Not Going to Apologize

[upj87]

But I still root for the Big East. Three sweet 16 teams (and one former member). I am glad they kept the ship afloat and then some with the additions post split. I know we are stuck with the ACC and it makes sense across the board but I do miss that league this time of the year....

 

[Dointhatrag]

I root for them if they aren't playing Pitt or the ACC but I don't for teams that were never in our conference at the same time like creighton

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

big east hoops is a damn strong conference..

 

[CaptainMurphy]

I appreciate the schools who are all in with basketball at the expense of football. I’m glad we never decided to go that route though.

 

[Sam Young 23]

Nothing better imo than the Big East Conference in hoops. The Big East tournament at the Garden. Great time

 

[CrazyPaco]

The Big East has been able to keep things afloat thanks to Jay Wright and their new midwestern members. But they are about to hit a resurgence in the east and perhaps reestablish their identity, to the chagrin of the ACC which wanted to be the conference of the entire east coast. Adding UConn back, and now with Pitino going to St. John's, and what looks like Ed Cooley going to Georgetown, the Big East could start looking like the Big East of old.

It is all about coaches. The SEC has done a great job hiring coaches. The ACC has undergone a transition of its legendary coaches and seems to have struggled in hiring decisions.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

But I still root for the Big East. Three sweet 16 teams (and one former member). I am glad they kept the ship afloat and then some with the additions post split. I know we are stuck with the ACC and it makes sense across the board but I do miss that league this time of the year....

You are rooting for storied Big East programs Creighton and Xavier?

I actively root against the Big East. They are a rival to the ACC.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

The Big East has been able to keep things afloat thanks to Jay Wright and their new midwestern members. But they are about to hit a resurgence in the east and perhaps reestablish their identity, to the chagrin of the ACC which wanted to be the conference of the entire east coast. Adding UConn back, and now with Pitino going to St. John's, and what looks like Ed Cooley going to Georgetown, the Big East could start looking like the Big East of old.

It is all about coaches. The SEC has done a great job hiring coaches. The ACC has undergone a transition of its legendary coaches and continues to seems to have struggled in hiring decisions.

This is true.

Hurley
Pitino
Miller
Smart
Cooley
McDermott

That is some serious firepower. Then you have DePaul, SHU, Providence, Butler, and Nova who have question marks.

 

[PittPanther44]

I honestly forget sometimes that they exist. To me it feels like a defunct conference. Lots of good current programs there, but just feels like an unrelated entity.

 

[Pitt79]

I still miss the Big East days, it fit better, rough, northeast cities, gritty, grimy, ethnic, brutal physical ball, in The Garden. ACC is like grits and sweet tea on the back porch, refs always trying to "keep the game under control", I wish we could play in the ACC for football and OLD Big East for hoops. Of course, we can't, but I do miss that brand of ball, the ORIGINAL Big East.

 

[Pitt79]

You are rooting for storied Big East programs Creighton and Xavier?

I actively root against the Big East. They are a rival to the ACC.

I'm the opposite, if it's Georgetown vs Virginia or Nova vs. Duke or St. Johns vs. UNC definitely want the grit eating, sweet tea drinkers to go down

 

[upj87]

You are rooting for storied Big East programs Creighton and Xavier?

I actively root against the Big East. They are a rival to the ACC.

You are rooting for storied Big East programs Creighton and Xavier?...sure..I believe I implied I was happy with the Conference's ability to adapt after long time members abandoned them..

I actively root against the Big East.....Definitely bolsters my rooting interest even more...

They are a rival to the ACC... as is everybody Skippy.

 

[HailToPitt725]

But I still root for the Big East. Three sweet 16 teams (and one former member). I am glad they kept the ship afloat and then some with the additions post split. I know we are stuck with the ACC and it makes sense across the board but I do miss that league this time of the year....

I’m with you there. I root for the traditional Big East (e.g., Villanova, UConn, Georgetown), but I have a hard time generating the same pride for schools like Creighton and Xavier. Who knows, maybe we end up there in some dystopian realignment scenario.

 

[OH Pete]

This is true.

Hurley
Pitino
Miller
Smart
Cooley
McDermott

That is some serious firepower. Then you have DePaul, SHU, Providence, Butler, and Nova who have question marks.

DePaul is one I can't figure out. They have every possible advantage that a Big East team could possibly have. Yet they suck year after year.

