FORBES: AAC May Have Strongest Teams in the Dance

[milwaukeejedi1]

Actually, the only thing the top AAC teams have to do is schedule like Pitt, put together a weak OOC schedule and do not lose to the bottom 6/7 teams. Following the previously mentioned formula will not get you a top 10 ranking but it will get you ranked and into the NCAA tournament. Never mind, Louisville, SMU, and Cincy already did that this year; they played weak OOC schedules and, for the most part, beat the bottom five teams.

FYI, since I closely follow the A-10 and Big 5 basketball (father-in-law takes me to the St Joe's games and as a result am now a fan), since I have lived in Philly, Temple has never recruited that well; they were competitive in the A-10 because they were well coached and had similar type players as the rest of the league. Against Memphis, Cincy, Louisville and Uconn, Temple is overmatched physically. Under Fran D, they have lost their first game in the tournament 4 of the last 6 years and in the other two years they are 1-1.

[xsteve1]

Actually, the only thing the top AAC teams have to do is schedule like Pitt, put together a weak OOC schedule and do not lose to the bottom 6/7 teams. Following the previously mentioned formula will not get you a top 10 ranking but it will get you ranked and into the NCAA tournament. Never mind, Louisville, SMU, and Cincy already did that this year; they played weak OOC schedules and, for the most part, beat the bottom five teams.

FYI, since I closely follow the A-10 and Big 5 basketball (father-in-law takes me to the St Joe's games and as a result am now a fan), since I have lived in Philly, Temple has never recruited that well; they were competitive in the A-10 because they were well coached and had similar type players as the rest of the league. Against Memphis, Cincy, Louisville and Uconn, Temple is overmatched physically. Under Fran D, they have lost their first game in the tournament 4 of the last 6 years and in the other two years they are 1-1.

Nope. Old Temple would have been a Top 3 team in the AAC. Dunphy just doesn't have the horses he used to and their talent level is way down. Heck Cincinnati has struggled with Temple this year.

[milwaukeejedi1]

Actually, the only thing the top AAC teams have to do is schedule like Pitt, put together a weak OOC schedule and do not lose to the bottom 6/7 teams. Following the previously mentioned formula will not get you a top 10 ranking but it will get you ranked and into the NCAA tournament. Never mind, Louisville, SMU, and Cincy already did that this year; they played weak OOC schedules and, for the most part, beat the bottom five teams.

FYI, since I closely follow the A-10 and Big 5 basketball (father-in-law takes me to the St Joe's games and as a result am now a fan), since I have lived in Philly, Temple has never recruited that well; they were competitive in the A-10 because they were well coached and had similar type players as the rest of the league. Against Memphis, Cincy, Louisville and Uconn, Temple is overmatched physically. Under Fran D, they have lost their first game in the tournament 4 of the last 6 years and in the other two years they are 1-1.

Nope. Old Temple would have been a Top 3 team in the AAC. Dunphy just doesn't have the horses he used to and their talent level is way down. Heck Cincinnati has struggled with Temple this year.

Unfortunately for Temple, Kent State and Towson didn't struggle against them. The Temple fan base is frustrated by the lack of tourney success under Dunphy and his reliance on transfers to fill talent gaps in the roster.

[Bill Marsh]

Actually, the only thing the top AAC teams have to do is schedule like Pitt, put together a weak OOC schedule and do not lose to the bottom 6/7 teams. Following the previously mentioned formula will not get you a top 10 ranking but it will get you ranked and into the NCAA tournament. Never mind, Louisville, SMU, and Cincy already did that this year; they played weak OOC schedules and, for the most part, beat the bottom five teams.

FYI, since I closely follow the A-10 and Big 5 basketball (father-in-law takes me to the St Joe's games and as a result am now a fan), since I have lived in Philly, Temple has never recruited that well; they were competitive in the A-10 because they were well coached and had similar type players as the rest of the league. Against Memphis, Cincy, Louisville and Uconn, Temple is overmatched physically. Under Fran D, they have lost their first game in the tournament 4 of the last 6 years and in the other two years they are 1-1.

I see Temple exactly the same way.

