Friday, February 3, 2012

Big East Power Rankings


1. Syracuse. (even) No surprise here. Syracuse is propping up the Big East at this point and is running away with the regular season title. The only question is their rebounding, which has caused them to have a few close games as of late. Syracuse can pour on the points holding the top offense in the league at 77.4.

2. Georgetown. (+2)The team is gelling at the right time. Georgetown has the best perimeter defense in the league. Hollis Thompson and Jason Clark are leading this resurgent Hoyas team.

3. Marquette. (+3) This team plays hard on both ends of the court and Buzz Williams has done a great job of having players buy into their roles.

4 Cincinnati. (+6) The three guard line-up has done wonders to this team and has Cincinnati primed for another NCAA tournament run. Cincinnati is relying on the three ball and it is an effective weapon, hitting a league high of .365 a game.

5. West Virginia. (+4) They are a solid unit and have the Big East Player of the Year on their team in Kevin Jones, but they just can’t break into the top echelon of teams yet.

6. Notre Dame. (+6) Their style of play frustrates teams and it is working. They play consistent offense, don’t turn the ball over and limit possessions. The emergence of Jerian Grant and Jack Cooley have fueled the Irish’s run.

7. USF. (+9) This is the most surprising team in the Big East and it is good to see. The Bulls have hung their hat on defense and hold that top spot allowing teams only 59 points a game but the downside to that is that they have the worst offense in the league at 62.1 a game.

8. Seton Hall. (-3) After having a fantastic start to the Big East season, the Pirates have come to earth a bit. They need to find the magic again.

9. Louisville. (-7) It is hard to figure out what type of team Louisville is. They have the talent to beat just about anyone in the country but haven’t found the consistency.

10. Connecticut. (-7) It has been a month to forget for the Huskies. Like Louisville, UConn hasn’t been able to utilize all the talent on their team. UConn is getting beat by the three ball and holds the worst perimeter defense in the conference.

11. St. John’s. (+4) They are definitely a better team then in November and December, but they put themselves in too big of a hole to get out of. The arrow is pointing up for them though. They hold the worst three point percentage.

12. Rutgers. (+1) They are a tough out but their isn’t enough pieces to break through the middle of the Big East pack. The emergence of Eli Carter has stabilized a lackluster offense and Rutgers now has something to build around.

13. Villanova. (+1) Jay Wright just hasn’t been able to find the right combination to get victories, but don’t be surprised if they don’t knock some of the top teams off, because they do have talent but just aren’t knocking down shots and they turn the ball over way too much, holding the league’s worst turnover margin.

14. Pittsburgh. (-7) The Panthers are getting better, but don’t have victories to show for it. The offense just can’t make up for their defensive woes. They do hold the leagues best rebounding margin though.

15. DePaul. (-4) They just don’t have the talent to compete yet, but with a little bit of experience, this team should be improved. Until DePaul improves their league worst defense this team will continue to struggle.

16. Providence. (-8) It is a disaster for the Friars. Their heralded class of freshmen are just not ready for primetime and are struggling for consistency.

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