Big East: League needs more than six NCAA bids

The Big East Conference plays havoc with the traditional numbers game that is the NCAA Tournament field.

Only 65 teams annually earn invitations to the NCAA tourney. The Big East Conference, which expanded three years ago after the Atlantic Coast Conference lured three Big East members to leave the league, now consists of 16 teams.

Sixteen may be sweet for teenage girls and teams that advance to the NCAA’s regional semifinals, but it’s an unwieldy number for the NCAA Selection Committee.

The committee has yet to wrap its arms around the Big East’s new math. Last year, the NCAA extended invitations to six Big East teams. And while the number of invites might equate to the number given to other conferences, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said the size of the Big East requires a new way of thinking.

"Everybody at the end of the day says the Big East gets six teams in, the Big Ten gets six teams in, the Pac-10 gets six teams in, like that's all equal," Boeheim said. "That's 37 percent of the Big East in the tournament. That's over 50 percent of those other two leagues in the tournament. I don't say we're better than them, but I'd say we're equal to them. So if we're getting 37 percent of our teams in there and they're getting 55 percent of their teams in the tournament, there's something wrong."

Of course, it was Syracuse, which was 22-10 in the regular season and 10-6 in the Big East Conference last year, that was left out of the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Syracuse became the first team from a major conference with at least 20 wins overall and 10 conference wins to be denied an NCAA bid.

The Big East’s coaches worried that the NCAA Selection Committee had reached its quota and Syracuse got left on the outside looking in.

"I've been assured that there isn't (a limit) and we had eight in the year before, but I know our coaches are concerned," Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said. "They've talked to me about it. All I know is Syracuse didn't get in last year and I don't know why. When there's silence, you get nervous."

The nerves are starting to tingle again as the calendar turns from January to February with March Madness just a page away.

The Big East has become a virtual mosh-pit of teams trying to separate themselves from the entangled mass of teams and catch the Selection Committee’s collective attention.

Nine teams in the Big East had between four and six conference losses. Taken a step further, 11 teams had between three and six conference losses.

It’s hard to build a respectable NCAA resume when every team in a 16-team league can beat anyone else.

Providence coach Tim Welsh expressed the concern and frustration that rampant in the Big East this year after his Friars’ lost at home to Notre Dame on Saturday.

“That’s a great team, Notre Dame,’’ Welsh told the Providence Journal. “That’s the problem sometimes in our league. These good teams get lost in the shuffle. I’m watching Kansas State the other night and they’re ranked. Well, didn’t Notre Dame beat their butt in the Garden? If they’re ranked, Notre Dame should be ranked. They’re 15-4 and a good basketball team. We have a lot of good teams in our league and we have to start supporting all of them. We have 12 really, really good teams. Probably 13. Teams that can beat anybody any night. That’s a hell of a league.’’

But how many teams can realistically hope for an NCAA bid? Let’s check the resumes.

Georgetown: The Hoyas have an 18-2 record and currently lead the Big East with an 8-1 record. The Hoyas are 6th in the Ratings Percentage Index and the losses are good: at Memphis and at Pittsburgh. Verdict: Lock.

Connecticut: UConn’s recent five-game win streak has put the Huskies in solid position. That streak includes a resume-building win at Indiana. UConn is 16-5 (6-3 in the conference) with an RPI of 16 and a strength of schedule ranked seventh in the country. Verdict: Lock.

Pittsburgh: At first glance, the Panthers’ look good. Pitt is 17-5 for the year and it’s RPI is a solid 19. And there is that win over Duke back on Dec. 20. But the Panthers are 5-4 in the Big East and they’ve lost three of their last five. They should be able to hold on despite injuries to starters Levance Fields and Mike Cook. Verdict: In, but not a lock.

Marquette: The Golden Eagles are a confusing bunch. They’ve played well at times, especially at home, but they’ve suffered some blowout losses on the road. Marquette is 16-5 overall and 6-4 in the Big East. Marquette’s was at 17 before Monday’s home loss to Louisville. A win at Wisconsin remains big. Verdict: In, but not a lock.

Louisville: The Cardinals are the scariest bunch in the Big East outside of Georgetown. Louisville is 17-6 and 7-3 in the Big East. It’s RPI of 37 is bound to go up after winning at Marquette on Monday night. The Cards are also 4-5 against teams currently in the RPI’s Top 50. Verdict: In, closing in on lock status.

