NCAA Bracket 2011: Who Knew the Big East Would Play So Small?

Since before the leaves came off the trees in 2010, college basketball analysts across the country have been heaping praise on the Big East Conference as the best in the country.

A 16-team league, the Big East boasted numerous teams that at times were ranked in the Top 10, including Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Syracuse, UConn and Villanova.

Additionally, it had other teams such as West Virginia, St. John's and Georgetown that were consistently in the Top 25 by season's end.

The Big East Gets Rewarded

The Big East received so much attention and praise by the end of the conference tournaments that the NCAA selection committee decided to select 11 Big East teams to the NCAA tournament, nearly one third of the total at-large bids.

These were the teams selected (by seed): 

1) Pittsburgh

2) Notre Dame

3) Syracuse

3) UConn (won the Big East tournament)

4) Louisville

5) West Virginia

6) Cincinnati

6) Georgetown

6) St. John's

9) Villanova

11) Marquette

There had never been a league that received more than nine entrants into the tournament, and while the Big East set a record this year, other leagues such as the SEC and ACC received only four.

How did the Big East teams reward the selection committee by this unparalleled respect? By going a whopping 11-9 in tournament games. While that technically may be a record over .500, it also means nine of the 11 teams selected did not even make it out of the Sweet 16. 

Only UConn and Marquette remain of this "supreme" class of teams, while other conferences such as the SEC, ACC and even Mountain West are sending just as many teams to the Sweet 16. There are more mid-major teams alive at this point than Big East competitors.

Where Did the Conference Go Wrong?

How did this gross underachieving happen? Let's try to examine it.

Natural Tournament Progression

Let's make one thing clear: Even if the Big East performed perfectly, it could only have nine teams get to the Sweet 16, as for the first time in perhaps tournament history, you had teams from the same conference playing each other in the round of 32. Marquette pulled off an upset against Syracuse, while UConn held off a competitive Cincinnati squad over the weekend. 

Had Villanova, St. John's and Georgetown not been upset in the first round, they would have been considered underdogs going into their second-round games.

Injuries

Teams like Georgetown and St. John's were missing some of their valuable players.

Lack of Clutch Finishing

Whether it was on offense or defense, some Big East teams folded in the last minutes. Villanova had a 10-point lead in the second half evaporate. Louisville refused to close the door on Morehead State, and its fate was sealed on a late three-pointer.

The issues with Pitt at this point are well documented. Not only did the Panthers fail to defend their lead, but they then missed a last-second free throw and then fouled on the rebound with just a second left in the game.

Another worry for Big East teams is this is not a new issue. Coaches Mike Brey of Notre Dame and Jamie Dixon of Pitt are steadily building reputations as coaches who have teams that wilt down the stretch.

Lack of Preparation

I think we can all agree upsets happen in the tournament. It's a given that teams are going to be upset or a star player is going to struggle. However, seeing Georgetown, Notre Dame and to a lesser extent St. John's get hammered like they did is something completely different. The teams did not come prepared, perhaps resting on their laurels and the conference's superior reputation.

For whatever reason, instead of seeing an epic Georgetown-Notre Dame matchup this week, we instead have Florida State taking on Virginia Commonwealth.

Lessons Learned

So what can we learn from this year's failures of the Big East?

1) First off, I doubt we'll see 11 teams come from the conference again, though ironically Marquette, the 11th team chosen, is one of only two to make it past the first weekend. 

2) You would hope no team in the conference will feel its competition is inferior to them. Watching Georgetown, you had a feeling that because VCU was just a "little guy" they'd just intimidate their way to a win. Boy, were they wrong.

3) I don't think it should be discounted that Big East teams wear each other down more than in any other conference. In another conference such as the ACC, you have about six competitive teams, while the rest offer little resistance. In the Big East, you had 11 competitive teams, while others like Rutgers and Seton Hall could at least offer a challenge.

Seeing the struggles the Big East had this year and in other years, perhaps people need to take a bigger look at this.

For those of us that love the brackets of March Madness, this lesson could prove to be very important.

Conclusion

I don't think many people will argue that the Big East is the deepest one in the country. However, if one thing can be learned by the struggles of the Big East in 2011, it's that a deep conference doesn't mean it's a great one. In the end, while only four ACC teams got in, three are still around.

In the future, people need to realize this difference. Even this reporter was caught up in the Big East hype and had to learn this lesson, as his bracket met the shredder, as well as those of millions of other disappointed fans.