{"id":2224,"date":"2011-12-27T14:57:57","date_gmt":"2011-12-27T18:57:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=2224"},"modified":"2011-12-29T10:50:58","modified_gmt":"2011-12-29T14:50:58","slug":"conference-season-preview-part-one-the-big-boys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=2224","title":{"rendered":"Conference Season Preview, Part One: The Big Boys"},"content":{"rendered":"

Major, High-Major, The Big Six, BCS Conferences<\/em>, or my most common backhanded phrase, The Rich Conferences<\/em>…whatever you want to call them, there are 6 conferences that garner the majority of the attention of the national media when it comes to college hoops, and we all know why that is.\u00a0 I am not about to (in this post, at least) offer any opinion on the motives or validity of these conferences and their stranglehold on the nation’s attention, but, since they are the most visible, it only makes sense to start with them in this little preview series this week.\u00a0 We will also add in the two conferences that would most likely step into the limelight if room was ever made for them in this Part One.<\/p>\n

THE ATLANTIC TEN<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Fallout from the Queen City\u00a0Brawl
\n<\/em>We will start with a little self-serving here.\u00a0 It is no secret for which team I root – the Temple Owls – so, when I say that the A-10 is a “major” conference, I do so more hopefully than with any real belief.\u00a0 But, that being said, there is little argument to be made that, outside of the 6 “rich conferences,” the A-10 is consistently the best league in the nation, by just about any measure.<\/p>\n

Prior to the now-infamous brawl\u00a0between\u00a0cross-town\u00a0rivals, Cincinnati and Xavier, this conference looked like it might be a fight for second-place.\u00a0 But, the two schools have gone in very opposite directions since the fight, and XU may be “gangsta,” but they sure haven’t responded well to, literally,\u00a0getting punched in the mouth.\u00a0 The Musketeers, finishing off the drubbing of the Bearcats, were looking like a potential Final Four team, but since then have struggled mightily, included hitting their low point this weekend with\u00a0a loss to Hawaii.\u00a0 While, it’s still probably safe to say that\u00a0Xavier<\/strong> (9-3, 64 RPI) is the class of this conference, it is no longer easy to say that they will run away with the conference, especially because any slip would open up room for a couple other solid teams to walk right through.<\/p>\n

Temple<\/strong> (7-3, 26), objectively,\u00a0has the second most talent in this conference and should be a tournament team.\u00a0 A head-scratching loss to Bowling Green, aside, the Owls have navigated a good (but not great) non-conference schedule, headlined by wins over Wichita State and Villanova.\u00a0 With Dunphy always showing improvement, the Owls are definitely one of the main contenders to the crown this year.<\/p>\n

While Temple and Xavier have been good, the two most impressive A-10 teams through the non-conference have probably been teams\u00a0that not many people gave much credence to\u00a0before the season started.\u00a0 Phil Martelli’s St. Joe’s<\/strong> Hawks<\/strong> (9-3, 22) and\u00a0Rick Majerus’s St. Louis<\/strong> Billikens<\/strong> (11-1, 52) seem to have established themselves as clearly the favorites for the other two bye spots in the A-10 tournament.\u00a0 Though, neither team has an eye-popping win (unless you count Villanova, who has lost to both teams), but they should contend for the A-10 title this year alongside the two perennial favorites.\u00a0 And, UMass<\/strong> (10-3, 86), is the only team other than St. Louis to register double-digits wins thus far.<\/p>\n

Another surprise this year has been Charlotte<\/strong> (7-3, 125), who was supposed to be somewhere near the cellar, but have navigated a somewhat decent slate.\u00a0 St. Bonaventure<\/strong> (6-5, 97), Dayton <\/strong>(9-4, 49), Duquesne<\/strong> (6-5, 88), and Richmond<\/strong> (7-6, 90)\u00a0have all been relatively disappointing, but should all present tough road tests to anyone in the conference.<\/p>\n

The biggest disappointment this year has been Rhode Island<\/strong> (1-11, 272), who have been one of the worst teams – not only in the A-10, but in all of Division-I.<\/p>\n

OVERALL<\/strong><\/span>:\u00a0 This conference is still Xavier’s to lose, but if they decide to lose it, there are a few teams other than Temple (St. Louis, St. Joe’s, even UMass), that might just take it.<\/h4>\n

THE BIG TEN<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Simply the Best<\/em>
\nIn my humble opinion, there is absolutely no debate about what the best conference in the country is this year.\u00a0 It’s the Big Ten…hands down.\u00a0 Any way you slice it, the Big Ten is the best – they have power at the top that can play with anyone in the country, and they are incredibly deep, from top to bottom.<\/p>\n

