Wichita state gaining steam

[Hurleyman216]

We're not talking about inviting ten other programs, we're talking about Wichita State. And their metrics are miserable every which way.

They're a bad school in a small market. At their best, they add zero to the conference bottom line - ESPN is not going to up the take because the conference has WSU.

If they're anything but their best, which is all but certain if Marshall leaves, they are a disaster.

It's great that you believe this, but the truth is you're wrong (just look at what the Big East has for a media deal compared to the AAC and large fraction of their schools are in small markets). Good basketball does bring value to both a media rights deal and the NCAA tournament credits you can earn. I'm not saying we should kill football, but UConn makes more $$ on basketball than they do with football, so let's continue to strengthen areas where we know we can be successful. If there were other "big market" teams out there someone would have scooped them up already.

 

[metsfan2323]

The AAC adding Wichita State is no different than the C7 adding Butler and Creighton and those schools have been fantastic for the C7 league. I would like to see Dayton and VCU added too, it shows the league is serious about basketball and should provide a small recruiting bump for every school. Adding all three would clearly separate the AAC from the A10 and put the league within striking distance of the Big East.

 

[SouthBayHusky]

Are we not already clearly separate from A-10?

 

[shizzle787]

Are we not already clearly separate from A-10?

Not really. Both leagues are going to get 2 bids this year barring some upsets.

 

[gtcam]

If Gregg Marshall leaves, Wichita State becomes just another awful academic school in a small, distant state.

You and I don't know that. It would attract a decent coach
Why is it an academic bad school? Worse than Lville? and who cares about academics - we are talking Bball
Small state? you could fit 3 CTs in Kansas
The only thing that you said that can be not be argued is that it is distant - to CT

 

[gampelcrazies]

When's the earliest they can join? Could it be done for the start of next year?

 

[Adios]

Why not the Loyola Ramblers?! At least they have a championship!

This conference is going to depend on UConn's success next season. Ollie better get his act together.

 

[jleves]

Small state? you could fit 3 CTs in Kansas

Come on - you're smarter than this. If square miles mattered, Alaska would have 7 P5 schools. You knew what he meant.

 

[A10 fan]

This conference is going to depend on UConn's success next season. Ollie better get his act together.

A lot of truth in that statement. If UConn becomes UConn, and Memphis follows suit, this is suddenly a very solid league.

 

[shizzle787]

When's the earliest they can join? Could it be done for the start of next year?

2018/19.

 

[Travelman6]

whatever makes the conference better. they will btw.

 

[Scoe]

Its a move that the AAC has to make they dont have a choice. You may not always get the girl thats a 10, sometimes you gotta settle for a 6 or 7.

 

[shizzle787]

Its a move that the AAC has to make they dont have a choice. You may not always get the girl thats a 10, sometimes you gotta settle for a 6 or 7.

As far as March Madness is concerned, Wichita is like an 8. Other than us, they are the most reliable in March. Not even Cincy, Memphis, Temple, or SMU can compare to them in the last 5-6 years.

 

[Travelman6]

Its a move that the AAC has to make they dont have a choice. You may not always get the girl thats a 10, sometimes you gotta settle for a 6 or 7.

does anyone outside of frat bros and tucker wannabes actually talk about girls that way? I mean, come on.

but if we want to use numbers for WSU that 35-1 regular season a few years back and sweet 16 gets them at least an 8...maybe slightly lower at 7.75. to me this might not be a homerun addition but it is a bases clearing triple.

 

[Towney007]

So far in this thread i've read that:

Tulane is a bad academic school.

Wichita State brings nothing because their coach might leave (which could be said of anyone in the pool of schools that would look to join this league)

Punch yourselves a lot.

 

[UConnNick]

We can't even regularly beat schools like Cincinnati, SMU, Memphis, Temple, Houston and Tulsa in our own conference as it is, and now we add Wichita? Out of that group, only Cincy, Temple and Memphis should be remotely our peers. Cincy won two NCAA titles in the dark ages when it wasn't considered the national championship, and other than several FF failures, the rest of these teams have never done anything in BB. They're all football schools now.

We let in a school like Wichita State and it does everything for them, absolutely nothing for us. Our conference share gets watered down, and we get yet another team we can't beat regularly. Without football, their interests don't correspond with a conference trying to solidify itself as the No. 1 football conference among the G5 leagues.

And, for extra fun, they're bankrolled by the Koch brothers, one of America's richest families. That means they potentially can outspend every other school in our league, especially without a football program to support.

It's an incredibly stupid idea.

