AAC and UConn Denial

[SJHooper]

UConn has also been pushing its new "UConn6thBorough" agenda. Because, ya know...being almost 150 miles away from MSG is basically being home right? Storrs is 85 miles from Boston, 50 miles from Providence, and almost just as close to Portland, Maine as they are to MSG. They have absolutely nothing in common with NYC. Cuse and UConn fans both have this fetish for NYC and they honestly think their school is located here. It's a compliment to us, because they want to be us so bad! We actually are NYC's team...the only major program actually IN one of the boroughs (well actually St. John's is in Queens and Staten Island so that's 2...plus another campus on Long Island only about 35-40 miles east of the Queens campus). We have our Big East HQ in NYC, we play in NYC, our school is in NYC, our fans are actually from NYC and the NYC suburbs, and we are NYC's team. Yet, UConn and Cuse fans can only try to suckle on the NYC teat from their distant farms in Storrs and Syracuse.

By the way, UConn just lost to a bad Temple team. I predicted the downfall of UConn after they lost Calhoun's players and their Big East tradition...now it's actually happening so far. Love it. Burn baby, burn!

[whiteandblue77]

Frazier leaving SMU, feels he's the goat.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/14511878/jeff-frazier-smu-mustangs-left-team

[notkirkcameron]

UConn fans aren't upset that people come to their board(s) - they are upset that those visitors who negatively speak about UConn's P5 chances may, in fact, be right - and that scares a lot fans/alumni. UConn was the biggest loser in realignment, that's an undeniable fact. They were a founding member of the Big East, and, while all of their conference mates found newer/better homes in the B1G, Big 12, and ACC, they were regulated to a 2013 version of Conference USA.

If another wave of realignment hits, and UConn is left out yet again, I'm not sure what the future holds for UConn athletics. No way is it sustainable to be in a conference long-term with the likes of East Carolina, UCF, USF, Memphis, Tulane, Tulsa, Houston, SMU, Temple and Cincinnati. For each year they remain in a conference with those schools, the recognition and prestige goes down for them (and closer to those weaker basketball programs). There is only so much a school like UConn can do to elevate those other programs in basketball. Tulane, East Carolina, UCF and USF will never be competitive in basketball. Once Larry Brown retires/leaves SMU, they, too, will go back down to being a weak program. That's nearly 50% of a conference that could care less about basketball. Couple that with fact that the AAC is now fighting for superiority over the A-10 over regular tournament bids, the AAC is looking like a mid-major in not just football, but basketball as well.

If UConn was playing poker in realignment, they would be going all in with a two-pair - not exactly the type of gamble that brings heavy rewards.

There is a lot of truth here. Outside of Cincinnati, Temple, UConn, and Memphis, which all are arguably "basketball schools" first, the rest of the AAC's last tournament appearances were...

Houston: 2010 (before that, 1992)
East Carolina: 1993
SMU: 2015 (before that, 1993)
Tulane: 1995
Tulsa: 2014 (before that, 2003)
UCF: 2005
USF: 2012

The entire conference outside those 4 programs have COMBINED for 4 tournament appearances in the past decade.


I've been hearing about the "potential" of USF and UCF for nearly a decade now, and they have combined for one NCAA Tournament appearance (USF in 2012) in that time frame. The last time UCF made the tournament, they were a member of the Atlantic Sun. They've changed conferences TWICE and haven't made the tournament.

[MUBoxer]

UConn fans aren't upset that people come to their board(s) - they are upset that those visitors who negatively speak about UConn's P5 chances may, in fact, be right - and that scares a lot fans/alumni. UConn was the biggest loser in realignment, that's an undeniable fact. They were a founding member of the Big East, and, while all of their conference mates found newer/better homes in the B1G, Big 12, and ACC, they were regulated to a 2013 version of Conference USA.

