Big East having a moment

[sju88grad]

Pitino to St John’s is so huge and so overdue, it’s going to change the league as much as UCONN coming back and Novas two Nattys and three final fours. So happy for Johnnies fans.

Long Live The Big East!!!!!

Thanks Django! It’s been a long long time since I felt excited about SJU hoops. We’ve had a few fun moments and big wins here and there but never any sustained success. I think Pitino’s hire has been the shot in the arm that the program needed. The amount of coverage by the NY media has been bigger than I would have expected. Things are looking up.

Now I’m just excited to watch 3 Big East teams make the Elite Eight over the next two days!

[Savannah Jay]

Big East has captured the zeitgeist of the sports world a bit. With 3 legitimate final four contenders in the second weekend, Rick Pitino going to St. John's and Cooley going to Georgetown there is a whole lot of chatter about the Big East. The most I have seen in a while. Dave Portnoy spent all day yelling at Jeff Goodman about Cooley and now Fanta will be on PMT today. No real point to this thread, just cool to see the conference become a national talking point for a while. Sounds like McDermott is once again testing the free agent waters for Notre Dame.

I would say this recent explosion in press really proves two things.
1) March success matters. Nova got their credibility from March and now the rest of the league is beginning to follow suit.
2) Coaching matters. I would be shocked if Cooley and Pitino didn't do fantastic jobs and if nothing else they are going to provide great storylines

Now add Gonzaga!

I've seen people on the Twitter machine talk about the ND thing. Not journalists or recognizable names. I think it's normal for his name to come up when the team has success. I think it's unfair and inaccurate to characterize that chatter as "McDermott is once again testing the free agent waters." Has he ever? OSU wanted to talk to him, he listened, and said, "you don't mess with happy." ESPN, among others, reported that ND is waiting on a decision from Shrewsberry. Anything can happen (as we now know) in coaching circles but do you actual think McDermott is testing the free agent waters at 58 to go rebuild somewhere? And if he is, that he would consider a job where he's the second choice? He's more likely to retire at an age closer to Jay Wright than he is to coach another 10 years. Why would he start overt? And why would ND want someone knowing they'd have another coaching search in 5 or 6 years? Shrewsberry is 46, FWIW.

EDIT: ND's athletic department appears to be a bit of a shit show right now. First, their football coach, whose team is on national TV every game and whose recruiting involves, "I'll take you, and you, and you," left to go coach at a school that fired their last 2 football coaches, both of whom won Natty's (something Kelly hasn't done). Then they cut Brey loose after 23 years. I don't know why McDermott or Shrewsberry would take that job. ND may have to cast a wider net.

Don't shoot the messenger. Only reporting what I've been seeing on Twitter from accounts that seem to of accurately reported Cooley, Pitino etc.

Well, I guess that "accuracy" took a hit. Everyone knew PItino was going to St Johns.

You characterized it as "McDermott is once again testing the free agent waters," which we now know was bullsh--. You could have just said, "what's up with these rumors."

[DudeAnon]

Lol, relax. I have no stake on whether or not McDermott stays or go. But it was widely reported that he flirted with leaving before (Ohio State I believe) and now the rumors are swirling again. Where there's smoke there's fire. And if I'm wrong, congrats. Just reporting what I've been seeing online.

[GumbyDamnit!]

While we pat ourselves collectively on the back, the job is not even close to done. Some things to consider. Since BE 2.0 here are the FF participants by Power Conference:

ACC (8 total)
- UNC (3); Duke (3); Cuse; UVA

B12 (5)
- KU (2); OU; TT; Bayl.

SEC (5)
- UK (2), FL; So. Car.; Aub

B10 (5)
- Wisc (2); M St. (2), Mich

P12 (2)
- Ore; UCLA

BE (3)
- VU (3)

We're much more P12 than any of the others we like to compare ourselves to. And they haven't been seen as a great conference. Let's also be brutally honest...the accomplishments are all from a single program. if we fail to put a team into the FF this year (and preferably someone other than UConn b/c they have been there plenty of times), the narrative doesn't change much. It's time for either X or CU (or both) to make a FF. No more "almost got there" or "should have gotten there." Need to get there. Until we get multiple teams into the FF again, I don't believe we can put ourselves near the top of any conference hierarchy IMO.

[ecasadoSBU]

While we pat ourselves collectively on the back, the job is not even close to done. Some things to consider. Since BE 2.0 here are the FF participants by Power Conference:

ACC (8 total)
- UNC (3); Duke (3); Cuse; UVA

B12 (5)
- KU (2); OU; TT; Bayl.

SEC (5)
- UK (2), FL; So. Car.; Aub

B10 (5)
- Wisc (2); M St. (2), Mich

P12 (2)
- Ore; UCLA

BE (3)
- VU (3)

We're much more P12 than any of the others we like to compare ourselves to. And they haven't been seen as a great conference. Let's also be brutally honest...the accomplishments are all from a single program. if we fail to put a team into the FF this year (and preferably someone other than UConn b/c they have been there plenty of times), the narrative doesn't change much. It's time for either X or CU (or both) to make a FF. No more "almost got there" or "should have gotten there." Need to get there. Until we get multiple teams into the FF again, I don't believe we can put ourselves near the top of any conference hierarchy IMO.

The past is the past. We have to live with the past.

But what matters the most is that this year the league is having a heck of a year.

Let's see how things play out.

[Demon22]

Yeah think that could possibly do it, but DePaul has let coaches languish there for 5,5,6 years with no results.

Let's put it this way...

If DePaul doesn't show a fair amount of progress next season, it wouldn't shock me in the slightest if there were a coaching change. And if there's a coaching change, I think the school is ready to make a splash.

[kayako]

While we pat ourselves collectively on the back, the job is not even close to done. Some things to consider. Since BE 2.0 here are the FF participants by Power Conference:

ACC (8 total)
- UNC (3); Duke (3); Cuse; UVA

B12 (5)
- KU (2); OU; TT; Bayl.

SEC (5)
- UK (2), FL; So. Car.; Aub

B10 (5)
- Wisc (2); M St. (2), Mich

P12 (2)
- Ore; UCLA

BE (3)
- VU (3)

We're much more P12 than any of the others we like to compare ourselves to. And they haven't been seen as a great conference. Let's also be brutally honest...the accomplishments are all from a single program. if we fail to put a team into the FF this year (and preferably someone other than UConn b/c they have been there plenty of times), the narrative doesn't change much. It's time for either X or CU (or both) to make a FF. No more "almost got there" or "should have gotten there." Need to get there. Until we get multiple teams into the FF again, I don't believe we can put ourselves near the top of any conference hierarchy IMO.

For a while the concern was not advancing enough teams to the 2nd weekend, and I think that perception is gone now. Frequent 2nd weekends will lead to plenty of Final Fours long term, but hopefully we can get a couple in this weekend.

[Husky_U]

Let's keep it going today, Muskies & BJs.

Also, go Nova WBB.

[Jasper67]

Yeah think that could possibly do it, but DePaul has let coaches languish there for 5,5,6 years with no results.

Let's put it this way...

If DePaul doesn't show a fair amount of progress next season, it wouldn't shock me in the slightest if there were a coaching change. And if there's a coaching change, I think the school is ready to make a splash.

Gotta like Dusty May for that spot. One more win and he might be out of their price range.

[Wizard of Westroads]

Didn't see this post elsewhere, Shaka is AP's national coach of the year:

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/36032002/marquette-shaka-smart-voted-men-ap-coach-year