Rating The “Big Six” Conferences In College Basketball
Parity reigns supreme in college basketball, a sport that has more schools participating in Division I than any other. This competition for top players, along with a reduction in scholarships a few years back, allows most college programs to compete on a more level playing surface than other sports.
When you take into account the fact that a couple of good recruits can make a program instantly competitive, and that solid coaching can go a long way, it’s no wonder the so-called mid-majors have closed the game with their higher-profile counterparts.
Even so, there’s no doubting that the “Big Six” conferences – the ACC, Big East, Big 12, Big 10, SEC and Pac-10 – are home to the best college hoops in the land. Determining which conference has the greatest strength has turned into an annual debate, although this season the picture seems a little more clear than in past years.
Here is a quick look at each major conference in order of conference strength.
No. 1: ACC
Cream of the Crop: North Carolina, Wake Forest, Duke, Clemson
Second Tier: N.C. State, Boston College, Miami, Georgia Tech
Outside looking in: Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Florida State
Overview: There’s no question that this is the strongest conference in the country, with three teams – Wake Forest, North Carolina and Duke – in the top 5 rankings nationally. The eventual national champion is likely to come from this conference, and with Wake’s recent upset of North Carolina, it’s no longer a foregone conclusion that the Tar Heels are the clear favorite to go all the way. Wake’s resurgence has been impressive, and Duke looks to have its best team in several years. Clemson has again started hot but has a habit in recent years of faltering down the stretch. Speaking of parity, every team in the conference is around .500 against the spread.
No. 2: Big East
Cream of the Crop: Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Syracuse, Georgetown
Second Tier: Marquette, Villanova, Notre Dame, Louisville
Outside looking in: Everyone else
Overview: A conference with this many teams – 16 – is bound to have some good ones, although the sheer volume of teams tends to water down the competition a bit. Despite the saturation, this is one of the conference’s strongest overall collection of teams in many years, with at one point eight teams ranked in the top 25. All of whom, under the right circumstances, could be Final Four bounds. Pitt should be proud of going to No. 1 in the rankings, but the Panthers historically have bowed out of the NCAA Tournament. Clubs like Georgetown and Louisville are more veteran-laden and tested.
No. 3: Big 12
Cream of the Crop: Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Baylor
Second Tier: Texas Tech, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Nebraska
Outside looking in: Missouri, Texas A&M, Colorado, Iowa State
Overview: This conference isn’t quite as strong as in years past, with defending national champion Kansas rebuilding after losing nearly all of its key players and Texas with a bit of a down year talent-wise. Even so, this is a pretty formidable conference, particularly at the top. Player of the Year candidate Blake Griffin sets Oklahoma apart from the rest, and the Sooners have all the elements of a Final Four contender. Perennial doormat Baylor has been a pleasant surprise.
No. 4: Big 10
Cream of the Crop: Michigan State, Ohio State, Minnesota, Michigan
Second Tier: Purdue, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois
Outside looking in: Penn State, Indiana, Northwestern
Overview: This is a bit of a down year for the Big 10, which nonetheless boasts one outstanding team in Michigan State and a couple of others that are enjoying a long-awaited resurgence in Minnesota and Michigan. Former Kentucky coach tubby Smith has the Gophers headed in the right direction, and the same can be said for former West Virginia coach John Beilein and the job he’s doing with Michigan.
No. 5: Pac 10
Cream of the Crop: UCLA, Arizona State, California, Stanford
Second Tier: Washington State, Washington, Arizona, USC
Outside looking in: Oregon, Oregon State
Overview: This season thus far has represented somewhat of a changing of the guard in the Pac-10. Yes, the title is still UCLA’s to lose until further notice, but this club has been ravaged by defections to the NBA, and point guard Darren Collison can only take them so far. Former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery has returned to the Bay Area and rejuvenated the Cal program, while longtime Duke assistant Johnny Dawkins has done the same at Stanford. It should be interesting to see who emerges from this conference when all is said and done.
No. 6: SEC
Cream of the Crop: Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Florida
Second Tier: Alabama, Vanderbilt, Mississippi, Georgia
Outside looking in: Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina
Overview: This is turning out to be a down year for the SEC, which currently has no teams ranked in the top 25. Although SEC teams are historically tough come tournament time because of their defensive-oriented, rugged style of play, many teams have failed to live up to expectations thus far. Tennessee probably is the most talented team but lacks consistency and plays poor defense, and Kentucky appears back on the rise but a wait-and-see approach is probably best with the Wildcats.
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