(02-24-2014 10:32 AM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  The AAC cherry-picked who they wanted from C-USA, but the only things that will be missed are tradition, name recognition, academic prestige and large media markets.

True dat. If one is looking from a conference perspective, they will all be missed. The AAC IS Conference USA, plus UConn and Temple, so those schools that remain from the old CUSA will certainly miss the schools that they played. From a fan perspective, the only schools that will truly be missed are the ones that there was a close relationship with or rivalries. USM will absolutely miss the teams they played before there even was a CUSA, like Memphis, Tulane and ECU, teams they had developed rivalries with like Houston and Tulsa and they have long missed Cincinnati. A relationship with UCF was growing, but others like SMU won't really be missed and USF never was.

(02-24-2014 09:16 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(02-23-2014 09:11 PM)gulfcoastgal Wrote:  Disagree. There is absolutely zero buzz nationally and TV coverage has been reduced in bball (compared to previous years)...not good indicators if you want to be nationally relevant in a sport.

Of course you do, you left. Congrats.

No doubt Memphis will be missed, but only for bball. You guys WERE CUSA basketball. The new teams will take some time, but CUSA has risen from conference shake ups before and will again.

Best of luck in the AAC.

I didn't go anywhere...except the beach . One team I follow left and one didn't. I agree with the poster who said they will all be missed. They each brought something to the table beit football, basketball, olympic sports or academics. Very few conferences "upgraded" as a result of realignment and those that did are at the top of the food chain. The rest have cobbled together the "next best availables" and forged ahead.

I remember Charlotte from CUSA1.0. Y'all had a coach with a mustache when they weren't really en vogue...can't remember his name. Anyway, he helped me out when I was new to Memphis and lost in the bowls of the Pyramid...pretty cool. Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised to see the 49ers in the AAC at some point.

(02-24-2014 10:57 AM)gulfcoastgal Wrote:  

(02-24-2014 09:16 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(02-23-2014 09:11 PM)gulfcoastgal Wrote:  Disagree. There is absolutely zero buzz nationally and TV coverage has been reduced in bball (compared to previous years)...not good indicators if you want to be nationally relevant in a sport.

Of course you do, you left. Congrats.

No doubt Memphis will be missed, but only for bball. You guys WERE CUSA basketball. The new teams will take some time, but CUSA has risen from conference shake ups before and will again.

Best of luck in the AAC.

I didn't go anywhere...except the beach . One team I follow left and one didn't. I agree with the poster who said they will all be missed. They each brought something to the table beit football, basketball, olympic sports or academics. Very few conferences "upgraded" as a result of realignment and those that did are at the top of the food chain. The rest have cobbled together the "next best availables" and forged ahead.

I remember Charlotte from CUSA1.0. Y'all had a coach with a mustache when they weren't really en vogue...can't remember his name. Anyway, he helped me out when I was new to Memphis and lost in the bowls of the Pyramid...pretty cool. Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised to see the 49ers in the AAC at some point.

Yeah, that was Lutz. He got canned a couple of years ago. He is a great guy, but just couldn't handle the move from CUSA to the A10. He's an assistant coach at NC State now. Who knows if Charlotte will end up in the AAC at some point. That's going to take a few years with football just starting up. Besides, who knows what the landscape will look like by then.

(02-22-2014 02:43 PM)Savacool Wrote:  Would like to hear how the new CUSA members from the Sunbelt,Southland etc feel about losing them to the AAC. Include Houston, Memphis,SMU etc. into the mix.

Who?

Those teams are long gone. There is a new era in CUSA athletics.

(02-24-2014 12:50 AM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  

(02-23-2014 01:20 PM)Tallgrass Wrote:  CUSA's strategy of going after high quality IAA programs was a good one. Expanding to 14 teams was also a good strategy. So, everything is either new or very young and probably both...so it will take time to play out for CUSA. CUSA's good structure of football bowl games was surprisingly strong. It will be interesting to see how CUSA's tv contract plays out in a couple years. History seems to be repeating itself as doom and gloom were projected for CUSA when Louisville, USF, and Cincy were invited to BE...only to see CUSA expand its tv contract and set up a better schedule of football bowl games. My guess is that CUSA will again continue to surprise in the future.

