I thought it might be interesting to compare where the league stands after tonight's games to where it stood last year after Saturday January 17 games in terms of RPI - last year is listed first then this year:

2. Pittsburgh----- 1. Syracuse
6. Georgetown---- 6. Pittsburgh
7. Connecticut---- 7. Georgetown
12. Louisville------ 8. Villanova
14. Syracuse------ 9. West Virginia
17. Marquette----- 14. Connecticut
25. West Virginia--- 37. Louisville
32. Villanova------- 45. Cincinnati
60. Notre Dame----- 46. St. John's
69. Cincinnnati------ 60. Notre Dame
95. Providence------ 74. Marquette
125. St. John's------ 75. Providence
131. Seton Hall------ 84. Seton Hall
148. Rutgers-------- 94. South Florida
162. South Florida--- 143. DePaul
188. DePaul--------- 144. Rutgers

So basically in comparison with last year at this point in time:

5 Top 10 teams vs. 3 last year
6 Top 25 teams vs. 7 last year
9 Top 50 teams vs. 8 last year
12 Top 75 teams vs. 10 last year
14 Top 100 teams vs. 11 last year
0 teams with RPIs 150+ vs. 2 last year

Last year at this time there was a huge gap between #8 and #9 and with #6 Georgetown free-falling from this point forward none of the 9, 10, 11 teams could muster enough wins to make the tourney which is why the league only finished with 7.

That gap doesn't really appear to exist this year. And assuming the top of the league doesn't remain as strong as last year's top of the league did, this could mean the league has a chance at possibly 9 or 10 bids.

The only other league that is likely to get more than half their teams in is the Big 12, which is looking good for a solid 7 bids at the moment and is also the only league that could likely overtake the Big East as the #1 RPI conference.

Cheers,
Neil

Looks like the bottom of the league has made big improvements

(01-16-2010 11:31 PM)Cubanbull Wrote:  Looks like the bottom of the league has made big improvements

Indeed. Which is why the league is probably better this year than last year - although ultimately what the league needs is an NC more than anything else with the last one coming in 2004.

Cheers,
Neil

(01-16-2010 11:31 PM)Cubanbull Wrote:  Looks like the bottom of the league has made big improvements

Except for DePaul. They still suck...

Looks like, with a better league than last year, we've certainly bucked the critics who said the league would decline.

The critics don't know what to say, unless the teams they know and love are in the picture. If it ain't one of their favorites, they haven't a clue...

I wonder how the polls will sort out UNC and Purdue this week? How can you be 9th in your conference and still be top 15, or lose 3 straight?

UNC should drop to those also receiving votes. If there's any justice at all, they shouldn't receive any votes at all...

Purdue hasn't won since playing the Mountaineers. I guess that game took a lot out of 'em...

(01-17-2010 11:18 AM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  Looks like, with a better league than last year, we've certainly bucked the critics who said the league would decline.

BJ, I really think the conference is going to find itself in a perpetual situation where, every offseason, the peanut gallery is going to tell us that we can't possibly be as good as we were in the previous year, only to find ourselves topping what we did in that previous year. I've seen it every year since UC's been in the league - after 2006, we were supposed to decline. We got better. After 07, we were supposed to decline. We got better. You get the idea.

I fully expect the punditry to say after this offseason that the conference will surely decline due to factors A, B, and C. And I fully expect 2010-11 to bring us an even stronger, better conference. There are no down years in the Big East.

we need to win championships, if uconn won in 2006 and if we would of won last year, there wouldn't be any doubt who the best conference is.

(01-17-2010 02:38 PM)USFMike Wrote:  we need to win championships, if uconn won in 2006 and if we would of won last year, there wouldn't be any doubt who the best conference is.

Agreed.

Cheers,
Neil

Speaking of UConn, their loss today @Michigan is making me start to think that the Huskies may be this year's version of last year's Hoyas.

Hope that isn't the case, but the Wolverines are pretty mediocre this year.

Cheers,
Neil

Where's SF Husky? I'm surprised he isn't here arguing UConn's merits...