Nova wins BE claims 32 year drought broken

[jibsey]

I think there's something they're not understanding.

 

[alexd]

Hmmmm...no UCONN, no Cuse, no PITT, no Lville in the way.

 

[jibsey]

Ok they bought the name and now the records continue like nothing happened? What's next, a T shirt with all the old BE team's logos with them sitting at the top?

 

[HooperScooper]

I was laughing about this when I heard them say that on ESPN Sportscenter this morning. This is why the Big East name should have just been retired. Using the past conference records, etc. to compare to today's Big East is just plain dumb. The old and new Big East have very little in common.

 

[tcf15]

Had to laugh at the premise of this article.

Justin Terranova ‏@NYP_Terranova 29m
What the Big East lost in star power it made up for in bubble teams. @JayBilas , Raftery weigh in http://nyp.st/1jZFGYN​

Also, Zags was on quest to defend the Big East today, too:

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria
Truth is if the bottom of the Big East was as weak as the @American_MBB Big East cd get 4 or 5 teams into NCAAs. Now may only get 2 or 3

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria
The 3rd -7th teams in the Big East cannibalized each other and now must fight tooth and nail in NYC to make the Dance

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria
Bottom line is it was a successful year for the @American_MBB getting 5 teams in in their 1st year. Definitely benefitted from a weak bottom​

 

[aceboon]

Zags should stick to talking about mock drafts and Kentucky for BBN blog hits

 

[metsfan2323]

Jay Bilas mentioned yesterday during the Cincy game that Villanova is the most underpublicized 27 -3 team in history. Gee I wonder why?

 

[TRest]

Somebody put up Nova's blind resume, and they haven't beaten a ranked team in 2014 (I think). 2 wins on a neutral floor in November are the best OOC wins that conference has.

 

[NotADimeBack]

It only took getting us booted & some traitors leaving for them to do it, but yeah. (clap)

 

[HoopsHoppy]

They paid enough to keep the conference name - but it can easily be called either the Little East or the Big Least.

 

[Husky25]

Reading between the lines, Niether Bilas, nor Raftery were very complimentary of the Big East.

Raftery:

“It was a given in the past, there were just so many teams that were definitely going [into the NCAA Tournament],” said Raftery, who coached Seton Hall in the first Big East tournament in 1980.
“This year there’s just so much unknown. The anticipation for me at least is a lot higher with the realm of the unknown. … There’s an ample opportunity for teams to win this. It’s going to be a knock-out, drag-out couple of days with the opportunity for those teams in the middle rung to get a bump by beating Villanova or Creighton.’’

Read: There are only 2 or 3 teams going to the NCAA Tournament this year, including the winner. Drama resulting from the games is replacing the actual high quality games of years past.

Bilas:

“One thing that’s been a little disappointing is, I think Villanova and Creighton are perhaps the most under-publicized. … Villanova might be the most under-publicized 26-3 team in history,” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said before the Wildcats traveled to face Xavier Thursday night. “The Big East is different. It’s the Big East in name only. It’s not the same and it’s just surprising that it’s been this quiet.”

The Bold is self-explanatory. Wow, just wow. He said on a much larger forum what we have been saying since July 1. Reading between the lines on the first part of the quote, I hear, "A conjured up conference with mediocre talent and a substandard media partner who is learning as they go..." Say what You will about the American, but at least ESPN has been in the college basketball media business for 30+ years. They know exposure.

Bilas again:

“Yes, very much,” Bilas said when asked if he missed calling Big East games. “The Big East was a special league. It had substance, it had fiber to it and in a relatively short period of time it created a history that was hard to match in the game.
“When you start thinking conference tournaments everyone has their own allegiances, but just generally as a college basketball fan and someone says great tournament moments it’s remarkable how many pop into your head that were the Big East, that were the Garden, that were Saturday night or “overtime No. 6” or Kemba [Walker] or [Gerry] McNamara or [Ray] Allen or [Patrick] Ewing or [Chris] Mullin.”

The Big East prior to 2014 was special. 4 of the 6 events/players he mentioned played for teams no longer associated with the Big East (and 3 were UConn!! Bilas be the MAN!!!)

 

[Husky25]

One more

Raftery:

“I wouldn’t be surprised if St. John’s won [the Big East Tournament], that’s how good they can be,” Raftery said.

What he actually meant was, "That's how mediocre the rest of the conference is. 'Nova has 3 losses but very well could be a paper tiger."

 

[ecasadoSBU]

Somebody put up Nova's blind resume, and they haven't beaten a ranked team in 2014 (I think). 2 wins on a neutral floor in November are the best OOC wins that conference has.

I don't think ranked teams (polls) should be the basis of whether you beat a good team or not, or whether you are a good team or not. RPI is a better metric. I mean, c'mon. SMU is ranked in the top 25 and they are top 44 in RPI. Massachusetts has a better resume and way better RPI and they are not ranked. So why even consider Poll rankings as methodology for who play harder or better teams. In Villanova's case they have a 5-3 record against the Top 50 RPI and 9-0 against teams between 50-101.

 

[The Viking]

People have been talking about how much the old BE will be missed.

But it's really going to hit home next week. When the Thursday, Friday and Saturday matchups aren't what they used to be in the Garden. With Cuse and Pitt playing down on a Duck Dynasty court and UConn and Louisville playing near Elvis's house.

