Dom Amore: If Big 12 calls, UConn will have to choose between Big East love and Power Five money.

[aburks41]

FB wise, I put BYU up a notch. They have some brand value and drew well at The Rent. 35K

There is a huge Mormon temple in Farmington - which I think may be the only one in the state? - but they have like 15,000+ members in CT. BYU would probably be one of the biggest draws at the Rent

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Our athletic director said as much, just because it makes us more dollars it still has to make sense as a university to make this decision. Only looking at the money aspect you are always going to be right. I like the fact that he’s not glossing over the unintended consequences of a league that is completely different culturally and is so spread out would do to our student athletes

Are you sure the league is that different culturally? I'm not sure we aren't more culturally aligned with the B-12 as a whole (what they will be with the departures and additions) than we are with the current BE.

By type of school alone, large, public, high research dollars, we have no similar schools in the BE while more than half of the B-12 falls into this category.

 

[auror]

Houston was never a rival.

Tell that to the crowd in March 2020. I'm not saying it was the biggest rivalry in the world, but it reached a level where I'm comfortable calling it that.

 

[Jbirdp5]

Are you sure the league is that different culturally? I'm not sure we aren't more culturally aligned with the B-12 as a whole (what they will be with the departures and additions) than we are with the current BE.

By type of school alone, large, public, high research dollars, we have no similar schools in the BE while more than half of the B-12 falls into this category.

I think we live in a much more progressive part of the country than many of these institutions and I think Lubbock texas would be culture shock for UConn fans if they made the trip.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

A quick question considering the level that many here are downplaying the overall quality of B-12 basketball.

There had been many complaints when the Gonzaga series was announced about the dearth of quality non-conference opponents on our home schedule.

If hypothetically, it was announced that two of Ok St, K St, Iowa St and TCU would be on our upcoming home schedule, one at Gampel and one in Hartford. Would we believe this would be something good for the fan base or merely a waste of effort?

 

[KingAG]

And Kelvin Sampson will be 68 before next season. Houston was a basketball wasteland since Hakeem and Drexler left in the early 80's. Apply some of your same logic to them that you do to the Big East schools.

Kelvin Sampson is not leaving Houston unlike Miller and McDermott(who would’ve left this off season if Notre Dame came calling). And Kelvin Sampson isn’t a ? of a coach like English, Holloway, Neptune or the DePaul coach who escapes my memory. Pitino is 75 and Matta is taking on Butler as a pre retirement project. I don’t see how any of those situations mirror what Kelvin Sampson has at Houston.

I’ll tell you this, if Sampson retires Houston will have a lot more resources at their disposal to maintain success than any of the BE schools will

 

[KingAG]

Tell that to the crowd in March 2020.

That was one of the best UConn games I’ve ever been to.

 

[CTBasketball]

A quick question considering the level that many here are downplaying the overall quality of B-12 basketball.

There had been many complaints when the Gonzaga series was announced about the dearth of quality non-conference opponents on our home schedule.

If hypothetically, it was announced that two of Ok St, K St, Iowa St and TCU would be on our upcoming home schedule, one at Gampel and one in Hartford. Would we believe this would be something good for the fan base or merely a waste of effort?

I think hoops attendance would be better in the Big East outside of Butler/DePaul games.

 

[superjohn]

That was one of the best UConn games I’ve ever been to.

The day 17-12 UConn took down mighty #22 Houston will live on forever!

 

[Billy Jack]

No, I wasn't bring sarcastic; being realistic. Agree with you that the BE is at a turning point - it needs Nova to remain a top 10-20 program, St. John's to rise into an NCAAT team again, and two of Butler, DePaul and Georgetown to improve markedly. The bottom half really needs to create a deeper BE.

These thing fluctuate wildly. Five years ago, Butler finished the season ranked in the top 20 on Ken Pom and had gone to the Sweet 16 the year before.

Five years ago, Butler was ranked #20 by Ken Pom and had gone to the Sweet 16 the year before. That same year UConn was ranked #179 on Ken Pom. I’ll take the long view and say that Butler and Georgetown will turn it around just as we did. I don’t know about DePaul.

 

[Jbirdp5]

Kelvin Sampson is not leaving Houston unlike Miller and McDermott(who would’ve left this off season if Notre Dame came calling). And Kelvin Sampson isn’t a ? of a coach like English, Holloway, Neptune or the DePaul coach who escapes my memory. Pitino is 75 and Matta is taking on Butler as a pre retirement project. I don’t see how any of those situations mirror what Kelvin Sampson has at Houston.

I’ll tell you this, if Sampson retires Houston will have a lot more resources at their disposal to maintain success than any of the BE schools will

I saw kelvin sampson interviewed for the bucks job….not so sure you are correct on that assumption

 

[nadav]

That list also isn't giving K St or Ok St anywhere near enough credit and Iowa St and TCU each should be bumped up a level.

And Texas Tech has 11 NCAA tourney wins since 2018 and a National Title game appearance. Over that time St John's, Providence, Depaul, Marquette, Seton Hall, Butler and Xavier have COMBINED for 8 NCAA tourney wins.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I think we live in a much more progressive part of the country than many of these institutions and I think Lubbock texas would be culture shock for UConn fans if they made the trip.

I imagine that a number of us have been to a few parts of Texas. I cannot speak for Lubbock but I see the socio-political attitude that Texas is known for being overbearing in DFW, Houston, Austin or San Antonio (I know, the last two don't have B-12 schools).