 

[huskymedic]

Wichita Eagle: AAC leader rules out ‘multiple’ additions, which may or may not mean Wichita State

>>The hosts asked him to address reports that Wichita State, Dayton and VCU are possible additions to the American’s 11-school basketball roster. “I don’t know where that stuff started,” Aresco said. “We would always look to improve our basketball, but we are not under any circumstances going back to the old Big East model of multiple basketball schools. Just not happening.”<<

>>“We have 11 basketball members,” Aresco said. “I’m not certain what we’ll do in the future. We’re always evaluating our basketball to see if we can make it stronger. Right now, there is nothing going on.”

Later in the interview, Aresco said that the American is not looking to expand with a football school. “We’re happy at 12,” he said. “On the basketball side … we always explore whether we can strengthen ourselves. Until something is actually happening or would happen, I’m not going to comment.”<<

 

[junglehusky]

Wichita Eagle: AAC leader rules out ‘multiple’ additions, which may or may not mean Wichita State

>>The hosts asked him to address reports that Wichita State, Dayton and VCU are possible additions to the American’s 11-school basketball roster. “I don’t know where that stuff started,” Aresco said. “We would always look to improve our basketball, but we are not under any circumstances going back to the old Big East model of multiple basketball schools. Just not happening.”<<

>>“We have 11 basketball members,” Aresco said. “I’m not certain what we’ll do in the future. We’re always evaluating our basketball to see if we can make it stronger. Right now, there is nothing going on.”

Later in the interview, Aresco said that the American is not looking to expand with a football school. “We’re happy at 12,” he said. “On the basketball side … we always explore whether we can strengthen ourselves. Until something is actually happening or would happen, I’m not going to comment.”<<

ugh that photo caption

 

[champs99and04]

20 years from now Wichita State might be Idaho State.

If we're in the AAC 20 years from now, aren't we kind of screwed anyway? So what's it matter?

Yes, Wichita State will likely fade to oblivion without Marshall, but people have been saying that for a few years now, and if there was ever a time he was going to leave, it would have been last season after Van Vleet and Baker graduated. At the current moment, his two leading scorers are both underclassmen, and every player in their rotation sans Frankamp is due back next season for what is already a top ten team on KenPom.

Marshall is a terrific coach, one of the very best. He is also paid very well and adored by a passionate fan base. He strikes me as a bit of a different cat, somebody who might be harder to pry from a mid-major than a guy who is, say, more mentally stable.

I don't know what the financial ramifications of a move like this are, but from a basketball standpoint, if there was ever a program to take a flier on, this would be it. They're aligned perfectly to infuse some life into this league.

 

[Walker11]

If we're in the AAC 20 years from now, aren't we kind of screwed anyway? So what's it matter?

Yes, Wichita State will likely fade to oblivion without Marshall, but people have been saying that for a few years now, and if there was ever a time he was going to leave, it would have been last season after Van Vleet and Baker graduated. At the current moment, his two leading scorers are both underclassmen, and every player in their rotation sans Frankamp is due back next season for what is already a top ten team on KenPom.

Marshall is a terrific coach, one of the very best. He is also paid very well and adored by a passionate fan base. He strikes me as a bit of a different cat, somebody who might be harder to pry from a mid-major than a guy who is, say, more mentally stable.

I don't know what the financial ramifications of a move like this are, but from a basketball standpoint, if there was ever a program to take a flier on, this would be it. They're aligned perfectly to infuse some life into this league.

Count me in as a pro-WSU guy. We are probably screwed if we are in the AAC in 10 years. One question about Marshall - has he actually turned down any upper echelon jobs? I feel like he has said no thanks to advances from the Alabamas and Illinoises of the world. I know Miller and Mack are the presumptive favorites for the Indiana job but that's a job I can see Marshall taking.

 

[champs99and04]

Count me in as a pro-WSU guy. We are probably screwed if we are in the AAC in 10 years. One question about Marshall - has he actually turned down any upper echelon jobs? I feel like he has said no thanks to advances from the Alabamas and Illinoises of the world. I know Miller and Mack are the presumptive favorites for the Indiana job but that's a job I can see Marshall taking.

Fair question, I'm not sure.

 

[gtcam]

Come on - you're smarter than this. If square miles mattered, Alaska would have 7 P5 schools. You knew what he meant.

Being facetious jleves

 

[huskymedic]

 

[shizzle787]

I think this is a good move for the next six or seven years we will be in the this awful conference. The other good thing (as mentioned in the article) is they will have a really good team next year and could pick up beaucoup NCAA credits for the AAC.

 

[the Q]

So we leave a (better) basketball-only conference because "football drives the bus", and then begin adding basketball-only schools to our new conference?

My thoughts exactly.

This was exactly why the original Big East broke up.

Now they want to restart that all over again?