I've been hearing a lot of cocky talk from ETSU press. I know you all have a good basketball program, but I have a feeling they will not dominate like they think they will. The A-Sun is ready to ball!!!

It may just be what is printed for me to read that sounds cocky, but I am really looking forward to that home game in Macon.

Also, ETSU will benefit from being in the A-Sun I truly believe, just like we will benefit from having you with us.

Yeah...we just feel like we dont have any peer institutions in the ASUN. Sure, KSU is a big public school, but besides that, everyone like us has left or is on the way out. Most of our fans are just ticked that we dropped football. We are moving into a conference with teams that noone around here has really heard of. I think that is a reason for all the cocky and misguided talk.

By the way, we are the last team that should be talking about dominating a conference. Especially with our RPI in the 290's this year. :frown:

Yea you guys definitely had an off year, but I've seen you guys in the tourny and I know what your coaches are capable of. It should be an awesome year.

It sucks ya'll had to drop football and got kicked out of the SoCon. But if you look at the SoCon now, it's dominated by private schools in the Carolinas that GSU, ASU, ETSU, and WCU have nothing in common with. I went to GSU for 3 years and now I'm concerned about the state of the SoCon. I really wish GSU would get the heck outta there. Hopefully KSU will add football someday and join the SoCon so GSU will have an in state rival.

The A-Sun will be fine in basketball. GSU and Troy had recent runs, but I dont see any reason to think they were in an upward direction upon leaving the conference. Their fans would know more than I would though about recruits, and injuries that may have caused their seasons to be mediocre this past year.

UCFs a big loss, but ETSU is a big gain. The 3 Tennessee schools, along with GWU and KSU could be as solid as UCF/Troy/Belmont/GSU were in 03-04, with all 4 in the Top 100 RPI.

Baseball will be another story...the Top 3 teams this year (UCF, GSU and Troy) are leaving, as well as FAU which is an established program and the only one to go to a super regional. UNF and KSU are both Top 25 DII teams, and have good records against A-Sun competition this year and last. It might take a few seasons to get real recognition, but the A-Sun should still be sending 2, maybe even 3, teams to the regionals in a few years.

In the long run though, and I mean the real long run, the conference is going to need to expand by adding schools that fit it's mold. I see UNF moving on in a 5-10 years - especially if they get football going. Same as KSU.

I hope there are some solid college baseball fans up there your way! That is what shines in the ASUN.

KOS

With the Florida four becoming a more northern Florida 3 - and now 3 Tennessee schools - do you think the A-Sun baseball touranment might leave the friendly confines of Melching Field?

A-Sun men's basketball will be fine. Belmont and Gardner-Webb are on the upswing and Lipscomb was greatly improved this past season. Jacksonville has the league's best player in Quaintance, in my opinion. ETSU will likely bounce back from last season as well, but don't underestimate some of these small, private schools. They take their sports real serious.