Your insane if you think the scenario of losing Cincy/USF/UL even compares to what is happening right now. When that happened CUSA still had many proven programs with strong history in football such as Houston, ECU, SMU, and Tulane (They won the SEC three times and won CUSA in 1998). Then you had Tulsa who arguably dominated CUSA football in recent memory. Of course CUSA was going to be fine when they had those five teams to step up let alone a home run addition in a UCF team that has no competition in Orlando. Now your expecting five Sun Belt teams and three FCS level programs with pretty much no history to be able to replicate the success.

On the basketball side when those teams you mentioned left CUSA was pretty much Memphis and everyone else. In the first season Memphis left CUSA has become a shell of its former self with sixteen teams and predicted to be a one bid league. And it's going to be even worse when it losses a Tulsa program who has been one of the best basketball programs in the conference since they joined.

I don't think CUSA will ever go the way of the WAC but the old CUSA is officially going to be dead when ECU, Tulane, and Tulsa leave.

USF, Cincy, and UConn are supposedly football powerhouses...but how many BCS bowls have they won?

On the other hand, UCF built its program within CUSA and has now won a BCS Bowl, something USF, Cincy, and UConn have not done. Now, USF, Cincy, and UConn cannot use the lure of a guaranteed BCS slot for football recruiting. But, new coach at USF is doing a whale of an outstanding job. That it rides with the coach is something inherent to being NonBCS school.

The "old" CUSA is still there; it only carries a new name, AAC. The new conference, in reality, is CUSA which is now providing a strong platform for its new members and also continues to provide a strong platform for its continuing members.

I never said AAC and CUSA are equal. What I said was CUSA continues to provide a strong platform for exposure and success...equal to previous years. When CUSA renegotiates its tv contract in a couple years, then straight up AAC/CUSA comparisons can be made.

While I never said AAC and CUSA are equal, I again note and again repeat Tulsa and Tulane had some difficulty this season with CUSA/West teams...and Marshall ran over ECU.

Regarding basketball, AAC can be a really good basketball conference if Cincy and UConn stay put, something that appears more likely than I first thought. Your point regarding Memphis is well taken and a good point.

In answer to your question, I am expecting the new CUSA to replicate the success of the old CUSA. That record in the 9 years Tulsa was in CUSA was 3 Liberty Bowl wins by old CUSA and 6 Liberty Bowl losses. I believe the new CUSA is capable of matching that record. And, who knows what might happen. Boise State built its program in WAC, derided as an inferior conference by MWC. And UCF built its program within CUSA and got AAC a BCS bowl victory, something Cincy, USF, and UConn have not achieved.

(02-24-2014 01:36 PM)Tallgrass Wrote:  

(02-24-2014 12:50 AM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  

(02-23-2014 01:20 PM)Tallgrass Wrote:  CUSA's strategy of going after high quality IAA programs was a good one. Expanding to 14 teams was also a good strategy. So, everything is either new or very young and probably both...so it will take time to play out for CUSA. CUSA's good structure of football bowl games was surprisingly strong. It will be interesting to see how CUSA's tv contract plays out in a couple years. History seems to be repeating itself as doom and gloom were projected for CUSA when Louisville, USF, and Cincy were invited to BE...only to see CUSA expand its tv contract and set up a better schedule of football bowl games. My guess is that CUSA will again continue to surprise in the future.