 

[h2p_5150]

I root for them, except UCONN. Hate those guys.

 

[CaptainMurphy]

DePaul is one I can't figure out. They have every possible advantage that a Big East team could possibly have. Yet they suck year after year.

Yeah they should be in the mix every year now given their beautiful new facilities. Was hard to win prior to a few years ago given the Rosemont Horizon was a cavernous dump that was very far from campus/downtown.

Doesn’t seem like they have a good track record at hiring coaches though.

 

[Duneaux Harm]

The Big East has been able to keep things afloat thanks to Jay Wright and their new midwestern members. But they are about to hit a resurgence in the east and perhaps reestablish their identity, to the chagrin of the ACC which wanted to be the conference of the entire east coast. Adding UConn back, and now with Pitino going to St. John's, and what looks like Ed Cooley going to Georgetown, the Big East could start looking like the Big East of old.

It is all about coaches. The SEC has done a great job hiring coaches. The ACC has undergone a transition of its legendary coaches and seems to have struggled in hiring decisions.

Carolina has always struggled replacing legend. And now Duke is seeing same thing. Bad time though to be transitioning down in next few years.

 

[Chescat]

Coaches do make a difference,
and the BE just might get an
infusion of top coaches. As
it stands now, the three top
finishng teams were not even
eastern teams.....Marquette,
Xavier, and Creighton. If you
include DePaul, and Butler, it
ain't even close to being like
the BE we all knew and loved.
Sorry, but I ain't interested in
the new bastardized version.
Just my take on it.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

think it's fair to say, whether you like the new big east or hate it, it's head and shoulders a better conference than the acc.

 

[ThePanthers]

I root for them, except UCONN. Hate those guys.

This is me. I like the Big East (miss the old days too) So to see them do well this tourney, I'm happy. I'll always root for ACC teams first, but Big East and Atlantic 10 are my next go to conferences in basketball.

But I just can't bring myself to root for Uconn. F them.

 

[CaptainMurphy]

Carolina has always struggled replacing legend. And now Duke is seeing same thing. Bad time though to be transitioning down in next few years.

I mean Duke won the ACC tournament this year. Unexpectedly quick NCAAT exit but I think it’s a successful first year for Scheyer.

 

[Wednesday Morning]

Yup. I still root for the old big east teams even more than ACC teams except for the newer ones like Xavier, Creighton, and Butler. Of course Pitt's still #1.

 

[Pitt79]

DePaul is one I can't figure out. They have every possible advantage that a Big East team could possibly have. Yet they suck year after year.

They haven't been great since Ray Meyer and George Mikan left

 

[CaptainMurphy]

think it's fair to say, whether you like the new big east or hate it, it's head and shoulders a better conference than the acc.

At the moment, yes. I guess we’ll have to see where things stand in five years. My guess is the ACC will be fine.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

At the moment, yes. I guess we’ll have to see where things stand in five years. My guess is the ACC will be fine.

in 5 years, if the acc gets a whole lot better, then yeah, i guess we could be as good as the big east. we will find out..

 

[New York Panther]

I root for them if they aren't playing Pitt or the ACC but I don't for teams that were never in our conference at the same time like creighton

The Big East is so different now that it's the same conference in name only.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

The Big East is so different now that it's the same conference in name only.

same with the acc, big 12, big 10, and the pac 10

 

[CrazyPaco]

Carolina has always struggled replacing legend. And now Duke is seeing same thing. Bad time though to be transitioning down in next few years.

Replacing legends isn't easy for anyone.

I don't know if we can say Duke's transition is a success or not yet. They did win the ACC tournament and got bounced from the NCAAs by a higher seed.

When you have so many HoF legends in your conference, it is sort of natural that they have their own succession plan...like Duke, Syracuse, and UNC. But that also means you likely aren't going out and hiring the best/most proven that are available.

 

[CrazyPaco]

same with the acc, big 12, big 10, and the pac 10

Technically the Big East is actually a completely new legal entity. The Catholics split off, formed a new conference, and bought the intellectual property rights to the "Big East" brand from what is now the American Athletic Conference.

 

[New York Panther]

same with the acc, big 12, big 10, and the pac 10

That's true. But the post is about the Big East.

 

[Pitt79]

Replacing legends isn't easy for anyone.

I don't know if we can say Duke's transition is a success or not yet. They did win the ACC tournament and got bounced from the NCAAs by a higher seed.

