Big East basketball on FoxSports

[Excalibur]

Football is on the old contract. New contract kicks in next year. 50% more games on ESPN.

Of course he won't acknowledge this point. It defeats his argument, soundly and completely. Better to pretend it doesn't exist . . .

 

[upstater]

Of course he won't acknowledge this point. It defeats his argument, soundly and completely. Better to pretend it doesn't exist . . .

Yes, and it also shows that the losing teams of the old BE were never on TV either!

 

[Excalibur]

This debate is over.

Yes, but not in the way you think it is . . .

 

[FriarJ]

The ratings are not good, but... from a fans perspective to go from no games on ESPN and only two games each on ESPN2 and ESPNU to literally every game on some kind of national broadcast without having to dole out $ is a pretty cool thing, ratings aside. I have to believe it helps in recruiting where we were at a decided disadvantage in the old BE.

 

[sdhusky]

The ratings are not good, but... from a fans perspective to go from no games on ESPN and only two games each on ESPN2 and ESPNU to literally every game on some kind of national broadcast without having to dole out $ is a pretty cool thing, ratings aside. I have to believe it helps in recruiting where we were at a decided disadvantage in the old BE.

For someone like PC, its a great deal because otherwise you aren't on at all. It will help with recruiting, no doubt.

For UCONN, it would mean a big decrease in exposure compared to what we have now.

 

[FriarJ]

I agree, for UConn it does no good because they were and still are on ESPN a bunch. If you were one of the wannabe's in the old BE, you were screwed which is just one of the factors in what made it so hard to climb that ladder. Much different now in that respect for the SHU's, PC's etc...

 

[metsfan2323]

This debate is over.

Only if you believe "Kick Ass" and "Suck Ass" are the same thing. The Big East will not draw an audience on Fox. Nobody but their loyal fans are watching. Meanwhile UCONN basketball is rolling along just fine. Your gloom and doom predictions for UCONN make you look like a fool.

It won't be long before Buzz Williams and Jay Wright head for greener pastures.

Creighton is the new power team in the Big East, how sad.

 

[freescooter]

I'm concerned long term because after this year the American is going to be pretty weak and that will over the long run have a negative impact on UConn I believe. But I'm not at all concerned that UConn will be fine relative to the new Big East. They will be fighting with the A-10 for relevance. We'll be in a league with a few good teams and a bunch of dreck. We won't likely be a power conference but we'll be right below them.

 

[upstater]

I'm concerned long term because after this year the American is going to be pretty weak and that will over the long run have a negative impact on UConn I believe. But I'm not at all concerned that UConn will be fine relative to the new Big East. They will be fighting with the A-10 for relevance. We'll be in a league with a few good teams and a bunch of dreck. We won't likely be a power conference but we'll be right below them.

A few of those new teams are bringing in lots of talent. SMU is recruiting well and so is Houston. Temple is Temple. Memphis is still bringing in recruits but the head coach is awful. I tend to think the conference will be quite weak, but at the top, you're still going to have Cincy, UConn, Memphis, Temple, with SMU having more talent than anyone, and Houston with a haul of recruits. Larry Brown is a decent coach. If you give him a top 10 kid and another who is the #1 rated recruit of one prominent service, he may be able to do something with it, especially because of the big guys he already has. ESPN also is going to want to highlight the #1 recruit in the nation.

 

[Fishy]

You keep peddling the idea that the conference is recruiting well.

It's not, so stop.

And SMU doesn't have the top recruit in the country. They bought a one and done by giving the kid's scrub JUCO brother a scholarship.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Speaking of FOX
I watched the Memphis game the other night on the BTN . the announcers indicated they would be on again.
Since they are in the AAC doesn't ESPN own those rights?

 

[Fishy]

Speaking of FOX
I watched the Memphis game the other night on the BTN . the announcers indicated they would be on again.
Since they are in the AAC doesn't ESPN own those rights?

Hmm...I don't think you saw Memphis on the Big Ten Network. I think you might have seen them on SportSouth, which is owned by Fox.

My guess is that the game was licensed out to the regional network.

 

[upstater]

You keep peddling the idea that the conference is recruiting well.

It's not, so stop.

And SMU doesn't have the top recruit in the country. They bought a one and done by giving the kid's scrub JUCO brother a scholarship.

