The "old" Big East and its new accomplishments

[Plebe]

 

[mbr33ct]

If only Rutgers could have taken care of things in the BIG10. Instead Rutgers has brought down their Conference RPI...does that count?

 

[oldude]

And of course we all know that football had nothing to do with ND leaving the Big East. The real reason was that Muffet knew she would never win another conference or national championship unless the Irish bolted to a weak basketball conference where ND would be the top dog.

 

[Kmoney]

A small part of me cries every time I think of old big East dissolving. That was the greatest sports conference in history and it will never get the credit it deserves.

 

[HoopsFan21]

And of course we all know that football had nothing to do with ND leaving the Big East. The real reason was that Muffet knew she would never win another conference or national championship unless the Irish bolted to a weak basketball conference where ND would be the top dog.

If you read other team boards, it's annoying to see every UConn accomplishment framed by the conference we play in as if Geno had a choice. These old Big East teams had a hand in us being stuck where we are today.

 

[oldude]

A small part of me cries every time I think of old big East dissolving. That was the greatest sports conference in history and it will never get the credit it deserves.

I agree as far as the Big East being the greatest basketball conference, but I'm not sure about "sports conference." From a football perspective the BE never made sense with some schools playing a D1 conference schedule, 1 school (ND) playing a D1 non-conference schedule, some schools playing 1AA football and some schools with no football at all.

 

[oldude]

If you read other team boards, it's annoying to see every UConn accomplishment framed by the conference we play in as if Geno had a choice. These old Big East teams had a hand in us being stuck where we are today.

As far as I'm concerned that's water under the bridge. I'm just going to enjoy watching the Huskies kick the asses of all those P5 conference teams they face over the next few weeks.

 

[mbr33ct]

A small part of me cries every time I think of old big East dissolving. That was the greatest sports conference in history and it will never get the credit it deserves.

If memory serves me, wasn't the early Big East conference getting the same rap as the AAC has been getting...a cupcake conference?

Speaking of the AAC, this is the fourth season now, if not mistaken UConn was the only team from the AAC making tourney appearance....fast forward to this year, looks like 3 teams will go dancing, just saying.

 

[Kmoney]

Old dude you are correct. I should have said "best basketball conference." mbr33ct I can't see the AAC ever reaching the level of the old big east. The big east was a recruiting machine. Just look at all of the programs that started from practically scratch and became powers in men's and women's basketball.

 

[HoopsFan21]

If memory serves me, wasn't the early Big East conference getting the same rap as the AAC has been getting...a cupcake conference?

Speaking of the AAC, this is the fourth season now, if not mistaken UConn was the only team from the AAC making tourney appearance....fast forward to this year, looks like 3 teams will go dancing, just saying.

Geno addressed this in his final press conference question last night in case you missed it.

 

[mbr33ct]

Old dude you are correct. I should have said "best basketball conference." mbr33ct I can't see the AAC ever reaching the level of the old big east. The big east was a recruiting machine. Just look at all of the programs that started from practically scratch and became powers in men's and women's basketball.

Not really saying that but I know what you mean. As the years progress (the BIG EAST was not created in a day) I can see the AAC put in few more teams in the tourney. Frankly I didn't think UCF was that good but they played UConn pretty close. I would also expect Tulane and East Carolina to bring up their play in the future. Heck, the AAC already passed the BIG10 in RPI...what's next?

 

[mbr33ct]

Geno addressed this in his final press conference question last night in case you missed it.

By chance you have a link?

 

[HoopsFan21]

By chance you have a link?

Just look for the press conference post-game video threads. The links are in there, can't miss 'em.

 

[msf22b]

And of course we all know that football had nothing to do with ND leaving the Big East. The real reason was that Muffet knew she would never win another conference or national championship unless the Irish bolted to a weak basketball conference where ND would be the top dog.

If I recall, Notre Dame won its last conference championship against the Freshman Stewie group.
The carnage started thereafter.
I'm not sure that the proposition (above) withstands scrutiny.

 

[oldude]

If I recall, Notre Dame won its last conference championship against the Freshman Stewie group.
The carnage started thereafter.
I'm not sure that the proposition (above) withstands scrutiny.

My comments were intended to be humorous, although I could make the case that Muffet saw the writing on the wall and hightailed it out of the Big East to the weaker ACC.