It all starts, obviously, with the team that is legitimately in the national title conversation – the Ohio State Buckeyes<\/strong> (12-1, 21 RPI).\u00a0 Thad Matta has a loaded team that has to be on even the shortest of\u00a0lists for potential championship squads.\u00a0 The only thing that could stand in the way of this team and a #1-seed is the brutal conference in which it plays.\u00a0 I would say that even a 2-loss conference record would be a hell of a season in Columbus, considering the tests they will have on a nightly basis in the Big Ten.<\/p>\n

The story of the season, from a national level even, might just be Tom Crean’s Indiana Hoosiers<\/strong> (12-0, 48).\u00a0 The pride is back to Assembly Hall, as the Hoosiers got through their non-conference slate unbeaten, including a thrilling win over then-#1 Kentucky.\u00a0 We will know right away, though, what this team is made of, as their first three conference games (starting tomorrow night) are Michigan State on the road, followed by home games against Ohio State and Michigan.\u00a0 1-2 would be a decent start even for this undefeated team.<\/p>\n

The 12-0 Hoosiers have completely overshadowed the phenomenal non-conference performances of pretty much the entire rest of the conference.\u00a0 Wisconsin<\/strong> (11-2, 25) and Michigan State<\/strong> (11-2, 20) have been as impressive as just about anyone in the country and are clearly second-weekend contenders this March.\u00a0 Illinois <\/strong>(11-2, 44) and Michigan <\/strong>(10-2, 54) are also among the nation’s best.<\/p>\n

That’s SIX <\/em>teams that are probably among the nation’s 20 best.\u00a0 And, we’re still not done.\u00a0 Even though the Minnesota<\/strong> (12-1, 17)\u00a0lost its best player (Trevor Mbakwe), the Gophers\u00a0enter conference play with the best RPI.\u00a0 Northwestern <\/strong>(10-2, 37) and Nebraska<\/strong> (8-3, 105)\u00a0<\/strong>both return nearly their whole squad from teams that were very much in the bubble talk last year.\u00a0 While, on the flip side, Purdue<\/strong> (10-3, 69) lost just about as much as anyone in the country, but still returns a ton of talent, including the tragic figure of Robbie Hummel.\u00a0 That is TEN teams that can play with anyone in the country all in the same conference.\u00a0 Not even the 16-team Big East can run 10-deep the way the Big Ten can.<\/p>\n

OVERALL<\/strong><\/span>:\u00a0 I think Ohio State is one of the most likely to win 6 straight tournament games and hoist a banner this spring, but it might be just as tough to win six straight conference games this year, with the likes of Michigan State, Wisconsin, and upstart Indiana among this 10-team (plus PSU and Iowa) juggernaut of a conference.<\/h4>\n

THE BIG EAST<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Top Heavy…But VERY Heavy<\/em>
\nAll the talk around the country about the Big East in recent years has centered upon the raw number of teams that they have gotten into The Dance.\u00a0 And, yes, it is very <\/em>impressive to qualify 11 teams among the country’s 65\/68 best.\u00a0 But, let us not lose sight of the fact that the conference is disgustingly large and the bottom of it is, well, disgusting, at times.\u00a0 Well, this year, while the divergence may be even greater, the guys at the top are very, VERY good.\u00a0 In fact, ready for this?!?\u00a0 FIVE of the TOP NINE teams in the most recent RPI are in the Big East…wow!<\/p>\n

The defending champs, UConn<\/strong> (10-1, 4 RPI), lost their best player in Kemba, but return a TON of talent and added, arguably, the best freshman big man in the country.\u00a0 Several national experts have pegged UConn as a potential repeat champion, and it’s hard to argue their chances.\u00a0 However, they may not even be the best team in their own league.\u00a0 The nation’s #1 team right now is Syracuse<\/strong> (13-0, 1), and they look every bit of a #1 team in the land.\u00a0 They are very well-balanced and experienced and, even though they have yet to leave the state of New York, save once, they look mighty good in the early going.<\/p>\n

