Best case scenario for UConn (and Big East)

[shizzle787]

We all know the Big East is having a down year, but the league can salvage something respectable if the following happens:

1. UConn wins out until Selection Sunday. We would finish 33-1 (20-0). That would cement us as a #1 seed and I think pass Duke as I think they will slip up two or three times the rest of the way.

2. St. John's goes 0-3 against us and beats everybody else (losing to us in the BET final). They would finish 26-8 (17-3). That would put them in the conversation for a #4 seed.

3. Villanova loses to us and St. John's 2x (once in BET semifinal). They would finish 25-8 (15-5). That would put them on the #6 line (which is perfect for setting up an Elite 8 run- avoids overpowered #1 seeds this year until regions final).

4. Seton Hall loses to us 2x (once in BET semifinal) and St. John's once. They would finish 23-10 (12-8). That would put them in the field as a #10 seed.

That is what we should be rooting for. It is unlikely all of this will come to fruition, but that is the game plan.

 

[Dibbie]

If SJU losses to us 3 times, I don’t see how they’re even worthy of a bid. Why bc they beat Nova and SHU?

 

[shizzle787]

If SJU losses to us 3 times, I don’t see how they’re even worthy of a bid. Why bc they beat Nova and SHU?

St. John's is 3-4 in Quad 1 and 6-0 in Quad 2. It's not even remotely debatable.

 

[Stew Crew]

What is best for UConn is probably not best for Big East. If Seton Hall doesn't pull off a couple of upsets, they are probably on the outside looking in. I think they have only good win vs. NC State and 2 bad losses to Butler and DePaul.

 

[shizzle787]

What is best for UConn is probably not best for Big East. If Seton Hall doesn't pull off a couple of upsets, they are probably on the outside looking in. I think they have only good win vs. NC State and 2 bad losses to Butler and DePaul.

Those are both Quad 2 losses. To our eyes they are bad losses, but on a team sheet metric, Seton Hall has zero losses outside of the first two quadrants.

 

[CL82]

What is best for UConn is probably not best for Big East

To paraphrase, a former General Motors president "What's good for UConn is good for the Big East." Right now, and likely for the foreseeable future, we are the standard bearer for the conference. Our national championships keep the big east in the conversation as a "power" conference for basketball.

 

[Nameless]

What is best for UConn is probably not best for Big East. If Seton Hall doesn't pull off a couple of upsets, they are probably on the outside looking in. I think they have only good win vs. NC State and 2 bad losses to Butler and DePaul.

The Hall doesn't really have a "bad loss" in the eyes of the committee. They're 5-7 against Q1+2 and undefeated against Q3+4. They need to finish above .500 in league play to really have a shot I think (currently 6-6) but they have a more tournament worthy resume in my eyes than Ohio State does and OSU is tracking as in the field in most brackets if I'm not mistaken

 

[80shusky]

St. John's is 3-4 in Quad 1 and 6-0 in Quad 2. It's not even remotely debatable.

Their metrics are also pretty good.

 

[Peacefrog]

The vast majority of projections currently have Seton Hall out. If they lose their remaining three games of consequence but sweep the flotsam and jetsam of the conference, they'll be cutting it mighty close. Probably more like an 11-seed play-in.

 

[freescooter]

To paraphrase, a former General Motors president "What's good for UConn is good for the Big East." Right now, and likely for the foreseeable future, we are the standard bearer for the conference. Our national championships keep the big east in the conversation as a "power" conference for basketball.

What’s good for UConn is good for the NBE but the converse isn’t necessarily true.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

We all know the Big East is having a down year, but the league can salvage something respectable if the following happens:

1. UConn wins out until Selection Sunday. We would finish 33-1 (20-0). That would cement us as a #1 seed and I think pass Duke as I think they will slip up two or three times the rest of the way.

2. St. John's goes 0-3 against us and beats everybody else (losing to us in the BET final). They would finish 26-8 (17-3). That would put them in the conversation for a #4 seed.

3. Villanova loses to us and St. John's 2x (once in BET semifinal). They would finish 25-8 (15-5). That would put them on the #6 line (which is perfect for setting up an Elite 8 run- avoids overpowered #1 seeds this year until regions final).

4. Seton Hall loses to us 2x (once in BET semifinal) and St. John's once. They would finish 23-10 (12-8). That would put them in the field as a #10 seed.

That is what we should be rooting for. It is unlikely all of this will come to fruition, but that is the game plan.

Why in this scenario are we trying to prop up St Johns? They are a trash program, so why inflate them to a 4 seed only to get upset in the first round of the NCAAs? That would not help the BE perception at all.

We just want SJU/Villanova/SH to lose to us and beat the rest of the BE. After that, who cares between SJU/Villanova/SH?

I'd rather see Villanova and Seton Hall beat SJU a couple of times--it would knock down SJU, but build up Villanova and SH in their resume. I honestly have more faith in Villanova or Seton Hall making a Sweet 16 or even crazy Elite 8 run than I do St Johns. With that team, SJU is going to wilt under the pressure in the NCAAs and all try to play hero ball.

We need to find a way to get 3 BE teams in the Sweet 16. That is the best we can hope for in 2026.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

We all know the Big East is having a down year, but the league can salvage something respectable if the following happens:

1. UConn wins out until Selection Sunday. We would finish 33-1 (20-0). That would cement us as a #1 seed and I think pass Duke as I think they will slip up two or three times the rest of the way.

