Even though this is his first season in the conference, Maryland Terrapins head coach Kevin Willard is not holding back in criticizing the Big Ten Conference.
During a recent radio appearance, Kevin Willard absolutely blasted the Big Ten for its scheduling practices, claiming that it’s “a football conference” that doesn’t understand how to schedule basketball, especially compared to the Big East.
“I just don’t think this conference gets it from the standpoint of trying to make sure that everyone’s on an equal standing, on an equal footing,” Willard said, according to NJ.com. “Like, I think they throw the schedule open — you know, obviously, it’s a football conference — and I think they’re worried about football. I don’t think they understand how to schedule a basketball game.”
Willard went on to explain that he believes the Big Ten’s scheduling practices are the reason why the conference hasn’t won a national championship in over two decades.
“I mean, the Big East and Big Ten are totally different. The Big East is an all-basketball conference… You’re never on the road [for] more than two games… You know, the Big East, that’s why Villanova has won two national championships and went to three Final Fours. Just because the Big East understood how to take care of their teams,” Willard said. “It’s just kind of like well, here you go. Just, ‘They’re 10th, we’ll just give them the hardest schedule possible.’ … I started from an outsider looking in, now being in the conference, I can understand why there’s been such a long national championship drought in the [Big Ten]. Because I just don’t think they know how to schedule.”
It’s certainly some harsh criticism for the Big Ten.
[NJ.com]
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