Will B12 additions free UCONN to join Big East?

[Bill Marsh]

Seriously, can we put the Gonzaga to Big East talks to bed? If we wanted them they would already be in the conference.

It's not about Gonzaga to the Big East. It's about New Mexico to the AAC.

[DemonLS]

I know all of you criticize DePaul due to their terrible performance on the court for the last 20+ years. But the funny thing is that DePaul should be the top team in this conference every year with the local talent that Chicago has.

If DePaul gets that right coach in place and they recruit the way the other schools recruit ($$$), then they will pick up their program and this conference tremendously.

DePaul and Chicago are investing HUGE dollars for this new state-of-the-art stadium and it NEEDS to be filled.

I have been attending DePaul games since 1968 and I have seen the transformation of success that this program can obtain. Chicago is the best sports city in this country and the media here loves its winners.

For all conference members, it will help everyone if Chicago is back in play for the Big East.

[HoosierPal]

I have been attending DePaul games since 1968 and I have seen the transformation of success that this program can obtain. Chicago is the best sports city in this country and the media here loves its winners.

1) Man you are old!!
2) Ray Meyers, one of the best, and unfortunately, somewhat forgotten, coaches of all time.
3) Dave Corzine. A bull in a china closet. What more can I say!!

[billyjack]

I know all of you criticize DePaul due to their terrible performance on the court for the last 20+ years. But the funny thing is that DePaul should be the top team in this conference every year with the local talent that Chicago has.

If DePaul gets that right coach in place and they recruit the way the other schools recruit ($$$), then they will pick up their program and this conference tremendously.

DePaul and Chicago are investing HUGE dollars for this new state-of-the-art stadium and it NEEDS to be filled.

I have been attending DePaul games since 1968 and I have seen the transformation of success that this program can obtain. Chicago is the best sports city in this country and the media here loves its winners.

For all conference members, it will help everyone if Chicago is back in play for the Big East.

I agree, DePaul is a sleeping giant. They have the potential to be a top national program. It's amazing that they've struggled so bad over the last 5+ years. Not sure Purnell has the ability to take them there... actually I'm pretty sure he can't. I'd like to see a list of coaching candidates that you think could turn them around.

We had a thread a while back on this topic. The coach could be a Chicago version of Masiello at Manhattan... young, ambitious, demanding... or an older established winner like Ben Howland... though Purnell is in the general Howland mold and that hasn't worked out... too bad Phil Jackson didn't feel like taking a project like this on, sorta like Larry Brown did...

[stever20]

It's been more than just 5 years. 2 NCAA tourney bids in the last 22 years. 3 in the last 23 years(or since they stopped being an independent). 13/19 years(since they joined CUSA)- they've finished with a losing record.

I think it's got to be an established coach quite frankly. They've gone the young coach route before- and it's burned them big time.

The thing I wonder about the Chicago talent- is it something where folks want to get out of there- where even if DePaul was a viable option- they still would leave- just to get out of Chicago.

[herodotus]

I know all of you criticize DePaul due to their terrible performance on the court for the last 20+ years. But the funny thing is that DePaul should be the top team in this conference every year with the local talent that Chicago has.

If DePaul gets that right coach in place and they recruit the way the other schools recruit ($$$), then they will pick up their program and this conference tremendously.

DePaul and Chicago are investing HUGE dollars for this new state-of-the-art stadium and it NEEDS to be filled.

I have been attending DePaul games since 1968 and I have seen the transformation of success that this program can obtain. Chicago is the best sports city in this country and the media here loves its winners.

For all conference members, it will help everyone if Chicago is back in play for the Big East.

A lot of truth here. Of course, that same could be said about St. John's. Houston in the AAC is another. The city of Houston is loaded with talent. The Cougars should never be a bad team.

[herodotus]

For whoever just compared SHU, PC, and DePaul to Tulsa, I have a few questions. When's the last time Tulsa had a top 10 recruit class (SHU has one now)? When's the last time Tulsa was ranked (SHU was just ranked a few years ago and nearly every other Big East team within the past 5 years)? When's the last time Tulsa won a legit conference (PC just won the Big East)?

SHU and PC are clearly above Tulsa. I can't even remember hearing the name "Tulsa" spoken in the college hoops world or hearing about any major recruits going there. Maybe it's because I'm only 25, since I hear they used to be pretty good back in the day. DePaul can be compared to Tulsa, but not SHU or PC at this point.

Avg KenPom Rating last 7 years:
Seton Hall 83.1
Providence 83.9
Tulsa 92.9
St. Johns 98.4
DePaul 175.0

This proves my point. Very little difference in the top 4 teams on that list. If SJU, SH, and PC are not "slop", then neither is Tulsa.

