Jerry Palm's early bracket

[Novachap]

Have this guys been watching the past four years? The Big East always finds a way to deliver 5-7 teams into the tournament

The Big East has never had a year with as many losses as this year. This year very similar to 2014 where the league got 4 teams barely.

Stever... c'mon. first of all you are assuming the loses already have happened... if you are talking about projected games lost, good God. If you are talking about players, guess what... speaking for Nova, somehow we survive year after year of 'insurmountable' loses (hIllard & Pinkston, Arch and Ochefu, Hart, Jenkins and Reynolds), yes 4 NBA players (pretty good for a small Catholic school that doesn't get guys to the League) this year will hurt and we may lose more than 4-5 games but we will be there. Xavier will be there, Providence will be there, Marquette will be there, Butler will be there, Seton Hall will probably be there and frankly St. John's and possibly even Georgetown will be in contention. If the over / under is 4, I take the over. What are you projecting right now? willing to bet an adult beverage Stever?

Secondly 4 "barely" is still 4... which is our worst to date. Llike every year since realignment, guess what? the Big East will still have more bids than_________________ and as a % of members in the conference..... no contest.

[MUBoxer]

Usually all for Stever hate but I think he was saying we've never lost more star players (and a coach for that matter) before.

Which is true seeing as we return only 6 of the top 20 value add players.

Or he could be making a weird prediction about future games but I'm giving the benefit of the doubt

[Novachap]

Oh hell, I just realized I forgot creighton in the mix...

[stever20]

Usually all for Stever hate but I think he was saying we've never lost more star players (and a coach for that matter) before.

Which is true seeing as we return only 6 of the top 20 value add players.

Or he could be making a weird prediction about future games but I'm giving the benefit of the doubt

yeah was definitely talking primarily player losses- but as you mention a coach as well.....

I think 4 is very realistic. St John's schedule OOC is going to kill them. It's literally Duke and that's about it. Will be a schedule ranked really low. Georgetown same boat. I think it's possible that Nova is the only team that will be in the top 30 of RPI, which will kill the metrics(as only Nova would be a home game that would count as a tier 1 win.). I think the player losses will really hurt in OOC play, giving most teams at least 3-4 OOC losses. And games in November and December count just as much as any other games- see Arizona St and Oklahoma last year as prime examples. Last year the conference lost only 23 OOC games. That number will go up quite a bit, as teams are breaking in new players.

As far as Nova- the problem with it this year that's different from the past few years-Spellman and DiVicenzo weren't expected to leave(heck, was Bridges really expected earlier in the year even?). Hillard/Pinkston both were seniors, Arch/Ochefu both Seniors, Hart/Jenkins/Reynolds all seniors. That's a huge difference.

[SJU1987]

Was Stever20 that Joe guy on Redmen.com ? He later changed his name to Resurection of Joe after the whole board ganged up on him and forced him to leave.

[GumbyDamnit!]

Oh no! What’s poor old Nova going to do? They’ll have to make due with 2 returning Sr starters who can shoot the lights out and defend, a 5th year transfer who shot 40+% from 3, 4 potential contributors who were all top 50 in their recruiting class (Samuels, Slater, Quinerly & Swider), a returning back up guard who shot around 40% from 3 as a Frosh, and possibly a 1st Team all-PAC12 center who was once a McD’s AA and is soon deciding between Nova and UK. Oh the horror-show JW will have to try to coach up. I doubt he’s got what it takes.

Howard
Ponds
Paschall
Booth
Diallo
Govan
Baldwin
Powell
Goodin
Ballek
Etc
Etc.

Man, I hope this Nova team and this conference can finally get over that hump one of these years.

No one will have any clue as to quality of teams or players until they suit them up next year and start playing. I think Paschall is going to be a monster. I think a Baldwin, Howard and Ponds are probably 3 of the top 7-10 guards in all of college hoops. Govan is a monster. Lots of big time recruits and big time transfers. Stever’s tune is predictable and pathetic. We are in great shape as a power conference and will be top 4 again next year.

Want a prediction? The BE has a better shot at 6 tourney teams than the AAC has at 2. Boom.

[adoraz]

SJU's schedule isn't great by any means, but it won't kill them like Georgetown's did last year. They just need to do well OOC and win the games they're supposed to. Same thing every other team in the country needs to do. If you go 12-1 or 11-2 for example with a meh OOC schedule, you'll still have a solid RPI. If you go 7-5 with a great schedule it'll hurt you more. It about WINNING!

Stever, as SJU saw year, simply having a really challenging schedule doesn't guarantee you anything. SJU would've been better off in the AAC or A10. They had an amazing OOC and then got destroyed during conference play. Put them in those 2 leagues and they make the Tournament.

[stever20]

The AAC with 12 teams is almost impossible to have only 1 team quite frankly. Just the way the standings works- they're going to have 2 teams finishing with at least 14 conference wins.

It will be interesting if Nova gets Travis. But it's kind of like best case/worst case- best case- yes, Nova is great. worst case- Nova is Great, and they go like 17-1 or 16-2 in conference play. If he doesn't come- for one- you cant count on a graduate transfer coming up in a weight class(you sound like Marquette fans acting like it's a lock that they're going to be exactly what they were).

Oh, and your list of great players, 12 deep. The league is losing at least 14 of their top 20 players. That just proves how much talent has left.

I think the correct statement is that the AAC has a much better shot at 3 bids next year in an admittedly down year next year for them than the Big East has to get 6 bids.

Also, I think it's pretty good that there are media folks who have said that the league is in for a bridge year. 4 bids wouldn't be a killer.

[stever20]

SJU's schedule isn't great by any means, but it won't kill them like Georgetown's did last year. They just need to do well OOC and win the games they're supposed to. Same thing every other team in the country needs to do. If you go 12-1 or 11-2 for example with a meh OOC schedule, you'll still have a solid RPI. If you go 7-5 with a great schedule it'll hurt you more. It about WINNING!

Stever, as SJU saw year, simply having a really challenging schedule doesn't guarantee you anything. SJU would've been better off in the AAC or A10. They had an amazing OOC and then got destroyed during conference play. Put them in those 2 leagues and they make the Tournament.

It's going to be a 250-300 OOC schedule. They pretty much will have to go like 12-1 or it will hurt them- and have to be pretty close to undefeated after December. If they're like 10-3, they're going to need 11+ wins most likely to make the tourney.

[ecasadoSBU]

Joe Lunardi was a little more generous to the Big East - same 4 plus Seton Hall

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

The ACC must be the king of pre-season tournament bids. Year after year these guys hype that league to the fullest.

11? Really?