 

[AndyCT]

?..if not mistaken UConn was the only team from the AAC making tourney appearance....fast forward to this year, looks like 3 teams will go dancing, just saying.

Nope. In the first season Louisville was in the AAC and got to the fourth round of the NCAA tournament. That year USF went to the NIT but the next two years they went to the NCAA tournaments and won their first round games, so there have always been two AAC teams up to this point (and hopefully three this year), and every year someone other than Connecticut has had a tourney win. They're small steps, but steps in the right direction.

In a more general sense, I don't know that the AAC will ever rise to the Big East, but in fairness that was by far the best basketball conference ever. Remember that in its final season, the Big East won the men's and women's tournaments, (Louisville and Connecticut) and the next year Old Big East teams won again (Connecticut x 2). And that in the final season of the OBE three of the final four teams were Big East, and that the last four National Championships were played exclusively between OBE teams (Connecticut, Notre Dame, Louisville, and Syracuse).

In a purely subjective sense it seems that the AAC is improving. Certainly this season is a little down for USF, and two of the three games this year were big blowouts; but remember that they had been narrowing the gap, and against last year's more talented Connecticut team that had caused basketball sage Debbie Anronelli to proclaim that USF was going to catch UConn. Maybe not - certainly not this year - but they've been consistent in making this league something other than Connecticut and a bunch of patsies. Meanwhile Temple has been on an upward trajectory that is much more visible this year, UCF is growing (time will tell if this is a one-off or sustained), and Tulane gave Connecticut perhaps its biggest scare.

Most importantly, and again purely subjectively, it seems that the AAC teams do not quit on Connecticut. In the past we've all seen teams that just gave up when they were getting blown out (or sometimes at the tip off...sometimes when the schedule was announced....) but it seems that this year and last, even when they were getting hammered the AAC teams continued to play each possession - perhaps not as intensely as possible, but they didn't just roll over and die. Little things like winning a quarter or giving Connecticut its second closest game in the last three years are the small victories that lead eventually to big victories.

So I'm hopeful, perhaps optimistic that the AAC can grow in the same way, if not to the same heights, that the Old Big East did, and I am already looking forward to next season.

 

[Bretski]

By chance you have a link?

 

[UConnNick]

My comments were intended to be humorous, although I could make the case that Muffet saw the writing on the wall and hightailed it out of the Big East to the weaker ACC.

Notre Dame's decision to leave the Big East had zero to do with WCBB. Their relationship with the league was always totally parasitic. Prior to joining, their Olympic sports programs were playing in the Horizon League. ND used the BE to legitimize their Olympic sports programs. They're second only to Texas in generating revenue from athletics. They used their football money to upgrade all of their non-revenue producing sports.

When they saw the breakup of the conference coming, they needed a nice warm, soft landing spot. Now they enjoy the same parasitic relationship with the ACC. Good riddance.

 

[Carnac]

If only Rutgers could have taken care of things in the BIG10. Instead Rutgers has brought down their Conference RPI...does that count?

I think the CVS era has run it's course. Time for a new era to begin for the Scarlet Knights.

 

[CBear01]

The real reason was that Muffet knew she would never win another conference or national championship unless the Irish bolted to a weak basketball conference where ND would be the top dog.

So what's her excuse now? Cuz I don't smell national championship stank coming out of her locker room lately

 

[oldude]

So what's her excuse now? Cuz I don't smell national championship stank coming out of her locker room lately

Yes, but she did win another Conference championship played in that high school gym in Myrtle Beach, SC.

 

[CBear01]

Yes, but she did win another Conference championship played in that high school gym in Myrtle Beach, SC.

True. And she also has 850+ wins. Great accomplishments and I would never take that away from her and her team. Unfortunately she will go down as the coach who came so far and so close yet can't seal the deal

Shhhhhhh....don't tell anyone....but I secretly was hoping they'd have won against TA&M that one year...and they would have deserved it too.

Oh well, we have Geno and they dont

 

[pacific 44]

When Rutgers was in the Big East they had teams that would have won their league every year they have been in the Big 10.Maryland and Ohio State would wilt under the defensive pressure of those teams.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Was thinking the same thing. The Old Big East is the cream of the crop in four power conferences.

 

[triaddukefan]

Was thinking the same thing. The Old Big East is the cream of the crop in four power conferences.

West Virginia, DePaul weren't members of the old big East.