The AAAAAAAC and Advanced Marketing (or Self-Kidding)

[Jet915]

How often can a mediocre AAC program get to host the #1 team in the country? Temple's had this privilege twice since 2016! Nova has got to get the hell away from this ridiculous Big 5 arrangement!

They should do something like the Crosstown Shootout in Indiana, just play one of them a year.

[GumbyDamnit!]

I'm a hoops purist so I would hate to abandon the Big 5. No question teams like St. Joe's and Temple benefit these days while Nova is a perennial Top 10 program. But what's the difference between playing Penn and playing Columbia or Lafayette OOC? Each are RPI cupcakes (hate to break it to Dayton fans who just saw Penn come in and beat them). So recognize that the Big 5 games (mostly) will be opportunities to work younger players in, and continue to look for yearly one-offs against teams like Gonzaga, ND, UVA and Kanasas. No need to abandon tradition just for the sake of it IMO.

[ecasadoSBU]

These teams aren't even that bad. they are pretty well balanced for scheduling purposes: NOVA RPI 4, TEMPLE 11, LASALLE 79, PENN 102, STJOE 215

Isn't that what you look at when making a balanced schedule? That looks like pretty balanced to me

[BEhomer]

I think it's more that they have to play true away games this early. If any of them are half way decent they can give Nova a real scare on some nights.

[stever20]

I'm a hoops purist so I would hate to abandon the Big 5. No question teams like St. Joe's and Temple benefit these days while Nova is a perennial Top 10 program. But what's the difference between playing Penn and playing Columbia or Lafayette OOC? Each are RPI cupcakes (hate to break it to Dayton fans who just saw Penn come in and beat them). So recognize that the Big 5 games (mostly) will be opportunities to work younger players in, and continue to look for yearly one-offs against teams like Gonzaga, ND, UVA and Kanasas. No need to abandon tradition just for the sake of it IMO.

Depending on how you look at it- the 1 big thing is 1-2 of the games are on the road.

positives with that is if you win the game- it adds 1.4 wins to your RPI. And with the new rules this year- Temple will be almost a lock to be a tier 1 game(they'd need to finish sub .500 looking at it to NOT be a top 75 team). St Joe's could easily finish with an RPI better than 135 which would make that game a tier 2 game. Just looking- this year for instance both home games should finish as tier 3 games. 1 road game tier 1 game. Other one will be between 2 or 3. You could do a lot worse than that.

negative with that is it's 1-2 of your road games.

[stever20]

I think it's more that they have to play true away games this early. If any of them are half way decent they can give Nova a real scare on some nights.

don't think it's that.... In the top 7 conferences only 15 teams have no true road games so far. And 4 of those 15 have a road game this week.

[paulxu]

Let's not forget the rather large divorce settlement the C7 had to pay up in order to keep the logo, MSG, etc. X, CU, and BU fans should be grateful that things worked out the way it did.

I think X is grateful that the C7 expanded to 10.
I'd like to think we earned the right to be considered, and have justified the choice with our play.

[GumbyDamnit!]

These teams aren't even that bad. they are pretty well balanced for scheduling purposes: NOVA RPI 4, TEMPLE 11, LASALLE 79, PENN 102, STJOE 215

Isn't that what you look at when making a balanced schedule? That looks like pretty balanced to me

This is how they ended up last year:
Nova 4
Temple 135
LaSalle 136
Penn 200
St. Joe's 202

The year before Penn was 280 and LaSalle 238. Some years you get a flash in the pan with Temple or St. Joe's but for the most part the games have been a bit non-competitive. Nova has beaten St. Joe's over the past 5 meetings by an AVERAGE of 28 pts. They had won their last 18 Big 5 games by at least double digits (snapped Sunday with the 9 pt win). So, not exactly a slate that gets you ready for conference play or March but as long as Nova schedules other big time teams, there is no reason to drop the games IMO.

[Wizard of Westroads]

I'm way out west in Nebraska, and I'd hate to have the Big 5 quit playing. I've been following it for as long as I can remember. Tradition means something.

[BEhomer]

I think it's more that they have to play true away games this early. If any of them are half way decent they can give Nova a real scare on some nights.

don't think it's that.... In the top 7 conferences only 15 teams have no true road games so far. And 4 of those 15 have a road game this week.

you didn't get my point. if you're gonna lose one of these road games. (and they will one of these years) you'd rather lose to a ranked team on home and home arrangement than a mediocre team playing lights out in front of home crowd.