Your insane if you think the scenario of losing Cincy/USF/UL even compares to what is happening right now. When that happened CUSA still had many proven programs with strong history in football such as Houston, ECU, SMU, and Tulane (They won the SEC three times and won CUSA in 1998). Then you had Tulsa who arguably dominated CUSA football in recent memory. Of course CUSA was going to be fine when they had those five teams to step up let alone a home run addition in a UCF team that has no competition in Orlando. Now your expecting five Sun Belt teams and three FCS level programs with pretty much no history to be able to replicate the success.

On the basketball side when those teams you mentioned left CUSA was pretty much Memphis and everyone else. In the first season Memphis left CUSA has become a shell of its former self with sixteen teams and predicted to be a one bid league. And it's going to be even worse when it losses a Tulsa program who has been one of the best basketball programs in the conference since they joined.

I don't think CUSA will ever go the way of the WAC but the old CUSA is officially going to be dead when ECU, Tulane, and Tulsa leave.

USF, Cincy, and UConn are supposedly football powerhouses...but how many BCS bowls have they won?

On the other hand, UCF built its program within CUSA and has now won a BCS Bowl, something USF, Cincy, and UConn have not done. Now, USF, Cincy, and UConn cannot use the lure of a guaranteed BCS slot for football recruiting. But, new coach at USF is doing a whale of an outstanding job. That it rides with the coach is something inherent to being NonBCS school.

The "old" CUSA is still there; it only carries a new name, AAC. The new conference, in reality, is CUSA which is now providing a strong platform for its new members and also continues to provide a strong platform for its continuing members.

I never said AAC and CUSA are equal. What I said was CUSA continues to provide a strong platform for exposure and success...equal to previous years. When CUSA renegotiates its tv contract in a couple years, then straight up AAC/CUSA comparisons can be made.

While I never said AAC and CUSA are equal, I again note and again repeat Tulsa and Tulane had some difficulty this season with CUSA/West teams...and Marshall ran over ECU.

Regarding basketball, AAC can be a really good basketball conference if Cincy and UConn stay put, something that appears more likely than I first thought. Your point regarding Memphis is well taken and a good point.

In answer to your question, I am expecting the new CUSA to replicate the success of the old CUSA. That record in the 9 years Tulsa was in CUSA was 3 Liberty Bowl wins by old CUSA and 6 Liberty Bowl losses. I believe the new CUSA is capable of matching that record. And, who knows what might happen. Boise State built its program in WAC, derided as an inferior conference by MWC. And UCF built its program within CUSA and got AAC a BCS bowl victory, something Cincy, USF, and UConn have not achieved.

I'm pretty sure no one on here called UCONN a football powerhouse. I also doubt many other programs can say they went to a BCS bowl after only playing at the FBS level for 10 years. A coaching change/hire can make or break a program in performance and recruiting. UCONN's previous coach did us no favors. One thing that didn't change though was UCONN having one of the highest attendance rates and athletic budgets of all G5 schools.

Thanks for the concern about UCONN's achievements though.

(02-23-2014 01:20 PM)Tallgrass Wrote:  CUSA's strategy of going after high quality IAA programs was a good one. Expanding to 14 teams was also a good strategy. My guess is that CUSA will again continue to surprise in the future.

(02-24-2014 01:36 PM)Tallgrass Wrote:  In answer to your question, I am expecting the new CUSA to replicate the success of the old CUSA. That record in the 9 years Tulsa was in CUSA was 3 Liberty Bowl wins by old CUSA and 6 Liberty Bowl losses. I believe the new CUSA is capable of matching that record. ... .

How are they supposed to be able to do all of that considering that the Liberty Bowl dropped the new CUSA like it was a hot rock?

(02-24-2014 10:20 AM)Tallgrass Wrote:  

(02-24-2014 12:50 AM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  

(02-23-2014 01:20 PM)Tallgrass Wrote:  CUSA's strategy of going after high quality IAA programs was a good one. Expanding to 14 teams was also a good strategy. So, everything is either new or very young and probably both...so it will take time to play out for CUSA. CUSA's good structure of football bowl games was surprisingly strong. It will be interesting to see how CUSA's tv contract plays out in a couple years. History seems to be repeating itself as doom and gloom were projected for CUSA when Louisville, USF, and Cincy were invited to BE...only to see CUSA expand its tv contract and set up a better schedule of football bowl games. My guess is that CUSA will again continue to surprise in the future.

