The Big East released a lengthy statement Monday, saying in part that the conference is “understandably very disappointed” that some of its men’s basketball teams were not selected to participate in the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday.
Only three Big East teams — UConn, Marquette and Creighton — earned March Madness bids, while others in the conference like St. John’s, Seton Hall and Providence have been widely perceived as snubs.
“We are very proud that UConn earned the No. 1 overall seed in this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament following another tremendous season that included both the Big East regular season and tournament titles,” the conference said in a statement. “Marquette, a No. 2 seed, and Creighton, a No. 3 seed, give the Big East three of the top 10 overall seeds in the tournament, as many as any other league. We consider each of them legitimate contenders for a Final Four berth and another Big East national crown on April 8th.”
The conference called this year’s Big East Tournament its most successful staging of the event, noting the “five sellouts” and its “usual impassioned crowds” at Madison Square Garden. The Big East and MSG announced a four-year extension Friday that will keep the tournament in place through its 50th anniversary at the venue in 2032.
“We have great respect for the NCAA men’s basketball committee and the time and effort that goes into selecting and seeding the teams for the NCAA tournament,” the statement said. “It is a very challenging job, and we have been advised that this year’s upsets added to the complexity and contributed to the committee’s final bracket selections.
“Given the high level of play in our league, we are understandably very disappointed that some worthy Big East teams were not selected to participate. We will be working closely with our schools in the coming months to best position the Big East next year and to ensure that we continue to be represented in March Madness in a manner befitting our stature as one of the best conferences in college basketball.”
Following the selections, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino criticized the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings that play a key role in assessing college basketball teams, calling them “fraudulent.”
St. John’s entered Sunday on the bubble after losing to UConn by five points in the Big East tournament semifinal Friday. The Red Storm (20-13 overall and 11-9 in the Big East) had a NET ranking of No. 32, which was second-best among teams that missed the tournament after Indiana State at No. 28.
Despite six straight wins before its loss to UConn, St. John’s was not one of the first four teams to miss the tournament. Those were Oklahoma (NET rank: No. 46), Seton Hall (No. 67), Indiana State and Pittsburgh (No. 40). Pitino said in a statement Sunday that St. John’s would decline a bid to the NIT.
Seton Hall was 20-12 overall and 13-7 in the conference, while Providence was 21-13 and 10-10 in Big East play.
UConn, No. 1 in the East Region, faces No. 16 Stetson on Friday. Marquette (No. 2 in the South Region) will play No. 15 Western Kentucky on Friday, and Creighton (No. 3 in the Midwest Region) will play No. 14 Akron on Thursday.
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(Photo: Brad Penner / USA Today)