The BE will have to schedule better OOC just to sell tickets to their home games. With Louisville leaving and garbage coming in to replace them, the schedule will be even weaker and will hurt the AAC at least with seeding. There were some losses to the bottom 5 teams and those are incredibly damaging. If the SOS is very weak, a couple of upsets by those bottom teams could keep a top 4 AAC team out of the tournament if they have nowhere else on their schedule to make up for it.

[billyjack]

If you look closer at the American, it looks like UConn is carrying the AAC's water.
The top 5 in the AAC basically point around in a vicious-circle at each other when they need to point out their significant wins. OOC the AAC isn't impressive. In conference, the 5 of them are handed 10 free wins from the 5 wimps on the bottom. RPI-wise, UConn is the only one with an impressive win OOC.

so OOC:

SMU:
best wins:
113 Texas A&M.
114 Wyoming.
136 Sam Houston.
losses to:
10 Virginia.
58 Arkansas.

Louisville:
best wins:
40 Southern Mississippi.
97 Missouri State.
127 UL-Lafayette.
losses to:
18 Kentucky.
21 UNC.

Memphis:
best wins:
44 Oklahoma State.
64 LSU.
168 Ark-Little Rock.
losses to:
3 Florida.
44 Oklahoma State again.

Cincinnati:
best wins:
45 Pitt.
55 Nebraska.
67 Middle Tennessee State.
76 NC State.
losses to:
14 New Mexico.
37 Xavier. <---by 20 pts.

Connecticut: <--- best OOC results for the AAC.
best wins:
3 Florida.
51 Harvard.
73 Maryland.
79 Indiana.
80 Washington.
losses to:
42 Stanford.

then in conference the vicious-circle starts:
SMU: "we beat UConn twice, plus Memphis and Cincinnati."
Louisville: "we beat UConn, Cincinnati and SMU."
Memphis: "we beat Louisville twice."
Cincinnati: "we beat Louisville, SMU, UConn and Memphis."
UConn: "we beat Memphis twice, plus Cincinnati."

Look at Louisville's results... totally undeserving of being ranked 10th or whatever they are.

The AAC as a total conference combined has only 4 Top-50 wins OOC, and only ONE Top-40 win OOC... UConn over Florida by a point.

[tsmithohio1234]

Few know it, but the University of Dayton Arena has hosted more NCAA men's tournament games than any other venue -- 101 games, with Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium a distant second with 83.

It has been home to the First Four every year since it began in 2011. Before that, it hosted the one play-in game -- which the NCAA called the Opening Round -- from 2001 to 2010.

To bump up attendance, the school links the NCAA tournament games with season-ticket sales. Fans buy the tickets without knowing who's coming in -- usually an Arkansas-Little Rock or Vermont instead of Duke or Kansas. Over the years, the appetizer to the big tournament usually draws between 7,000 and 12,000 fans.

There's no question if Dayton were in the First Four that it would be a guaranteed sell-out. But that might also be the case in the 13,455-seat arena if any school within a 3-hour drive such as Kentucky, Louisville, Indiana, Ohio State or in-state Xavier, Ohio, Toledo or Kent State were playing.

Even if the Flyers made it in, Dayton athletic director Tim Wabler figures it wouldn't be a huge home-court advantage.

"There's over 70 companies and organizations that have already bought about 3,000 tickets, primarily through the local organizing committee's efforts," Wabler said. "Even though our season-ticket holders do a nice job in supporting the First Four, it's really much more of a local event. It would be a different crowd than what we would typically see at our games."

Miller can just imagine what the opposing team might say about having to play against his team on its home floor.

"I do think it would be overblown, a feeling of, `Oh my gosh, we have to play Dayton in Dayton!" he said. "The crowd would be a pro-Dayton crowd, but the environment, the setup, the structure, the in-and-out of the arena, the game-time feel -- the whole deal would be different."

It's instructive that Dayton has played at home in the NCAA tournament before. In 1985, before a packed house, the Flyers took on Villanova in the first round ... and lost 51-49 to the eventual national champions.

[SWOLL]

ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT, Having FIVE teams (50% of the conference) in the TOP 20 is a REMARKABLE feather in the AAC's cap.

