So here's the state of the Big East as I see it. Think of it as a very early Bubble Watch/ Bracketology rant.
The conference can basically be dived into four tiers at this point. (maybe five - more on that later)
Tier 1 - Final Four potential
Syracuse - If you're reading this, you know how good they are.
Villanova - 'Nova is ridiculously good and may not have SU's full potential but could be even more consistent than the Orange.
West Virginia - They may be the scariest, and most overrated team in college basketball. Think about it - it does make sense. Of the five teams in this tier, WVU is clearly the weakest.
Pittsburgh - If it wasn't for the loss to Indiana (RPI in the 200s) I'd be a lot higher on Pitt. The next two weeks will tell us a lot about them.
Georgetown - They're good...but memories of last year's meltdown are still pretty fresh.
Tier 2 - Not an elite team but have a good to fair chance of making the tournament.
UConn - It's a rebuilding year for UConn but even a rebuilding Huskies program is good for a 4 - 6 seed in the tournament.
Louisville - I can;t figure this team out. They aren't an elite team but look like they could become one. I'd predict their tournament seed if I wasn't 100% sure I'd be wrong.
Tier 3 - Shaky but still somewhat solid. (AKA: "The Jell-o Tier")
St. John's - Good RPI but need to win some conference games. Still in the tournament conversation if they can win some games.
Notre Dame - Not as good as their record. An awful strength of schedule could come back to haunt them on selection sunday.
Providence - Need to get some RPI boosting wins if they want to get serous tournament consideration. In a related story, this team is awful.
Cincinnati - I haven't seen much of them but they seemed to have mastered the art of major conference mediocrity. Blah.
Marquette - They're better than some people thought they would be but I still see the NIT in their future.
Seton Hall - I like the Hall. They're tough, scrappy and can score on anybody. If they can ever learn how to win maybe they'll be relevant.
Tier 4 - "The Towering Inferno"
South Florida - Might be the best of the really, really bad teams. Does that qualify as a backhanded compliment?
Rutgers - Fred Hill should call it a day. When former player JR Inman's anger and hate filled rant (google it) also makes a solid case for your removal as head coach, you know things are bad.
Depaul - How do you recruit if you're a Depaul assistant? "We'll probably never make the NCAA Tournament but the first round games from the Big East tournament are broadcast on the internet! That's cool right?"
