AAC Tournament is a joke! | The Boneyard

AAC Tournament is a joke!

Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
1,738
Reaction Score
13,509
Why don't they just hand UConn the championship Trophy on Day 1 and let the other teams play for second place. This is not a question. There is not one team in this league that can compete with UConn and make it a game. UConn would be better off competing against it's male practice players during this time period than playing any of these teams and have a more competitive game that forces them to excel for 40 minutes. Either these teams come up to the level of play of UConn or UConn women should have 26 out of conference games. Look what it did to the UConn men's program. They play no better than they did before Calhoun arrived at the University. And look what they are playing against.

What I think Geno is really worried about is that this program will sink down to the level of play of the rest of the AAC and not maintain the level of consistency it has over the years. Then it is retirement time.
 

RockyMTblue2

Don't Look Up!
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
21,884
Reaction Score
95,784
I invoke the Mojo God:

horned.god_.jpg
 
Joined
Oct 7, 2016
Messages
209
Reaction Score
506
teams like Tulsa and UCF have played UConn close this year... and USF is just as capable in my view.. Not all games are full blown 40-50 point routs. Not only to mention, the records for the top AAC teams this year are much better. UCF is well on its way under Coach Abe to reaching the NCAAs in the coming years. Temple was destroyed with injuries this year who are usually an NCAA team as well. Also kudos to Jamelle for compiling the record she has and landing a top 4 finish in the conference
 

EricLA

Cronus
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
14,944
Reaction Score
80,821
The PAC-12 championship game was a smackdown of 20 points by Oregon over Stanford. Why not just give it to Oregon this year and move on? Why bother playing those games??

Baylor and Texas have ripped thru the Big 12. Why not just jump to the championship game between those 2 and skip the rest?

Yeah our league sucks. Unless there's another expansion by one of the P5 leagues, UCONN is stuck. USF has always been good. Houston, UCF, Cinci and Temple are showing signs of life. For many years it was Stanford and everyone else in the Pac 12. Once Geno retires and UCONN comes back to earth, I bet our conference is plenty competitive for complaining fans...
 

RockyMTblue2

Don't Look Up!
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
21,884
Reaction Score
95,784
Once Geno retires and UCONN comes back to earth,

This increasingly conventional wisdom, syllogistic logic (not, I know but I'm trying to draw someone out of hiding), formulaic thinking I am unwilling to have go unchallenged. I'm shocked, Eric, shocked!
 

DefenseBB

Snark is always appreciated!
Joined
Nov 10, 2016
Messages
7,863
Reaction Score
28,481
It is what it is-go blame the Athletic Department for wanting to field a football team that can't recruit in it's backyard because it doesn't have a backyard! So until you tell the AD to Forego football and go back to the BigEast, the other sports programs will be stuck in purgatory.

That said, it took FSU and Miami 6 years to make the ACC more competitive in football as they were easily winning all those conference titles. It elevated Clemson finally but also at the detriment of their own prestige and top echelon status.
 

oldude

bamboo lover
Joined
Nov 15, 2016
Messages
16,734
Reaction Score
147,325
The PAC-12 championship game was a smackdown of 20 points by Oregon over Stanford. Why not just give it to Oregon this year and move on? Why bother playing those games??

Baylor and Texas have ripped thru the Big 12. Why not just jump to the championship game between those 2 and skip the rest?

Yeah our league sucks. Unless there's another expansion by one of the P5 leagues, UCONN is stuck. USF has always been good. Houston, UCF, Cinci and Temple are showing signs of life. For many years it was Stanford and everyone else in the Pac 12. Once Geno retires and UCONN comes back to earth, I bet our conference is plenty competitive for complaining fans...
Would much prefer the rest of the AAC raising their level of play to compete with UConn, than UConn coming back down to earth after Geno retires.
 
Joined
Sep 4, 2011
Messages
517
Reaction Score
719
I agree with the statement regarding Geno, concerning retirement & prognosis of the future for UConn W.B. I look around & I see no one. I feel that all those around him will, also, pack it in, Enjoy it, as long it lasts !
 
Joined
Feb 22, 2016
Messages
977
Reaction Score
5,178
I respectfully dissent. Yesterday, while most were watching the Pac-12 final, I took in an absolute thriller between Cincinnati and Tulsa in the AAC quarter-final. This is a game that had something like 12 lead changes, with both teams making shots and at one point trading threes like they were body blows in a heavyweight prize fight.

Tulsa was up by 1 and had possession with just 14 seconds left on the clock. But they turn the ball over on the inbound. The Bearcats advance the ball with a timeout, and Jamelle draws up a play. Senior Ana Owens breaks down the defense on the dribble drive, makes a great move to the hoop and scoops the ball in with her left hand to put her team up by 1!

