Most coaches poll Top 25 teams the last 3 years. AAC or BE?

[UConnJim]

In the final coaches poll the past 3 years: AAC 7, Big East 6.

What about recruiting rankings in 2019?

AAC/Big East

Memphis 1/Villanova 5
UConn 21/Xavier 24
Wichita St. 40/DePaul 35
Houston 60/Georgetown 52
SMU 67/Marquette 70
ECU 72/Butler 73
UCF 84/Seton Hall 96
Tulsa 87/Creighton 97
Temple 95/Providence 115
Cincinnati 99/St. John’s 147
USF 106
Tulane 112

Recruiting in 2019 looks similar between the 2 conferences.

Which conference championship game has had better TV ratings in 2019?

AAC 1.19 million viewers, Big East 1.13 million viewers. Looks pretty similar.

Honestly, I don’t see much difference between the AAC and Big East as I believe the AAC is on the rise and Big East is on the decline. Sure, the Big East has 5 traditional rivals and the conference tournament in MSG, but the AAC schools were investing in college basketball and getting better.

 

[whaler11]

spend $20 on kenpom and then come back and let us know what you find out

 

[Marbles90]

Why are we comparing AAC to Big East? Who cares about the AAC? We are in the Big East now.

 

[shizzle787]

All this says is that the Big East is better. Even with equivalent recruiting, they perform better and they get very similar TV numbers for being on a channel a lot fewer people watch.

 

[Fishy]

I don’t dislike the American and certainly all the schools are trying. But...

The biggest drag on the American is that some of the programs are and will be mid-majors - Tulane, Tulsa and East Carolina can have their moments, but those are mid-major programs. Even UCF is more mid- than high-major.

It reminds me of the debate about the Big East and the Atlantic 10 back when UMass was having their day; people thought the A10 had caught the Big East, but the bottom half of that league was never going to consistently pull their weight, among other factors, and, ultimately, the Big East left it in the dust.

Same thing will happen here. The American can have great years, but 40% of the conference has a hard ceiling and that will limit them over the long term.

Why are we comparing AAC to Big East? Who cares about the AAC? We are in the Big East now.

Stop.

 

[Guapo]

In the final coaches poll the past 3 years: AAC 7, Big East 6.

What about recruiting rankings in 2019?

AAC/Big East

Memphis 1/Villanova 5
UConn 21/Xavier 24
Wichita St. 40/DePaul 35
Houston 60/Georgetown 52
SMU 67/Marquette 70
ECU 72/Butler 73
UCF 84/Seton Hall 96
Tulsa 87/Creighton 97
Temple 95/Providence 115
Cincinnati 99/St. John’s 147
USF 106
Tulane 112

Recruiting in 2019 looks similar between the 2 conferences.

Which conference championship game has had better TV ratings in 2019?

AAC 1.19 million viewers, Big East 1.13 million viewers. Looks pretty similar.

Honestly, I don’t see much difference between the AAC and Big East as I believe the AAC is on the rise and Big East is on the decline. Sure, the Big East has 5 traditional rivals and the conference tournament in MSG, but the AAC schools were investing in college basketball and getting better.

The Big East is better than the AAC in basketball. Full Stop.

 

[AllAbout5]

Why are we comparing AAC to Big East? Who cares about the AAC? We are in the Big East now.

Technically we’re still in the AAC until July 1st 2020

 

[whaler11]

I don’t dislike the American

How?

 

[UCDaveD]

Honestly, I don’t see much difference between the AAC and Big East as I believe the AAC is on the rise and Big East is on the decline. Sure, the Big East has 5 traditional rivals and the conference tournament in MSG, but the AAC schools were investing in college basketball and getting better.

Perception is everything, my friend.

 

[Jay-Bone]

If Mick Cronin and Larry Brown were still around and Wichita state was what they were 4 or 5 years ago. Along with Houston stepping up and Memphis finally decent again. If UCF wasn't cleared out. And the bottom wasn't so terrible. Then AAC would hold a candle.

 

[zls44]

The AACs problem ain't the top. It's the bottom. DePaul would smoke the bottom third of the AAC.

 

[UconnU]

The AACs problem ain't the top. It's the bottom. DePaul would smoke the bottom third of the AAC.

Also just perception, brand. The carhlotic schools were smart to buy the name Big East. The American will never be as recognizable as the Big East.

 

[Austin316]

Location... location... location...

 

[CallMeBruce]

In the final coaches poll the past 3 years: AAC 7, Big East 6.

What about recruiting rankings in 2019?

AAC/Big East

Memphis 1/Villanova 5
UConn 21/Xavier 24
Wichita St. 40/DePaul 35
Houston 60/Georgetown 52
SMU 67/Marquette 70
ECU 72/Butler 73
UCF 84/Seton Hall 96
Tulsa 87/Creighton 97
Temple 95/Providence 115
Cincinnati 99/St. John’s 147
USF 106
Tulane 112

Recruiting in 2019 looks similar between the 2 conferences.

Which conference championship game has had better TV ratings in 2019?

AAC 1.19 million viewers, Big East 1.13 million viewers. Looks pretty similar.

Honestly, I don’t see much difference between the AAC and Big East as I believe the AAC is on the rise and Big East is on the decline. Sure, the Big East has 5 traditional rivals and the conference tournament in MSG, but the AAC schools were investing in college basketball and getting better.

