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Wednesday, February 19
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Best and worst college basketball conference newcomers
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This season has marked the beginning of conference realignment in college basketball in a drastic way. From the makeshift American Athletic Conference and the exodus of the original Big East with the departures of Pitt, Notre Dame and Syracuse to the ACC, there have been a large handful of teams making their inaugural appearances in new conferences.
We look at the best and worst bets making the jump between conferences this season
Best
SMU Mustangs (9-4 American, 10-3 ATS)
Led by legendary head coach Larry Brown, SMU has been rewarded for investing in its basketball program as its big hire and new gym has given the Mustangs new life. Third in the AAC, ahead of traditional powerhouses UConn and Memphis, the Mustangs are a solid 10-3 ATS and have been riding their top-ranked defense to success. In a brand new conference, SMU has been the breakout team and should continue to be a tough team to beat while holding opponents to 37 percent shooting - second best in the Nation.
Syracuse Orange (12-0 ACC, 7-4-1 ATS)
You couldn't make a list of the best conference debuts without Syracuse. Although the Orange have had some close calls against Pittsburgh and North Carolina State, Jim Boeheim's team has yet to lose in its new conference. A weekend trip to Cameron to face Duke awaits and Syracuse is just 2-3 ATS over its last five. But the Orange's record as a whole earns them an easy spot on this list.
Worst
Pittsburgh Panthers (8-5 ACC, 4-8-1 ATS)
Entering conference play, Pitt was a team that looked like it would be contending with Syracuse and Duke for the conference title. Now, the Panthers are in a stretch where they have been swept by Syracuse and have lost to Duke, Virginia and North Carolina to fall into fifth in the ACC. On an 0-6 ATS streak, the Panthers are developing a reputation of not being able to step it up and play with the big boys, which is leading to letdowns against weaker schools as well.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-8 ACC, 4-8-1 ATS)
Like Pitt, Notre Dame's beginnings in the ACC haven't been easy. Matching an identical 4-8-1 ATS record, Notre Dame's NCAA hopes are fading with each loss in conference play that are keeping the Irish in the bottom half of the ACC table. Things have gotten better recently, with Notre Dame a winner of two straight and riding a 2-1-1 ATS stretch. But nobody is going to define the Fighting Irish's first ACC season as a success story so far.
Wednesday, February 19
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best and worst college basketball conference newcomers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This season has marked the beginning of conference realignment in college basketball in a drastic way. From the makeshift American Athletic Conference and the exodus of the original Big East with the departures of Pitt, Notre Dame and Syracuse to the ACC, there have been a large handful of teams making their inaugural appearances in new conferences.
We look at the best and worst bets making the jump between conferences this season
Best
SMU Mustangs (9-4 American, 10-3 ATS)
Led by legendary head coach Larry Brown, SMU has been rewarded for investing in its basketball program as its big hire and new gym has given the Mustangs new life. Third in the AAC, ahead of traditional powerhouses UConn and Memphis, the Mustangs are a solid 10-3 ATS and have been riding their top-ranked defense to success. In a brand new conference, SMU has been the breakout team and should continue to be a tough team to beat while holding opponents to 37 percent shooting - second best in the Nation.
Syracuse Orange (12-0 ACC, 7-4-1 ATS)
You couldn't make a list of the best conference debuts without Syracuse. Although the Orange have had some close calls against Pittsburgh and North Carolina State, Jim Boeheim's team has yet to lose in its new conference. A weekend trip to Cameron to face Duke awaits and Syracuse is just 2-3 ATS over its last five. But the Orange's record as a whole earns them an easy spot on this list.
Worst
Pittsburgh Panthers (8-5 ACC, 4-8-1 ATS)
Entering conference play, Pitt was a team that looked like it would be contending with Syracuse and Duke for the conference title. Now, the Panthers are in a stretch where they have been swept by Syracuse and have lost to Duke, Virginia and North Carolina to fall into fifth in the ACC. On an 0-6 ATS streak, the Panthers are developing a reputation of not being able to step it up and play with the big boys, which is leading to letdowns against weaker schools as well.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-8 ACC, 4-8-1 ATS)
Like Pitt, Notre Dame's beginnings in the ACC haven't been easy. Matching an identical 4-8-1 ATS record, Notre Dame's NCAA hopes are fading with each loss in conference play that are keeping the Irish in the bottom half of the ACC table. Things have gotten better recently, with Notre Dame a winner of two straight and riding a 2-1-1 ATS stretch. But nobody is going to define the Fighting Irish's first ACC season as a success story so far.
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