Future BE Member Saint Louis vs St. Bonny A-10 Championship

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

We keep talking about Saint Louis.

They haven't been good outside of the Majerus years and a couple of years after he died with his recruits.

NET # 102 DePaul is going to the CBI Tournament.

NET # 103 Saint Louis is a #13 seed in the NCAA Tournament (along with the Northeastern Huskies, UC Irvine Anteaters, and Vermont Catamounts).

The Saint Louis Billikens are led by Senior starting players SF Javon Bess (15.3 PPG and 6.7 RPG), PG Tramaine Isabell Jr. (13.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 3.7 APG), and PF D.J. Foreman (5.9 PPG and 4.3 RPG), with Senior reserve SG Dion Wiley adding 4.7 PPG in 15 MPG.

I would expect Saint Louis to take a step backwards next season.

[cu blujs]

St. Louis is certainly on par with other BE schools from an academic standpoint. If they could show some upward momentum in bball the next couple of years, IMO they are the best fit in terms of bringing in new geographic area. There is a lot of bball talent there that goes elsewhere (and not necessarily to the cesspool they call the University of Missouri), which they may have a better chance of keeping at home if in the BE. Plus, one more game that's not half way across the country for Creighton. I had thought they were our toughest competition to getting into the BE when that was happening. Fortunately, they didn't have a shiny new arena, much recent success or great fan support at that time.

[adoraz]

Yeah, no weird choices like Dusquesne (not even sure how to spell that, just copy/pasted from earlier in this thread).

St. Louis is pretty likely, but they are still years away. No need to expand anytime soon.

[zebrapoodle23]

Congratulations to SLU, who really turned their season around in the past week with an excellent A10 Tournament. Travis Ford took at team that was dead last in the A10 three years ago, and has them dancing after an A10 Tournament championship in Year 3. Very impressive. There is little doubt that SLU is attempting to position itself for a future BE invitation. They have the basketball budget, the market and the institutional fit that the league desires and a home arena that is on-par with our membership. If/when they get basketball performing at a consistent level at the top of the A10, the dominoes will start to fall in their favor.

Personally, I would argue that the time is now, this Spring, to add an eleventh member. Doing so would allow our membership to increase its content, move to a 20-game conference schedule (while still keeping the round robin), and increase our presence at MSG for the Big East Tournament. By selling out every session of this year's conference tournament, the next step of our league's growth *should* be to increase the amount of games we have there. SLU has consistently traveled well to Brooklyn for the A10 Tournament, and there is little doubt that it would continue in the Big East. Additionally, our league membership would be adding a peer institution - a private, Jesuit school, with strong academics, a high enrollment and endowment, is located in a top media market (which now does not have an NFL team during the winter months to take away interest), and that is also rising to be one of the top men's basketball programs in the A10.

The mathematical data supports an addition to the league as increasing the average number of bids per year. Grabbing SLU in the near-term, especially after they have earned another tournament bid, would allow them to earn a portion of our current television (which our TV contract allows) and grow into becoming a strong and valuable member of the Big East long-term (just as Butler, Creighton and Xavier have) in advance of our next television deal.

I just don't see how they would fare any better than depaul? DePaul had more basketball history prior to joining the big east and they've only once finished with a winning record in conference play since joining - in fact, they've finished last in 9 out of the 14 season they've been a member. Would it really be beneficial to the league to add another bottom dweller in regards to the big east brand? I feel like it would make more sense to see what happens to UCONN in the next tv deal to see if they'd consider dropping their FB program rather than rushing to add a meddling A-10 school who isn't going anywhere else in the interim.

[gtmoBlue]

If we had 2 more bottom-dwellers this year...Creighton and Xavier or Xavier and Providence would be dancing this week. Boost the middle by adding a couple of bottom feeders. Bring on SLu and St Bonnies to boost our middle tier up and in doing so make our average bids rise from 5 to 7 a year.

I'd personally add 3 teams: Zags, SLU. and St Bonnies (or Northeastern or BU).

Boost the middle tier please...

[GoldenWarrior11]

Congratulations to SLU, who really turned their season around in the past week with an excellent A10 Tournament. Travis Ford took at team that was dead last in the A10 three years ago, and has them dancing after an A10 Tournament championship in Year 3. Very impressive. There is little doubt that SLU is attempting to position itself for a future BE invitation. They have the basketball budget, the market and the institutional fit that the league desires and a home arena that is on-par with our membership. If/when they get basketball performing at a consistent level at the top of the A10, the dominoes will start to fall in their favor.

Personally, I would argue that the time is now, this Spring, to add an eleventh member. Doing so would allow our membership to increase its content, move to a 20-game conference schedule (while still keeping the round robin), and increase our presence at MSG for the Big East Tournament. By selling out every session of this year's conference tournament, the next step of our league's growth *should* be to increase the amount of games we have there. SLU has consistently traveled well to Brooklyn for the A10 Tournament, and there is little doubt that it would continue in the Big East. Additionally, our league membership would be adding a peer institution - a private, Jesuit school, with strong academics, a high enrollment and endowment, is located in a top media market (which now does not have an NFL team during the winter months to take away interest), and that is also rising to be one of the top men's basketball programs in the A10.

