[OutsideLookingIn]

It amazes me how TV commentors who were unsuccessful as a coach (Dick Vital) and only average players (Doug Gottleib, Jay Bilas, etc) have so much influence on the game. Over the last twenty years in college basketball in order the best conferences have been
1 - ACC - 8 championships (3 different teams Duke, UNC, and Maryland)
2 - SEC - 5 championships (UF, UK, and Ark)
3 - Big E - 4 championships (UConn, Syracuse)
4 - Pac 10 - 2 championships (UCLA, Arizona)
5 - Big 12 - 1 championship (Kansas)
6 - Big 10 - 1 championship (Mich St)
but all we hear as fans is how great the Big East and Big 10 is and how that the SEC is just a football conference. I don't think the results lie, the best basketball is in the ACC and SEC. Charles Barkley just tells it like it is and by the way he was a successful player on all levels!!

[Aslan]

Well the last few years The Big East has been the best, with the SEC and ACC, being a little down. But the last 20 years I agree with your list.

[Ballers]

The Big East has been stacked for the last few years.
To current date, I would say ACC, SEC, and the Big East are all the powerhouse conferences as of right now. ACC has definitely had its share of National titles in the past few years, but so has the SEC.

[toussaints]

we hear as fans is how great the Big East and Big 10 is and how that the SEC is just a football conference. I don't think the results lie, the best basketball is in the ACC and SEC.

It's hard to go by national titles because 1 team could dominate. Historically, the PAC 12 has more basketball championships than any other conference with 15 total. Take UCLA out of that and the Pac 12 only has 4 titles. Technically, the WCC (2) has more titles than the Big 12 (1), but that doesn't make the WCC a stronger conference. That's why I use Final Four appearances and how many different teams there are from each conference.

If you look at Final Four Appearances is 2001

ACC: 9 (Duke 3x, UNC 3x, Maryland 2x, Ga Tech)
Big 10: 7 (Mich St. 4x, Ohio St., Indiana, Illinois)
Big 12: 6 (Kansas 3x, Oklahoma, Ok State, Texas)
Big East: 9 (UConn 3x, Syracuse, Gtown, Louisville, Marquette, Villanova, WVU)
Pac 10: 4 (UCLA 3x, Arizona)
SEC: 4 (UK, Florida 2x, LSU)

Now the SEC is a great basketball conference, but without Kentucky or Florida, it's significantly weaker.

[Stardust]

SEC has been terrible for the last few years. It's UK's conference and UK alone! Many don't like to hear it, but the BEAST is the best conference in basketball. They are to basketball what the SEC is to football. When you can look at the number of teams from the Big East that have made deep runs, that tells you that the conference is deep top to bottom.

[LWC]

It's hard to go by national titles because 1 team could dominate. Historically, the PAC 12 has more basketball championships than any other conference with 15 total. Take UCLA out of that and the Pac 12 only has 4 titles. Technically, the WCC (2) has more titles than the Big 12 (1), but that doesn't make the WCC a stronger conference. That's why I use Final Four appearances and how many different teams there are from each conference.

If you look at Final Four Appearances is 2001

ACC: 9 (Duke 3x, UNC 3x, Maryland 2x, Ga Tech)
Big 10: 7 (Mich St. 4x, Ohio St., Indiana, Illinois)
Big 12: 6 (Kansas 3x, Oklahoma, Ok State, Texas)
Big East: 9 (UConn 3x, Syracuse, Gtown, Louisville, Marquette, Villanova, WVU)
Pac 10: 4 (UCLA 3x, Arizona)
SEC: 4 (UK, Florida 2x, LSU)

Now the SEC is a great basketball conference, but without Kentucky or Florida, it's significantly weaker.

If you go just one year prior to 2001 you have Florida in the title game, go 3 years before that you have UK winning the title, 4 years UK in the title game, 5 years UK wins the title, etc.... 2001 is a good year because it is exactly 10 years ago, but it was also a period of about 2 or 3 years that the SEC was down (I don't think there were any Final 4's in 01, 02 or 03, but I cannot remember UF's title runs, so don't hold me to it.)

[toussaints]

If you go just one year prior to 2001 you have Florida in the title game, go 3 years before that you have UK winning the title, 4 years UK in the title game, 5 years UK wins the title, etc.... 2001 is a good year because it is exactly 10 years ago, but it was also a period of about 2 or 3 years that the SEC was down (I don't think there were any Final 4's in 01, 02 or 03, but I cannot remember UF's title runs, so don't hold me to it.)

even if we go 5 years back to 96, the SEC teams represented are Florida, UK, and Miss. State. Then add in other teams from the Big East, ACC, Big 10. The numbers do change, but it doesn't give much of a boost to the SEC.

[johnnyt]

i think to judge how well conferences are doing you should look at the tournament winning percentage.
the big east get 9-11 teams into the tournament that last few years the odds are in there favor that at least one will go on a run, but how many get bounced in the first 2 rounds?

[LWC]

even if we go 5 years back to 96, the SEC teams represented are Florida, UK, and Miss. State. Then add in other teams from the Big East, ACC, Big 10. The numbers do change, but it doesn't give much of a boost to the SEC.

I agree that the ACC is better. No argument.

Duke and UNC rule the ACC. Occasionally a team like Maryland or Georgia Tech gets a Final 4. That is not so different than the SEC.

[RunItUpTheGut]

Arent we all forgetting that this doesnt realitively matter anymore due to the conference restructuring.

You might as well give those Uconn and Syracuse titles to the ACC since thats where there heading.
After they leave, is the big east truly still the best conference?

I dont think so. The ACC will take over that honor.

The ACC got teams to build a powerhouse conference in basketball.
The SEC is doing the same thing, only with football.

[LWC]

^That is true. ACC dominates now.

[Aslan]

Arent we all forgetting that this doesnt realitively matter anymore due to the conference restructuring.

You might as well give those Uconn and Syracuse titles to the ACC since thats where there heading.
After they leave, is the big east truly still the best conference?

I dont think so. The ACC will take over that honor.

The ACC got teams to build a powerhouse conference in basketball.
The SEC is doing the same thing, only with football.

Agreed.

[theoldballcoach]

Big East

[toussaints]

I agree that the ACC is better.

and when syracuse and pitt join the ACC, it'll be a no brainer