Wichita State Emerges As Potential Basketball Only Add To AAC (Officially Official)

[Fishy]

Exactly.

And if we ever develop a conference rivalry with UMass, it'll be because we died and fell back to the URI/UMass orbit.

Thanks, but no thanks.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Look at the problems UConn is having. Imagine how tough it will be for a satellite school in western Kansas. Adding a school because of how good they are at this moment is a mistake. If the AAC is going to add a school, it should be someone closer, like UMass, that can be a rival for UConn.

You seem to think that the AAC does what is in the interest of UConn, instead of itself. Wichita State is a local rival for Tulsa, SMU and Memphis. It's also in the eastern half of Kansas by the way. Southern Kansas would be accurate.

The endowment is $235M. Not a huge number, but more than Memphis, ECU and UCF.

And that 5 year run is more like 7. NIT in 2010 and won the NIT in 2012. They weren't bad under Turgeon either, and went to a sweet 16. The 80's teams were very good with players like Xavier McDaniel, Cliff Levingston and Antoine Carr. Suggesting that they have no history pre-Marshall is wrong.

The Baseball team is historically very good.

 

[Sea Goat]

You seem to think that the AAC does what is in the interest of UConn, instead of itself. Wichita State is a local rival for Tulsa, SMU and Memphis. It's also in the eastern half of Kansas by the way. Southern Kansas would be accurate.

The endowment is $235M. Not a huge number, but more than Memphis, ECU and UCF.

And that 5 year run is more like 7. NIT in 2010 and won the NIT in 2012. They weren't bad under Turgeon either, and went to a sweet 16. The 80's teams were very good with players like Xavier McDaniel, Cliff Levingston and Antoine Carr. Suggesting that they have no history pre-Marshall is wrong.

The Baseball team is historically very good.

I hope that soon it won't matter a bit whether the AAC has any interest of UConn in mind when making conference decisions...

 

[businesslawyer]

Those that believe that Wichita State will sustain it's winning ways after Greg Marshall departs should be required to answer why, if Wichita State is such a basketball hotspot, that it had a mediocre winning record of 223 wins and 222 losses during the 15 seasons immediately before Coach Marshall arrived at the school.

What was our record in the 15 years before Calhoun came?

 

[Ha Who]

What was our record in the 15 years before Calhoun came?

17 prior seasons 259-202

 

[HuskyHawk]

17 prior seasons 259-202

And what is 15 seasons since that's the comparison?

Anyway, you don't add WSU so they achieve what UConn has. You add them to be what Pitt was in the Big East. A tough opponent, frequently ranked and nearly always top 50. The bump in SOS, along with somebody else being decent like Temple or Memphis, changes this from a 2 bid conference to a 4-5 bid conference (assuming SMU doesn't crash and burn).

 

[Ha Who]

And what is 15 seasons since that's the comparison?

Anyway, you don't add WSU so they achieve what UConn has. You add them to be what Pitt was in the Big East. A tough opponent, frequently ranked and nearly always top 50. The bump in SOS, along with somebody else being decent like Temple or Memphis, changes this from a 2 bid conference to a 4-5 bid conference (assuming SMU doesn't crash and burn).

I was only answering his question. No comment on the add. I like them as a high mid-major. However, as I have said before, I grew up going to NHL games through a friend's family season tickets. Going to AAC games, which I do, is akin to Wolfpack games. It ain't our former conference and it sucks

 

[huskymedic]

 

[shizzle787]

Apparently, they may be top-10 next year so it may be worth adding them for then.

 

[ASweet3781]

Why stop at Wichita State? Might as well add Gonzaga while we are at it.

 

[Towney007]

WHEN GREG MARSHALL LEAVES~!

Marshall makes more money than Kevin Ollie and only seven more coaches in the US make more than he does - five of which are at UNC, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas and Michigan State. He likely has job security for life at WSU if he wants it and has the Koch brothers dumping zillions into the school and his program. The fan base adores him. The Athletic Department is rigorously trying to upgrade his conference and the program's platform.

So why's he leaving again? Hasn't he turned down most of the hay-seed/redneck super conference goof schools already?

 

[shizzle787]

WHEN GREG MARSHALL LEAVES~!

Marshall makes more money than Kevin Ollie and only seven more coaches in the US make more than he does - five of which are at UNC, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas and Michigan State. He likely has job security for life at WSU if he wants it and has the Koch brothers dumping zillions into the school and his program. The fan base adores him. The Athletic Department is rigorously trying to upgrade his conference and the program's platform.

So why's he leaving again? Hasn't he turned down most of the hay-seed/redneck super conference goof schools already?

He's not, and it's not something we need to ponder. As long as he is their coach for the next six/seven years, we'll be fine as we either join a P5/4, a weakened Big 12 or do the BE/indie football hybrid.

 

[Towney007]

Well that's my other thing....

If the plan is to be out of here in 4-5 years anyway, who cares?

 

[shizzle787]

Source: Wichita St. eyes 2017 move to AAC

 

[King Husky]

Well that's my other thing....

If the plan is to be out of here in 4-5 years anyway, who cares?

We could become more and more irrelevant in 4-5 years, at this rate, in this conference.