When you have so many HoF legends in your conference, it is sort of natural that they have their own succession plan...like Duke, Syracuse, and UNC. But that also means you likely aren't going out and hiring the best/most proven that are available.

I want them all to fall down and stay down and Pitt to rise, even if it means the league is considered worse. I'd love to see UNC or Duke have a stretch like we just had.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

I want them all to fall down and stay down and Pitt to rise, even if it means the league is considered worse. I'd love to see UNC or Duke have a stretch like we just had.

the way the acc looks, you just might get your wish.

 

[Pitt79]

the way the acc looks, you just might get your wish.

I'd love to see Pitt have conference records like 14-6 every year and contend for the ACC Title and UNC and Duke and VA -BE DOWN, even if that means that the rest of the country perceives the conference as crap. I just watch Pitt for TV ENTERTAINMENT; I don't care about the "BIG PICTURE". seeing WINS on Tuesday Nights in February is my #1 priority.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

I'd love to see Pitt have conference records like 14-6 every year and contend for the ACC Title and UNC and Duke and VA -BE DOWN, even if that means that the rest of the country perceives the conference as crap. I just watch Pitt for TV ENTERTAINMENT; I don't care about the "BIG PICTURE". seeing WINS on Tuesday Nights in February is my #1 priority.

yeah but the problem is, if the acc sucks as bad as you want and we go 14-6, we are going to be holding our breath every selection sunday while 7-11 teams in the big 12 get picked over us..

you need a somewhat strong conference even for selfish reasons, it makes your program seem better when you do well in it.. I saw big 12 teams get more respect by losing close games than we got by winning against bad teams..

the NET and RPI are here and as weird as it sounds, winning in a bad conference is worse than losing in a good one. doesnt make sense but here we are.

You love wins in february but dont care about the tournament. Man, you must have loved Jamie Dixon..

 

[Pitt79]

yeah but the problem is, if the acc sucks as bad as you want and we go 14-6, we are going to be holding our breath every selection sunday while 7-11 teams in the big 12 get picked over us..

you need a somewhat strong conference even for selfish reasons, it makes your program seem better when you do well in it.. I saw big 12 teams get more respect by losing close games than we got by winning against bad teams..

the NET and RPI are here and as weird as it sounds, winning in a bad conference is worse than losing in a good one. doesnt make sense but here we are.

You love wins in february but dont care about the tournament. Man, you must have loved Jamie Dixon..

That's fine, I'd rather be at the top of the league, than be like 7th and everyone celebrating how good UNC and Duke are, and either way WE are the ones on the bubble. I have a holistic approach, the Dixon days where great, I loved having great TV SHOWS from November to March, I loved the constant 3-4 day runs in the BET and the BET Titles, I hated when someone would suggest we lose early in the BET to "rest up" for the Big Dance, the BET was MORE FUN in many ways. Sure they never won the BIG ONE, but it sure was a better time overall. I care about the Tournament, want to get in it. But also want Months and Months of feel good entertaining basketball.

 

[CaptainMurphy]

Maybe it’s a bit short sighted but my only interest in the NCATT is when Pitt is in it or my bracket is looking good going into the final 4. I watched a lot of games this year but my interest was done as soon as Pitt lost. I will have interest again if UConn makes the Final 4.

 

[TD_6082]

The Big East has been able to keep things afloat thanks to Jay Wright and their new midwestern members. But they are about to hit a resurgence in the east and perhaps reestablish their identity, to the chagrin of the ACC which wanted to be the conference of the entire east coast. Adding UConn back, and now with Pitino going to St. John's, and what looks like Ed Cooley going to Georgetown, the Big East could start looking like the Big East of old.

It is all about coaches. The SEC has done a great job hiring coaches. The ACC has undergone a transition of its legendary coaches and seems to have struggled in hiring decisions.

It's first and foremost about money. Coaching and everything else falls into place after that.

More talent seems to be centered around Florida, Georgia, and Texas than in the northeast and midwest. There are a lot of things working in the SEC's favor right now.

 

[TempleBAPittMPA]

They haven't been great since Ray Meyer and George Mikan left

Meyer lasted 30 years after Mikan.

 

[Pitt79]

Meyer lasted 30 years after Mikan.

I know, just joking, he had some good teams in the 70s with Mark Aguire and Dave Corzine.