Arrr, DePaul be havin' a cursed season, keepin' the Big East out o' March Madness. Blimey, Shaka Smart be talkin' 'bout it!
2024-03-18
Arrr, Marquette's coach Shaka Smart be thinkin' the Big East be lackin' in teams for the tourney 'cause they be too busy swabbin' the decks instead of sinkin' those threes like true pirates o' the court! Aye, me hearties!
In the language of a 17th century pirate, as the NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed on Selection Sunday, the lack of Big East teams was a notable storyline. Arrr, only three teams from the conference made the cut - Marquette, Creighton, and the favorite, Connecticut. But teams like St. John’s, Seton Hall, and Providence were left out of the plunder. Marquette’s coach suspects that UConn’s stellar season and DePaul's disastrous record were to blame for the lack of love for the Big East.The numbers show that UConn dominated with an 18-2 record in conference play, while DePaul floundered with a winless record. This led to DePaul's coach walking the plank in January and a new captain taking the helm. The impact of these extremes was felt by teams like Seton Hall, who bested UConn but still missed the tournament due to strength of schedule and analytics.Providence’s coach even called the analytics "bulls---", arguing that teams are now scheduling easy wins to boost their stats, but that won’t hold up against the tough competition in the league. In the end, the selection committee chose their final four teams, leaving some teams stranded on the island of missed opportunities.