(02-14-2018 04:37 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  http://www.sportingnews.com/amp/ncaa-bas...ssion=true

In a nutshell, Mike Decourcey argues "the worst teams in major conferences no longer stink". The schools in the P5 have such a disparity in resources that the strong recruits are choosing even the worst P5 schools over non P5 programs. There are several quotes from recruiting analysts who indicate the recruits are well aware of the "levels" and want to play at the "highest level"/P5.

He does state with the exception of UC, UConn, Wichita State,, Gonzaga (along with a few others on occasion) the rest are pretty much screwed.

This is a long term reality and has to do with resources. The G5, even the American, simply lack the revenue to sustain it year after year. Its very much like the Catholic leagues getting all the top prospects in HS, the same in College.

The top 91 schools in budgets for Basketball include all 75 of the power conference schools (adding the Big East). And of course the usual suspects, schools with "major" budgets but in the Upper Mid-Major conferences make up the other 16:

Memphis, UConn, Cincy, Gonzaga, SMU, Wichita State, Saint Louis, BYU, VCU, Temple, SDSU, Tulsa, Houston, UNLV, Dayton, and Richmond.

It should be noted that the above list includes former major programs caught out in realignment of Cincy, UConn and Temple. Memphis, UNLV and Saint Louis have massive resources but no recent success. Gonzaga has been called a Big East school on the West Coast for two decades.

This is an up year for the American, and a down for the P12 and B1G. But long run you know the money. prestige and power of the B1G and P12 will lure in enough recruits to be back at the top soon. What has to worry Mid-Majors is the SEC finally joining the fray as a serious Basketball conference. That was not the case even recently, in what was a Kentucky, sometimes Florida, and nothing much sort of conference. As they emerge as a perennial 5-6 bid conference, that pretty much seals the fate of even the high Mid-Majors.

I actually think loosening the rules will only result in the Upper-Mid Majors hanging onto 3-5 at large bids rather than seeing that dwindle to 1 or 2. The lack of Network or top billing, simply means the American for a couple years will be what the A10 was - for awhile the strongest of the rest. And frankly 75 schools is already more than the audience can or wants to follow.

I am of course looking over the next five to six years or so, and not just one year or two years.