Reader Request: The Big East

When an avid reader makes a request of the Sports Chair, I answer the call. This request was a little challenging, though, because I am not that knowledgeable about what the reader calls the "dominance of the Big East." Being more of an Atlantic 10 man myself, I don't know a ton about the Big East. Still, the numbers don't lie and it is pretty obvious that the Big East is one of, if not, the best conferences in men's college basketball.

Rather than recap everything the Big East has to offer, I ran across a website here that pretty much sums it all up. Seven teams in the top 25. The ACC and Big Ten follow behind with five apiece.

What's the difference between the conferences then? Well, first off the Big East has Kevin Pittsnogle, and you really can't argue with the comedy of a name like that. Also, some of the lower teams in the Big East have pulled off major victories against ranked opponents (St. John's over Pitt, Seton Hall over NC State, Marquette over UConn). Even recently, Georgetown handed Duke its first loss of the year. Happenings like that show the toughness of a division, when any team has a chance against a far superior team.

Of course, this might not mean as much when March rolls around. It doesn't usually take much for a team to sneak by with a victory. Still, with West Virginia, UConn, Pitt, and Villanova, the Big East will be a force to be reckoned with once the tournament begins.