The Big East is a BIG FRAUD!!!

[Dallas Brave]

Just based on Thursday and Friday, it is very apparent that the Big East was way, way over-rated. In the first round, there were 32 games. The Big East played in 11 of those games.

Non Big East Games: 21 games, 3 upsets, upset percentage = 14%
Big East Games: 11 games, 4 upsets, upset percentage = 36%

4 ot of 11 Big East teams getting upset by much lower seeds in the first two days is proof positive that the Big East is over-rated.

[amckillip]

Just based on Thursday and Friday, it is very apparent that the Big East was way, way over-rated. In the first round, there were 32 games. The Big East played in 11 of those games.

Non Big East Games: 21 games, 3 upsets, upset percentage = 14%
Big East Games: 11 games, 4 upsets, upset percentage = 36%

4 ot of 11 Big East teams getting upset by much lower seeds in the first two days is proof positive that the Big East is over-rated.

Great analysis!

[lefty]

Just based on Thursday and Friday, it is very apparent that the Big East was way, way over-rated. In the first round, there were 32 games. The Big East played in 11 of those games.

Non Big East Games: 21 games, 3 upsets, upset percentage = 14%
Big East Games: 11 games, 4 upsets, upset percentage = 36%

4 ot of 11 Big East teams getting upset by much lower seeds in the first two days is proof positive that the Big East is over-rated.

We'll see how it goes. Acouple of years ago that was said about the Big ten and they ended up with 2 in the FF

[Dallas Brave]

We'll see how it goes. Acouple of years ago that was said about the Big ten and they ended up with 2 in the FF

If that happens, I don't think that changes the fact that the league is over-rated due to east coast and BCS bias. Maybe 10 or 11 Big East teams deserved to be in the tournament, but several of them should have been seeded lower.

[AE Braves Fan]

I don't think the game the OP referred to means the Big East is overrated as much as it means that Butler is a good team. Anything can happen in a game between 2 good teams on a neutral court.

[lefty]

If that happens, I don't think that changes the fact that the league is over-rated due to east coast and BCS bias. Maybe 10 or 11 Big East teams deserved to be in the tournament, but several of them should have been seeded lower.

I agree with you...ST Johns and G-town didn't seem like 6 seeds to me...problem is that there were some big holes in most everyone's resume this year

[Bravesfan]

I don't think the game the OP referred to means the Big East is overrated as much as it means that Butler is a good team. Anything can happen in a game between 2 good teams on a neutral court.

Agreed. Which is why the BCS teams avoid the mid-majors like the plague when they make up their schedule. That's why the BCS teams get higher seeds over the mid-majors almost everytime since the selection committee has no true means of measuring just how good mid-major tournament participants are.

[Bravesfan]

And I think Butler can beat anyone, though Duke will probably be even better this year now that Kyrie Irving is back.

The only reason I did not have Butler making a long run was because they looked very ordinary during much of the Horizon season. But I have now learned that you can never count out a coach that plays a tough schedule and stresses fundamentals like Brad Stevens does (hope JG and MC are listening here!).

It goes to show you that the dominant mid-major powers are just as good if not better than the so-called big boys!

Let's hope George Mason can keep things going tomorrow!

And of course I forgot VCU. Let's hope they can beat a shorthanded Purdue team and keep things going for the CAA as well!

[TheAsianSensation]

Big East is just a victim. The committee is purposefully trying to kill them off by making them play each other in the 2nd round. They rigged UConn and Cincy to play each other in the exact same way they rigged Butler/ODU.

[Da Coach]

Come on TAS, you don't believe that conspiracy stuff...

The fact is there were just so many Big East teams in the tournament, that the primary job of the committee was to work around the clock just to keep from having them all play each other in the first round. They didn't even have time to worry about the second round. That would have been an impossible task

[afan]

One "giant" just got slayed as #8 seeded Butler shocks (or maybe not) #1 seeded Pittsburgh 71-70! The end of this game needed to be seen to be believed as both teams attempted to throw the game away. Butler had a 70-69 lead with 3 seconds left, committed a terrible foul which gave Pitt a chance to win with one second left. After splitting free throws, Pitt fouled Butler, with Butler splitting their free throws for a 71-70 win.

Regardless of how they won, I think Butler proved what a FRAUD the Big East is becoming! Only 3 teams will advance to the Sweet 16, without me knowing how many more are playing tomorrow.

Not good for the "big boys"!

Year after year it is the same...last year (the big east was great then, too) the big east lost 6 out of 8 in the first round. This year they have a handfull of great teams...but 11 ??????

See previous thread....OVERATED!

[tornado]

Here's a great line this morning from the newswire.....
"ESPN analysts Dick Vitale and Jay Bilas made complete *****s out of themselves
after ripping the selection committee for giving at-large bids to schools from
mid-major conferences in VCU and UAB at the expense of major conference
schools like Colorado and Virginia Tech."

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110320/SPORTS11/103200357/Greedy-NCAA-snubs-Cinderella?odyssey=tab|mostpopular|text|SPORTS

Here's an interesting stat....we all know 31 bids are automatic...so 37 are at-large bids

TEN at large bids went to the Big East out of a total of 29 BCS at-large bids...
so more than ONE in every three at large bids given to a BCS school was given to a Big East school, and yet only 2 or 3 will advance past the 2nd game (depending on Notre Dame's game today)

so I'd say all those extra bids to the lower level Big East teams like Villanova, Marquette, Georgetown, Cincy, WVU, & St. John's were good-ole-boys gifts form the selection committee.

Given that only 8 at large bids go to mid-majors -- it's surprising to see so many mid-major teams still alive and advancing...
..George Mason, San Diego State, Richmond, VCU, Butler BYU...at least FOUR mid-majors will make the Sweet Sixteen -- possibly six...

I think this proves ONCE AGAIN -- the top mid-majors deserve at large bids over the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th best teams in the big conferences...

[BUSongwriter]

I think this proves ONCE AGAIN -- the top mid-majors deserve at large bids over the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th best teams in the big conferences...[/QUOTE]

Certainly the regular season conference champions of the top mid-major conferences deserve at large bids over middle-of-the-pack (or lower) finishers in "power" conferences. But my gue$$ is the NCAA decision-maker$ won't remove their blinder$ no matter what happen$ in the tournament year after year.

[TheAsianSensation]

Come on TAS, you don't believe that conspiracy stuff...

The fact is there were just so many Big East teams in the tournament, that the primary job of the committee was to work around the clock just to keep from having them all play each other in the first round. They didn't even have time to worry about the second round. That would have been an impossible task

I will say they had a couple avenues to avoid Big East matchups until the Sweet 16 and didn't take them, for some reason.

I will say one thing in the Big East's defense: just like the MVC played the RPI game in '06, the Big East played the RPI game this year and got everyone's power numbers way up, getting 11 teams in. Despite their performance, they earned their 11 bids this year.

[BradleyBrave]

The Big Least is an annual NCAA fraud, with Pitt leading the way year after year. There's no Big Least team more lauded and more disappointing every year than the Panthers. Playing a BU in the 2nd round spells doom for them again!