College Basketball Thread

King Glorious · #1 01-29-2009, 11:10 AM

I really hate the Big East. They are so overrated this year. People are mistaking what they are. They are a conference with several good teams but no great ones. There is a lot of parity there. Last night, Pitt, Syracuse, and Georgetown all lost. Some will point to that and use that as evidence that the bottom half of the league is really tough but I see it as the top half is just not that tough. I don't think any team in the Big East could win the ACC.

gales0678 · #2 01-29-2009, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I really hate the Big East. They are so overrated this year. People are mistaking what they are. They are a conference with several good teams but no great ones. There is a lot of parity there. Last night, Pitt, Syracuse, and Georgetown all lost. Some will point to that and use that as evidence that the bottom half of the league is really tough but I see it as the top half is just not that tough. I don't think any team in the Big East could win the ACC.

King - the 4 best teams in the big east are

Marquette , Pitt , Louisville, and U Conn

lumping Syracuse and G'town in with the top part of the league is not accuarte they are more in the middle of the league

Look at G'town loss at Duke , and convince me that none of the big 4 in the big east couldn't beat a duke unc or wf on a neutral court

SniperSB23 · #3 01-29-2009, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I really hate the Big East. They are so overrated this year. People are mistaking what they are. They are a conference with several good teams but no great ones. There is a lot of parity there. Last night, Pitt, Syracuse, and Georgetown all lost. Some will point to that and use that as evidence that the bottom half of the league is really tough but I see it as the top half is just not that tough. I don't think any team in the Big East could win the ACC.

That's arguable but certainly plausible. On the other hand though, I think Clemson would struggle to go 10-8 in the Big East.

smuthg · #4 01-29-2009, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I really hate the Big East. They are so overrated this year. People are mistaking what they are. They are a conference with several good teams but no great ones. There is a lot of parity there. Last night, Pitt, Syracuse, and Georgetown all lost. Some will point to that and use that as evidence that the bottom half of the league is really tough but I see it as the top half is just not that tough. I don't think any team in the Big East could win the ACC.

I have hated the Big East for 20 years... UNC and Wake, are for my money, the best two teams in the county, and I'm not sure that when Wake's freshmen get a bit more experience that they won't be the team to beat.

ateamstupid · #5 01-29-2009, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I really hate the Big East. They are so overrated this year. People are mistaking what they are. They are a conference with several good teams but no great ones. There is a lot of parity there. Last night, Pitt, Syracuse, and Georgetown all lost. Some will point to that and use that as evidence that the bottom half of the league is really tough but I see it as the top half is just not that tough. I don't think any team in the Big East could win the ACC.

There's no question that the ACC is better top to bottom. Still, UConn, Pitt, and Louisville are all Final Four threats, which gives the Big East as many as the ACC has. People also are sleeping on the Pac-10, which should produce 5 tournament teams and maybe up to 7 if some of the other power conferences beat themselves up.

gales0678 · #6 01-29-2009, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

There's no question that the ACC is better top to bottom. Still, UConn, Pitt, and Louisville are all Final Four threats, which gives the Big East as many as the ACC has. People also are sleeping on the Pac-10, which should produce 5 tournament teams and maybe up to 7 if some of the other power conferences beat themselves up.

ASU and Herb Sendek - sleeper for the final 4

ateamstupid · #7 01-29-2009, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gales0678

ASU and Herb Sendek - sleeper for the final 4

No doubt. James Harden is the goods, and it was nice to see them win a defensive battle at Arizona last week. If they can become more consistent on that side of the ball, they're scary. I know I'll be loading up on 'em in March since they'll probably be underseeded.

gales0678 · #8 01-29-2009, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

No doubt. James Harden is the goods, and it was nice to see them win a defensive battle at Arizona last week. If they can become more consistent on that side of the ball, they're scary. I know I'll be loading up on 'em in March since they'll probably be underseeded.

they won in Pauley a couple of weeks ago (not that this UCLA team is anything special) but when kids start winning where they had always lost , they start to believe that anything is possible ...

Cannon Shell · #9 01-29-2009, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gales0678

ASU and Herb Sendek - sleeper for the final 4

That would suck

nebrady · #10 01-29-2009, 07:01 PM

I think its wide open! Best game of year last night in duke vs wake. You can say what you want, but the big east is loaded and keeps beating each other up. Everyone talks about louisville and uconn, but what about marquette! They are undefeated and playing great. Their guards mcneal, mathews and james may be the best in the nation. With heyward playing good inside they have the ability to win it all. Playing gtown on saturday. Could be a statement game with an easy win against gtown.l

nebrady · #11 01-29-2009, 07:06 PM

Undefeated in big east play! Also last night nova beat pitt and prov. beat the cuse. So don't tell me the big east isn't tough top to bottom.

King Glorious · #12 01-29-2009, 07:16 PM

The AFC West was pretty evenly matched this year too. Evenly matched does not automatically mean all are good.

SniperSB23 · #13 01-29-2009, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nebrady

Undefeated in big east play! Also last night nova beat pitt and prov. beat the cuse. So don't tell me the big east isn't tough top to bottom.

The Big East isn't tough top to bottom. The bottom five teams are a disgrace to the game of college basketball. One through eleven it is an amazing league but those bottom five teams are terrible.

