Providence offer

[Husky25]

I agree with you in regards to the little number. By saying "UConn" I was talking about the school, not the boneyard.

That is what I'm saying as well. The admisitration has not decided yet, I don't think, on all of the OOC games. So getting riled up about about message board opinions on who is considered a rival for UConn seems a little like barking up the wrong tree.

I cannot imagine that Providence won't be in UConn's OOC future, but Cooley's challenge probably is not considered appropriate facilitation.

 

[The Funster]

There's no reason we shouldn't play a reciprocal series with PC, IMO. As Fishy said, it may not be feasible immediately but having PC on the schedule most years would be a good thing. I think it's more of a rivalry than UMess and it draws better than Umess. Too bad Cooley won't be around to get much of a benefit from such a series as he's likely to implode in a year or two as PC coaches are prone to do.

 

[WestHartHusk]

There's no reason we shouldn't play a reciprocal series with PC, IMO. As Fishy said, it may not be feasible immediately but having PC on the schedule most years would be a good thing. I think it's more of a rivalry than UMess and it draws better than Umess. Too bad Cooley won't be around to get much of a benefit from such a series as he's likely to implode in a year or two as PC coaches are prone to do.

Well, not to repeat Upstater's posts, but there is a huge reason not to: $ and exposure. $ wise we are not going to schedule a home and home with PC when we can get a comparable team 1-0 allowing us to keep gates and be able to bargain away our road games to more attractive competition from a TV / fan point of view. And second, which dovetails with the first point, we need to use our 1-1 series to schedule UP for TV, for interest and for RPI.

A third consideration for scheduling should be recruiting and media media markets so based on our team composition historically: NYC, Boston, Philly, D.C., Chicago (maybe a series with Northwestern or something to get on BTN), or West Coast to make the most out of KO's ties (how about a series w/ UCLA or even SDSU). Providence just isn't going to have a spot in the schedule. I don't know why they are so up in arms about it, its not personal but cutting the tie is necessary now, maybe not in the future but now. If I had to rank the teams from the C7 that I would like to see us keep playing it would be, in order: G'Town, St. John's, Villanova, Marquette (good teams, we recruit a bit out there - I think Nolan came from WI, as did Caron Butler) DePaul (Chicago is the only reason), PC, Seton Hall.

 

[upstater]

Well, not to repeat Upstater's posts, but there is a huge reason not to: $ and exposure. $ wise we are not going to schedule a home and home with PC when we can get a comparable team 1-0 allowing us to keep gates and be able to bargain away our road games to more attractive competition from a TV / fan point of view. And second, which dovetails with the first point, we need to use our 1-1 series to schedule UP for TV, for interest and for RPI.

A third consideration for scheduling should be recruiting and media media markets so based on our team composition historically: NYC, Boston, Philly, D.C., Chicago (maybe a series with Northwestern or something to get on BTN), or West Coast to make the most out of KO's ties (how about a series w/ UCLA or even SDSU). Providence just isn't going to have a spot in the schedule. I don't know why they are so up in arms about it, its not personal but cutting the tie is necessary now, maybe not in the future but now. If I had to rank the teams from the C7 that I would like to see us keep playing it would be, in order: G'Town, St. John's, Villanova, Marquette (good teams, we recruit a bit out there - I think Nolan came from WI, as did Caron Butler) DePaul (Chicago is the only reason), PC, Seton Hall.

These are all great considerations that would be good reasons NOT to schedule PC. As a PSU football fan for many years, this sounds like the Pitt 10-year plan redux to me. Paterno offered a home-and-home, was rebuffed. They wanted annual. But Pitt was not a big enough opponent for PSU to guarantee yearly, not when it played Nebraska and Alabama and USC and such teams OOC.

Again, all my supposition rests on the idea that CBS will want UConn for 2 of the conferences 6 OOC home games. If that's not true, and UConn only gets one, then UConn can schedule home-and-homes against anyone.

 

[Husky68]

There's no reason we shouldn't play a reciprocal series with PC, IMO. As Fishy said, it may not be feasible immediately but having PC on the schedule most years would be a good thing. I think it's more of a rivalry than UMess and it draws better than Umess. Too bad Cooley won't be around to get much of a benefit from such a series as he's likely to implode in a year or two as PC coaches are prone to do.

