Throw Back Monday - Revisiting AAC vs. C7 Debate

[HuskyBballFan]

Well, considering UConn eliminated Cincy, and Marquette eliminated Syracuse, I don't really think this is fair. The Big East had only 2 S16 teams, but it could have easily been 4.

Also, Pitt got jobbed in that Butler game.

And, Preston Knowles, Louisville's leading scorer, got carted off with about 9 minutes left in their loss.

Come on now. Pittsburgh and Louisville played ~20 games each (including the BE tournament) in the toughest basketball conference in history and still lost in the first weekend to teams from the Horizon League and Ohio Valley Conference, respectively. If your theory had merit, Louisville's tough conference schedule should have had them so much better prepared than Morehead State that they should have been able to beat them even without Knowles. I recall VCU (from the CAA at the time) being plenty "prepared" when they ran Kansas out of the gym to make the Final Four in 2011.

The best and/or hottest teams win in the NCAA tournament. What conference they come from doesn't make a ton of difference.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I understand what you are saying, but the goal is not to get teams in the NIT. Just throwing numbers out there, If the AAC gets 5 teams in the NCAA Tourney and the Big East gets 2 teams in the NCAA Tourney and 4 in the NIT, which conference performed better? I say the AAC.

The AAC is more successful this year. The Big East will probably be better in comparison next year and the year after. Any prediction further in the future is a S.W.A.G. UConn has the advantage that Georgetown enjoyed in the 80s, which is a kid works hard, he has a shot at going to the NBA. Ollie developed Napier from a 2nd rounder into a POY candidate and likely lottery pick. Recruits take notice. Other schools in the conference use the better schools as their own recruiting leverage (i.e. You'll be on ESPN or CBS, you'll play against one of the best and most storied programs of the recent past.). Calhoun said on CenterStage that he recruited this way in the 80's, then he got Donyell to the NBA as an early entrant and was able to recruit his first McDAA.

State of the Art facilities don't hurt Ollie's cause either.

That's not the point. The point is that the Big East is deeper. In any given year it has more quality teams. That means more teams you can lose to in conference, and more good wins in conference play. This year the AAC is better, but with Louisville out and SLU in, that is very likely to change in a very big way.

The NIT matters because it reflects depth. UConn in 2010-11 lost a lot of games, some to NIT bound teams. There's no shame there. Losing to the bottom of the AAC is entirely different. It's not quite what Memphis used to have the CUSA, but it isn't far off. Football in the AAC is the opposite by the way, it seems to have some decent depth and lacks any real top teams. UConn can survive it, but will be in a situation somewhat like Gonzaga has had historically, maybe more like UNLV had in their prime.

 

[upstater]

TIt's not quite what Memphis used to have the CUSA, but it isn't far off.

This may be true right now but let's not forget 2 of these teams were in the BE and the other was a top A10 team. UConn also lost to one of the CUSA teams this year.

 

[tzznandrew]

The best and/or hottest teams win in the NCAA tournament. What conference they come from doesn't make a ton of difference.

You're fooling yourself if you think conference affiliation doesn't matter. Certainly, a team can be much better than the conference their in, and perhaps it will not hurt them. Think Memphis in 2008 or Duke in 1999. But more often than not, a weak conference doesn't seem to prepare a good team for the rigors of the NCAA. Think Gonzaga in 2006 (every year, really, since 2002 or so). Think Memphis most years since 2008.

Should Pitt have beaten Butler? Yes. Should it not have been as close as it was? Sure. Same with Louisville. But you don't get to negate the ways conference strength affects success on one or two examples.

There's a reason Michigan State almost always goes further than their seed: they play in a great conference and they play a really good OOC. They're prepared for the tournament because they learned that you can't slack off still win.

 

[zls44]

The highest-rated Big East men's game on Fox Sports 1 last week drew 160,000 viewers (Creighton vs. St. John's), good for tenth-best on the network:

http://sonofthebronx.blogspot.com/2...14.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter


1 MONSTER ENERGY SUPERCROSS (live) Sat10:30PM- 1:25AM 457,000 viewers
2 ULTIMATE FIGHTER NATIONSWed10:00PM-11:00PM 384,000 viewers
3 UFC UNLEASHEDWed8:00PM- 9:00PM 350,000 viewers
4 ULTIMATE FIGHTER NATIONSWed9:00PM-10:00PM 314,000 viewers
5 HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS HOOPSun12:00PM- 1:00PM 227,000 viewers
6 UFC MAIN EVENTWed7:00PM- 8:00PM 213,000 viewers
7 WESTMINSTER AGILITY CHP (live)Sat7:30PM-10:05PM 212,000 viewers
8 COLLEGE BASKETBALL: PAC 12 (live)Sat5:11PM- 7:30PM 175,000 viewers
9 NASCAR RACE HUB (live)Fri4:00PM- 5:00PM 163,000 viewers
10 COLLEGE BASKETBALL: BIG EAST (live)Sun6:59PM- 9:30PM 160,000 viewers

More: http://sonofthebronx.blogspot.com/2014/02/espn-espn2-espnu-and-espnews-ratings_13.html

UConn WBB vs. Louisville on ESPN: 581,000 viewers

PBA Bowling on ESPN Last Week: 470,000 viewers

Hockey East on NBCSN Last Week:
Maine-Notre Dame 214,000 viewers

Sportsnation's Jeers of the Month on ESPNEWS last week: 142,000 viewers

Big East Men's Games on FS1 Last Week:
Creighton-St. John's 160,000 viewers
Butler-Marquette 106,000 viewers
Seton Hall-Villanova 89,000 viewers
DePaul-Creighton 79,000 viewers
Xavier-Villanova 77,000 viewers
Georgetown-DePaul 59,000 viewers
Providence-Xavier 56,000 viewers
St. John's-Providence 54,000 viewers

144 programs on ESPN were rated during this period.
144 programs on ESPN had higher ratings than any Big East game on FS1 during this period.

 

[metsfan2323]

Butler-Marquette 106,000 viewers
Seton Hall-Villanova 89,000 viewers
DePaul-Creighton 79,000 viewers
Xavier-Villanova 77,000 viewers
Georgetown-DePaul 59,000 viewers
Providence-Xavier 56,000 viewers
St. John's-Providence 54,000 viewers

All of these Big East games combined totaled 520,000, or 61,000 less than UCONN women vs Louisville.

This is hard to believe. The Slap Chop infomercial can get higher ratings then the Big East on FSiberia1.

A show called Dogs in Hats could get better ratings.

 

[zls44]

. The Slap Chop infomercial can get higher ratings then the Big East on FSiberia1. ]

You're gonna love his nuts!

 

[UConnDan97]

Butler-Marquette 106,000 viewers
Seton Hall-Villanova 89,000 viewers
DePaul-Creighton 79,000 viewers
Xavier-Villanova 77,000 viewers
Georgetown-DePaul 59,000 viewers
Providence-Xavier 56,000 viewers
St. John's-Providence 54,000 viewers

All of these Big East games combined totaled 520,000, or 61,000 less than UCONN women vs Louisville.

This is hard to believe. The Slap Chop infomercial can get higher ratings then the Big East on FSiberia1.

A show called Dogs in Hats could get better ratings.

Those numbers are friggin' amazing! Wow...

 

[ecasadoSBU]

Goshhhh. Anyone watching the matchup between Villanova and Providence. What a gameeeeee