How good is the Big East?

With the surprising Connecticut rising up to 6th in the current rankings, one may wonder how good the Big East Conference actually is. Currently there are six teams from the conference in the top 25, which includes Pittsburgh, Uconn, Syracuse, Georgetown, Villanova, and Notre Dame. How good are the teams in this conference though?

Pittsburgh will be the class of this conference throughout the year, and that is because of the solid play on both sides of the floor. They also are one of the top rebounding teams in the league, which is major in college hoops. Led by Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker, the Panthers will be a tough out come March. Connecticut has absolutely sent a wave through the whole NCAA with wins over Michigan State and Kentucky. The key has been their leader Kemba Walker who has brown up before the nations eyes. Before this season Walker would struggle to finish games strong because of fitness, but this year it looks like he is in the best shape of his career, and seems to be scoring over 25 in every other game. Austin Freeman has the same effect on Georgetown, as Walker does on Uconn. Freeman averages over 20 a game and is one the conferences top scorers.

Villanova's Corey duo of Stokes and Fisher hope to bring the Wildcats back to March, but can they? It will be a tough road for them as the leadership of Scottie Reynolds is not there. Reynolds was the leader of this squad for years, but with his graduation some one will need to step up. Notre Dame is 8-0 but there only quality win seems like Wisconsin. The truth will come out about the Irish on the next two games when they play Kentucky then Gonzaga. Notre Dame is a young team with little experience. Luke Harangody is no longer around to carry this team and it will be difficult to replace his production.

Outside the top 25 the Big East has three dark horses to watch for. Marquette, Louisville, and Providence can all be major players in the NCAA this year. The three teams are all young and feisty. Both Marquette and Providence will be in every game because of the competitive spirit of their young players. Louisville will struggle a little, but will live and die through there guards Preston Knowles and Mike Marra.

The rest of the conference will get significant wins here and there, but i do not expect much. The Big East will be a major player in March, most likely sending over six teams to the big dance. Some questions to stew over though... Will Connecticut continue to surprise the NCAA? Has Notre Dame been hiding behind their weak schedule to start the year? Is Pittsburgh the class of the conference? and lastly... Is the Big East the best conference in college hoops?