

[stever20]

You have no idea what the bubble this year is going to look like. To say what teams usually get in with was mostly before the NCAAT was expanded again and it was before the BE exploded. The BE isn't the only conference with a weaker SOS in-conference. The conference strength of schedule has gone down for some former BE schools too like Lousville, Uconn, & Cincy. The A-10 lost Butler & X. Not saying it wouldn't be hard butI think a 19-11 team can make the NCAAT.

If anything it's going to get harder for a 19-11 team to make the tourney. There will be more 21-22 game winners now than before even.

Against who though? Way more low RPI teams in most other conferences.

Our RPI right now isn't all that stellar.... If we don't get some wins, we're in trouble.

right now- our 3rd best RPI team is...... DePaul.... at #56.

Also- look at some of teams that made the 1st four last year. St Mary's, Boise St, Middle Tennessee, La Salle. The committee has changed. The days of a 18-13 team making the tourney are just about done.

[Bill Marsh]

As other people have said (I think), no team eliminated themselves this weekend (though teams like Xavier certainly didn't help their case) but as whole we just don't look strong.

As I've been saying for weeks, we have a LOT of good, not great teams. When these teams just beat up on each other in the conference and finish with good, not great records then it's going to come down to their OOC schedules and to a lesser extent how the rest of the conference fared during the OOC slate. Right now, that doesn't look anything more than average. I still think there are 8 teams who have the opportunity to make a tournament caliber resume (sorry Seton Hall and DePaul) but making that resume is going to involve stringing together a group of conference wins. When these teams are playing each other that is going to become impossible for all of those 8 teams (or even 4-5 most likely) to do that.

Trust me, I want to see the Big East get 5 or 6 bids but if you still say that you think that is going to happen after most of what we've witnessed this weekend then I think you are just being a Big East homer. I just honestly think we are a 4 bid conference right now and part of me even thinks that may be too optimistic.

Still waiting.... Which 6-7 teams are out because of this weekend?

Wrong question. The real question is who besides Villanova has done anything to help themselves in establishing credentials to qualify for a bid?

[Lavinwood]

I think we are a 2-3 bid league unless someone steps up big time i.e. PC, SJ, Xavier, Butler. The only saving grace is that the ACC can also beat each other up. UNC, Duke, Cuse, L'Ville (next yr), Pitt is a very crowded group up top. They used to have Duke, UNC and everyone else so those teams feasted and were always top 10. Now they will have 3 teams who can be just as good if not better. FSU is always dangerous as well. It's still funny to me that teams like Pitt and Cuse went to the ACC for football when in reality they are basketball schools. I hope Cuse doesn't plan on winning many conference tourneys anymore and settling for 3rd or 4th place. It's amazing what greed does to people…Cuse could not have had a better home than the Big East with all the NYC alumni, the hoops tradition, MSG, being dominant year after year, making deep runs in the tourney, etc. Now they accepted more money and may have sacrificed their basketball program especially after Boeheim retires.

The ACC will grind even the best teams down like no other.

[Bill Marsh]

If anything it's going to get harder for a 19-11 team to make the tourney. There will be more 21-22 game winners now than before even.

Against who though? Way more low RPI teams in most other conferences.

Our RPI right now isn't all that stellar.... If we don't get some wins, we're in trouble.

right now- our 3rd best RPI team is...... DePaul.... at #56.

Also- look at some of teams that made the 1st four last year. St Mary's, Boise St, Middle Tennessee, La Salle. The committee has changed. The days of a 18-13 team making the tourney are just about done.

Agree with you on the RPI point, Steve, but with regard to the committee, it's impossible to judge a future committee by the precedent(s) of a past committee(s). Every committee seems to have its own personality and it's own priorities.

[stever20]

2011- UAB 22-8, Clemson 21-11. USC 19-14, VCU 23-11- 5 teams in tourney with 19 wins.
2012- BYU 25-8, Iona 25-7, Cal 24-9, USF 20-13- 1 team in tourney with 19 wins
2013- Boise 21-10, La Salle 21-9, MTSU 28-5, St Mary's 27-6- 0 teams in tourney with 19 wins

[TheHall]

2011- UAB 22-8, Clemson 21-11. USC 19-14, VCU 23-11- 5 teams in tourney with 19 wins.
2012- BYU 25-8, Iona 25-7, Cal 24-9, USF 20-13- 1 team in tourney with 19 wins
2013- Boise 21-10, La Salle 21-9, MTSU 28-5, St Mary's 27-6- 0 teams in tourney with 19 wins

Old BE used to gobble up bids (8 last year) raising the bar for everyone else. The OBE is gone and the ACC isn't the OBE.

[stever20]

2011- UAB 22-8, Clemson 21-11. USC 19-14, VCU 23-11- 5 teams in tourney with 19 wins.
2012- BYU 25-8, Iona 25-7, Cal 24-9, USF 20-13- 1 team in tourney with 19 wins
2013- Boise 21-10, La Salle 21-9, MTSU 28-5, St Mary's 27-6- 0 teams in tourney with 19 wins

Old BE used to gobble up bids (8 last year) raising the bar for everyone else. The OBE is gone and the ACC isn't the OBE.

true, but AAC, BE, and ACC will easily equal or be better than ACC and BE last year. AAC changes the equation(and takes 1 at large spot out of the equation)

[TheHall]

2011- UAB 22-8, Clemson 21-11. USC 19-14, VCU 23-11- 5 teams in tourney with 19 wins.
2012- BYU 25-8, Iona 25-7, Cal 24-9, USF 20-13- 1 team in tourney with 19 wins
2013- Boise 21-10, La Salle 21-9, MTSU 28-5, St Mary's 27-6- 0 teams in tourney with 19 wins

Old BE used to gobble up bids (8 last year) raising the bar for everyone else. The OBE is gone and the ACC isn't the OBE.

true, but AAC, BE, and ACC will easily equal or be better than ACC and BE last year. AAC changes the equation(and takes 1 at large spot out of the equation)

true. ACC will have 2 or 3 ranked teams this week, not that strong.