College Basketball Countdown

[stever20]

Last year 18 of the final top 25 were in the top 30 preseason. 72% is nothing to sneeze at.

Also- everyone of the final top 10 was in the preseason top 25. And 16 of the top 20 were in the top 30 preseason. So to act like the preseason doesn't mean much- that's a joke.

I'd also say that what we saw last year preseason coaches poll with only Marquette ranked- kind of spoke to perception of our conference going in- and that didn't change too much at all...

[Boyee]

DePaul should be better this year as sophomore Billy Garrett Jr. doesn't have to defer to Brandon Young, who graduated and Cleveland Melvin who was kicked out of school during his senior year. Garrett was Big East Rookie of the Year last season.

[MUBoxer]

Dude: I hope you aren't in marketing, advertising, or sales... I understand the three new teams had success before the BE (that's why they were invited) but let's be honest those stories are far and few between. And come those years when your team is rebuilding and not taking in the big bucks the checks to support the school are going to come from tv contracts, which are based on how many people are going to tune in which is controlled by public perception.

Not to mention just in terms of recruiting it's a lot easier to sell a kid based on what the national perception of a school is, no matter what the reality might be.

[DudeAnon]

I guess to me, it just seems pointless to prognosticate about this thing or the next. When the only thing that really matters is winning. If you win, you will be fine. And conference affiliation is fun for rivalries and for rooting in the NCAA, but really every school makes their own good fortune.

[MUBoxer]

I guess to me, it just seems pointless to prognosticate about this thing or the next. When the only thing that really matters is winning. If you win, you will be fine. And conference affiliation is fun for rivalries and for rooting in the NCAA, but really every school makes their own good fortune.

True Gonzaga and Wichita State are evidence of that. However, come a year when this conference is crazy deep it's not just each individual that makes their fortune it's reliant on the conference as a total. Remember the old adage that the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts.

[stever20]

I guess to me, it just seems pointless to prognosticate about this thing or the next. When the only thing that really matters is winning. If you win, you will be fine. And conference affiliation is fun for rivalries and for rooting in the NCAA, but really every school makes their own good fortune.

conference affiliation matters though in helping you get in the NCAA tourney- and improving your seeding once in.

I mean- if Marquette had gotten some wins in those early season games- they're going to be a lot better win in conference play. Could have maybe helped St John's get into the tourney as a result. Could really have helped Xavier avoid the PIG. If 10% of your schedule like in Xavier's case- is stronger- it does nothing but help you out.

I mean- let's just look at Marquette... They had losses to
24 Ohio St
44 Arizona St
15 San Diego St
6 Wisconsin
12 New Mexico

Just taking the worst of those opponents- Arizona St- if just that game had been a win for Marquette- their RPI jumps up from 92 to 74. Have to think that jump probably gets Xavier out of the PIG- and maybe more importantly- if PC had lost the BE Title game- gets PC into the tourney at large.

your conference affiliation matters a lot. Gonzaga was a 8 seed because of their conference. You can be a great team but if your conference isn't good- you are going to suffer.

[DudeAnon]

I guess to me, it just seems pointless to prognosticate about this thing or the next. When the only thing that really matters is winning. If you win, you will be fine. And conference affiliation is fun for rivalries and for rooting in the NCAA, but really every school makes their own good fortune.

conference affiliation matters though in helping you get in the NCAA tourney- and improving your seeding once in.

I mean- if Marquette had gotten some wins in those early season games- they're going to be a lot better win in conference play. Could have maybe helped St John's get into the tourney as a result. Could really have helped Xavier avoid the PIG. If 10% of your schedule like in Xavier's case- is stronger- it does nothing but help you out.

I mean- let's just look at Marquette... They had losses to
24 Ohio St
44 Arizona St
15 San Diego St
6 Wisconsin
12 New Mexico

Just taking the worst of those opponents- Arizona St- if just that game had been a win for Marquette- their RPI jumps up from 92 to 74. Have to think that jump probably gets Xavier out of the PIG- and maybe more importantly- if PC had lost the BE Title game- gets PC into the tourney at large.

your conference affiliation matters a lot. Gonzaga was a 8 seed because of their conference. You can be a great team but if your conference isn't good- you are going to suffer.

No doubt, but its still a secondary factor. Just win baby.

[stever20]

obviously winning is primary but how your conference is doing provides you with a huge cushion. I mean a few years ago- Villanova got into the tourney despite sputtering at the end because the conference was that good. Or 2 years ago- because the conference was so good and had so many good teams- Nova got into the tourney because they beat some of those top 15 teams.

[PhillyPirate]

Creighton popping in at 85th and 7th in the Big East, projected NIT. Though I think this will piss off some fans I think this fair

[Omaha1]

Creighton popping in at 85th and 7th in the Big East, projected NIT. Though I think this will piss off some fans I think this fair

It's fair considering we lose more than anyone else. My goal is to avoid the play-in games at MSG.