ACC Expansion: What Will Big East Basketball Look Like Without Syracuse, Pitt?

The ACC announced this weekend that Syracuse and Pitt have been accepted as new members to the conference (date of arrival to be determined).

With two of its most recognizable teams soon to depart, what will the future hold for the Big East?

One possibility for the conference would be to add some teams from the seemingly-disintegrating Big 12.

Baylor and Iowa State have been thrown around as possible additions to the Big East’s roster, and while they’re hardly adequate basketball replacements for the Panthers and the Orange, they’d fit that bill better than other teams likely to be available.

Read on for a team-by-team look at who’s leaving, who’s staying, who may be coming and what it all means for the Big East conference.

Baylor: Arriving?

Joining a league largely situated so far to the north and east of Waco seems an unfortunate fit for Baylor.

Even so, a spot in the Big East wouldn’t be all bad for the Bears.

As the only team in the league with a recruiting foothold in Texas, Baylor would have one immediate advantage that it’s previously lacked.

And, finally separated from the other Texas schools of the current Big 12, the Bears would have a chance to move out of some very large shadows.

Cincinnati: Staying

Longtime powers in Conference USA, the Bearcats haven’t been nearly so dominant since joining the Big East.

With two power teams leaving the talent pool, though, Cincinnati may be able to move back in the direction of its former conference-bully role.

As a program that has produced a long line of bruising power forwards (including current star Yancy Gates), Cincinnati may also benefit from not having to match up with similarly-minded Pitt on a regular basis.

Connecticut: Staying?

Rumors are flying that the Huskies may be the next team to fly the Big East coop.

While jumping to the ACC would maintain longstanding rivalries with Pitt and Syracuse, UConn could also benefit from staying put in the Big East.

Of the conference’s remaining original members, only Georgetown can match UConn’s winning tradition, and the Hoyas don’t have a recent national title to their credit.

Even though the Huskies could compete in the ACC, they’d be second fiddles to UNC and Duke in a Southern-leaning league.

In the Big East, they could be top dogs.

DePaul: Staying

For all of the program’s brilliant history, DePaul fans have had little to cheer about in recent years.

Coach Oliver Purnell’s efforts to re-establish his team as a contender will likely benefit from the departure of two of the Big East’s best teams.

The Blue Demons have had a tough task establishing an identity in a league whose competition level has been well above their heads.

A less-overwhelming league schedule could help DePaul remind recruits of how good the program has been and could be again.

Georgetown: Staying

As one of the most consistent power teams in the Big East, Georgetown will miss their rivalries with Syracuse and Pitt more than most.

Even so, the new-look Big East will have its upside for the Hoyas.

Fewer elite teams at the top of the conference will mean the Hoyas can go back to challenging for the Big East crown on a year-in, year-out basis.

That, in turn, will help the Hoyas on the recruiting trail and give them a better shot to return to the glory days of the elder John Thompson.

Iowa State: Arriving?

In the strange position of never having been in the same conference with its natural rivals at Iowa, Iowa State has little to lose by leaving the Big 12.

The Cyclones would increase the Midwest presence of a league that’s already brought in regional powers Notre Dame and Marquette.

The biggest difficulty for the Cyclones may be that they’ve historically been a heavily backcourt-focused team, which may make for a tough fit in a Big East that could—even without Pitt—be even more physical than the Big 12 of recent seasons.

Louisville: Staying

With Rick Pitino at the helm, it’s hard to imagine that the Cardinals wouldn’t be making more of a splash on the national stage if they were still back in Conference USA.

The revamped Big East may give the Cardinals an opportunity to avoid getting lost in the shuffle, reassuming more of a national presence in their own right, rather than being “just" another outstanding Big East team.

Then, too, if both Cincinnati and Louisville step into bigger roles in the new-look conference, the geographically-natural potential for a rivalry between the two longtime powers would have a chance to develop in earnest.

Marquette: Staying

Geographic rivalries in the Big East are hard to come by for Marquette, so it’s a shame for the Golden Eagles to lose a chance at building an on-court rivalry with similarly-minded Pitt.

On the other hand, the potential westward expansion of the conference might improve Marquette’s Midwest recruiting chances.

Then, too, losing two of the Big East’s top defenses could help the defense-first Golden Eagles stand out further from the conference crowd.