If you mean home and home then don't agree. If Massey ratings at end of year are sort of accurate and reflection of probable future rankings have Bucknell 52, Stony Brook 68, Umess 69, Prov 71, Harvard 72. If any of those are potential home games only would take them. If home and home to medium level teams then Vill 44 or St Johns 87 would be choice over Prov. Would do most top 30 schools home and home and probably lot of top 50.
In general see benefit of top C-7 teams or teams in places want to play (MSG, Cal., etc.). Don't need New England OOC games unless for home only.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Providence needs to earn a little number before it's name on the score ticker more consistently before Husky fans consider UConn/Prov. a rivalry. As you say, it really is that simple....

I consider them a rival. Not like with Syracuse (which considers Georgetown its main rival), but hell they are the closest major program and we have played them every year since 1975. It's the easiest travel game for many of our alumni and our students. We used to pack their field for soccer every year...loved listening to the away game UConn chants on the WHUS broadcasts. They will soon be a Hockey East conference rival as well.

There is a mixed bag on here who think PC is unworthy to darken our doorstep. That's a load of crap. We come off as arrogant jerks for thinking it...and given how we've been treated by the likes of FSU, Miami and BC, you'd think we'd have more class. Given our current situation, if we can parlay our hoops team into some football scheduling, that must be priority 1. It was never mentioned, but the fact that Tennesssee is on the football schedule not long after a hoops home and home doesn't strike me as a coincidence. But football aside, assuming that a major conference team is a "national game" is hogwash. Texas is, yes. TCU? VT? Washington State? Dozens of others? No. PC would definitely be a bigger game.

 

[upstater]

I consider them a rival. Not like with Syracuse (which considers Georgetown its main rival), but hell they are the closest major program and we have played them every year since 1975. It's the easiest travel game for many of our alumni and our students. We used to pack their field for soccer every year...loved listening to the away game UConn chants on the WHUS broadcasts. They will soon be a Hockey East conference rival as well.

There is a mixed bag on here who think PC is unworthy to darken our doorstep. That's a load of crap. We come off as arrogant jerks for thinking it...and given how we've been treated by the likes of FSU, Miami and BC, you'd think we'd have more class. Given our current situation, if we can parlay our hoops team into some football scheduling, that must be priority 1. It was never mentioned, but the fact that Tennesssee is on the football schedule not long after a hoops home and home doesn't strike me as a coincidence. But football aside, assuming that a major conference team is a "national game" is hogwash. Texas is, yes. TCU? VT? Washington State? Dozens of others? No. PC would definitely be a bigger game.

Come on, really? You think we're arguing a game against TCU would be better than a game against, say, Georgetown because of the conference? Really?

Put yourself in CBS's shoes and then try to be realistic.

 

[The Funster]

I think PC would make a good road game because we could help fill the house and that helps us win and it might be nice to have a psuedo-road game to help boost our RPI if we're in a weak conference. I'd rather go to Hartford to play PC than Cupcake St. in December, as well. SJU would be a better option because it gets us into the City but would they be interetsed in a yearly series of alternating venues?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Come on, really? You think we're arguing a game against TCU would be better than a game against, say, Georgetown because of the conference? Really?

Put yourself in CBS's shoes and then try to be realistic.

I think we tend to view PC as worse than they are. I think PC fans understandably probably see themselves as better than they are. Georgetown and Marquette are clearly well ahead. Villanova was better...let's see if they continue to slide. St. Johns is about the same as PC, but less appealing for location in my view. Seton Hall is definitely worse. But as far as I'm concerned, PC has a better program than USF, UCF, SMU, ECU, Tulane and Tulsa and maybe the same as Houston.

 

[tzznandrew]

A decline...I guess. They've had some a rough year or two. Providence last made the NCAAs in 2004. Villanova missed the tournament from 2000-2004. Starting in 2005, they only missed in 2012. They had an E8 in 2006 and a FF in 2009.