 

[Hoophound]

I can't help but wonder if Wichita is replacing us as we head back to the Big East. It could also be a defensive move by Aresco because he doesn't want to get blindsided by us going back to the Big East. I'm not sure adding a good basketball school in a small market to strengthen the conference RPI is reason enough to add them. Its interesting.

 

[Drew]

Its amazing how many people are reading way too much into this.

The American's basketball product right now is subpar. There is 1 less basketball school than football school. There is a program that will be good for the foreseeable future within the conference's footprint that does not sponsor football that is hell bent on upgrading its conference affiliation. This makes too much sense for both sides for it to not happen, and its happening for no other reason than for the AAC to improve its basketball product. Anyone who thinks this is UConn/Cincinnati/whoever leaving and joining another conference is fooling themselves. This add isn't even necessarily for television purposes (although UConn/WSU will be great TV). We are going to be in the American for a long time. This is about adding another competitive basketball (and they just so happen to bring great baseball too) team to the mix and earning more $ for the conference through NCAA tournament credits. That's it.

 

[don356]

Not to forget the AAC will likely be adding Iowa st., Tcu and Texas Tech in the not so distant future.

 

[Hoophound]

Its amazing how many people are reading way too much into this.

The American's basketball product right now is subpar. There is 1 less basketball school than football school. There is a program that will be good for the foreseeable future within the conference's footprint that does not sponsor football that is hell bent on upgrading its conference affiliation. This makes too much sense for both sides for it to not happen, and its happening for no other reason than for the AAC to improve its basketball product. Anyone who thinks this is UConn/Cincinnati/whoever leaving and joining another conference is fooling themselves. This add isn't even necessarily for television purposes (although UConn/WSU will be great TV). We are going to be in the American for a long time. This is about adding another competitive basketball (and they just so happen to bring great baseball too) team to the mix and earning more $ for the conference through NCAA tournament credits. That's it.

First, I'm not fooling myself. I expect to be in the American. However, it is a curious play to add Wichita St. We need to build the basketball strength of the American, but Wichita St. will be a noose around the neck of the conference if Marshall leaves.

This is a very risky move and honestly, I would rather add more than one basketball only school if we are going down that road. I'd go for any good basketball school I could get and bring them all in. At least then, fans of schools like UConn and Cincy can enjoy basketball season and everyone can sell some tickets. One no name school that caught lightning in a bottle with a coach won't solve much long term. The best thing about this is the opportunities for shocker jokes that will be generated, and that is in fact a very good thing.

 

[TRest]

First, I'm not fooling myself. I expect to be in the American. However, it is a curious play to add Wichita St. We need to build the basketball strength of the American, but Wichita St. will be a noose around the neck of the conference if Marshall leaves.

This is a very risky move and honestly, I would rather add more than one basketball only school if we are going down that road. I'd go for any good basketball school I could get and bring them all in. At least then, fans of schools like UConn and Cincy can enjoy basketball season and everyone can sell some tickets. One no name school that caught lightning in a bottle with a coach won't solve much long term. The best thing about this is the opportunities for shocker jokes that will be generated, and that is in fact a very good thing.

The more programs we add the less likely we are playing them every year. We have plenty of backwash on the schedule already.

 

[Drew]

First, I'm not fooling myself. I expect to be in the American. However, it is a curious play to add Wichita St. We need to build the basketball strength of the American, but Wichita St. will be a noose around the neck of the conference if Marshall leaves.

This is a very risky move and honestly, I would rather add more than one basketball only school if we are going down that road. I'd go for any good basketball school I could get and bring them all in. At least then, fans of schools like UConn and Cincy can enjoy basketball season and everyone can sell some tickets. One no name school that caught lightning in a bottle with a coach won't solve much long term. The best thing about this is the opportunities for shocker jokes that will be generated, and that is in fact a very good thing.

I wasn't specifically referencing you (although I acknowledge it could've come off that way since I followed your post). There's been a tremendous amount of posters saying things like we're bound for the B1G/ACC/Big East because this is happening both in the MBB thread on this topic and in this one. Apologies if it came off that way.

 

[HuskyHawk]

First, I'm not fooling myself. I expect to be in the American. However, it is a curious play to add Wichita St. We need to build the basketball strength of the American, but Wichita St. will be a noose around the neck of the conference if Marshall leaves.

This is a very risky move and honestly, I would rather add more than one basketball only school if we are going down that road. I'd go for any good basketball school I could get and bring them all in. At least then, fans of schools like UConn and Cincy can enjoy basketball season and everyone can sell some tickets. One no name school that caught lightning in a bottle with a coach won't solve much long term. The best thing about this is the opportunities for shocker jokes that will be generated, and that is in fact a very good thing.

Did you ever hear of Xavier McDaniel? Antoine Carr? All three of the last WSU coaches have taken them to a sweet 16. Marshall is the best, by far, but WSU even without him, is better than most of the teams in this league.

 

[Drew]

Cincinnati Podcast. Wichita talk starts at 14:30:

 

[Drew]

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I've become resigned to the fact that we are in the American for the long haul.

It seems like Marshall is at WSU in the long haul as well.

Question becomes, do you take 2 games with WSU over 2 games against sat UCF or ECU every season.

The answer to that is a resounding, I guess so.