What Do You Like About Big East WCBB?

[sun]

What are some of the reasons that you like Big East Conference WCBB?

I like the WCBB tradition of the schools involved.
And that they're predominantly private religious based schools that have good academics which helps to draw BB players from similar high schools with strong BB traditions.
As much as UConn is able to dominate the conference, I think that all of the players enjoy and benefit from the attention that playing against UConn generates.
It's a safe conference for UConn, and is a great proving ground for teaching students how to grow into the game of WCBB.
The BE provides a good atmosphere and saves UConn players from some of the wear & tear of playing in the more competitive conferences over the course of a long season.

 

[ochoopsfan]

UConn needs a tougher conference

 

[my2cents]

Not much

 

[borninansonia]

Most of the teams are close to Conn.
Less travel than the American.

 

[hoopsfan22]

UConn needs a tougher conference

We've asked the conference realignment puppet masters in Bristol several times over the last 10-15 years, but each time they told us to get lost. We've even tried bribing them with big tax breaks, but nothing seems to work.

 

[LoboDays]

IMO …..There is a direct relationship between the UCONN Women’s team ending their season with double digit consecutive games against BE competition and their ongoing poor performances in Final Four games. Their inability to win the 4th quarter in close games against good teams is, in part, the result of playing game after game after game where the outcome has been determined in the 2nd or 3rd quarters.

 

[Stymie]

If Rutgers could swing membership in the Big 10 , with their substandard football program and mediocre hoops program, can’t UCONN “ find a way” to a P-5 membership?

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I am very sympathetic towards the situation UConn finds itself in with respect to conference membership. Football drives everything and UConn found itself in a weird conference that had no logic to its membership beyond they weren't high enough on the ladder to get in another one. The American had some good schools and some solid programs in many sports but UConn was an outlier with both its success and location. UConn should be in the ACC. From what I understand it was politics only that kept them out when VT, Miami and BC joined. I would love to see the ACC footprint logically add the Huskies as number 16.

The BE is much more geographically friendly for travel and history. It isn't the BE of old but is an improvement over the American. I don't think conference affiliation has caught up with the Huskies as much as some people think and that it's an easy scapegoat.

 

[Monte]

It should be called the Little East.

 

[LoboDays]

No changes seem viable unless the Football program elevates itself to the level of attractiveness for a P5 conference.

 

[hoopsfan22]

I am very sympathetic towards the situation UConn finds itself in with respect to conference membership. Football drives everything and UConn found itself in a weird conference that had no logic to its membership beyond they weren't high enough on the ladder to get in another one. The American had some good schools and some solid programs in many sports but UConn was an outlier with both its success and location. UConn should be in the ACC. From what I understand it was politics only that kept them out when VT, Miami and BC joined. I would love to see the ACC footprint logically add the Huskies as number 16.

The BE is much more geographically friendly for travel and history. It isn't the BE of old but is an improvement over the American. I don't think conference affiliation has caught up with the Huskies as much as some people think and that it's an easy scapegoat.

If conferences were able to kick out dead weight, I'll bet there are a couple that would do it to make room for UConn. If some of these conferences were starting from scratch today, we'd be in I think.

 

[visitingcock]

If Rutgers could swing membership in the Big 10 , with their substandard football program and mediocre hoops program, can’t UCONN “ find a way” to a P-5 membership?

Football is what kills you. (typed with full knowledge that UConn beat SCar in our only matchup).

 

[CTBballfan243]

If Rutgers could swing membership in the Big 10 , with their substandard football program and mediocre hoops program, can’t UCONN “ find a way” to a P-5 membership?

Nope. That train has left the station and UConn was left standing in the station….. with their face pressed up against the glass.

UConn just needs to make the best of what they have stranded here in mid- major land.

 

[uconnfan68]

Football is what kills you. (typed with full knowledge that UConn beat SCar in our only matchup).

Don't feel too bad... you're in a class with ND.

 

[sun]

They claim that UConn BB makes more money in the BE than with the previous AAC conference, and that both of the UConn BB teams are breaking even.
Less miles traveled is better for the students & for the environment, and travel does have some risk.
There's not a WCBB program in the country that wouldn't want to play UConn in OOC games.
I'm not sure how it's better for the WBB students or for UConn to be in another conference right now since we're almost guaranteed a spot in the NCAA tourney every year, and even the WBB conference tourney is held in CT.

UConnReport - Financial breakdown of UConn's move to the Big East

A look at UConn's financial motivations for making the Big East move.

connecticut.rivals.com

University of Connecticut Athletics Programs

Interested in participating in a sports program at University of Connecticut? Find out the average sports scholarship awarded to each student athlete, how well UCONN ranks for each sport, how much money is allocated to the sports team, and more.

www.collegefactual.com

 

[Zarathustra]

UCONN also has to try to balance the ATHLETIC
BUDGET deficit! How about that $10,000,000+
payout to the previous Men's BB coach..... Ouch.
Money does come in to pay on these things...
no? I also 'like' the Big East for historical
reasons ( e.g. the old Holiday Festival Games at
MSG.. Christmas in the city), but I just like to follow our team where ever they play.

