Big East 2021-2022 Season Thread

[🏀]

I'd rather have Wichita St than Dayton or SLU

ABD.

[The Sultan]

What do you mean by commitment? I'm assuming you mean winning at higher levels more often. They need to keep doing that, yes. They have commitment, and that commitment would grow in a better league.

Their budget (listed a few posts back) is already bumped up to higher than some Big East teams and the same as Xavier, Seton Hall, etc...and that would increase in the Big East.

They have the $100 million plus on campus facilities, similar size venue to Xavier. They are also located down the street from a 20k seat, recently renovated ($150 million) Enterprise Center it they need it.

They have big money boosters. SLU alum, Richard Chaifetz sits in front row for the games (he flies in from Chicago for games) and has donated over $30 million. SLU soccer alum Jim Kavanaugh is also a big benefactor. He is part owner of the Blues and the new MLS team. $5 million new soccer building is currently under construction. Don Ross (Enterprise) has also recently made 7 figure donations and is a decades long hoops season tix holder. There are several others as well. Being in a Big East type of conference would only help that. It would also help casual fan interest.

They swapped a 25 year difficult non sports friendly school president for someone much easier to deal with. (He isn't a Tim Lannon salesman type, more of an academic). Rick Majerus picked their AD who again is not a charismatic salesman type, but he's alright. Their board has been a mixed bag.

Their coach has done something several other coaches there haven't been able to do, recruit locally.

Several NBA stars work out there on a regular basis when in town. Being in an elevated league would make them more competitive to land more of those players.

They don't have a lot of historical "commitment" and NCAA success. But times change. In the past decade they have more NCAA appearances than MUBB, and half of the Big East, and they are expected to have a better team this season as well.

When they are competitive they draw big, and they get media attention. Grawer, Spoon, Majerus, Ford.

Creighton had made 2 of 6 NCAA's when they joined the Big East for example. But they had a Tim Lannon, a former Marquette VP, aggressively lobbying, building relationships etc...and that is not something SLU had, and may not have now. But Creighton did fine, as would SLU. It's more about how a program would do than what is has done.

Some of the current Big East teams haven't had much success in a long time. We all know those teams. ...Even MUBB with its larger budget and "commitment" has had its share of rough patches. 5 NCAA Tourney 2nd weekends for MUBB in the past 40 years. (1 for KO, 1 for Crean, 3 for Buzz)

I'm all for going after Gonzaga and the very best teams of college hoops as well. If you can't be one of those teams, may as well try to get one some of them. SLU would do well in the Big East, as they already check several boxes.

Cool.

If Fox doesn't pay the BE more, it doesn't matter how much improvement SLU has made.

[shoothoops]

Cool.

If Fox doesn't pay the BE more, it doesn't matter how much improvement SLU has made.

Val Ackerman said this week that in order to secure a solid deal, the Big East needs to consider expansion. 

[The Sultan]

Val Ackerman said this week that in order to secure a solid deal, the Big East needs to consider expansion. 

"Consider" means "talk with Fox to see if they make it worthwhile."

[shoothoops]

"Consider" means "talk with Fox to see if they make it worthwhile."

She said she already talked with media consultants etc and they advised her that expansion was a key to a good new deal. The deal will likely increase with or without expansion. But she's been advised that expansion is important enough to consider to maximize the deal.

[Uncle Rico]

She said she already talked with media consultants etc and they advised her that expansion was a key to a good new deal. The deal will likely increase with or without expansion. But she's been advised that expansion is important enough to consider.

Expanding with St. Louis is a terrible idea.  Next

[Dr. Blackheart]

Expanding with St. Louis is a terrible idea.  Next

#ABSL

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

They told Val, "ABD".

[Hards Alumni]

IMO you only add teams that people stand up and take notice.

UConn was one
Zags are another
Kansas is a dream

After that, every program mentioned doesn't crack our top 7 for national appeal.  Why in the world would we add them? 

Adding SLU / Dayton / VCU does nothing but dilute the league.  WSU is a million miles from our core values.  You can be big public and you can be west but you can't be both (unless you're Kansas).

It's Gonzaga or no one.  Val's message yesterday was to Zag Donors to get them riled up and ready.

Bring back Boston College. 

[JakeBarnes]

IMO you only add teams that people stand up and take notice.

