One of the newest coaches in the Big Ten isn’t holding back when it comes to his feelings on the conference’s decision to schedule more late-night games.
During a recent radio appearance, Maryland’s Kevin Willard sounded-off on the B1G, calling it “a football conference” that doesn’t “understand how to schedule a basketball game.”
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. 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.
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.
Now on @njdotcom
Kevin Willard rips Big Ten scheduling, says it’s responsible for conference’s national championship drought https://t.co/yn7P4cMw2M
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) December 25, 2022
Willard went on to take a jab at the B1G saying he now understands why the conference hasn’t won big in basketball in over two decades.
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.
Hard to imagine the Terrapins HC won’t be receiving some mail about these comments.