Style of Big East vs. the American | The Boneyard

Style of Big East vs. the American

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I honestly haven't watched a ton of Big East basketball this season or last year. I know the Big East is a better league than the American. For people who have watched it...what are the main differences in styles? From the brief times I have watched, it seems like the Big East is more up and down, while the American has a lot of teams that want to play slow grinding half court basketball.

I am wondering if the change in style could be a benefit to us.
 
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I haven't watched much either. I know people use words like "tough", "gritty" etc but I think the Big East just has more talented players, better game atmospheres and much less awkward teams than the American. I think the American has some weird teams that aren't good but hard to be beat because of how annoying and awkward they are if that makes any sense..USF comes to mind.
 
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Kenpom tempo numbers

St. John's - 20
Marquette - 24
Georgetown - 36
DePaul - 70
Seton Hall - 121
Providence - 141
Xavier - 158
Creighton - 165
UConn - 223
Villanova - 272
Butler - 330
Average - 134

Memphis - 12
East Carolina - 66
Temple - 77
Cincy - 124
Wichita St. - 132
UConn - 223
UCF - 234
Tulane - 249
Houston - 263
Tulsa - 283
USF - 290
SMU - 317
Average - 189

Rhode Island rankings under Hurley (2013-2018) - 292, 213, 89, 328, 262, 173 (avg. 226)

You would figure with the athletes they have next year they would try to play more of an up-and-down game.
 

HuskyHawk

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Kenpom tempo numbers

St. John's - 20
Marquette - 24
Georgetown - 36
DePaul - 70
Seton Hall - 121
Providence - 141
Xavier - 158
Creighton - 165
UConn - 223
Villanova - 272
Butler - 330
Average - 134

Memphis - 12
East Carolina - 66
Temple - 77
Cincy - 124
Wichita St. - 132
UConn - 223
UCF - 234
Tulane - 249
Houston - 263
Tulsa - 283
USF - 290
SMU - 317
Average - 189

Rhode Island rankings under Hurley (2013-2018) - 292, 213, 89, 328, 262, 173 (avg. 226)

You would figure with the athletes they have next year they would try to play more of an up-and-down game.

Interesting that the two best teams in the Big East are the slowest.
 
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The Big East has much more talent overall than the AAC so every game is a much tougher out. Especially this year, there is a ton of parity with teams like Georgetown still very much competing after they lost Akinjo and LeBlanc, and so every conference game is a grind. You look at the bottom of the standings right now, and Depaul has some very impressive wins non-conf wins (TTU, Iowa, Minnesota) and Marquette has a guy debateably more talented than anyone in the American (Markus Howard).

Style-wise, there's a pretty wide range. Overall, I think it's fair to say that the Big East plays faster, more up-and-down, and shoots much more threes. However, the top dogs right now (Butler and Nova) interestingly enough, play very slow in the half-court, but with obviously great sets and execution (much better than anyone in the American). Generally though, the pace is faster than the American which I think would help us given the roster we have, but no doubt we would struggle against the better defense and superior execution of the top teams.
 
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Kenpom tempo numbers

St. John's - 20
Marquette - 24
Georgetown - 36
DePaul - 70
Seton Hall - 121
Providence - 141
Xavier - 158
Creighton - 165
UConn - 223
Villanova - 272
Butler - 330
Average - 134

Memphis - 12
East Carolina - 66
Temple - 77
Cincy - 124
Wichita St. - 132
UConn - 223
UCF - 234
Tulane - 249
Houston - 263
Tulsa - 283
USF - 290
SMU - 317
Average - 189

Rhode Island rankings under Hurley (2013-2018) - 292, 213, 89, 328, 262, 173 (avg. 226)

You would figure with the athletes they have next year they would try to play more of an up-and-down game.
Tempo is kind of misleading. Ours is lowered by our defense holding opponents to a slow tempo. Creighton would be an even better example of that this year.

With the athleticism we have in our young guys/recruits, I’d expect to see tempo creep up in the coming years. On the other hand, Hurley has been pretty flexible in his teams’ pace historically. Like the legendary Giants coach Joe Judge once said, you have to work within the strengths of your personnel.
 
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Interesting that the two best teams in the Big East are the slowest.
There's a big correlation between National Championships and slower tempos.

Recent examples of champs and their respective tempos:

'19 Virginia (353) ; '18 Nova (150) ; '17 UNC (40) ; '16 Nova (274) ; '15 Duke (104) ; '14 UConn (254) ; '113 Louisville (116).

