ACC/Big East: Part 1

The Big East and the ACC are the best conferences in college basketball, period. They have had the most #1 teams in rankings of any conference and between 2001-2005, every national champion has come from one of the two conferences.

This is not a debate about which conference is better, that's a really tough question and I'm going to stay away from that discussion like Calhoun avoids discussions about his state paid salary. What this is going to touch on is the current state of the Big East/ACC and hopefully give you all a good idea of what college basketball is looking like going into March.

Best of the Big East

As you can see from the standings, this may be the only conference that can have a #1 ranked team in second place! But the question is, who is the best team in the big east?

Most major sports analysts would tell you it has to be UCONN or Pitt. Is the story really that simple? I think not.

UCONN -

Uconn is the most over rated team in college basketball. Why? Hasheem Thabeet is the most over rated player in college basketball. Yes, he averages about 5 blocks a game (with one ridiculous 10 block performance against L’Ville), and yes, he averages double-digit points...but his size is the only reason he gets the coverage he does.

He is soft in the paint. As we saw in the game against Pitt, anyone with some strength can eliminate his shot blocking ability. I hate to say it, but in the NCAA tournament, every team will have someone that can play him strong, get ready for a disappointment. I predict an early exit in the tourney.

PITT -

Pitt is now the #1 team in the country, and I think they deserve that title. This is the most complete team in the NCAA, but they have problems consistently showing up. In order for them to make moves in the tourney Sam Young has to elevate his game, and Levance Fields needs to find his stroke again. When this team is firing on all cylinders, they are un-beatable. This is the best team in the Big East, no question about it. They will make a deep run in the tournament, and they will have every opportunity to win the whole shebang!

VILLANOVA -

Considering I went to Nova, I'm going to try to keep this un-biased. To me, this Nova team is much more balanced than any other Nova team in recent years. With 6 people scoring in double digits, their offense is potent, and doesn’t depend on one or two people like most programs in the country. A deep bench and some key seniors makes this a dangerous team to play, and also a tough team to play in the tournament.

Draw back: defense. This team cant stop a good offensive team, so they will need that offense to carry them deep.

MARQUETTE -

Marquette is another team that has everything in place to show up n the national stage. With all their senior guards, and the leadership they have, this team will have the tools in place to make a difference. They remind me of the 2006 Villanova team that made the Elite 8, and they might even be better than that.

Unsung Heroes

WVU -

Two teams that have not received a lot of press this season are West Virginia and Providence. WVU has several key big wins, including a blow-out win against the fore-mentioned Villanova team. WVU has one of the most prolific defenses in the country, save Michigan State or Purdue. With three easy games left in conference play, and a key game against L’Ville to end the season, this team could finish 12-6 in the Big East, and have a chance to be the five seed in the Big East tournament. In my opinion, this unranked WVU team is the 5th best in the conference; ahead of #6 ranked L’Ville, but that game can bee seen March 7th to decide that comment.

PROVIDENCE -

Providence is another team that is surprisingly high in the Big East standings. Collecting 8 wins in conference play already, this team is in position to finish better than .500 in the conference, and also gain a 1st round bye in the Big East tournament. If they play well there, this bubble team could quickly become a lock in the NCAA tourney! This is my dark-horse pick, so place your bets in Vegas baby!

What the...

So with all this babble about the top teams in the Big East, where does that leave the rest of the teams, including Notre Dame, Syracuse, and G-Town?

Well, Syracuse only has one Top 50 RPI team left in Marquette. So with them finishing 10-8 in the Big East makes them a good choice for the NCAA tourney with out the chance to shine in the conference tournament.

ND and G-Town on the other hand have a lot of work to do. Both teams play Nova in the next two weeks. A win there and vault both teams back into striking distance of the Big Dance. G-Town has had an awful year with none of their stars really doing anything. But this team is dangerous, and if they decided to turn on the jets, they could win the Big East tourney and earn and auto-bid to the Show. Notre Dame is a lost cause in my opinion. With only one real weapon in Harangody...who let's face it is white...they really have a pretty dark future, with a chance of missing the NIT!

So what does it all mean?

After about five minutes of writing and about a thousand words, have we made any progress in this article? Well, Pitt is the best team in this conference, with Marquette, Nova, and Connecticut within striking distance of taking the Big East crown. L’Ville, WVU, Syracuse, and Providence round up the second tier. Can anyone of these teams, including G-Town and ND, win the Big East tournament? Absolutely. Can any of them win a National Championship? I think any of the top teams in this conference can. Pitt has the best chance if Blair can stay out of foul trouble, with Marquette and Nova having an opportunity depending on their seedings, brackets, and offensive play during the dance.


Next to come, the look at the ACC and some projections of a dream Big East/ACC match-up.