University of Illinois beat, Champaign

One game six years ago??? I'm stuck in Big Ten country having to watch this shit on a nightly basis in the winter. It's not so much good defense as it is slow, plodding offense. The Big Ten does to college basketball what the New Jersey Devils' neutral zone trap did to hockey -- take an inherently exciting sport and grind it to a halt.

You can't really argue with what the Big Ten's accomplished. But for sheer, non-affiliated watchability of games, I'll take the ACC any goddamn day of the week. And five times on Sunday.

 

Exactly. The Big Ten, for most part, is ugly basketball. yes, they play defense, but then if that was the only reason, the Big Ten teams would surely be dominating other conferences in the postseason, no?

The ACC gets the best players in the nation. I think plenty of them can play D, but they can shoot/score as well.

 

When will we see them play D?

 

Tipton won a Pulitzer? Sarcasm on?

 

Does that include 2005, when MSU made the Final Four?

 

Since this thread has already been jacked...

The Big 12 is hardly a slouch. Since 2002, four schools (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Kansas, which went twice) have been to the Final Four. In the same span, Big Ten schools Michigan State, Indiana and Illinois have been their conference's only representatives and each went once.

Going back to 1992, Big 12 schools have zero national titles, while Big Ten schools have one (Michigan State's 2000 championship). In the same span, the ACC has four, the SEC has four and the Big East has three.

It's fairly clear the the ACC, SEC and Big East have the the most top-end teams in college basketball. That doesn't make those conferences the best or toughest, but if I have to picked which conference the national champion will come from, I'm going with the odds and taking the ACC or SEC.

 

When you say the SEC, I assume you mean Kentucky with a small side of Arkansas.

The Big Ten would rip through the SEC like a paper bag. Northwestern would dominate that conference and would earn an NCAA bid every year.

The SEC sucks and will continue to suck.

 

Well, you certainly did your homework.

You have a good point about the power teams in the Big Ten changing from year to year. That probably contributes to a portion of the hesitancy early in the season to give praise to Big Ten teams.

The ACC's dominance at the top is certainly noted. It's also worth noting that they draw the best recruits in the country in many cases and that they have to replenish those guys due to early NBA entrants.

I agree with sentiment regarding the Big 12. And I wish mid majors received more attention. It drives me bonkers when tournament time arrives and I start to hear of some of the country's top teams for the first time because they've been ranked in the 20s rather than in the mid-teens.

I believe this can be considered a complete thread jack at this point. I hope someone gets the job. And, if you do, remember that Uwe Blab isn't just German for vaginal warts.

 

Back to the job:

My money is on the Snooze-Gazette going with a Pirates of the Caribbean theme for this year's basketball tab.

 

um... or, you know... florida

 

;D ;D

 

Let's not let facts get in the way here, Hoops.