Your insane if you think the scenario of losing Cincy/USF/UL even compares to what is happening right now. When that happened CUSA still had many proven programs with strong history in football such as Houston, ECU, SMU, and Tulane (They won the SEC three times and won CUSA in 1998). Then you had Tulsa who arguably dominated CUSA football in recent memory. Of course CUSA was going to be fine when they had those five teams to step up let alone a home run addition in a UCF team that has no competition in Orlando. Now your expecting five Sun Belt teams and three FCS level programs with pretty much no history to be able to replicate the success.

On the basketball side when those teams you mentioned left CUSA was pretty much Memphis and everyone else. In the first season Memphis left CUSA has become a shell of its former self with sixteen teams and predicted to be a one bid league. And it's going to be even worse when it losses a Tulsa program who has been one of the best basketball programs in the conference since they joined.

I don't think CUSA will ever go the way of the WAC but the old CUSA is officially going to be dead when ECU, Tulane, and Tulsa leave.

ECU got bombed by Marshall and both Tulane and Tulsa lost to CUSA west teams. If that's "dead," then it appears CUSA is already in good shape.

I see you are a Troy fan. Is Troy being left out of CUSA what drives your posts?

What drives your posts?

ECU bombed UNC, but UNC turned around and bombed CUSA's newest darling (ODU) 80-20. And Marshall got bombed in the CUSA title game by a Rice team that turned around and got bombed by a Mississippi State which was a really pedestrian SEC team. That is the difference between the AAC and CUSA right there. The AAC champion beat the B12 champion in a bowl game, while the CUSA champion was beaten unconscious by the SEC's 11th best team.

C-USA was #11 RPI conference last year (two 20 win teams), # 13 this year (four 20 win teams).

Outbound:
ECU 15-13
Tulsa 15-12
Tulane 15-13

Inbound:
WKU 18-9

C-USA is an improved basketball conference next season with more balanced strength at the top & adding ODU and Charlotte helps in the long-term. It will be a better basketball conference than C-USA 2.0 very soon, men and women. The AAC's RPI will likely not improve next year.

(02-24-2014 04:09 PM)PirateMarv Wrote:  

(02-24-2014 10:20 AM)Tallgrass Wrote:  

(02-24-2014 12:50 AM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  

(02-23-2014 01:20 PM)Tallgrass Wrote:  CUSA's strategy of going after high quality IAA programs was a good one. Expanding to 14 teams was also a good strategy. So, everything is either new or very young and probably both...so it will take time to play out for CUSA. CUSA's good structure of football bowl games was surprisingly strong. It will be interesting to see how CUSA's tv contract plays out in a couple years. History seems to be repeating itself as doom and gloom were projected for CUSA when Louisville, USF, and Cincy were invited to BE...only to see CUSA expand its tv contract and set up a better schedule of football bowl games. My guess is that CUSA will again continue to surprise in the future.

Your insane if you think the scenario of losing Cincy/USF/UL even compares to what is happening right now. When that happened CUSA still had many proven programs with strong history in football such as Houston, ECU, SMU, and Tulane (They won the SEC three times and won CUSA in 1998). Then you had Tulsa who arguably dominated CUSA football in recent memory. Of course CUSA was going to be fine when they had those five teams to step up let alone a home run addition in a UCF team that has no competition in Orlando. Now your expecting five Sun Belt teams and three FCS level programs with pretty much no history to be able to replicate the success.

On the basketball side when those teams you mentioned left CUSA was pretty much Memphis and everyone else. In the first season Memphis left CUSA has become a shell of its former self with sixteen teams and predicted to be a one bid league. And it's going to be even worse when it losses a Tulsa program who has been one of the best basketball programs in the conference since they joined.