Their seeds, in from 2005 to present:

5
1
9
12
3
2
9
--
9

The last three years (and end of the year they were a 2 seed), they haven't been great, but they've been good, and I suspect they will continue to be so.

 

[WestHartHusk]

I think we tend to view PC as worse than they are. I think PC fans understandably probably see themselves as better than they are. Georgetown and Marquette are clearly well ahead. Villanova was better...let's see if they continue to slide. St. Johns is about the same as PC, but less appealing for location in my view. Seton Hall is definitely worse. But as far as I'm concerned, PC has a better program than USF, UCF, SMU, ECU, Tulane and Tulsa and maybe the same as Houston.

At this point the distinction is irrelevant because those teams are conference games we have no control over. We need to use our free slots to schedule national competition, and that isn't PC. I don't see how this is arrogant, it is just reality.

 

[Husky25]

I consider them a rival. Not like with Syracuse (which considers Georgetown its main rival), but hell they are the closest major program and we have played them every year since 1975. It's the easiest travel game for many of our alumni and our students. We used to pack their field for soccer every year...loved listening to the away game UConn chants on the WHUS broadcasts. They will soon be a Hockey East conference rival as well.

There is a mixed bag on here who think PC is unworthy to darken our doorstep. That's a load of crap. We come off as arrogant jerks for thinking it...and given how we've been treated by the likes of FSU, Miami and BC, you'd think we'd have more class. Given our current situation, if we can parlay our hoops team into some football scheduling, that must be priority 1. It was never mentioned, but the fact that Tennesssee is on the football schedule not long after a hoops home and home doesn't strike me as a coincidence. But football aside, assuming that a major conference team is a "national game" is hogwash. Texas is, yes. TCU? VT? Washington State? Dozens of others? No. PC would definitely be a bigger game.

Proximity alone does not a rivalry make. The series with Providence has no recent defining moment in my opinion. There's no grudge and rare is the highly regarded recruit who is "stolen" (Gomes was not highly regarded, nor was he stolen. He was passed over. Ledo may never play, plus he's in their backyard...literally). Every now and then, Providence courts a nice little team and they pull off a win vs. UConn, but That's about it.

On the court, a rivalry needs close games at important points of the season (i.e. post-season). It needs the occasional upset so as to affect the better team's chances of seasonal success, not bumps in the road. The title of better team needs to alternate between the two sides. None of this has happened. Games against Providence were obligations, they don't move the needle for a vast majority of UConn fans.

I agree with your point on football and that is why I think Providence should be a last resort in the short term. In this conference they don't offer anything for football and that was UConn requires. Hockey does not enter into the this conversation yet Providence is clearly the better team, but it is not a revenue generator. Plus Hockey East does not have any other common members with the Big East or C2bNL.

 

[ddminct]

I hope no ex-PC player has tapes on Warde like Murdock had on Rutgers.

 

[uconndogs]

PC's a nice little regional game. Good basketball program that never really wins anything, but a good regional game to play. I think of them as a top 100 program most years.

FWIW we will overtake them in hockey in less than 5 years.

 

[upstater]

I think we tend to view PC as worse than they are. I think PC fans understandably probably see themselves as better than they are. Georgetown and Marquette are clearly well ahead. Villanova was better...let's see if they continue to slide. St. Johns is about the same as PC, but less appealing for location in my view. Seton Hall is definitely worse. But as far as I'm concerned, PC has a better program than USF, UCF, SMU, ECU, Tulane and Tulsa and maybe the same as Houston.

I'd rather play PC than all the conference teams listed, but UConn fans need to become a bit more familiar with who we're playing. Houston is actually the worst of the lot. Tulsa has gone to several sweet 16s and a Final 8 in the last 15-20 years. UCF has a much higher RPI than Houston and some success (including a win over UConn). E. Carolina was actually one of the stronger CUSA teams because it's in a hoops hotbed). The point though is this: no one was assuming a game against TCU would be a national game. Just to give an example of games CBS might want to show:

UConn v. (B1G): Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Maryland
(SEC) Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri. (LSU, Georgia and Arkansas are questionable).
(ACC) Every team except for maybe Virginia Tech and Clemson
(B12) Texas, Oklahoma St., Oklahoma, Kansas (not sure about Kansas St.)
(P12) Washington, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Arizona
Others: Gonzaga, Butler, Georgetown, Villanova, Marquette, maybe St. John's (they showed Duke-SJ).

