The best-conference debate is going to be one that lasts all season -- and the criteria for each person will be different. But through the first week-plus of the season, the league deepest at the top is fairly clear.
The Big East has answered the bell over the past couple of years, sending 70 percent of its teams to the NCAA tournament last season and producing the national champion in 2016. And this season's version is its best at the top.
Villanova has won the Big East each of the past four seasons and is the favorite to do so again, but the Wildcats could face their most difficult race yet.