The Gonzaga Thread... with Poll...

[stever20]

even if the number of bids is the same, the average seeds of those teams are better. And that helps out a lot more in the tourney. You look at the conferences with 12-14 teams. They get helped seeding wise because they can have 4-6 teams with at least 11 conference wins. I mean, SEC wasn't close to the Big East this year- got only 5 teams in. But the average seed of those 5 teams was 6. Big East average seed was almost 7.5(7.42). That matters.

[gtmoBlue]

In keeping with this recent conversation on the Zags and potential expansion

Zags +1 = Gonzaga, Boston University Terriers (6 West, 6 East)

Zags +2 = Zags, Boston U, Denver U (7 West, 6 East)

Zags +3 = Zags, Boston, Denver, 1 of either St Bonaventure or St Louis (7 up)
No divisions, just unbalanced schedules...

Boston and Denver are competitive (or champs) in several other sports. They are competitive enough to win OOC while not so against the average BE team and would take a few years to build.

St Bonnies (or StL) will take lumps both in and out of conference, until they can change their OOC to assist winning. Either will join DePaul and Georgetown at the bottom tier of BE play.

[Bill Marsh]

even if the number of bids is the same, the average seeds of those teams are better. And that helps out a lot more in the tourney. You look at the conferences with 12-14 teams. They get helped seeding wise because they can have 4-6 teams with at least 11 conference wins. I mean, SEC wasn't close to the Big East this year- got only 5 teams in. But the average seed of those 5 teams was 6. Big East average seed was almost 7.5(7.42). That matters.

Good point, Stever.

[DudeAnon]

St. Bonaventure is a bottom tier A 10 team. lol.

[GoldenWarrior11]

The Horizon League announced today that is was staying at 9 teams for next year, but will be looking at going to 12-14 teams in 18-19. That could, in itself, cause a whole bunch of moving around with the conferences beneath us.

[DeltaV]

If we were to expand:

- I don't like the idea of gaming the system to get more bids. It shows a lack of confidence in our programs.

- I just want us to have the best possible teams to make us the strongest conference possible.

- Ultimately i want to watch great college hoops. Gaming the system is boring as shit...

Imagine all of us sitting around our flatscreens in early December, freezing cold outside with howling winds, and here we are on pins and needles hoping that newly-added Big East member Duquesne can protect a 4 point halftime lead at home to beat Canisius. Sounds like DePaul under Purnell, which was the least enjoyable part of our 4 years on FS1.

Now compare that to Gonzaga, automatic 12-1 in non-conference, and they want to join us, and where the only Zags question each year will be if they will beat Arizona or UCLA.

By the way, what have Duquesne and St Bona done in non-conference recently? I know Dayton has some wins, but what about these other smaller programs? Saint Louis to me at this point is also as boring as shit, it'd be like "hiring John McNamara" (to use a 1970's and 80's baseball term), although i know they've recruited better under Ford.

Of these weaker programs I'd rather just add Northeastern cuz at least we'd be back in Boston and i could get to some games, and the school is really growing, and it would annoy Judas BC to plant a flag in the Hub, and they did knock off Michigan State last year.

I'm sometimes in a similar mindset, but with Davidson instead; plant a flag right in the heart of ACC country.

Plus, sideline shots of Southern Rich Daddy's girl cheerleaders.

[stever20]

The Horizon League announced today that is was staying at 9 teams for next year, but will be looking at going to 12-14 teams in 18-19. That could, in itself, cause a whole bunch of moving around with the conferences beneath us.

yeah that's just the nature of realignment. started with Big 12 not expanding, then AAC getting Wichita, MVC replacing Wichita with Valpo. Now if Horizon gets 3-5 more teams, there's going to be a lot of moves corresponding to those. And probably end of the day we'll see at least 2-3 more teams added to D1.

[trephin]

gtmo, without researching anything, does Denver even sponsor enough conference sports? They support what they sponsor and do it well but it's been alleged that invites to other conferences have been declined due to issues with starting other sports as a factor.

BU recently joined the Patriot League. I think that should show how athletics are prioritized there.

Both are competitive in - pardon me - niche sports but I don't think that boosts their attractiveness to the BE or either seriously considering the BE or (in BU's case) changing conference in general

St Bonaventure has solidly been middle of the pack for the past 10 years in the A10 with seasons in the upper and bottom third. As the resident Bonnie fan, JPSchmack can attest to them not being a bottom tier team.

I doubt the Zags have more than a passing thought for the Presidents all due to geography. Despite that, I'd guess Gonzaga's realistic chance of joining the BE has to be light years ahead of any the previously mention schools.

And while new geographic areas are tempting, I don't think there would be any way to be more than a very distant 4th tier in NC or 2nd tier in Boston. I have my doubts about St Louis (SLU) and Pittsburgh (Duquesne) too which I think are slightly more appealing / realistic on geography only.

[DudeAnon]

Some of you guys really overestimate the quality of these candidates.

Denver? Boston University? Duquesne? St. Bonaventure?

I can only hope this is a case of contrarianism run amok.

And to make a final point about St. Bonaventure. Relative to the Big East schools, they would be the smallest school in the smallest city without a single NCAA tournament win since 1979. Why are we discussing them aside from one rabid fan?

There are only a few realistic candidates. UCONN, Dayton, VCU, SLU, Gonzaga for now. Interestingly enough, Xavier's DOBA recently talked about how great Memphis would fit in the Big East. So if the AAC falls apart I wouldn't be surprised to see us make a move for the strong basketball brands there. But lets just add Duquesne instead.

[gtmoBlue]

billyjack wanted to replant a BE Flag in Beantown (with Northeastern). BU has a better overall Athletics Program, is also private (as are 95% of all universities & college in the Boston area), and has had some recent hoops successes. Denver has a growing hoops program along with strong hockey, soccer, and other lesser sports.

Both schools when taken with Gonzaga bolster the Middle tier schools into the dance...with BU ocasionally doing a Dayton/URI and stealing a bid some years. Seven bids becomes the norm, with 8, even 9 bids in exceptional years.

As for "gaming" the bids system the Football Five have been gaming the system for years. The former BE did so as well-11 bids one year, wow! The smart conferences all "game" the NCAA tournament to get as much free tournament "prize money" as possible. I'd like to think the BE is a smart conference.

Top tier: Nova, X, Zags, Butler

Middle tier: Cr8n, Prov, Marq, Seton Hall

Bottom tier: G'twn, BU, St Johns, DU, DePaul