AAC as a pretty good basketball league?

[champs99and04]

This is not complicated.

Either you win or March or you don’t.

Yet again the AAC went t!t$ up in March.

Until they stop doing that it’s just talk.

They were the distant 7th league barely ahead of MWC. There isn’t any need to guess. The numbers are available for $20 a year.

Even if I take your word that it was 7th, it doesn't change the fact that the conference sent three legitimate teams to the tournament that were either going to survive the regression model or not. The AAC wasn't really different than any other conference in that respect. If a kid from Michigan hitting a 30 footer is the difference between failing and succeeding in March, then it's purely from a perception standpoint. And that perception matters, but to dismiss the practical aspect of the analysis during a year where Loyola is in the final four and UMBC beat the #1 overall seed is hard for me to understand. The PAC-12, incidentally, lost two of their three teams in the play-in round and a third in a 20 point pasting to Buffalo. The AAC looks like the '85 Big East comparatively.

Postseason disappointments accounted for, the conference still has three teams ranked in the KenPom top 20. SMU flirted with the top 25 before injuries derailed their season, UCF would have competed for a bid at full health, and Temple/UConn/Memphis theoretically cannot remain terrible forever. It's never going to be a great league, but this season it represented itself as a power conference. That's all you can ask for.

 

[willie99]

The AAC will never be a thing.

People who defend it do so out of insecurity.


Nobody on earth respects it. Counting the days till we're out,

Insecurity? gosh darn that's funny

 

[whaler11]

Even if I take your word that it was 7th, it doesn't change the fact that the conference sent three legitimate teams to the tournament that were either going to survive the regression model or not. The AAC wasn't really different than any other conference in that respect. If a kid from Michigan hitting a 30 footer is the difference between failing and succeeding in March, then it's purely from a perception standpoint. And that perception matters, but to dismiss the practical aspect of the analysis during a year where Loyola is in the final four and UMBC beat the #1 overall seed is hard for me to understand. The PAC-12, incidentally, lost two of their three teams in the play-in round and a third in a 20 point pasting to Buffalo. The AAC looks like the '85 Big East comparatively.

Postseason disappointments accounted for, the conference still has three teams ranked in the KenPom top 20. SMU flirted with the top 25 before injuries derailed their season, UCF would have competed for a bid at full health, and Temple/UConn/Memphis theoretically cannot remain terrible forever. It's never going to be a great league, but this season it represented itself as a power conference. That's all you can ask for.

You can talk about it in circles all you like.

The AAC is known for one thing. March failure post 2014.

What did you get this year? March failure.

Until they do anything other than fail in March that’s what the league is.

If you just type a list of teams and say ‘if this this was good’ then the league would be better - well no kidding. Those teams aren’t good. Those teams sucked.

If you want to call it a power league knock yourself out but it had 7 teams worse than DePaul.

It was a league that had 3 good teams all of which spit the bit when the chips were down.

 

[olehead]

My belief (fantasy) is that by the time the AAC becomes a power conference, the college sports landscape will start changing. I think the big money will start drying up and conferences will revert to a more regional status. If regional rivalries were to take precedence over $ wouldn't a conference based on UConn/BC/Cuse/Pitt/Penn St/Rutgers/MD/WVU be tons of fun.

I WANT TO BELIEVE

Indeed!

 

[olehead]

The "Big East" is a small-time conference made up of small-time schools, no upside there.

Pass.

That darn, jivea*@, small-time Villanova program. They bring nothing to the table when you're talking D1 dominance. Now ECU, USF, UCF, there's a murderers row for you. Even my auto-correct fails to recognize those alphabet schools.

 

[intlzncster]

Just a little perspective from an outsider, though admittedly I'm biased and want you guys to stay here. The Big East had 6 teams make the tournament, which is impressive, but only had 1 make the second weekend. Plus, Xavier is on the verge of losing its coach to Louisville. I understand why you guys want to leave for greener pastures, I just don't think the Big East is really that much better than the AAC. It's kind of a one-trick pony, especially if Mack does leave Xavier.

If UCONN was where they should be in MBB then they would be to the American what Villanova is to the Big East (BTW congrats on the great hire, I think Hurley will get you there). Throw in a Memphis team that returns to normal standards (which is actually a real possibility with the talent Penny is supposed to bring in) along with Cincy, Wichita, rising Houston, UCF, SMU and a Temple team that is always decent with potential to be consistently good. My point is, I think that moving to the Big East would be a shortsighted decision for UCONN to make. I know it's been said in the past, but now more than ever the future of the American is looking bright. I think in 2-3 years we'll be on about equal footing with the BE. We'll just have to wait and see.

Outside of being a recurring meme on this board, we aren't going anywhere for the next 5 or so years anyway. So no need to give it another thought.

 

[John]

That darn, jivea*@, small-time Villanova program. They bring nothing to the table when you're talking D1 dominance. Now ECU, USF, UCF, there's a murderers row for you. Even my auto-correct fails to recognize those alphabet schools.

You going to bake those cherries into a nice pie?

• Small Catholic schools
• Limited enrollments
• Limited athletic departments
• Limited upside
• Non-P5 financial income
• No P5 future.

You want to sign Uconn, a large State school with robust athletic offerings and a P5 pedigree, up for that mess?

No thanks.

 

[StoneStFan]

Re-reading my initial post, I cannot believe I typed “baseball,” meant to say basketball! LOL

 

[Rufus]

One thing no one on this thread has mentioned yet that will hinder the AAC ----- coaches salary. Let's assume the AAC has a handful of strong teams for a few years. The P5 schools are going to swoop in and offer those top coaches so much $$$, that they will leave for the P5. Then the teams they leave will likely perform worse the following years. Just like football. Top coaches in the AAC will leave when a P5 school makes them an offer they can't refuse.