We all know what USF can do under Heath. They'll be back.
Temple will be back as well. They are a perennial NCAA team.
UCF has notched impressive wins in the past (Florida, UCONN, etc) and they'll do well, just like USF.
Houston has beaten Memphis and UCONN this year. There is talent there, that just needs a decent coach.

This is no different than the original Big East where teams like PC, Seton Hall, etc, were pushed down by a stellar top of the league. Those other programs will rise up when it's their turn. Meanwhile, the only thing that drives perception is that they are lighting up Top 25 lists.

If you look closer at the American, it looks like UConn is carrying the AAC's water.
The top 5 in the AAC basically point around in a vicious-circle at each other when they need to point out their significant wins. OOC the AAC isn't impressive. In conference, the 5 of them are handed 10 free wins from the 5 wimps on the bottom. RPI-wise, UConn is the only one with an impressive win OOC.

so OOC:

SMU:
best wins:
113 Texas A&M.
114 Wyoming.
136 Sam Houston.
losses to:
10 Virginia.
58 Arkansas.

Louisville:
best wins:
40 Southern Mississippi.
97 Missouri State.
127 UL-Lafayette.
losses to:
18 Kentucky.
21 UNC.

Memphis:
best wins:
44 Oklahoma State.
64 LSU.
168 Ark-Little Rock.
losses to:
3 Florida.
44 Oklahoma State again.

Cincinnati:
best wins:
45 Pitt.
55 Nebraska.
67 Middle Tennessee State.
76 NC State.
losses to:
14 New Mexico.
37 Xavier. <---by 20 pts.

Connecticut: <--- best OOC results for the AAC.
best wins:
3 Florida.
51 Harvard.
73 Maryland.
79 Indiana.
80 Washington.
losses to:
42 Stanford.

then in conference the vicious-circle starts:
SMU: "we beat UConn twice, plus Memphis and Cincinnati."
Louisville: "we beat UConn, Cincinnati and SMU."
Memphis: "we beat Louisville twice."
Cincinnati: "we beat Louisville, SMU, UConn and Memphis."
UConn: "we beat Memphis twice, plus Cincinnati."

Look at Louisville's results... totally undeserving of being ranked 10th or whatever they are.

The AAC as a total conference combined has only 4 Top-50 wins OOC, and only ONE Top-40 win OOC... UConn over Florida by a point.

[stever20]

If you look closer at the American, it looks like UConn is carrying the AAC's water.
The top 5 in the AAC basically point around in a vicious-circle at each other when they need to point out their significant wins. OOC the AAC isn't impressive. In conference, the 5 of them are handed 10 free wins from the 5 wimps on the bottom. RPI-wise, UConn is the only one with an impressive win OOC.

so OOC:

SMU:
best wins:
113 Texas A&M.
114 Wyoming.
136 Sam Houston.
losses to:
10 Virginia.
58 Arkansas.

Louisville:
best wins:
40 Southern Mississippi.
97 Missouri State.
127 UL-Lafayette.
losses to:
18 Kentucky.
21 UNC.

Memphis:
best wins:
44 Oklahoma State.
64 LSU.
168 Ark-Little Rock.
losses to:
3 Florida.
44 Oklahoma State again.

Cincinnati:
best wins:
45 Pitt.
55 Nebraska.
67 Middle Tennessee State.
76 NC State.
losses to:
14 New Mexico.
37 Xavier. <---by 20 pts.

Connecticut: <--- best OOC results for the AAC.
best wins:
3 Florida.
51 Harvard.
73 Maryland.
79 Indiana.
80 Washington.
losses to:
42 Stanford.

then in conference the vicious-circle starts:
SMU: "we beat UConn twice, plus Memphis and Cincinnati."
Louisville: "we beat UConn, Cincinnati and SMU."
Memphis: "we beat Louisville twice."
Cincinnati: "we beat Louisville, SMU, UConn and Memphis."
UConn: "we beat Memphis twice, plus Cincinnati."

Look at Louisville's results... totally undeserving of being ranked 10th or whatever they are.

The AAC as a total conference combined has only 4 Top-50 wins OOC, and only ONE Top-40 win OOC... UConn over Florida by a point.