I don't think CUSA will ever go the way of the WAC but the old CUSA is officially going to be dead when ECU, Tulane, and Tulsa leave.

ECU got bombed by Marshall and both Tulane and Tulsa lost to CUSA west teams. If that's "dead," then it appears CUSA is already in good shape.

I see you are a Troy fan. Is Troy being left out of CUSA what drives your posts?

What drives your posts?

ECU bombed UNC, but UNC turned around and bombed CUSA's newest darling (ODU) 80-20. And Marshall got bombed in the CUSA title game by a Rice team that turned around and got bombed by a Mississippi State which was a really pedestrian SEC team. That is the difference between the AAC and CUSA right there. The AAC champion beat the B12 champion in a bowl game, while the CUSA champion was beaten unconscious by the SEC's 11th best team.

I agree with all that, no doubt the AAC is the better football conference. ECU will get smoked in basketball though. It isn't going to be pretty. Having said all that, best of luck in the AAC. I grew up a county over from Gville and wish you guess all the best.

(02-24-2014 03:47 PM)PirateMarv Wrote:  

(02-24-2014 01:36 PM)Tallgrass Wrote:  In answer to your question, I am expecting the new CUSA to replicate the success of the old CUSA. That record in the 9 years Tulsa was in CUSA was 3 Liberty Bowl wins by old CUSA and 6 Liberty Bowl losses. I believe the new CUSA is capable of matching that record. ... .

How are they supposed to be able to do all of that considering that the Liberty Bowl dropped the new CUSA like it was a hot rock?

They did the same with the AAC

Tulane as a founding member of CUSA we are going to miss you. I hope that we can keep series going with CUSA members Southern Miss and Rice.

(02-24-2014 04:33 PM)mufanatehc Wrote:  

(02-24-2014 03:47 PM)PirateMarv Wrote:  

(02-24-2014 01:36 PM)Tallgrass Wrote:  In answer to your question, I am expecting the new CUSA to replicate the success of the old CUSA. That record in the 9 years Tulsa was in CUSA was 3 Liberty Bowl wins by old CUSA and 6 Liberty Bowl losses. I believe the new CUSA is capable of matching that record. ... .

How are they supposed to be able to do all of that considering that the Liberty Bowl dropped the new CUSA like it was a hot rock?

They did the same with the AAC

The AAC never had the Liberty Bowl.

(02-24-2014 04:24 PM)TruBlu Wrote:  C-USA was #11 RPI conference last year (two 20 win teams), # 13 this year (four 20 win teams).

Outbound:
ECU 15-13
Tulsa 15-12
Tulane 15-13

Inbound:
WKU 18-9

C-USA is an improved basketball conference next season with more balanced strength at the top & adding ODU and Charlotte helps in the long-term. It will be a better basketball conference than C-USA 2.0 very soon, men and women. The AAC's RPI will likely not improve next year.

CUSA poster after CUSA poster keeps writing this nonsense about CUSA being an improved basketball conference; so I went and took a look at where CUSA ranked with ECU, Tulane and Tulsa and where the Sun Belt ranked with MTSU, WKU, FAU, FIU, UNT, etc:

2013-14 - CUSA is ranked as the 13th best conference (Sun Belt ranked 17th best); http://realtimerpi.com/ncaab/conf_Men.html and http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2014/conferencerpi

2012-13 - CUSA ranked as the 11th best conference (Sun Belt ranked as 15th best);http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2013/conferencerpi

2011-12 - CUSA ranked as the 10th best conference (Sub Belt ranked as 20th best); http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2012/conferencerpi

2010-2011 CUSA ranked as the 8th best conference (Sun Belt ranked as 23rd best conference); http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2011/conferencerpi

CUSA is worse now with the addition of the Sun Belt teams, so how do you see CUSA as improved? Are you using Jedi mind tricks or something?