But there's time left on the clock. On her own drive to the rim, Tulsa's Erika Wakefied splits the defenders, who cannot foul, but then puts the ball a touch too hard off the glass to miss the winning layup. Heartbreak! Wakefield's teammates rush to comfort her, but she is seen shedding tears during the post-game handshakes. Meanwhile, Cinncinatti is ecstatic and celebrating that they just made it to their first American semi-final, where the UConn Huskies await.

Excitement and drama in our game doesn't get much better than this. I love our conference.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jan 13, 2014
Messages
9,874
Reaction Score
29,425
It’s all relative. In her post-game presser last night Tulane coach Lisa Stockton said the level of competition increased when they joined the AAC.
 

Wbbfan1

And That’s The Way It Is
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
9,164
Reaction Score
17,441
While I hope it doesn't happen, how do you think USF would do if UConn was forced to play the Championship Game without Crystal and Gabby? I'd venture the game might be closer then many might think.

You got to play the games and anything can happen. No Championships or games are guaranteed wins.

I can remember watching UConn vs St John's and I was shocked St John's won. Also how about the improbably Duke win when Foley hit the shot.
 
Joined
Oct 7, 2016
Messages
209
Reaction Score
506
While I hope it doesn't happen, how do you think USF would do if UConn was forced to play the Championship Game without Crystal and Gabby? I'd venture the game might be closer then many might think.

You got to play the games and anything can happen. No Championships or games are guaranteed wins.

I can remember watching UConn vs St John's and I was shocked St John's won. Also how about the improbably Duke win when Foley hit the shot.

I also believe that this would be a real close one as well without Gabby and Crystal.
 

Nuyoika

Destroyer of Baked Goods
Joined
Sep 22, 2014
Messages
1,607
Reaction Score
3,370
They really could get rid of the conference tourney's altogether for the major conferences or really any conference with multiple top 25 teams. How often do you see a B10, B12, ACC, SEC, or PAC12 team win and think wow I couldn't have imagined that? Usually by the time the conference tourneys come around you know it is going to be one of two teams basically. Usually the two that get there have played each other twice already anyway. Then they could just move the NCAA tourney up.
 

HGN

Joined
Aug 30, 2011
Messages
3,158
Reaction Score
6,816
Why don't they just hand UConn the championship Trophy on Day 1 and let the other teams play for second place. This is not a question. There is not one team in this league that can compete with UConn and make it a game. UConn would be better off competing against it's male practice players during this time period than playing any of these teams and have a more competitive game that forces them to excel for 40 minutes. Either these teams come up to the level of play of UConn or UConn women should have 26 out of conference games. Look what it did to the UConn men's program. They play no better than they did before Calhoun arrived at the University. And look what they are playing against.

What I think Geno is really worried about is that this program will sink down to the level of play of the rest of the AAC and not maintain the level of consistency it has over the years. Then it is retirement time.
Veryolddog , exactly what are you complaining about ? Are you mad that the other teams are not as good as UConn , or that UConn is not as bad as the other teams? Don't blame UConn for it. Please remember that
UConn was in the Best basketball league in the college game , The Big East. But League Presidents broke it up. And please remember that NO OTHER league has chosen to ask UConn to join them. BIG 10 ; ACC ;
SEC .........None of the so-called P5 Conferences.

So its not UConn's fault that they have to play the teams in their league and are just better.
 

UConnNick

from Vince Lombardi's home town
Joined
Sep 17, 2011
Messages
5,076
Reaction Score
14,074
It is what it is-go blame the Athletic Department for wanting to field a football team that can't recruit in it's backyard because it doesn't have a backyard! So until you tell the AD to Forego football and go back to the BigEast, the other sports programs will be stuck in purgatory.

That said, it took FSU and Miami 6 years to make the ACC more competitive in football as they were easily winning all those conference titles. It elevated Clemson finally but also at the detriment of their own prestige and top echelon status.

Even if the new Big East had any interest, a big if, in adding UCONN, it no longer has much appeal outside of men's BB. There's no Syracuse, Pitt, WVU, Louisville, Rutgers, and ND anymore. In essence, almost all of the premier women's programs have long since waved goodbye. DePaul is one of the few women's programs left that might provide some competition, but not really because we always hammer them. A run through the current NBE schedule for us would look very much like a run through the AAC looks now.

UCONN also has other sports teams. It's not only basketball. We are nationally ranked in baseball, and the AAC is a great baseball conference. The AAC is also the best non-P5 football league. If you truly want the women's program in a really competitive league, it's P5 or bust, and the only way to get there is market share demographics that work, and football. Without football, get used to being in a mid major conference for women's BB permanently.
 