I really can't see the remainder being anything that we can't get manage. BYU is a religious school but all but two BE schools are also religious schools. We somehow have been able to work around that.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I think hoops attendance would be better in the Big East outside of Butler/DePaul games.

You could be correct but I believe it will be dependent on our performance more than anything else.

 

[auror]

I saw kelvin sampson interviewed for the bucks job….not so sure you are correct on that assumption

Kelvin's kid Kellen is in line and ready to take over at Houston. If Kelvin leaves, it's just mostly to clear the way for him. He's been an assistant there for almost 10 years.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Kelvin's kid Kellen is in line and ready to take over at Houston. If Kelvin leaves, it's just mostly to clear the way for him. He's been an assistant there for almost 10 years.

If anything that is an argument against Houston's sustainability. This has happened a handful of times in the past (son succeeding father) and hasn't turned out well.

I will say that when Rick is ready to call it a career he'll push St John's to hire Ricky to replace him.

 

[Tyler2Rings]

If hypothetically, it was announced that two of Ok St, K St, Iowa St and TCU would be on our upcoming home schedule, one at Gampel and one in Hartford

If we announced home and homes with K State and TCU I would be underwhelmed, yes. Not to say those wouldn't be good games, perhaps even top 25 games.

 

[Billy Jack]

Tell that to the crowd in March 2020. I'm not saying it was the biggest rivalry in the world, but it reached a level where I'm comfortable calling it that.

Uhh . . . That was senior night. The year before they played in the Civic Center and there were 6000 empty seats. Not exactly a hit ticket.

 

[Billy Jack]

. Pitino is 75

Pitino is a healthy 70 years old. This is the 3rd time his correct age has been posted.

 

[Billy Jack]

Kelvin's kid Kellen is in line and ready to take over at Houston. If Kelvin leaves, it's just mostly to clear the way for him. He's been an assistant there for almost 10 years.

Okay, so it was a mistake for Villanova to hire Jay’s top assistant at Villanova with only one year of head coaching experience and expect success - as has been posted here - but hiring Sampson’s top assistant with no years of head coaching experience is going to be a home rum?

Dream on.

 

[KingAG]

The day 17-12 UConn took down mighty #22 Houston will live on forever!

What do their records have to do with the atmosphere? Lmao

The CV drop of the mic at the end was a chefs kiss.

 

[KingAG]

Pitino is a healthy 70 years old. This is the 3rd time his correct age has been posted.

Blah blah blah he’s at the end of his coaching road. He’s old

 

[superjohn]

And Texas Tech has 11 NCAA tourney wins since 2018 and a National Title game appearance. Over that time St John's, Providence, Depaul, Marquette, Seton Hall, Butler and Xavier have COMBINED for 8 NCAA tourney wins.

And Texas Tech is a huge mess since Chris Beard left. They had happen to them what AntG and a couple others keep posting will happen to Big East programs. They had one good season since Beard left, Mark Adams stunk last season and got fired for making racially insensitive comments. Now they have Grant McCasland and will most likely go back to being the Texas Tech who kind of sucks.

 

[nadav]

Pitino is a healthy 70 years old. This is the 3rd time his correct age has been posted.

I've heard him called a lot of things, but healthy is a new one.

 

[auror]

And Texas Tech is a huge mess since Chris Beard left. They had happen to them what AntG and a couple others keep posting will happen to Big East programs. They had one good season since Beard left, Mark Adams stunk last season and got fired for making racially insensitive comments. Now they have Grant McCasland and will most likely go back to being the Texas Tech who kind of sucks.

Their fans were REALLY good for a couple years there. All the tortilla stuff, the Beard return game, etc. It'll be interesting to see if McCasland can do some things there and keep them engaged. Fan support is how you keep a program high level, especially in the NIL era. McCasland was a consistent high level mid major winner and had extremely quick turnarounds at both Ark St and North Texas. He may have been the most underrated hire of the cycle. North Texas was 320th in KenPom when he took over and they were top 35 last year 6 years later (with consistent year over year ranking improvement similar to a Hurley trajectory).

 

[Billy Jack]

Blah blah blah he’s at the end of his coaching road. He’s old

I’ll take that as an admission that you were wrong by a not-insignificant 5 years.

 

[Huskyforlife]

And Texas Tech is a huge mess since Chris Beard left. They had happen to them what AntG and a couple others keep posting will happen to Big East programs. They had one good season since Beard left, Mark Adams stunk last season and got fired for making racially insensitive comments. Now they have Grant McCasland and will most likely go back to being the Texas Tech who kind of sucks.

Every conference has to have their DePauls and Texas Techs. Their UCFs or Butlers. The only difference is Texas Tech proved it can be great with the right coach, do you think Depaul can ever reach that level?

 

[How Sway?!]

Every conference has to have their DePauls and Texas Techs. Their UCFs or Butlers. The only difference is Texas Tech proved it can be great with the right coach, do you think Depaul can ever reach that level?

Butler is the Texas tech, and UCF is the DePaul.

 

[superjohn]

Every conference has to have their DePauls and Texas Techs. Their UCFs or Butlers. The only difference is Texas Tech proved it can be great with the right coach, do you think Depaul can ever reach that level?

No but I think every other team in the conference can.

 

[John]

Butler is the Texas tech, and UCF is the DePaul.

unlike DePaul, UCF brings it in spades with another power sport.