Let’s not pretend to ignore the reality that before a season begins, notions of “overrated and underrated” can be quite tenuous.
Nevertheless, conference strength is an undeniably fascinating water-cooler topic, a bread-and-butter part of college sports conversations. Football certainly leads the way in this regard, but basketball — while in second place — is abundantly contentious. The best way to look at conference strength arguments in football and basketball is that football exceeds basketball’s considerable intensity. It’s not as though football’s conference arguments attain moderate temperatures, while basketball’s conference arguments run cold. No, basketball cranks up the heat; it’s just that football reaches a much higher level.
The college basketball season is upon us. Enough with the preamble — let’s get to the meat of the conversation, as Ryan Palencer joins me to gently explore a hot-button topic:
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THE MOST OVERRATED CONFERENCE
RYAN PALENCER
The most overrated conference is the AAC.
With the penalties around SMU and the overhype placed on UConn, the AAC as a whole does not have the typical depth one should associate with a healthy conference, at least one which is gaining more than its fair share of preseason buzz. The middle of the conference has some solid but not great teams in Cincinnati, Tulsa, and Memphis. The conference just does not have the overall depth one should expect from a big-boy conference. It is also missing the top-heavy strength that is normally present in a quality multi-bid conference.
MATT ZEMEK
A good argument exists for the Big 12 (but stay with me on this one, Big 12 fans…).
The relatively poor NCAA tournament performances in recent seasons make the league an easy target. Teams losing as higher seeds — not just one seed higher, but several — is never a good look in March. The percentage of teams from the league which make the Sweet 16 has not been that high the past few years. That’s a more specific case to make against the conference.
However… the Big 12’s quality and depth over the course of the regular season have been too substantial to hang this label on the conference. Being good from November through the end of February should count for something in the sport. Other teams (Villanova, cough) mow down the competition for months and then run into a March roadblock. The Big 12 is not unique in that regard.
So, which conference is overrated? Surprise: the SEC.
Sure, the conference doesn’t enjoy a rich basketball reputation. Viewed through that lens, no one would or could say it’s overrated. However, if viewed specifically through the prism of the top 25 preseason poll, the league is getting a lot of credit for teams that haven’t yet proved themselves.
Do I think Vanderbilt will make the NCAA tournament? Yes. However, a No. 18 ranking gives the Commodores a lot of credit. I need to see that first really good non-conference road win before I view the Dores as top-20 material. It’s all potential right now; other programs have done more to earn a high ranking. LSU is believed to be really good. Understandable, but Johnny Jones is the coach, so hold the phone until we see a few results on the board. Texas A&M is believed to be back this season. That’s a perfectly legitimate view, but it seems SEC teams are already acknowledged as good.
I just want to see it first.
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THE MOST UNDERRATED CONFERENCE
PALENCER
The most underrated conference is the Big East.
Quietly, the Big East was one of the deepest conferences in the country last season. Villanova is still the favorite, but Butler, Xavier, Georgetown, and even Providence have it in them to make a run at the conference crown. With a young team last season, Creighton did not attain the win total it would have liked, but the Jays were close in a lot of games and could easily be a surprise team this season.
ZEMEK
There’s no profoundly underrated conference based on the preseason AP rankings. If I had to choose one league, though, it would be the Atlantic 10.
The Dyshawn Pierre suspension, it must be acknowledged up front, will limit Dayton. Moreover, Rhode Island has teased its fan base for much of the past decade, so if voters were unwilling to pull the trigger on a top-25 ranking, that’s quite understandable. (In many ways, this runs along the lines of what I said about the SEC, in claiming it is an overrated conference. The difference is that the polls treated these two leagues differently.)
Having no team in the top 35 (in terms of votes, no A-10 team made it that high) could be viewed as a slight to the league. On balance, it’s not that much of an issue. It’s appropriate that teams such as Rhode Island stay out of the rankings until the results merit an elevation.