Actually they have 6- Pittsburgh, So Miss, Florida, Oklahoma St, Gonzaga, and St Joe's(by Temple!) plus a win over 51 Harvard. So could easily get up to 7 here when all is said and done.

By comparison we have 11 top 50 wins. Our Problem if you will though- our 1-3 teams have 7 of those 11 wins. And Georgetown who has done the worst possible just about in conference has 3 of them as well. So 4-6- the bubble teams- have only 1 of those wins. Meanwhile, their 4th and 5th teams UConn and Memphis have had for UConn beating Florida and for Memphis 2 top 50 wins(and a top 25 win). The right teams for them are on the proverbial bubble. The 2 that did the least OOC have done a lot in conference to help themselves out.

AS far as Louisville. Their SOS will go up from 95 to 81 just in these last 2 games this week. Then next week, they could go up even more.

[MackNova]

This guy is entitled to his opinion. AAC has a few strong teams. It's just tough to gauge since so few have done anything in the non-conference.

Louisville being the defending champion and rating very well in the next level stats is very helpful for this conference. When they leave next year, and lesser programs are added, the conference will take a big step back.

Just like the Big East, the American will prove itself in the dance, positively or negatively.

[SWOLL]

This guy is entitled to his opinion. AAC has a few strong teams. It's just tough to gauge since so few have done anything in the non-conference.

Louisville being the defending champion and rating very well in the next level stats is very helpful for this conference. When they leave next year, and lesser programs are added, the conference will take a big step back.

Just like the Big East, the American will prove itself in the dance, positively or negatively.

I think the American made out like bandits, taking ALL THAT C7 money $$$ for the name... In the process, the lionshare of the good teams are playing under the AAC banner.

Say what you will but those flagship programs will raise the other boats too.

It can't be said enough how important football is to being a major conference on all fronts. The Big East will dissapear again come football time. EXPOSURE IS FADING AWAY..

A team like UCF will benefit in basketball by beating the Big 12 football champion in the Fiesta Bowl. Meanwhile, the C7 are invisible at that time. That lack of visibility is compounded by the switch to a nitch network.

Larry Brown has modeled SMU after the old Georgetown. They're in the Top 20 now BUT IMAGINE WHEN THEY BRING IN EMMANUEL MUDIAY! Mudiay is arguably the best HSer in the country. They may not be done adding either. That is a program that will likely be perrenial Top 5 in not too long.

Video of Mudiay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1fzNkv8YjI

I love the nbe but looking at how much the c7 paid for the rights to a dying brand, I have to question the leadership in the C7. The AAC, with 5 teams in the Top 20 (and football to boot), look like GRAVE ROBBERS. God Bless em. They got the new Georgetown.

Larry Brown modeling SMU’s rebuild after John Thompson’s days at Georgetown
Scott Phillips
Jan 6, 2014, 7:15 PM EST

One of the better stories during the early part of the college basketball season has been the resurgence of SMU behind legendary 73-year-old head coach Larry Brown. Many scoffed at the notion that Brown — who hadn’t coached in the college game for more than two decades — could turn around a program that had so little going for it.

Following SMU’s big home win over UConn to re-open the renovated Moody Coliseum over the weekend, Brown spoke with Roger Rubin of the New York Daily News and provided some interesting insights on the rebuilding efforts at SMU.

When Brown took over the basketball program at SMU prior to last season, he wasn’t expecting the lack of support from local fans that he was initially facing.

“I didn’t realize the amount of apathy. People didn’t come to the games and didn’t seem excited about who we played,” Brown said to Rubin.

The UConn game was a big step in that equation as the Mustangs hosted their first sellout since 2001.

But maybe even more interesting is Brown comparing his rebuilding model to that of former Georgetown coach John Thompson. Brown sees similarities in the job at SMU to the job Thompson had rebuilding Georgetown when Thompson took over the Hoyas in 1972.

“I look at what he did at Georgetown and thought [sic] I know I am not John Thompson, I see there’s potential for the same thing here,” Brown said to Rubin. “We’ve got a good city. It’s a fine school in an improving (conference). There’s a lot of talent in the area.”
http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports. ... eorgetown/