I think most of us who have been D1 for more than 30 years feel similarly. ODU (and Charlotte, La Tech and UAB) are used to beating up on the likes of VCU, ECU, USF, VT, UCF etc in basketball, and now we see them in better hoops conferences, that provide more money and exposure, which helps them recruit better, and get better while we get stuck in CUSA. It sucks when your friends hit the lottery and move to a swanky neighborhood while you're stuck in the same blue collar lower-middle class area. Theres nothing we can do about it except stick together and try to make our neighborhood (CUSA) as good as possible. (That probably starts with firing Judy) We feel your pain, but don't act like USM is so much better than the rest of us. Many schools have had success at higher levels in the past in other sports.
(12-07-2017 04:42 PM)monarx Wrote: I think most of us who have been D1 for more than 30 years feel similarly. ODU (and Charlotte, La Tech and UAB) are used to beating up on the likes of VCU, ECU, USF, VT, UCF etc in basketball, and now we see them in better hoops conferences, that provide more money and exposure, which helps them recruit better, and get better while we get stuck in CUSA. It sucks when your friends hit the lottery and move to a swanky neighborhood while you're stuck in the same blue collar lower-middle class area. Theres nothing we can do about it except stick together and try to make our neighborhood (CUSA) as good as possible. (That probably starts with firing Judy) We feel your pain, but don't act like USM is so much better than the rest of us. Many schools have had success at higher levels in the past in other sports.
I should have put this in my original post that WKU, Charlotte and ODU probably feel the same way about basketball. I wouldn't want to be in a conference with Southern Miss in Basketball if I had your history. And again, we havent done anything to earn your respect. I think we are all stuck in 2012. One year removed from 12-2 and a top 25 ranking, but we hire Ellis Johnson and go 0-12. From 1995-2011, Southern Miss was the bell cow of C-USA. One bad year and we watched Tulane, Tulsa, Memphis, ECU, Houston, SMU, UCF etc., leave us behind like we were not worthy. Never will I ever think that at that moment in time any of those teams were more worthy than Southern Miss of advancing. It's the past.
I say all that to say, I see what people see in the Florida Schools now.... they have money and fertile recruiting ground. They made good hires and it may turn their programs around to perennial contenders. WKU has proved their merit and I honestly have not seen a team beat Southern like WKU in the Championship game like they did, since Utah in an early 2000ish Liberty Bowl. North Texas and UTSA have huge enrollments and seem to be righting the ship. UAB may have the best coach in the NCAA. Rice has a huge endowment and kick ass in baseball. MTSU has had consistent winners save for this year due to an unfortunate injury. La Tech, Marshall, and Southern I put in the same category, they all are rich in tradition and have good histories. Charlotte and ODU, they are so new that I cant really tell what is going on with them but there is promise. I left out UTEP, we've been there..... it will get better and at least you got rid of the coaches that were killing football and basketball.
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