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Appreciate Best of Big East Now

Thanks mostly to football, conference expansion is impacting much of the college athletic world.  Even from baseball to women sports, the movement of teams from one conference to another is causing the competition level to increase across the NCAA.  Still it is the Big East’s calling card where the best storyline is being played out.  For a head basketball coach, preparing for a week in the Big East is akin to a deer preparing for a walk during hunting season.  There is no time to relax.  That is why fans should not wait until March to enjoy this conference.  Because no matter what happens then, the action taking place now is not likely to be duplicated elsewhere.  This past weekend the Big East managed to make a few headlines.  The conference’s last remaining undefeated team suffered its first loss.  The surprising Pittsburgh Panthers were ambushed at conference foe St. John.  West Virginia got a huge road win over UCLA.  Okay, due to injuries the Bruins are not the team they could have been, but they still may win the Pac-10.  Then of course Georgetown beat Duke.  Georgetown beat Duke.  So, Georgetown is not better than Duke.  Still they out hustled and out smarted what many consider to be Coach K’s best squad ever, handing them their first loss.  

As these games point out, virtually no team in the Big East can be taken lightly.  Pittsburgh was not expected to be the team they have been the last several years.  Though the early returns show this team is probably better.  West Virginia showed last year they could play with anyone in the country.  With prolific scores Kevin Pittsnogle and Mike Gansey returning, there is no reason to think they are not as capable this year.  Georgetown and John Thompson III are expected to be players on the national scene in the near future, but that does not mean they want “Princeton” their way to victories in the present.  And similar to St. John, teams like Notre Dame and Providence can play with anyone on a given night.  

Throw into this mix three former Conference USA powers and you have a beast of a Big East.  Basketball-wise the conference certainly came out ahead in the expansion race.  Losing Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College, but replacing them with Marquette, Cincinnati, and Louisville is definitely an upgrade.  DePaul and South Florida round out the Conference USA defectors, increasing the Big East’s membership to 16.  For their part Marquette boasts one of the most underrated coaches in the country in Tom Crean.  While Cincinnati’s physicality and toughness remains despite losing Bob Huggins.  A youthful Louisville team, once ranked among the top five teams in America, is 1-4 in the conference and will have to fight to make it into the 12 team Big East Tournament.  They were never as good as their ranking, but count on Rick Pitino to will his team into at least one postseason tournament.  As the Cardinals are showing wins do not come easily in this league.  

Knowing that, someone should probably tell the league’s two best teams Connecticut and Villanova.  Though they are likely well aware that bringing your A-Game is imperative in the new Big East.  Connecticut’s only set back this season was to Marquette and Villanova found themselves on the wrong end of a shootout with West Virginia.  The Huskies and the Wildcats are the conference’s best shots at winning a national championship this year, but if both fail to do so, do not let it reflect the conference.  Strange things happen in the NCAA Tournament.  Last year the Big Ten was thought to be a one team conference.  Then came March where they produced three Elite Eight teams and two Final Four teams.  Does that mean they were the best conference in the land?  No.  Just like the Big East struggling in March this year will not mean they are overrated.  

The league’s games over the next two months will be as close to tournament games as possible.  Elite teams will be pushed to the limit by good teams.  Any off night will result in a loss.  Some teams will be forced to battle for their season as they try to finish in the league’s top 12.  Others will fight for NCAA seeding.  Nevertheless the conference is all but guaranteed of breaking the record of most teams from a conference to make the NCAA Tournament.  But they may also equal their own record of three teams in the Final Four.  Though if they instead have no representatives at the Final Four, it should not mean the conference was any less tough.  March is the only month that matters, but even it can be deceptive.  In contrast what is going on now is certain.  

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