So, with the ‘Cuse and the defending champs at the top of the conference, there is a big slip from there, right?\u00a0 Wrong.\u00a0 Rick Pitino’s Louisville Cardinals<\/strong> (12-0, 6) are still undefeated, despite a tough non-conference slate and a roster of unknown guys.\u00a0 Marquette<\/strong> (11-1, 9) has been a regular in the nation’s top 10 all year, and Georgetown<\/strong> (10-1, 43) has surprised just about everyone with their ridiculously hot start and arrival in the top 15.\u00a0 Pittsburgh<\/strong> (11-2, 70) has lost two home games to teams from bad conferences, but they, at least, were to VERY GOOD teams from bad conferences (Dan Monson’s Long Beach State team and Bobby Hurley’s Wagner squad).\u00a0 And, the Panthers still have Austin Gibbs.<\/p>\n

Villanova<\/strong> (7-5, 85) and West Virginia<\/strong> (9-3, 35) have both had their moments of struggles, but are both very talented teams, while on the other side, Providence<\/strong> (11-2, 114), and – dare I say it – DePaul <\/strong>(9-3, 163) both look like they might be a lot better than most people expected.\u00a0 And, Seton Hall<\/strong> (11-1, 7) is #7 in the RPI…yes, NUMBER SEVEN.<\/p>\n

And, then there is Cincinnati<\/strong> (9-3, 192).\u00a0 Ironically, before the brawl (and subsequent suspensions), the Bearcats looked like they might be headed straight for the NIT – at best.\u00a0 But, since the fight, they seem to have really rallied around one another and played as well as even the most optimistic forecaster could predict.<\/p>\n

OVERALL<\/strong><\/span>:\u00a0 There probably won’t be a better battle for the top of a conference nation-wide than the Big East.\u00a0 The winner of the UConn-Syracuse battle for Big East supremacy should be a #1-seed in the Big Dance (if not both), and don’t count out Louisville or even Marquette from potential #1-seed discussions.<\/h4>\n

THE SEC<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Under the Radar…Yet Very, Very Good<\/em>
\nThis conference likely will not get the public discussion that the Big East, Big Ten, or even the god-awful ACC will get this year, but it is every bit as good as any league in America.<\/p>\n

It starts with Kentucky<\/strong> (11-1, 23 RPI), who is as talented as any team in America and is among what I consider the “High-Five” of title contenders (along with UNC, Ohio St., UConn, and Syracuse).\u00a0 I would not dispute anyone who says that this is the best team in the country.\u00a0 But, there are at least two teams in the SEC that might give UK a run.<\/p>\n

Florida<\/strong> (10-2, 40) is back and oh-so-talented this year.\u00a0 They have played a brutal non-conference slate and beaten several really solid teams.\u00a0 Mississippi State<\/strong> (12-1, 59) is also incredibly talented, but were always just too enigmatic to count on.\u00a0 Well, it looks like the great Coach Stansbury may have figured out the puzzle here, as the Bulldogs are in the discussion of national elite.<\/p>\n

Then, there are a couple teams that have had some disappointing non-conference slates, but nothing that would sway you from saying they will be SEC contenders.\u00a0 Vanderbilt<\/strong> (8-4, 38) was a preseason Top-10 team, but has really struggled – even at home.\u00a0 But, they haven’t killed themselves with losses and still have the talent to push even the Wildcats for best in the SEC.\u00a0 Alabama<\/strong> (9-3, 19) also has a TON of talent and the best RPI in the conference.<\/p>\n

While, not really in the title talk here, teams like Georgia <\/strong>(7-5, 81), LSU <\/strong>(9-3, 58), Ole Miss<\/strong> (9-3, 33), and even the\u00a0post-Pearl\u00a0Tennessee Volunteers\u00a0<\/strong>(5-6, 257) can rise up and beat anyone on a given day.<\/p>\n

OVERALL<\/strong><\/span>:\u00a0 Kentucky is one of the best teams in America and, therefore, should win this conference, but there should be a really interesting jockeying for the other byes in the SEC tournament, as 4 outstanding teams will fight for 3 spots – Florida, Mississippi St., Alabama, and Vandy.<\/h4>\n

THE BIG XII<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

When the Big Dog Appears Down, Don’t Count Out the Pack<\/em>
\nEven though their play on the court has given just about zero indication of a step backwards, the national perception is quite clear on the Kansas Jayhawks <\/strong>(8-3, 30 RPI) and their “down year.”\u00a0 Well, first of all, that is not necessarily true, as KU has had a brutal non-conference slate and performed rather well throughout, and second of all, just because the conference’s banner program may appear down, let us not discount just how good the rest of this conference is this year.<\/p>\n

