Hypothetically, Growing MBB Program?

[gosports1]

I'm a little surprised that no one in the east (at least as far as I know) has made any attempt to step up their program

[NJRedman]

I'm a little surprised that no one in the east (at least as far as I know) has made any attempt to step up their program

Me too, very surprised a few A-10 teams and even those at the top of some of the smaller eastern conferences haven't tried to impress the BE. Duquesne is the biggest surprise for me. I mean the BE would LOVE to get into that market and they would be a cultural fit if they just showed even a pulse. Schools like Detroit-Mercy, BU, Sienna and a few others could garner some attention if they upgraded facilities and put some real money into their programs. Just look at Rutgers, location and spending money to upgrade facilities got them a Big Ten invite.

[stever20]

I'm a little surprised that no one in the east (at least as far as I know) has made any attempt to step up their program

Me too, very surprised a few A-10 teams and even those at the top of some of the smaller eastern conferences haven't tried to impress the BE. Duquesne is the biggest surprise for me. I mean the BE would LOVE to get into that market and they would be a cultural fit if they just showed even a pulse. Schools like Detroit-Mercy, BU, Sienna and a few others could garner some attention if they upgraded facilities and put some real money into their programs. Just look at Rutgers, location and spending money to upgrade facilities got them a Big Ten invite.

completely agree with you guys on this. And like Redman said, Duquesne is at such a location that if they did anything solid, they would be looked at quite favorably.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

Duquesne is the biggest surprise for me. I mean the BE would LOVE to get into that market and they would be a cultural fit if they just showed even a pulse.

And like Redman said, Duquesne is at such a location that if they did anything solid, they would be looked at quite favorably.

The last three seasons that Duquesne won 20 or more games were 1970-71, 1980-81, and 2008-09.

The last time that Duquesne appeared in the NCAA Tournament was in 1977 when the Dukes went 15-15 (3-7), and Duquesne's last NCAA win was in 1969.

Final Post-Tournament RPI Rankings – UDPride.com - April 4, 2017 - Atlantic 10 Conference

RPI Rank, Team, RPI Rating, Overall W-L Record

26 - Virginia Commonwealth .6046 26-9
31 - Rhode Island .5979 25-10
36 - Dayton .5942 23-8
72 - Richmond .5524 22-13
89 - Davidson .5382 17-15
91 - St. Bonaventure .5379 20-12
109 - George Washington .5261 20-15
123 - George Mason .5210 19-14
143 - La Salle .5130 15-15
194 - Massachusetts .4876 15-18
203 - St. Joseph's (PA) .4808 11-20
215 - Fordham .4721 12-19
247 - Saint Louis .4524 12-21
266 - Duquesne .4395 10-22

Final Atlantic 10 Average Home Attendance – Atlantic 10 Conference – March 24, 2017

Dayton - 13,018
VCU - 7637
Richmond - 6317
Saint Louis - 5593
Rhode Island - 5173
St. Bonaventure - 4274
George Mason - 4235
Davidson - 4231
Saint Joseph's - 4179
Massachusetts - 3297
George Washington - 3150
La Salle - 2283
Fordham - 1657
Duquesne - 1218

The Pittsburgh sports fans follow the city’s professional teams, the hometown Panthers, and the Nittany Lions. That is very unlikely to change in the future.

[MullinMayhem]

I know many have said this before, but we are now in a position of power now that the big football schools left. We have all the leverage now and we can pick and choose programs if we want them. The nation is realizing that a basketball-centered conference without football can still be a major conference nationally. Why settle for Dayton when UConn is flirting with us? Why settle for Duquense (or however you spell it) when Gonzaga may be able to be had? We should only be focusing on programs that we can plug into the conference and will add immediate competition. Known brands nationally. Why take a project like St. Louis that can easily become DePaul 2.0? That would water us down. This is a longshot, but you never know the way realignment is going if eventually schools like BC, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Maryland, etc. are on the outside looking in. These are schools that will never consistently compete in football but have the potential (or already have) for strong basketball programs. Maybe there will only be football conferences of blue bloods like Ohio State, Michigan, USC, Alabama, etc. and the little guys mentioned above get cut. Those teams i.e. BC, WF, etc. are closer to FCS than BCS in football. Maybe at some point after losing so much money and realizing they will never compete with Alabama especially with some being tiny private schools, they pull the plug and focus on hoops. My point is, only take legit programs.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

Why settle for Dayton when UConn is flirting with us?

This is a longshot, but you never know the way realignment is going if eventually schools like BC, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Maryland, etc. are on the outside looking in. These are schools that will never consistently compete in football but have the potential (or already have) for strong basketball programs. Maybe there will only be football conferences of blue bloods like Ohio State, Michigan, USC, Alabama, etc. and the little guys mentioned above get cut. Those teams i.e. BC, WF, etc. are closer to FCS than BCS in football. Maybe at some point after losing so much money and realizing they will never compete with Alabama especially with some being tiny private schools, they pull the plug and focus on hoops.

(1) UConn is not flirting with the Big East, is not downgrading football in the foreseeable future, and appears to be stuck in the AAC for all eternity.

(2) The addition of Wichita State makes the AAC a much better and attractive basketball conference (at least until Greg Marshall retires or moves on).