In March, the pace slows down so teams that win by playing fast have to adjust their games. Teams that are used to playing slow don't need to make that adjustment and that is a big help.
 

gtcam

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I haven't watched much either. I know people use words like "tough", "gritty" etc but I think the Big East just has more talented players, better game atmospheres and much less awkward teams than the American. I think the American has some weird teams that aren't good but hard to be beat because of how annoying and awkward they are if that makes any sense..USF comes to mind.
I don't know what or understand your usage of the word awkward means
If USF is awkward it means to me athletic and tough guards with long athletic forwards and usually a decent big who has size. UConn seems to need some awkwardness.
AAC, while not nearly as balanced as the NBE, has plenty of tough and gritty players
The biggest difference is that the lowest 5 NBE teams are much better than the lowest 5 AAC teams.
Houston, Cinci, Memphis and WSU could beat any top NBE team but could also lose to any NBE team.
Not sure some of the lower AAC teams could beat a top NBE team
 
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When I watch a good team I am always impressed with how fast the ball moves and how many good shooters they have. I think of Auburn's style from last year, and even this year a bit, as a team I want to be like. They were so quick and explosive last year and moved the ball so fast. They buried a lot of threes as well.
 
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When I watch a good team I am always impressed with how fast the ball moves and how many good shooters they have. I think of Auburn's style from last year, and even this year a bit, as a team I want to be like. They were so quick and explosive last year and moved the ball so fast. They buried a lot of threes as well.
Creighton’s offense should be absolutely beautiful next year. People are sleeping on them. All 3 of their star guards are slated to return. Zegarowski has another level he can get to developmentally IMO. He could be the the next great Big East scorer with Howard and Powell graduating. McDermott values skill over athleticism and it has hurt his defenses, but that guy is a brilliant offensive coach.
 
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Creighton’s offense should be absolutely beautiful next year. People are sleeping on them. All 3 of their star guards are slated to return. Zegarowski has another level he can get to developmentally IMO. He could be the the next great Big East scorer with Howard and Powell graduating. McDermott values skill over athleticism and it has hurt his defenses, but that guy is a brilliant offensive coach.
I don't understand how Cuse, UConn, Providence etc. all took a pass on Zegarowski.
 
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The biggest difference is that the lowest 5 NBE teams are much better than the lowest 5 AAC teams.
Houston, Cinci, Memphis and WSU could beat any top NBE team but could also lose to any NBE team.
Not sure some of the lower AAC teams could beat a top NBE team
generally true, but less true this year than it's been in the past
Butler: 4
Seton Hall: 14
Villanova: 25

WSU: 26
Houston: 30
Memphis: 40
Cincinnati: 43

the big east is decidedly better at both ends of the spectrum. the conferences just aren't close this year at all
 
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Big East style so very very good. AAC style so very very bad.
 
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I don't know what or understand your usage of the word awkward means
If USF is awkward it means to me athletic and tough guards with long athletic forwards and usually a decent big who has size. UConn seems to need some awkwardness.
AAC, while not nearly as balanced as the NBE, has plenty of tough and gritty players
The biggest difference is that the lowest 5 NBE teams are much better than the lowest 5 AAC teams.
Houston, Cinci, Memphis and WSU could beat any top NBE team but could also lose to any NBE team.
Not sure some of the lower AAC teams could beat a top NBE team

This is it. The top of the Big East isn't wildly better than the American, but the middle and bottom is.
 
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The atmosphere at most BE games compared to most AAC games is night and day. It’s a big part of what makes the league better and the games more exciting.
 

Waquoit

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AAC, while not nearly as balanced as the NBE, has plenty of tough and gritty players
But Big East players have more pluck. By far. Not even close.
 
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The atmosphere at most BE games compared to most AAC games is night and day. It’s a big part of what makes the league better and the games more exciting.
The Big East schedule is a grind. Every game is tough. Road atmosphere is tough.
 
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Anyone on the fence about the Big East should turn into Fox Sports 1 and watch the end of Seton Hall vs. Butler
 
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Big East has tremendous guard play.

We once did too and part of the success was how quick our guards were and how well they played defense on bigger guards like the Harrison twins. Hurley wants big guards and I hope he doesn't forget they need to be quick as well as big.
 

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AAC teams play a game loosely based on basketball where everyone is 6’5” 220 and the goal is to foul out the opponent.
Big East teams play basketball.
 

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