Jan. 24, 2006
If there was ever a weekend that would bring a smile to the face of Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese, it was last weekend. Shock Saturday was unbelievable, with a lot of positive results for the conference. Georgetown sent No. 1 Duke to its first defeat of the season. West Virginia showed a lot of mettle by winning at Pauley Pavilion, holding off Ben Howland's determined UCLA Bruins. St. John's upset previously unbeaten Pittsburgh at Madison Square Garden.
The Red Storm's win over the Panthers showed the quality of the conference from top to bottom. The depth of this league is why it is the best in America. How many people mentioned Georgetown and St. John's as big-time legitimate teams? Norm Roberts' squad was labeled as a struggling team before wins over Louisville and Pittsburgh last week. St. John's creates a lot of problems for opponents, especially with its athletic ability. Lamont Hamilton inside was a factor in the two big wins at Madison Square Garden; he had 24 points and eight rebounds against the Panthers.
In the win over Duke, Georgetown got outstanding performances from Brandon Bowman, Jeff Green and Ashanti Cook. It was a signature win for John Thompson III, and his father, the former Hoyas coach, had to be proud watching in the MCI Center. It is always a huge win when you beat the Hall of Famer, Mike Krzyzewski, and there was so much emotion and intensity. Georgetown did a great job of keeping the ball away from J.J. Redick late in the game. The Hoyas held Shelden Williams in check the whole game, as the big man scored just four points.
The Mountaineers are such a well-coached team. John Beilein is one of the best in America and Mike Gansey has quietly had the type of season that makes him a candidate for Big East Player of the Year. They are a joy to watch on offense, and they held on against a UCLA club that fought hard to come back from a 20-point deficit. Gansey made a key steal late, stripping Jordan Farmar of the ball, locking up the road W.
Think about some of the quality wins the Mountaineers have enjoyed this season. Beating UCLA, Oklahoma, Villanova, Marquette and Georgetown is impressive. After a 2-3 start which included losses to Texas, Kentucky and LSU, Beilein's team has rolled off 12 straight Ws.
When you look at the Big East as a whole, night in and night out, each game is a battle. Connecticut is No. 1 in the country and look at what happened at Marquette. Villanova had to battle for a win at Rutgers. The beat goes on and on. Notre Dame and Louisville have struggled in league play. Imagine what each would be doing in other conferences, since they have talent on their rosters.
I think the debate will rage on over which conference is best. The Big East made a major statement last weekend and the league can stand with its chest puffed out after Saturday's win. Big-time depth creates havoc and I still feel strongly that it would be better if the teams played each other once, with three games in a home-and-home setup. Oh well, the unbalanced schedule works out for now. I see the Big East breaking the record for most NCAA bids by one conference into the tournament. That mark stands at seven, but Tranghese's teams will celebrate at least eight berths come March Madness.
Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question for Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.
