So I was all set to do a Big East preview, thinking I would have to rush to get it up before the slew of games started this week, when I read this Andy Glockner ESPN preview which is pretty much the way I would've gone with it. The main themes are 1) there is no real pre-defined conference hierarchy (lots of parity) unlike most years and 2) there have been a lot of injuries....both of which lead to a lot of question marks.
Anyway, instead of re-hashing the ESPN article, I will just make a prediction as to how it will finish up and add a little tidbit for each team. Basically, even though Georgetown has to be the favorite having just come off a Final Four run, there are about a half-dozen teams that I can see winning the conference title. And likewise, there are about a dozen teams that have a chance to earn an NCAA tourney bid. In other words, there is not a whole lot on paper separating a team that will finish 3rd from a team that will finish 10th. It will come down to toughness, good coaching, execution and a few lucky bounces.
The Favorites
1. Georgetown - still learning to play without the heady Jeff Green, but loaded with talent and experience.
2. Marquette - the talented guard trio finally has some size up-front to complement the perimeter game.
3. Louisville - plagued by early season injuries and "Caracter" issues, but Pitino will pull it together by March.
The Contenders
4. Pitt - two devastating injuries knock them down a notch, but Jamie Dixon always gets the most out of his teams.
5. Villanova - loads of young talent that can score at will, but will the D improve in time to make a run?
6. WVU - Bob Huggins has done a nice job of combining Beilein's 3-pt shooters with his tough defensive philosophy.
Bubble Teams
7. Providence - they've had decent talent for a few years, now they have experience - can Welch put it all together?
8. UConn - Essentially the same team as last year that started # 11 but then missed the NIT. Can Calhoun fix them?
9. Syracuse - a preseason contender but the ACL injury to Devendorf makes this a very young, albeit talented, team.
10. Notre Dame - the Irish lost their top two scorers from last year, but return a lot of experienced players.
NCAA Long-shots
11. Seton Hall - A great backcourt that gives them an outside chance to at an at-large bid, but no production from the big guys.
12. USF - Stan Heath gives this improving program some credibility, but they are likely still a couple years away.
Will be lucky to make the Big East Tournament
13. Depaul - Draelon Burns may end up leading the conference in scoring and may win a few games on his own, but the rest of the team is young and raw.
14. Cincy - A young team that plays hard and will give teams fits but is too inconsistent to make any real noise.
15. SJU - Norm Roberts has found recruiting to be suprisingly difficult in NYC and this team lacks talent as a result.
16. Rutgers - Fred Hill can recruit, but he has not yet proven he can coach. This team is as offensively inept as they come.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
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1 comments:
A few thoughts...
I would have made that remark next to Louisville a question. The game Tuesday night was a stunner and makes me wonder how far RP will be able to go with this group. Padgett and Palacios may be back, but they could not get the Cards over the top versus the Bearcats. Sosa is still in the doghouse; Williams had a terrible game; Clark took too many shots...so much drama.
Ramon dished out 10 assists against Lafayette, but can he do that on a consistent basis? The Villanova-Pittsburgh matchup over the weekend should say something about how the Panthers will fare in the Big East. And how far along the Wildcats have come.
Notre Dame's Tory Jackson is struggling, and McAlarney has not rounded into last season's form yet. The Irish frontcourt is solid, but their backcourt may decide how far they get.
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