Of course at least BE fans got a taste of it last year when UConn was kept out. The farse stated 12 months ago.

 

[Husky25]

Is the A-10 Tourney on TV this year?

 

[Payday]

One more

Raftery:


What he actually meant was, "That's how mediocre the rest of the conference is. 'Nova has 3 losses but very well could be a paper tiger."

People have been talking about how much the old BE will be missed.

But it's really going to hit home next week. When the Thursday, Friday and Saturday matchups aren't what they used to be in the Garden. With Cuse and Pitt playing down on a Duck Dynasty court and UConn and Louisville playing near Elvis's house.

Of course at least BE fans got a taste of it last year when UConn was kept out. The farse stated 12 months ago.

 

[Payday]

I understand why UConn fans tend to dismiss Cincy from this list. Cincy was the dominant program of all those brought in from CUSA for well over a decade. But they got decimated by a rogue university president who fired their future HOF coach the year before the transition. Louisville and Marquette simply couldn't compete with Cincy until then.

But I would remind that Cincy made the BE Tourney Finals more recently than UConn has. And beat #11 Georgetown and #2 Cuse (with Melo) to get there with Louisville.

It is what it is. But its unfortunate hoops fans don't recognize the quality of this program and what could have been even in the BE with a little more time. But they're back now as testament to this new season in the American. And conference fans will soon realize, they're back for good.

 

[Husky25]

I understand why UConn fans tend to dismiss Cincy from this list. Cincy was the dominant program of all those brought in from CUSA for well over a decade. But they got decimated by a rogue university president who fired their future HOF coach the year before the transition. Louisville and Marquette simply couldn't compete with Cincy until then.
But I would remind that Cincy made the BE Tourney Finals more recently than UConn has. And beat #11 Georgetown and #2 Cuse (with Melo) to get there with Louisville.
It is what it is. But its unfortunate hoops fans don't recognize the quality of this program and what could have been even in the BE with a little more time. But they're back now as testament to this new season in the American. And conference fans will soon realize, they're back for good.

First, Cinci has nothing to do with this thread.

Second, what does Cinci making the BET Final more recently than UConn have to do with the price of tea in China? Where did they get by beating #11 Gtown and #2 Cuse (with Melo)? The BET Final? Melo's only season with the Orange was 2003. Pitt beat UConn in the 2003 final and the conference didn't expand until 2005-06. Finally to say that Marquette (with Dwayne Wade) couldn't compete until Huggins resigned and the transition to the Big East is laughable.

 

[tcf15]

First, Cinci has nothing to do with this thread.

Second, what does Cinci making the BET Final more recently than UConn have to do with the price of tea in China? Where did they get by beating #11 Gtown and #2 Cuse (with Melo)? The BET Final? Melo's only season with the Orange was 2003. Pitt beat UConn in the 2003 final and the conference didn't expand until 2005-06. Finally to say that Marquette (with Dwayne Wade) couldn't compete until Huggin resigned and the transition to the Big East is laughable.

I think he means Fab Melo, the Cuse "Melo" for the the Conf-USA teams.

 

[AtlHusky]

First, Cinci has nothing to do with this thread.

Second, what does Cinci making the BET Final more recently than UConn have to do with the price of tea in China? Where did they get by beating #11 Gtown and #2 Cuse (with Melo)? The BET Final? Melo's only season with the Orange was 2003. Pitt beat UConn in the 2003 final and the conference didn't expand until 2005-06. Finally to say that Marquette (with Dwayne Wade) couldn't compete until Huggin resigned and the transition to the Big East is laughable.

This answers the question: "How soon will people forget there was more than one Melo at 'Scuse?"

The "other" Melo didn't immediately come to mind for me either.

 

[Fishy]

I understand why UConn fans tend to dismiss Cincy from this list....

When we talk about what made the Big East what it was, we're not talking about Cincinnati for a reason - they didn't embarrass themselves, (ahem, DePaul), but they were outgunned by the top of the conference.

And you can't try to scoreboard us - we win that every which way.

It is what it is.

 

[alexd]

So beating a Cuse team, with Fab Melo was a huge accomplishment???

 

[Husky25]

This answers the question: "How soon will people forget there was more than one Melo at 'Scuse?"

The "other" Melo didn't immediately come to mind for me either.

I think he means Fab Melo, the Cuse "Melo" for the the Conf-USA teams.

It never even crossed my mind. Melo is Carmelo Anthony. When referring to Fab Melo, you say Fab Melo.

I can't even comprehend bragging about reaching the Big East Finals on a board whose team won 7 along with three National Championships in the last 15 years.

 

[zls44]

People have been talking about how much the old BE will be missed. But it's really going to hit home next week. When the Thursday, Friday and Saturday matchups aren't what they used to be in the Garden. With Cuse and Pitt playing down on a Duck Dynasty court and UConn and Louisville playing near Elvis's house. Of course at least BE fans got a taste of it last year when UConn was kept out. The farse stated 12 months ago.

It's also gonna hit home when MSG is half-empty.

 

[tcf15]

Zags should stick to talking about mock drafts and Kentucky for BBN blog hits

Don't forget about those last minute Canadian recruits that all the big schools are going after and then somehow end up at Fresno State.