I have not followed D1 college basketball at all this year, but every contest needs someone to finish last. If you start a TIB bracket, I will participate.
I wouldn't trust any team in the "New" Big East. All the teams that had been a force in the Big East in the last 20 years are in other conferences.
Georgetown? Nova went to a FF 5 years ago. Marquette had some coaching turnover and issues but had won the conference two years in a row (thanks Cuse!) and went to 3 straight sweet 16s. It was statistically the second strongest conference this year. It sucked to lose Cuse, Pitt, Louisville, and Uconn, but rumors of the conferences demise are greatly exaggerated. Nova was a classic jumpshooting team. Those teams always are susceptible to an off night.
And all three of those teams combined postseason doesn't match Syracuse in the last 20 years, before we get to Louisville or even have to bring up UConn (Pitt always chokes in postseason). Providence hasn't won an NCAA game in 17 years and I can't remember the last time St. Johns won one.
Villanova looked great all year. The big east isn't the definitive best conference they were a few years ago, but even with all the teams they lost they sent over half to the tournament, and are probably one of the top 3 conferences. The East group is all over the place anyway. Who the fuck picked NC St to win that game and MSU over Virginia (arguably the strongest looking 2 seed going into the tourney)? And who's a genius for picking Wichita St over Kansas' overseeded sorry ass? As someone who hates the jayhawks with a passion that game was so satisfying.
When Cuse was cheating the whole time? I get your point, but thats like saying you can't trust the ACC if Duke and Carolina left. The old Big East was the arguably the best basketball conference ever, nobody is arguing the current iteration is close to that. Providence got screwed playing a road game against an 11 seed.