Wichita State to AAC (most likely) | The Boneyard

Wichita State to AAC (most likely)

Wichita State returns virtually its entire team from last season, which finished 31-5 and took No. 2 Kentucky to the final seconds in the Round of 32. (Former walk-on John Robert Simon is the team’s lone scholarship senior).

The incentive for the AAC to act now comes down to NCAA units, which are worth nearly $1.6 million for every NCAA game that a team plays in. If Wichita State’s stout team makes a deep run next season, the potential haul of units—which are shared by the conference—would make an expedited timeline look wise. Regular season college basketball moves the needle so little for television that Wichita State’s ultimate value for the AAC would likely resonate more in earning NCAA units than in potential television dollars. (The AAC’s television deal expires in 2020).
 
If this comes to fruition, the AAC could be a legitimately good conference next year. Not good by AAC standards, like legitimately good, as in potentially up there with leagues like the Big Ten and Big East.

Wichita State should be a top ten type team. Cincinnati should join them in the top 25. SMU - if Semi returns - will be a legitimate threat nationally. UCF returns most of their team - and adds a bunch - from a squad that went to the final four of the NIT.

Then you have us, Houston (should be in the mix again for the tournament), and Temple (almost guaranteed to bounce back with a relatively talented young nucleus and maybe Josh Brown back). So you could be looking at half the league dancing.

Memphis is still kind of a mess, but they're still Memphis and should be reasonably competitive. Tulsa is just good enough to not be an RPI killer, East Carolina wasn't quite as bad as people thought last year, and the Dunleavy experiment is at least entering year two. South Florida, I guess they can't get worse.

Add in the fact that the league is going to guarantee that all the good teams play each other twice (meaning some combination of Tulsa, Tulane, and ECU will be dropped) and you could be looking at a much different product than what we've seen the last couple years.
 
I want out of this conference just as bad as anyone but this move makes sense to me if the following happens...

League goes to 2 Divisions and 16 total games. East: Uconn, Cincy, Temple, ECU, UCF, USF play each team twice and West: SMU, UH, Memphis, Tulane, Tulsa, Wichita, play each team 1 time. Opens up 2 game slots for us to play a couple more local teams and cuts down on travel. My biggest issue with this conference is the crazy travel, asking our players to fly to Tulsa on a Wed night to play a game is just stupid and a no win situation. Our games are usually Wed-Sat or Thurs-Sun. We should travel in "road trips" to USF/UCF every year and play Thurs/Sat and have two groups of SMU/UH and Tulsa/Wichita that we do 1 "road trip" a year on Thurs/Sat then 1 final road game to the Tulane or Memphis. Just my 2 cents on this horrible conference.
 
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Wichita State seems to consistently have an an excellent basketball program. It seems like this would be a very competitive addition to the American. The American has also added a few big time coaches over the last couple of years and I see it being on the rise.
 
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PeterSanDiego said:
I want out of this conference just as bad as anyone but this move makes sense to me if the following happens...

League goes to 2 Divisions and 16 total games. East: Uconn, Cincy, Temple, ECU, UCF, USF play each team twice and West: SMU, UH, Memphis, Tulane, Tulsa, Wichita, play each team 1 time. Opens up 2 game slots for us to play a couple more local teams and cuts down on travel. My biggest issue with this conference is the crazy travel, asking our players to fly to Tulsa on a Wed night to play a game is just stupid and a no win situation. Our games are usually Wed-Sat or Thurs-Sun. We should travel in "road trips" to USF/UCF every year and play Thurs/Sat and have two groups of SMU/UH and Tulsa/Wichita that we do 1 "road trip" a year on Thurs/Sat then 1 final road game to the Tulane or Memphis. Just my 2 cents on this horrible conference.
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I agree this league should be looking at travel partners. Say UCONN And Temple play Houston and SMU on Thursday and then UConn plays SMU on Saturday while Temple plays Houston.
 
PeterSanDiego said:
I want out of this conference just as bad as anyone but this move makes sense to me if the following happens...

League goes to 2 Divisions and 16 total games. East: Uconn, Cincy, Temple, ECU, UCF, USF play each team twice and West: SMU, UH, Memphis, Tulane, Tulsa, Wichita, play each team 1 time. Opens up 2 game slots for us to play a couple more local teams and cuts down on travel. My biggest issue with this conference is the crazy travel, asking our players to fly to Tulsa on a Wed night to play a game is just stupid and a no win situation. Our games are usually Wed-Sat or Thurs-Sun. We should travel in "road trips" to USF/UCF every year and play Thurs/Sat and have two groups of SMU/UH and Tulsa/Wichita that we do 1 "road trip" a year on Thurs/Sat then 1 final road game to the Tulane or Memphis. Just my 2 cents on this horrible conference.
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The league needs to ensure that UConn--and the other top teams--gets good teams twice. It helps RPI and helps build resumes.

Despite the apocalyptic mood on the board, I think Jalen makes a jump and our team is in the tournament next year barring injuries and assuming a good signing or two. That becomes more likely if we get Wichita on our schedule, not just once, but twice (mostly because it will take away a game against two of Tulane/USF/ECU) and adds a chance for an RPI Top 25 (maybe Top 10) win.