King Glorious · #14 01-29-2009, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

There's no question that the ACC is better top to bottom. Still, UConn, Pitt, and Louisville are all Final Four threats, which gives the Big East as many as the ACC has. People also are sleeping on the Pac-10, which should produce 5 tournament teams and maybe up to 7 if some of the other power conferences beat themselves up.

I see it the opposite. I think that top to bottom, the Big East is better but the top four from the ACC are better than the top four from the Big East. I just don't understand some of the talk that I heard in the early season that the Big East this year might be the toughest conference in history. Hell, it's not even the best the Big East has seen. Remember back in the mid-80's when Georgetown, St. John's, and Syracuse were final four threats every year? I believe it was 1985 when the conference had three teams in the final four.

SniperSB23 · #15 01-29-2009, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

There's no question that the ACC is better top to bottom. Still, UConn, Pitt, and Louisville are all Final Four threats, which gives the Big East as many as the ACC has. People also are sleeping on the Pac-10, which should produce 5 tournament teams and maybe up to 7 if some of the other power conferences beat themselves up.

No way they get 7 unless they start knocking off the teams in their own league. Arizona, Stanford, and Washington St should all wind up around 8-10 or 7-11 in league so while one may step up and grab a 6th bid I can't see two stepping up and finishing .500 or better in league. And even if that happens it could be at the expense of USC. Seven would be a huge stretch. The Big Ten has a much better shot at 7.

ateamstupid · #16 01-29-2009, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

No way they get 7 unless they start knocking off the teams in their own league. Arizona, Stanford, and Washington St should all wind up around 8-10 or 7-11 in league so while one may step up and grab a 6th bid I can't see two stepping up and finishing .500 or better in league. And even if that happens it could be at the expense of USC. Seven would be a huge stretch. The Big Ten has a much better shot at 7.

You're probably right, though I don't think the Big 11 gets more than 5 either, and may only get 4. MSU, Purdue, Illinois and Minnesota are the only locks. What other three will go? Wisconsin is done, Penn State and Northwestern have no chance. Ohio State is the only other team I could see going from the Big 11.

I still say 5-6 teams from the Pac-10 would be a very good year, and no one's talking about it.

SniperSB23 · #17 01-29-2009, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

You're probably right, though I don't think the Big 11 gets more than 5 either, and may only get 4. MSU, Purdue, Illinois and Minnesota are the only locks. What other three will go? Wisconsin is done, Penn State and Northwestern have no chance. Ohio State is the only other team I could see going from the Big 11.

I still say 5-6 teams from the Pac-10 would be a very good year, and no one's talking about it.

Ohio St is a lock at 9-9 in league. Did Wisconsin have a major injury or are you just saying they are done at 3-5 league? No reason they can't get back to 9-9 which will put their RPI right around 40 and give them a strong case. If Michigan could manage .500 in league they'd likely be in with an expected RPI around 33. Northwestern and Penn St would probably need 10-8 league to have a shot which is doubtful since their RPIs are weaker (not to mention their basketball tradition). Best case for the B10 is that Northwestern and Penn St drop off and start losing like they are supposed to.

ateamstupid · #18 01-29-2009, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Ohio St is a lock at 9-9 in league. Did Wisconsin have a major injury or are you just saying they are done at 3-5 league? No reason they can't get back to 9-9 which will put their RPI right around 40 and give them a strong case. If Michigan could manage .500 in league they'd likely be in with an expected RPI around 33. Northwestern and Penn St would probably need 10-8 league to have a shot which is doubtful since their RPIs are weaker (not to mention their basketball tradition). Best case for the B10 is that Northwestern and Penn St drop off and start losing like they are supposed to.

Even if Wisconsin does get to 9-9, they'd be 18-12 with no quality non-conference win. They have to win 20 games if they want a prayer of getting in. Ohio State has the wins over Butler and Miami (FL), so you're right, they're probably in at 9-9. Michigan would have a solid chance at 9-9 too, but I don't think they're good enough to get there.

SniperSB23 · #19 01-29-2009, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Even if Wisconsin does get to 9-9, they'd be 18-12 with no quality non-conference win. They have to win 20 games if they want a prayer of getting in. Ohio State has the wins over Butler and Miami (FL), so you're right, they're probably in at 9-9. Michigan would have a solid chance at 9-9 too, but I don't think they're good enough to get there.

Although that win at Virginia Tech could wind up a head to head matchup between two teams right on the bubble. You look at Wisconsin's schedule though and 10-8 is hardly out of the realm of possibility. I can't see a team go 10-8 in the B10, have an RPI around 33 and not get in.

What will be real interesting is if only 4 teams have winning records in the ACC and then those four advance to the conference semis. You have to assume one or two more get in but they are going to be tough to pick between.

gales0678 · #20 01-29-2009, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

You're probably right, though I don't think the Big 11 gets more than 5 either, and may only get 4. MSU, Purdue, Illinois and Minnesota are the only locks. What other three will go? Wisconsin is done, Penn State and Northwestern have no chance. Ohio State is the only other team I could see going from the Big 11.

I still say 5-6 teams from the Pac-10 would be a very good year, and no one's talking about it.

i agree with 5-6

PAc 10 as we saw during football bowl season doesn't get much respect

ESPN has Vitale constanly pumping the ACC , as packer did when he was with CBS - media bias big time on the ACC confernce and the eastern schools in general