Why is Memphis able to overcome the AAC stigma with recruits?

[don356]

It's all about the 1. coach, 2 facilities and 3. schedule. Memphis is a fun town, has nice facilities and they play a good schedule. Penny is obviously well liked locally and nationally for that matter. You only need to be one of 68 in bball to get a crack at a nati, not one of 4. Totally different layout for fball. There is always going to be more P5 schools present because they can afford the 3 factors. However, it's a sport where you can fund it internally unlike fball. Facilities are more important than people think. Kids nowadays don't want to rough it so to speak. It definitely helps to have nice arena's and practice facilities, dorms etc. You fall behind on that, all the conference in the world won't help unless you spend the money

 

[uconnbaseball]

FedEx forum.

2nd nicest arena in the NBA next to MSG, and Memphis plays their hone games there.

 

[Waquoit]

FedEx forum.

2nd nicest arena in the NBA next to MSG, and Memphis plays their hone games there.

It's not on campus so that can't be it.

 

[HuskyHawk]

FWIW the American isn't necessarily a conference for everyone. It was a bad a conference for us though. AAC is a step up for Memphis both in money and exposure and it makes more sense for it geographically.

I don't think their current recruiting binge has much to do with the conference.

The AAC is a good basketball league. Memphis, Houston, Cinci, Temple, Wichita State are all strong programs. UCF and USF are showing well, and SMU has had good teams. Tulane should get better.

It was tough on UConn, because it was a downgrade for our fan base, and because New Englanders are so parochial and can’t seem to embrace the idea of non local rivals. Plus we are in a good recruiting area, but most of those guys didn’t find the league appealing.

But for every other school except Cinci, this league is an upgrade for their fans. More local rivals, better opponents. And except for Temple, the geography is an advantage for most of these schools. Memphis kids have no problem playing against regional opponents like WSU, Tulsa, Tulane, Houston. Even Cincinnati is on the border of Kentucky.

 

[HuskyHawk]

FedEx forum.

2nd nicest arena in the NBA next to MSG, and Memphis plays their hone games there.

MSG is the nicest arena in the NBA? I haven’t been in years, but I really doubt that the oldest arena is the nicest.

 

[soxfan23]

KO recruited well for a couple years when he was young and charismatic

Championship didn’t hurt

But you know there$ other thing$ going on with Memphi$

At that time though, UConn was arguably the best program in the country over the previous 15 years!

 

[soxfan23]

The AAC is a good basketball league. Memphis, Houston, Cinci, Temple, Wichita State are all strong programs. UCF and USF are showing well, and SMU has had good teams. Tulane should get better.

It was tough on UConn, because it was a downgrade for our fan base, and because New Englanders are so parochial and can’t seem to embrace the idea of non local rivals. Plus we are in a good recruiting area, but most of those guys didn’t find the league appealing.

But for every other school except Cinci, this league is an upgrade for their fans. More local rivals, better opponents. And except for Temple, the geography is an advantage for most of these schools. Memphis kids have no problem playing against regional opponents like WSU, Tulsa, Tulane, Houston. Even Cincinnati is on the border of Kentucky.

This is what scares me! I can see the AAC really growing into a solid basketball conference and I hope we are not jumping ship at the wrong time.

 

[bendm]

This is what scares me! I can see the AAC really growing into a solid basketball conference and I hope we are not jumping ship at the wrong time.

dont worry, the aac peaked in its first year when UConn won the title.

 

[BFieldHusky]

MSG is the nicest arena in the NBA? I haven’t been in years, but I really doubt that the oldest arena is the nicest.

You do realize they did a billion dollar renovation a few years ago?

 

[ConnHuskBask]

The problem with the AAC is that the bottom of the league is abysmal, the games are going to be behind a paywall, our fans don't care about any of the teams, and nobody cares about the teams on a national level.

Other than that it's a perfect fit for UConn.

 

[CL82]

MSG is the nicest arena in the NBA? I haven’t been in years, but I really doubt that the oldest arena is the nicest.

They may have renovated it since it was built...

 

[zls44]

FedEx is nice, but its careening down the arena rankings just because of the other arenas coming up to date. The arena in Atlanta is insane now. Nobody goes, but its incredible. Chase in San Fran is gonna re-set the floor for the entire venue game. For better and worse.

 

[Devland]

They may have renovated it since it was built...

This is the fourth Madison Square Garden. Ironically only versions one and two were located in Madison Square (on Madison Ave). Maybe it should be named Penn Station Garden now. This is like Woodstock not being in Woodstock.

 

[mauconnfan]

One word "Penny"

He is the reason plain and simple

Let’s not underestimate Mike Miller and his family AAU connections as well.

