Impact on Recruiting for Move to Big East

[Storrs South]

Basically this is a decision to be a regional basketball power and give up on being a national team any more.

 

[ToolzieFan]

Basically this is a decision to be a regional basketball power and give up on being a national team any more.

Just like 1979-2013.

 

[CL82]

Hurley is one who is awake.

 

[jibsey]

Basically this is a decision to be a regional basketball power and give up on being a national team any more.

WTH? Please explain why we are a more national team in the American?

 

[UconnU]

WTH? Please explain why we are a more national team in the American?

We aren’t, many people don’t even know the conference exists. It’s like a marginally better conference than 90s C-USA. Being a northeast regional basketball power IS our national identity. Big East is home.

 

[gtcam]

I mean are you ignoring facts? Look at the conference ratings. 15.33 is almost 3x as much as 5.59. It’s 3x as good. The last 3 years 9/10 teams have been ranked inside the top 100. The American has never had a year with more than 8 teams inside the top 100. The big east worst ranked team last year was 118. The Americans was 283.

Take Nova and Marquette out of the NBE and take the 2 cellar dwellers out of the AAC and it looks different

 

[gtcam]

The fact the DePaul has the 26th best class tells you all you need to know about how well our recruiting will go.

DePaul has Chicago and DL took years to get a foot in on recruits and its finally paying off
I agree that DH may have a better weapon with the NBE conference now vs the AAC but who knows in a few years
This is a huge gamble for UConn in the long run and over the past 5 years, I don't like how Susan Herbst or the BoD have been playing their hands

 

[jibsey]

The AAC has certainly been tough on UCONN but it just doen’t have good name association among recruits. For heavens sake we can’t land a big man. For years. And now we can’t even get a transfer back up center. Names count for something especially in the BE with Nova’s success.

 

[UKemba15]

Can you imagine if Bobby Hurley had taken the St. John’s job...

 

[skies88]

American Conference loyalists are going to become unbearable on here.

Almost as unbearable as overly nostalgic BE apologistas who think the world is as irrationally obsessed with an inflated conference as they are

 

[superjohn]

Almost as unbearable as overly nostalgic BE apologistas who think the world is as irrationally obsessed with an inflated conference as they are

Big East is a major conference in basketball, the AAC isn't. This is really simple.

 

[skies88]

Big East is a major conference in basketball, the AAC isn't. This is really simple.

You’re not making a point here

 

[husky429]

You’re not making a point here

I think he is. Admin stopped sacrificing the basketball team for football. The football board crossovers can be as salty as they want. This is a huge step up for the basketball programs.

 

[Matt1010]

I mean are you ignoring facts? Look at the conference ratings. 15.33 is almost 3x as much as 5.59. It’s 3x as good. The last 3 years 9/10 teams have been ranked inside the top 100. The American has never had a year with more than 8 teams inside the top 100. The big east worst ranked team last year was 118. The Americans was 283.

I completely agree with your point that the BE is better than the AAC and am pumped to be back playing against old rivals, but if you are going to use Kenpom conference ratings you should really include last year as well which was a much closer margin. Either way, the hope is we get back to being a top team and keep the BE in the ~3 range going forward.

 

[AdamaNation]

That's fair, but at the same time we're still traveling to Omaha, Milwaukee, and Chicago. The differences in finances would be slim *assuming you were talking strictly about travel

Including all sports. Flight housing food insurance and staff for 60 football players not called Alabama carries quite the pay tag.

 

[AdamaNation]

WTH? Please explain why we are a more national team in the American?

A tired national team with games soon to be on YouTube.

 

[Bonehead]

Kids want to play in MSG. We can guarantee that for multiple dates now. Cuse can't.

Thank god we didnt go acc.

 

[ToolzieFan]

Thank god we didnt go acc.

I don't think he (or anybody else) is saying the Big East is better than the ACC. It was never an option, either. But let's say we are competing with Syracuse for a recruit. There would be nothing about the AAC that we could sell them on compared to the ACC. Now, at the very least, we can try to see the games at MSG. That's the point I believe he was trying to make, and I don't think it's insignificant.

 

[nashusky109]

Everyone who doesn’t like the move keeps saying how this doesn’t do anything for UConn men’s basketball but what did staying in the AAC do for UConn in the long run? Yes football is up in the air but that has nothing to do with the basketball team. What benefits do y’all AAC loyalist see by staying in the conference? More travel, more opponents nobody gives a damn about, empty stadiums and far less recognition nationally?

Instead of saying the negatives on the move to the NBE let’s hear some positives if we stayed in the AAC? Honestly can’t think of too many. Maybe a little more money? (which hopefully a new SNY contract can help offset). We haven’t been able to recruit the NE region successfully or for that matter any region successfully. Not trying to take shots at anyone but can anyone actually give me positives about staying in the AAC? I see far more benefits for the b-ball program with this move home.

 

[sirjames]

Everyone who doesn’t like the move keeps saying how this doesn’t do anything for UConn men’s basketball but what did staying in the AAC do for UConn in the long run? Yes football is up in the air but that has nothing to do with the basketball team. What benefits do y’all AAC loyalist see by staying in the conference? More travel, more opponents nobody gives a damn about, empty stadiums and far less recognition nationally?

Instead of saying the negatives on the move to the NBE let’s hear some positives if we stayed in the AAC? Honestly can’t think of too many. Maybe a little more money? (which hopefully a new SNY contract can help offset). We haven’t been able to recruit the NE region successfully or for that matter any region successfully. Not trying to take shots at anyone but can anyone actually give me positives about staying in the AAC? I see far more benefits for the b-ball program with this move home.

I agree. The AAC did nothing for basketball - the rivalries were never going to develop and it just plain was not fun! The NBE is going to be fun, we are going to become a NE/NY/NJ recruiting powerhouse and for the high school kids coming up we are going to be the #1 option for staying close to home AND exposure on the national stage. Complete win - Hurley will make it happen!

 

[JB75]

It's huge. Every negative recruiting angle another school could throw at recruits is out the window.

- Terrible basketball conference
- No traditional rivals
- A ridiculous amount of travel
- Awful TV times/schedule (death to those Thurs 9 PM and Sunday 2 PM games on CBSSN)
- Playing in front of small crowds on the road

All gone.

Couldn’t of said it better myself. And to think, some boneyards are actually complaining about the move back to BE. Lolololol

 

[JB75]

How bout playing our big east semifinal game in the garden on Friday night against nova? Back in the spotlight. Or wud u guys rather play at 3pm on a Saturday against temple down in Memphis? Comical. Did u guys see how weak the aac crowds were this past year? Cmon. This is a no brainer. AAC people need to stop. Football is done. Sad but let’s be real. This is a new day and a great day for uconn.

 

[ASweet3781]

Hurley better be raking in top 10 classes regularly to justify this move.

 

[UconnU]

Patiently waiting for the Uconn football fan to explain to us how the big east move is going to hurt basketball recruiting.

 

[Bonehead]

Patiently waiting for the UConn basketball fan to explain to us how the big east move is going to help football recruiting.