And you keep dismissing it. Mudiay is the top player according to a service run by a guy who has the same last name as the late DePaul coach. And Frazier was top 10 last year. That's 2 guys who are top 10. Houston has a lot of top 100 players. Memphis keeps bringing in guards. Cincy is Cincy.

Why isn't it clear that SMU and Houston have done well in recruiting?

 

[tzznandrew]

And you keep dismissing it. Mudiay is the top player according to a service run by a guy who has the same last name as the late DePaul coach. And Frazier was top 10 last year. That's 2 guys who are top 10. Houston has a lot of top 100 players. Memphis keeps bringing in guards. Cincy is Cincy.

Why isn't it clear that SMU and Houston have done well in recruiting?

I want you to be right, but...

I can't say it's clear Houston has done well. I've looked at 2013, 2014, and 2015, and don't see any top 100 players. Now, you may be looking at a different service, but can I just see it?

SMU has pulled in some very good recruits. Let's hope that Larry Brown stays long enough for them to make the tournament and win something. And let's hope Cincy is Cincy means more than borderline NCAA team for the last 10 years, and that Temple recovers...

 

[upstater]

I want you to be right, but...

I can't say it's clear Houston has done well. I've looked at 2013, 2014, and 2015, and don't see any top 100 players. Now, you may be looking at a different service, but can I just see it?

SMU has pulled in some very good recruits. Let's hope that Larry Brown stays long enough for them to make the tournament and win something. And let's hope Cincy is Cincy means more than borderline NCAA team for the last 10 years, and that Temple recovers...

Danuel House was a top recruit for them, Danrad Knowles was top 100 as well. These are 2012s.
http://247sports.com/Season/2012-Basketball/RecruitRankings?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool

As for 2014, Jaquel Richmond was top 100 but fell out into top 150, he had offers from Okie st, Florida St, Tenn, Virginia, etc.

 

[tzznandrew]

Danuel House was a top recruit for them, Danrad Knowles was top 100 as well. These are 2012s.
http:// /Season/2012-Basketball/RecruitRankings?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool

As for 2014, Jaquel Richmond was top 100 but fell out into top 150, he had offers from Okie st, Florida St, Tenn, Virginia, etc.

The link isn't working.

But, okay, in 2012 they got Scout's 31st 76th best recruits. That's damn good. But then, not much in 2013, and one top 150 for 2014... That's not really "a lot of top 100 players." It's better than I thought.

But, I mean, for 2014:

Georgetown: 48, 49, 76, 88
Marquette: 73, 85, 93
PC: 63, 82, 83
Seton Hall: 12, 43
Villanova: 67, 92
Xavier: 41, 72, 89

Those schools are much more "loaded" with Top 100 talent. And that's the type of recruiting we want to see from a bunch of AAC schools, or at least the Top 4-5. Instead, UConn has 1 and SMU has 1. I suspect UConn will pick up a bunch more for 2015, but still.

 

[upstater]

The link isn't working.

But, okay, in 2012 they got Scout's 31st 76th best recruits. That's damn good. But then, not much in 2013, and one top 150 for 2014... That's not really "a lot of top 100 players." It's better than I thought.

But, I mean, for 2014:

Georgetown: 48, 49, 76, 88
Marquette: 73, 85, 93
PC: 63, 82, 83
Seton Hall: 12, 43
Villanova: 67, 92
Xavier: 41, 72, 89

Those schools are much more "loaded" with Top 100 talent. And that's the type of recruiting we want to see from a bunch of AAC schools, or at least the Top 4-5. Instead, UConn has 1 and SMU has 1. I suspect UConn will pick up a bunch more for 2015, but still.

Smu has Keith Frazier. And House was ranked higher than 31 on most services. Seton Hall did great by picking up Whitehead and G'town is G'town, but yeah I think the talent is just as great as SMU and Houston as at the other schools.

 

[metsfan2323]

I watched the Houston game last night and it was mentioned a couple times that there are "pros" on the team. Houston is a decent team and their recruiting should pick up in the AAC. IMO they are at the same level as St Johns.

The basketball recruiting sites are just as bogus and politicized as the football recruiting sites. Nobody gave UCONN credit for Brimah. At the end of the day conferences are judged by the number of NCAA tourney teams they have and how many tourney wins they get.

Right now the only really bad basketball teams in the AAC going forward are Tulane and Tulsa, everyone else has some talent. East Carolina looks like a potential tournament team this year.

