Small Schools Should Leave Big East

The Big East might be moving forward, but some of its charter members are being left behind. Now, those schools are in need of a change.

It’s time to move on.

Other than being deeply rich in tradition, Georgetown, St. John’s, Seton Hall, and Providence have nothing left to offer the conference. At the same time, all the league can offer them is its doormat.

It’s only going to get worse for these schools, as recruiting is going to continue to get more difficult.

The addition of Louisville is where the teams need to draw the line. The Cardinals came in a perennial final four contender that only has to battle with Kentucky for supremacy of a recruiting hot bed. Not to mention their coach, Rick Pitino, has serious ties to New York and already recruits the city better than any team in the conference.

I am of the opinion that those four, along with Villanova should leave the conference and start a new league, possibly bringing in the likes of St. Joseph’s and Temple. Between one and three other schools would also need to be added.

Obviously, Villanova would be the cause of the greatest argument. The Wildcats are currently the nation’s third ranked team and made a name for their selves by barely losing to eventual national champion North Carolina in the NCAA tournament last season.

But Villanova has not exactly been the model of consistency having only made the NCAA Tournament twice since 1997.

The nice group that the Wild Cats have produced is the exception, as opposed to the rule.

Unfortunately, there is just no way that the small schools can continually produce winners in a world dominated by Connecticut, Louisville, and Syracuse.

Georgetown is another school with a talented team that may have it’s “up” years but will never be a dominant school again. Next year, they might have a Villanova type team, but where will they be the following season?

The main group that needs to leave is the trio of St. John’s, Providence, and Seton Hall.

The latter two would fit perfectly into a different conference, one with enrollments as low as them, and one that doesn’t force you to spend a lot to be competitive. With more schools dipping into their already filled recruiting pool, these schools simply have no chance.

St. John’s has everything to offer in the greatest basketball city in the world, but cannot put things together. Louisville, Pittsburgh and Connecticut can basically handpick the players they want, leaving the Red Storm with the scraps.

Some even believe that Hofstra has replaced St. John’s as the best team in lower New York, especially considering that the Pride have beaten them by at least ten three years in a row.

By creating a league for the smaller schools, recruiting will still be difficult, but the talent around each team will not be on a different level.

Joining these five Big East schools with a few other area private schools would make for a very competitive league, arguably the second best in the mid-Atlantic region.