O'K. 'If I were a horse I would. The main take away should be that were UCONN in any of the P5 conference it wouldlikelydefinitely be facing a top 10 team in order to win a conference championship instead of playing almost 5 weeks of basketball against cupcakes.
Notre Dame, Louisville, SyracuseFor women’s basketball? Are you sure about that?
Rutgers, USFFor women’s basketball? Are you sure about that?
I might miss one but last year in the OBECan you explain. I’m trying to get someone to explain it. Where’s old dude or somebody
Notre Dame, Louisville, Syracuse
Rutgers, USF
Interesting that the men's basketball teams of schools that left the Old Big East for the ACC are a lot less competitive. One glaring example is Pitt which used to be really good in men's basketball. The program back then had a recruiting pipeline in to NYC. That pipeline dried up when Pitt left the BE. Pitt has been terrible in the ACC. Same with Boston College. Syracuse is not what it once was in men's basketball. Louisville has been rocked by scandals so hard to say how they'll end up. Don't get me wrong, those schools love cashing the checks they get from the ACC but they sacrificed their basketball programs and the fans who supported those programs.It's a bit bizarre to me that the "other 10" Big East teams are overall so much more competitive nationally in men's basketball than women's basketball.
Agreed. I do think the Big East is an upgrade, but most of the difference is in the bottom half of the conferences, which means Uconn doesn't have more competitive games, just the games they were winning by 45 against the bottom of the AAC may be more like 35 point wins in the Big East. It probably will move the SOS needle a little but not much unless the Depaul's and Marquette's start getting better recruits now that they are in Uconn's conference.Whether it's the Big East or the AAC, neither conference offers much competition for UConn..........the program will continue to look legit by playing a very competitive out of conference schedule throughout the season.........those with great expectations for a Big East resuscitation will likely be disappointed......
I guess they never heard of the old adage: "You gotta spend money to make money." If the attitude of (most of) the BE schools is that WCBB is not worth the effort, they are guaranteeing that their teams will be nothing beyond mediocre. And they are ignoring the growing tide of recognition for the women's game coming from major figures in the men's game, viz., Steph Curry, the late Coby Bryant, the NBA, and all those NBA players attending the WNBA playoffs, etc. Those schools are already being left behind in the competition for the highest quality female athletes while other schools, besides the usual top teams, recruit the increasing number of skilled players and begin competing at the highest levels of WCBB.It is "bizarre" - but not so much. These schools do not have huge athletic budgets and men's basketball is largely a marquee sport (as it was in the oBE, which, after all, started with a lot of the schools we are talking about). Men's basketball generates revenue, the women's side not-so-much. I suspect that some of the schools don't really care much about women's basketball being even competitive, which just makes it worse.
No one, except UConn and maybe 1 or 2 other schools, makes money.I guess they never heard of the old adage: "You gotta spend money to make money." .
I hate to say it, but it seems like a lot of schools with strong men's sports programs are doing the minimum to satisfy the Title IX requirements. As in, "Here, now shut up".I guess they never heard of the old adage: "You gotta spend money to make money." If the attitude of (most of) the BE schools is that WCBB is not worth the effort, they are guaranteeing that their teams will be nothing beyond mediocre. And they are ignoring the growing tide of recognition for the women's game coming from major figures in the men's game, viz., Steph Curry, the late Coby Bryant, the NBA, and all those NBA players attending the WNBA playoffs, etc. Those schools are already being left behind in the competition for the highest quality female athletes while other schools, besides the usual top teams, recruit the increasing number of skilled players and begin competing at the highest levels of WCBB.
The most disappointing thing is that, unless UCONN has a miserable day ( even more disappointing ), we have no competition in any of these games. Whatever we try...works. Everything looks better than it is. We begin to deceive ourselves and, when we meet a really good team in the NCAA Tournament, it is easy to get smacked in the jaw and knocked out. The only challenges are those games UCONN has managed to schedule with non conference, quality teams. Otherwise, our own practice are more demanding. 'Tis a bummer. But it I what it is.I have been watching this year unfold with optimism that the Big East could make inroads into the lead the P5 conferences had over us in terms of success, gravitas and NCAAT bids. Unfortunately while praying that Villanova, Seton Hall, Marquette and DePaul would exert some national attention grabbing wins, the AAC has sprinted by the Big East to #6 position with USF, UCF, Houston and Tulane leading their effort with a 49-22 record while the Big Least has 31-31 record.
Early season disappointments are Seton Hall (lost to Fordham), Villanova (lost Temple and Princeton), St John's (losses to Stony Brook and Charlotte) to name 3 of our higher profile schools. These schools plus DePaul and Creighton have also lost additional games to the P5 this season but those could be expected with the one note of "if you want to get ahead of them, you have to beat them at some point". To lose to the likes of the programs I listed simply can't occur if you are trying to elevate the league. I know many will say "Princeton is good as Carla is their coach" which is true with the caveat that Villanova should have a significant edge in recruiting and resources than what Carla has. Princeton did lose to URI so it's not like they are unbeatable.
The bottom line is the Big East needs to improve the recruiting, beat the lower mid-majors and earn a few good wins against P5 schools. Until we regularly do that, UConn in the Big East is not really moving the needle. Until that happens, we may be pre-ordained to be a 1-2 bid league with an occasional 3rd bid which is disappointing.
Nonetheless, a great chance for a mediocre player ( but a kid who loves BB), to earn a full scholarship at a fine University.I hate to say it, but it seems like a lot of schools with strong men's sports programs are doing the minimum to satisfy the Title IX requirements. As in, "Here, now shut up".