 

[Fishy]

And you keep dismissing it. Mudiay is the top player according to a service run by a guy who has the same last name as the late DePaul coach. And Frazier was top 10 last year. That's 2 guys who are top 10. Houston has a lot of top 100 players. Memphis keeps bringing in guards. Cincy is Cincy.

Why isn't it clear that SMU and Houston have done well in recruiting?

Because I'm right and you're wrong.

The conference is not recruiting well relative to its peers - that's just how it is. The new Big East kicked the AAC's head in this year.

UConn will recruit well and do so nationally. The rest of them will have to recruit well in their own zip codes because they have little appeal outside of it.

And enough about SMU. They managed to snag Mudiay in a way that we crucified Calipari for with DeJuan Wagner. Mudiay or not, you would have to point a freaking gun at ESPN to get them to put SMU on anything other than 3 or U - the fact that some obscure recruiting site has him number one means nothing to anyone. (Perhaps the 3,000-odd SMU fans that attend their home games might care, but then again, perhaps not.)

 

[upstater]

Because I'm right and you're wrong.

The conference is not recruiting well relative to its peers - that's just how it is. The new Big East kicked the AAC's head in this year.

UConn will recruit well and do so nationally. The rest of them will have to recruit well in their own zip codes because they have little appeal outside of it.

And enough about SMU. They managed to snag Mudiay in a way that we crucified Calipari for with DeJuan Wagner. Mudiay or not, you would have to point a freaking gun at ESPN to get them to put SMU on anything other than 3 or U - the fact that some obscure recruiting site has him number one means nothing to anyone. (Perhaps the 3,000-odd SMU fans that attend their home games might care, but then again, perhaps not.)

I didn't say the conference was recruiting well. It's not.

Singling out SMU and Houston for good recruiting is very different from saying the entire conference is going great guns.

As for SMU, they also have more than one player. Frazier was a top recruit last year. They got a big as well, and a JUCO.

I don't care how SMU might get into trouble, not my problem. I only care that UConn is going to play teams with talent.


Together Houston and SMU brought in 3 top 25 kids over the span of 2 years. They also brought in at least 2 players each with top 150 credentials (I'm talking about Moore and Moreia for SMU and Knowles, Richmond for Houston). SMU has one year next year to do with all that talent. I suspect Frazier might be gone quickly as well, not only Mudiay. But that's still an excellent start for these two schools, and once they are featured in a talent rich area, and get exposure on ESPN, especially while Texas and R Barnes are sucking, they might become a destination for Texas kids.

Local areas you say? Well, Houston and Texas in general are places with lots of talent. Like having NYC in your back yard.

What sites by the way are not obscure? ESPN doesn't seem to be obscure but ESPN also misses more than the obscure sites.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The UConn fans are definitely voting on our new home schedule with their feet. No one is buying tickets and fewer are showing up for the games. We need teams with at least regional appeal and some level of quality to get fans to Gampel or the XL. We can hide a few turnips on the schedule, but most of our conference is turnips. I think the AAC needs to add UMass, or at the least UConn has to make them a regular on the schedule again. We need games that fans care about. A bunch of southern commuter schools with RPI's of 150+ is not cutting it.

Last night was a brutal night for the league. Houston and UCF lost and neither game was competitive. Name a quality win by a team outside of Cincinnati, Temple (who is down this year) and UConn. UCF over Miami? SMU over TCU?

 

[Excalibur]

When the argument fails, change the subject.

 

[upstater]

The UConn fans are definitely voting on our new home schedule with their feet. No one is buying tickets and fewer are showing up for the games. We need teams with at least regional appeal and some level of quality to get fans to Gampel or the XL. We can hide a few turnips on the schedule, but most of our conference is turnips. I think the AAC needs to add UMass, or at the least UConn has to make them a regular on the schedule again. We need games that fans care about. A bunch of southern commuter schools with RPI's of 150+ is not cutting it.

Last night was a brutal night for the league. Houston and UCF lost and neither game was competitive. Name a quality win by a team outside of Cincinnati, Temple (who is down this year) and UConn. UCF over Miami? SMU over TCU?

Can you compare it to a Thanksgiving week game last year or the year before? The info is available. We did this exercise just last week. You made the same claim about the afternoon game against Boston U. I went back 5 years, and the numbers were similar, 2/3rds of Gampel full.

