VCU vs UVA

[stever20]

its funny you bring up George Mason and Wichita State. I was tempted to compare VCU to these exact two schools earlier. The funny thing is, they compare pretty well on paper. Honestly I believe the only thing that keeps VCU in the discussion and these team's out is the Richmond market. If VCU were in a bad market town aka Wichita or in the metro area of a city were we already have a team, they wouldn't be in the discussion plain and simple. It would be all Richmond. So like I said, this is about more than just basketball. Sure I agree to disagree with you Bill on the viability of VCU as a basketball program but they are playing good basketball right now but that can't be all we look at. I would much rather take a school that is a better fit as a whole than a team with not much to offer but a "good" basketball program.

Yes, agree to disagree, but the banter is fun and the challenge of disagreement is good exercise for the brain. I appreciate the different POV and the exchange of ideas.

VCU has been sending teams to the NCAA tournament every decade for 4 decades? Within the past decade alone, they have sent 6 different teams to the tournament with 3 different coaches. It was actually Anthony Grant's VCU team that upset Duke in 2007 that put them on the map before Shaka took them to the Final Four. You simply can't make the same statements about GMU or Wichita State either with regard to sustained success or with recent success under multiple coaches.

I think a bigger thing about VCU compared to what they did vs GMU after making the final 4 run. GMU fell off the face of the earth. VCU while not getting back to the final 4(yet)- has actually had better regular seasons since then.

[Pretzel]

Media: Only two teams from "Mid-major" conferences have all their games televised this year; VCU and Gonzaga.

MSG: To keep the Big East tournament at MSG you need butts in seats. VCU fans travel well and took over Barclay's during the A10 tournament and all of their home games have been sold out for years (pre-dating the Final 4 run). The VCU @ Virginia game was the first Virginia OOC sellout in 6 years. Yes, I know the Stu seats 7,700ish. They'll expand the Stu after building a new practice facility next year. FYI- Richmond just reduced their arena capacity to 7,000.

Basketball Pedigree: We all know what VCU has done so I won't rehash it here.

How do we know VCU will be good in the future: VCU currently has the 12th rated recruiting class with two top 100 recruits which just signed their LOI. They also currently have a top 100 freshman and sophomore.

Geography: "Big" and "East" accurately describes VCU.

Academics: Cough 'Seton Hall' cough 'Louisville'. VCU's academic profile is just fine.

VCU is public: So what, you've had public schools in your conference and will be playing against public schools forever.

Football: Not happening.

Interesting stats:

Four teams outside power 6 conferences have top-100 RPIs in each of the past 10 years: Gonzaga, UNLV, Memphis and VCU.

VCU, Kansas, and Memphis are the only programs to have 24 or more wins in each of the last 7 seasons.

[cm5yz6]

It is interesting to me that supporters of VCU joining the conference seem to feel that they need to incessantly show why they belong. Meanwhile, although there is some merit-slinging, Richmond and SLU fans are quieter. Maybe there is a point to the fact that these two fan bases don’t seem like they need to validate their potential inclusion every time there is a possible avenue to do so.

[DumpsterFireA10]

It is interesting to me that supporters of VCU joining the conference seem to feel that they need to incessantly show why they belong. Meanwhile, although there is some merit-slinging, Richmond and SLU fans are quieter. Maybe there is a point to the fact that these two fan bases don’t seem like they need to validate their potential inclusion every time there is a possible avenue to do so.

There are 2 camps of SLU fans who aren't saying much. One is the people who think that SLU is the next team in. The other is people who don't think there's going to be another expansion and are ignoring it.

[VCUJamaicanGuy]

First off, I come in peace. Not to troll. I enjoy pleasant banter about basketball with fellow posters. Any doubts? Ask the mods over at IllinoisLoyalty. I engaged them for a solid month with no ill will after VCU's FF run and Champaign was campaigning hard to score Shaka. I even stop back by on occasion to shoot the breeze.

Sidenote: I recently got a look at UR upgrade. They completely refurnished the seating area (Well done) - but took seats out to add in 4 massive screens at the corners. It's not FedEx Field - the additions seem a touch superfluous.

If you haven't seen it...take a look.


SLU/UR do bring solid rosters with them, but in this day and age of "what have you done for me lately and often" there's not much to speak of. VCU has acquired one of the youngest coaches in the game, brought him to Richmond, and he has started a family here. I've heard the comparison to Brad Steven's more times than I have credit hours from two degrees and there is none. It's ludicrous can take a few have done and extrapolate that to include everyone else in the game. Stevens is a pure player/coach. Smart is a pure academic and a mentalist. I'm not saying that because I heard it from the highest upon high from the school, I'm saying that because I have seen it with my own two eyes.

This past season, Shaka didn't ask for more money...when talk of negotiations came up, he asked for better amenities for his players, more money for his assistants. He is one of the most selfless, humble human beings I have ever met in person.

With that said, I do have a genuine question for those who are lobbying for SLU/UR. How does the addition of a public school dilute your basketball program? IMO, it all comes down to revenue and who can bring what to the table. I sincerely ask that if given the choice between a hypothetical public school that brings $50M to the conference and a hypothetical private school that brings $25M to the conference that everyone would choose the lesser revenue?

Cheers

[Natty]

Richmond and SLU fans are quieter.

It's called passion homie. You mad that VCU fans actually give a s#!t?

[DumpsterFireA10]

Richmond and SLU fans are quieter.

It's called passion homie. You mad that VCU fans actually give a s#!t?

SLU fans are just fine in that regard. I don't think a message board is going to affect realignment. It would be nice if it did...but we're all stuck with each other for awhile.

[Moliva]

Richmond and SLU fans are quieter.

It's called passion and marginal employment, homie.

FIFY.

[Moliva]

It is interesting to me that supporters of VCU joining the conference seem to feel that they need to incessantly show why they belong. Meanwhile, although there is some merit-slinging, Richmond and SLU fans are quieter. Maybe there is a point to the fact that these two fan bases don’t seem like they need to validate their potential inclusion every time there is a possible avenue to do so.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

[Dave]

You are all talking about the right criteria... sustained winning, Media presence, MSG presence, basketball pedigree, geography, academics, etc...

You are just talking about the wrong candidates. There is a program that is in the top 20 now, as usual, that should be our primary target.

VCU, SLU, Dayton, etc... don't compare.