After First Run Through Of American Athletic Conference, Dan Hurley Is Impressed

[Drew]

Didn’t see this posted:

After first run through American Athletic Conference, UConn’s Dan Hurley is impressed

Dan Hurley has completed his first go-round through the American Athletic Conference. Obviously, it hasn’t gone so well.

The Huskies have played every team at least once, and will have their second meeting with Wichita State on Thursday at Koch Arena (7 p.m., ESPN2).

While both UConn (13-14 overall, 4-10 AAC) and Wichita State (13-13, 6-8 AAC) are having down years, the AAC has shown more depth and competitiveness this season. The league currently could have four NCAA tournament teams — Houston, Cincinnati, UCF and Temple — and there is more parity overall, with Memphis and, particularly, South Florida, having unexpectedly strong seasons.

In short, it’s been an eye-opener for Hurley, who coached Rhode Island in the Atlantic-10 the prior six seasons.

“It’s a really good league,” Hurley said on Wednesday. “I’d say the guys are probably a little bigger, probably an inch or two taller than they were in the A-10, a little bit stronger in terms of their body. It’s a better league.”

Hurley added that the talent level in the league really hit home for him right off the bat, in the Huskies’ AAC opener on Jan. 2 at South Florida. The Huskies squandered a 12-point lead late in the first half and lost 76-68.

“The reality of where we’re at in it, we’re not blind to that,” said Hurley. “We know where we are, we know the climb we’ve got to make ... (we know) how good the league was and where we are relative to how good the league is.”

 

[AAC Guru]

Love this league!

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Paraphrasing: people who think the A10 is anywhere near the same level as this league are morons.

@A10 fan

 

[ucp990411]

So you think he would say the A10 was the better league?

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

So you think he would say the A10 was the better league?

You think he could?

 

[A10 fan]

Paraphrasing: people who think the A10 is anywhere near the same level as this league are morons.

@A10 fan

When did I ever say that? The league doesn't have enough power programs to be better than the AAC. UConn, Cincy, Memphis, Houston, and Temple all have better histories than any A10 team, hell equal to the NBE to be truthful. The A10 is full of teams that were powers 50 years ago, but haven't done much since the end of the independent era. That said, the A10 has still been a solid league, and has had stretches where it was no better than a middle of the pack league, but has also had stretches where it was much better than say, the Pac12 is now. I'm thinking when they got 6 bids a few years back, or back when Temple and UMass were flying high, and UMass crushed 2 of the 3 best teams in the BE (didn't play UConn that year), beating Cuse by 19, and treating an Allen Iverson led Georgetown team like they were some NEC squad in the Eastern regional final back in 96. Pretty good league back then. Not quite BCS level, but well above the mid major rabble. The league is down this year, but is pretty much devoid of senior talent, so very few of the teams are going to be hit hard by graduation. The league should be back in the number 8 spot next year.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

When did I ever say that? The league doesn't have enough power programs to be better than the AAC. UConn, Cincy, Memphis, Houston, and Temple all have better histories than any A10 team, hell equal to the NBE to be truthful. The A10 is full of teams that were powers 50 years ago, but haven't done much since the end of the independent era. That said, the A10 has still been a solid league, and has had stretches where it was no better than a middle of the pack league, but has also had stretches where it was much better than say, the Pac12 is now. I'm thinking when they got 6 bids a few years back, or back when Temple and UMass were flying high, and UMass crushed 2 of the 3 best teams in the BE (didn't play UConn that year), beating Cuse by 19, and treating an Allen Iverson led Georgetown team like they were some NEC squad in the Eastern regional final back in 96. Pretty good league back then. Not quite BCS level, but well above the mid major rabble. The league is down this year, but is pretty much devoid of senior talent, so very few of the teams are going to be hit hard by graduation. The league should be back in the number 8 spot next year.

You’ve always insulated it even essentially in this post.

 

[A10 fan]

You’ve always insulated it even essentially in this post.

Bull! You're reading far too much into things. The AAC is the better league, as I clearly explained. That doesn't mean the A10 is garbage.

 

[Psolo12]

Bull! You're reading far too much into things. The AAC is the better league, as I clearly explained. That doesn't mean the A10 is garbage.

Except for the fact that the A10 is indeed garbage. I live in the Richmond area and have watched Richmond and VCU both play multiple games. They would get squashed in this league.

 

[TheChamps990411]

“The reality of where we’re at in it, we’re not blind to that,” said Hurley. “We know where we are, we know the climb we’ve got to make ... (we know) how good the league was and where we are relative to how good the league is.”

In other words "this roster stinks"