Big East Hoops is Ridiculously Stacked for 08-09
College Basketball May 1st. 2008, 12:30pm
Yes, this is our second post of the week about college basketball. Can you tell we miss it? We’re doing so because Vegas Watch has a must-read breakdown of just how loaded the conference is. We’re not sure Big East hoops will be as good as it was in 1985, but it wouldn’t shock us at all if just prior to the NCAA tournament, the Big East had five teams - Connecticut, Louisville, Georgetown, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame - in the Top 10. They’re all preseason Top 15 locks.
Due to early departures - the list is quite sad, actually - the Pac-10 will be way down (Arizona State brings back the best team), the SEC will be Tennessee, Florida and a bunch of jokers, and the ACC will once again be vastly overrated (except for UNC, maybe Duke and a potentially dangerous Wake Forest team). The Big 10 and the Big 12 really aren’t even worth discussing at this point. (Except maybe Purdue. And Oklahoma.)
Koufus Hires Agent, Stays in Draft (Fox)
Coaches, fans, hold their breath as players flirt with NBA (ESPN)
22 Responses to “Big East Hoops is Ridiculously Stacked for 08-09”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
May 1st, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Oregon has a great class coming in, unfortunately our coach is still Ernie Kent.
May 1st, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Kansas has a pretty decent class coming in. If Augustin and Abrams stay in the draft I can see them winning the Big 12 to be honest.
May 1st, 2008 at 12:40 pm
How can you be constantly overrated if you are shat on all the time for being overrated?
May 1st, 2008 at 12:42 pm
ohio state has a great class coming in. granted theyll leave after one year but still, that conference sucks enough they could easily finish second
May 1st, 2008 at 12:43 pm
unbelievable that KK is staying in the draft
May 1st, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Ahhh, the short-shorts days. True story: in 1990, my step-brother’s varsity teammate had a photo of himself going for a board land on the front page of their podunk newspaper. Unfortunately, his entire shroom was hanging out the bottom of his short-shorts.
May 1st, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Go vols. Should be another good year for the Pearl if Hopson brings it. I look for a big year from Wayne Chism and Tyler Smith.
May 1st, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Give the SEC one more year and they should be pretty solid. Arkansas has a pretty good class coming in next year, even though one of their top recruits couldn’t make grades at a GD junior college so he is out. I figure if Gillespie ever gets his head out of his ass he’ll get some players at Kentucky.
May 1st, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I think its worse mmonast that the Jordan kid from TAMU is staying in. Didnt he play something like 5 mins a game? I wish I was 7ft tall so I could walk into a guaranteed contract. Damn genetics.
May 1st, 2008 at 1:05 pm
I will say this in every Big East post
Dejuan. Blair.
May 1st, 2008 at 1:10 pm
wtf no love for the canes and mcclinton?
May 1st, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Will the Big East be better than it was in ‘96? Ray Allen, Iverson, Croshere, Kittles, God, Felipe Lopez, and John Wallace who took Syracuse to the title game.
May 1st, 2008 at 1:19 pm
TBL has something nice to say about ASU. How odd.
May 1st, 2008 at 1:40 pm
ASU was good last year, but not nearly as good as the rest of the stacked conference …. now that they’re all leaving, and ASU retains its best players, you have a reversal
May 1st, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Where does Syracuse rank if Donte Green becomes sane and returns to school?
The Big East is scary. Gtown could be preseason number 5 in their conference!
May 1st, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Purdue the only Big Ten team worth mentioning? Michigan State has one of the best point guards in the country no one is talking about in Kalin Lucas, a rising stud in Raymar Morgan, and they have a top ten class coming in. Tom Izzo will roast your bracket in March again, sir.
May 1st, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I didn’t notice that the Big East was going to be that good, but they will be. I’d say that 1 or 2 of the 5 mentioned as can’t miss teams will fall off slightly due to mental factors of “someone has to lose” in that league. However, it will be a true beast night in and night out.
As for the draft, I’ll stay on my soapbox, as small as it may be… The NBA should go to baseball rules. Either head directly to the pros from HS or be shut out of the draft for 3 years. This alleviates kids who don’t belong in school from having to spend a half of year in classes before going pro (Rose, Love, Beasley, Gordon, etc…) It also makes college coaches have to fret less about how they will replace kids year in and year out. They are guaranteed to have some semblance of consistency for at least a couple of years at a time. It should take out some of the blatant shadyness that is recruiting (admittedly, its always been shady, but it has taken a direct right turn toward hideous in the last 5 years or so). I think it eventually makes college basketball better as well. The talent won’t be as good, but the teams will be better for a couple of reasons: 1. The kids WANT to be there. They aren’t playing their 1 year for a contract. 2. Teams get better with age. Look at Xavier, who played with a ton of upper classmen. They played great team ball and were successful because of it. Teams like that are fun to watch.
May 1st, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Herb Sendek is still the coach at ASU, so that means Sweet 16 at best, but likely a bubble team.
May 1st, 2008 at 2:07 pm
So Davidson is getting a 4 seed then?
May 1st, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Didnt Villanova make the Sweet 16 and return everyone??
May 1st, 2008 at 2:13 pm
deandre jordan looked like SHIT this year. if the age limit wasn’t in effect, i would be calling him the next korleone young. instead, i will call him the next michael olowokandi. if he makes an all-star game, i will buy TBL a condo in aruba.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Nice to see Wisconsin is being counted out again.