From the article:

NEW YORK -- Back when, former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese would stand up at media day and say, "This is what's going on. This is what's changing. Any questions?"

It would all take a few minutes and then Tranghese would turn the media loose on the Hall of Fame coaches littered across the room, the NBA talent folded behind the little tables and the king/commissioner would sit in a folding chair on the dais and enjoy the view.

This year, commissioner Val Ackerman took a good 20 minutes to share the league's state of the union, pointing out where the league's nonconference schedule was ranked, how many top recruits its teams had landed, that it has new posh offices in New York -- the only league to call the Big Apple home, she reminded everyone -- and the facility upgrades at various campuses.

Then she finished with this kicker: "We were built to be a basketball powerhouse and our intention is to remain as one.''

That is all the difference. Tranghese could afford to be brief because no one had to be reminded or sold on just how good his league was.

Everyone knew.

Ackerman still has some selling to do.

It seems silly to say an organization in Year 2 is at a critical crossroads, but that is the truth for the Big East. Unlike other non-Power 5 conferences, the league isn't being threatened by autonomy or cost of attendance -- member presidents already are committed to matching whatever standards the big schools set.

More from the article:
Excluding Villanova and Georgetown, that group too long has been irrelevant in the national picture, relying instead on Syracuse, UConn, Louisville and others to carry the league's banner.

More from the article:

In its heyday, the Big East wasn't great because it had a good television package -- though the exposure helped; it didn't succeed because its coaches were colorful reprobates, though they gave it its panache; and it wasn't considered the best because so many of its players went to the NBA, though they elevated the competition.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketba...ond-season

to me- 2 major telling quotes-
Ackerman-
"We were built to be a basketball powerhouse and our intention is to remain as one.''
JT3
"For the last 20 years we could say we were the best basketball conference in the country,'' said Georgetown coach John Thompson III. "Now we can say we are arguably the best basketball conference in the country. We say we're still pretty good but people are looking at that dip and saying, why?''

Those 2 quotes just tell a pretty big story.

(10-24-2014 02:09 PM)stever20 Wrote:  to me- 2 major telling quotes-
Ackerman-
"We were built to be a basketball powerhouse and our intention is to remain as one.''
JT3
"For the last 20 years we could say we were the best basketball conference in the country,'' said Georgetown coach John Thompson III. "Now we can say we are arguably the best basketball conference in the country. We say we're still pretty good but people are looking at that dip and saying, why?''

Those 2 quotes just tell a pretty big story.

One word..."Uncertainty"...

(10-24-2014 02:09 PM)stever20 Wrote:  to me- 2 major telling quotes-
Ackerman-
"We were built to be a basketball powerhouse and our intention is to remain as one.''
JT3
"For the last 20 years we could say we were the best basketball conference in the country,'' said Georgetown coach John Thompson III. "Now we can say we are arguably the best basketball conference in the country. We say we're still pretty good but people are looking at that dip and saying, why?''

Those 2 quotes just tell a pretty big story.

You can say that, John, but nobody will believe you. Sometimes you might manage to be the best basketball conference outside the P5, but that's your ceiling.

(10-24-2014 02:16 PM)ken d Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 02:09 PM)stever20 Wrote:  to me- 2 major telling quotes-
Ackerman-
"We were built to be a basketball powerhouse and our intention is to remain as one.''
JT3
"For the last 20 years we could say we were the best basketball conference in the country,'' said Georgetown coach John Thompson III. "Now we can say we are arguably the best basketball conference in the country . We say we're still pretty good but people are looking at that dip and saying, why?''

Those 2 quotes just tell a pretty big story.

You can say that, John, but nobody will believe you. Sometimes you might manage to be the best basketball conference outside the P5, but that's your ceiling.

I don't know about that. I mean the Big East and AAC were both better than the SEC last year.

(10-24-2014 02:17 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 02:16 PM)ken d Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 02:09 PM)stever20 Wrote:  to me- 2 major telling quotes-
Ackerman-
"We were built to be a basketball powerhouse and our intention is to remain as one.''
JT3
"For the last 20 years we could say we were the best basketball conference in the country,'' said Georgetown coach John Thompson III. "Now we can say we are arguably the best basketball conference in the country . We say we're still pretty good but people are looking at that dip and saying, why?''

