2021-22 Basketball happenings around the American Athletic!

[ShockTalk]

Ran some numbera on T-Rank, mainly because it's easy to quickly compare schools. Here's the basketball breakdown for the programs in question for the past four seasons (average rank at season's end). For reference, the AAC's numbers are included.

The caveat here is that basketball will play a very small part in the selection process (if any part at all), so this is really just about figuring out to what degree our basketball fortunes are going to suffer when the picks are announced.

——

TEAM	T-RANK
Houston	11
SDSU	43
Wichita State	47
Cincinnati	49
Memphis	72
LIBERTY	75
BUFFALO	78
Southern Methodist	80
BOISE STATE	84
Central Florida	86
Tulsa	104
Temple	105
LOUISIANA TECH	112
NORTH TEXAS	115
GEORGIA STATE	123
OLD DOMINION	129
UAB	133
MARSHALL	134
COLORADO STATE	149
UTSA	164
South Florida	173
LOUISIANA	175
FLORIDA ATLANTIC	185
Tulane	192
APP STATE	202
SOUTHERN MISS	210
RICE	229
East Carolina	234
AIR FORCE	240

Above, using Wuzee's numbers, it shows that for remaining AAC teams that it has averaged 1 top 50 / 3 top 100 / 5 top 150 teams.

For grins, I looked at the Atl-10 T-Rank for the last 10 years. I do not include any schools that are no longer there.

Atl-10: 2.3 top 50 / 6.0 top 100 / 8.9 top 150.

The Alt-10 had down years in 2018 and 2019, but over the last 2 years are 2.5 top 50 / 6.5 top 100 / 9.0 top 150.

Remember, the AAC numbers are with WSU.

[shock]

As much as I hate to admit this, SWOMO probably has more potential than pretty much any other Valley school to get into an FBS conference and have some success.

UNI has been pretty good lately.

[ShockerFever]

UNI has been pretty good lately.

In what?

[shock]

In what?

Football

[SubGod22]

UNI has been pretty good lately.

UNI has always had financial restraints as I believe they've looked into moving up a few times. I don't see it happening. MSU hasn't had as good a product on the field, but I think they could have the support and financial backing to make the move if an opportunity presented itself.

The two schools in the MVfC most capable of moving up and competing are the two Dakota State schools, but they're in Dakota and nobody that can call them up really wants to, and I don't think either has much desire to do so anyway. I believe they had an opportunity a few years back when the WAC was trying to save itself. I think them and the Montana schools were reached out to and declined.

[wichshock65]

Don't think I've seen this article posted yet. SBNation talks about conference realignment from a MWC perspective. Would be be willing to go to Mountain West if Zags also go? Would Big East reach out if they think we could head to the mountains?

[1972Shocker]

Don't think I've seen this article posted yet. SBNation talks about conference realignment from a MWC perspective. Would be be willing to go to Mountain West if Zags also go? Would Big East reach out if they think we could head to the mountains?

Posted here with some discussion following: https://shockernet.net/forum/wichita...22#post1310022

Probably should have been posted to this thread, although it is of enough interest that perhaps we should have a separate Conference Realignment thread.

Here is what I posted on the other thread discussing this:

For basketball that would presumably look like this (assuming Boise State leaves for the Big XII) broken into two divisions:

Eastern Division:
Wichita State
Tulsa
SMU
Air Force
Colorado State
New Mexico
Wyoming

Western Division:
Gonzaga
UNLV
Nevada
Fresno State
San Jose State
San Diego State
Utah State

Assuming the schedule was a home-and-home against your division and a home/away split among the other division the Shocks would have 19 conference games. 12 games/11 games (alternating years) in the Central Time Zone, 4 games/5 games (alternating years) in the Mountain Time Zone and 3 games in the Pacific Time Zone.

I could live with that especially if the West Coast games start by 7:00 pm Pacific.

Now how likely this is I don't know, especially when our AD says were are married to the AAC. I would think any MWC programs that the AAC would try to entice would prefer this arrangement over joining the AAC.

If they could entice Gonzaga than this option would look pretty enticing to me.

[wichshock65]

https://twitter.com/jeffborzello/status/1438503762675466247?s=19

[Stickboy46]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/american-targeting-mountain-west-powers-among-handful-of-expansion-candidates-in-realignment/

Sounds like Boise, Air Force, Colorado State, SDSU and UAB are the list right now.

Sign me up!

[TrackSuitAndTie]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...n-realignment/

Sounds like Boise, Air Force, Colorado State, SDSU and UAB are the list right now.

Sign me up!

I'm skeptical that Aresco can pull this off. If he does, give him a lifetime contract.

[Stickboy46]

I'm skeptical that Aresco can pull this off. If he does, give him a lifetime contract.

TBH there is a lot that makes sense here. The big question mark is the TV contract. IF he got assurance from ESPN that these adds would keep the AAC around 7 mil a team, this seems to make sense for all parties. For the MWC: More money, better network, better timeslots and likely better CFP chances. The AAC gains some stability.

[TrackSuitAndTie]

TBH there is a lot that makes sense here. The big question mark is the TV contract. IF he got assurance from ESPN that these adds would keep the AAC around 7 mil a team, this seems to make sense for all parties. For the MWC: More money, better network, better timeslots and likely better CFP chances. The AAC gains some stability.

Yeah I see a lot of people saying "why would anyone leave (insert conference) for the sinking AAC?!?" or "we should just try to poach teams from the dying AAC". We heard the exact same discourse with the B12 and look what happened there. Schools usually won't turn down the chance at more money and better competition. The zombie AAC is still the strongest football conference top to bottom and these outside teams (which are all pretty strong) would further improve the AAC. Adding from the MWC would be a best case scenario for WSU as BSU, CSU, and SDSU all have strong basketball programs.

I am a little skeptical that a school like SDSU would want to send their (insert non-revenue sport team) to Philadelphia our Tampa Bay though. A school like Nevada or Utah State would make more sense in that respect.

[Stickboy46]

Yeah I see a lot of people saying "why would anyone leave (insert conference) for the sinking AAC?!?" or "we should just try to poach teams from the dying AAC". We heard the exact same discourse with the B12 and look what happened there. Schools usually won't turn down the chance at more money and better competition. The zombie AAC is still the strongest football conference top to bottom and these outside teams (which are all pretty strong) would further improve the AAC. Adding from the MWC would be a best case scenario for WSU as BSU, CSU, and SDSU all have strong football programs.

I am a little skeptical that a school like SDSU would want to send their (insert non-revenue sport team) to Philadelphia our Tampa Bay though. A school like Nevada or Utah State would make more sense in that respect.

SDSU probably wants to follow Boise. SDSU is also more valuable than Nevada or Utah State so that's why they target them. I'm sure scheduling can be worked to allow less traveling for the Olympic sports.

I'd also assume Nevada, Utah State and UNLV would be on the short list to backfill if the Memphis/Boise Big12 callup ever happens.

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...n-realignment/

Sounds like Boise, Air Force, Colorado State, SDSU and UAB are the list right now.

Sign me up!

[Stickboy46]

There is also the life raft philosophy going on. Do any of those 4 MWC want to be in the MWC if 1 or 2 of the others take the life raft to the AAC? It's a domino effect. Get one to buy in and the other ones are easier. Don't want to stall too long and miss the boat.