nelsonmuntz
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Midseason-ish update.
The Big East is the #3 conference in NET.
1) Villanova - This does not feel like a Final Four or even Final 8 team to me, but they just keep winning. They have already beat Xavier (x2) and won at Seton Hall, but other than Creighton, have not blown anyone out. The first Xavier win was a 3 point game with under 4 minutes left.
gap
2) Xavier - They look good, but haven't played much of their schedule yet. Both conference losses are to Villanova.
3) UConn - I think UConn is very talented, and may be the most talented team in the league 1 to 8, but as a team, UConn is what its record says it is. Too many bad decisions and wasted possessions, too many defensive breakdowns, all just enough to lose a game here and there. UConn has to win more close games against good teams, and stop playing with fire against teams like St. Johns if UConn wants to finish higher than 4th in the league and get to the Top 15 nationally.
4) Providence - I am still not sold on this team as a Top 20 program. PC is well coached, and plays hard and smart, which makes them a tough game for good teams and a team that is very unlikely to be upset. I don't expect them to lose or even play it close with the bottom 4 teams in the conference, but I don't think they have the talent to finish ahead of Nova, Xavier, UConn or SHU.
5) Marquette - Shaka Smart is probably going to be BE Coach of the Year. I am glad UConn already went to Milwaukee, because Marquette is getting better. I think they have a ceiling around or a little above .500 in league though.
6) Seton Hall - I think SHU is really talented, probably the second best team in the league by the eye test. I think they will be really tough in March because SHU can match up with anyone, but they aren't pulling out close games because they waste too many possessions with bad shots. They already have 4 BE losses, and it is hard to make that up in this conference.
7) Creighton - I like watching Creighton play, and I think they are going to be really tough next year. They move the ball well and get really good shots. They have a win over Villanova, and will play everyone else close. They have 6 very winnable games in the next 30 days, and with a little luck in the stretch where they play Xavier, at UConn and at SHU, they could find themselves a lot higher in the standings in the middle of February.
Big gap
8) Depaul - I like this team the most of the bottom 4, and think they will win a handful against the Top 7. The overall talent is not there yet, but they play hard and just make things happen on both ends. They are just fun to watch. I actually like David Jones more than Freeman-Liberty, and think he could be one of the best players in the Big East next year once he becomes "the guy".
9) St. Johns - Love the style of play but the talent is not there yet. SJU is relentless attacking the hoop, with cutter after cutter, even when they are posting up or are penetrating. Champagnie is very good, and will probably win a couple of games over the Top 7 by himself.
10) Butler - Does not have Big East caliber talent, but they play smart and have a couple of wins over Depaul and Georgetown. Their shooting percentage is deceptively low, in a large part because they just can't get open. They are not terrible when they have Nze, and will probably upset 1 or 2 of the #2 to #7 teams.
gap
11) Georgetown - Not competitive. 0 for the Big East is a possibility.
2 through 7 could finish in any order, so every game matters. The team that pulls out the close ones within this group finishes second. Can UConn do that?
I don't understand which games are being made up and which ones are not, so I will assume they are all going to be made up for this analysis.
The Big East is the #3 conference in NET.
Conference Standings - 2022 Big East Men's Basketball | WarrenNolan.com
Big East Conference Standings for Men's College Basketball with division standings, games back, team NET, streaks, and conference NET
www.warrennolan.com
1) Villanova - This does not feel like a Final Four or even Final 8 team to me, but they just keep winning. They have already beat Xavier (x2) and won at Seton Hall, but other than Creighton, have not blown anyone out. The first Xavier win was a 3 point game with under 4 minutes left.
gap
2) Xavier - They look good, but haven't played much of their schedule yet. Both conference losses are to Villanova.
3) UConn - I think UConn is very talented, and may be the most talented team in the league 1 to 8, but as a team, UConn is what its record says it is. Too many bad decisions and wasted possessions, too many defensive breakdowns, all just enough to lose a game here and there. UConn has to win more close games against good teams, and stop playing with fire against teams like St. Johns if UConn wants to finish higher than 4th in the league and get to the Top 15 nationally.
4) Providence - I am still not sold on this team as a Top 20 program. PC is well coached, and plays hard and smart, which makes them a tough game for good teams and a team that is very unlikely to be upset. I don't expect them to lose or even play it close with the bottom 4 teams in the conference, but I don't think they have the talent to finish ahead of Nova, Xavier, UConn or SHU.
5) Marquette - Shaka Smart is probably going to be BE Coach of the Year. I am glad UConn already went to Milwaukee, because Marquette is getting better. I think they have a ceiling around or a little above .500 in league though.
6) Seton Hall - I think SHU is really talented, probably the second best team in the league by the eye test. I think they will be really tough in March because SHU can match up with anyone, but they aren't pulling out close games because they waste too many possessions with bad shots. They already have 4 BE losses, and it is hard to make that up in this conference.
7) Creighton - I like watching Creighton play, and I think they are going to be really tough next year. They move the ball well and get really good shots. They have a win over Villanova, and will play everyone else close. They have 6 very winnable games in the next 30 days, and with a little luck in the stretch where they play Xavier, at UConn and at SHU, they could find themselves a lot higher in the standings in the middle of February.
Big gap
8) Depaul - I like this team the most of the bottom 4, and think they will win a handful against the Top 7. The overall talent is not there yet, but they play hard and just make things happen on both ends. They are just fun to watch. I actually like David Jones more than Freeman-Liberty, and think he could be one of the best players in the Big East next year once he becomes "the guy".
9) St. Johns - Love the style of play but the talent is not there yet. SJU is relentless attacking the hoop, with cutter after cutter, even when they are posting up or are penetrating. Champagnie is very good, and will probably win a couple of games over the Top 7 by himself.
10) Butler - Does not have Big East caliber talent, but they play smart and have a couple of wins over Depaul and Georgetown. Their shooting percentage is deceptively low, in a large part because they just can't get open. They are not terrible when they have Nze, and will probably upset 1 or 2 of the #2 to #7 teams.
gap
11) Georgetown - Not competitive. 0 for the Big East is a possibility.
2 through 7 could finish in any order, so every game matters. The team that pulls out the close ones within this group finishes second. Can UConn do that?
I don't understand which games are being made up and which ones are not, so I will assume they are all going to be made up for this analysis.