I can't see teams outside of those listed on network television.

 

[Husky25]

I'd rather play PC than all the conference teams listed, but UConn fans need to become a bit more familiar with who we're playing. Houston is actually the worst of the lot. Tulsa has gone to several sweet 16s and a Final 8 in the last 15-20 years. UCF has a much higher RPI than Houston and some success (including a win over UConn). E. Carolina was actually one of the stronger CUSA teams because it's in a hoops hotbed). The point though is this: no one was assuming a game against TCU would be a national game. Just to give an example of games CBS might want to show:

UConn v. (B1G): Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Maryland
(SEC) Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri. (LSU, Georgia and Arkansas are questionable).
(ACC) Every team except for maybe Virginia Tech and Clemson
(B12) Texas, Oklahoma St., Oklahoma, Kansas (not sure about Kansas St.)
(P12) Washington, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Arizona
Others: Gonzaga, Butler, Georgetown, Villanova, Marquette, maybe St. John's (they showed Duke-SJ).

I can't see teams outside of those listed on network television.

Careful 'Stater. I was accused of being Warde Manuel last week for pointing out our new conference isn't as bad than at first glance.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I'd rather play PC than all the conference teams listed, but UConn fans need to become a bit more familiar with who we're playing. Houston is actually the worst of the lot. Tulsa has gone to several sweet 16s and a Final 8 in the last 15-20 years. UCF has a much higher RPI than Houston and some success (including a win over UConn). E. Carolina was actually one of the stronger CUSA teams because it's in a hoops hotbed). The point though is this: no one was assuming a game against TCU would be a national game. Just to give an example of games CBS might want to show:

UConn v. (B1G): Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Maryland
(SEC) Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri. (LSU, Georgia and Arkansas are questionable).
(ACC) Every team except for maybe Virginia Tech and Clemson
(B12) Texas, Oklahoma St., Oklahoma, Kansas (not sure about Kansas St.)
(P12) Washington, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Arizona
Others: Gonzaga, Butler, Georgetown, Villanova, Marquette, maybe St. John's (they showed Duke-SJ).

I can't see teams outside of those listed on network television.

My guess is that we cannot schedule 4 games a year against just those schools. That's what it would take to have two home games from the home & home slate. I think the list is bigger than that anyway. K-State was a 4 seed and is pretty solid most of the time now. Iowa St. has been good under Hoiberg. Arkansas should be included. Maybe BYU and UNLV too. In short, your theory that UConn will always get two CBS games is going to be tested.

By the way, Houston gets some credit for history...even if the present is poor.

 

[seanmc94]

FWIW we will overtake them in hockey in less than 5 years.

Not even close...but thanks for your consideration

 

[Kitaman]

Spoilsport. Sometimes the cesspool just isn't enough.

Yeah but you always win with that guy. I just thought you would want to look for better competition.

 

[upstater]

My guess is that we cannot schedule 4 games a year against just those schools. That's what it would take to have two home games from the home & home slate. I think the list is bigger than that anyway. K-State was a 4 seed and is pretty solid most of the time now. Iowa St. has been good under Hoiberg. Arkansas should be included. Maybe BYU and UNLV too. In short, your theory that UConn will always get two CBS games is going to be tested.

By the way, Houston gets some credit for history...even if the present is poor.

CBS is going to have to do the work for us. You can bet ESPN lead Barclay's and Maryland to UConn. It all depends how much schools value being on CBS network. Aresco might be pretty bad but this aspect of the TV deal is a plum for UConn. It's very important.

 

[Devland]

Maybe we should start a series with the only other New England school to win a National Championship in mens basketball. After all winning one Championship would give them the second best basketball history in New England. That school would be Holy Cross.

