(04-11-2013 05:20 PM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  

(04-11-2013 04:47 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  

(04-11-2013 04:10 PM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  

(04-11-2013 03:59 PM)sidslidkid Wrote:  

(04-11-2013 08:39 AM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  I will voice my concern that JMU needs to address their roundball, just like I've done for Texas State, Georgia Southern, and Appalachian State.

I know our football is new, but to some people there is more to a conference than football.

Well, JMU men made the NCAA's last year with a stellar freshmen class, has an incoming class coming in next year that is considered even better and has a brand new 8-10,000 seat basketball arena slated to be built and ready within the next 3-4 years.

our women's program is in the top 5 all time in NCAA wins, has won at least 24 games 8 straight years now and will be the preseason favorite in the CAA next season.

i think we'll be fine in roundball.

James Madison basketball RPI by year:
2013 - 182
2012 - 261
2011 - 90
2010 - 241
2009 - 122
2008 - 218
2007 - 300
2006 - 295
2005 - 305
2004 - 288
2003 - 228
2002 - 227
2001 - 197

awesome. yep, that tells everything there is to know about a basketball program, eh?

No. But it tells me a lot. You have a history of having poor RPI that will not help the Sun Belt. Like I said, if JMU becomes a full-member they need to address their basketball just like other programs do. You might be doing that, but all I can see is past results.

(04-11-2013 05:38 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  

(04-11-2013 05:20 PM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  

(04-11-2013 04:47 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  

(04-11-2013 04:10 PM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  

(04-11-2013 03:59 PM)sidslidkid Wrote:  

Well, JMU men made the NCAA's last year with a stellar freshmen class, has an incoming class coming in next year that is considered even better and has a brand new 8-10,000 seat basketball arena slated to be built and ready within the next 3-4 years.

our women's program is in the top 5 all time in NCAA wins, has won at least 24 games 8 straight years now and will be the preseason favorite in the CAA next season.

i think we'll be fine in roundball.

James Madison basketball RPI by year:
2013 - 182
2012 - 261
2011 - 90
2010 - 241
2009 - 122
2008 - 218
2007 - 300
2006 - 295
2005 - 305
2004 - 288
2003 - 228
2002 - 227
2001 - 197

awesome. yep, that tells everything there is to know about a basketball program, eh?

No. But it tells me a lot. You have a history of having poor RPI that will not help the Sun Belt. Like I said, if JMU becomes a full-member they need to address their basketball just like other programs do. You might be doing that, but all I can see is past results.

thankfully, conference administrators don't just look at basketball RPI's when adding programs.

Or schools like UTSA, FIU, FAU, etc, never would have made it all the way up to CUSA.

and just so you know, I'm not trying to be a jerk on this.

I'm just sticking up for my school and trying to dispel any myths from a lot of fans that I see who know absolutely nothing about JMU or what we offer. And think we bring nothing to the table.

We had 3 conferences extremely interested in us last year...the MAC, CUSA and WAC....but the timing was extremely poor for us due to going through a change in the President's office and a faculty revolt.

The Sun Belt is practically BEGGING us to join right now. But we aren't. Why do you think that is? It's not because of any of the above reasons anymore.

Also, I have great respect for South Alabama. Always felt your basketball program was top notch going back years. And I know you wouldn't recognize this because you had no reason to see it, but on our old CAAZone board, I told many people that USA would be a very successful football program as well. And you will be, despite a rough year last season.

(03-27-2013 01:44 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  This isn't a representative view of the entire USA fan base, but this is how I'm now feeling about the Sun Belt.

Appalachian State and Georgia Southern are long time rivals. They both enter and have long relationships with several schools in our league like Troy. Enter James Madison (if reports are true) and you have a team very familiar with both App State and Georgia Southern.

Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette have a long history together, and both have stronger ties to the western schools.

South Alabama was a charter member of the Sun Belt Conference but I don't feel like this is home anymore. Reading everything coming out of realignment I feel like this is Appalachian State/Georgia Southern/JMU/Troy's league and USA is just a member with ASU and Louisiana-Lafayette actively looking to leave. I feel like USA is aligned with no one in this league. All of the schools we have history with have left.

I like Mobile and I think you guys have tremendous potential. Bolt from the Belt the first chance you get!

(04-11-2013 05:45 PM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  and just so you know, I'm not trying to be a jerk on this.

I'm just sticking up for my school and trying to dispel any myths from a lot of fans that I see who know absolutely nothing about JMU or what we offer. And think we bring nothing to the table.

We had 3 conferences extremely interested in us last year...the MAC, CUSA and WAC....but the timing was extremely poor for us due to going through a change in the President's office and a faculty revolt.

The Sun Belt is practically BEGGING us to join right now. But we aren't. Why do you think that is? It's not because of any of the above reasons anymore.

Also, I have great respect for South Alabama. Always felt your basketball program was top notch going back years. And I know you wouldn't recognize this because you had no reason to see it, but on our old CAAZone board, I told many people that USA would be a very successful football program as well. And you will be, despite a rough year last season.

Oh don't get me wrong, I haven't said we shouldn't add JMU. Just if we do, we need to address basketball!

(04-11-2013 05:58 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  

(04-11-2013 05:45 PM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  and just so you know, I'm not trying to be a jerk on this.

I'm just sticking up for my school and trying to dispel any myths from a lot of fans that I see who know absolutely nothing about JMU or what we offer. And think we bring nothing to the table.

We had 3 conferences extremely interested in us last year...the MAC, CUSA and WAC....but the timing was extremely poor for us due to going through a change in the President's office and a faculty revolt.

The Sun Belt is practically BEGGING us to join right now. But we aren't. Why do you think that is? It's not because of any of the above reasons anymore.

Also, I have great respect for South Alabama. Always felt your basketball program was top notch going back years. And I know you wouldn't recognize this because you had no reason to see it, but on our old CAAZone board, I told many people that USA would be a very successful football program as well. And you will be, despite a rough year last season.

Oh don't get me wrong, I haven't said we shouldn't add JMU. Just if we do, we need to address basketball!

believe me we have. I won't bore you with the details of what caused those bad RPI's. But just let it be known in the first 30 years we played men's basketball we had 2 losing seasons, total.....and then those years hit.

but our current coach has things moving in the right direction. big time. and this year we had a big time star in the making who was only a freshmen and with an awesome name.... Andre Nation.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketba...ising-star

Good luck! And if you come to the Sun Belt good luck against everyone except USA! :)