2. St. John's goes 0-3 against us and beats everybody else (losing to us in the BET final). They would finish 26-8 (17-3). That would put them in the conversation for a #4 seed.

3. Villanova loses to us and St. John's 2x (once in BET semifinal). They would finish 25-8 (15-5). That would put them on the #6 line (which is perfect for setting up an Elite 8 run- avoids overpowered #1 seeds this year until regions final).

4. Seton Hall loses to us 2x (once in BET semifinal) and St. John's once. They would finish 23-10 (12-8). That would put them in the field as a #10 seed.

That is what we should be rooting for. It is unlikely all of this will come to fruition, but that is the game plan.

A 23-10 SHU is not a 10 seed. They are probably a 6 or 7 seed. Other teams are going to lose too.

I will say that this has to be a historic year for few upsets by the bottom 1/3 of the other power conferences. Those teams are only beating each other in the Big 10 and SEC.

 

[FightOnCT]

We all know the Big East is having a down year, but the league can salvage something respectable if the following happens:

1. UConn wins out until Selection Sunday. We would finish 33-1 (20-0). That would cement us as a #1 seed and I think pass Duke as I think they will slip up two or three times the rest of the way.

2. St. John's goes 0-3 against us and beats everybody else (losing to us in the BET final). They would finish 26-8 (17-3). That would put them in the conversation for a #4 seed.

3. Villanova loses to us and St. John's 2x (once in BET semifinal). They would finish 25-8 (15-5). That would put them on the #6 line (which is perfect for setting up an Elite 8 run- avoids overpowered #1 seeds this year until regions final).

4. Seton Hall loses to us 2x (once in BET semifinal) and St. John's once. They would finish 23-10 (12-8). That would put them in the field as a #10 seed.

That is what we should be rooting for. It is unlikely all of this will come to fruition, but that is the game plan.

How can St. John’s win out aside from UConn if point 4 requires them losing @ Seton Hall?

 

[UConnTrumbull]

To paraphrase, a former General Motors president "What's good for UConn is good for the Big East." Right now, and likely for the foreseeable future, we are the standard bearer for the conference. Our national championships keep the big east in the conversation as a "power" conference for basketball.

I wish the league would officiate as if that were the case

 

[Tenspro2002]

I wish the league would officiate as if that were the case

The league officiates like the Big East is doing UConn a favor by allowing us to exist.

The league clearly sees their identity as synonymous with the plucky urban Catholic schools and accepts UConn as a necessary evil.

 

[DRBackup]

If SJU losses to us 3 times, I don’t see how they’re even worthy of a bid. Why bc they beat Nova and SHU?

Depending on seeding, the other two teams - SH and Nova - could also possibly lose to us 3 times... Would no teams then be worthy of a tournament bid except UConn ?

 

[DRBackup]

Those are both Quad 2 losses. To our eyes they are bad losses, but on a team sheet metric, Seton Hall has zero losses outside of the first two quadrants.

They're down around #50 in KenPom. That's not a tournament resume, frankly. Their only win of consequence was NC State back in November. Their next best win is over a 10-13 Providence team. That isn't going to cut it. Unless they beat either St Johns or UConn, in one of their last three games (or in the BET), or they're out.

 

[Marat]

The gameplan is good.

But UConn can't control what happens outside of the games UConn plays. Play to win each and every game we play. Take care of that and nothing else matters , just like the song from Metallica.

 

[DRBackup]

The Hall doesn't really have a "bad loss" in the eyes of the committee. They're 5-7 against Q1+2 and undefeated against Q3+4. They need to finish above .500 in league play to really have a shot I think (currently 6-6) but they have a more tournament worthy resume in my eyes than Ohio State does and OSU is tracking as in the field in most brackets if I'm not mistaken

Yeah, very similar resumes between SHU and OSU. OSO, though, has 5 more chances at a much bigger win, but if they don't win any of those games, they'll both be sitting at home.

 

[DRBackup]

A 23-10 SHU is not a 10 seed. They are probably a 6 or 7 seed. Other teams are going to lose too.

I will say that this has to be a historic year for few upsets by the bottom 1/3 of the other power conferences. Those teams are only beating each other in the Big 10 and SEC.

LOL!!! No, they aren't. Even in the NET they're at #51. If they don't beat either UConn or SJU, they're most likely not getting in at all, but if they did, it would 100% be as a 10 or 11 seed. They've been doing this for decades, it isn't all that complicated.

 

[shizzle787]

How can St. John’s win out aside from UConn if point 4 requires them losing @ Seton Hall?

Point 4 has Seton Hall losing to St. John's

 

[FightOnCT]

Misread that, my bad

 

[HuskyHawk]

Here I was thinking the answer for the Big East would be "Giant Meteor" or at least "Brian O'Connell is temporarily struck blind".

 

[Tenspro2002]

"Brian O'Connell is temporarily struck blind".

[insert joke about that already being the case]

 

[Jaydumo20]

A 23-10 SHU is not a 10 seed. They are probably a 6 or 7 seed. Other teams are going to lose too.

I will say that this has to be a historic year for few upsets by the bottom 1/3 of the other power conferences. Those teams are only beating each other in the Big 10 and SEC.

They have some pretty terrible losses though. Thats gotta hurt. They had decent non-con wins. Kind of decent. I like them but My guess is they dont make it. I feel like its a 3 team bid this year.