Big East Bust?

There’s a lot of pressure on the University of Connecticut Men’s basketball team right now.  Not just from Huskie fans and the University, but from the Big East itself.  See, the Big East is one UConn loss away from officially being a bust in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, as it has been for a couple rounds now.

This tournament started off as a potentially historic one for the Big East, far and away the strongest conference throughout regular season play.  They sent a record-setting eleven teams (almost 1/6 of the entire field) to the Big Dance, including a slew of potential title contenders.

Millions of busted brackets and several shattered dreams later, UConn is all that’s left;  all that stands between the Big East and bust-dom.  Anything short of a National Championship won’t suffice.  The conference that produces the champ certainly can’t be considered a bust; but a conference that gets ten plus teams into the field of 68 and falls short of a title, with many of its top teams bowing out earlier than expected, is another story entirely. 

The way in which history remembers this year’s edition of the Big East is in the hands of Kemba Walker and co.  They have the opportunity to salvage some Conference pride, and potentially solidify it as a success, or the could be the latest and last in a long line of let downs.

del.icio.us Tags: Kemba Walker,UConn Huskies

Pittiful

Still recovering from last night’s last second loss by the Pittsburgh Panthers over here @ Around the Arc.  The team seemed poised to make a deep tourney run, having all the prerequisite depth and dimensions, and a ton of talent at each position.  After dismantling the majority of a brutal Big East schedule, it seemed to me at least, that the first two rounds of the bracket should be a breeze.  Seemingly favorable seeding in the bracket added more flames to my hope-fueled fire, which went up in a blaze of Butler black last evening.  It is difficult to find the words to describe such an unbelievable and unparalleled ending as seen last night, especially since it signified the abrupt end of a potentially promising Pittsburgh run. 

Losing your bracket champion in the second round sucks; watching your alma mater once again slip up when it counts and disappoint a legion of the Nation’s most loyal fans is tougher.

 

On the bright side, the culmination of my intent interest in the tournament (albeit a couple weeks earlier than I would have liked) means it’s time to get geared for what promises to be an amazing NBA postseason, and I couldn’t be more excited.

del.icio.us Tags: Pittsburgh Panthers