2021-22 Basketball happenings around the American Athletic!

[Ashockalypse]

I guess I had you wrong. You're clearly a moron.

Cold, that is low hanging fruit.

[MoValley John]

Guys, guys, guys, keep the labels straight. There are no power conferences in basketball. It is high major and mid major. The goal is to be in a high major conference. That could be the ACC, SEC, B1G, Big 12, PAC, Big East, AAC or depending on whom you ask, the A-10. How the defections in the AAC affect perception as a high major remain to be seen.

Power conferences are football.
That could be the ACC, SEC, B1G, Big 12 or PAC. I'm sorry, even with Cincy, the American isn't a power football conference. There is the P-5 and the G-5; sorry, P-6 is just asinine.

I really, really want the Shockers in the Big East. Selfishly, I want to get to see them play in Omaha. I also think the Shockers would really enhance the conference. Alot. Also the Big East has tie-ins with both the B1G and Big 12. The Shockers inclusion in the Big East would give the Jayhawks nowhere to hide; that effing game would get scheduled by the league offices. Choke on it beakers!

[C0|dB|00ded]

No need for resorting to name calling (leave that type response to Nabob as he will undoubtedly post something trite and useless but negative).

Check out the final Poll Rankings and you will discover the Big East each year has more teams ranked than the PAC; and competes well with the SEC regards ranked teams. Now if the Big East were to add Gonzaga and the Shockers, then IMO the Big East would surpass the Big 12 and compete favorably with the ACC and B1G for the Premier Basketball Conference.

Just having some fun.

I don't care how many high NCAA seeds the BP snags from hacking the system, they aren't in the top 5. They are filled w/ midmajor programs.

...and Wichita State would be proud to come be a flagship national brand for them, along w/ Villanova.

[C0|dB|00ded]

Guys, guys, guys, keep the labels straight. There are no power conferences in basketball. It is high major and mid major. The goal is to be in a high major conference. That could be the ACC, SEC, B1G, Big 12, PAC, Big East, AAC or depending on whom you ask, the A-10. How the defections in the AAC affect perception as a high major remain to be seen.

Power conferences are football.
That could be the ACC, SEC, B1G, Big 12 or PAC. I'm sorry, even with Cincy, the American isn't a power football conference. There is the P-5 and the G-5; sorry, P-6 is just asinine.

I really, really want the Shockers in the Big East. Selfishly, I want to get to see them play in Omaha. I also think the Shockers would really enhance the conference. Alot. Also the Big East has tie-ins with both the B1G and Big 12. The Shockers inclusion in the Big East would give the Jayhawks nowhere to hide; that effing game would get scheduled by the league offices. Choke on it beakers!

The Priest isn't a high-major conference. It has a high-major team.

The Big East is no more.

[MoValley John]

The Priest isn't a high-major conference. It has a high-major team.

The Big East is no more.

https://www.midmajormadness.com/pages/mid-major-teams-by-conference

Pretty much a concensus outside of C0|bB|00ded that the Big East is not a mid-major. From Wiki

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-major

The two leagues that resulted from the 2013 split of the original Big East Conference—the football-sponsoring American Athletic Conference and non-football Big East Conference—are often considered to be major basketball conferences as well. When the original league split along football lines, the seven non-FBS schools, plus Creighton, Butler, and Xavier, founded the current Big East while the three remaining FBS schools, Cincinnati, UConn, and Temple, became The American. In every year since the split, the "new" Big East has been ranked a top five basketball conference by leading analysts such as Ken Pomeroy. Villanova won the men's basketball national championship in the 2015-2016 and 2017-2018 seasons.

[C0|dB|00ded]

https://www.midmajormadness.com/page...-by-conference

Pretty much a concensus outside of C0|bB|00ded that the Big East is not a mid-major. From Wiki

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-major

The two leagues that resulted from the 2013 split of the original Big East Conference—the football-sponsoring American Athletic Conference and non-football Big East Conference—are often considered to be major basketball conferences as well. When the original league split along football lines, the seven non-FBS schools, plus Creighton, Butler, and Xavier, founded the current Big East while the three remaining FBS schools, Cincinnati, UConn, and Temple, became The American. In every year since the split, the "new" Big East has been ranked a top five basketball conference by leading analysts such as Ken Pomeroy. Villanova won the men's basketball national championship in the 2015-2016 and 2017-2018 seasons.

The Priest is not major lol. I don't care what they're "ranked". The MVC had a top 5 RPI some years...

[wichshock65]

https://twitter.com/EyeOnCBBPodcast/status/1450470425612390401?t=h3bx43a4PlwsmzQmgW_kPQ&s=19

[SB Shock]

https://twitter.com/EyeOnCBBPodcast/...zQmgW_kPQ&s=19

Norlander thinks AAC is a 3-bid conference with WSU snagging the 3rd bid as a double-digit seed.

Parrish thinks the AAC is a 2-bid conference and WSU is somewhere in the 3-6 range.

They believe AAC is a Top 7 conference, but after realignment, AAC will be an MWC/MVC/A10 conference with a max ceiling of 2 bids.

