The Big East is going to look A LOT different in a couple years. If Syracuse and Pittsburgh do in fact go to the ACC, there will be a tremendous whole in the quality of the conference. It doesn't even sound right to imagine not having Jim Boeheim in the Big East. There is something magical about the Big East Tournament in Madison Square Garden each March and it will be hard to imagine losing two of the most dominant teams.
One of the interesting dynamics will be the styles of play that Pitt and Syracuse will bring to the ACC. These are two extremely tough, rugged teams that will knock the hell out of you. Their focus is on rebounding and the famous Boeheim 2-3 zone, respectively. The ACC is known for his finesse, up-tempo style of play which isn't necessarily the complete opposite of Syracuse and Pitt, but it clearly isn't the first thing you think of with these two programs.
Coach Pitino wrote in his blog that the Big East has to stick together and find football programs immediately. He is thinking about the short-term necessity of gaining teams to fill the void, but if you look 3 or 4 years down the road, there is an enormous opportunity brewing in Louisville, Kentucky. In my opinion, Louisville just became an unbelievably attractive job once Coach Pitino retires. It clearly is already a great school to coach at, but think about the current the Big East gauntlet that teams play in - You could play Villanova, Pitt, and at Marquette in a matter of 10 days. That's absolutely brutal. If you take Pitt and Syracuse out of the equation, you're looking at Villanova, Notre Dame, and Marquette as the hardest competition.
Taking over for Coach Pitino whenever he retires could be the perfect situation in a Pitt/Syracuse-less Big East that will soon by wide open for taking.
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