If another wave of realignment hits, and UConn is left out yet again, I'm not sure what the future holds for UConn athletics. No way is it sustainable to be in a conference long-term with the likes of East Carolina, UCF, USF, Memphis, Tulane, Tulsa, Houston, SMU, Temple and Cincinnati. For each year they remain in a conference with those schools, the recognition and prestige goes down for them (and closer to those weaker basketball programs). There is only so much a school like UConn can do to elevate those other programs in basketball. Tulane, East Carolina, UCF and USF will never be competitive in basketball. Once Larry Brown retires/leaves SMU, they, too, will go back down to being a weak program. That's nearly 50% of a conference that could care less about basketball. Couple that with fact that the AAC is now fighting for superiority over the A-10 over regular tournament bids, the AAC is looking like a mid-major in not just football, but basketball as well.

If UConn was playing poker in realignment, they would be going all in with a two-pair - not exactly the type of gamble that brings heavy rewards.

There is a lot of truth here. Outside of Cincinnati, Temple, UConn, and Memphis, which all are arguably "basketball schools" first, the rest of the AAC's last tournament appearances were...

Houston: 2010 (before that, 1992)
East Carolina: 1993
SMU: 2015 (before that, 1993)
Tulane: 1995
Tulsa: 2014 (before that, 2003)
UCF: 2005
USF: 2012

The entire conference outside those 4 programs have COMBINED for 4 tournament appearances in the past decade.


I've been hearing about the "potential" of USF and UCF for nearly a decade now, and they have combined for one NCAA Tournament appearance (USF in 2012) in that time frame. The last time UCF made the tournament, they were a member of the Atlantic Sun. They've changed conferences TWICE and haven't made the tournament.

In all fairness to Houston they have a great history and a great tv market. They add to an overall basketball prestige of that conference (can anyone think of some programs in this conference we think the same way about?). Every other one I agree with you on.

[Westbrook#36]

In all fairness to Houston they have a great history and a great tv market. They add to an overall basketball prestige of that conference (can anyone think of some programs in this conference we think the same way about?). Every other one I agree with you on.

Using that logic, so would DePaul if they were in the aac. How long is Houston going to get credit for Elvin Hayes/game of the century(astrodome) and Phi Slamma Jamma? Seriously they have one tourney appearance since 1992.

[MUBoxer]

In all fairness to Houston they have a great history and a great tv market. They add to an overall basketball prestige of that conference (can anyone think of some programs in this conference we think the same way about?). Every other one I agree with you on.

Using that logic, so would DePaul if they were in the aac. How long is Houston going to get credit for Elvin Hayes/game of the century(astrodome) and Phi Slamma Jamma? Seriously they have one tourney appearance since 1992.

That is exactly the logic I was using. Personally I'd prefer to have a dumpster team (since someone has to lose) that has a history of winning and at least brings a big city as opposed to a dumpster team that has no history and is in bufu. I'm not saying that the AAC is good, or that Houston is good but lets be honest a conference saying "uconn, memphis, temple, Cincinnati and Houston" sounds better than replacing Houston with UCF, USF, Tulane etc etc.

[stever20]

to be fair, Houston is 13-2 and projected to win 21 games. Sampson has turned them around this year. Won't make the tourney almost certainly(although they like Marquette are HUGE LSU fans right now)- but still made a lot of progress.

[cujaysfan]

i like going to chicago to watch a game

even better if i can get a win

why the hell would anyone wanna go to Wichita or Dayton for a weekend?

[Westbrook#36]

That is exactly the logic I was using. Personally I'd prefer to have a dumpster team (since someone has to lose) that has a history of winning and at least brings a big city as opposed to a dumpster team that has no history and is in bufu. I'm not saying that the AAC is good, or that Houston is good but lets be honest a conference saying "uconn, memphis, temple, Cincinnati and Houston" sounds better than replacing Houston with UCF, USF, Tulane etc etc.

That's fair, Houston does have a concern name recognition, if not much else at this point. Agree Houston is fine for one of your bottom feeders, but what really kills that conference is the Tulane, ECU, UCF, and USF.

[Westbrook#36]

to be fair, Houston is 13-2 and projected to win 21 games. Sampson has turned them around this year. Won't make the tourney almost certainly(although they like Marquette are HUGE LSU fans right now)- but still made a lot of progress.

13-2 with an rpi of 120. Their best win so far rpi wise is @Temple(80) then LSU(118). They haven't beaten anyone good yet, also 21-9 doesn't get them dancing out of the aac, sorry.