What would that have meant to ETSU athletics?

I would think it SHOULD be a crown jewel for ETSU. I mean, wouldn't putting down a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP be an act of extreme cynicism?

Perhaps. Although as I've said all year long to the Tom Taylors who would talk about how incredible it was for ETSU to be a national power in golf- not really when you horde all the athletic funding to go to that sport, have a country club AD, pay your coach among the top golf coaches in the country, recruit internationally, and, well, Lamar and Coastal Carolina are still playing.

I'd say it would be a much bigger story if ETSU DIDN'T win like this!

The idea that it's incredible for ETSU to win in golf is playing into the ETSU inferiority complex.

Anyway, can you imagine if ETSU had won this thing? David Mullins stepping over his dead bodies to go to the mike and tell people they were "winning the right way," which evidently means de-emphasizing football and basketball and dropping down to a lesser conference for success in non-spectator sports?

Can you imagine how hard it would be to try and convince even a new administrative regime this isn't the way to go?

ETSU would have been buried- forever- as a mediocre athletic department- just like Lamar.

Those were the "exact" same thoughts I had. I watched how they were doing in the paper and kept thinking, "I'd like them to do well, but that would be one more nail in the basketball coffin."

Keep in mind guys that Dave isn't a complete fool. He knows he has to have that basketball gravy train, even against the lesser A-Sun competition. He understands the team needs to put up 20 plus wins, even if it is against directional division II university or major market college of irrelevance. Basketball will atleast hold the level that it's at.

Don't think I agree with that. His actions haven't indicated that he cares about the basketball program.

If that's the case then where is the contract extension?

Or outright firing of Bartow for disapointments in the A-Sun tournament?

I'm told that ETSU didn't have the money to give him an extension earlier but now they are trying now.

That makes NO sense. If you have to give him the extension and pay on credit cards- you better do it. It's too important.