Siena, UDM, no Creighton, wtf?

[Norm]

But is 100% in Omaha better than 1% in Detroit? I say yes.

It's one thing to go for television markets, and it's another to drop the prime college program in a basketball crazed city for one that is not just mediocre but struggles to get views in a city with major league teams and major state university intrusion.

But it won't just be Detroit Mercy fans tuning in - it will be the Marquette, Xavier, DePaul, St. Louis, Georgetown and other team alums and fans watching their teams play. There are a lot of MU alumni in the Detroit area. It'll also be all the bars in the Detroit metro area having the games on, whether it's UDM or other teams in the league.

It will be hard to get the best players from the area, but a lot of great talent in Detroit and Michigan goes to play out of state. Just a few of these players over the past 25 years include:

Roy Marble (Flint Beecher) - Iowa
Derrick Coleman (Detroit Northern) - Syracuse
Doug Smith (Detroit MacKenzie) - Missouri
Marc Macon (Saginaw Bunea Vista ) - Temple
BJ Armstrong (Birmingham Brother Rice) - Iowa
Negele Knight (St. Martin DePorres) - Dayton
Willie Burton (St. Martin DePorres) - Minnesota
Voshon Leonard (Detroit Southwestern) - Minnesota
Arthur Johnson (Detroit Pershing) - Missouri
Ricky Paulding (Detroit Renaissance) - Missouri
Anthony Roberson (Saginaw) - Florida
Shane Battier (Detroit Country Day) - Duke
Brandon Jenkins (Detroit Southeastern) - Louisville
Al Horford (Grand Ledge) - Florida
Joe Crawford (Detroit Renaissance) - Kentucky
Tory Jackson (Saginaw Buena Vista) - Notre Dame
Chris Douglas-Roberts (Detroit Cass Tech) - Memphis
Malik Hairston (Detroit Renaissance) - Oregon
Donovan Kirk (Detroit Country Day) - DePaul
Amir Williams (Detroit Country Day) - Ohio State

[keefe]

But it won't just be Detroit Mercy fans tuning in - it will be the Marquette, Xavier, DePaul, St. Louis, Georgetown and other team alums and fans watching their teams play. There are a lot of MU alumni in the Detroit area. It'll also be all the bars in the Detroit metro area having the games on, whether it's UDM or other teams in the league.

It will be hard to get the best players from the area, but a lot of great talent in Detroit and Michigan goes to play out of state. Just a few of these players over the past 25 years include:

Roy Marble (Flint Beecher) - Iowa
Derrick Coleman (Detroit Northern) - Syracuse
Doug Smith (Detroit MacKenzie) - Missouri
Marc Macon (Saginaw Bunea Vista ) - Temple
BJ Armstrong (Birmingham Brother Rice) - Iowa
Negele Knight (St. Martin DePorres) - Dayton
Willie Burton (St. Martin DePorres) - Minnesota
Voshon Leonard (Detroit Southwestern) - Minnesota
Arthur Johnson (Detroit Pershing) - Missouri
Ricky Paulding (Detroit Renaissance) - Missouri
Anthony Roberson (Saginaw) - Florida
Shane Battier (Detroit Country Day) - Duke
Brandon Jenkins (Detroit Southeastern) - Louisville
Al Horford (Grand Ledge) - Florida
Joe Crawford (Detroit Renaissance) - Kentucky
Tory Jackson (Saginaw Buena Vista) - Notre Dame
Chris Douglas-Roberts (Detroit Cass Tech) - Memphis
Malik Hairston (Detroit Renaissance) - Oregon
Donovan Kirk (Detroit Country Day) - DePaul
Amir Williams (Detroit Country Day) - Ohio State

I lived in Ann Arbor when Detroit was actually in their heyday just after Dickie V left for the Pistons. Trust me when I say NOBODY in Michigan gives a sh1t about Detroit Mercy. Nobody. Detroit was actually ranked back then and the News and Freep had them buried on page 8. For Hoops it is MSU, the Pistons, UofM, and then the other state MAC schools (Eastern, Central, Western.) Detroit has a full time enrollment of appox 2,500 and is a commuter school so the kids leave campus at dusk. It is a fine liberal arts college but they would add nothing to the new conference. We can do much better in terms of athletics and TV markets.

[dgies9156]

Oh joy, Dayton is back. Maybe we can play the C-7 tournament at University of Dayton Arena for the next 200 years!

Gee, isn't that what broke up the MCC years ago?

Find a way for Creighton and Gonzaga and worry about the Dayton fill-in later!

[Norm]

So, keefe, your 2-3 years in Ann Arbor, surrounded by probably the most arrogant fan base in Michigan, makes you an expert on what the people in Michigan and Detroit care about? OK. If Detroit has a competitive team they get enough coverage in the Detroit media. They may not get as much as MSU or U of M (just like Marquette does not get as much coverage as UW), but there's enough coverage for them to do okay. And, like most other teams, when they are good they sell tickets and when they are bad, they struggles to do so. There are plenty of people in the Detroit area with a connection to the school that they could sell more tickets in a bigger and better conference.

But you missed my point completely. I'm not arguing for Detroit to be included in the league, I was just trying to show that there could be advantages overall if they were selected, mainly by getting the Marquette name more prominent among Michigan high schoolers. Even if Detroit is not the most loved team in the state, having Marquette come to the state once a year, playing in the Detroit market, having their games on TV throughout the season, can help with recruiting.

[bradley center bat]

Oakland (Mi.) gets more love than Detroit in the city.

