First, I really like Jay Bilas. He does not show much bias at all between conferences or teams IMO. But, yesterday during the Memphis-Uconn game he stated that he believes the ACC is the new big east basketball conference. He stated that the ACC style of play is becoming more physical and tougher.

The bigeast conference for basketball was my favorite conference of all time. I personally do not feel like the ACC in anyway is similar to the old big east. Your thoughts..?

Well the current Big East certainly isn't the "old Big East". Nearly all the power programs are gone UCONN, UC, Louisville, Syracuse, West Virginia, Pitt, Notre Dame. The current Big East is pretty bad.

If you are talking about a conference today that is similar to what the Big East once was, then the ACC probably has the strongest argument.

Lets see that conference has former Big East members Syracuse, Pitt, Notre Dame, Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College. Next year they add Louisville. I am sure over the years those schools brought a certain style of play to the ACC.

I expect it to be the best basketball conference most seasons or at least the most difficult to make the tournament if your a mid-level program. Duke, UNC, Syracuse, and Louisville have hall of fame coaches. After that the you have 11 other schools that usually range from very good to decent in terms of basketball tradition.

The American is like C-USA version 1.0 in terms of play style. Outside of UC there isn't a team that plays a grind it out style, maybe USF and SMU as well. Most teams want to get up and down the floor and score with a emphasis on offensive skill. The top part of the conference is much better than the bottom; however, everyone has good players so they are dangerous.

The current Big East is like a better version of the A-10 or a throwback to the original Big East. Small private schools with hardcore basketball fans. Just about every game in that league is highly contested and while there might not be a bunch of teams that make the tournament, any of them is capable of winning the league tournament and making a run in March.

(01-17-2014 10:45 AM)bearcatlawjd Wrote:  Lets see that conference has former Big East members Syracuse, Pitt, Notre Dame, Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College. Next year they add Louisville. I am sure over the years those schools brought a certain style of play to the ACC.

I expect it to be the best basketball conference most seasons or at least the most difficult to make the tournament if your a mid-level program. Duke, UNC, Syracuse, and Louisville have hall of fame coaches. After that the you have 11 other schools that usually range from very good to decent in terms of basketball tradition.

The American is like C-USA version 1.0 in terms of play style. Outside of UC there isn't a team that plays a grind it out style, maybe USF and SMU as well. Most teams want to get up and down the floor and score with a emphasis on offensive skill. The top part of the conference is much better than the bottom; however, everyone has good players so they are dangerous.

The current Big East is like a better version of the A-10 or a throwback to the original Big East. Small private schools with hardcore basketball fans. Just about every game in that league is highly contested and while there might not be a bunch of teams that make the tournament, any of them is capable of winning the league tournament and making a run in March.

I think he was referring to the big east of 2005-2012

I think Cincy, Marquette, and Louisville already had a tough and athletic style of play that most big east teams had when they entered the league. Aside from BC in some years, VT and Miami are historically not good at all, and Notre Dame beat teams by the 3 ball and a smart style of play. I just don't see it in anyway. Thats why I think Syracuse and Pitt are having such great seasons in their first ACC season.

I think Jay is right; the ACC will now be annointed the best since they had considerable tradition and just added some of the best from the old Big East. I still lament the demise of the BE; someone will write the book someday about the greatest basketball conference in history and people will ask, "How did they ever let that end?".

DeCourcy wrote this past week how the old Big East will likely win three conferences this year: Nova in the New BE, Syracuse in the ACC and Louisville or Cincy in the AAC. It speaks to how special that league was. Surely the blue bloods at Georgetown and Villanova must be second guessing the loss of games with Syracuse, Notre Dame, UCONN, and Louisville and their diminished exposure nationally on the upstart Fox1. Visiting the ESPN website you'd hardly know the new BE exists.

(01-17-2014 10:32 AM)natibeast21 Wrote:  First, I really like Jay Bilas. He does not show much bias at all between conferences or teams IMO. But, yesterday during the Memphis-Uconn game he stated that he believes the ACC is the new big east basketball conference. He stated that the ACC style of play is becoming more physical and tougher.

The bigeast conference for basketball was my favorite conference of all time. I personally do not feel like the ACC in anyway is similar to the old big east. Your thoughts..?

He's absolutely correct. Outside of North Carolina there aren't many teams in the ACC that push the pace. They already had quite a few grind-it-out teams like Virginia, Clemson, Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech and then you add Syracuse, Pitt, and ND on top of that. Then, next year you add Louisville, who is annually one of the top defensive teams in the country. The ACC is going to have a lot of ranked teams in the future and a lot of games in the 60's, so yes, the ACC is the new BE.

(01-17-2014 10:32 AM)natibeast21 Wrote:  First, I really like Jay Bilas. He does not show much bias at all between conferences or teams IMO. But, yesterday during the Memphis-Uconn game he stated that he believes the ACC is the new big east basketball conference. He stated that the ACC style of play is becoming more physical and tougher.

The bigeast conference for basketball was my favorite conference of all time. I personally do not feel like the ACC in anyway is similar to the old big east. Your thoughts..?

The way Syracuse and Pitt are pushing around the other ACC members - it's hard to disagree - and it will only get wirse after UofL moves next year. It's entirely reasonable to see Duke and NC fighting it out for 4th place.

I wonder if they're having buyer's remorse on tobbacco road.

I'd agree with what he said...

If only West Virginia could win the Big 12

How awesome would it be in the future if a former BE member won the AAC, New BE, ACC, B12 and B10. I know ..... Rutgers winning the B10 would be a stretch.

(01-17-2014 02:40 PM)Bearcat2012 Wrote:  If only Cincinnati could win the Big 12

FIFY

I have not watched much ACC ball at all this year. Besides X playing us have not watched any Big East teams.
ACC seemed to be an offensive conference, but I would think some of their teams might have to be
better defensively.

With all their additions and soon to add Louisville the ACC is certainly the best conference in the country.

Duke, UNC, Pitt, Syracuse, Louisville will usually be in the top 25
Virginia, Miami, Nc St, ND are all sneaky contenders every so often

I foolishly thought the old BE BB was attractive enough to make the powers that be to do what was necessary football-wise to ensure the league's survival. It was fun and memorable, especially once we dug ourselves out of the chasm of Nancy/Hugginsgate. Imagine if we'd hit that ground running years ago with our coach and a Devin Downey, Hicks, Mayo, Walker team...and NO reboot. Happy now though with Mick.

Watching espn go through its sportscenter coverage. Hit the top ten teams and skipped to #20 Creighton's loss. i wonder if #19 UC will get any coverage on SC.

I have to agree with Jay here. It is clear that the ACC was not a great basketball conference, even with top programs UNC and Duke. Fact is, they were the only two teams in the league doing squat. It is only a mild surprise to me that the Cuse and Pitt are the top two in the standings right now. By "mild" I mean that Duke and NC are not both at least in the mix. But it is clear that the addition of those two, plus ND and UL, makes the league formidable and far superior to its companion east coast league, the Big East.

I don't really consider the AAC "eastern" anymore, so that is why I did not count it in the comparison.

(01-17-2014 02:02 PM)mlb Wrote:  I'd agree with what he said...

Ditto.