Gary Parrish on the new Big East

[Pakuni]

He approves.
Phew.

"So there's no reason to think this league can't be one of the nation's best basketball leagues right from the start."

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/21826120/five-questions-and-answers-about-our-new-nationally-relevant-league

[Dawson Rental]

The leftover conference won't be much for football, but it will compete with us for quality of the basketball side (at least at the top).

[Montana Warrior]

The New Beast is on a mission.  We must produce a national champion ASAP to keep the idea of the "elite league" status alive.

[Pakuni]

The New Beast is on a mission.  We must produce a national champion ASAP to keep the idea of the "elite league" status alive.

Meh.
The Big 10 has produced one champion since 1990. People still think it's pretty good.
Producing deep tourney runs by multiple teams, however, would surely help.

[jficke13]

The New Beast is on a mission.  We must produce a national champion ASAP to keep the idea of the "elite league" status alive.

Well I suppose we can do it if someone's got to.

[bradley center bat]

Buzz is on XM radio with Gary. After Nova beat G'town, Buzz text players to say, we have one chance to hang a banner on Saturday.

[warriorchick]

The New Beast is on a mission.  We must produce a national champion ASAP to keep the idea of the "elite league" status alive.

The New Beast.  I like it.  Can a conference have a mascot?

http://www.beastdome.com/wp-content/uploads/BeastBBall10-620x385.jpg

[reinko]

The New Beast.  I like it.  Can a conference have a mascot?

http://www.beastdome.com/wp-content/uploads/BeastBBall10-620x385.jpg

Better

[warriorchick]

Absolutely!  Plus he is Blue and Gold!

[Tugg Speedman]

Buzz is on XM radio with Gary. After Nova beat G'town, Buzz text players to say, we have one chance to hang a banner on Saturday.

This is good ...  

1) We play in the Garden four days before we play in the BE tourney on the same floor.  We get the "wow factor" out of the way Saturday instead Thursday.

2) Now we have something to REALLY play for Saturday.  A bit of urgency and big expectations is good on the MSG floor four days before the BE tourney.

All good!

[Spotcheck Billy]

^ didn't you mean Saturday not Sunday?

[MUMountin]

Meh.
The Big 10 has produced one champion since 1990. People still think it's pretty good.
Producing deep tourney runs by multiple teams, however, would surely help.

Agreed--gotta get there first.  Have several teams capable of consistently making the second weekend of the tourney, with a couple of shots at the final four in the first few years, would really establish our bona fides.  And, I think that starts with this season--if a few of MU, G'town, 'Nova, Butler, or Creighton can make it to the S16 or further, I think many people will credit it towards the strength of the new conference already. 

[muwarrior69]

Only DePaul looks like the poor step child of the new league. Providence and St. John are competitive and appear to be on the upswing. Seton Hall is a question mark as I am wiling to give them a pass on this season with all their injuries. Butler, X and Creighton should be competitive. Still think Nova, Gtown and MU will be at the top of the new league.

[MU B2002]

Only DePaul looks like the poor step child of the new league. Providence and St. John are competitive and appear to be on the upswing. Seton Hall is a question mark as I am wiling to give them a pass on this season with all their injuries. Butler, X and Creighton should be competitive. Still think Nova, Gtown and MU will be at the top of the new league.

Every ladder has a first rung.

[Niv Berkowitz]

Meh.
The Big 10 has produced one champion since 1990. People still think it's pretty good.
Producing deep tourney runs by multiple teams, however, would surely help.

This is the best year the big ten has had in a decade. For most of the last decade, we've all laughed at them from the BEast perspective. Don't forget that.

[CAGASS24]

Let me preface that I really like what MU has done with their situation relative to where they were six months ago and the prospects facing the old big east.  We are hopefully getting stability and adding some very good programs; the name and MSG are also important added benefits.

However, let's make sure we are all on the same page that relative to where we've been with the old big east over the last 8 years, starting next year our road to the NCAA is getting more difficult.  While in no way are our prospects as dire as say a Gonzaga in the WCC, we do have to start viewing our non-conf schedule as more important that in the past.  For Gonzaga, their non-conf is essentially their bread and butter in terms of RPI.  For the old big east, the conf schedule was.  We would add one or two good non-conf guys (maybe a 50-100) and maybe one or two sub 50, but a majority of games were those allowing us to ramp up to the conf season.  Now, I think we (future BEast in general, not specifically Marq) need 3 or so OOC games that are very tough, knowing that may lose one or two plus another 3-4 50-100 type games.

What will be very interesting is seeing how teams adapt to this new league.  I don't like the projections that look at this new league using current RPIs because all that stuff goes right out the window with the shuffling.  In reality, you just have to focus on the quality of the program/players without reference to old results because almost everything else is variable going forward.  Every single one of our future Big East mates needs to add high quality OOC opponents to next year's schedule in order to give our new conf some established RPI cred heading into league play.  Hopefully they fare well too, otherwise this first year could be a little bumpy.

For instance, if SJU thinks it can get away with scheduling Detroit, Charleston, Murray State, Baylor, Holy Cross, Florida Gulf Coast, SCarolina, NJIT (who), San Francisco, Fordham, St Francis, and UNC Asheville and get into the tournament even going 11-7 in this new league, forget about it.  However, given the right wins 11-7 AND going 7-4 OOC (if two of those wins are against top 50 folks), now you're talking (assuming a win or two in a conf tourney).

What worries me is that it might take time for some of these programs to adjust to:  being prepared to fight OOC for imp resume wins; getting players into the program that both understand and are capable of working as hard as needed from day one (not two or three months into the season); and accepting a possible loss of one-two home games to challenge themselves against higher profile folks in home and away contracts. 

