stever20 wrote:GumbyDamnit! wrote:stever20 wrote:gotta absolutely love how folks are ok comparing the Big East to the AAC in recruiting, but don't want to have them in any comparisons during the actual season. Just sayin......
Here's the thing Stever, there really is no comparison at this point. Why do you think that is? I mean I would expect a gap between the conferences, but the past couple of years the AAC has brought in very little top end talent at all. Some of these are (once) proud programs. What's going on in your opinion?
Really it's been 2 classes that weren't great at all- 2016 and 2017. It'll be interesting to see how this year winds up recruiting wise for them.
I think the big thing will be going forward will be can UConn get back to winning not titles- but not losing those dumb OOC games like they have the last few years. I think last year those early OOC losses just killed the season. And Wichita gives the AAC a golden chance to have a top notch team who can go far in the tourney. And if that happens, recruiting will follow.
I do think similar to the big east, the AAC is getting a good bit of guys transferring in. I mean, the best guy in the AAC last year was probably that guy from SMU- Ojeleye. He transferred in from Duke. Another top 5 player was a guy who transferred in from NC State. Transfer guys aren't really counted in the recruiting battles.
The transfer scene is a good point. It is not captured in recruiting rankings. Perhaps that is what will fuel some success over there. The BE has certainly found a lot of success in the transfer market, so there's no reason that the AAC can't do the same.
In UCONN's case though, it has seemed like along with a poor 2016-17 classes they've lost a few guys they were once very high on. 3 guys transferring out just this year. Now they're looking at the JUCO guys. SMH. This is a program that used to compete with the high majors for recruits. Same with Memphis. Say what you will about Pastner but he could recruit at a very high level (as did Calipari before him). Fran Dunphy is really struggling recruiting at Temple. When was the last Top 25-50 kid that they brought in? You may be right that WSU needs to carry that league for a year or two and hope for their success to rub off.
I think the bigger problem for the AAC is branding and identity. Take Temple for example. They are trying so hard to transform from a GREAT BB school into a FB school. They are draining their athletic budgets, cutting every non-revenue generating sport in their wake, trying to grab the brass ring of major college / P5 FB. But I just don't see it ever happening. Same with UCONN. As a BB recruit you might be lured in to the fun of fall weekends on campus at a FB-focused school. But why be a 2nd fiddle at a school like Temple or Memphis where the product is just so-so? The message of the BE resonates with so many kids who want to be the top dogs on campus, deferring to no one. They want to play in a league where there is energy and a buzz, where several teams play March and are on national TV every night. One thing I will concede to you is that it is probably better for the BE to have other conferences that are not FB P5 be successful so there is no change of a breakaway from the NCAA. But I just don't think the AAC is up to the task right now. And their recruiting kind of supports that belief.