For those talking about Marshall leaving--he's had opportunities. He's a weird dude and I just don't see it happening anytime soon. It isn't money--the Koch's are funding WSU. It would have to be an opportunity, and given his connections to the midwest, find one opening up soon that wouldn't be as good as WSU in a better conference.
 
PeterSanDiego said:
I want out of this conference just as bad as anyone but this move makes sense to me if the following happens...

League goes to 2 Divisions and 16 total games. East: Uconn, Cincy, Temple, ECU, UCF, USF play each team twice and West: SMU, UH, Memphis, Tulane, Tulsa, Wichita, play each team 1 time. Opens up 2 game slots for us to play a couple more local teams and cuts down on travel. My biggest issue with this conference is the crazy travel, asking our players to fly to Tulsa on a Wed night to play a game is just stupid and a no win situation. Our games are usually Wed-Sat or Thurs-Sun. We should travel in "road trips" to USF/UCF every year and play Thurs/Sat and have two groups of SMU/UH and Tulsa/Wichita that we do 1 "road trip" a year on Thurs/Sat then 1 final road game to the Tulane or Memphis. Just my 2 cents on this horrible conference.
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My biggest issue is RPI hits with bogus teams at the bottom. Best teams playing each other twice is absolutely imperative.
 
Wich State will be a good addition for the short term, and hopefully we're only in this dumpster fire conference short term (1 more year)
 
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intlzncster said:
My biggest issue is RPI hits with bogus teams at the bottom. Best teams playing each other twice is absolutely imperative.
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Yeah I get that, but it also opens up 2 games that we can schedule against top out of conference teams. I'd rather try to get non conference games against top tier teams than playing Wichita State and SMU twice, besides, most likely see at least 1 of those teams, if not both in the Conf Tourney.
 
huskiesnyc said:
Wich State will be a good addition for the short term, and hopefully we're only in this dumpster fire conference short term (1 more year)
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Prepare yourself for 5.
 
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PeterSanDiego said:
I want out of this conference just as bad as anyone but this move makes sense to me if the following happens...

League goes to 2 Divisions and 16 total games. East: Uconn, Cincy, Temple, ECU, UCF, USF play each team twice and West: SMU, UH, Memphis, Tulane, Tulsa, Wichita, play each team 1 time. Opens up 2 game slots for us to play a couple more local teams and cuts down on travel. My biggest issue with this conference is the crazy travel, asking our players to fly to Tulsa on a Wed night to play a game is just stupid and a no win situation. Our games are usually Wed-Sat or Thurs-Sun. We should travel in "road trips" to USF/UCF every year and play Thurs/Sat and have two groups of SMU/UH and Tulsa/Wichita that we do 1 "road trip" a year on Thurs/Sat then 1 final road game to the Tulane or Memphis. Just my 2 cents on this horrible conference.
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Spartacus no. Why shoot ourselves in the foot for two more local body bag games and a crappier SOS. Playing 6 of our 16 games (almost 40%) against the dross that is ECU, UCF, and USF makes me want to puke. What is the point of adding WSU if we aren't playing them twice almost every year.
18 games is a good number for scheduling purposes, and we should DEMAND that we play Cincy, WSU, Memphis, Temple, and SMU twice every year.
 
shizzle787 said:
Spartacus no. Why shoot ourselves in the foot for two more local body bag games and a crappier SOS. Playing 6 of our 16 games (almost 40%) against the dross that is ECU, UCF, and USF makes me want to puke. What is the point of adding WSU if we aren't playing them twice almost every year.
18 games is a good number for scheduling purposes, and we should DEMAND that we play Cincy, WSU, Memphis, Temple, and SMU twice every year.
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Should have been clearer, by local I mean Villanova, Cuse or any big program this side of the Mississippi that I'd have any interest in watching play, didn't mean picking up QPac or Central.
 
Aresco should make the entrance fee for WSU super high. Make it as a high as you can.

Kochs will pay it.
 
Said a few weeks ago in the CR board, this deal was done well over a month ago.
 
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Of all the announcements of transfers and firings in the past week plus, this news makes me the most depressed.
 
gampelcrazies said:
Why?
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Do I really need to explain? We're adding Wichita St... To strengthen the conference. Apparently. And we're not getting out of this conference situation anytime soon.

We're going to be a much better team next year even with all the turmoil. But we'll still be in the AAC.
 
Mr. Wonderful said:
Do I really need to explain? We're adding Wichita St... To strengthen the conference. Apparently. And we're not getting out of this conference situation anytime soon.

We're going to be a much better team next year even with all the turmoil. But we'll still be in the AAC.
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No one wants to be in this conference. While we are stuck in it, adding a perennial Top 25 program is a bad thing and is worse than losing players? This place is crazy.
 
Mr. Wonderful said:
Do I really need to explain? We're adding Wichita St... To strengthen the conference. Apparently. And we're not getting out of this conference situation anytime soon.

We're going to be a much better team next year even with all the turmoil. But we'll still be in the AAC.
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Wichita St. is a great add. I would definitely be more "depressed" that we lost players.
 
gampelcrazies said:
Wichita St. is a great add. I would definitely be more "depressed" that we lost players.
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Not me. I'm not happy kids are leaving, but all the handwringing the last couple days is overblown.

Adding Wichita St. to the AAC is a more concrete statement of our loss of status than two average players, one recruit, and two assistants leaving.
 
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