It's worse than that when you look at Pomeroy. CUSA mens basketball was consistently 8th-11th in Pomeroy until this year. Now CUSA is 16th.

(02-24-2014 04:09 PM)PirateMarv Wrote:  

(02-24-2014 10:20 AM)Tallgrass Wrote:  

(02-24-2014 12:50 AM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  

(02-23-2014 01:20 PM)Tallgrass Wrote:  CUSA's strategy of going after high quality IAA programs was a good one. Expanding to 14 teams was also a good strategy. So, everything is either new or very young and probably both...so it will take time to play out for CUSA. CUSA's good structure of football bowl games was surprisingly strong. It will be interesting to see how CUSA's tv contract plays out in a couple years. History seems to be repeating itself as doom and gloom were projected for CUSA when Louisville, USF, and Cincy were invited to BE...only to see CUSA expand its tv contract and set up a better schedule of football bowl games. My guess is that CUSA will again continue to surprise in the future.

Your insane if you think the scenario of losing Cincy/USF/UL even compares to what is happening right now. When that happened CUSA still had many proven programs with strong history in football such as Houston, ECU, SMU, and Tulane (They won the SEC three times and won CUSA in 1998). Then you had Tulsa who arguably dominated CUSA football in recent memory. Of course CUSA was going to be fine when they had those five teams to step up let alone a home run addition in a UCF team that has no competition in Orlando. Now your expecting five Sun Belt teams and three FCS level programs with pretty much no history to be able to replicate the success.

On the basketball side when those teams you mentioned left CUSA was pretty much Memphis and everyone else. In the first season Memphis left CUSA has become a shell of its former self with sixteen teams and predicted to be a one bid league. And it's going to be even worse when it losses a Tulsa program who has been one of the best basketball programs in the conference since they joined.

I don't think CUSA will ever go the way of the WAC but the old CUSA is officially going to be dead when ECU, Tulane, and Tulsa leave.

ECU got bombed by Marshall and both Tulane and Tulsa lost to CUSA west teams. If that's "dead," then it appears CUSA is already in good shape.

I see you are a Troy fan. Is Troy being left out of CUSA what drives your posts?

What drives your posts?

ECU bombed UNC, but UNC turned around and bombed CUSA's newest darling (ODU) 80-20. And Marshall got bombed in the CUSA title game by a Rice team that turned around and got bombed by a Mississippi State which was a really pedestrian SEC team. That is the difference between the AAC and CUSA right there. The AAC champion beat the B12 champion in a bowl game, while the CUSA champion was beaten unconscious by the SEC's 11th best team.

What drives my posts? A more equitable position for all NonBCS teams and conferences. Forget equal, that is not going to happen. The best thing that could happen to the NonBCS world is for every NonBCS conference to turn out one or two Top 25 teams each year....making it hard for BCS to ignore NonBCS and exlude them from a more equitable position.

You are a Troy fan, it appears. I would like a better position for Troy and all NonBCS teams.

(02-24-2014 04:33 PM)mufanatehc Wrote:  

(02-24-2014 03:47 PM)PirateMarv Wrote:  

(02-24-2014 01:36 PM)Tallgrass Wrote:  In answer to your question, I am expecting the new CUSA to replicate the success of the old CUSA. That record in the 9 years Tulsa was in CUSA was 3 Liberty Bowl wins by old CUSA and 6 Liberty Bowl losses. I believe the new CUSA is capable of matching that record. ... .

How are they supposed to be able to do all of that considering that the Liberty Bowl dropped the new CUSA like it was a hot rock?

They did the same with the AAC

CUSA will be playing BCS teams in Dallas Bowl and this gives CUSA a chance to play BCS team similar to Liberty Bowl.

(02-24-2014 05:01 PM)PirateMarv Wrote:  

(02-24-2014 04:24 PM)TruBlu Wrote:  C-USA was #11 RPI conference last year (two 20 win teams), # 13 this year (four 20 win teams).

