SEC throwing money into Basketball now..

[Macho Grande]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...-meet-with-wichita-state-coach-gregg-marshall

Bruce Pearl to Auburn. Ben Howland to Miss. State...

Gregg Marshall to 'Bama?

SEC is going to take all that $$$ they're making and steal all the best coaches. (Granted, these coaches are very good, not great at this point)

Wichita St has shown it will do what they can to be competitive, but they aren't going to be able to compete with Bama financially, or any SEC school really... How high is the financial bar set for Wichita?

Will be interesting an "canary in the coalmine" for the state of College Basketball post-realignment, as Gregg Marshall has seemed to be relatively happy at Wichita thus far... If he goes to the SEC, I foresee that much more separation between the haves and have nots...

 

[pj]

That's one thing the conference networks will compel the schools to generate -- attractive year-round content -- meaning basketball, hockey, baseball will rise in salience.

Whether that means they'll be eager to bring UConn in for its basketball brand, or will be eager to displace us, remains to be seen.

 

[Slasher]

And now Rick Barnes to Tennessee.

 

[UConnJim]

I don't think things have changed. Pearl and Howland were basically unemployable outside of the SEC. Bama has been chasing the hot coach for a while and it never clicks. Tennessee hiring an almost 61 year old Barnes after getting fired at Texas doesn't seem to be a big coup.

End of the day, as conferences expand, there are going to be different tiers of schools. Each conference will have a top team or two, a group of upper tier schools, a group of mid-tier schools and a group of lower tier schools. All schools can't be above average. The SEC is unique in that it has a clear top 2 schools in Kentucky and Florida, but there is not a clear upper tier group of schools so there is an opportunity to upgrade.

 

[zls44]

Most of the sec schools badly need new facilities. Kinda surprised they didn't throw the money there first. They have some truly awful arenas.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Most of the sec schools badly need new facilities. Kinda surprised they didn't throw the money there first. They have some truly awful arenas.

As opposed to UConn's plush new Gample Pavilion.

 

[Vuce]

This will continue to happen with the P5. The coaches in the AAC, A10, Big East, etc. will have a nice run at their school then they will jump to a P5 school that will pay them double. There will be so much TV money flowing that the non P5 schools will not be able to keep up.

 

[Antiobserver]

Most of the sec schools badly need new facilities. Kinda surprised they didn't throw the money there first. They have some truly awful arenas.

"Lol.. basketball facilities" - SEC

 

[RegisteredUconn]

"Lol.. basketball facilities" - SEC

Context free photos...nice

 

[billybud]

You don't have to have a fancy, state of the art stadium...UConn's is about like Alabama's and Georgia's. but UConn is an elite program..and, well, Duke's Cameron Indoor looks like a high school stadium.

Duke

 

[billybud]

I would trade FSU's arena for Duke's in a heartbeat if the programs came with the arena:

FSU

 

[Slasher]

Wake Forest has one of the better arenas in the ACC, but not the team...

I've seen a game there, back when Chris Paul played. It was an awesome environment back then (14,665.)

 

[SportsPageMike]

Avery Johnson to coach Alabama.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I would trade FSU's arena for Duke's in a heartbeat if the programs came with the arena:

FSU

I thought Florida St's arena is actually owned by the city/county and not the university, who is the primary tenant.

 

[husky210]

Avery Johnson to coach Alabama.

Is he a solid big man coach?