[Bill Marsh]

For whoever just compared SHU, PC, and DePaul to Tulsa, I have a few questions. When's the last time Tulsa had a top 10 recruit class (SHU has one now)? When's the last time Tulsa was ranked (SHU was just ranked a few years ago and nearly every other Big East team within the past 5 years)? When's the last time Tulsa won a legit conference (PC just won the Big East)?

SHU and PC are clearly above Tulsa. I can't even remember hearing the name "Tulsa" spoken in the college hoops world or hearing about any major recruits going there. Maybe it's because I'm only 25, since I hear they used to be pretty good back in the day. DePaul can be compared to Tulsa, but not SHU or PC at this point.

Avg KenPom Rating last 7 years:
Seton Hall 83.1
Providence 83.9
Tulsa 92.9
St. Johns 98.4
DePaul 175.0

This proves my point. Very little difference in the top 4 teams on that list. If SJU, SH, and PC are not "slop", then neither is Tulsa.

Yes, Tulsa was better this year than some gave them credit for. But otherwise, it's a small sample that proves nothing. PC's BE title this year was far more high profile than Tulsa's CUSA championship in an irrelevant league.

Tulsa is a small school in a smallish state in which they can't compete with OK State and OU. Their history even when successful is that of a second tier school that has had some success in mid major conferences, which is the only way they've gotten to the tournament.

Comparing them to Big East schools is absurd. They just won a CUSA title and their coach got out of town as fast as he could. They hadn't done anything for a decade before that. Their new coach was this close to being fired by his former school. They celebrated when he left. They've never been to a Final Four. They've been to one Elite 8 in school history back in 2000. Guess what? St. John's (1999), Providence (1997), and Seton Hall (1991) all went to Elite 8's within the same decade as well. The difference is that all of those schools as well as DePaul have rich histories of national prominence with Final Fours and NIT titles that Tulsa doesn't have. All of them are located in markets where they have a major presence with a much higher profile than Tulsa has in their market.

If/when any of the 4 BE schools mentioned rises to national prominence, the story will lead with, " They're finally back . . ." No one will ever talk about Tulsa being back because they've never been there.

Meanwhile Tulsa, a private school with 3000 students is devoting its resources to its attempts to compete in football in a league full of state universities and in a conference with small revenue from its TV contract. The deck is stacked against them. The Big East schools are bringing in revenue from a lucrative TV contract and all of it is going toward building their basketball program. All of them have quality coaches who want to be there and who are well paid for their efforts. Tulsa? Please. . .

[stever20]

You do understand Bill that Tulsa will be on TV more this year than they have been in the last 4-5 years by a wide margin. That's something you want to completely ignore. That's something that just can't be ignored. People here always want to bring up the money, but the exposure is far more important for programs like Tulsa. On one of the ESPN's at least 17 times this year. 4 more on CBSSN. Think about that. Last year they were on TV(to include conference final) 11 times. So this year will be DOUBLE what they got last year. That will help their recruiting big time. Same with programs like UCF, ECU, etc.

I think one thing also that shows is how poor the Big East TV deal was for us a few years ago. The AAC's deal is better than what the Big East had. By a mile.

[notkirkcameron]

Yes, Tulsa was better this year than some gave them credit for. But otherwise, it's a small sample that proves nothing. PC's BE title this year was far more high profile than Tulsa's CUSA championship in an irrelevant league.

Tulsa is a small school in a smallish state in which they can't compete with OK State and OU. Their history even when successful is that of a second tier school that has had some success in mid major conferences, which is the only way they've gotten to the tournament.

Comparing them to Big East schools is absurd. They just won a CUSA title and their coach got out of town as fast as he could. They hadn't done anything for a decade before that. Their new coach was this close to being fired by his former school. They celebrated when he left. They've never been to a Final Four. They've been to one Elite 8 in school history back in 2000. Guess what? St. John's (1999), Providence (1997), and Seton Hall (1991) all went to Elite 8's within the same decade as well. The difference is that all of those schools as well as DePaul have rich histories of national prominence with Final Fours and NIT titles that Tulsa doesn't have. All of them are located in markets where they have a major presence with a much higher profile than Tulsa has in their market.

If/when any of the 4 BE schools mentioned rises to national prominence, the story will lead with, " They're finally back . . ." No one will ever talk about Tulsa being back because they've never been there.

Meanwhile Tulsa, a private school with 3000 students is devoting its resources to its attempts to compete in football in a league full of state universities and in a conference with small revenue from its TV contract. The deck is stacked against them. The Big East schools are bringing in revenue from a lucrative TV contract and all of it is going toward building their basketball program. All of them have quality coaches who want to be there and who are well paid for their efforts. Tulsa? Please. . .

It's also "A Slut" spelled backwards. Never forget.