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The Daily OrangeMBB | Is the Big East too big?
Nation's largest conference facing NCAA Tourney numbers crunch
By Kyle Austin
Posted: 2/4/08, 10:25 PM EST Section: Sports
"Quite frankly, conference affiliation never falls into our early discussions of a team being selected."
In the two NCAA tournaments since it added four teams, the Big East hasn't received invites for any more than half of its members invited. But the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-10 all have. Since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, there have been 17 occasions when a conference has had more than half of its constituency in the tournament. One of those occasions belonged to the Big East, in 1994. Twelve of those times it's been the Big 10 that's had half of its teams invited, according to data compiled by the Big East.
It's data like this that leads Big East coaches to the conclusion they're being conspired against. For some veteran coaches, who spoke out about the issue at the conference's media day in October, the SU snub was just the latest example.
"To see what happened to Syracuse last year was just a travesty," Providence's Tim Welsh said.
"When I didn't see Syracuse, I was concerned," said Jay Wright of Villanova. "… I knew this was something we had to address."
Even the commissioner chimed in.
"I'm anxious to see what occurs, and if there's a reoccurrence then I think we've got a big problem on our hands," Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese said. "I pray to God that's not the case."
It could be worse, though. In the past two years, the Big 12 has received only eight bids, compared to 14 from the Big East. And the ACC and Southeastern Conference are right there with the Big East, placing only 2 percent more teams in the tourney.
O'Connor admits although he tries to put conference affiliation out of mind in the deliberation room, to truly do so isn't possible. On Selection Sunday, when he gets a stat sheet on a certain bubble team, he often covers up the team name with a piece of paper so as not to be influenced by knowing what conference the school belongs to.
But as he looks down the schedule, it's impossible not to figure it out. And when the committee leaves the deliberating room with the field of 65 set, there will always be teams and conferences that feel they got the short end of the stick.
In the two NCAA tournaments since it added four teams, the Big East hasn't received invites for any more than half of its members invited. But the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-10 all have. Since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, there have been 17 occasions when a conference has had more than half of its constituency in the tournament. One of those occasions belonged to the Big East, in 1994. Twelve of those times it's been the Big 10 that's had half of its teams invited, according to data compiled by the Big East.
It's data like this that leads Big East coaches to the conclusion they're being conspired against. For some veteran coaches, who spoke out about the issue at the conference's media day in October, the SU snub was just the latest example.
"To see what happened to Syracuse last year was just a travesty," Providence's Tim Welsh said.
"When I didn't see Syracuse, I was concerned," said Jay Wright of Villanova. "… I knew this was something we had to address."
Even the commissioner chimed in.
"I'm anxious to see what occurs, and if there's a reoccurrence then I think we've got a big problem on our hands," Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese said. "I pray to God that's not the case."
It could be worse, though. In the past two years, the Big 12 has received only eight bids, compared to 14 from the Big East. And the ACC and Southeastern Conference are right there with the Big East, placing only 2 percent more teams in the tourney.
O'Connor admits although he tries to put conference affiliation out of mind in the deliberation room, to truly do so isn't possible. On Selection Sunday, when he gets a stat sheet on a certain bubble team, he often covers up the team name with a piece of paper so as not to be influenced by knowing what conference the school belongs to.
But as he looks down the schedule, it's impossible not to figure it out. And when the committee leaves the deliberating room with the field of 65 set, there will always be teams and conferences that feel they got the short end of the stick.
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