Only the Big East can boast a pair of unbeaten teams like the Big XII can.\u00a0 And, while the Big East’s unbeatens (Syracuse and Louisville) have gotten a TON of respect, it seems the unbeatens in the Big XII are still looking for theirs.\u00a0 Missouri<\/strong> (12-0, 51) and Baylor<\/strong> (12-0, 10) are the quietest pair of undefeated teams in a major conference that I can remember.\u00a0 And, it’s not like they have played cupcake schedules.\u00a0 They have both been tested and passed every single test with flying colors.\u00a0 These are – CLEARLY – two of the best teams in the country and should really battle it out all year to survive a pretty tough conference.<\/p>\n

Kansas State<\/strong> (10-1, 24), like their in-state rivals, seem to have been forgotten simply because everyone “thought” they would take a step backwards.\u00a0 Well, the Wildcats topped off a sparkling non-conference schedule with three dominating performances en route to the Diamondhead Classic Title this weekend in Hawaii.\u00a0 This team is good and is only getting better.\u00a0 Similarly written off after a 2-2 start, the Texas Longhorns<\/strong> (9-3, 73) reeled off\u00a07 straight wins (including @UCLA and Temple) before losing @UNC last week.\u00a0 Even the two early losses weren’t atrocious – a 5-point loss to Oregon State and a 3-point loss to N.C. State.<\/p>\n

And, let us not forget that the Big XII coaches picked Texas A&M <\/strong>(8-3, 234) as their preseason favorite (along with KU) to win the league this year.\u00a0 And, despite 3 losses (and a really, really ugly RPI), it might be too quick to write off the Aggies.<\/p>\n

And we haven’t even mentioned an Oklahoma <\/strong>(9-1, 36) team that has pounded an admittedly soft schedule.<\/p>\n

OVERALL<\/strong><\/span>:\u00a0 There are two very impressive unbeatens (Mizzou and Baylor), neither of which were picked by the coaches to win the league, based on returning talent (Kansas and Texas A&M).\u00a0 Throw in a red-hot K-State team and a potentially dangerous Texas team, and you’ve got yourself almost no off-nights in the Big XII.<\/h4>\n

THE ACC<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Oh, How the Mighty Have Fallen<\/em>
\nThis conference used to be the class of the country, without a doubt.\u00a0 Now, they are only essentially holding on to their “major” conference label on the strength of two programs and a whole lot of other hollow reputations.<\/p>\n

But, there will always be Tobacco Road.\u00a0 North Carolina<\/strong> (11-2, 11 RPI) and Duke<\/strong> (10-1, 2) will be forever connected in the minds of sports fans, despite their intense hatred for one another.\u00a0 But, together, they are jointly holding up an otherwise mid-major level ACC.<\/p>\n

The only other team that can really call themselves among the nation’s best could be Virginia<\/strong> (10-1, 29), who have really bought into the great coaching of Tony Bennett and look like a serious player on the national stage again.\u00a0 Cross-state rivals, Virginia Tech <\/strong>(10-3, 56) are also have a decent year so far, considering they had to replace their entire starting lineup.<\/p>\n

Florida State <\/strong>(8-4, 50) was supposed to compete for the league title this year, but have not really shown anything that would live up to that.\u00a0 Miami <\/strong>(7-4, 62) and N.C. State<\/strong> (8-4, 61) at least have somewhat decent records against somewhat decent competition, but teams like Maryland <\/strong>(7-3, 108), Wake Forest<\/strong> (8-4, 100), and Clemson <\/strong>(7-5, 226) have barely squeaked by (and not always) some really, really inferior opponents.\u00a0 For example, the Terrapins of Maryland might be 7-3, but they were dangerously close to losing to the likes of UNC-Wilmington, Florida Gulf Coast, Mount St. Mary’s, Florida International, and, most recently, Radford.\u00a0 None of those teams are even in the upper half of their own really poor conferences (many are at the bottom), and every one of them stayed within single-digits of the Terps IN THE COMCAST CENTER.<\/p>\n

OVERALL<\/strong><\/span>:\u00a0 This is a really, really bad version of the ACC, but that shouldn’t take anything away from the elite teams on Tobacco Road and the great job that Tony Bennett is doing at UVa.\u00a0 This is\u00a0a 2-team race with a clear #3 and then a lot of pretty bad teams.<\/h4>\n

THE PAC-12<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

It’s Almost Embarrassing<\/em>
\nAs bad as the ACC is this year, they are not even close to the worst of the “Big Six.”\u00a0 This conference wasn’t good as the Pac-10 and then added two more dregs to make up the new Pac-12.\u00a0 And, a bad conference got even worse…<\/p>\n