 

[Blueconn]

Good neighborhood…home country in hard times often brings out the best. I hope to live long enough to see BC and Syracuse come crawling for readmittance !

 

[Littlemin]

IMO …..There is a direct relationship between the UCONN Women’s team ending their season with double digit consecutive games against BE competition and their ongoing poor performances in Final Four games. Their inability to win the 4th quarter in close games against good teams is, in part, the result of playing game after game after game where the outcome has been determined in the 2nd or 3rd quarters.

So Uconn is able to stay with the best teams in the country for 39 minutes, (in some cases 40, onto OT) but not make that one or two plays at the end to get over the top and this failure at the end is because they don‘t play in a power conference? With all due respect to all who feel this way, it is just not logical.

Personally, I think it is more parity at the top over the last 5 years, and that parity is trickling down to more teams all the time.

 

[The deacon]

They claim that UConn BB makes more money in the BE than with the previous AAC conference, and that both of the UConn BB teams are breaking even.
Less miles traveled is better for the students & for the environment, and travel does have some risk.
There's not a WCBB program in the country that wouldn't want to play UConn in OOC games.
I'm not sure how it's better for the WBB students or for UConn to be in another conference right now since we're almost guaranteed a spot in the NCAA tourney every year, and even the WBB conference tourney is held in CT.

UConnReport - Financial breakdown of UConn's move to the Big East

A look at UConn's financial motivations for making the Big East move.

connecticut.rivals.com

University of Connecticut Athletics Programs

Interested in participating in a sports program at University of Connecticut? Find out the average sports scholarship awarded to each student athlete, how well UCONN ranks for each sport, how much money is allocated to the sports team, and more.

www.collegefactual.com

Well said, well documented...

As one who has followed college sports off the basketball court, I'd add that the Big East makes so much more sense than other conferences for most (if not all) of the other UConn teams. I know those other athletes don't bring in the money and we're on a basketball thread, but that should to be a consideration for the hierarchy.

I also have a soft spot in my heart for those old Big East basketball competitions, both men's and women's. Wouldn't it be great if Marquette, DePaul et al could raise the level of their game just a bit.

Ha, as a Deacon fan, it'd be fun I suppose for Geno & Co. to be in the ACC, but why would I want another women's basketball team around that Wake can't beat. I have enough of those already.

 

[Plebe]

No changes seem viable unless the Football program elevates itself to the level of attractiveness for a P5 conference.

Another narrative that provides a convenient yet facile explanation.

The "P5" is home to many a mediocre to crappy football program, including some of recent admission. The paths and barriers to membership are, in no particular order: politics, economics, business, economics, and politics.

The actual football product on the field is a distant straggler compared to the aforementioned. Recall that at the time of the 2011-12 scramble, UConn was coming off a period of relative success with multiple bowl game appearances in the previous half-decade or so.

 

[GoUconn7961]

Personally? I think the teams are better competition. Travel is also better.
The Big East Championship resonates for me better on the men's side because I love bball in The Garden.

 

[Brad Palmer]

What I don't like about WBB in the BE is the lack of conference games available on platforms other than the quite expensive FloSports (for games not involving UConn). Want to watch a random DePaul, Marquette, Villanova, SJ or PC conference game? You're usually out of luck. Even Hartford, Quinnipiac and Fairfield women have most of their games on ESPN+, which is an amazing bargain compared to FloSports.

 

[JellyBean]

For me it is the old school basketball vibe. Of course, like anything in life, the Big East had to evolve with the times (new teams being added and some of the old teams left) but to me, the Big East is just like going to Fenway Park or Wrigley Field over the years. Even though a few things have been added to those classic places, it is still Fenway or Wrigley. That is how I feel about the Big East. The tradition.

 

[oldude]

The BE has a great collection of HC’s both experienced as well as talented newcomers. You want to see a heavyweight slugfest, watch the SEC. You want to see sophisticated motion offense, great passing and an overall advanced level of play, the BE is your conference.

 

[LoboDays]

The BE has a great collection of HC’s both experienced as well as talented newcomers. You want to see a heavyweight slugfest, watch the SEC. You want to see sophisticated motion offense, great passing and an overall advanced level of play, the BE is your conference.

If you are talking about the Men’s side, I would buy into your thinking. But, an advanced level of play would lead to at least one other team in the BE being in the top 25 on the women’s side. Other than UCONN, I don’t see very much sophistication in anything. Sports has levels. UCONN is at a different level than the rest of the teams in the BE. The games are not competitive and the outcome is never in doubt. With Paige, Azzi, Aubrey, and CW out, we still win these games going away. That’s a sad commentary on the conference.