[billyjack]

Boston University on paper might seem sensible (absolute boatloads of money, great new 6k on-campus arena right in the city near Fenway right on subway line, plus the new Boston Garden available for big crowds), but the city doesn't care about college basketball at all (yes for college hockey). 

Northeastern is below even Boston U in city interest and plays in a historic but tiny arena.

Having said that, Boston Univ should rank ahead of Siena and Detroit Mercy.

[Avenue Commons]

But it won't just be Detroit Mercy fans tuning in - it will be the Marquette, Xavier, DePaul, St. Louis, Georgetown and other team alums and fans watching their teams play. There are a lot of MU alumni in the Detroit area. It'll also be all the bars in the Detroit metro area having the games on, whether it's UDM or other teams in the league.

It will be hard to get the best players from the area, but a lot of great talent in Detroit and Michigan goes to play out of state. Just a few of these players over the past 25 years include:

Roy Marble (Flint Beecher) - Iowa
Derrick Coleman (Detroit Northern) - Syracuse
Doug Smith (Detroit MacKenzie) - Missouri
Marc Macon (Saginaw Bunea Vista ) - Temple
BJ Armstrong (Birmingham Brother Rice) - Iowa
Negele Knight (St. Martin DePorres) - Dayton
Willie Burton (St. Martin DePorres) - Minnesota
Voshon Leonard (Detroit Southwestern) - Minnesota
Arthur Johnson (Detroit Pershing) - Missouri
Ricky Paulding (Detroit Renaissance) - Missouri
Anthony Roberson (Saginaw) - Florida
Shane Battier (Detroit Country Day) - Duke
Brandon Jenkins (Detroit Southeastern) - Louisville
Al Horford (Grand Ledge) - Florida
Joe Crawford (Detroit Renaissance) - Kentucky
Tory Jackson (Saginaw Buena Vista) - Notre Dame
Chris Douglas-Roberts (Detroit Cass Tech) - Memphis
Malik Hairston (Detroit Renaissance) - Oregon
Donovan Kirk (Detroit Country Day) - DePaul
Amir Williams (Detroit Country Day) - Ohio State

What about Chris Webber, Jalen Rose.....

[Dawson Rental]

What about Chris Webber, Jalen Rose.....

They did not go out of state for school.

[Norm]

What about Chris Webber, Jalen Rose.....

They both played at University of Michigan. This list is just some of the Michigan high school players who ended up going out of state for college.

[LAMUfan]

Boston University on paper might seem sensible (absolute boatloads of money, great new 6k on-campus arena right in the city near Fenway right on subway line, plus the new Boston Garden available for big crowds), but the city doesn't care about college basketball at all (yes for college hockey). 

Northeastern is below even Boston U in city interest and plays in a historic but tiny arena.

Having said that, Boston Univ should rank ahead of Siena and Detroit Mercy.

I'd bet money that Notre Dame is the most popular CBB team in Boston

[keefe]

They did not go out of state for school.

A lot of people in Michigan say that Ann Arbor is a part of New York...

[Dawson Rental]

A lot of people in Michigan say that Ann Arbor is a part of New York...

I bet that they only say it when they are in Ann Arbor...

[MUMonster03]

Where did any of this come from? Seems way off the mark... Surprised they are saying creighton is out too...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/catholic-7-schools-including-georgetown-charting-a-new-yet-familiar-path/2013/02/16/f1eaa870-7876-11e2-aa12-e6cf1d31106b_story.html

When I see Washington Post and Sports together I take it with a grain of salt. Not where I go to get my sports news.

[Pakuni]

MU official says Post story not correct:

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/191910991.html

[keefe]

When I see Washington Post and Sports together I take it with a grain of salt. Not where I go to get my sports news.

Shirley Povich was one of the greats

[Jet915]

MU official says Post story not correct:

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/191910991.html

Seems to rule out Richmond as well.  Still think it's going to be Butler, Xavier, Creighton, SLU and Dayton which is what Thamel said and what the Providence boards are saying...

[Norm]

Seems to rule out Richmond as well.  Still think it's going to be Butler, Xavier, Creighton, SLU and Dayton which is what Thamel said and what the Providence boards are saying...

Would love to see Butler, Xavier and Creighton make it a 10 team league to start, adding St. Louis and another school to make it 12 if they want it that size. I'd rather even have Detroit or Sienna over Dayton - can't help it, I'm in the ABD camp.

[Avenue Commons]

Seems to rule out Richmond as well.  Still think it's going to be Butler, Xavier, Creighton, SLU and Dayton which is what Thamel said and what the Providence boards are saying...

I was told the same by MU source I trust. Keep in mind that there are 7 interests here and there are going to be some disagreements. Also, TV powers that be will have great sway.

[bradley center bat]

Doug Russell on AM 620 WTMJ said of this Washington Post report, ask a Marquette Sr. person and said Detroit and Siena is not in the mix.

[Zephyr820]

Richmond is getting in.  If Creighton can somehow get back into conversation, it would be at the expense of Dayton

[bradley center bat]

Why Richmond over VCU?

[Dawson Rental]

Why Richmond over VCU?

Private school over public school, similar in outlook to the rest of the league.  Also, no freedom of Information Act issues.

[bradley center bat]

Private school over public school, similar in outlook to the rest of the league.  Also, no freedom of Information Act issues.

I'll buy it.

[keefe]

Also, no freedom of Information Act issues.

Is this really a consideration?

[Dawson Rental]

Is this really a consideration?

Yup, one school subject to Freedom of Information Act requests makes the league office also subject to such requests.