Those 2 quotes just tell a pretty big story.

You can say that, John, but nobody will believe you. Sometimes you might manage to be the best basketball conference outside the P5, but that's your ceiling.

I don't know about that. I mean the Big East and AAC were both better than the SEC last year.

To be fair to the SEC they did place two schools in the Final Four and Tennessee went to the Sweet Sixteen...but after those 3 it is a very steep drop off.

If a tree falls in the the forest and nobody cares to watch, does it make a sound?

Georgetown and UCONN just finalized a series for 2015/16 and 2016/17. Good for the game of basketball.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nca.../17838827/

(10-24-2014 02:27 PM)HuskyU Wrote:  Georgetown and UCONN just finalized a series for 2015/16 and 2016/17. Good for the game of basketball.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nca.../17838827/

Agreed. It's a shame both schools can't get a series going with Syracuse as well. Of course, we all know scumbag Boeheim doesn't like to schedule tough games out of conference...

(10-24-2014 02:35 PM)robertfoshizzle Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 02:27 PM)HuskyU Wrote:  Georgetown and UCONN just finalized a series for 2015/16 and 2016/17. Good for the game of basketball.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nca.../17838827/

Agreed. It's a shame both schools can't get a series going with Syracuse as well. Of course, we all know scumbag Boeheim doesn't like to schedule tough games out of conference...

I think Georgetown and Cuse agreed to an ongoing series. I doubt we'll see anything between Cuse and UCONN though, which is a real shame...especially if they played it at MSG.

Damn realignment...

(10-24-2014 02:35 PM)robertfoshizzle Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 02:27 PM)HuskyU Wrote:  Georgetown and UCONN just finalized a series for 2015/16 and 2016/17. Good for the game of basketball.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nca.../17838827/

Agreed. It's a shame both schools can't get a series going with Syracuse as well. Of course, we all know scumbag Boeheim doesn't like to schedule tough games out of conference...

Um, Georgetown got a series already with Syracuse...

I think seeing how much harder the OOC schedules are now for the schools in the BE are telling. Georgetown now in '16 for instance would have Syracuse, UConn, B10 team in the Gavitt series- plus an exempt tournament. That's a brutal OOC schedule.

Also, I think the Big East 2.0 will be just fine. Georgetown, Villanova, Xavier, and Marquette aren't going anywhere. Butler and Creighton have a lot to prove post Brad Stephens and Doug McDermott. The other 4 programs are what they are at this point... not what they used to be, but you could do worse.

(10-24-2014 02:38 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 02:35 PM)robertfoshizzle Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 02:27 PM)HuskyU Wrote:  Georgetown and UCONN just finalized a series for 2015/16 and 2016/17. Good for the game of basketball.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nca.../17838827/

Agreed. It's a shame both schools can't get a series going with Syracuse as well. Of course, we all know scumbag Boeheim doesn't like to schedule tough games out of conference...

Um, Georgetown got a series already with Syracuse...

I think seeing how much harder the OOC schedules are now for the schools in the BE are telling. Georgetown now in '16 for instance would have Syracuse, UConn, B10 team in the Gavitt series- plus an exempt tournament. That's a brutal OOC schedule.

My bad. I believe I do recall hearing about that, but I forgot.

Quote:Terrence Payne @terrence_payne
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(10-24-2014 02:38 PM)HuskyU Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 02:35 PM)robertfoshizzle Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 02:27 PM)HuskyU Wrote:  Georgetown and UCONN just finalized a series for 2015/16 and 2016/17. Good for the game of basketball.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nca.../17838827/

Agreed. It's a shame both schools can't get a series going with Syracuse as well. Of course, we all know scumbag Boeheim doesn't like to schedule tough games out of conference...

I think Georgetown and Cuse agreed to an ongoing series. I doubt we'll see anything between Cuse and UCONN though, which is a real shame...especially if they played it at MSG.

