ESPN Mid-Major Rankings- Shocks#1

[shock4life]

Good piece on WSU.

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/story?id=7372140&_slug_=mid-major-power-rankings-wichita-state-shockers-claim-no-1-spot&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncb%2fstory%3fid%3d7372140%26_slug_%3dmid-major-power-rankings-wichita-state-shockers-claim-no-1-spot

If someone has ESPN insider, post the rest of the article.

[Capitol Shock II]

That is soooo sweeeet! I love it!

[another shocker]

RoyalShock won't like this.

[kcshocker11]

So when did we become a mid major?

[_kai_]

Great publicity.

[fuball7]

So when did we become a mid major?

We are a mid major. One I dont see it as a condescending term as everyone else does. It just means we dont play in one of the big conferences. Two, until we rattle off several league titles and make several (and consecutive) NCAA tourneys we are a mid major.

[XManCometh]

Love the accompanying picture.


Oh, and we are a mid-major. I don't care with 3G says. When two losses early in a season can make some of your fans think you're not getting into the dance, you're a mid-major.

[ShockTalk]

Interesting that this article by an ESPN writer no longer considers C-USA as a Quasi-major or at the level of the Atl-10 and MWC.

[shockmonster]

We are a mid major. One I dont see it as a condescending term as everyone else does. It just means we dont play in one of the big conferences. Two, until we rattle off several league titles and make several (and consecutive) NCAA tourneys we are a mid major.

Interesting that this article by an ESPN writer no longer considers C-USA as a Quasi-major or at the level of the Atl-10 and MWC.

I think that it's dangerous when WSU fans consider us a mid-major and sports writers, etc. can't even agree on a definition of what a mid-major is. C-USA, A-10, MWC, MVC, etc.?

[Steeleshocker]

I agree that worrying about the mid-major label is weird and confusing and makes absolutely no sense. Some writers think we are, others will say we aren't, but the writers don't matter. In fact, our opinion doesn't matter. The only opinions that matter are those of our players and coaches.

I believe that 3G should NEVER view the program as mid-major. He knows this is a special place for college basketball. Maybe we are not in one of the large conferences, but nothing about the way this basketball program is run is "average" (exception: pregame videos, but that's in another thread).

Yeah, maybe it is difficult to get NCAA bids in this conference, but it's hard for the Pac-12 to get bids these days as weak as that conference is. It ebbs and flows. A few years ago the MVC and C-USA were Quasi-majors, now it's the A-10 and MWC. You could have made the case that the CAA was a quasi-major last year. It's all pointless and irrelevant, because the selection committee should be looking at things on a team by team basis. Doesn't meant they do it well, but that's the goal.

[ShockTalk]

I agree that worrying about the mid-major label is weird and confusing and makes absolutely no sense. Some writers think we are, others will say we aren't, but the writers don't matter. In fact, our opinion doesn't matter. The only opinions that matter are those of our players and coaches.

I believe that 3G should NEVER view the program as mid-major. He knows this is a special place for college basketball. Maybe we are not in one of the large conferences, but nothing about the way this basketball program is run is "average" (exception: pregame videos, but that's in another thread).

Yeah, maybe it is difficult to get NCAA bids in this conference, but it's hard for the Pac-12 to get bids these days as weak as that conference is. It ebbs and flows. A few years ago the MVC and C-USA were Quasi-majors, now it's the A-10 and MWC. You could have made the case that the CAA was a quasi-major last year. It's all pointless and irrelevant, because the selection committee should be looking at things on a team by team basis. Doesn't meant they do it well, but that's the goal.

Tell that to a recruit who is being shown by an Atl-10 or MWC team the press clippings that they are better than the other non Big 6 conferences.

What the selection committee should do and what they actually do are two different things. With this kind of media being spread around, it just gives them another excuse to eliminate another team from Dancing for one that is Big 6, Atl-10, or MWC team.

Frankly, it doesn't matter what we as WSU fans think. If we haven't been "walking the walk" for awhile like Xavier, Gonzaga, and maybe Butler, were not going to get any special favors over a .500 Big 6 team.

In an age where real or perseived differences in conference levels are getting larger and larger, a quality program like WSU, but one which has had minimal Dance, conference championship, conference tournament championship success, walks a very slippery slope that could end up back in the 90's. It is important for WSU to start changing that lack of higher success. Likewise, it's important that the Valley makes demands of its schools to uphold and improve the conference success or face consequences (loss of sharerd revenue or removal from the conference). The MWC and C-USA are a mess right now and, eventhough the MWC is doing very well this year, they are vunerable to falling back just like C-USA has done. Their conference football quality is taking a beating, and with it, so could their basketball. The MVC needs to continue to improve and hold a high standing. Look how fast the Colonial has dropped in just one year.

[shox1989]

I agree that worrying about the mid-major label is .......
Yeah, maybe it is difficult to get NCAA bids in this conference, but it's hard for the Pac-12 to get bids these days as weak as that conference is. It ebbs and flows. A few years ago the MVC and C-USA were Quasi-majors, now it's the A-10 and MWC. You could have made the case that the CAA was a quasi-major last year. It's all pointless and irrelevant, because the selection committee should be looking at things on a team by team basis. Doesn't meant they do it well, but that's the goal.

Yeah but the Pac 12 still gets multiple bids. They may struggle more than the other BCS conferences but they still get them.

[wufan]

There are three ways to get out of the "mid-major" label.

1. Add a competitive Football team
2. Create a dynasty that goes beyond one player or one coach ala Gonzaga and Memphis (though Memphis had to cheat to make that happen)
3. Create/join an elite non-football basketball conference...WSU, Creighton, Xavier, Bradley, Memphis, and St. Louis would be a start and other football schools like Tulsa, Missouri State, Butler, etc. could join the fold regionally. I'd really like to see this happen.

[martymoose]

2. Create a dynasty that goes beyond one player or one coach ala Gonzaga and Memphis (though Memphis had to cheat to make that happen)

Gonzaga has been a 1 coach program. Who knows what will happen when Few leaves.

[wufan]

Gonzaga has been a 1 coach program. Who knows what will happen when Few leaves.

"OR" not "AND" being the operative word...Several programs have had a stud come in and turn them around only to have that player leave and fall back to mediocrity.