Radnor, Pa. -- The action was as quick as lightning. Villanova's Ryan Arcidiacono was in prime position in front of the ball and his teammates followed behind him as if they were shot from a cannon.
The Big East is booming, and better than imagined
It’s a new day in the new-look Big East.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Shoulders squared and eyes up, Arcidiacono plucked DePaul's Billy Garrett Jr. and both players hit the deck, the ball tiptoeing down the left out-of-bounds line. Josh Hart sprinted to the rock. Garrett Jr. was right behind him. And as soon as the Blue Demons guard tried to snatch the ball by the baseline, Hart was there to spike it off his chest.
The roar of the sellout crowd in the quiet suburbs of Philadelphia was deafening. The intensity of both clubs, despite the score, was tangible from the floor to the bite-sized, shadowy corner atop section “EB.” Essentially, it was Philly vs. Chicago. Neshaminy vs Morgan Park. Unbridled scrap vs. unadulterated grit.
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Though Saturday was a challenge for the title of sole leader of the Big East, what transpired on the court was another reminder of where the conference was post-realignment. The highly revered basketball alignment was truly back. And it was better than imagined.
“If you guys remember I’ve been saying all along,” Villanova’s Jay Wright began. “That the great thing about this league is that every year we could have five or six teams going to the tournament or in the mix. Every year the bottom four could end up being the top four. All the schools in this league are basketball schools. Anyone could be [at the top of the conference] at anytime.”
After a disappointing first season of the "new" Big East, no conference has collectively been better this year. Seven of 10 Big East teams were ranked at one point this season in the Associated Press Top 25. Bracketologists from ESPN to CBS had as many as eight squads from the conference in the NCAA Tournament, dancing for a title come March.
Butler beat a tough North Carolina squad in the Bahamas, Seton Hall and Sterling Gibbs are making believers out of the nation with each big win and every big shot they make, and even DePaul began the year hot with a 3-0 start to conference play.
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The fouls came ferocious as Villanova fought DePaul. Garrett Jr. and Dylan Ennis mugged each other for most of the contest, whether it was a foul in transition or a shoulder bump resulting in technicals along the sideline. Durrell McDonald cracked rookie guard Phil Booth in the nose at halfcourt, leaving him bruised and bloodied. Myke Henry fought through defenders, crashing to the floor at the sharp blow of the whistle for every foul.
The tenacity the conference was made famous for was on full display in January. And the way Creighton coach Greg McDermott sees it, that’s a testament to how strong the conference is.
“Not often do you have the depth of wins that our league has had at this stage of the season,” McDermott said last week during a Big East conference media call. “Certainly, some teams have more depth than others, but there are a lot of good basketball teams in this league and it makes for an exciting conference season. Our teams have gone out and challenged ourselves in the nonconference part of the schedule. We have elevated ourselves to where we belong.”
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The Pavilion sat quiet after the 120-minute slugfest, with Villanova having prevailed at home. The lights dimmed. The court emptied. And after the raucous cheering ceased, it was the Wildcats who roared loudest. More than that, the Big East is becoming the conference that’s screaming volumes to the rest of the NCAA.
Through Jan. 9, the Big East was ranked first among all conferences in total RPI, ahead of the Big 10, Big 12 and anyone else that was left in doubt. Wright’s squad may sit atop the podium in January, but with a league this deep, this talented, and this good, it could be anyone’s guess come March.
Who imagined DePaul would start 3-0 in conference play? And who imagined Seton Hall would dethrone the 'Cats early in the season, or Butler would be nationally ranked after losing Brandon Miller, or Creighton would answer the calls post-Doug McDermott? The league is full of talent, from A to J.
It’s a new day, and it’s no longer a fluke in the eyes of the rest of the nation. The Big East may actually be back. And if so, it’s back and booming better than anyone expected.
“Everybody in the conference is getting better,” Wright said confidently. “Everyone is getting to know each other which makes things scrappier and more competitive. You know what each other is doing and you’ve gone against each other before. I see the intensity rising. I see the level of play rising. It’s fun to be a part of.”
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