BASKETBALL SUCCESS NOT IN 16 BUT FINAL 4

The Pac 10 survived to fight another day as 3 teams made it past the second round and made it to the "Sweet 16"...good for them but does that mean that it is the top conference in basketball. I stand firm and stick to my claim that the Pac 10 is overrated. The Pac 10 got 6 teams into the NCAA tournament this year and have averaged 4 or more the last 3 years. That is way too much credit for a conference that has produced only 3 final four teams. Now, if you believe success lies in getting to the "Sweet 16" then the Pac 10 has done okay but if you like me think that success lies in making the Final Four or the winning the Big Dance then the Pac 10 has underachieved and therefore has been given way to much credit. Six teams into the tournament and 9 making the post season come on. Lets look at the facts:

Final Four teams since 2000 by conference:

ACC - 8

Big Ten - 7

Big 12 - 5

Pac 10, SEC, Big East - 3

Made Championship Game since 2000:

ACC, SEC, Big 10 - 3

Pac 10, Big East - 2

Titles since 2000:

ACC -3

Big 10, Big East, SEC - 2

Big 12 - 1

Pac 10 - 0 (last title was 1997 by Arizona)

Notice that the Pac 10 is behind the Big 10 in every category and does not even rate as high as the Big 12 in terms of Final Four's made. The Pac 10 has only 3 Final Fours, yet gets six teams into the tournament! Why is it then that the Pac 10 gets so much credit? The Pac 10 has not proven that it is a top conference. It can't compete with the Big 10 or the ACC when it comes to success...aka..making the Final Four.

Now if a conference ever deserved more teams into the tournament it would be the Big 10. The Big 10 has proven that it produces when given the chance, in fact 5 different teams have made the Final Four (Michigan St., Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio St.) since 2000. The Big 10 deserved 6 teams not the Pac 10. Now, we will see this year as the Big 10 has only 2 teams left while the Pac 10 has 3 but if I were a betting man, I would bet history and the conference that has produced in the past; the BIG 10.