BIG EAST vs. FOOTBALL 5 2019/2020

[ChestRockwell85]

The only thing critics are left to question is our tourney performance as a whole. I still think we have a "Villanova and everyone else" reputation whether or not that's fair. Yes Xavier had the Sweet 16 and so did Butler I believe. But we need several teams consistently getting to the Sweet 16 if not further to silence the last critics left. They do have a point there. Overall in 6 years or so, how many times did a Big East team get to the Sweet 16 or further? 3-4 times? Out of 30 chances or so (quick estimate about 5 teams per year in NCAA x 6 years = 30 chances)? That is pretty rough. I know the seeding gets tough too with the conference beating up on each other, but man we need to do serious work in the tourney.

The simple fact is, what you do in March is what matters most at the end of the day. Until the Big East, aside from Villanova, starts to show up in March, the jury will still be out. Are we a major conference? Yes, but if you took Villanova out of the conversation, and you look at the new Big East's performance in March since it's inception, it leaves A LOT to be desired. I am hoping that will change soon. But right now, I don't think this March is going to look much different.

[MullinMayhem]

Agree...obviously one or two years maybe it's just bad luck but to have 6 or 7 seasons now with the same results does not look good. Our March Madness record is terrible minus Nova. Seton Hall has had several chances over the years to win big OOC games to get a really good seed (top 4) and they always blow it. Creighton looks great then they get snakebit with injuries to key players. G'Town scandal and they lose several starters. We need teams to start stepping up BIG time. PC what the hell happened? I also think losing great coaches is killing us...Stevens, Holtmann, Mack, etc. We have become a stepping stone and I hate that.

[Hall2012]

Agree...obviously one or two years maybe it's just bad luck but to have 6 or 7 seasons now with the same results does not look good. Our March Madness record is terrible minus Nova. SAINT JOHN'S has had several chances over the years to win big OOC games to get a really good seed (top 4) and they always blow it. Creighton looks great then they get snakebit with injuries to key players. G'Town scandal and they lose several starters. We need teams to start stepping up BIG time. PC what the hell happened? I also think losing great coaches is killing us...Stevens, Holtmann, Mack, etc. We have become a stepping stone and I hate that.

Fixed it for you. Seton Hall may have missed on a couple opportunities this year, but they have picked up numerous big OOC wins "over the years" while SJU beats their chest about beating Duke once a few years ago despite choking literally every other time. 1 OOC win over a ranked team since realignment.

[gtmoBlue]

Nah. You guys are bandwagon jumping (on). You are buying the critics line of thinking. If we were 10-12 years in, I might agree with this sentiment that the BE is underachieving. (As it is I too had previously bought into this line of BS, but I think my overreaction stemmed from the paucity of success under Big Mac. My frustration with lil Creighton not winning conference titles and no NCAA runs was clouding my vision.)

Butler has a SS in their 4 trips, (all round of 32 or better) AND Xavier has both a SS (2015) and an EE (2017) in their 5 trips to the dance. Coupled with Nova's sterling performances that is a very good conference showing.
Did we as BE homers expect more from our conference brethren? Yes. And yes, we get an average of 5 teams in the NCAAs per year. But as is widely known and stated - the dance is a crapshoot - all about seeding and placement.
As a conference, we can't be any worse off than the B1G with all of their bids and no championships since 2000 or the Big 12 and all of their bids, but no championship since 1978.

Can/should be do better? There is room for improvement for sure. But to buy the critics line is a reactionary move by those who believe it. We're in year 7...give it 3-5 more years of results before we join the choir. (Hell, lil Creighton gave Mac 10 years and I hear he has an extension...God forbid!)

[kayako]

3 out of last 6 titles...

[herodotus]

Nah. You guys are bandwagon jumping (on). You are buying the critics line of thinking. If we were 10-12 years in, I might agree with this sentiment that the BE is underachieving. (As it is I too had previously bought into this line of BS, but I think my overreaction stemmed from the paucity of success under Big Mac. My frustration with lil Creighton not winning conference titles and no NCAA runs was clouding my vision.)

Butler has a SS in their 4 trips, (all round of 32 or better) AND Xavier has both a SS (2015) and an EE (2017) in their 5 trips to the dance. Coupled with Nova's sterling performances that is a very good conference showing.
Did we as BE homers expect more from our conference brethren? Yes. And yes, we get an average of 5 teams in the NCAAs per year. But as is widely known and stated - the dance is a crapshoot - all about seeding and placement.
As a conference, we can't be any worse off than the B1G with all of their bids and no championships since 2000 or the Big 12 and all of their bids, but no championship since 1978.

