B7 vs. Big East Remains

http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-bas...onn-cincinnati

Normally I think DeCourcy is spot on and I love his stuff, on this one I have to disagree. When you look at the membership from a basketball perspective I guess I really just don't see any sort of comparison. I break them out into three categories NCAA teams (these are teams that in MOST years will be tournament teams), the middle ground (teams that on occasion can jump into that NCAA tournament field, but most years will be around .500 or a bubble team, and then the bottom feeders.

New Big East (B7)
NCAA Teams: 5 (MU, G'town, Butler, Nova, X)
Middle Ground: 1 (St. John's)
Bottom Feeders: 3 (SHU, Depaul, Providence)

Big East Remains
NCAA Teams: 4 (UConn, Memphis, Temple, Cinncinati)
Middle Ground: 0
Bottom Feeders: 5 (UCF, USF, SMU, Tulane, Houston)

The big difference between the two, to me anyway, is that the schools in the New Big East are schools who are traditional basketball schools, who are in similar urban settings and have had playing series at some point. There's a familiarity and a connection that may happen or may never happen with the Big East remains.

The other big difference is UCONN and Cincy don't want to be there...they will be looking to leave every year.

So the New Big East are like newly weds.... hopeful for the future....the remains are like an old married couple that can't wait to get a divorce or die........;)