hoops22 wrote:stever20 wrote:marquette wrote:How is it that when the 10 team Big East gets 4 teams into the NCAA, in stever's world, the sky is falling. Meanwhile the very real possibility that the 11 team AAC winds up with three or (in a worst case scenario) 2 in somehow makes them a powerhouse?
Part of the answer for the AAC is the fact that 2 of the 3 top dogs- Memphis and UConn are MIA this year. I'm not saying they're a powerhouse- but rather the fact that if in a worst case scenario(which this year is for them just about), they should get 3 in fairly easily- is not that bad. Especially if the 3 they get in all avoid the PIG like what Lunardi had today. And if a UConn can win the AAC tourney they would get 4 in, very similar to us last year in the Big East. I just have a major problem calling what the AAC is this year as a collapse. Is it a off year? Yeah. But their conference RPI rank is EXACTLY what it was last year, even with no Louisville in the conference- and UConn and Memphis not good.
Stever what you're ignoring is that if UCONN and Memphis were good this year, then chances are they'd be picking up wins verses Cinci and Tulsa, which would likely knock those teams out. I don't care about the AAC one way or another, but for you of all people to be defending the league as good, is simply absurd. Outside of Temple beating Kansas, what is the leagues best OOC win? Meanwhile, look at all the truly ugly OOC losses nearly all of them have. If the BE were having this kind of year, you would be the loudest voice demanding the total dismantling of the league. You do know college basketball, I realize that, but the way you're always doom and gloom with the BE, but so defensive when it comes to the AAC, is insulting to everyones intelligence around here.
Memphis 15-10 right now.
Lost in conference to Tulane and ECU. They already beat Cincy 1st time they played and lost to Tulsa. If Memphis had beaten both Tulane and ECU- along with Tulsa- they're 18-7 and in decent shape right now.
UConn is 14-10 right now.
lost in conference to Houston. They split with Cincy and Tulsa. If UConn had beaten Houston, and swept Cincy and Tulsa, they're 17-7 and in great shape right now- just win a few more games and they'd be a lock.
So I think if Memphis and UConn had been good, they would be in a lot better shape compared to Tulsa and Cincy as you see..
I'm not saying the AAC is having a good year, I'm just saying it's not a collapse like folks on here want it out to be. A Collapse is what's happened to the MWC since they were the #1 RPI conference. Right now, the MWC is #12, just below the MAC and MVC, and just ahead of the Big West. That's a collapse.
I think like Marquette said- Georgetown last year=UConn this year(though I think Georgetown was a bit better honestly- we'll see how UConn finishes things out). And Something about Memphis just doesn't seem right at the moment. Like I think we're going to see a major change there. It'll be interesting to see what they get to replace Pastner there. As I mentioned on the DePaul thread- not a lot of major jobs open this year from the looks of things. So could be a real good year to be looking with only 3-4 major jobs open.
No doubt we've had a great year. But to me, the reason why we've had a great year isn't that we will get 5 and maybe 6 teams in the tourney. It's more up top. Folks(including myself btw) focus way too much on the bubble. The Big East is having a great year because there is no doubt we're getting 4 teams and 4 higher seeded teams. The fact we have 4 top 22 teams in the RPI now means light years more than us getting 6 teams in. Even if somehow Xavier and or St John's don't make it- the fact that we have 4 much better seeded teams means this year is 10000% better than last year was.