Kansas has won 2 championships for the Big 12 since 1978. They won with Danny Manning in 88, and they won in 08 when the Memphis player choked, and missed the free throws that would have won the game.

[Django]

The only thing critics are left to question is our tourney performance as a whole. I still think we have a "Villanova and everyone else" reputation whether or not that's fair. Yes Xavier had the Sweet 16 and so did Butler I believe. But we need several teams consistently getting to the Sweet 16 if not further to silence the last critics left. They do have a point there. Overall in 6 years or so, how many times did a Big East team get to the Sweet 16 or further? 3-4 times? Out of 30 chances or so (quick estimate about 5 teams per year in NCAA x 6 years = 30 chances)? That is pretty rough. I know the seeding gets tough too with the conference beating up on each other, but man we need to do serious work in the tourney.

The simple fact is, what you do in March is what matters most at the end of the day. Until the Big East, aside from Villanova, starts to show up in March, the jury will still be out. Are we a major conference? Yes, but if you took Villanova out of the conversation, and you look at the new Big East's performance in March since it's inception, it leaves A LOT to be desired. I am hoping that will change soon. But right now, I don't think this March is going to look much different.

WOW. So we are all MidMajors without Nova? Can Every Big East Team Post That On Their Bulletin Board? Please?

[stever20]

to me the tourney is still a bug a boo. And a lot of that IMO is the seeds that teams get entering the tourney. The league always seems to have just enough OOC losses that makes it when the league is uber competitive as it always is- that you see teams in that 7-10 pit of misery as I call it.... With matchups like this year- Kansas @ Omaha, Ohio St @ Cleveland, Gonzaga in Spokane(there's a 2nd arena in Spokane- sounds very similar to Nova with Wells Fargo), Duke in Greensboro, etc. How many times have we seen something like Seton Hall vs Kansas in Wichita I think it was, or Providence vs UNC in Raleigh? Teams get in these close to no win situations. What's the best run outside of Nova? Xavier when they were a 11 seed.

[MullinMayhem]

Of course seeding plays a role, which is why I've been so harsh on SHU. They lose vs. MSU, Oregon, Rutgers, and likely Maryland. Then they throw their hands up and say, "oh well those are good teams we gave it a good shot" not realizing they were a borderline top 10 team preseason meaning they should very well be expected to win some of those games. Then they do enough (without dominating) in conference play to get a bid to the tourney...and then they get a bad seed, lose to a big name team and again throw their hands up and say "oh well tough matchup". This is a losing mindset. I'm frustrated because the way things are going, we will likely not get those coveted seeds and it sets up another year of 1 and out tourney teams. I hope St. John's can help the conference in the coming years and by the way we may finish bottom half of conference, but add another ranked OOC win for us. WVU is #25 and that's in a rebuilding year losing our best player and getting a new coach. Let's hope that's a good sign of things to come.

[Hall2012]

Of course seeding plays a role, which is why I've been so harsh on SHU. They lose vs. MSU, Oregon, Rutgers, and likely Maryland. Then they throw their hands up and say, "oh well those are good teams we gave it a good shot" not realizing they were a borderline top 10 team preseason meaning they should very well be expected to win some of those games. Then they do enough (without dominating) in conference play to get a bid to the tourney...and then they get a bad seed, lose to a big name team and again throw their hands up and say "oh well tough matchup". This is a losing mindset. I'm frustrated because the way things are going, we will likely not get those coveted seeds and it sets up another year of 1 and out tourney teams. I hope St. John's can help the conference in the coming years and by the way we may finish bottom half of conference, but add another ranked OOC win for us. WVU is #25 and that's in a rebuilding year losing our best player and getting a new coach. Let's hope that's a good sign of things to come.

What makes you think people are just throwing their hands up saying "oh well?" That's not the case at all - take a look at the SHU board - people are pissed. People may recognize that the current position right now has a lot more to do with bad luck (24th worst in KenPom) and injuries than under performance - but that doesn't make it any less frustrating as this season obviously has not gone according to plan. SHU's possibly a top 15 team at full strength, but not without its top 2 players. That's just reality.