 

[superjohn]

MSG is the nicest arena in the NBA? I haven’t been in years, but I really doubt that the oldest arena is the nicest.

Yes.

 

[gtcam]

Ok, might not be a stigma, but let's call it like it is. The AAC is primarily composed of teams that cannot recruit.

Between 2013 and 2019, the AAC had 33 top 100 recruits according to 247, 34 according to Rivals, and 32 according ESPN. Outside of UConn, Memphis, and Cincinnati, the rest of the AAC had just 5 on 247, 4 on Rivals, and 5 on ESPN.

AAC teams with a top-100 recruit in either 247, Rivals or ESPN from 2013-2019: 6/12 (UConn, Memphis, Cincinnati, USF, SMU, Temple)

For the Big East comparison, from 2013-2019, it was 53 top 100 recruits according to 247, 63 according to Rivals, and 62 according to ESPN.

Big East teams with a top-100 recruit in either 247, Rivals or ESPN from 2013-2019: 10/10

Houston, WSU, CFU all had extremely respectable teams without all the hoopla of top 100 recruiting
K Sampson, as much as I have little respect for the guy, showed how it can get done without the heralded recruits.
Yeah the NBE has better recruiting stats but many of the AAC teams last year would play with every NBE team except perhaps Nova but maybe even them
It boils down to the fact that the NBE is a better fit geographically and interest wise for UConn
The AAC has some darn good teams

 

[Waquoit]

The AAC has some darn good teams

...that UConn season ticket holders couldn't care less about. Casual fan interest is even lower than that even though it's not possible.

 

[scoscox]

Houston, WSU, CFU all had extremely respectable teams without all the hoopla of top 100 recruiting
K Sampson, as much as I have little respect for the guy, showed how it can get done without the heralded recruits.
Yeah the NBE has better recruiting stats but many of the AAC teams last year would play with every NBE team except perhaps Nova but maybe even them
It boils down to the fact that the NBE is a better fit geographically and interest wise for UConn
The AAC has some darn good teams

there's a reason those teams only have 1 sweet sixteen and 4 tournament wins between them since joining the american. it mostly has to do with not having high end talent

 

[Scrutiner]

Except for the facts you are right Hans. I get it. Hurley is looking to build a regional power, not necessarily a national one and the UConn brass is good wi5h that. It is easier it is cheaper and they will probably sell a few more tickets for a few years. But Calhoun built his recruiting the west coast, the southeast, the Midwest, basically wherever good players were found. Hurley has made it pretty clear when he talks recruiting he intends to focus on the northeast. The Big East fits that profile. Plus MSG Baby!

Calhoun, just like most coaches taking over a bad program, got his players from wherever he could in the first few years. Other than Chris Smith, there were no consensus great recruits until after the "Dream Season". Donyell Marshall was the first McD AA in 1991-92

Before that he found diamonds in the rough like Lyman (MI) and Rod (SC), and maybe got lucky (?) when he signed the "other Robinson from Buffalo" (Cliff) who turned out to be the better of the two. Then there was Nadav.

Maybe Hurley can bring back the glory days with only Northeast and DMV recruits, but unless he can get the best ones every year that's going to be tough. Can't see him turning down a kid from GA (Moore, Lamb) or CA (Ollie, Daniels) if he can get a great player.

 

[HooperScooper]

Before that he found diamonds in the rough like Lyman (MI) and Rod (SC), and maybe got lucky (?) when he signed the "other Robinson from Buffalo" (Cliff) who turned out to be the better of the two.

Cliff Robinson was already at UConn when Calhoun came aboard. Cliff was a sophomore in Calhoun's first year at UConn.

 

[Psolo12]

Houston, WSU, CFU all had extremely respectable teams without all the hoopla of top 100 recruiting
K Sampson, as much as I have little respect for the guy, showed how it can get done without the heralded recruits.
Yeah the NBE has better recruiting stats but many of the AAC teams last year would play with every NBE team except perhaps Nova but maybe even them
It boils down to the fact that the NBE is a better fit geographically and interest wise for UConn
The AAC has some darn good teams

The main difference is that bottom half of the American vs the bottom half of the BE is night and day. And I literally couldn't care any less about playing ECU or Tulane.

 

[HuskyHawk]

USF just landed a 4 star in the AAC

 

[bendm]

USF just landed a 4 star in the AAC

i'm gonna file this under the "even a blind squirrel can find a nut every now and then" category

 

[scoscox]

He’s aau teammates with dwon Odom. One of Xavier’s recruits in 2020. Word is that he is struggling to qualify

 

[3rdbass]

Cliff Robinson was already at UConn when Calhoun came aboard. Cliff was a sophomore in Calhoun's first year at UConn.

Yeah, I was like that is is a revisionist history there. Cliff and Phil were Perno recruits.