Counting our recruiting for the AAC is pretty disingenuous, and shows you aren't interested in a true or accurate comparison.

 

[Redmen9194]

Of all the standards to compare you pick the coaches poll? Most coaches don't even actually vote in that.

 

[pj]

What about recruiting rankings in 2019?

AAC/Big East

Memphis 1/Villanova 5
UConn 21/Xavier 24
Wichita St. 40/DePaul 35
Houston 60/Georgetown 52
SMU 67/Marquette 70
ECU 72/Butler 73
UCF 84/Seton Hall 96
Tulsa 87/Creighton 97
Temple 95/Providence 115
Cincinnati 99/St. John’s 147
USF 106
Tulane 112

Recruiting in 2019 looks similar between the 2 conferences.

Correct me if I'm wrong but don't you have UConn in the wrong column?

 

[UConnJim]

Correct me if I'm wrong but don't you have UConn in the wrong column?

The point is the AAC has not been that different than the BE over the past 3 years looking at Top 25 teams, recruiting, and conference championship TV ratings. Sure, going forward UConn will be in BE, but if you look at the BE stats, it’s not like UConn is joining the BE of old. When was the last time St. John’s and Georgetown were relevant on the national stage? We will all find out soon enough that the BE schools have not been investing in basketball and they are not keeping pace with the P5 schools. The AAC schools may not have been top basketball schools, but they were investing to improve.

 

[Platt81]

Even if you wanted to use these metrics and come out these leagues are basically the same, factor in the cost savings of not traveling to Texas and Florida but instead New York and Pennsylvania for games (in all Olympic sports) and even if they are balanced those savings effectively make it the better choice.

 

[TRest]

Just watch the games and the crowds. Like varsity and JV.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Just watch the games and the crowds. Like varsity and JV.

I was just going to say the same thing. Maybe this guy is young and doesn't know anything besides 4,600 people at Gampel on a Sunday afternoon vs. ECU.

 

[UConnJim]

I was just going to say the same thing. Maybe this guy is young and doesn't know anything besides 4,600 people at Gampel on a Sunday afternoon vs. ECU.

Ha! I wish. I’ve been to almost every BE men’s basketball tournament from the beginning. Used to be a big event for the buddies. Only missed the tourneys in Syracuse, Providence and 2 at MSG. Attending was great, but the crowds were driven by UConn, Syracuse, Villanova, Georgetown (in their prime), sometimes Pitt and ND and Louisville after they joined. Not many of those teams are still in the BE.

If the BE included some of our real rivals like Syracuse and Pitt, I would be all for joining the BE. And, look at the coaches in the BE. Not that strong of a group.

From a BE veteran, the move to the BE is based on nostalgia not future outlook. Sure, MSG will be fun again, but the New BE will never be the Big East of old. Heck, just a few years ago, it looked like the BE was going to lose MSG!

 

[AllAbout5]

Ha! I wish. I’ve been to almost every BE men’s basketball tournament from the beginning. Used to be a big event for the buddies. Only missed the tourneys in Syracuse, Providence and 2 at MSG. Attending was great, but the crowds were driven by UConn, Syracuse, Villanova, Georgetown (in their prime), sometimes Pitt and ND and Louisville after they joined. Not many of those teams are still in the BE.

If the BE included some of our real rivals like Syracuse and Pitt, I would be all for joining the BE. And, look at the coaches in the BE. Not that strong of a group.

From a BE veteran, the move to the BE is based on nostalgia not future outlook. Sure, MSG will be fun again, but the New BE will never be the Big East of old. Heck, just a few years ago, it looked like the BE was going to lose MSG!

I never went to a BET but i LOVED watching UConn in it on TV every year. I want to go to the first tournament.

 

[c29328]

It's now additive to the Big East. We add to one and the loss of our brand impacts the other. Even if I agreed they are starting equivalently, they certainly aren't going forward. Our basketball team will almost always be better in a conference where Basketball is top dog for the members. That's the case after the move. Football unfortunately gets to eat the turdburger to make it happen.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

The biggest drag on the American is that some of the programs are and will be mid-majors - Tulane, Tulsa and East Carolina can have their moments, but those are mid-major programs. Even UCF is more mid- than high-major.

And the Big East isn't mid-majors?

Villanova is great. Georgetown has history.

St. John's? Providence? Seton Hall?

They are classic Big East schools, but would you call them high-major schools?

Creighton? Butler? Marquette? More good basketball schools, but again... I don't know what qualifies here.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Ha! I wish. I’ve been to almost every BE men’s basketball tournament from the beginning. Used to be a big event for the buddies. Only missed the tourneys in Syracuse, Providence and 2 at MSG. Attending was great, but the crowds were driven by UConn, Syracuse, Villanova, Georgetown (in their prime), sometimes Pitt and ND and Louisville after they joined. Not many of those teams are still in the BE.

If the BE included some of our real rivals like Syracuse and Pitt, I would be all for joining the BE. And, look at the coaches in the BE. Not that strong of a group.

From a BE veteran, the move to the BE is based on nostalgia not future outlook. Sure, MSG will be fun again, but the New BE will never be the Big East of old. Heck, just a few years ago, it looked like the BE was going to lose MSG!

How do explain the Big East Tournament still selling out nearly every session and also having the highest attendance of any conference tournament?