Conference realignment discussion - v. 2015

[billyjack]

Not including yesterday's games, the American without SMU had an RPI no higher than .5290, which would put it .0113 lower than the A-10 at .5403... The Colonial is at .5246, which is only .0044 lower than the AAC (again, if you remove SMU... and again, this is before yesterday's games).

[Warrior Ram]

If the BE decides to expand at some point, Dayton and SLU would be the obvious choices assuming the latter had a solid plan in place to improve its basketball product. I say this as both a VCU grad and fan.

My ideal version of expansion would include the addition of those two plus VCU and Richmond, for reasons that many others have stated. As a long-time fan of a current BE program though, I don't envision this happening.

I think, all things considered:

1) The BE should not and will not expand unless absolutely necessary.
2) The A10 should continue to improve its brand as the top basketball-centric conference outside of the Power 6.
3) Fans of my alma mater, including myself, should thank their lucky stars that a series of extremely unlikely events unfolded over the past 5+ years leading to an eventual invitation to a perennial multi-bid conference.

I have accepted the fact that we have probably reached our ceiling (at least without football in the current college athletics landscape) and am content with that.

But hey, do at least consider us dirty secular public-educated hipsters the next go-around. I promise we aren't too awful.

The thing that will be interesting to watch here in the next few years is which of the A10 or AAC will be considered as the best basketball conference PERIOD outside of the power 6. This year it's extremely close between the 2. RPI has A10 up by .0028. KP and Sagarin have AAC up. Both are going to wind up in the 2-4 bid range.

The top of the AAC is certainly stronger. The A10 probably has a slight advantage from top to bottom this year but it's not by much. I'm optimistic that George Mason and Fordham will improve with their new coaching situations while La Salle's struggles seem like a blip due to personnel issues. More schools including UMass and VCU are beginning to pull in 4* recruits. The SLU situation is really what scares me. Obviously, there will also be programs that fall over the next few years.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Cincy and UConn. I can't imagine they stay in the AAC for long, especially if there is another round of P5 expansion. With the departure of those two and possibly SMU I'd have to think the A10 would stand alone outside of the P6. I also wouldn't be opposed to adding a team or two from the OVC or MAAC if it made sense for the conference.

[Xudash]

If the BE decides to expand at some point, Dayton and SLU would be the obvious choices assuming the latter had a solid plan in place to improve its basketball product. I say this as both a VCU grad and fan.

My ideal version of expansion would include the addition of those two plus VCU and Richmond, for reasons that many others have stated. As a long-time fan of a current BE program though, I don't envision this happening.

I think, all things considered:

1) The BE should not and will not expand unless absolutely necessary.
2) The A10 should continue to improve its brand as the top basketball-centric conference outside of the Power 6.
3) Fans of my alma mater, including myself, should thank their lucky stars that a series of extremely unlikely events unfolded over the past 5+ years leading to an eventual invitation to a perennial multi-bid conference.

I have accepted the fact that we have probably reached our ceiling (at least without football in the current college athletics landscape) and am content with that.

But hey, do at least consider us dirty secular public-educated hipsters the next go-around. I promise we aren't too awful.

Agree with #1. I don't see it happening for a long time, if ever.

Agree with #2. You are facing 2 issues that the A10 has faced for many years: terrible television money and coverage and too many bottom dwellers that won't or can't invest in their programs.

Programs like UMASS and SLU have to get back on track. St. Joe's needs more consistency. Richmond has the capacity to be consistently good. Those programs along with VCU and UD will help the A10 compete for positioning against the AAC. Overall, the A10 should maintain its multi-bid status, but it probably will always be challenged in the area of seed positioning.

[gtmoBlue]

When the C7 broke away from UConn, Cincinnati, USF, Memphis, Tulane, UCF, Temple, SMU and Houston, there was a clear reason why they invited Butler, Creighton and Xavier. While all had strong and consistent basketball programs (and no football), outstanding support and fan bases from three big cities, all three were private schools, and two were Catholic (Jesuit).

Not to take anything away from VCU - strong basketball program, solid history, excellent facilities, great fans, etc. - but they won't be invited to the Big East because they are a public school. They don't fit the institutional profile of the conference. Presidents care about that, and they are the ones who sign off on the expansion candidates. I know a lot of basketball fans will argue with that, but it is what it is.

A lot of basketball fans will also argue that Saint Louis and Dayton are NOT the top candidates currently available - but they most certainly are because they fit institutionally, academically, geographically and athletically with the schools currently in the conference. That doesn't mean that they will definitely be added, but they are top two candidates today (even though I don't think the Big East will expand in the next few years).

St. Bonaventure wins at No. 15 Dayton, adding big win to profile!
http://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/ ... o-profile/

Go (Big) Bonnie's!

Certainly SLU and UD "fit", but both are programs on the decline hoops-wise. I'd prefer...when expansion occurs next season or 2017, the Zags and Duke. If one or both are not available yet, then SLU or St Bonnie to fill a bottom slot... and well, okay...Dayton to fill a middle/lower middle slot next to Butler, Prov, and Villanova. Just Sayin'.

[BEX]

bad week for the fayers:

http://cbssports.com/images/daytonfayers.png

[Xudash]

bad week for the fayers:

http://cbssports.com/images/daytonfayers.png

Ha! How on earth did you photoshop that? There is no way they could screw up that badly.

Well, that's not exactly true: how can the Fayers take themselves so seriously and then lose to the Bonnie's at home.

[GreatDaneAttorney]

They flip the cards... one side reads DAYTON the other FLYERS

[billyjack]

Right, one side of the cards read "DAYTON".
The other side read "FLYERS".
The second cheerleader had her card facing the wrong way.

[stever20]

Not including yesterday's games, the American without SMU had an RPI no higher than .5290, which would put it .0113 lower than the A-10 at .5403... The Colonial is at .5246, which is only .0044 lower than the AAC (again, if you remove SMU... and again, this is before yesterday's games).

the thing is you can't just act like SMU isn't there. You might, but 99.9% of the folks do see SMU in the AAC. all the metrics include SMU being in the AAC. AAC teams certainly are benefitting from SMU being in the AAC. Tulsa and UConn are certainly benefitting. Cincy could as well. SMU may very well be the reason why the AAC gets 4 teams in the tourney.

[billyjack]

Not including yesterday's games, the American without SMU had an RPI no higher than .5290, which would put it .0113 lower than the A-10 at .5403... The Colonial is at .5246, which is only .0044 lower than the AAC (again, if you remove SMU... and again, this is before yesterday's games).

the thing is you can't just act like SMU isn't there. You might, but 99.9% of the folks do see SMU in the AAC. all the metrics include SMU being in the AAC. AAC teams certainly are benefitting from SMU being in the AAC. Tulsa and UConn are certainly benefitting. Cincy could as well. SMU may very well be the reason why the AAC gets 4 teams in the tourney.

The thing that will be interesting to watch here in the next few years is which of the A10 or AAC will be considered as the best basketball conference PERIOD outside of the power 6. This year it's extremely close between the 2. RPI has A10 up by .0028. KP and Sagarin have AAC up. Both are going to wind up in the 2-4 bid range.

My SMU comments were in response to your question (just above) about which non-Big-6 conference would be stronger in the years to come. In fairness to the A-10, you can't use the success of a team that cheats like SMU to use in a conference strength discussion.

My SMU comments had nothing to do with tourney bids this year.