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Redbird Recon wrote:

Cdizzle wrote:

UEACES80 wrote:Bottomline it will always be hard to beat the P5 schools let alone the Bluebloods of those P5's such as Duke, UNC, UK, KU, UCLA and IU.

WSU is not having trouble beating P5 schools, including those bluebloods. There is a difference in mindset and view of college basketball landscape here that is difficult to overcome.

Positive thinking and perspective is not the top reason Gregg is successful. He's the best coach in the league with the best resources. WSU doesn't do more with less. They do more with more.

Agree to agree? I'm not sure where what you've said applies to my response.

Redbird Recon wrote:

Cdizzle wrote:

UEACES80 wrote:Bottomline it will always be hard to beat the P5 schools let alone the Bluebloods of those P5's such as Duke, UNC, UK, KU, UCLA and IU.

WSU is not having trouble beating P5 schools, including those bluebloods. There is a difference in mindset and view of college basketball landscape here that is difficult to overcome.

Positive thinking and perspective is not the top reason Gregg is successful. He's the best coach in the league with the best resources. WSU doesn't do more with less. They do more with more.

A different perspective on the AAC move for Wichita..

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basket ... tola7np2gi

BirdsEyeView wrote:A different perspective on the AAC move for Wichita..

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basket ... tola7np2gi

I understand his point that the Shockers have become nationally relevant in the Valley so why leave.
For long term success though they should join the AAC if offered.

The Gonzaga comparison doesn't work because they are in a peer group conference of smaller private schools. The Valleys mix of public/private, football/non-football, haves/ have nots has stagnated the league as a whole. The end is near!

Redhawk wrote:

BirdsEyeView wrote:A different perspective on the AAC move for Wichita..

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basket ... tola7np2gi

I understand his point that the Shockers have become nationally relevant in the Valley so why leave.
For long term success though they should join the AAC if offered.

The Gonzaga comparison doesn't work because they are in a peer group conference of smaller private schools. The Valleys mix of public/private, football/non-football, haves/ have nots has stagnated the league as a whole. The end is near!

Not only that, but as Bardo has said many times, he doesn't feel there is anyone in the MVC that shares the same mission. The AAC has a number of research focused and urban schools that are similar in that regard.

Like anybody really cares about a similar "mission," other than maybe the Big Ten. WSU's conference affiliation will be based on nothing other than what they think will be best for their basketball success.

Drakey wrote:Like anybody really cares about a similar "mission," other than maybe the Big Ten. WSU's conference affiliation will be based on nothing other than what they think will be best for their basketball success.

That's over-simplifying. I think the current administration sees basketball as our best marketing tool. What's best for basketball is what's best for WSU.

The inevitable split will leave the MVFC schools as one conference. But look at the possibility of the private schools of the MVC and A-10 to merge and run like the Big East. This would be most likely to happen after VCU leaves the A-10 and joins the American as well. You would have the 9 private schools of the A-10 with the 4 from the MVC and the addition of either Valpo or Detroit. The schools naturally align into 2 divisions of an ultimate mid major private league.

West
SLU
Dayton
Evansville
Bradley
Drake
Loyola
Valpo/Detroit

East
Davidson
Richmond
LaSalle
St. Joe's
St. Bonaventure
Fordham
Duquesne

AceMatt wrote:The inevitable split will leave the MVFC schools as one conference. But look at the possibility of the private schools of the MVC and A-10 to merge and run like the Big East. This would be most likely to happen after VCU leaves the A-10 and joins the American as well. You would have the 9 private schools of the A-10 with the 4 from the MVC and the addition of either Valpo or Detroit. The schools naturally align into 2 divisions of an ultimate mid major private league.

West
SLU
Dayton
Evansville
Bradley
Drake
Loyola
Valpo/Detroit

East
Davidson
Richmond
LaSalle
St. Joe's
St. Bonaventure
Fordham
Duquesne

Nice work Ace Matt

AceMatt wrote:The inevitable split will leave the MVFC schools as one conference. But look at the possibility of the private schools of the MVC and A-10 to merge and run like the Big East. This would be most likely to happen after VCU leaves the A-10 and joins the American as well. You would have the 9 private schools of the A-10 with the 4 from the MVC and the addition of either Valpo or Detroit. The schools naturally align into 2 divisions of an ultimate mid major private league.

West
SLU
Dayton
Evansville
Bradley
Drake
Loyola
Valpo/Detroit

East
Davidson
Richmond
LaSalle
St. Joe's
St. Bonaventure
Fordham
Duquesne

The problem with this is the A-10 currently has 14 members, not 10. If VCU goes to the AAC, that still leaves them with 13. I really don't see an 18 team conference being feasible.

I have always felt that the MVC is at a serious risk of a private/public split in the near future. WSU may very well be the one bond that holds this hodge-podge band of schools together.

Back to the A-10, there are a couple of scenarios that could affect the MVC Privates. 1. Dayton is probably on the short list IF the Big East expands. Should that happen, the A-10 might consider picking up a couple or all 4 of the privates and go to 16. The MVC schools would probably be the most attractive, especially in a move to appease SLU in a Dayton-less A-10. It's doubtful SLU will see any Big East invites in the foreseeable future. 2. Should VCU leave, the A-10 could possibly approach 1 or 2 MVC teams, probably Bradley and Evansville or add a Belmont, Valpo or Loyola if they would consider 16.

Another option would be for the 4 privates to start a new conference, or claim the MVC depending on what the public schools do, and basically have a Little Big East. Bradley, Evansville, Drake, Loyola along with Belmont, Valpo, Detroit wouldn't be horrible, and could be somewhat attractive to a SLU should Dayton leave the A-10.

As for the publics, admittedly I am not as big of a college football fan as I am basketball. I don't know exactly what is involved for FBS or FCS. I think it's safe to see MSU going towards the Sun Belt, UNI and ISUr in the MAC and SIU and ISUb in the OVC. I am not sure what it would take for ISUb to get their football program compatible, but they seem like a natural rival to Ball State in the MAC.