The Big East was awarded an unprecedented 11 bids to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. They each had a winning record in the regular season. They performed well outside of their own conference. Each of the 11 teams deserved their bids.
But with such attention to the fact that no league had ever won so many tournament bids, and with a sports and news culture voracious for the next fall from grace, there was almost no chance the Big East could have avoided looking somehow undeserving as the tournament rounds progressed. And that’s a shame.
Yes, a few of the Big East schools pulled out far short of their expectations. Number four seed Louisville was the first Big East goliath to fall, bowing out before a complete surprise Morehead State. Other teams to end the tournament winless included Villanova, St. John’s, and Georgetown. Villanova’s opponent George Mason and St. John’s opponent Gonzaga have histories of upsetting teams and advancing. And George Mason was the higher seed, meaning a Villanova loss should have lost, according to the bracket.
Georgetown, on paper, could have been a bigger surprise loss, but their senior star Chris Wright had just come back from injury and his team had gone winless during the duration of his absence. He certainly wasn’t in peak form, so that loss is not so surprising.
Other big losses came in the next round—what the NCAA calls the third round but which is the second game for each of these Big East teams—Notre Dame, Pitt and West Virginia. West Virginia, like Villanova before them, lost to a higher ranked team, in this case perennial powerhouse Kentucky. There are no such excuses for Notre Dame, a second seed falling to ten seed Florida State, or for one seed Pittsburgh losing to Butler—even if Butler is the team that almost won the whole thing last year. And two more teams were destined to lose just by the math. Big East Marquette upset Big East Syracuse, and Big East UConn handled Big East Cincinnati. When two teams from the same conference meet in a single-elimination bracket, one must fall.
Important to remember here is that while according to the seeding, five teams should have made the Sweet Sixteen, the reality is that some parity pervades the men’s NCAA bracket. Upsets happen. That’s what makes filling out the bracket exciting. It’s why you throw caution to the win and pick an eleven seed to upset a six seed in the first full round, or a four or five seed to advance to the Elite Eight. On average, you should expect about half the teams from any one conference to lose in each round anyway. After two rounds, eleven teams should have whittled down first to five or six, then to two or three. Now, after two full rounds, two Big East teams remain. So yes, it is on the low end of expectation, but by no means should the Big East be criticized, nor the selection committee admonished. I heard no analyst suggest before that 11 were too many. Nor should they say that now.
The sad truth of the tournament is that in 67 games, 67 teams leave with a loss. Only one team can finish with a win. The general consensus has been that it will be Ohio State—not a Big East team. And the remaining Big East teams, UConn and Marquette, are both underdogs from here on out. San Diego State and North Carolina, their next opponents—both two seeds—should win. If UConn and Marquette win those games, they could play number one seeds from then on.
Either remaining Big East team winning the next game will show how dominant the Big East really is. If they lose, those games will end without upset. Yes, my own bracket showed a Big East bias, and is now busted. And if I were a team like Louisville, Pitt or Notre Dame, sure, I’d be disappointed. But as a league, the Big East still has no reason for shame. Congratulations to the Big East and their record 11 teams. And, full disclosure, since I’m a Connecticut native, Go UConn!
