Big East dominance

People are talking about this year morseo than the last five years in general. No one can deny the depth of the conference is far greater than any other in the land this season. Having 16 teams makes that easier but regardless, the bottom halfs of other leagues is pretty dreadful.

Since UConn won, the Big East has had UConn return, Villanova, West Virginia and Louisville who was actually still a member of the C-USA at the time represent the conference.

If we count Louisville (I don't), that's 4 different teams. In that same time frame, the Big 11 has had 3 different teams represent the conference and for it's total of 5, 3 of them belong to one school (MSU). The ACC has been represented 4 times by 2 schools. The Pac-10 has been represented those 3 times by 1 school. The Big 12 has been represented by lonely Kansas. I'd also say Memphis is probably a major more than a mid-major, especially when Calipari was there. The SEC had Florida and that odd duck LSU season.

What it shows more than anything, you really have few schools capable of winning National titles and it's usually the blue bloods:

05 - Carolina
06 - Florida
07 - Florida
08 - Kansas
09- Carolina
10 - Duke

Florida's not a true blue blood but like Ohio State in the B1G, they have a great AD and athletic department that spends more per win than most schools. The Pac-10 was repped by UCLA all those times and Michigan State went 3 times for the B1G. Blue bloods. And to be fair, it was Bill Self's kids that Bruce Weber took in 2005.

Really, what the Big East lacks, is a true, yearly lead dog(s). I'd say part of that is the lack of true football powers but that's another argument. Nearly every year, the ACC has Duke, UNC, the Big 12 has Kansas, the SEC has Kentucky, the B1G has MSU, etc...

Looking deeper, only one other conference had a better Elite 8 run than the Big East in 2009 when they had 4 schools, 2 of which played one another in that round. The B1G had 3 in that round in 2005 but UNC beat all 3 of them that year. Most years, 2 is the best other conferences do.

I wouldn't say overrated because the depth outweighs the yearly lack of a team that in reality can win it all. For all the consternation we'll go through in picking brackets in March, the reality is, there's likely only 4-5 teams built to win it all (This year? Duke, OSU, Texas, Kansas, maybe Pitt). I also don't buy the beating up part because Izzo Knows March shows playing a tough schedule should make you ready in March instead of wearing you out.

Overrated? Probably a little, but for overall top-to-bottom basketball, it's the best in 2011.