(03-20-2018 04:29 PM)NoDak Wrote:  Know it wouldn’t happen, but why couldn't Loyola replace DePaul’s decripid performance in the Big East? Loyola has a bigger endowment, is a Jesuit institution unlike DePaul, and only is somewhat smaller in enrollment.

Loyola could have been picked for a Chicago presence if it had its basketball act together in the first place.

I doubt that the Big East would ever threaten DePaul's membership with the conference (although it is warranted, considering the nepotistic leadership within the athletic department and incredible streak of awful results currently on display within the men's basketball program). There was an ad that ran in the Sun-Times a week ago detailing all of the stats under the current AD:

233 losses, 3 head coaches, .188 conference winning percentage, 11 losing seasons, over $13 million spent on coaching salaries and $82.5 million spent on a new stadium (which barely averaged 3k per game).

Loyola's run should absolutely be leveraged against DePaul to force them to make the administrative changes necessary to get rid of the dead weight at the bottom of the conference. Loyola is gaining a huge following thanks to this tournament run. They had stronger and more consistent attendance this year. They had have better results. They have a great endowment, and they have a larger enrollment.

DePaul (and the Big East) should not dismiss the run by Loyola out of hand. I think there is tremendous value there, especially if DePaul is committed to being content with failure.

Well, DePaul did just have their best season since 2007. They were extremely competitive this year- with 7 losses by 5 points or less. I know they were 11-20, but to pull the plug on Leitao now would be an absolute mistake I think.

They were better in KP(101) than-
Last place Big 12 Iowa St 102
last place ACC Pittsburgh 226
last place SEC Ole Miss 107
Last place Big Ten Rutgers 133
last place Pac 12 California 244

Someone has to finish last.

(03-20-2018 04:18 PM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  

(03-20-2018 03:44 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(03-20-2018 02:30 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(03-19-2018 03:26 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(03-19-2018 03:20 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Loyola is actually an example where the university president expansion metrics of media markets and academics paid off. I recall a lot of MVC fans complaining about the Loyola addition when it occurred and wanting schools purely for on-the-court performance exhibited up to that date (e.g. Murray State). Many also complained about the Chicago-oriented focus of MVC expansion (where they of course don't realize that several of the MVC schools are largely dependent upon Chicago-area students matriculating for their enrollment survival). Now, a school like Loyola when it has a run like this year in the Chicago market is waaaaaaaaay more valuable to the MVC than any other addition that it could have reasonably made. Frankly, the thing that the MVC will now have to worry about down the road is Loyola becoming an A-10 expansion target in the event that any A-10 schools end up in the Big East.

the problem with that is if the expansion is Dayton and Saint Louis- the next closest A10 team to Chicago would be.... Duquesne. Next closest- St Bonaventure. In other words, don't think so.

Disagree...Chicago is an easy city to get too.

It might be an easy city to get to, but 2 big things...
1- Loyola wouldn't want to be on an island like that.
2- there would be absolutely no difference between the A10 and MVC at that point. None.

I disagree. Loyola would absolutely want to be in a perceived stronger basketball conference like the A-10. The A-10 still averages more annual bids that the MVC (which only gets one in per year). Let's say that SLU gets the call-up - the A-10 would still have Dayton, VCU, Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure and Davidson near the top (all of whom have made the tournament in recent years. The exposure will be greater. The money will be better.

MVC was 8th RPI and A10 was 11th. A10 got 3 bids because their runner-up was significantly stronger and they had a bid stealer. Loyola, unlike SLU or Dayton, views itself as Midwestern. They also bus to majority of MVC schools including the conference tournament. They’ve also had an institutional goal for years to join the MVC. Very little chance they leave MVC for a SLU/UD-less A10.

(03-20-2018 03:46 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  

(03-19-2018 03:39 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Yup - still have Valley friends that this year were complaining about Loyola - waiting to see how far Loyola goes to ask them if they still think they were a bad add.

If it's 33 years until the Ramblers see another NCAA tournament, though...?

Maybe this a new Belmont in the making, and we'll see L-C contesting for the top of the Valley every year. I don't think the critics of the pick are wrong, though, until that happens. But, otoh, yeah, the Valley needed to be physically in Chicago. It also needed to show a program from the conference could still succeed and endure the tournament, and not be named Creighton or Wichita State.

Critics should be more pissed about Valpo, but, that's a different subject.

There's certainly potential there, Loyola has a decent location (right off the main L line, halfway between the city and wealthy northern suburbs) and a nice intimate arena. Rambler basketball has been getting more local and national media coverage over the last month than years and years combined. The fact Wichita and Creighton are out of the conference can help them rise to the upper echelon of the Valley instead of playing the role of St. Mary's-lite to Gonzaga. I don't necessarily see them being a mid-major darling indefinitely, but Depaul and UIC are so bad that there's definitely room for them to operate even if Northwestern recovers in the following seasons and becomes a regular contender.

(03-20-2018 07:39 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  The fact Wichita and Creighton are out of the conference can help them rise to the upper echelon of the Valley instead of playing the role of St. Mary's-lite to Gonzaga. I don't necessarily see them being a mid-major darling indefinitely, but Depaul and UIC are so bad that there's definitely room for them to operate even if Northwestern recovers in the following seasons and becomes a regular contender.

Yeah, everybody can now get out from under Creighton and Wichita State. The conference has the ability to set out on a new course. For Loyola, it's far better than what it was facing in Horizon, where the blend of small private and public schools became more of a system or satellite campus league for schools in (mostly) Big Ten states.

Agreed about their potential place in Chicago, too. Expecting Northwestern to be something it's never been historically in the sport, or waiting for DePaul to round the corner of what feels like an eternity of a bad stretch places Loyola in a great spot. I doubt UIC really becomes anything; Chicago State isn't a thing. Maybe Chicago may identify with Notre Dame for college hoops (I don't know), but if the best basketball in that town is being played in another state, Loyola should spot and seize that opportunity.

Loyola's biggest opponent is the rest of the Big Ten with how many alums reside in the city and won't follow the Ramblers under any circumstances, but there's enough people around who may be casual fans (especially with how bad the Bulls are) to give them a decent mid major ceiling. There's certainly plenty of talent for them to seize upon.