The mathematical data supports an addition to the league as increasing the average number of bids per year. Grabbing SLU in the near-term, especially after they have earned another tournament bid, would allow them to earn a portion of our current television (which our TV contract allows) and grow into becoming a strong and valuable member of the Big East long-term (just as Butler, Creighton and Xavier have) in advance of our next television deal.

I just don't see how they would fare any better than depaul? DePaul had more basketball history prior to joining the big east and they've only once finished with a winning record in conference play since joining - in fact, they've finished last in 9 out of the 14 season they've been a member. Would it really be beneficial to the league to add another bottom dweller in regards to the big east brand? I feel like it would make more sense to see what happens to UCONN in the next tv deal to see if they'd consider dropping their FB program rather than rushing to add a meddling A-10 school who isn't going anywhere else in the interim.

DePaul had been to only four NCAA Tournaments from 1990-2005. Their downfall began before being invited to the Big East. Their remarkable ability to remain at the bottom of the conference for nearly fifteen years can be traced back to leadership and administration, which is its own topic. Saint Louis has been to four NCAA Tournaments this decade, and have clearly placed strong resources into its basketball program - between its basketball arena (Chaifetz Arena - which also seats 10k) and hiring of proven, successful, high-major head coaches in Rick Majerus and Travis Ford. SLU has also had stronger attendance figures than DePaul even after opening Wintrust. However, while adding a program like SLU would not be adding a blue blood to men's basketball by any means, it would not be adding a definitive cellar dweller either; it would be adding a peer institution that would provide value in terms of content and exposure, not to mention increasing the number of bids our conference receives on a yearly basis. Even if they were to finish last in a given year, which is definitely possible, it still provides the Big East value in terms of its media market, the new content it would give membership, and the ability to increase the conference's presence in NYC (for which SLU has a strong alumni presence). And, hey, if they did finish last, that would mean DePaul wouldn't... that's another win for them.

UConn should now be taken off the table, IMO. Their new President has committed to football and the new AAC TV deal appears to be $7 million annually, which buys them time into the next decade before another round of realignment is likely. Additionally, with each passing year, and the ability of the current configuration of the Big East to remain a top basketball conference, any semblance of possible interest and/or attraction between both parties fades more and more. The conference should remain a Privates-only conference, in order to maintain its institutional identity. As time goes on, their fit in our conference gets further unsuitable.

[SJU1987]

We have to catch up with the ACC and nothing less than Gonzaga or UConn will do. Why would anybody suggest St. Bonnie ? seems people wanna add certain teams because they got relatives going there. Crazy selfish !

[Mufan15]

Yeah, no weird choices like Dusquesne (not even sure how to spell that, just copy/pasted from earlier in this thread).

St. Louis is pretty likely, but they are still years away. No need to expand anytime soon.

This. The great thing about the teams that fit in the big east is that the big east can get them whenever. No need to worry about another league poaching them first. Wait a few years and someone in the A10 will put together a few straight years of national relevancy, at which point the big east can extend the invite. The big east shouldn’t invite a university under the theory that the big east conference affiliation will bring them to the next level. That is the type of thinking that got the big ten stuck with Rutgers.

[DudeAnon]

I really think the "private" and "catholic" factors really need to be thrown out. The criteria really are simply: basketball pedigree, media market.

Personally, SLU just doesn't do it for me. I would take Dayton or VCU before SLU simply based on how invested their fanbases are in their success.

[Xudash]

Yeah, no weird choices like Dusquesne (not even sure how to spell that, just copy/pasted from earlier in this thread).

St. Louis is pretty likely, but they are still years away. No need to expand anytime soon.

This. The great thing about the teams that fit in the big east is that the big east can get them whenever. No need to worry about another league poaching them first. Wait a few years and someone in the A10 will put together a few straight years of national relevancy, at which point the big east can extend the invite. The big east shouldn’t invite a university under the theory that the big east conference affiliation will bring them to the next level. That is the type of thinking that got the big ten stuck with Rutgers.

Completely agree with your first two sentences: we can get them based on our timetable, because they have no good options for moving.

Beyond that, I started thinking about the idea that a program in the A10, as it now exists and in today's reality, could string together a few straight years of (national) relevancy. On the face of it, I have to agree with you, because anything is possible. BUT look at what has transpired from recent time to very recently. Recent time: there is so much money in college basketball now that everyone, including football oriented schools wants in on it. TN and Auburn for the SEC Championship? Sure, why not.

The "very recently" thing is all about 20 conference game schedules being engineered by the P5 directly, and indirectly by the Big East and Big XII, if you will. The point? Non-P5 schools are getting squeezed for quality wins. Overall, the window is much less open for mid-majors to position themselves for success. They can get the next great coach who may take them through their conference and into the NCAAT for a good run, but how long will he stick around until a great offer with a lot of money behind it comes along.

Anything is possible, but I would be a very frustrated college basketball fan were my favorite team not one of the P5 or Big East schools.

Finally, I absolutely agree with you that it isn't the Big East's job to elevate a program. We have a very valuable brand and thing going on here. If you add, you add to add strength. Make it accretive. This should never be about dilution. Obviously, that makes it even harder for a mid-major not named Gonzaga to move up, if Gonzaga is still technically considered to be a mid-major.