Article On The Pressure On The Big East

Profound. He's clearly rooting for us but he sees the writing on the wall; we all do. This year and next will determine if we are a mid-major or jut another player as a league. I have resigned myself to be happy in any classification because I have "been to the mountain" and that was great but that doesn't seem to be in the cards anymore.
For this league to prosper, StJ and G'town have to step up and grab the headlines. There's a lot of good teams and traditions in this league but those two simply have to perform for TV to work, for ratings to work, for the sports press to come alive , and for the Big East to be respected. We're running out of time.
 
I'm still waiting to "get to the mountaintop" i.e. win a national championship! It hasn't happened in my long lifetime, unless you count the NIT.

Briscoe is more of a savior than he realizes. Bringing in top talent is the only thing that will keep the league from heading to the toilet.
 
Profound. He's clearly rooting for us but he sees the writing on the wall; we all do. This year and next will determine if we are a mid-major or jut another player as a league. I have resigned myself to be happy in any classification because I have "been to the mountain" and that was great but that doesn't seem to be in the cards anymore.
For this league to prosper, StJ and G'town have to step up and grab the headlines. There's a lot of good teams and traditions in this league but those two simply have to perform for TV to work, for ratings to work, for the sports press to come alive , and for the Big East to be respected. We're running out of time.
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Agree that St John's/G'town are the keys to the future of this league. We can start the process a month from now by beating Gonzaga and G'town has Kansas shortly thereafter.

Edit: just noticed that G'town also has Florida a couple weeks before the Kansas game. If they can knock those two off, would be huge for the Big East.
 
It is important for the Big East teams to schedule top non conference opponents. It appears that most of the Big East teams are attempting to play a big time out of conference schedule .

Below is a quick summary of the schools from the "Power Conferences" which the Big East teams will play this season:

Butler - N Carolina, Northwestern, Tennessee, Indiana; Battle 4 Atl (Poss UCLA/ Okla)

Creighton - Oklahoma, Nebraska, Ole Miss; Emerald Coast (possibly Cincy); others - Tulsa, St Mary's

DePaul - Stanford, Oregon St, Colorado; Diamond Head Cl (GW, poss Nebraska, Wichita)

Georgetown - Florida, Kansas, Indiana; Battle 4 Atlantis (Wisconsin/UAB, poss UCLA/Okla)

Marquette - Ohio St, Ga Tech, Wisconsin, Ariz St; Orlando Cl ( poss Mich St, Kansas, Tennessee)

Providence - Fla St, Notre Dame, Kentucky, BC, Miami; others - UMass

St.John's - Minnesota, Syracuse, Duke; NIT (Georgia/Gonzaga); others - St Mary's

Seton Hall - Rutgers, Georgia; Paradise Jam (Clemson/LSU); others - GW, Wichita St, So Fla

Villanova - Illinois, Syracuse; Legends Classic (VCU, Michigan/Oregon); others - St Joe, Temple

Xavier - Alabama, Missouri, Auburn; Wooden Classic (poss Washington)
 
I don't think anyone needs the expertise of Seth Greenberg to know that recruiting is the key. Agree 100% with Newsman about Briscoe; he is very important to SJU remaining *or becoming again) relevant.
 
I'm still waiting to "get to the mountaintop" i.e. win a national championship! It hasn't happened in my long lifetime, unless you count the NIT.

Briscoe is more of a savior than he realizes. Bringing in top talent is the only thing that will keep the league from heading to the toilet.
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Newsie, weren't you the fellow who predicted the demise of this league after the breakup and
the lack of funding from TV as a prime example. However it can be said that financially, the league is better now than in the previous iteration. Certainly on the recruiting front Lavin has the Johnnies reaching possible heights not seen in 20 years. In college recruiting is always the key, and I believe St. John's has one of the best, but time will tell.
Briscoe indeed is the carrot.
 
Personally I don't see a great difference today than some 35 years ago when the original big east was formed as the majority of the key players are still there. St. John's , Villanova , Georgetown , providence , seton hall while Syracuse , Boston college and Connecticut have left. Syracuse was not the Syracuse you all know and Connecticut was a door mat. In the 1980s Georgetown went to the final four a few times while winning it all once and each of Sju , providence and seton hall went to the final four while Villanova won it all. These small schools did it with great recruiting with the key class being the class of 1981. Georgetown got the top player in the class and two other great players. Sju got two mcaa and Villanova got one. The key was great recruiting and good coaching.
I think Coach Lavin understands this only too well. He knows the history of the big east and is trying to recreate same which I believe is possible. If there is anyone who can do it it will be him. Will he succeed I don't know but I do know we are all pulling for him. Briscoe is the key and if we get him other top ranked talent will follow.
Let's keep our fingers crossed as nothing is as exciting as attending a game at a sold out Garden full of the home teams fans.
 
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