To the legions of Big East fans. I'll admit it. I was wrong — dead wrong. And I would like to apologize.
When I wrote my last column a month ago, I received countless e-mails wanting to know what type of stuff I was on to think that the Big East was a bad conference. All I can say am I made a mistake. I've watched the league closely during the last month and have come to the conclusion that this is the strongest conference in the country as we head into March Madness. The league is competitive from top to bottom and might actually get between 8-10 teams into the NCAA tournament.
Villanova and UConn have had some epic battles since I wrote my last column and they two teams epitomize how tough this league really is. The last one came Sunday when UConn posted a 14-point win over 'Nova at home, avenging a loss to the Wildcats earlier in the season. It really isn't surprising the two are ranked in the top five.
My only beef with Villanova is we sort of see this every year from them. They're real good in the beginning and then take a deep plunge once conference tournament and ultimately NCAA tournament play starts. But this year is different and it feels different. Just imagine, Villanova's solid lineup with a healthy Curtis Sumpter, who's missed the entire season due to a knee injury he suffered in the preseason. That's scary, folks.
It's amazing how a league that was basically pieced together by greedy corporate suites has become so competitive so quickly. By that, I mean the new teams. Marquette and Cincinnati have both come into the league and have made immediate impacts, with the only disappointment being an underachieving Louisville squad that has sunk to the bottom of the conference. West Virginia is solid and John Thompson III is looking more like his father everyday and has done a tremendous job in resurrecting the Georgetown program.
But the most surprising play in the conference might be from the Seton Hall Pirates. Talk about a team that never quits. At least not on consecutive nights. Of course, they don't have a chance at making the NCAA tournament, barring a Cinderella run in the Big East tourney, but some of the things they've done this season have been remarkable. This is a team that got absolutely embarrassed by Duke back in November, showing no effort and losing by 53 points. But this same team went out and got huge wins against teams like N.C. State and Syracuse.
My biggest complaint or beef is in the SEC. Let's look at Florida and coach Billy Donovan. While Donovan is a great coach and recruits excellent talent, he needs to be fired. Am I wrong, or is this about the sixth straight year where Florida has been either ranked in the top five and then fallen apart as the season winds down? Like I said, Donovan is a great coach, but his teams aren't that good when it counts. Every year, they are ranked highly and every year, they fall on their faces. Wasn't it only a couple of years ago when Florida earned the No. 1 ranking and promptly went out and loss the next night? And aside from Mike Miller saving the team in the 2000 NCAA tournament, what has Florida really done in the tournament?
Is it me, or does it seem like the pollsters elevate the Gators whenever Kentucky has sort of an off-year? Granted, Florida isn't even in first place in the conference, but everyone knows that no one cares about Tennessee men's basketball except for the players themselves. They're a good team, but they haven't earned their stripes with me yet.
So does East Coast bias really exist? I think so. I'll admit, I don't watch the Pac-10 that often. And I don't think the league is very good outside of Stanford and Arizona most years. But this year, a new breed seems on the horizon as UCLA has finally, finally, come back to forefront of the conference. Stanford and Arizona are having off years by their standards and the conference doesn't look that strong heading into the NCAA tourney. Washington has the experiences from last year, but outside of that, I don't see any of them making a real run in the tournament. But you never know with UCLA. They have such a tradition and the last couple of years haven't been to their standards. Maybe Bill Walton or someone can light a fire under the young squad come tournament time.
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