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#10 Cincy
#13 Vill
#20 Memphis
#23 SMU
#24 UConn

The Big East currently has 2 (Nova - #6 & Creighton #18)...This is an apples to apples comparison, as both leagues have 10 teams.

I know what everyone is going to say...'Vill is leaving after this year, Cincy & UConn are flight risks and could leave at any time and the league will be watered down with newcomer b-ball lightweights (Tulsa, Tulane and E. Carolina), so what's the big deal if they're good now?...The big deal is that, with an upstart league, the first year/first impression is everything. This great start lends instant credibility to the league.

And yes, the big east will probably get 4 teams in the dance, which is only 1 less than the AAC's likely 5...but I'm sure the Big East and Fox were hoping for the kind of year that the AAC is currently enjoying.

There is more separation between the top 5 and the bottom 5 in the AAC as opposed to the Big East. The bottom 5 teams have only 2 wins all season against the top 5 teams. It is reflected in the RPI. No one in the bottom 5 has a RPI better than 175. But to their benefit, every team in the top 5 has a RPI at 30 or better.

Anyway impressions are made in the tournament so we will have to wait and see how the season shakes out.

Not surprised by Louisville, Memphis or UConn. The Bearcats have been a bit of a surprise and SMU is a shock. Larry Brown got that program on its feet in a hurry.

Burrito wrote:Not surprised by Louisville, Memphis or UConn. The Bearcats have been a bit of a surprise and SMU is a shock. Larry Brown got that program on its feet in a hurry.

Let's face it, it's a good league. Give credit where credit is due.

I forgot what the mix is, but Louisville is leaving for the ACC, and is Army joining next year? So is it someone else?

HoosierPal wrote:

Burrito wrote:Not surprised by Louisville, Memphis or UConn. The Bearcats have been a bit of a surprise and SMU is a shock. Larry Brown got that program on its feet in a hurry.

Let's face it, it's a good league. Give credit where credit is due.

I forgot what the mix is, but Louisville is leaving for the ACC, and is Army joining next year? So is it someone else?

It's a terrible league.

1. Louisville is leaving while the conference is expanding to 11 basketball schools. That leaves 4 of 11.
2. Larry Brown never stays anywhere very long. His exit will be hastened by the transformation of their league from Big East to a reincarnation of a CUSA - and a bad incarnation of CUSA. He came to SMU because he thought they were joining the Big East. When he leaves, they will revert to what they always have been
3. That leaves UConn, Cincinnati, and Memphis out of 11 schools. That's not a good league. There's no coatis on between the AAC and the Big East. It was created for football, not basketball. It's members with a few exceptions don't care about basketball.

HoosierPal wrote:

Burrito wrote:Not surprised by Louisville, Memphis or UConn. The Bearcats have been a bit of a surprise and SMU is a shock. Larry Brown got that program on its feet in a hurry.

Let's face it, it's a good league. Give credit where credit is due.

I forgot what the mix is, but Louisville is leaving for the ACC, and is Army joining next year? So is it someone else?

Yeah even with Louisville leaving, I wouldn't expect Temple to be in the dumps every year. Not a bad league - obviously a great year for them this year - but they will send a few teams to the dance each year and can certainly have a great year every 5 or so.

cm5yz6 wrote:

HoosierPal wrote:

Burrito wrote:Not surprised by Louisville, Memphis or UConn. The Bearcats have been a bit of a surprise and SMU is a shock. Larry Brown got that program on its feet in a hurry.

Let's face it, it's a good league. Give credit where credit is due.

I forgot what the mix is, but Louisville is leaving for the ACC, and is Army joining next year? So is it someone else?

Yeah even with Louisville leaving, I wouldn't expect Temple to be in the dumps every year. Not a bad league - obviously a great year for them this year - but they will send a few teams to the dance each year and can certainly have a great year every 5 or so.

Temple was a good A10 program, but unless they change their recruiting, they won't compete with UConn, Cincy, and Memphis. No sign of better recruiting so far.

S Florida, RPI 151
Temple, RPI 178
Houston, RPI 180
Rutgers, RPI 195
UCF, RPI 218

Wow, just wow, these teams would certainly be top half in the SWAC but probably have a tough time winning it.

Edit:

Tulsa, RPI 135
E Carolina, RPI 198
Tulane, RPI 219

What the hell happened to Temple?

Bill Marsh wrote:

HoosierPal wrote:

Burrito wrote:Not surprised by Louisville, Memphis or UConn. The Bearcats have been a bit of a surprise and SMU is a shock. Larry Brown got that program on its feet in a hurry.

Let's face it, it's a good league. Give credit where credit is due.

I forgot what the mix is, but Louisville is leaving for the ACC, and is Army joining next year? So is it someone else?

It's a terrible league.

1. Louisville is leaving while the conference is expanding to 11 basketball schools. That leaves 4 of 11.
2. Larry Brown never stays anywhere very long. His exit will be hastened by the transformation of their league from Big East to a reincarnation of a CUSA - and a bad incarnation of CUSA. He came to SMU because he thought they were joining the Big East. When he leaves, they will revert to what they always have been
3. That leaves UConn, Cincinnati, and Memphis out of 11 schools. That's not a good league. There's no coatis on between the AAC and the Big East. It was created for football, not basketball. It's members with a few exceptions don't care about basketball.

You are crazy. First off, no terrible league ever has 5 teams in the top 30. Or even 4 in the top 30 w/o Louisville.

I'd say Larry Brown has to be very pleased with what SMU is in right now. You act like the AAC is so awful, but they've had a lot of ESPN games already, and will be getting half their league in the tournament. Compared to what SMU was in before, this is paradise. It's not the Big East, but they are getting regular games with Memphis, Cincy, and UConn. That's not bad for them at all(by the way, they've beaten all 3 this year).

Temple will not be as bad as they are this year. They are one of the younger teams this year, will lose only 1 guy.

CUSA was never as good as the AAC even w/o Louisville. Folks wax poetic about CUSA back in the day, but it just wasn't as good as what the AAC is doing this year. CUSA never got half the league in the tourney.

For the ones coming in next year- their RPI's will improve just from not playing some of the RPI bombs in CUSA. 4 teams 242 or worse in the league. Tulsa seems like they're starting to improve with Manning- looking at Ken Pom, they might go 6-1 down the stretch and finish with 20+ wins. They lose 2/11 top players.

Oh and for the one who posted all the RPI's- don't forget Rutgers(2nd worst) is leaving after this year.

And next year, they'll go to a 18 game/11 team schedule, so that's going to help the top teams even more, as they won't see all the bottom teams- would get to avoid likely 2 of the bottom teams a 2nd time. That helps out the stronger teams, and also the weaker teams records will be stronger from not playing the top teams quite as much.