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The Daily OrangeIs this the best conference ever?
With seven Top 25 teams and plenty of national title contenders, many are calling this year's Big East the strongest conference
By Michael Bonner
Posted: 11/12/08, 7:36 PM EST Section: Basketball 2008
Rick Pitino has accumulated eight conference tournament championships and four regular season crowns in the Southeastern Conference, Conference USA and the America East.
None have come in the Big East. And even with the No. 3 team in the nation, the odds may be against the Louisville's seventh-year head coach to get his first.
"I think it's the toughest, deepest conference in the history of college basketball," Pitino said at the conference's media day in Madison Square Garden Oct. 22. "When you have 11 teams that on paper look like they can be a top 30 team, that's stronger than I've seen any conference."
The Associated Press agrees. Its preseason polls slotted seven teams in the Top 25. Just outside, Syracuse was No. 30 and West Virginia was No. 36. It's a historic number for the Big East. Since the conference's formation in 1979, the most teams it's had in the AP preseason poll was five, most recently in 2005.
Even more impressive than the depth is the overwhelming strength at the top of the conference. Connecticut sits at No. 2 in the AP poll, Louisville is No. 3, Pittsburgh's No. 5 and Notre Dame occupies the No. 9 spot. It's the most teams the conference has seen in the Top 10 and top five ever.
"In my mind there are 12 NCAA-capable teams, and there are four other teams after that that can beat you if you don't play well," Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. "It's as good as the league has ever been top to bottom without any question.
What makes the Big East so tough is its players, with marquee names filling rosters up and down the conference. Connecticut returns four of its five starters, including center Hasheem Thabeet and forward Jeff Adrien, both of whom pulled their names out of the NBA Draft. Notre Dame features Preseason Conference Player of the Year Luke Harangody. Pittsburgh returns Big East co-Rookie of the Year DeJuan Blair and first-team All Big East forward Sam Young.
Even some of the teams in the lower half of the conference have names to watch.
None have come in the Big East. And even with the No. 3 team in the nation, the odds may be against the Louisville's seventh-year head coach to get his first.
"I think it's the toughest, deepest conference in the history of college basketball," Pitino said at the conference's media day in Madison Square Garden Oct. 22. "When you have 11 teams that on paper look like they can be a top 30 team, that's stronger than I've seen any conference."
The Associated Press agrees. Its preseason polls slotted seven teams in the Top 25. Just outside, Syracuse was No. 30 and West Virginia was No. 36. It's a historic number for the Big East. Since the conference's formation in 1979, the most teams it's had in the AP preseason poll was five, most recently in 2005.
Even more impressive than the depth is the overwhelming strength at the top of the conference. Connecticut sits at No. 2 in the AP poll, Louisville is No. 3, Pittsburgh's No. 5 and Notre Dame occupies the No. 9 spot. It's the most teams the conference has seen in the Top 10 and top five ever.
"In my mind there are 12 NCAA-capable teams, and there are four other teams after that that can beat you if you don't play well," Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. "It's as good as the league has ever been top to bottom without any question.
What makes the Big East so tough is its players, with marquee names filling rosters up and down the conference. Connecticut returns four of its five starters, including center Hasheem Thabeet and forward Jeff Adrien, both of whom pulled their names out of the NBA Draft. Notre Dame features Preseason Conference Player of the Year Luke Harangody. Pittsburgh returns Big East co-Rookie of the Year DeJuan Blair and first-team All Big East forward Sam Young.
Even some of the teams in the lower half of the conference have names to watch.
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