The Question: Big Ten Vs The Big East

A vast majority of college basketball junkies in America have all been debating over this single question: who is the best conference in basketball this year?  Unlike most years, the ACC is down, and it's a two horse race.  

The Big Ten, or the Big East?

Dick Vitale, the legendary commentator, believes the Big East is the strongest conference by far.  Many others in the industry feel the same.

According to an ESPN.com poll, 48 percent of Americans believe that the Big East is the elite conference in the nation. Only 20 percent of Americans believe that the Big Ten is the best conference.  This poll could be easily portrayed as inaccurate though. The Big East has 16 schools, compared to the 11 in the Big Ten. The Big East has more fans than the Big Ten, that is obvious. It is also an Internet poll, so the results could easily be skewed.

Although the big advantage is to the Big East in the polls, the Big Ten is definitely closer than that, if not better.

Look at the possible tournament teams.  The Big Ten has half of its conference locked into the tournament, barring a massive fall out by Wisconsin.  They also have a bubble team in Northwestern.  Northwestern is the only large conference contender to never make the tournament.  This year they sit at 17 and 8, with a key win over Purdue.  The Wildcats have the ability to make the tournament, and could be a possible sleeper team in the Big Ten tournament.

The Big East has 7 teams that have a lock on their tournament.  This includes Louisville, but they could easily be ousted by poor performance down the stretch.  The conference has 2 main threats for bubble contention in Notre Dame and Cincinnati.  With senior forward Luke Harangody, who is averaging 24 points a game and 10 rebounds, sidelined, Notre Dame's chances of making the tournament have dropped significantly.  

So, comparing the two conferences, you see the numbers.  The Big East will have more than likely 8 teams in the tournament.  That puts the numbers about even, as both conferences have the chance to get half of their teams in the tournament.  

The two conferences played each other in many out of conference match-ups this year.  In this regard, the Big Ten lead the series 5 to 2.  With Purdue killing West Virginia, Wisconsin beating Marquette, Indiana beating Pittsburgh, Northwestern beating Notre Dame, and finally Michigan over Connecticut. The Big East’s 2 wins against the Big Ten came when West Virginia beat Ohio State in Morgantown, and Marquette's win over Michigan.

Overall, the Big Ten is the better conference.  The Big East has some great teams, but the Big Ten is more complete.  

Let's compare the top teams.  The Big East has Syracuse, Villanova, and Georgetown.  Syracuse and Villanova are both top 5 teams.  Both of these teams deserve to be in the top 5.  Syracuse is without question one of the top 2 teams in the nation, along with Kansas. Purdue follows those 2.  Purdue's three losses came in a streak, 2 of which were on the road.  The Boilermakers have really proved they are the real deal, with a big win in East Lansing. Villanova is number 5 in the country, followed by Michigan State.  

The Big East definitely has more powerhouses, but the Big Ten is fully complete.

The Big East scores are somewhat ridiculous as well.  Sometimes they are as high as an NBA game.  The Big Ten is known for defense.  Some would call the Big Ten weak because of their lack of offensive finesse, but the conference does not lack that.  It just has an impeccable defense that prevents massive amounts of scoring like in the Big East.

Overall the Big Ten is the better conference.  The Big East, minus the top three schools, is lacking key victories and wins.  Although it is close, The Big Ten is the better conference.