Now is a great time for some new rivalries and personalities to advance WCBB to the forefront, make a strong economic impact that will COMPEL some of the trustees with deep pockets to sit up and take notice.
Not nominating anyone in particular.....
So your saying UConn could have looked forward to games against UAB, UTSA (whatever that is), UNT (again who?), FAU (Florida Atllantic I'm guessing), and Charlotte? And streaming those games would have been put behind a paywall? Sure, the only benefit was less travel. SMDH.Never fear, the AAC will go back down after losing UCF Houston Cinci and adding UAB FAU UTSA UNT Rice Charlotte
Massey ranks lost: 35, 84, 176
Massey ranks added: 107, 122, 124,184, 216, 318
I would say you are the exception. People get better by playing with better people. Don't forget UConn women are among the best basketball players in the world.O'K. 'If I were a horse I wouldlikely/definitely have 4 legs'! My point was the obsession with being in a P5 (read tough) conference; and, the failure on the part of these P5 conf disciples to show how much more natl championships we could have garnered. Put simply, you can win Natl championships playing "Cup Cakes". We have shown that to be the case, but I might be dreaming. And I will leave open here the fact that a high percentage of those P5 teams that are playing nothing but top 10 teams have not made it past the Sweet 16.
I agree with GA- don't to any level but your own, and don't use a game to work on your game-- do the latter in practice. I'm embarassed to say that I learned to play basketball while at Uconn by watching for months, then playing alone, I got to be much better than my colleague who was fulled of himself and played with the big boys and learned nothing. That is also my reasoning for watching women's 'cup cake' bb rather than the men's high energy one-and-one and above the rim. Each to his/her own, I suppose.
I had forgotten about Louisville. That's a loss. (I mean would be great to play them twice every year.)I might miss one but last year in the OBE
Notre Dame
Louisville
Syracuse
USF
Rutgers
West Virginia
Not 100%, Rutgers was not a UConn effect. Rutgers did value their women's basketball program and as TG slacked, they were new coach shopping. CVS sort of fell into her laps, the only UConn effect was, as she has said, it was part of the teams that made the BE credible - remember, this was just as UConn won their first NC. The success of the program and the recruiting were CVS related, especially at the time.Go back and check their records prior to joining the conference. Yes, they are establish programs now, but that was in prominent part due to the “UConn effect.” There’s no reason to expect that that will not happen again in poor current conference.
I don't quite get his point, either. But UTSA is UT San Antonio, it does not have a strong history. I'm assuming the UNT is North Texas, they qualify as what we call a "little sister of the poor" in spite of a brief spurt of athletic improvement a few years back.So your saying UConn could have looked forward to games against UAB, UTSA (whatever that is), UNT (again who?), FAU (Florida Atllantic I'm guessing), and Charlotte? And streaming those games would have been put behind a paywall? Sure, the only benefit was less travel. SMDH.
Yeah, even as I posted to that I thought to myself “Rutgers may be the exception.” Since Rutgers has stopped playing uconn twice every year, their program has steadily declined. Now some of that may be CVS just reaching the end of her career, but I suspect a significant part is the exposure and recruiting advantage that playing against UConn gives other woman’s basketball teams.Not 100%, Rutgers was not a UConn effect. Rutgers did value their women's basketball program and as TG slacked, they were new coach shopping. CVS sort of fell into her laps, the only UConn effect was, as she has said, it was part of the teams that made the BE credible - remember, this was just as UConn won their first NC. The success of the program and the recruiting were CVS related, especially at the time.
That is the biggest UConn effect - it gives a conference a boost. How much it affects the behavior of the other schools and recruiting and all the rest is less clear.
So your saying UConn could have looked forward to games against UAB, UTSA (whatever that is), UNT (again who?), FAU (Florida Atllantic I'm guessing), and Charlotte? And streaming those games would have been put behind a paywall? Sure, the only benefit was less travel. SMDH.
He's 77 now. After the Syracuse athletic scandal in 2015 the NCAA wiped out 101 of his wins and he announced he would retire in 2018. But I guess when he realized Syracuse would let him do whatever he wanted, he decided to hang around to bring in his two sons and coach them.I don't quite get his point, either. But UTSA is UT San Antonio, it does not have a strong history. I'm assuming the UNT is North Texas, they qualify as what we call a "little sister of the poor" in spite of a brief spurt of athletic improvement a few years back.
My non-UConn fan take is that you would be better off in a Power 5 (so called) conference because of the opportunity to make money and play football. Absent that, the current Big East is probably a good conference for UConn. The competition doesn't really matter so much as far as I can see, Geno takes care of ensuring the team is exposed to other strong programs and is prepared for the tourney.
To your earlier mention of Syracuse on the men's side, apart from anything else - is Jim Boeheim ever going to retire? I don't follow men's BB, but he really, really seems "long in the tooth" as they say.
I would say you are the exception. People get better by playing with better people. Don't forget UConn women are among the best basketball players in the world.
And according to your thinking the Program-- which is in a 2nd rate conf-- did little for them. Or, their achievements owe everything to the few games they got to play outside their conf (playing with better players)?
I always come back to what the players would want. IMO the NC is the accumulation of many things done well. The players want to compete and to be challenged. Every game would be a perfect world. Not 4X a year before the tournament. The conference championship should really mean something. 99% of all players in the US have a conference championship as their first and maybe most important goal. Watch the 30 for 30, "Requiem of the Big East". Men's competition in the BE in the '80s. How exciting it would be to play in a league in which every game is a blockbuster. Do you know of a Uconn player who have complained about their conf affiliation? We are imposing our own desires onto players.