Five Questions for March Madness Fans -- #1

1) Is the Big 12 overrated?

The Big 12 may wind up with two #1 seeds, at the probable expense of Oregon (#3 in RPI) and Xavier. For the last four years, I've eyeballed a bevy of Big 12 games in February and early March and come to the conclusion that the Big 12 had the best conference.

And each year I have been wrong. I thought the Big 12 had stronger, more athletic players than the ACC. I thought their players were more polished and skilled than the SEC or Big East players. Then the tournament started, and the Big 12 looked very ordinary.

So that question looms again. The conference has many good teams, but how good are they? The computer ratings, and the seeding previews, posit the Big 12 as the best conference, followed closely by the Pac 12.

This year, I am just not drinking that Koolaid again.

Any thoughts?

I couldn't agree more. I think Kansas makes a real run, and I see Iowa State as a tough out. Shaka Smart is a fantastic tourney coach, so Texas could be a surprise. I find the rest to be terribly overrated.