Notre Dame: Notre Dame has won four of its last five (the only loss was at Georgetown) to improve to 16-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big East. The Irish played no true non-conference road games, so the strength of schedule is just 93rd and the RPI is 40th. But so far, Notre Dame is getting it done in league play. Verdict: In, closing in on lock status.

Syracuse: The Orange looked in bad shape a week ago, but three straight wins have given Jim Boeheim’s bunch new hope of a return to the tournament. Syracuse is ranked 34th in the RPI and its strength of schedule is sixth in the nation. However, Syracuse is just 1-5 against teams in the RPI’s Top 50 and the end of season schedule is brutal. Verdict: In as of now, but shaky.

West Virginia: The Mountaineers are 16-6 overall and 5-4 in the Big East. Their only non-conference losses were to Tennessee (by two points) and Oklahoma (in double-overtime). But there are no good non-conference wins. In fact, WVU is 2-5 against teams in the RPI’s Top 50. The Mountaineers are 41st in the RPI with a schedule that’s ranked 46th. Verdict: Barely in, and only for now.

Seton Hall: Yep, don’t look now, but Bobby Gonzalez’ Pirates are in the discussion for an NCAA bid. Seton Hall is 15-7 and 5-4 in the Big East. The Pirates are 45th in the RPI, but they’re only 1-6 against teams in the RPI’s Top 50. Verdict: Just out.

But what if the Pirates take advantage of a closing stretch that includes games against DePaul, South Florida, St. John’s, Syracuse and Rutgers. What if the Pirates are 20-11 and 10-8 with an RPI in the ‘40s?

Can nine teams from the Big East hope to get NCAA bids?

"The concern is that we used to get six out of nine or seven out of 10 or whatever and now we're looked at as this monster league and you can't have more than six or seven," Welsh said prior to the season. “Well, I think we have more than six or seven quality teams."

Rising Team

Connecticut – The Huskies have won five straight games, including three over ranked teams. UConn’s latest win came against Pittsburgh. The Huskies have won their last three games without leading scorer Jerome Dyson, who has been suspended. The Huskies travel to Syracuse, which has won three straight, on Wednesday.

Falling Team

Villanova – The Wildcats have lost four straight. Two of the losses came at home and an 87-73 home loss to Syracuse on Saturday really exposed Villanova’s weakness on defense.

Player of the Week

Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody continued his campaign for the Big East’s Player of the Year award. Harangody averaged 30 points and 14 rebounds in two wins for the Fighting Irish last week. He scored 31 points with 14 rebounds in an 81-74 overtime victory over Providence on Jan. 30 and then came back with 29 points and 14 boards in an 89-80 win over DePaul on Saturday. He leads the Big East in scoring and is second in rebounding.

Freshman of the Week

Jonny Flynn helped Syracuse to a win over Villanova on Saturday with 24 points on 8-for-11 shooting. Flynn has become indispensable for the Orange. He’s played every minute of Syracuse’s last four games, including all 45 minutes of a 64-62 overtime loss to Georgetown.

Stats of the Week

West Virginia made just 10 out of 50 field goal attempts in a 62-39 loss to Cincinnati on Jan. 30. The Mountaineers' 20 percent shooting was the worst in school history. West Virginia made just one out of 22 attempts from 3-point range.

They Said It

"I'm pissed. I'm pissed at myself. I'm pissed at the whole situation that we didn't get them ready and our job is to get them ready and we’ve got to be tougher than we are.’’ — St. John’s coach Norm Roberts after the Red Storm suffered its worst loss in Big East history 74-42 to Georgetown.

Key Upcoming Games

Wednesday, Feb. 6
St. John’s at Rutgers
If the Red Storm or Scarlet Knights want to have any hope of making the Big East Tournament, they have to win this game. The loser can only thank God for South Florida.

Connecticut at Syracuse
Jim Calhoun and Jim Boeheim each have 766 career coaching victories. They are tied for 10th on the all-time Division I wins list.  They’re both in the Hall of Fame.

Thursday, Feb. 7
West Virginia at Pittsburgh
Both teams are 5-4 in the Big East. Think the denizens of Pitt’s Oakland Zoo will remind WVU of the Panthers’ football win that deprived WVU of a BCS title game appearance?

Saturday, Feb. 9
Marquette at Notre Dame
Marquette thumped the Irish in Milwaukee earlier in the season. Notre Dame is 13-0 at home this season.

Georgetown at Louisville
Georgetown leads the Big East with an 8-1 record. Louisville could knock the Hoyas down a peg in this ESPN GameDay showcase event.

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