 

[TRest]

CBS is going to have to do the work for us. You can bet ESPN lead Barclay's and Maryland to UConn. It all depends how much schools value being on CBS network. Aresco might be pretty bad but this aspect of the TV deal is a plum for UConn. It's very important.

I've always thought our CBS OOC games were put together with network input.

 

[Yonick]

Not even close...but thanks for your consideration

I don't know much about college hockey. But, it seems PC is a middle of the pack school in hockey east, at best.
As far as UConn passing PC out in hockey within 5 years I suppose that's very possible. Just look at Quinnipiac. 5 years ago they were in UConn's conference. 5 short years later they are #1 in the country. If they can do it, why not UConn.

 

[TRest]

PC rpi since 99-00 taken from collegerpi.com just to see what we are committing to here:

99-01 RPI: 0.4853 - 175
SOS: 0.5321 - 89

00-01: RPI: 0.5926 - 28
SOS: 0.5602 - 46

01-02:RPI: 0.5325 - 96
SOS: 0.5488 - 55

02-03:RPI: 0.5662 - 56
SOS: 0.5710 - 21

03-04:RPI: 0.6121 - 21
SOS: 0.5781 - 20

04-05:RPI: 0.5407 - 93
SOS: 0.5908 - 6

05-06:RPI: 0.5331 - 108
SOS: 0.5785 - 19

06-07:RPI: 0.5566 - 76
SOS: 0.5608 - 48

07-08:RPI: 0.5305 - 112
SOS: 0.5595 - 44

08-09:RPI: 0.5576 - 72
SOS: 0.5575 - 52

09-10:RPI: 0.5166 - 141
SOS: 0.5709 - 27

10-11:RPI: 0.5025 - 154
SOS: 0.5416 - 79

11-12:RPI: 0.5045 - 156
SOS: 0.5295 - 97

12-13: results not in for some reason.

 

[MattMang23]

Out of our old Catholic ex-conferencemates, I would divide them this way:

Play: Georgetown, St. John's

Do Not Play: Providence, Seton Hall, DePaul

Maybe Play: Villanova, Marquette

I put the first group together to protect our core recruiting grounds, and the second group together because they offer us no value whatsoever.

Nova is on the Maybe Play list rather than the Play list because we already will be playing Temple but I didn't want to just stick Nova on the Do Not Play list because I still think it could be a good, somewhat-local, fun game to play. Marquette I am ehhhhhh about. Good team but no real advantages to playing them.

 

[Deepster]

I don't understand the confusion.

They need a game with us ten times more than we need a game with them.

A win over us turns them (in their good years) to a hot bubble team.
A win over them is a hard fought tuneup for a March win over a frisky semi's level team.

If we ever scheduled a series with them, they should throw us a parade down Main St.

 

[uconndogs]

Not even close...but thanks for your consideration

I think you are right.........shouldn't even take 5 years.

 

[seanmc94]

Out of our old Catholic ex-conferencemates, I would divide them this way:

Play: Georgetown, St. John's

Do Not Play: Providence, Seton Hall, DePaul

Maybe Play: Villanova, Marquette

I put the first group together to protect our core recruiting grounds, and the second group together because they offer us no value whatsoever.

Nova is on the Maybe Play list rather than the Play list because we already will be playing Temple but I didn't want to just stick Nova on the Do Not Play list because I still think it could be a good, somewhat-local, fun game to play. Marquette I am ehhhhhh about. Good team but no real advantages to playing them.

So who will uconn play in NE?

 

[Waquoit]

I don't understand the confusion.

They need a game with us ten times more than we need a game with them.

A win over us turns them (in their good years) to a hot bubble team.
A win over them is a hard fought tuneup for a March win over a frisky semi's level team.

If we ever scheduled a series with them, they should throw us a parade down Main St.

I agree with all this. I also hate that they are calling UConn out in the media. No class (I know not a surprise). Bad behavior shouldn't be rewarded.

 

[MattMang23]

So who will uconn play in NE?

Everyone in CT, Northeastern, Harvard, and the Universities of Vermont and New Hampshire. Just like every year.

And since we are a national program, we don't need to play anyone else in New England. No one offers any benefit to us.

Frankly, no New England team is worth a home and home.