Special to BIG EAST.com
The naysayers were everywhere, remember? The BIG EAST, once the crown jewel of college basketball conferences, was now going to be a shell of its former self. So long, Syracuse. Later, Louisville. Au revoir, Notre Dame. Five years ago, positive vibes about the “new” BIG EAST were harder to find than a parking spot in Manhattan. Yes, the BIG EAST was on life support and would never, ever be the same.
Oh really?
Let me throw a couple of numbers at you from the past four seasons since the BIG EAST returned to its basketball roots: 22 NCAA tournament bids, one National Player of the Year, one National Champion and 70% of the league’s teams reaching the NCAA tournament last season.