If it has not been clear yet, I am a diehard fan of college basketball. I saw my first Friars game at Alumni Hall, and used to take the bus (#26) to the Civic Center by myself in the 1970s. I managed to be lucky enough to see the Friars beat top-ranked Michigan in the inaugural Industrial National Bank Classic and walked to the Blizzard game when we beat North Carolina. During this period, if I was not playing CYO basketball or at the Civic Center, I loved watching college basketball on TV. Unfortunately, we only had about 10 Friar games per year, and a weekly TVS game on Saturdays (usually the ACC which explains why I have always liked North Carolina). We were also lucky to have Chris Clark and Channel 10 since most schools had no television presence.
I mention this because it is often easy to forget how lucky we are today as college basketball fans. Having every Friar game on TV is a luxury I never take for granted. Similarly, I watch virtually every Big East game and many games from other major and mid-major conferences. During basketball season, I have little idea of what TV shows are popular or which celebrities are dating, getting married, or are in trouble. Besides the ever-expanding TV networks and streaming platforms covering the sport, the recording system of my streaming service is a game-changer. I have games sorted by PC, GCU, Big East, and other college games with access to them from anywhere. Fortunately, I have no interest in professional football and basketball, having just found out that Detroit is really good in football and really, really bad in basketball. As a side note, when I was dating my Peruvian-born wife, she was told that American men spent their Sundays watching pro football then pro basketball. I assured her the only pro sport I watched was baseball but loved college football and basketball. After we got married, she realized the Final Four happened just in time for opening day, and baseball ended just as college football was heating up. Fortunately, my wife and daughter have become big basketball fans, and my wife also watches most Big East games (we watch PC from separate rooms, so we don’t annoy each other). As we get ready to begin another exciting Big East campaign, my living room TV will be stuck on a limited number of channels for the next three and a half months.
I will also point out that a lot of the growth in TV coverage should be credited to Dave Gavitt. When the Big East began play, Gavitt created the Big East syndicated network, featuring a Big East Game of the Week on Mondays, plus games on Saturdays. He was able to get stations in each of the Big East markets, including New York and Washington, from the beginning. Around the same time, ESPN was just getting started, and had gotten the rights to televise the beginning rounds of the NCAA tournament. Since they were located in Big East territory, the pairing seemed like a natural, and with the early success and visibility the partnership brought to the conference, others soon followed. While it is easy to say this was inevitable, it was Gavitt who saw the potential before anyone else.
What to Expect this Season
I could not write about the beginning of conference play without giving my mediocre prognostication for the upcoming season.
- Providence – I am incapable of picking against Providence and recognize that many of the preseason questions from the Friars (coaching, point guard play, and depth at the center position) still remain, but there is room for optimism. The defense has been consistently impressive, and the untested players have gained experience. If the shooting comes around this can be a top 25 team. If not, the season will be a constant struggle.
- Connecticut – I thought they were overrated in the Way Too Early predictions last April, but the addition of Cam Spencer and return of Tristen Newton changed all that. They may be the best guard combo in the country in a league filled with great guard combos.
- Marquette – Their pieces have picked up where they left off last season, with improved shooting from Tyler Kolek. The only concern is the lack of physicality down low, but that may be nitpicking with them.
- Creighton – They were my preseason pick, but the addition of Steven Ashworth has not been as smooth as expected. It seems that the ball still gets stuck at times when it gets to Baylor Scheierman. That will need to be corrected if they are to make a deep run in March.
- John’s – They have not been what I expected either, and this is much more banking on Rick Pitino maximizing his roster than what has happened to date.
- Butler – I am not sure I really believe this pick, but I love watching this team play, and I thought the preseason negativity they received was unfair. They have coaching, scoring, adequate rebounding, and a revitalized Posh which should keep them competitive.
- Villanova – This is banking on Kyle Neptune not maximizing his roster. The other problem is that the Big East is very difficult without a true point guard no matter how much a school spends on their roster.
- Xavier – If they had not been hit with the season-long injuries to Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter this could be a top 25 team. I picked them ahead of Seton Hall in large part due to Sean Miller.
- Seton Hall – I think this is the league’s wild card. They will have head scratching losses and a few upsets as well. They appear to need to have everything gelling to compete with the top half of the league.
- Georgetown – The Hoyas have two quality guards and a bunch of role players at best. Ed’s coaching will help them win a few games. They have a long way to go to get out of the Woods, but they should spring a surprise or two.
- DePaul – ‘Nuf said.