There are two, non-debatable truths early in the college basketball season.

North Carolina is the nation's best team and the Big East is the nation's best conference.

In early December, these are facts. In late March, they may be myths.

Lucky for us this isn't college football. In basketball, everything is settled on the floor, not on a computer.

Currently, the Big East has a record eight teams ranked in The Associated Press poll - Connecticut (2), Pittsburgh (3), Notre Dame (7), Louisville (11), Syracuse (16), Villanova (17), Georgetown (20) and Marquette (25).

Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Villanova and Syracuse already have early-season tournament titles. Notre Dame finished runner-up at the Maui Invitational and Georgetown took third in the Old Spice Classic.

The Big East is 6-3 against ranked opponents, including a Seton Hall upset of Southern Cal.

The numbers don't lie - the Big East sits in first class while the rest of the country flies coach.

But for teams in the conference, this isn't always a good thing.

Let's sift through some pros and cons of playing in the Big East this season.

Pros:

#&149; Regardless of your non-conference slate, your strength of schedule is going to be through the roof. Take Pitt for example. The Panthers play cream puffs until January. But it won't matter because they have eight ranked teams left to play in conference. Their SOS, and RPI, will be right where it needs to be come selection time.

#&149; A .500 league record looks better by comparison. At least eight Big East teams are going to make the NCAA Tournament, probably more. And at least one of those teams will finish around .500. But it's fair, because a 9-9 Big East team will be viewed as better than a .500 team in the Big Ten or the ACC.

A team looks better because of the company it is in.

#&149; By tournament time, every team will be tested. While Memphis cruises through Conference USA, piling up stats against glorified mid-majors, Big East teams have multiple top-10 opponents. Nothing should come as a surprise by tournament time, because they've already faced the cream of the crop.

#&149; More media coverage. ESPN loves the Big East, especially in its current state. More coverage and more talk means more respect. That means a middle-of-the-road team, like West Virginia, will get more billing than a mid-level Pac-10 team, like Washington. And believe me, this comes into account when the selection committee convenes in March.

Cons:

#&149; Teams are just going to beat up on each other. The Orange already have two marquee non-conference wins against Kansas and Florida. And if Syracuse somehow squeaks past Memphis, there's a very good chance it could enter conference play undefeated. But none of that matters in the Big East. Check out this stretch, from Jan. 14 to Feb. 22 - at Georgetown, Notre Dame, at Pittsburgh, Louisville, at Providence, West Virginia, at Villanova, at Connecticut. A run through the NCAA Tournament would be easier than making it through this stretch in one piece. The Orange would gladly take a 4-4 record in these games.

#&149; Every team will be tested, but to what extent? Making it through the Big East Tournament will be difficult enough, especially now that there's an extra round. Look at the last two teams to win the tournament while playing all four days. Syracuse did it in 2006, then were immediately bounced from the Big Dance by Texas A&M. Pitt did it last year, and despite lofty expectations, didn't make it to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. It's a sign that playing three or four consecutive days in the Big East Tournament is draining. Teams are so banged up, they struggle in the NCAAs. It even happened to Georgetown last year, losing to Davidson. The Big East schedule is incredibly taxing, teams are going to show its effects come tournament play.

#&149; A 9-9 record may get you into the postseason, but it won't get you a high seed. Look at Syracuse right now. Who in the country has played a more impressive schedule or has better wins? Nobody. And yet, the Orange are the fifth-highest ranked team in their own conference. To finish in the Big East's top four, which guarantees a coveted bye in the Big East Tournament, a team will probably need to be ranked top 10 nationally.

#&149; Expectations are raised beyond any logic. West Virginia, a team that lost Joe Alexander, one of the NCAA Tournament darlings from a year ago, lost to Kentucky last week. Any other year, this wouldn't be a surprise - I mean, Kentucky is the all-time winningest program in Division I history. But with the aura surrounding the Big East, this loss is classified as significant. Just last week, I saw a debate on ESPN suggesting that these early-season losses - Cincinnati losing to Florida State, Louisville losing to Western Kentucky, Marquette losing to Dayton - indicate that the Big East isn't the nation's best conference. Are you kidding me? It's unfortunate, but elevated expectations means more criticism.

#&149;#&149;#&149;

When the national champion is crowned, the final story of the 2008-09 season will be written.

And with all the pub the Big East is currently getting, there's only two ways it can go.

Either the Big East is the strongest conference ever in college basketball, or its biggest disappointment.