I could do the same again. Last night's game was sparsely populated. But was it different than any Thanksgiving week game in previous years?

 

[whaler11]

Thanksgiving games have been well attended with so many people who moved away home.

 

[upstater]

Thanksgiving games have been well attended with so many people who moved away home.

People got back on a Tuesday? Or traveling and avoiding weather?

anyhow, I just checked. UConn hasn't played a home Thanksgiving week game in at least 5 years. I checked back as far as 2008-2009.

 

[whaler11]

People got back on a Tuesday? Or traveling and avoiding weather?

anyhow, I just checked. UConn hasn't played a home Thanksgiving week game in at least 5 years. I checked back as far as 2008-2009.

I was thinking specifically of the St Bonaventure loss which you are right was Wednesday I believe.

Tuesday might be too early to get any holiday bump.

 

[Pudge]

I'm concerned long term because after this year the American is going to be pretty weak and that will over the long run have a negative impact on UConn I believe. But I'm not at all concerned that UConn will be fine relative to the new Big East. They will be fighting with the A-10 for relevance. We'll be in a league with a few good teams and a bunch of dreck. We won't likely be a power conference but we'll be right below them.

I'm not sure how you get through life ... you are always so "worst case" kind of thought guy.

 

[Pudge]

The UConn fans are definitely voting on our new home schedule with their feet. No one is buying tickets and fewer are showing up for the games. We need teams with at least regional appeal and some level of quality to get fans to Gampel or the XL. We can hide a few turnips on the schedule, but most of our conference is turnips. I think the AAC needs to add UMass, or at the least UConn has to make them a regular on the schedule again. We need games that fans care about. A bunch of southern commuter schools with RPI's of 150+ is not cutting it.

Last night was a brutal night for the league. Houston and UCF lost and neither game was competitive. Name a quality win by a team outside of Cincinnati, Temple (who is down this year) and UConn. UCF over Miami? SMU over TCU?

My view ... is that this is a 3-4 year lull. We have lost the "underdog" passion we had for the decade of the 1990s and extended a little into the last 2000+. Our core rabid MSG fanbase (that showed in force) has gotten older & I really don't think we have the young alums and CT fans nearly as urgent to see games. I am basically talking about myself ... you get so many other things going on (kids, kids etc) that going to every game and investing the time/money gets harder. IF ... Warde Manual doesn't have a pressing push to expand and energize our fanbase, he's not the leader I want. (and I actually think some of the later ideas ... hockey, playing in Bridgeport, etc ... are a beginning) I frankly think the Conference mess is a factor; but, not nearly the BIG thing that some think.

 

[whaler11]

My view ... is that this is a 3-4 year lull. We have lost the "underdog" passion we had for the decade of the 1990s and extended a little into the last 2000+. Our core rabid MSG fanbase (that showed in force) has gotten older & I really don't think we have the young alums and CT fans nearly as urgent to see games. I am basically talking about myself ... you get so many other things going on (kids, kids etc) that going to every game and investing the time/money gets harder. IF ... Warde Manual doesn't have a pressing push to expand and energize our fanbase, he's not the leader I want. (and I actually think some of the later ideas ... hockey, playing in Bridgeport, etc ... are a beginning) I frankly think the Conference mess is a factor; but, not nearly the BIG thing that some think.

And you can see it at games. UConn has easily the oldest crowds I see at college games.

 

[Pudge]

Sorry, but I think you guys are out of your minds.

They are making $1.5-2m more a year in TV revenue. But they are buried. Most of the fans are complaining about not having FS1. It is 10x better to be on ESPN and making $1-2m less.

I can't believe this is even a debate.

Not playing Georgetown, PC and St. John's absolutely sucks. But next year when UConn is playing teams like SMU with Mudiay and Frazier, Cincy and Memphis with all that talent, the eyes of the nation are going to be on the AAC, not on the BE.

I was hopeful that the Level of AAC would be up to a high level. Once Louisville leaves, I think we are really going to be in desperate straights ... as I look at this today.

I do believe that SMU will rise some; I have confidence in what they are doing with recruits and Larry Brown's coaching. UCF and Houston, as I have seen them both in the last week, are not very good at all. Disappointing, even though they have some good players. So ... Cincy & Memphis versus UConn as in conference? Hope Temple climbs to a good level quick. I think further pumping up our OOC is in order for future years ... including February showcase games.