(3) Boston College, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Maryland, etc. are getting $25 million per year or more in TV rights contracts and have wealthy, influential alumni that would prevent them from downgrading football or leaving a P5 conference. These schools cannot be expelled from a P5 conference.

(4) UConn has a much better basketball résumé than Dayton, but the Huskies' glory days are behind them now:

4-Year Average Final RPI Ranking - Team ( 2013-14 RPI Ranking • 2014-15 RPI Ranking • 2015-16 RPI Ranking • 2016-17 RPI Ranking )

4 - Villanova ( 8 • 6 • 2 • 3 )
29 - Xavier ( 56 • 28 • 8 • 27 )
31 - Dayton ( 33 • 29 • 25 • 36 )
41 - Providence ( 46 • 25 • 32 • 61 )

60 - UConn ( 5 • 81 • 33 • 121 )
62 - Butler ( 154 • 30 • 53 • 13 )
75 - Creighton ( 17 • 157 • 94 • 32 )
77 - Seton Hall ( 136 • 103 • 23 • 46 )
79 - Georgetown ( 75 • 24 • 103 • 115 )

104 - Marquette ( 94 • 145 • 111 • 67 )
131 - St. John's ( 82 • 52 • 245 • 148 )
186 - Saint Louis ( 19 • 273 • 207 • 247 )
197 - DePaul ( 157 • 197 • 201 • 236 )

[DudeAnon]

Why settle for Dayton when UConn is flirting with us?

This is a longshot, but you never know the way realignment is going if eventually schools like BC, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Maryland, etc. are on the outside looking in. These are schools that will never consistently compete in football but have the potential (or already have) for strong basketball programs. Maybe there will only be football conferences of blue bloods like Ohio State, Michigan, USC, Alabama, etc. and the little guys mentioned above get cut. Those teams i.e. BC, WF, etc. are closer to FCS than BCS in football. Maybe at some point after losing so much money and realizing they will never compete with Alabama especially with some being tiny private schools, they pull the plug and focus on hoops.

(1) UConn is not flirting with the Big East, is not downgrading football in the foreseeable future, and appears to be stuck in the AAC for all eternity.

(2) The addition of Wichita State makes the AAC a much better and attractive basketball conference (at least until Greg Marshall retires or moves on).

(3) Boston College, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Maryland, etc. are getting $25 million per year or more in TV rights contracts and have wealthy, influential alumni that would prevent them from downgrading football or leaving a P5 conference. These schools cannot be expelled from a P5 conference.

(4) UConn has a much better basketball résumé than Dayton, but the Huskies' glory days are behind them now:

4-Year Average Final RPI Ranking - Team ( 2013-14 RPI Ranking • 2014-15 RPI Ranking • 2015-16 RPI Ranking • 2016-17 RPI Ranking )

4 - Villanova ( 8 • 6 • 2 • 3 )
29 - Xavier ( 56 • 28 • 8 • 27 )
31 - Dayton ( 33 • 29 • 25 • 36 )
41 - Providence ( 46 • 25 • 32 • 61 )

60 - UConn ( 5 • 81 • 33 • 121 )
62 - Butler ( 154 • 30 • 53 • 13 )
75 - Creighton ( 17 • 157 • 94 • 32 )
77 - Seton Hall ( 136 • 103 • 23 • 46 )
79 - Georgetown ( 75 • 24 • 103 • 115 )

104 - Marquette ( 94 • 145 • 111 • 67 )
131 - St. John's ( 82 • 52 • 245 • 148 )
186 - Saint Louis ( 19 • 273 • 207 • 247 )
197 - DePaul ( 157 • 197 • 201 • 236 )

Don't compare Dayton to UCONN, it will never bode well for you. Dayton was mediocre before Archie and we have to see how they will be after Archie. UCONN has 4 Championships in 20 years. And multiple reporters have confirmed that UCONN had talks about rejoining the Big East but couldn't get it done just yet. They are going to play out the conference realignment and if they miss out again they are almost assuredly rejoining the Big East.

[Hall2012]

The east coast school I would love to see upgrade its facilities in an effort to impress the Big East is Holy Cross. I don't know how PC would feel about the idea of another New England school in the Big East, but I think a local rival could be benefitial. I guess actually getting into Boston would be the ideal option if the Big East went shopping in New England, but Holy Cross just looks more appealing to me than Boston U or Northeastern.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

UConn is going to play out the conference realignment and if they miss out again they are almost assuredly rejoining the Big East.

I haven't seen this in print from a reputable source ... ever. Please post a link to your source.

Since you appear to be claiming that you are "in the know", please tell us the fate of UConn's football team, which has very strong support from the University of Connecticut Board of Governors, the state's governor, the majority of elected state legislators, and many, many very wealthy alumni.

[stever20]

And yet Dayton would do anything to have the 4 year period that UConn just had- to include winning a national title. UConn 7 wins in NCAA tourney in period- Dayton 5 wins in NCAA tourney in period.

And going forward, UConn is in a stronger conference than Dayton is. And if UConn wanted to go to the Big East, they would be in the conference immediately. Dayton, not so much.

Also love how Dayton fanboy says that the addition of Wichita makes the AAC a better basketball conference until Marshall retires or moves on. But yet, I'm kind of guessing he's not saying the same tune about Archie Miller and his beloved Dayton Flyers.