Non-Big East Conference Realignment Thread v. 2017

[stever20]

Frankly, I'm not sure which prediction is more bogus - UConn going back to the Big East, or that the Big East will only have one Sweet 16 team this year.

Well given what seeds BE teams are looking at- don't know how bogus that prediction really is....

I mean look at Lunardi's bracket and outside of Nova, where is the lock for sweet 16?
Xavier who would have to face Indiana and Kentucky in Indianapolis?
Marquette who would have USC and Gonzaga in Salt Lake City?
Butler who would have Miami and West Virginia in Buffalo?
Creighton who would have Wake Forest and Florida in Orlando?
Seton Hall who would have to beat Illinois St, Duke, and Wisconsin in Milwaukee?

When you have only 1 top 4 seed, that's what happens.

[DudeAnon]

I love the Big East, but Villanova's success has thankfully erased the march woes of our conference.

Sweet 16 teams each year:
2013 - 0
2014 - 1
2015 - 1

So we are currently averaging less than 1 Sweet 16 team each year lol. And before Nova won the ship, this was the narrative of our conference nationwide. How soon we forget.

[SJHooper]

Only way I'd accept UConn back is if they agree to an absurdly high exit fee. This way, the worst case scenario for us is getting tons of money and having what we have now. We would also have to get more money from FOX to make it work. If they will not agree to a crazy high exit fee and FOX says they will not give more money if we add them, it's an easy no.

[RedStorm]

I think the rumors of UConn bolting benefit Wichita St and their desire to get into the AAC. The Shockers addition to that conference may be seen as upgrading AAC basketball sufficiently to keep UConn in the fold.
Also, if UConn actually leaves, Wichita St is a likely replacement along with UMass.


UConn would definitely bring more viewers to FS1 and fill up MSG during conference tourney. That's if they joined now, while they still have a fan base and national brand. If they wait until the next round of realignment sometime in the 20's, their program may have fallen so far and their glory days by then so far away and long ago that they wont have much to offer the BE and would be rejected. Especially with Creighton and Butler having established themselves as national brands by that point.

[Hall2012]

I was much more in favor of UConn to the Big East back when I felt they would add basketball quality and give us another perennial tournament team. They obviously still bring a strong brand and large following, which is a big plus, but where is their program at? Is the UConn we remember dead? Can they revitalize their program in the AAC? Would Big East membership get them back on track? Finishing 6th every year in a league that they quite frankly should be dominating concerns me.

If UConn was in the Big East this year, where would they finish? O/U 9th. (Remember, it would be out of 11)

[DudeAnon]

While I used to laugh at the thought of UCONN falling into irrelevancy. Watching Georgetown fall further every year makes me believe its not impossible.

[RedStorm]

While I used to laugh at the thought of UCONN falling into irrelevancy. Watching Georgetown fall further every year makes me believe its not impossible.

It happened to St. Johns. But as long as a program resides in a major conference, there is always a legitimate potential of revival with just a good coaching hire. Providence under Cooley is a good example. And they don't have nearly the legacy that St. Johns has, but they were able to make a talented hire and hold on to him for multiple seasons, that would not have been possible if they were A-10.

If youre a mid major however, prolonged suckyness is a program killer and because youre in a conf no one cares about, you don't get national recognition unless you are tourney quality. As opposed to schools like DePaul, which despite not being good for many years still has a good national brand recognition due to competing in a major conf.

If UConn were having Gonzaga like success in the AAC, it wouldn't matter. But if they fall into prolonged mediocrity in that conference they are finished.

[gtmoBlue]

More from FanRag... Article by Dan Stack.

http://www.fanragsports.com/cbb/uconn-r ... n-for-all/

Stack touts Rothstein's speculation as criteria for this move, citing such a marriage as "win-win", but he offers no evidence of any wins for the BE in this proposed arrangement. He offers no facts or Information which might indicate how such a move strengthens the Big East. This article comes across as a "Save UConn" campaign piece, especially given his closing line - as though someone other than UConn itself has responsibility for their continuing demise.

I'll wait on the next football five shakeout, or the Zags/Bonnies/Billikens accessions.

[Xudash]

The UCONN fan base is an interesting lot. Went to The Boneyard to check their reaction to the article.

You have to hand it to them - some of them think highly of themselves. They'll save the BE.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

If UConn was in the Big East this year, where would they finish? O/U 9th. (Remember, it would be out of 11)

UConn’s braggin’ days are behind them now.

UDPride RPI Rankings – Wednesday morning February 8th

2 – Villanova
7 - Butler
10 – Xavier
16 – Creighton
36 - Seton Hall

67 – Georgetown
73 – Providence
74 - Marquette
125 - St. John's
136 - Connecticut
235 – DePaul

RPI Forecast - American Athletic Conference – games through Monday February 6th

The Huskies are projected to finish with the 8th-best RPI Ranking in the 11-team AAC.

You have to hand it to them - some of them think highly of themselves. They'll save the BE.