I don’t really know where to start because I don’t see a tournament team among these guys, but I guess the two best teams here\u00a0are Arizona<\/strong> (9-4, 53 RPI) and Cal <\/strong>(10-3, 65), though neither look all that good at all.\u00a0 Granted I’m a little bias because I love the 49ers, but I think that Long Beach State might win this conference.\u00a0 Stanford<\/strong> (10-2, 98) was pretty impressive in the preseason NIT, but the talent is a little thin.\u00a0 Oregon<\/strong> (9-3, 83) should have the talent, but the results aren’t really there.\u00a0 UCLA <\/strong>(7-5, 184) and Washington <\/strong>(6-5, 107) probably have the two most talented rosters, but have both seen a slew of head-scratching losses.\u00a0 I guess Oregon State<\/strong> (10-2, 129) is the most surprising of the bunch, but do we really think that they are any good?<\/p>\n

And, don’t get me started on Arizona State <\/strong>(4-8, 221) and the dreadful, dreadful Utah<\/strong> (3-9, 307).\u00a0 The Utes are 307th out of 344 D-I teams in RPI, just behind the 2-10 team out of the MEAC, Bethune-Cookman, and the 1-10 team out of the Great West, TX-Pan American.\u00a0 The closest “major conference” team is St. John’s at 275.<\/p>\n

OVERALL<\/strong><\/span>:\u00a0 This conference is pretty bad…and it’s hard to imagine why, as there really is a lot of talent and some really talented coaches.\u00a0 But, it is bad.\u00a0 This is, at least right now, clearly a one-bid league – and that will go to the tournament champion.\u00a0 I guess I’ll take Cal, if I’m picking because I like Coach Montgomery, but I don’t feel good about it at all.<\/h4>\n

CONFERENCE USA<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

How Do You Spell “Disappointment?”\u00a0 Here’s\u00a0a Hint: It Starts With M-E-M<\/em>
\nA preseason Top Ten team, who returned everyone from last year and has a roster budding with talent, and yet the Memphis Tigers<\/strong> (6-5, 66 RPI) have seemingly sleepwalked through their non-conference schedule.\u00a0 Still the class of this conference, on paper, the Tigers are probably still the favorites to win it, but they have left themselves almost no margin for error.\u00a0 Oh, and by the way, why have we all of a sudden decided that Josh Pastner is this genius coach?\u00a0 The other day I heard people running off a list of names of coaches that might break Coach K’s record and they included Josh Pastner.\u00a0 Are you kidding me???\u00a0 Just because you’re young doesn’t mean you’re good…(sorry for the tangent…back to C-USA).<\/p>\n

And, Memphis isn’t the only C-USA team that has caused those “in the know” to think they might not really be all that knowing – on both sides of the ledger.\u00a0 First, the good – Tulane<\/strong> (11-2, 161) and Rice <\/strong>(8-4, 169) have both put together pretty impressive win totals, albeit against pretty soft schedules.\u00a0 And, Southern Miss<\/strong> (10-2, 3) to have an RPI of 3, after being picked to finish 6th in the conference is a huge shock.<\/p>\n

On the other side, UTEP <\/strong>(6-6, 164), Tulsa<\/strong> (5-7, 193), UAB <\/strong>(3-7, 167) are currently 10th, 11th, and 12th in the conference, despite all being picked in the top half of the league this year.<\/p>\n

The two teams that were picked to possibly challenge Memphis and might actually do so are Marshall <\/strong>(9-2, 39) and UCF<\/strong> (8-3, 87).<\/p>\n

OVERALL<\/strong><\/span>:\u00a0 While Memphis is head and shoulders ahead of everyone else in this conference, they do not play with any consistency and are, therefore, ripe for the taking here.\u00a0 I really like this Marshall team and think that they might just be the team to do it this year.\u00a0 And, you can’t really discount the non-conference performance of Southern Miss.<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Major, High-Major, The Big Six, BCS Conferences, or my most common backhanded phrase, The Rich Conferences…whatever you want to call them, there are 6 conferences that garner the majority of the attention of the national media when it comes to … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[514,549,508,548,513,515,1256,547],"class_list":["post-2224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-college-hoops","tag-a-10","tag-acc","tag-big-east","tag-big-ten","tag-big-xii","tag-conf-usa","tag-pac-12","tag-sec"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2224"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2224\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2241,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2224\/revisions\/2241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}