How do You guys like this VCU in the C7 with 12-14 teams

[Edrick]

A. I'd rather have 10 than 12. I'd rather have a root canal than 14. (Sorry I like money)
B. No public schools.

So, probably "not much" to both questions.

[VU74]

I know very little about VCU other than they have had recent success.

I am concerned about a big state school that plays club level football.

Reminds me of ODU. They started from scratch and after a few years
in FCS are moving to FBS.

I think VCU helps the C7 avoid the small Catholic school only mindset.
But if there is any interest in them expanding football to FBS, they are
out.

After all the turmoil in the BE, only want schools that today and tomorrow
are basketball first.

[Dew]

I know very little about VCU other than they have had recent success.

I am concerned about a big state school that plays club level football.

Reminds me of ODU. They started from scratch and after a few years
in FCS are moving to FBS.

I think VCU helps the C7 avoid the small Catholic school only mindset.
But if there is any interest in them expanding football to FBS, they are
out.

After all the turmoil in the BE, only want schools that today and tomorrow
are basketball first.

Well stated. If you could take VCU's hoops program and give it to Siena, they'd be a shoe in. Whether VCU fits the identity of the rest of the league is my concern.

[SixTwentySix]

Here is my completely biased and irrational opinion regarding VCU... but it still matters to me.

Growing up watching classic Big East basketball, I always noticed it had a vibe. Georgetown, UConn, Cuse, St Johns, Nova... They have they're own unique style and identity. You know you're watching a Big East game just by the look and feel alone. If you're a long time Big East fan, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

When I watch Xavier play, or Butler, even St Louis... I catch a hint of that style. They give off an aura during their game play that resembles that of historic Big East play. They mesh. I can see Villanova vs Xavier holding true to that history. Georgetown vs Butler capturing the same nostalgia I grew up with. As if the new conference would be picking up where it left off. When I watch VCU, it's not there, at all. They look like a Big Ten team, not classic Big East. VCU has an excellent program and if you go by the numbers, they're a great fit and can bring a lot to the table, I get that. But they don't have that vibe. Historically, culturally, nostalgically... They just don't fit.

So much has changed, too much, and as a fan of Big East basketball the one thing that I would love to see stay the same is the feeling and style of play that has happened as I've watched these teams play the last 30 years. I understand this is a business, it's about the money, media, marketing... But I hope there's still at least a small part of it about tradition. But like I said, I'm a biased and irrational fan, so we'll see.

[CownboyFrog]

Don't think VCU will make final cut ... Richmond will take that spot ...

[aughnanure]

Why do you guys not like 14 ?????? And VCU would help this conference out a lot

This conference will be fine whether VCU is part of it or not. Can we stop the "VCU is the next coming of UConn" talk yet?

[yorost]

Well stated. If you could take VCU's hoops program and give it to Siena, they'd be a shoe in.

No. They aren't a shoe in because their basketball program isn't separated enough from other programs in the conversation. The premise that they are a shoe-in is based on the Final Four run having transformed the program into a mainstay power. That could be true, but is their sufficient evidence that 5 years down the road will they still be a hot product? They think so. I'm curious if Fox thinks so.

[Eight Legger]

VCU will probably have a longer staying power than George Mason did after its Final Four run, but I wouldn't elevate them to national power status by any stretch. They play a unique full-court press but it's not like no one has ever seen this before. People get overly hyped up about it because they gave it a catchy name. It's a press. Well-disciplined teams can beat a press and beat VCU. Undisciplined teams that don't prepare for it, don't have much time to prepare for it or don't have strong ballhandlers will struggle against it. It's done well in the past couple years because it's still relatively new to a lot of VCU's opponents. People are beginning to figure it out a little better, and that will make it less of a factor in VCU's ultimate success or failure.

At some point, I would imagine Smart will leave because VCU is not going to be able to afford to pay him $2M or $3M a year and someone else will. At that point it will become a question of whether one of his assistants can keep the same system in place effectively or not.

[aughnanure]

VCU will probably have a longer staying power than George Mason did after its Final Four run, but I wouldn't elevate them to national power status by any stretch. They play a unique full-court press but it's not like no one has ever seen this before. People get overly hyped up about it because they gave it a catchy name. It's a press. Well-disciplined teams can beat a press and beat VCU. Undisciplined teams that don't prepare for it, don't have much time to prepare for it or don't have strong ballhandlers will struggle against it. It's done well in the past couple years because it's still relatively new to a lot of VCU's opponents. People are beginning to figure it out a little better, and that will make it less of a factor in VCU's ultimate success or failure.

At some point, I would imagine Smart will leave because VCU is not going to be able to afford to pay him $2M or $3M a year and someone else will. At that point it will become a question of whether one of his assistants can keep the same system in place effectively or not.

This. Is the VCU press different or better than 40 Minutes of Hell or Pitino's. Give me VCU's press with less athletes any day of the week imo.

[BillEsq]

I agree Aug...

VCUs press really is good at stopping fast brake teams and ill disciplined teams. It had a disaster with Richmond and their Princeton offense. And if you notice has had trouble up and down the A-Ten at one point they had the 12 best defense in the league. They have still to play SLU Butler Xavier Temple they also have to deal with richmond again. none of these teams like to move quickly and all pose serious matchup problems for VCU.

I will note like all press teams it sucks to play them at VCU especially with the ATens usually bad homer reffing style.