Big East Shows Its Power in N.C.A.A. Field

By PETE THAMEL
NYT

In a college basketball season defined by its unpredictability and volatility, the dominance of the Big East conference proved one of the rare constants.

So it is fitting that when the N.C.A.A. unveiled its 65-team tournament field on Sunday, the Big East earned a spot in history. With Louisville, Connecticut and Pittsburgh joining North Carolina as No. 1 seed, the Big East becomes the first conference to place three teams on the top line of the N.C.A.A. tournament field. Louisville, which won the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, was selected as the top overall seed. Each of seven conference teams that earned bids are seeded No. 6 or higher.

“We’re thrilled to receive three No. 1 seeds,” Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese said. “To have our other four tournament teams seeded on the No. 3 line and on the No. 6 line is quite an accomplishment. We’ve had a terrific regular season and the committee saw fit to reward our teams. Now, though, it is time to play and a new season begins.”

While the Big East dominated the top line, the other glaring story line from this year’s bracket is the lack of teams from outside the six power conferences. Just four teams from universities not in the blue-blood Bowl Championships Series conferences made the field, the lowest number since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The selection committee, in essence, decided to not bother inviting potential Cinderella teams to the ball.

(More here.)