Here is a list showing 2 things:

1. The first 7+1 Big East teams, showing rankings and NCAA appearances for each school for the previous 7 years leading up to the conference's beginnings in 1980.

2. The first 3 years of the Big East (80, 81, 82), showing season rankings and NCAA appearances.

Maybe we can compare these items to our current situation, and see how we match up with where we stood back in 79-1980.

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St John's Rankings, Previous 7 Years:
1979 ranked 1 week, at #17
1978 ranked 3 weeks, peaked at #16.
1977 ranked 1 week, at #20.
1976 ranked 13 weeks, peaked at #9.
1975 not ranked.
1974 not ranked.
1973 ranked 9 weeks, peaked at #7.

St John's NCAA's, Previous 7 Years:
1979: (Final 8, w Temple, w Duke (in NC), w Rutgers, L Penn F4).
1978: (Final 32, L Louisville).
1977: (Final 32, L Utah).
1976: (Final 32, L Indiana F4)
1975: no NCAA.
1974: no NCAA.
1973: (Final 32, L Penn).

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Georgetown Rankings, Previous 7 Years:
1979 ranked 14 weeks, peaked at #9.
1978 ranked 8 weeks, peaked at #14.

Georgetown NCAA's, Previous 7 Years:
1979: Final 32 (L Rutgers).
1976: Final 32 (L Arizona).
1975: Final 32 (L Central Michigan).

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Boston College Rankings, Previous 7 Years:
1973 thru 1979: not ranked.

Boston College NCAA's, Previous 7 Years:
1975: Final 16 (w Furman, L Kansas State).

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Connecticut Rankings, Previous 7 Years:
1973 thru 1979: not ranked.

Connecticut NCAA's, Previous 7 Years:
1979: Final 32 (lost to Syracuse).
1976: Final 16 (w Hofstra, L Rutgers F4).

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Providence Rankings, Previous 7 Years:
1979 not ranked.
1978 ranked 13 weeks, peaked at #9.
1977 ranked 10 weeks, peaked at #8.
1976 ranked 2 weeks, peaked at #15.
1975 ranked 10 weeks, peaked at #10.
1974 ranked 18 weeks, peaked at #5.
1973 ranked 15 weeks, peaked at #4.

Providence NCAA's, Previous 7 Years:
1978: Final 32 (lost to Michigan State).
1977: Final 32 (lost to Kansas State).
1974: Final 16 (w Penn, L NC State).
1973: Final 4 (w St Joe's, w Penn, w Maryland, L Memphis State).

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Syracuse Rankings, Previous 7 Years:
1979 ranked 16 weeks, peaked at #6.
1978 ranked 16 weeks, peaked at #8.
1977 ranked 14 weeks, peaked at #6.
1976 ranked 1 week at #20.
1975 ranked 3 week, peaked at #6.
1974 ranked 4 weeks, peaked at #15.
1973 ranked 3 weeks, peaked at #13.

Syracuse NCAA's, Previous 7 Years:
1979: Final 16 (w UConn, L Penn F4).
1978: Final 32 (L Western Kentucky).
1977: Final 16 (w Tennessee, L UNCC F4).
1976: Final 32 (L Texas Tech).
1975: Final 4 (w LaSalle, w North Carolina, w K-State, L Kentucky F2).
1974: Final 32 (L Oral Roberts).
1973: Final 16 (w Furman, L Maryland).

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Seton Hall Rankings, Previous 7 Years:
1973 thru 1979: not ranked.

Seton Hall NCAA's, Previous 7 Years:
1973 thru 1979: no NCAA's.

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FIRST ADD, 1981:

Villanova Rankings, Previous 7 Years:
1973 thru 1980: not ranked.

Villanova NCAA's, Previous 7 Years:
1980: Final 32 (w Marquette, L Syracuse).
1978: Final 8 (w LaSalle, w Indiana, L Duke F4).

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1980 - 3 NCAA teams out of 7, 42% in.
Georgetown Final 8 (w Iona, w Maryland, L Iowa F4 team).
Syracuse Sweet 16 (w Villanova, L Iowa F4 team).
St John's Final 32 (L Purdue F4 team).

1980 Rankings:
Syracuse ranked all 15 weeks, peaked at #2,
Georgetown ranked 9 weeks, peaked at #16,
St John's ranked 15 weeks, peaked at #7.

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1981 - 3 NCAA teams out of 8, 37% in.
Boston College Final 16 (w Ball State, w Wake Forest, L St Joe's).
Villanova Final 32 (w Houston, L Virginia).
Georgetown Final 48 (L James Madison).

1981 Rankings:
UConn ranked 2 weeks, peaked at #20,
Georgetown ranked 2 weeks, peaked at #16 in Dec,
Syracuse ranked 3 weeks, peaked at #18,
St John's ranked 2 weeks, peaked at #16.

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1982 - 4 NCAA teams out of 8, 50%.
Georgetown Final 2 (w Wyoming, Fresno State, Oregon State, Louisville, L North Carolina).
Boston College Final 8 (w San Francisco, DePaul, Kansas State, L Houston F4).
Villanova Final 8 (w Northeastern, Memphis, L North Carolina NC).
St John's Final 32 (w Penn, L Alabama).

1982 Rankings:
Georgetown ranked 14 weeks, peaked at #5,
Villanova ranked 4 weeks, peaked at #18,
St John's ranked 1 week, at #20.

Of the original 7, Syracuse, Providence and St John's had the best 7 years (2 recruiting cycles) leading into the Big East. Georgetown was the up-and-coming young buck. PC was then set back for 5+ years because our coach became commissioner. UConn, BC and Seton Hall were not big players.

In the first year, Syracuse and St John's were ranked in the top 10, and Georgetown came on strong with a win to close out Manley and eventually made the Final 8.

In 1981, no team was ranked for more than 2 weeks and none cracked the top 10. Only UConn was ranked after mid December with 2 weeks at #20. The BE tourney winner Syracuse didn't get to the NCAA's. Boston College made the Sweet 16 by beating Wake... other than that it was a difficult year results-wise.

In 1982, Georgetown had freshman Patrick Ewing arrive, and the Hoyas made the National Championship game, losing in the last minute. GU was top 10, but only St Johns and Villanova were ranked other than them, and neither stayed long. In the NCAA's, besides Georgetown, Boston College and Villanova showed brass balls... BC beat a highly regarded SF Dons team, then knocked off 1-seed DePaul, then K-State before losing vs Olajuwan and Drexler in the Final 8. Villanova always had brass ones under Massimino... first round vs Northeastern they won I think in the last second on a John Pinone tip in. Then beat Memphis before losing to eventual national champ UNC.

The Big East Tourney was in Hartford in 82, Syracuse in 81, and Providence in 80. The league and tourney up here in the northeast was a huge hit, very popular, great coaches and personalities.

So the first three years were solid in 80, an off year in 81 though Villanova entered, and a great NCAA tourney in 82. Enough momentum allowed us to go to MSG for 83, we had 2 Sweet 16s with BC and St Johns and a Final 8 with Massimino's brass ones at Villanova.

I think the C-7+5 will definitely match

... I think the C-7+5 will at least match the 80, 81 and 82 years... probably more teams ranked for starters, and the ability to go far in the NCAA's...