(04-26-2017 02:53 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Liberty is the best OVC option. Not in Nashville -unlike Lipscomb who would get a Belmont veto- and plenty of money. They are far bigger than anybody in the Big South, and have a budget treble anyone else.

The long run I see the Summit focusing on SIUE ro bridge to the little Purdues. SIUE at one point was talking to the WAC, so I know they are less than thrilled by the geography of the OVC. There is ZERO threat for the Summit to lose either of the Purdue schools (IUPUI would need to double its budgets in sports like MBB to reach level tHL is looking for -- that money doesn't exist; and their 263 RPI ... yikes!). Nor WIU, and the four Dakotas are the core. The threats are much greater in losing Denver orOmaha. The exit fee from either could be used to pay the OVC exit fee for SIUE (WAC did that for UMKC).

The school nobody talks about but who has great metrics and is hugely better funded than it's conference is Stephen F. Austin (MBB budget $2.19m, 5 year RPI 88), which is comparable to New Mexico State ($3.00m, 83 RPI). Those would be the best Basketball adds the Horizon could make, since Belmont is unlikely to go anywhere. Travel is another issue here though.

If the MVC were truly intent on improving maybe they should be looking at SFA and Valpo instead of Murray and Valpo. Murray has one season under 100 RPI in the last 5 and their average is 120 with a season over 200. Personally I think Murray's BB success is in the past. The last two years have been 170 and 230 RPI years. NMSU is a very good BB school hampered by geography and a terrible FB program. I would absolutely love to see them in the Summit but that travel is a big hurdle for the Illinois/Indiana schools.

I doubt the OVC would go after Liberty but it wouldn't be a bad fill for Murray but they don't bring FB. I actually think WIU would be a good OVC add but I'd rather not lose them yet. Or, to be honest, Indiana State. Getting ISU to move from the MVC would be way too hard. But competitively they fit better in the OVC.