UConn was one
Zags are another
Kansas is a dream

After that, every program mentioned doesn't crack our top 7 for national appeal.  Why in the world would we add them? 

Adding SLU / Dayton / VCU does nothing but dilute the league.  WSU is a million miles from our core values.  You can be big public and you can be west but you can't be both (unless you're Kansas).

It's Gonzaga or no one.  Val's message yesterday was to Zag Donors to get them riled up and ready.

Bingo. Giant bat signal to them.

Val is quite savvy. I have a lot of faith in her ability to keep the evolution of the Big East on a good path.

[JakeBarnes]

I think there's a little more smoke to the Gonzaga stuff than I originally thought. Interesting take from our UConn friends: https://adimeback.com/big-east-realignment-dont-overthink-it-its-gonzaga-or-nobody/

Also, love this quote from No Escalators (also uconn): "Seriously, don't overthink it. They're going to add Gonzaga. Everyone knows it is far away. Everyone is going to make more money. The latter always beats the former in college sports."

[wadesworld]

Hoops is our own entire Dayton fan base but for the city of St. Louis.

Also, do we want Gonzaga after Few retires? Who's going to Spokane, WA (including coaches to follow Few) other than to play for Mark Few?

[The Lens]

Mark Few is 58.  We're fine.

Creighton's (retired) AD just tweeted Gonzaga in Basketball Only.

IT'S HAPPENING

[Uncle Rico]

Hoops is our own entire Dayton fan base but for the city of St. Louis.

Also, do we want Gonzaga after Few retires? Who's going to Spokane, WA (including coaches to follow Few) other than to play for Mark Few?

Gonzaga has earned their way into consideration.  Losing Few will certainly change things but this is probably why the tires are being kicked by both sides.  Gonzaga is a lot easier to sell to the next coach as a Big East member than a WCC member

[shoothoops]

Hoops is our own entire Dayton fan base but for the city of St. Louis.

Also, do we want Gonzaga after Few retires? Who's going to Spokane, WA (including coaches to follow Few) other than to play for Mark Few?

Nah I talk about a lot of other cities,.sports and teams. Those posts don't get the same reaction. St. Louis a place that triggers some people here because Marquette isn't a very geographically diverse school. And there are some tribalists here that get triggered easily. All one has to do is say Madison or Notre Dame or insert name here.

I posted what I thought about the topic. That's how it works.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I think there's a little more smoke to the Gonzaga stuff than I originally thought. Interesting take from our UConn friends: https://adimeback.com/big-east-realignment-dont-overthink-it-its-gonzaga-or-nobody/

Also, love this quote from No Escalators (also uconn): "Seriously, don't overthink it. They're going to add Gonzaga. Everyone knows it is far away. Everyone is going to make more money. The latter always beats the former in college sports."

Plus FS1 can add a West Coast late start game if necessary.  It suck for us on the East Coast, but .......

[tower912]

Georgetown says that Tre King, a 6'9 transfer from EKU, is no longer on the team.

[DFW HOYA]

Georgetown says that Tre King, a 6'9 transfer from EKU, is no longer on the team.

A sixth departure for conduct issues over the past five years.

[tower912]

Any knowledge of specifics?   And, sorry you guys have to go through this.

[DFW HOYA]

Any knowledge of specifics?   And, sorry you guys have to go through this.

All they said was he did not meet "the conduct expectations of the University."

[tower912]

I read that.  Just hoping for some juicy unsubstantiated gossip.    Alas...

[4everwarriors]

Mark Few is 58.  We're fine.

Creighton's (retired) AD just tweeted Gonzaga in Basketball Only.

IT'S HAPPENING

Grate, now we're neva gonna win da BE, hey?

[MarquetteMike1977]

AP Top 25 Out Today
4. Villanova
24. UCONN
Xavier receiving 22 Votes
Saint John's receiving 5 Votes

[Billy Hoyle]

Mark Few is 58.  We're fine.

Creighton's (retired) AD just tweeted Gonzaga in Basketball Only.

IT'S HAPPENING

Which is interesting seeing how it's against NCAA bylaws.

[jesmu84]

https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/3389866/oh-sick-college-basketball-is-apparently-just-not-going-to-call-travels-this-year-because-moves-trickled-down-from-the-nba

Didn't know where else to put a rule update