Read the debates by Bleacher Fan and Loyal Homer.
Boy, college basketball sure is different than football, huh? Last year I wrote about the Big East being the ‘Big Least’… in football. I wrote a verdict declaring that the conference did not deserve an automatic BCS bid – something I still believe. But the Big East sure takes its basketball more seriously, with a unique situation in college sports where the conference is rich and deep in talent throughout, but still features an elite, dominant team in Syracuse. Without a doubt, the Big East will feature 2010’s best conference tournament.
One reason the Big East will be the most interesting and best conference tournament is because of the double-bye. There is no doubt, for example, that Syracuse is the conference’s best team and on an undeniable hot streak. But, what happens when sharp shooting Wesley Johnson is forced to sit for a few games, and ‘Cuse has to play a newly confident team on a two-game tournament winning streak? The double-bye, superficially, appears to be an advantage for the team that has earned it… the theory being that an injury-riddled team will have time to recuperate and “get healthy.” However, that thinking is misguided in a modern age of college sports where momentum is king. The double-bye is a momentum thief, and the elite teams in the Big East must prove just how elite they are by defeating streaking teams. The double-bye is now more of a curse than a blessing, and is a way of leveling the playing field in college basketball’s best conference.
The most obvious reason the Big East tournament is the best college basketball has to offer this season is the broad level of talent that is peppered throughout the conference. The top seven leaders in points per game all come from seven different teams. What is even more interesting is that neither Syracuse nor Georgetown have a representative in the top seven in scoring.
While the Big East features many talented teams and offensively gifted individual players, it is the teams with the strongest defenses that have the best opportunity to win the conference tournament. Defensively is where Syracuse really shines with two players in the top six in the league in blocked shots, Rick Jackson and Wesley Johnson. Syracuse’s point guard Andy Rautins also leads the Big East in steals, with more than two per game. Wesley Johnson – Syracuse’s most steady and consistent performer statistically – appears again fourth in the league with 1.8 steals per game. In short, Syracuse plays great defense. Despite the double-bye and how it neutralizes the momentum of dominant regular season teams, Syracuse is built on defense and will remain the favorite.
Though Syracuse is strong, what makes this tournament so great is that a hot shooting team from three-point land compromises most defensive schemes. The Big East has no shortage of great three point shooters, either. Notre Dame’s Tim Abromaitis shoots over 47 percent from three-point land, and so does Georgetown’s Austin Freeman. Marquette’s Darius Johnson-Odom is always a threat to have a big game, and boasts a 48 percent mark from three-point range to prove it.
Sure, the Big East has some great players, but the the teams are also very closely matched, and fans can look forward to many compelling matchups. Villanova (23-5, 12-4) is a very talented team, followed closely by West Virginia (22-6, 11-5), Pittsburgh (22-7, 11-5), the always dangerous Marquette (19-9, 10-6), and the resurgent Louisville (19-10, 10-6). That long list of teams does not include a Georgetown (19-8, 9-7) team that has demonstrated a penchant for winning important games this season. Each team can make a legitimate argument for why it can win the league crown. No other conference has as many teams with a realistic opportunity to win the league. Perhaps the ACC championship is a toss up, too, but that is because the teams are ALL mediocre. In the Big East, the teams are elite.
When the conference tournament rolls around any team can get hot, and Connecticut is one of the teams that will be trying to delete a forgettable regular season from its collective mind with a great tournament performance. But, there is an age-old sports equation that is especially applicable to college basketball: Talent + Coaching + Desperation = Success. If Connecticut is able to follow that winning formula for success a team that is under .500 in the league could walk away with the tournament crown.
What makes the Big East tournament so compelling is easily boiled down into one statement: As dominant as Syracuse has been during the season, the double-bye equalizes the league by reversing the momentum equation, creating the recipe for a surprise outcome. Simply, the Big East is the best conference tournament this tournament season for its talent, its depth, and the notion that anything really CAN happen.
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