If you tuned in to ESPN's college basketball coverage the past few months, you have surely heard the latest bandwagon proclamation uttered by almost every on-air personality on the network.
"The Big East is the best conference in all of the land!"
This newly formed clich, which is rarely backed by any analysis or statistics, has become the apparent theme for more than a few halftime shows.
As the season teetered along, many "experts" accepted this claim as fact without re-examining the conference, especially after many so-called "Beasts of the East," (see Georgetown and Notre Dame) seemingly fell off the map.
But a few brave souls dared to inspect this contention a bit more closely, and their discoveries have spurred a heated debate.
There is no doubt that the Big East is a premier conference, but when compared to the rest of the NCAA, it's wrong to assume it is unrivaled. When deciphering which conference can claim superiority, one glaring quandary arises: The Big East vs. the Atlantic Coast Conference.
I began this tough comparison by looking at Rating Percentage Index rankings and was surprised by my findings. Particularly true of teams near the top, the conferences hold nearly identical rankings.
This week, both conferences boast three teams in the top 10. The ACC had five teams in the top 25 and seven in the top 50. The Big East, meanwhile, had six teams in the top 25 but only seven in the top 50.
The ACC boasts a No. 1 ranking as a conference compared to the Big East's surprising No. 3 ranking. Somehow the Big Ten is No. 2, which reaffirms my conviction to stay away from statistics nerds.
Lacking complete understanding or confidence in the RPI system, I turned to the quintessential measuring stick of any sports debate -- the eye test. I broke down each conference into categories using a combination of a team's overall body of work and how solid I actually believe them to be.
(RPI in Parentheses)
Tier 1- Title Contenders
Big East: Connecticut (6), Pitt (1)
ACC: North Carolina (2), Duke (3)
These teams have a great chance to cut down the nets in March. Not much debate here; all four teams have showed dominance and consistency while retaining a top 10 ranking the entire year.
Tier 2 - Final Four Hopefuls
Big East -- Louisville (12), Villanova (9)
ACC -- Clemson (10), Wake Forest (17)
All of these teams have shown the ability to beat anyone in the country and have multiple premier wins. A few slip-ups along the way combined with some flaws (lack of experience or top-notch talent) have me reluctant to promote them to the nation's elite.
Tier 3 - Dangerous Tournament Teams
Big East -- Marquette (21), Syracuse (24), West Virginia (14)
ACC -- Florida State (19)
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