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firmbizzle Offline
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Post: #1
What if?
What if Nancy Zimpher had fired Huggins earlier, and Caliperi had Memphis playing top caliber basketball around 2003? Would the Big East have chosen Memphis over Cincy? Cincy's big draw was their basketball team, competitive football, and market. I'm wondering if a Championship caliber Memphis team would not have changed history.
10-30-2008 10:20 AM
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Cubanbull Offline
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Post: #2
RE: What if?
Nope. Cincy was more in the Big East foot print than Memphis.
10-30-2008 10:30 AM
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mlb Offline
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Post: #3
RE: What if?
firmbizzle Wrote:What if Nancy Zimpher had fired Huggins earlier, and Caliperi had Memphis playing top caliber basketball around 2003? Would the Big East have chosen Memphis over Cincy? Cincy's big draw was their basketball team, competitive football, and market. I'm wondering if a Championship caliber Memphis team would not have changed history.

Most publications put UC basketball as a top 10 historic program. I would imagine that the Big East would look at Huggins going away would cause short term pain, but the program would come back. I think the program is now coming back, with more talent being in Clifton now than in the past 6-7 years (including the last several Huggins years).

So... I think that UC would still have been chosen.

You also must remember, besides market size, UC was putting $100M into the athletic village. Memphis did not have that and still does not have that on their campus...
10-30-2008 10:59 AM
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KnightLight Offline
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Post: #4
RE: What if?
firmbizzle Wrote:What if Nancy Zimpher had fired Huggins earlier, and Caliperi had Memphis playing top caliber basketball around 2003? Would the Big East have chosen Memphis over Cincy? Cincy's big draw was their basketball team, competitive football, and market. I'm wondering if a Championship caliber Memphis team would not have changed history.

If Calipari had his Tigers going to the 2003 National Championship Game in April 2003 vs April 2008...it certainly could have made the voting process in the Fall of 2003 for Big East Invites much more interesting.

Maybe the same scenario would have been played out (UL, Cinci and USF invited and basketball only Marquette and DePaul invited), but it certainly would have made the meetings/votes a lot more interesting...and I wouldn't of been surprised if Memphis would have replaced 1 of the above.

What IF Memphis made the Final Four that year and not Marquette?
(This post was last modified: 10-30-2008 11:16 AM by KnightLight.)
10-30-2008 11:15 AM
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CollegeCard Offline
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RE: What if?
KnightLight Wrote:What IF Memphis made the Final Four that year and not Marquette?

I think Marquette is likely still taken by the Big East. The Catholic schools, ND included, liked the Eagles as another Catholic institution, and one that is also an old rival. Plus, they created a trio of geographically close schools, even if that trio is outside most of the BE footprint.
10-30-2008 11:26 AM
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3601 Offline
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RE: What if?
If the Queen had balls then she'd be the King.
10-31-2008 09:55 AM
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bearcatfan Offline
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RE: What if?
For the umpteenth time - the Big East needed to maintain a football conference for BCS considerations. They needed schools for football.

They did not need UC basketball or anyone else for that matter for basketball - they were plenty good enough without them. Although adding UC and UofL for basketball did not hurt.

UC fit the geographic footprint and also was in the middle of multi-million $ upgrades to their athletic facilities.
10-31-2008 10:13 AM
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Bearcat T Offline
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Post: #8
RE: What if?
UC is also a Research 1 institution and as well as being an almost annual bowl team the last decade. UC has a top ten Academic football program. Cronin will have Basketball back on the map this year. UC med the BIG East for all these reasons and perfect geography!
10-31-2008 11:34 AM
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