Of course, if you’ve got the money and means of transportation then go ahead and punch the ticket. I’ll be watching on ESPN, but regardless of where you are this week, witnessing the bulk of this tournament should be at the top of your spring break checklist.
We’re talking about a tournament that brackets nine of the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 teams, including #3 Pitt and #4 Notre Dame, to battle it out for the trophy and automatic bid. The closest number of ranked teams in a conference is a mere four from the Big 12. This tournament doesn’t deserve a lousy comparison to another conference bracket. If anything, it’s a close runner up to the NCAA Tournament.
The most difficult path involves winning five straight games in five days, possibly all against ranked opponents. The distance between games, physicality of the conference and sheer quantity of ranked teams makes this tournament by far the best among conference brackets.
But it’s not just the number of ranked teams that makes this tournament special. Throw in seven more teams that are all the more hungry to cut down the nets for the simple fact that if they lose, their seasons are over. Consider this: if Pitt or Notre Dame wins out it’s a shoe-in for a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. If any other squad wins, it could be the difference between a #7 seed and a #4 seed, or better yet the difference between making the big dance and missing out all together. Syracuse went on a memorable run in 2006 as an unranked nine-seed. The Orange won four in a row- three against ranked opponents-, to earn the automatic bid. I don’t think anyone would be startled if St. John’s, a team that has already beaten six ranked opponents, went on a similar run this year. You could say the same about UConn, Georgetown, Louisville, West Virginia or Syracuse. The list goes on and on. You can’t say the same about the ACC, where it will be breaking news if the winner isn’t either Duke or North Carolina.
The only downside of the Big East tournament could be that it wears down the participants before the big dance starts. Compared to its yearly representation in the NCAA tournament, the Big East has boasted only two winners in the past ten years in Syracuse and Connecticut. Those two teams were also the only teams to make the National Championship game in the same time span.
What does that say about this weekend? Watch the best teams in the country play while they’re fresh. No matter which teams make it to the championship on Saturday, it will be a game that is not just won, but earned. Conference powerhouses? Check. Underrated middle of the pack? Check. Cinderella hopefuls? Check. Five rounds in five days? Check. Madison Square Garden is ready, so let’s turn on the lights and start the madness.
Originally published in The Dickinsonian, March 10 Issue