Damn realignment...

I think this shows that Georgetown, at least, recognizes that it needs rivalries with schools who did not join them in the new Big East if they are to remain nationally relevant. The NBE is OK, but it's closer to the A-10 competitively than it is to the old BE.

just looking- future Georgetown schedules-
2015-16-
Syracuse
Virginia
UConn
in 2K classic with VCU, Duke, and Wisconsin

2016-17-
Syracuse
UConn
Kansas
exempt tournament

So a good tough 5+ games each year now. Used to be only would have 2-3 real tough OOC games. It's a pretty big adjustment especially early in the year where the teams are younger.

(10-24-2014 03:20 PM)stever20 Wrote:  just looking- future Georgetown schedules-
2015-16-
Syracuse
Virginia
UConn
in 2K classic with VCU, Duke, and Wisconsin

2016-17-
Syracuse
UConn
Kansas
exempt tournament

So a good tough 5+ games each year now. Used to be only would have 2-3 real tough OOC games. It's a pretty big adjustment especially early in the year where the teams are younger.

Works for kensucky so why not?

(10-24-2014 02:09 PM)stever20 Wrote:  to me- 2 major telling quotes-
Ackerman-
"We were built to be a basketball powerhouse and our intention is to remain as one.''
JT3
"For the last 20 years we could say we were the best basketball conference in the country,'' said Georgetown coach John Thompson III. "Now we can say we are arguably the best basketball conference in the country. We say we're still pretty good but people are looking at that dip and saying, why?''

Those 2 quotes just tell a pretty big story.

Not having UConn in the Big East anymore has shot a lot of the credibility it had.

My brother was at the Big East tournament and said very few people among the crowd were familiar with the teams. Its a league that doesn't feature ESPN darling programs anymore.

The problem with a 10 team basketball conference non-P5 is that in an off year they are looking at only 3 schools in the NCAA tournament. The A10 with 14 schools has an advantage in some ways because they have so many programs in there.

A BE with Wichita St, St. Louis, Dayton and VCU might make some sense to put distance on themselves and the A10/MVC.

(10-24-2014 04:26 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(10-24-2014 02:09 PM)stever20 Wrote:  to me- 2 major telling quotes-
Ackerman-
"We were built to be a basketball powerhouse and our intention is to remain as one.''
JT3
"For the last 20 years we could say we were the best basketball conference in the country,'' said Georgetown coach John Thompson III. "Now we can say we are arguably the best basketball conference in the country. We say we're still pretty good but people are looking at that dip and saying, why?''

Those 2 quotes just tell a pretty big story.

Not having UConn in the Big East anymore has shot a lot of the credibility it had.

My brother was at the Big East tournament and said very few people among the crowd were familiar with the teams. Its a league that doesn't feature ESPN darling programs anymore.

The problem with a 10 team basketball conference non-P5 is that in an off year they are looking at only 3 schools in the NCAA tournament. The A10 with 14 schools has an advantage in some ways because they have so many programs in there.

A BE with Wichita St, St. Louis, Dayton and VCU might make some sense to put distance on themselves and the A10/MVC.

An expanded Big East wouldn't be a terrible idea, but of those 4 schools, only St. Louis and Dayton are good cultural fits. Problem with Dayton is they don't expand the footprint of the conference because they already have Xavier less than an hour down I-75. That said, Dayton fans are very loyal and will tune in when their team plays.

It's a shame Gonzaga and St. Mary's are so far away. I do think St. Louis would be in the Big East right now if there was a logical 2nd team to pair them with. Detroit Mercy or Duquesne aren't going to cut it. I love the idea of St. Louis and Dayton, but Xavier's not going to like it... plus the aforementioned geographical/demographic issues.

The with the Big East is that they thought small from the start. They thought only about basketball, thinking it was enough, and for a while it was. But then when they found out it wasn't enough, they invited some schools to play football. But the Big East thought small again, and it eventually killed the football side. Now they are faced with the results of that small thinking, and are trying to figure out ways to avoid becoming small. IMO it's too late.