Outbound:
ECU 15-13
Tulsa 15-12
Tulane 15-13

Inbound:
WKU 18-9

C-USA is an improved basketball conference next season with more balanced strength at the top & adding ODU and Charlotte helps in the long-term. It will be a better basketball conference than C-USA 2.0 very soon, men and women. The AAC's RPI will likely not improve next year.

CUSA poster after CUSA poster keeps writing this nonsense about CUSA being an improved basketball conference; so I went and took a look at where CUSA ranked with ECU, Tulane and Tulsa and where the Sun Belt ranked with MTSU, WKU, FAU, FIU, UNT, etc:

2013-14 - CUSA is ranked as the 13th best conference (Sun Belt ranked 17th best); http://realtimerpi.com/ncaab/conf_Men.html and http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2014/conferencerpi

2012-13 - CUSA ranked as the 11th best conference (Sun Belt ranked as 15th best);http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2013/conferencerpi

2011-12 - CUSA ranked as the 10th best conference (Sub Belt ranked as 20th best); http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2012/conferencerpi

2010-2011 CUSA ranked as the 8th best conference (Sun Belt ranked as 23rd best conference); http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2011/conferencerpi

CUSA is worse now with the addition of the Sun Belt teams, so how do you see CUSA as improved? Are you using Jedi mind tricks or something?

The difference maker is Memphis. Take Memphis away from the old CUSA and my guess is the ratings would look similar to the new CUSA. While the new CUSA does not have a quality basketball team like Memphis, the new CUSA has the potential to produce more quality teams, when the comparison is made to the old CUSA versus the new CUSA.

As I have stated many times on this board, AAC can be a good basketball conference if Cincy and UConn stay, something I thought wouldn't happen and Cincy and UConn would move on. Now, it appears, Cincy and UConn are not attractive to any BCS conference and will stay put in AAC.

(02-24-2014 09:26 PM)Tallgrass Wrote:  

(02-24-2014 05:01 PM)PirateMarv Wrote:  

(02-24-2014 04:24 PM)TruBlu Wrote:  C-USA was #11 RPI conference last year (two 20 win teams), # 13 this year (four 20 win teams).

Outbound:
ECU 15-13
Tulsa 15-12
Tulane 15-13

Inbound:
WKU 18-9

C-USA is an improved basketball conference next season with more balanced strength at the top & adding ODU and Charlotte helps in the long-term. It will be a better basketball conference than C-USA 2.0 very soon, men and women. The AAC's RPI will likely not improve next year.

CUSA poster after CUSA poster keeps writing this nonsense about CUSA being an improved basketball conference; so I went and took a look at where CUSA ranked with ECU, Tulane and Tulsa and where the Sun Belt ranked with MTSU, WKU, FAU, FIU, UNT, etc:

2013-14 - CUSA is ranked as the 13th best conference (Sun Belt ranked 17th best); http://realtimerpi.com/ncaab/conf_Men.html and http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2014/conferencerpi

2012-13 - CUSA ranked as the 11th best conference (Sun Belt ranked as 15th best);http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2013/conferencerpi

2011-12 - CUSA ranked as the 10th best conference (Sub Belt ranked as 20th best); http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2012/conferencerpi

2010-2011 CUSA ranked as the 8th best conference (Sun Belt ranked as 23rd best conference); http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2011/conferencerpi

CUSA is worse now with the addition of the Sun Belt teams, so how do you see CUSA as improved? Are you using Jedi mind tricks or something?

The difference maker is Memphis. Take Memphis away from the old CUSA and my guess is the ratings would look similar to the new CUSA. While the new CUSA does not have a quality basketball team like Memphis, the new CUSA has the potential to produce more quality teams, when the comparison is made to the old CUSA versus the new CUSA... .

Memphis is not the difference and WKU will not make a difference. CUSA was the higher rated conference because CUSA had better teams.