Feb. 7, 2006
I have said it so many times: From top to bottom, the Big East is the best conference in America. It is the most difficult from top to bottom. Who would have thought that schools like Louisville and Notre Dame would be fighting and clawing for a spot in the conference tournament at Madison Square Garden? I'm not talking about looking at the NCAA Tournament! They have to work hard just to earn a berth in the Big East tourney.
Months ago, Memphis coach John Calipari said that in a league with 16 teams, mediocrity would prevail for a lot of good coaches and solid teams because of the dynamics of the league. How true that is! Imagine where some of the teams at the bottom of the Big East would be if they were in other conferences?
That's life in the fast lane in the Big East. It's interesting to note that Connecticut stands at No. 1 in the polls, and deservedly so. The Huskies have the most talent in America. Connecticut is well-coached -- Jim Calhoun didn't make the Hall of Fame by simply rolling out the basketballs! The coach certainly knows how to motivate and inspire his players.
Villanova has been in the top five in the polls, and coach Jay Wright has some super talent. My friends, Connecticut and Villanova each have a blemish in conference play, and sitting atop the Big East standings is West Virginia. John Beilein is one of the best coaches in America. New York Daily News writer Dick "Hoops" Weiss, who I have a ton of respect for, told me the Mountaineers are a thing of beauty to watch when they perform efficiently. They cut and move without the basketball, doing all the little things coaches talk about when they attend clinics.
Senior Mike Gansey is an unsung player who doesn't get enough national acclaim. Coaches in the Big East appreciate him and consider him a legitimate candidate for the league's Player of the Year honors. He is one of the finest in the toughest conference of them all.
West Virginia also likes to shoot 3s. Senior Kevin Pittsnogle, the big guy up front, also steps out to take the long-range jumper. Pittsnogle deserves congratulations for recently becoming the father of a little boy!
Beilein's team has a tough game Thursday at Pittsburgh (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET). The Panthers have lost only three games all season, all on the road in close calls. Coach Jamie Dixon's team is special at home, and basketball's version of the Backyard Brawl should be special. Pittsburgh is coming off a pair of tough losses at Connecticut and Georgetown, and West Virginia will be a difficult test, as well.
The Panthers are 61-5 lifetime at their home court, the Petersen Events Center. It is one of those special places for college basketball. This should be another Big East classic.
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.
