SI article on the Big East

[Jet915]

Nice SI article on the Big East this year.

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2014/12/12/big-east-basketball-success

[stever20]

I think the thing that is amazing about this year is how we're not that much better than we were last year really- but the perception is night and day different than last year....

last year 31 losses
this year so far 19 losses- projected in ken pom for at least 6- up to 8(depends on DePaul in Hawaii) more losses.

When you think about it- the difference between 31 and 27 especially isn't that big at all.

I think the big difference quite frankly is November. Last November we were pretty close to awful. This November we were outstanding. It's amazing how when you make that great first impression just how different things are.

[admin]

Great article. Particularly like and agree with Jay's take:

The wins against football-backstopped conferences are coming in every way, it seems. It’s a dynamic that reminds Wright of his days as a Villanova assistant in the late 1980s, when the Big East was a relatively small league with incredibly competitive basketball and incredibly competitive personalities leading the way. “Everybody took great pride in everybody’s success,” Wright said. “As the Big East grew, we kind of lost that. But now I feel that same pride amongst these schools. We’re basketball schools. In this era of football, we’ve kind of taken a stand that we are what we are. We’re metropolitan-area basketball schools, basketball is our No. 1 sport, and we’re going to try to go it alone. I can see everybody takes real pride in it.”

[MUPanther]

There is better wins for the Big East by many teams in the league.

Marquette has had it's up and downs in the young season, has wins over Tennessee and Georgia Tech. DePaul beat Stanford. National media who has never followed Creighton other than starting last year, beat Oklahoma.

[robinreed]

We started the season better than last year and I fully expect we will finish better than last year. I believe 4 bids in the dance are a given and 5 bids are very possible and perhaps probable. The real question for our long term success is how is our TV viewership compared to last year? I do not know the answer to that question but it is very important for our future. Does anyone on the board have stats for our games on Fox SN1 or SN2? I would appreciate you posting them if they are available. I expect at least a 25% increase but have seen no evidence as yet.

[Bill Marsh]

I read the article. The stress is on the conference competing and winning big. I'm sitting here while I'm reading the article, watching Gonzaga kicking UCLA's butt. This Gonzaga team is really good. Really talented. I'm thinking how badly the Big East missed the boat with its decision not to include Gonzaga. This is everything you want a Big East program to be.

The geography objection is crazy. Gonzaga is the one who's inconvenienced. The others have to make at most one trip per year to the Northwest for teams that play a full schedule of conference games. Gonzaga's willing to take on the travel. If they can do it, how can anyone else complain?

I just think of what might have been. And what still could be.

[DudeAnon]

@Bill Marsh

Interesting you mention Gonzaga. I had my kids 1st birthday party today and the family was talking basketball. My grandpa was adamant that Gonzaga should be added. It has been hard for me to swallow the idea because adding a team on the West Coast to the Big EAST is so ridiculous.

But they are literally the ideal school, and likely would've been taken before Xavier, Butler or Creighton if they were in the mid-west.

So the questions are:
1) How realistic is adding Gonzaga?
2) Is there a travel partner program we could add (St. Marys?)?

[BillikenFriar]

Yes, just as ne trip.

One trip for basketball.
One trip for women's basketball
One trip for men's soccer
One trip for women's soccer
One trip for field hockey
One trip for volleyball
One trip for......

You get the idea.

Gonzaga is perfect except for distance. Maybe it is worth it to the Presidents. Not so far.

[DudeAnon]

Yes, just as ne trip.

One trip for basketball.
One trip for women's basketball
One trip for men's soccer
One trip for women's soccer
One trip for field hockey
One trip for volleyball
One trip for......

You get the idea.

Gonzaga is perfect except for distance. Maybe it is worth it to the Presidents. Not so far.

What's funny is that if our name was the "American Athletic Conference" it would be easier to stomach adding a team on the West Coast.

[gosports1]

nothing against gonzaga. i just feel they shouldnt be on the BE. Not as a 12 team league
Maybe if we were to join the P5 in some kind of breakaway division and we had the opportunity to expand to 16 and offer 6 teams a "lifeboat" i could see it.
the other 5 being: saint louis, wichita st, denver, vcu and ?