Busting Brackets
Fansided

Big East Basketball: Ranking the current status of every old Big East team

By Brian Foley

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 05: Matthew Moyer #2 of the Syracuse Orange takes a shot against Jalen Adams #4 of the Connecticut Huskies in the first half during their game at Madison Square Garden on December 5, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 05: Matthew Moyer #2 of the Syracuse Orange takes a shot against Jalen Adams #4 of the Connecticut Huskies in the first half during their game at Madison Square Garden on December 5, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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DURHAM, NC – JANUARY 13: Associate head coach Jeff Capel of the Duke Blue Devils directs his team against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 13, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC – JANUARY 13: Associate head coach Jeff Capel of the Duke Blue Devils directs his team against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 13, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

13. St. John’s

Big East: 79-85 (32-58), 1 NCAA appearance

12. Pittsburgh

ACC: 90-78 (32-58), 2 NCAA appearances

Outsize expectations have turned these two programs into bottom-feeders. Following the 2014-15 season, St. John’s and Steve Lavin parted ways with the Red Storm looking to make a coaching splash. The Johnnies brought in program legend Chris Mullin, who has promptly won 12 Big East games in three years and has thus far failed to capitalize on the bits of talent he has brought to Queens.

With another round of transfers this spring and Shamorie Ponds potentially staying in the NBA Draft, St. John’s will be starting from scratch for the umpteenth time under Mullin.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, ran off Jamie Dixon in 2015-16 after 10 tournament appearances in 11 seasons. The Panthers immediately downgraded by hiring Kevin Stallings, who has since been fired after two of the program’s most miserable campaigns since the 1990s.

But rather surprisingly, Pitt managed to bring in Jeff Capel, one of the hottest assistants in the nation and the former head coach at VCU and Oklahoma. After Stallings was fired, all but two players on the roster put in their release for transfer. Capel managed to keep most of them on campus, and added two additional recruits. Capel is known for his recruiting powers, so Pittsburgh’s future may be much brighter than it seemed just two months ago.

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