Post by hoya3416 on Feb 9, 2009 17:10:33 GMT -5
online.wsj.com/article/SB123419802329264179.html
Who's the Real Beast in the Big East?
Why Marquette is overrated, West Virginia overlooked and other observations on college basketball's largest league.
Excerpt:
By no size-adjusted measurement is the Big East No. 1 – not at the top, not top-to-bottom. Both the ACC and the Big Ten have a strong chance of placing more than half their members in the tournament, while the Big East is unlikely to. The Big East stands third behind the ACC and Pac-10 in Ken Pomeroy's predictive ratings, third in the Ratings Percentage Index, behind the ACC and the Big Ten. In each case, the Big East is hurt by its substantial supply of bottom feeders. Four Big East teams – one quarter of the membership – rank worse than 130th in the RPI, the highest such percentage of the six major conferences.
This is not at all to say that the Big East isn't a top-notch league, or that the conference isn't offering compelling action. The most riveting aspect of Big East competition this season is how Georgetown and Notre Dame, two former top-10 teams, have fallen victim to unmerciful schedules. (Georgetown's schedule strength ranks third nationally, Notre Dame's is 12th.) But the schedule also has allowed Marquette to become seriously overrated.
Who's the Real Beast in the Big East?
Why Marquette is overrated, West Virginia overlooked and other observations on college basketball's largest league.
Excerpt:
By no size-adjusted measurement is the Big East No. 1 – not at the top, not top-to-bottom. Both the ACC and the Big Ten have a strong chance of placing more than half their members in the tournament, while the Big East is unlikely to. The Big East stands third behind the ACC and Pac-10 in Ken Pomeroy's predictive ratings, third in the Ratings Percentage Index, behind the ACC and the Big Ten. In each case, the Big East is hurt by its substantial supply of bottom feeders. Four Big East teams – one quarter of the membership – rank worse than 130th in the RPI, the highest such percentage of the six major conferences.
This is not at all to say that the Big East isn't a top-notch league, or that the conference isn't offering compelling action. The most riveting aspect of Big East competition this season is how Georgetown and Notre Dame, two former top-10 teams, have fallen victim to unmerciful schedules. (Georgetown's schedule strength ranks third nationally, Notre Dame's is 12th.) But the schedule also has allowed Marquette to become seriously overrated.