How Big is the Big East?

Saturday, March 28, 2009

With five of the remaining eight teams left in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament the Big East is demonstrating to the country what everyone who has watched them perform already knew - they are BIG and BAD.  So far only Syracuse and Marquette have been bounced.  Syracuse was clearly the weakest team in the league to make the Big Dance but they still made it to the Sweet 16 before falling to powerhouse Oklahoma, who I believe will likely be matching up with Louisville in the Championship game.  Marquette was a strong team all season long before losing its best player, Dominic James, to injury.  Despite that they were very close to moving onto the Sweet Sixteen.

It now looks like three of the Final Four will be Big East teams.  I don’t think there is any question after watching last Kansas/Michigan St. game that Louisville will walk all over Michigan State to come out of the MidWest.  After watching Big East basketball all year, neither of those teams is fast enough, big enough, or saavy enough to contend with the Big East elite, especially Louisville.  I see UConn handling a surprising strong Missouri team to emerge out of the West.  Even though I picked North Carolina to reach the finals in my bracket, I have changed my mind.  Oklahoma looks like the real deal and I see them beating NC in a squeaker to win the South region.  And in the Big East battle for the East region, I like Villanova over Pittsburg.  I say that with the knowledge that in the Big East nearly any of the top 10 teams can beat each other on any given night.  I have been thinking all year that Pitt is slightly overrated but somehow they manage to find a way to win.

In the Final Four I see Oklahoma defeating Villanova in what will be a great game and Louisville skating to the Finals with a win over UConn.  That leaves the elite team of the elite league, Louisville winning it all.