DefenseBB
Snark is always appreciated!
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While I, like many others, applaud UConn going back to the BE for competitive purposes, I also have an eye on a few other items:
1. Attendance-will the average game attendance increase substantially enough in games not involving UConn? The Northeast has been a pretty good supporter of WCBB but schools need to build a local presence and support-think Dawn, Vic, Jose even and how to get fans into your venue.
2. Resources by the other schools into WCBB-as this is primarily a basketball conference, it should be obvious for the schools to focus resources and support into their programs. There are some synergies with the MCBB that could be realized but the league itself, should do an audit/best practices to ensure all the schools are trying to maximize their efforts
3. Success on the court to get better players and better results nationally-this effort was an abject failure in the American and I would argue that the AAC has regressed since when it was launched. The BE needs to get better scheduling for all its teams and to promote the "National appeal" that the MCBB Big East has.
4. Retention of coaches with better pay for the HC and the staffs-the Men's Big East is having success due to many of the coaches being paid commensurate with the P5. The WCBB needs to do the same. While we at UConn have been unprecedented in having Geno/CD for 35 years, Doug Bruno at DePaul is also long-tenured however while Harry Perretta had a long career at Villanova, I am not sure he held elite esteem or was compensated to the best. That needs to change with their next hire. Similarly, Marquette needs to decide that they should be a coaching destination, not a stop-over. Meg Duffy might well be worth their while to invest in her to build a marquee brand and not lose her to a P5 in a few years. This coaching stability (pay/results) as much as anything will propel the league to match the P5. If we go back 7 years to the OBE, with Geno, MM, Jeff, Doug, Jose, CVS-they were all paid well, had regular success and that made the league a destination. I understand it is hard for the school to find it's iconic coach but find it they must to truly build and be successful.
If the BE teams can use the building blocks I mentioned above, with the current strength already existing at some of these schools, the Big East can close the gap even more with a few of the P5 schools-Big12 is ripe for passing as is the ACC. It will take some time but it could happen.
What say you WCBB fanatics?
1. Attendance-will the average game attendance increase substantially enough in games not involving UConn? The Northeast has been a pretty good supporter of WCBB but schools need to build a local presence and support-think Dawn, Vic, Jose even and how to get fans into your venue.
2. Resources by the other schools into WCBB-as this is primarily a basketball conference, it should be obvious for the schools to focus resources and support into their programs. There are some synergies with the MCBB that could be realized but the league itself, should do an audit/best practices to ensure all the schools are trying to maximize their efforts
3. Success on the court to get better players and better results nationally-this effort was an abject failure in the American and I would argue that the AAC has regressed since when it was launched. The BE needs to get better scheduling for all its teams and to promote the "National appeal" that the MCBB Big East has.
4. Retention of coaches with better pay for the HC and the staffs-the Men's Big East is having success due to many of the coaches being paid commensurate with the P5. The WCBB needs to do the same. While we at UConn have been unprecedented in having Geno/CD for 35 years, Doug Bruno at DePaul is also long-tenured however while Harry Perretta had a long career at Villanova, I am not sure he held elite esteem or was compensated to the best. That needs to change with their next hire. Similarly, Marquette needs to decide that they should be a coaching destination, not a stop-over. Meg Duffy might well be worth their while to invest in her to build a marquee brand and not lose her to a P5 in a few years. This coaching stability (pay/results) as much as anything will propel the league to match the P5. If we go back 7 years to the OBE, with Geno, MM, Jeff, Doug, Jose, CVS-they were all paid well, had regular success and that made the league a destination. I understand it is hard for the school to find it's iconic coach but find it they must to truly build and be successful.
If the BE teams can use the building blocks I mentioned above, with the current strength already existing at some of these schools, the Big East can close the gap even more with a few of the P5 schools-Big12 is ripe for passing as is the ACC. It will take some time but it could happen.
What say you WCBB fanatics?