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BARROW JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016
The Game Plan
A new best conference?
Y ears ago the best conference in all of
college basketball was the Big East.
It was a 16-team gauntlet where the
majority of the teams were above
.500, with great records and fighting
for bids in the NCAA tournament.
There were some years where they
would have 8-9 teams in the tourney.
In fact, back in 2011 there were
eleven Big East teams in the bracket
— try to rap your mind around that.
They had a very similar hold on
the sport of college basketball as
the SEC has on college football. Big
East teams didn’t win seven straight
national championships like the SEC
did in football, but it was understood
that the Big East was the best confer
ence in basketball.
But, thanks to football the Big
East lost a lot of its members several years
ago and we are without the memorable Big
East in basketball. See, when Texas was
talking about leaving the Big 12— along
with others who actually did — there was a
theme in football of universities making new
deals with new conferences, nobody wanted
to be left out of the power conferences for
football. So, the Big East took the biggest
hit since their football teams were never as
competitive as their basketball teams.
The Big East basketball conference fell
apart because some of its key members
made moves to other conferences because
they wanted to make more money in the
football realm. Fortunately, the Big East is
still around but only has 10 teams. Some of
the loyal teams stuck it out like Villanova,
Georgetown and Marquette — along with
solid mid-major additions like Butler Xavier
— but so many teams left.
Louisville, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and
Syracuse went to the ACC. Connecticut,
South Florida and Cincinnati went to the
American Conference. West Virginia went
to the Big 12 and Rutgers went to the Big
Ten. So, thanks to football we no longer
have the epic 16-team Big East
Conference,
In its absence we attempt to
choose the new best conference
every year. The ACC always
seems to make sense, they have
15 teams including powers like
North Carolina and Duke, with
the new members like Louisville
and Pittsburgh.
But I would argue that the Big
12 is the best conference in the
country this year. In my mind
there isn’t a clear-cut number one
team like we had in Kentucky
last year, there is no team who is
just dominating every opponent
that they play. Instead, there are
several great teams, this makes it hard to
identify who the top team is come tourney
time — but I have a feeling that team will be
from the Big 12.
There are only ten teams in the Big 12, but
they are still loaded. Oklahoma and Kansas
can both make the claim of being the best
team in the country — I’d personally take
Oklahoma, as of now — and after that there
is also West Virginia, Baylor and Iowa State
who are all competing. In fact, when the
season is finally over, most of these teams
will probably end up having several losses,
everyone is just beating up on each other
right now. But that will play to their advan
tage come tournament time. It is still a while
from now, but I can definitely see multiple
Big 12 teams making the Elite Eight and
possibly even the Final Four.
Tyler Rollason is a Winder-Bar
row High School and Universi
ty of West Georgia graduate. You can
e-mail comments about this column to
tyrollason@yahoo.com.
Snapshots
KNIGHT ALL STAR
Bethlehem Christian Academy senior Ryan Whiting is shown after the
recent Fellowship of Christian Athletes All-Star game played in Athens.
Whiting was one of the top defensive players for the Knights during the
2015 season. He is shown with BCA football coaches Steve Green, Josh
Dillard, Chad Kamm, Lance Fendly and Matt Nicks.
Youth Sports: Baseball and Softball
Softball, baseball registration ongoing
Registration for the 2016 Barrow County Leisure Services youth softball and baseball
seasons are currently ongoing.
Registration is now open for youth softball and baseball registration through Friday,
Feb. 19, for girls and boys ages 4 through 16. Volunteer coaches are also needed.
Registration takes place at the Leisure Services Center. 175 2nd St. in Winder, from 8
a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
For softball information, contact Megan Myers by email at mmyers@barrowga.org or
by calling 770-307-3024.
For baseball registration information, contact Sara Call by email at scall@barrowga.
org, or by calling 770-307-3024.
From the photo gallery:
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THE BACKSTROKE
Winder-Barrow High School swimmer Jack McDaniels competes for the
Swim Doggs during an event earlier this month. Photo by Jennifer Chisholm
FLOOR
LEADER
Winder-Barrow
High School’s
Lexi Maddox
works for a
basket during
a recent
home game
for the Lady
Bulldoggs. The
WBHS varsity
girls are hav
ing one of their
best seasons
in decades
and will host
Flowery
Branch High
School in a
key region
matchup this
Friday. WBHS
is trying to
break a two
decades state
tournament
drought in
2015-2016.
Photo by
Jessica Brown
RECOGNIZED BY U.S. MARINES
The leadership shown by Winder-Barrow High School coach Heath Webb
earned him the recognition of the U.S. Marines. Two members of Webb’s
coaching staff, Luther Price and Naji Lyon, are both Marines.
Photo by Jessica Brown
Award continued from IB
He has helped resurrect a dormant
program which had not qualified for the
postseason since 2003. Webb and his
coaching staff have guided the Bulldoggs
to the state playoffs in 2014 and 2015.
“This is an award to recognize our
entire program,” Webb said. “There are
four groups that made this happen. It may
have my name on it, but this is recogni
tion for our administration. Touchdown
Club, coaches and players. This wouldn’t
be possible without their hard work.”
The WBHS football team is currently
involved in offseason work. The Bull
doggs will open the 2016 season at home
against Walnut Grove on Aug. 26.
I
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(formerly Little Enterprise)
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Mondays, Feb. 22,29, March 7 & 14
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Call 706.475.1029 to register
or visit www.athenshealth.org/calendar
Athens Regional
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* Due upon registration.
Refunded if all four classes are attended.