Last edited:

dogged1

like a dog with a bone
Joined
Aug 18, 2016
Messages
817
Reaction Score
3,566
Even if the new Big East had any interest, a big if, in adding UCONN, it no longer has much appeal outside of men's BB. There's no Syracuse, Pitt, WVU, Louisville or Rutgers anymore. In essence, almost all of the premier women's programs have long since waved goodbye. DePaul is one of the few women's programs left that might provide some competition, but not really because we always hammer them. A run through the current NBE schedule for us would look very much like a run through the AAC looks now.

UCONN also has other sports teams. It's not only basketball. We are nationally ranked in baseball, and the AAC is a great baseball conference. The AAC is also the best non-P5 football league. If you truly want the women's program in a really competitive league, it's P5 or bust, and the only way to get there is market share demographics that work, and football. Without football, get used to being in a mid major conference for women's BB permanently.

A neat summation of 10 years of debate, of the now nearly dead, Conference Realignment Board.
 
Joined
Jan 26, 2016
Messages
12,640
Reaction Score
44,543
excuse my ignorance as always but why can't UConn women's basketball be like Notre Dame in college football with their own independent schedule with lots of great match ups throughout the season............I can't believe the AAC broadcasting rights can be all that lucrative
 

msf22b

Maestro
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
6,256
Reaction Score
16,742
1. Geno has compensated for the (relatively) weak conference schedule by scheduling a monster out-of-conference lineup.

2. It's not impossible that the year after next and following could well be rebuilding years like the group before Tina and Maya. I'm sure that Geno's 30- win remark was a reference to that possibility.

3, My guess (is it allowed to guess) is that Geno would raise that group to a National Championship level and then retire.

4. In a sense, by loading up such a formidable OOC lineup. he has made the relatively weaker conference schedule of no concern (variation of argument 1).

5. (and last) No matter how (relatively) weak the schedule is, there still is a huge difference between practice and playing in front of a large, potentially critical paying crowd, interested in seeing a brand of woman's BB unavailable elsewhere.
 

Oldbones

Hates Surprises
Joined
Dec 24, 2014
Messages
708
Reaction Score
3,360
Why don't they just hand UConn the championship Trophy on Day 1 and let the other teams play for second place.
ESPN has an article on the only 8 schools that can possibly win the Men's NCAA Tournament (Spoiler: UCONN not included) so they could skip to the elite 8. BTW, I think if we include Texas and Oregon there are probably about 8 contenders on the Women's side a well.

The 343 teams that will not win the national championship
 

DefenseBB

Snark is always appreciated!
Joined
Nov 10, 2016
Messages
7,863
Reaction Score
28,481
Even if the new Big East had any interest, a big if, in adding UCONN, it no longer has much appeal outside of men's BB. There's no Syracuse, Pitt, WVU, Louisville, Rutgers, and ND anymore. In essence, almost all of the premier women's programs have long since waved goodbye. DePaul is one of the few women's programs left that might provide some competition, but not really because we always hammer them. A run through the current NBE schedule for us would look very much like a run through the AAC looks now.

UCONN also has other sports teams. It's not only basketball. We are nationally ranked in baseball, and the AAC is a great baseball conference. The AAC is also the best non-P5 football league. If you truly want the women's program in a really competitive league, it's P5 or bust, and the only way to get there is market share demographics that work, and football. Without football, get used to being in a mid major conference for women's BB permanently.
UConnNick-nice job with the counterpoints of the issue with one/two minor rebuttals if I may-
The conference alignments are about the 2, and only 2 revenue sports: Football/MCBB. In order to compete in CFB 35-50% of your recruits need to be regional i.e.New England, otherwise you can't field depth. Add in 11 paid assistants and large fan base to donate and come to the games and you see the issue. No New England University or for that matter Eastern Seaboard team north of Virginia can compete in CFB. So why waste the money, tax dollars and cost of other programs to try?
Forego football, focus on Basketball, baseball, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and other sports where the Northeast pool of talent is abundant. The Big East does offer significant competition in all of those sports. The BigEast WCBB is still better than the AAC-besides DePaul, there's Marquette, Villanova and Creighton all in the top 50 on Massey and Georgetown/St.John's all in the top 72. AAC has 2 in top 50 and 3 in top 72 with UCF. As you say, you should look at the other sports as well and think of the more regional travel to take the burden of the other sports to compete-Butler, Creighton and Xavier being the furthest with only Creighton not in the Eastern time zone.

I do know the issue is not dead and I think with UConn Hockey showing life, the budget situation will start to determine where funding needs to go as the Connecticut Tax payers do not want to subsidized D1 football... JMHO..
 

Online statistics

Members online
128
Guests online
3,251
Total visitors
3,379

Forum statistics

Threads
155,799
Messages
4,032,028
Members
9,865
Latest member
Sad Tiger


Top Bottom