Clearly, this whole situation benefits the new additions to the league, as they are all coming from lower tier situations.  We will need leadership from the top ( a commish, not just the current BEast AD's and Pres's) to not let them just ride on our coattails.  They need to work as hard as everyone else to improve this league.  Are there going to be bottom feaders?  Sure, but as we've seen in the old BEast, the strength of a league lies in either two to three very dominant teams (dominant against both conf and strong OOC schedule) and/or a "middle class".  Like the old BEast, we will need 5-7 programs that can go out and beat ANYONE outside the conference on a given night and do it with some regularity. 

It's there for the taking........onward and upward.  MU RAH!!!

[MU82]

Only DePaul looks like the poor step child of the new league. Providence and St. John are competitive and appear to be on the upswing. Seton Hall is a question mark as I am wiling to give them a pass on this season with all their injuries. Butler, X and Creighton should be competitive. Still think Nova, Gtown and MU will be at the top of the new league.

In March 2000, while Quentin Richardson and Bobby Simmons were leading DePaul into the NCAA tournament, Marquette was losing to Xavier in the first round of the NIT to finish 15-14. Sports is cyclical. DePaul had great success under both Meyers and has had its moments intermittently since, Chicago is a great market and it's not out of the realm of possibility that it could turn things around under the right coach. And folks shouldn't forget how rough things were for Marquette a few coaches ago.

[Groin_pull]

In March 2000, while Quentin Richardson and Bobby Simmons were leading DePaul into the NCAA tournament, Marquette was losing to Xavier in the first round of the NIT to finish 15-14. Sports is cyclical. DePaul had great success under both Meyers and has had its moments intermittently since, Chicago is a great market and it's not out of the realm of possibility that it could turn things around under the right coach. And folks shouldn't forget how rough things were for Marquette a few coaches ago.

I've always felt DePaul had a ton of potential. It's a decent school...and is located in Lincoln Park in Chicago (One of my all-time favorite neighborhoods. Lived there for a few years and loved it). If they could ever figure out their arena situation...look out. Playing in that rundown hanger by O'Hare must kill their recruiting. The Horizon (or whatever they call it these days) was a dump 15 years ago. They need to get out of that place.

Of course, I want them to be good....just not too good.

[Dawson Rental]

In March 2000, while Quentin Richardson and Bobby Simmons were leading DePaul into the NCAA tournament, Marquette was losing to Xavier in the first round of the NIT to finish 15-14. Sports is cyclical. DePaul had great success under both Meyers and has had its moments intermittently since, Chicago is a great market and it's not out of the realm of possibility that it could turn things around under the right coach. And folks shouldn't forget how rough things were for Marquette a few coaches ago.

They have the coach who can do it. He's proven that at his two previous stops.  The question is will the AD give him what he needs to do it.  Here the complaints about LW are nutty, but at DePaul the AD problem is real.

[MU82]

Fair enough ... they might need the right AD, too. And obviously, an on-campus arena that gives them a real homecourt advantage would be huge.

[buckchuckler]

They have the coach who can do it. He's proven that at his two previous stops.  The question is will the AD give him what he needs to do it.  Here the complaints about LW are nutty, but at DePaul the AD problem is real.

They are a Shane Larkin away from being a pretty darn competitive team.  Sucks for them that they lost him. 

[Groin_pull]

Fair enough ... they might need the right AD, too. And obviously, an on-campus arena that gives them a real homecourt advantage would be huge.

I've always wondered why they don't play at the United Center. Yes, it's huge and they wouldn't sell it out...but heck, they don't come close to any sellouts now. At least they would be playing in a NBA arena that's actually in the city. Gotta be better than that barn in Rosemont.

[Pakuni]

I've always wondered why they don't play at the United Center. Yes, it's huge and they wouldn't sell it out...but heck, they don't come close to any sellouts now. At least they would be playing in a NBA arena that's actually in the city. Gotta be better than that barn in Rosemont.

There are other considerations besides ability to fill up the seats.
Would the school get a cut of parking/concessions? How would rent compare? What would DePaul get as far as game dates and times (Hawks and Bulls would get Friday and Saturday nights)?

[🏀]

There are other considerations besides ability to fill up the seats.
Would the school get a cut of parking/concessions? How would rent compare? What would DePaul get as far as game dates and times (Hawks and Bulls would get Friday and Saturday nights)?

Pretty sure Reinsdorf just offered the UC to DePaul for 10 years, rent free with a bunch of amenities. Jerry does not want DePaul to build their own place.

Either way, they'll get crap dates between Bulls, Hawks and the circus. The UC is a 25 minute drive from campus, which is light years better than the All-State depending on the time of day. Plus, it would take 45 minutes or so if taking the brown line and the 20 bus to the UC.

[Groin_pull]

Pretty sure Reinsdorf just offered the UC to DePaul for 10 years, rent free with a bunch of amenities. Jerry does not want DePaul to build their own place.

Either way, they'll get crap dates between Bulls, Hawks and the circus. The UC is a 25 minute drive from campus, which is light years better than the All-State depending on the time of day. Plus, it would take 45 minutes or so if taking the brown line and the 20 bus to the UC.

Yeah, but the Brady Center juggles the Bucks, Admirals, and MU. Somehow it all works out. So DePaul would play a lot of Saturday afternoon games. So what? Again, it's gotta be better than playing in a crappy arena in Rosemont. Plus, don't you think prospective recruits would be excited to play in the UC? I do.