Pitt Panther Prowl

Big East Roundup - Welcome, Mr. Big East!

First I’d like to thank The Prowler for putting this excellent site together and re-igniting my fiery passion for Big East basketball. The Prowler’s Pitt coverage, especially the post-game analysis, has been nothing short of outstanding- bringing even the most stalwart conference rivals to his pulpit to read what he has to say. I was always a fan of the Big East, so it’s been decided to share some thoughts with this periodical breakdown of the happenings around the league. This column will attempt to provide more broad coverage of the league as a whole, hopefully complementing The Prowler’s in-depth Pitt analysis.

You can expect the Roundup to focus on major shifts in conference alignment, teams that are on the rise, major upsets, and other topics of interest to fans. Most weeks will focus on the top 8 or 9 teams in the league. These are the teams that are making headlines across the country and making strides in the national rankings. However, with so much parity across the board, a team that is #2 right now might drop to #12 in the league standings next week. That is one of the reasons why it’s so exciting to compete in this league. If your team has a bad week, say they miss a few free throws and lose two out of three, all of a sudden your dreams of a 5-seed in the West (Phoenix) subdivision morphs into a nightmare: sitting on the bubble of the NIT. It’s the agony that makes the ecstasy so great.

Truthfully, any team that is invited to the Big East Tournament could be one of the big guns. Big East fans don’t really need the ESPN or AP rankings. We have our own ranking system, numbers one through sixteen. This league alone (excluding all the teams from other conferences like the Big Ten or the SEC or Insert lesser known conference here, i.e. ACC) is dynamic enough to provide the variety and depth so desired by sports fans. We also have our fair share of mid-season surprises, upsets, and of course those steady powerhouse teams that exert dominance year in, year out. Add in the fact that 15 of the 16 current Big East teams have played in the Final Four at some point in their histories, and you can begin to understand why I tend to lock myself in the cabin with Big East basketball fever.

This being the first Big East Roundup on the Pitt Panther Prowl, I will explain some of the format mentions and noteworthy awards that will be used throughout the rest of the season:

Team of the Week: This goes to the squad that has shown the most energy and toughness throughout the past week. Beating ranked opponents or getting a few hard wins on the road are the minimum requirements to qualify.

UConn: The Huskies (16-5, 6-3) defeated then-No.8 Indiana 68-63 in Bloomington, edged Louisville (16-6, 6-3) 69-67 at home and knocked off No.21 Pitt (17-5, 5-4) 60-53 in Storrs to close out a brutal six day stretch. No one wants to play Connecticut right now. These Huskies are starting to regain their swagger; they resemble the team that owned the Big East in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Tournament Resumes: This section summarizes, in order of seeds, the accomplishments and setbacks of the realistic NCAA Tournament teams in the Big East. Elite wins are earned by defeating a highly ranked opponent on the road or at home. Good wins are designated if the opponent is better than .500 in league play. Road wins are always special, but only considered solid if the opponent is at least .500 in league play. Bad losses are self explanatory.

#6 Georgetown: The Hoyas (18-2, 8-1) are the only potential No.1 seed in the league, more likely a No.2 seed, despite surviving some very close games and being the benefactor of a few blown calls. They have a tough stretch coming up at Louisville, home against Villanova, and at Syracuse. The first meeting with Syracuse was close, a 64-62 home win in overtime. Will things end differently at the Carrier Dome? I smell an upset Upstate.

Elite wins: None; Good wins: 4 - Seton Hall, at WVU, Notre Dame, and Syracuse; Solid road wins: 2 - at Alabama, at WVU; Bad losses: None

#16 Marquette: The Golden Eagles are a shaky No.4 seed, maybe a No.5 if the season ended today. They started the season ranked #12. To this point they have stayed true to their ranking, oscillating anywhere from No.8 to No.16. They are riding on a 3-game winning streak heading into this weeks showdown with Louisville, who beat them by 20 points in their first meeting this year. Expect Marquette to exact revenge on the Cardinals at home.

Elite wins: 1 - at #13 Wisconsin; Good wins: 3 – Providence, Seton Hall, Notre Dame; Solid road wins: 2 – at #13 Wisconsin, at Cinci; Bad losses: None

#21 Pittsburgh: The team with the most elite wins in the league also has the worst losses, go figure. Despite being one of the more physically talented teams in the country, the Panthers are struggling to find their identity right now. Injuries to two key starters, Fields and Cook, are finally being felt as Pitt has lost two of their last three- one of which was to lowly Rutgers. They must regroup before hosting their archrival, WVU, on Thursday. It will be a raucous environment at the “zoo,” but the lack of any true depth on either sideline makes this one a coin flip: edge goes with the more physical home team.

Elite wins: 2 - #7 Duke, #6 Georgetown; Good wins: 2 – Villanova, Seton Hall; Solid road wins: None; Bad losses: 2 – at Dayton, Rutgers

Author’s Note: This first column is more of an introduction, or a tune-up, for things to come…. Of course more teams from the Big East will be in the NCAA Tournament, so don’t worry if you don’t see your squad on the resume list! And in the future there will be more coverage of the week’s biggest games. So check back later in the week for an expanded list of résumés, more from the Prowler, Mr. Big East and the Roundup!