http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketbal...conference



"A top-heavy league that could play with anyone and a bottom-heavy league that could be forgotten by everyone"...


...That puts even more onus on the other core four of Connecticut, Cincinnati, Memphis and SMU to carry the league.

The Huskies and Mustangs likely will start in most folks' top 25 thanks to the return of Ryan Boatright and DeAndre Daniels for UConn and the addition of Emmanuel Mudiay for the Mustangs.

But it’s not those four that the conference has to worry about. It’s everyone else. In order for this league to be viable long-term, it needs other teams from the netherworlds of the basement to get better....

ECU just extended the contract of their coach after his fourth year, a 223 RPI, and a 13-17 record in CUSA. Progress?

(04-14-2014 07:09 PM)Tigers2B1 Wrote:  ECU just extended the contract of their coach after his fourth year, a 223 RPI, and a 13-17 record in CUSA. Progress?

Honestly, Lebo is about the best they can do...he's 73-61 at ECU with a 23 win season and CIT title...ECU>Tulane

(04-14-2014 07:24 PM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(04-14-2014 07:09 PM)Tigers2B1 Wrote:  ECU just extended the contract of their coach after his fourth year, a 223 RPI, and a 13-17 record in CUSA. Progress?

Honestly, Lebo is about the best they can do...he's 73-61 at ECU with a 23 win season and CIT title...ECU>Tulane

The "best" ECU can do or the best they're willing to do? If actually this is their 'best' ... little wonder the Big East basketball schools were so against their inclusion.

Got it. Unlike SMU with the Brown hire and Houston with Sampson the status quo at ECU seems ok --- it would have been nice to see ECU at least offer Bruce Pearl. Not that Pearl would have gone but he could have recruited and won at ECU. Heck, he did it at Knoxville.

Substitute "SEC" for "AAC" and the article would be even more applicable.

Not that our bottom isn't bad, it is, but that's true of other leagues as well.

(04-14-2014 08:17 PM)cotton1991 Wrote:  Substitute "SEC" for "AAC" and the article would be even more applicable.

Not that our bottom isn't bad, it is, but that's true of other leagues as well.

If by "other leagues" you mean the P5 leagues than I sort of agree. Although even the bottom dwellers in the P5 are 'name programs' if only by association. But I'll add that doesn't really matter if P5s have bad schools ... they've already arrived and don't have to blaze their own trails out of G5 status. So 'other leagues' can afford the Wake Forrest hit to their brand .. since their brand is already well established.

(04-14-2014 07:29 PM)Tigers2B1 Wrote:  

(04-14-2014 07:24 PM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(04-14-2014 07:09 PM)Tigers2B1 Wrote:  ECU just extended the contract of their coach after his fourth year, a 223 RPI, and a 13-17 record in CUSA. Progress?

Honestly, Lebo is about the best they can do...he's 73-61 at ECU with a 23 win season and CIT title...ECU>Tulane

The "best" ECU can do or the best they're willing to do? If actually this is their 'best' ... little wonder the Big East basketball schools were so against their inclusion.

If you've ever been to their "gym", you know why they won't be able to compete. They do a reasonable job of selling tickets, but the place is just so small.

(04-14-2014 07:29 PM)Tigers2B1 Wrote:  

(04-14-2014 07:24 PM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(04-14-2014 07:09 PM)Tigers2B1 Wrote:  ECU just extended the contract of their coach after his fourth year, a 223 RPI, and a 13-17 record in CUSA. Progress?

Honestly, Lebo is about the best they can do...he's 73-61 at ECU with a 23 win season and CIT title...ECU>Tulane

The "best" ECU can do or the best they're willing to do? If actually this is their 'best' ... little wonder the Big East basketball schools were so against their inclusion.

How good did all those powerhouse Big East schools like St John's, Seton Hall, Georgetown and DePaul do this year?

Fair assessment - let's hope Houston can bring up their program. They have a good BB history and are the primary metro school in the middle of prime recruiting territory, e.g., metro Houston has about 5 times the population of metro Memphis. I don't know about their financial support, but you would think that some of their alum or supporters would be oil or chemical tycoons.

Getting Temple and Houston back on the basketball map will go a long way to making the AAC a solid BB conference. Tulane is in an area where they should be able to get it together in BB.

(04-14-2014 07:00 PM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketbal...conference



"A top-heavy league that could play with anyone and a bottom-heavy league that could be forgotten by everyone"...


...That puts even more onus on the other core four of Connecticut, Cincinnati, Memphis and SMU to carry the league.

The Huskies and Mustangs likely will start in most folks' top 25 thanks to the return of Ryan Boatright and DeAndre Daniels for UConn and the addition of Emmanuel Mudiay for the Mustangs.

But it’s not those four that the conference has to worry about. It’s everyone else. In order for this league to be viable long-term, it needs other teams from the netherworlds of the basement to get better....

The addition of SMU in there is suspect, in my opinion.

If we had ONE good year in football, would we be considered at the top of the league?

But this is a good league. Some of those lower tier schools will kick your @$$ if you aren't on your game.

(04-15-2014 08:59 AM)Tiger46 Wrote:  

(04-14-2014 07:00 PM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketbal...conference



"A top-heavy league that could play with anyone and a bottom-heavy league that could be forgotten by everyone"...


...That puts even more onus on the other core four of Connecticut, Cincinnati, Memphis and SMU to carry the league.

The Huskies and Mustangs likely will start in most folks' top 25 thanks to the return of Ryan Boatright and DeAndre Daniels for UConn and the addition of Emmanuel Mudiay for the Mustangs.

But it’s not those four that the conference has to worry about. It’s everyone else. In order for this league to be viable long-term, it needs other teams from the netherworlds of the basement to get better....

The addition of SMU in there is suspect, in my opinion.

If we had ONE good year in football, would we be considered at the top of the league?

But this is a good league. Some of those lower tier schools will kick your @$$ if you aren't on your game.

If we got a HOF coach who turned the program around in 2 years then yes we would be.