Notre Dame: Staying

As traditional Big East teams like Syracuse and Pitt (and possibly UConn) move south, the conference appears to be considering expanding its reach to the West.

As one of the westernmost outposts of the current league, Notre Dame could benefit from having more nearby rivals.

As a team that’s worked hard to establish its place in the Big East pecking order, Notre Dame also isn’t likely to complain too much about the departure of some of its toughest competition for the conference title.

Pitt: Leaving

As deep as the Big East is, few teams even in that exalted conference are on a run of excellence to match Pitt's.

Since 2002, the Panthers have made the NCAA tournament every year, receiving a No. 4 seed or better in eight of them (including the last five straight).

Losing such an elite team may make the conference more balanced, but it will hurt in prestige.

Pitt’s departure, along with Syracuse’s, will also leave a hole in the geographic center of the conference, raising the possibility of a laughable split into Big East East and Big East West divisions.

Providence: Staying

Few programs were as important in the formation of the Big East as the Providence Friars.

It’s been a while since the team was much more than an also-ran on the floor, but the new-look Big East may leave more room for Providence to resume a leading role.

With football driving realignment, basketball-only schools like Providence that are safely ensconced in a major conference could luck into stronger positions within their leagues.

Don’t be surprised to see a renaissance for the Friars in the more manageable Big East of the future.

Rutgers: Staying

Despite the best efforts of Quincy Douby several years ago, Rutgers has never made much of a dent in the Big East landscape.

The new-look conference isn’t likely to give the program a much better shot, but at least it won’t be any worse.

Having two national powers depart from the league will make conference play slightly less horrific for the Scarlet Knights.

It’ll be a long time before anyone mistakes Rutgers for a big-time program, but the odds against going winless in conference play appear to have improved.

Seton Hall: Staying

Back in the original Big East, Seton Hall was a solid team that could climb into conference contention every few years.

The arrival of Midwestern powers like Marquette and Cincinnati pushed the Pirates down the food chain, to the point where the program barely registers anymore outside New Jersey.

Diluting the overloaded talent pool by removing Pitt and Syracuse could let a team like Seton Hall become a factor again.

That said, though, the potential westward shift of Big East geography won’t do the Pirates any favors.

South Florida: Staying

South Florida has rarely had the depth or talent to compete in a conference at the level of the Big East.

While that situation isn’t likely to undergo radical changes any time soon, the loss of Pitt and Syracuse will make an absurdly strong league into more of a typical major conference.

In other words, it’s still not going to be easy for the Bulls on the basketball court, but the realignment will make it slightly less impossible than it has been lately.

St. John's: Staying

With so many Syracuse road games now moving to distant North Carolina, St. John’s may get a boost in their in-state recruiting in the more northern-focused Big East.

The Red Storm already have the advantage of being the only power-conference program in New York City, and if they aren’t competing as directly with the Orange, it can only help them on the recruiting trail.

With Steve Lavin just starting to rebuild the Red Storm into a national contender, a less brutal conference schedule could also accelerate Lavin’s progress.

Syracuse: Leaving

Perhaps the biggest effect of losing the Orange will be felt during the Big East tournament.

The Madison Square Garden crowd often got behind Syracuse, and it will be interesting to see if any equally vocal fan base steps up to replace that enthusiasm.

In the long run, not having Syracuse to face in the regular season may also make Big East teams more vulnerable to NCAA tournament upsets at the hands of the increasingly rare 2-3 zone.

Villanova: Staying

With two such defense-oriented programs as Pitt and Syracuse leaving, it’s possible the Big East will become a more scoring-friendly league.

Few teams would benefit as much from seeing fewer suffocating defenses than the Villanova Wildcats.

Villanova’s guard-oriented offensive tradition has struggled at times to fit in with the physical Big East.

A more wide-open conference would give Wildcats scorers a better chance to shine.

West Virginia: Staying

No team in the Big East loses more in the latest realignment than West Virginia.

The Mountaineers’ rivalry with Pitt was one of the best in the conference, and losing the chance for an annual series with the Panthers will be a tough blow.

On the other hand, assuming that the program stays on track as a consistent national contender, its tournament seeding chances will certainly benefit from having a more reasonable conference schedule to contend with.