Catholic 7 12th member

[Pakuni]

Augh, can you name another school that was not good, decided to invest a lot money into the program and then suddenly got good? 

UNLV.
Went from a non D-I program to the Final Four in a span of seven years.

[Aughnanure]

But you don't see the addition of SLU as reinforcing to the public the league's inferiority?  Couldn't resist...

That's a good point on them winning the league.  I do think both those teams would jump on the first chance to head to a football conference, and it would suck to potentially have their names in the record books.

But I actually don't think SLU would reinforce that right now.. SLU's playing well, have gotten a lot of recent positive publicity from the Majerus death, and until yesterday against Temple hadn't lost since. People will find their parting shots at this new conference one way or another. We'll have to earn our respect on the court and what we need is a 1985 again with a bunch of us making deep runs in the tourney if not one winning the whole thing (I'm thinking St John's, Marquette and Xavier make a run to the Elite 8, 2 in the Final 4 kind of thing).

The only football schools we should consider are Notre Dame and BYU. All others must drop football to at least FCS (looking at you Memphis).

[Pakuni]

But I actually don't think SLU would reinforce that right now.. SLU's playing well, have gotten a lot of recent positive publicity from the Majerus death, and until yesterday against Temple hadn't lost since. People will find their parting shots at this new conference one way or another. We'll have to earn our respect on the court and what we need is a 1985 again with a bunch of us making deep runs in the tourney if not one winning the whole thing.

The only football schools we should consider are Notre Dame and BYU. All others must drop football to at least FCS (looking at you Memphis).

The chance that any school will drop football - or even drop to FCS - to help its basketball program is roughly "who the f--- are you kidding?"

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

The only football schools we should consider are Notre Dame and BYU. All others must drop football to at least FCS (looking at you Memphis).

Hell, Temple too...

[Aughnanure]

The chance that any school will drop football - or even drop to FCS - to help its basketball program is roughly "who the f--- are you kidding?"

Duh.

[Pakuni]

Duh.

And yet you suggested it.

[Aughnanure]

And yet you suggested it.

I was responding to someone else's suggestion to include football schools.

[slingkong]

Question: If Shaka Smart was not at VCU, would you feel the same way? If they didn't incredibly make a Final 4, would you feel the same way?

What VCU did was great, but I feel their possibility of long term success is not inspiring.

What if this was all a few years ago and using the same logic we added George Mason? Wouldn't look too great now.

Smart compared to who exactly at SLU?  Winner:  VCU
VCU's tourney results vs. SLU?  Winner:  VCU (SLU does nothing, ever)

Besides, St. Louis sucks.

[slingkong]

Right. It's a mid major with one peak year over a decade of relative success. As you point out its a stepping stone job. I don't mean to diminish what they've done because it is impressive, but its not enough for me to pick them over a fellow Jesuit school.

I'll take SLU and the St Louis market.

SLU doesn't even bring that decade of relative success.  So what's your point in comparing that?

The St. Louis market is garbage.  Downstate IL rednecks, even worse Missour-ah rednecks, and the city of St. Louis itself offers very little in any form.  Well, it's inexpensive, I guess.

[slingkong]

I really don't get VCU. I don't think they're better set for long-term success than either SLU or Dayton. You think they are better because of a FINAL 4 and that's it. Let's not rewrite history and pretend VCU has 'history" or tradition before that fluke.

And so what?  Neither Dayton nor SLU have history or tradition any better than VCU.
SLU gives no reason to think that they're setup for any greater long-term success than either Dayton or VCU, and probably less success and less stability because of Biondi.

[Dawson Rental]

The whole problem with this thread is it should have been SLU vs. Richmond, since Richmond is the better long term bet from the city of Richmond.

[Aughnanure]

The whole problem with this thread is it should have been SLU vs. Richmond, since Richmond is the better long term bet from the city of Richmond.

This.

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

The whole problem with this thread is it should have been SLU vs. Richmond, since Richmond is the better long term bet from the city of Richmond.

This. For a program like VCU who is supposedly head-and-shoulders above every other candidate to be barely beating supposed doormat SLU doesn't speak highly of the Rams' credentials.

[dwaderoy2004]

I'm not even sure what you're talking about because VCU hasn't played St. Louis yet this year.

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

I'm not even sure what you're talking about because VCU hasn't played St. Louis yet this year.

In the poll on who should be the 12th member.

[dwaderoy2004]

I see.  How does that argument help SLU in any way, shape or form?  They're losing the poll.  So clearly more people think VCU's credentials are better than SLU's.  You know, if you care what a poll on a message board says.

[Aughnanure]

I see.  How does that argument help SLU in any way, shape or form?  They're losing the poll.

I believe the point is that if VCU is this supposed head-and-shoulders above the rest candidate, then the fact that they're barely winning a poll on a college basketball message board is not a good sign of this claim and probably refutes the notion that they are perceived to be such a valuable brand/program.

Perception is reality basically. I think many people have been overstating how sexy Shaka and VCU are to the casual college basketball fan.

[Litehouse]

Perception is reality basically. I think many people have been overstating how sexy Shaka and VCU are to the casual college basketball fan.

I would question whether this board is representative of the casual college basketball fan though.  We're mainly midwesterners with connections to a Jesuit university that used to play in the same conference as SLU, and who are extremely familiar with SLU's previous coach.  I would expect SLU to rate much higher among us than the casual fans.

[umwram]

The whole problem with this thread is it should have been SLU vs. Richmond, since Richmond is the better long term bet from the city of Richmond.

VCU fan here.  It's humbling that we're even being considered to join you guys in a premier basketball conference, but I just had to interject.  For the sake of precision, the University of New Jersey-Henrico is not within the city limits of Richmond.  And I'm sure even they would tell you that VCU owns this town (both in a literal and media market sense).

[Aughnanure]

I would question whether this board is representative of the casual college basketball fan though.  We're mainly midwesterners with connections to a Jesuit university that used to play in the same conference as SLU, and who are extremely familiar with SLU's previous coach.  I would expect SLU to rate much higher among us than the casual fans.

Truth.

[Aughnanure]

VCU fan here.  It's humbling that we're even being considered to join you guys in a premier basketball conference, but I just had to interject.  For the sake of precision, the University of New Jersey-Henrico is not within the city limits of Richmond.  And I'm sure even they would tell you that VCU owns this town (both in a literal and media market sense).

Totally not getting this reference.

[tower912]

VCU fan here.  It's humbling that we're even being considered to join you guys in a premier basketball conference, but I just had to interject.  For the sake of precision, the University of New Jersey-Henrico is not within the city limits of Richmond.  And I'm sure even they would tell you that VCU owns this town (both in a literal and media market sense).

Welcome.    Thanks for that tidbit.   What are the rumors and innuendo among VCU devotees?    Does your fanbase want to join the BEast Breakaway 7?   Is Shaka a long-termer?    By the way, you guys look to be playing solid ball again this year.  

[Pakuni]

Totally not getting this reference.

The University of Richmond actually is located outside the city limits, in Henrico County.

[Aughnanure]

Why the New Jersey thing then?

[dwaderoy2004]

I would question whether this board is representative of the casual college basketball fan though.  We're mainly midwesterners with connections to a Jesuit university that used to play in the same conference as SLU, and who are extremely familiar with SLU's previous coach.  I would expect SLU to rate much higher among us than the casual fans.

I agree with this.