[WuShock Reaper]

AAC Men's Basketball Preview: Memphis, Houston Provide Plenty of Intrigue at the Top - Sports Illustrated

https://www.si.com/college/2021/10/19/aac-basketball-preview-rankings-memphis-houston

BY KEVIN SWEENEY
10/19/21, 7:00am cst

The Cougars are consistently strong under Kelvin Sampson, but an Emoni Bates–led Tigers team could be primed to deliver Penny Hardaway's first conference title.

It’s impossible to address the AAC without discussing conference realignment. Without it, the combination of Houston’s Final Four run, Memphis’s recent success on the recruiting trail and the presence of perennially strong programs like Cincinnati and Wichita State would be enough to drive optimism about where the league stands on the hardwood. But with Houston, UCF and Cincinnati on their way to the Big 12 and no clear answers on who’ll replace them, the long-term future of the league from a men's basketball standpoint is in question.

That said, Memphis may be the most entertaining team in the sport this season, Houston has top-10 potential again and the programs in the middle of the league could be on the rise. Three NCAA tournament bids should be the minimum standard for success in 2021–22.

Conference Player of the Year: Kendric Davis, SMU

Dark-horse team: Wichita State
The defending conference champs have flown under the radar some in the preseason despite returning most of their production from a season ago. The Shockers won the league a season ago with less depth, while dealing with significant turmoil surrounding Gregg Marshall’s resignation and a new coach finding his way. It’s far from absurd to believe they will improve from a season ago, particularly with the additions of transfers Qua Grant (Division II's West Texas A&M) and Joe Pleasant (Abilene Christian). Wing Ricky Council IV is also a clear breakout candidate. The likes of Grant and Council joining all-conference scoring guard Tyson Etienne in the backcourt gives Isaac Brown’s team plenty of firepower, and we know the Shockers will be difficult to beat in Wichita.

First-Team All-Conference
Kendric Davis, SMU
Marcus Sasser, Houston
Tyson Etienne, Wichita State
Emoni Bates, Memphis
DeAndre Williams, Memphis

SI's projected order of finish
1. Memphis
2. Houston
3. Wichita State
The job that Isaac Brown did a season ago despite all the adversity his program faced in the wake of Gregg Marshall’s late resignation cannot be overstated. The Shockers rallied around Brown, won the AAC regular-season title and went dancing. There may have been some fortunate breaks involved in that run, but I’m a believer in Brown long-term and expect this to be an NCAA tournament team again. Etienne is one of the nation’s best guards and D-II transfer Grant should be an impact newcomer.
4. SMU
5. Cincinnati
6. Central Florida
7. Tulsa
8. Temple
9. South Florida
10. East Carolina
11. Tulane

[JayPak]

I have no clue if WSU is in the picture for the BE. I just found it interesting he brings us up, but unlike the other schools, fails to address why WSU shouldn't be considered for the BE.

I agree with you that the (UConn-based) author of that article failed to make a case against WSU.

IMO the author is correct that:
1) Gonzaga is the primary expansion target.
2) Logistics won't be prohibitive from the BE point of view toward inviting the Zags.
3) Logistics could be prohibitive from Gonzaga's point of view.

IMO the author is not correct that:
Gonzaga is the only expansion target.

IMO the order of likelihood of an invite would be:
1) Gonzaga
2) SLU
3) VCU
4) WSU

I don't see anyone else too realistic. Notre Dame would be a pie-in-the-sky obvious choice if the Irish would ever leave their non-football ACC agreement. Though pie-in-the-sky, ND is more likely than, say, Kansas or Baylor to accept an invite.

[Dan]

I agree with you that the (UConn-based) author of that article failed to make a case against WSU.

IMO the author is correct that:
1) Gonzaga is the primary expansion target.
2) Logistics won't be prohibitive from the BE point of view toward inviting the Zags.
3) Logistics could be prohibitive from Gonzaga's point of view.

IMO the author is not correct that:
Gonzaga is the only expansion target.

IMO the order of likelihood of an invite would be:
1) Gonzaga
2) SLU
3) VCU
4) WSU

I don't see anyone else too realistic. Notre Dame would be a pie-in-the-sky obvious choice if the Irish would ever leave their non-football ACC agreement. Though pie-in-the-sky, ND is more likely than, say, Kansas or Baylor to accept an invite.

What about Dayton?

[TrackSuitAndTie]

They believe AAC is a Top 7 conference, but after realignment, AAC will be an MWC/MVC/A10 conference with a max ceiling of 2 bids.

Looking at the AAC additions, I ask myself what teams have the potential to be in top 100 each year. In general, I think leagues with at least five top 100 teams can garner 3+ bids. With this in mind... here's how I see the new AAC:

Perennial Top 100 Teams:
- Memphis
- SMU
- WSU

Frequent Top 100 Teams:
- Temple
- Tulsa
- Tulane (Ron Hunter has them on track)
- UAB (Andy Kennedy should keep UAB in the top 100 as long as he is the coach)

Semi-Frequent Top 100 Teams:
- USF
- Charlotte (Ron Sanchez is a good coach and should improve the program in the coming years)
- UNT (Grant McCasland is a good coach and should continue to improve the program in the coming years)

Infrequent Top 100 Teams:
- ECU
- UTSA
- FAU
- Rice

If the AAC follows the A10's lead and allows for modified schedules that allow top teams to play each other more often (and reduce downside-only games against the bottom of the league) I think the conference should average around five top 100 teams in any given year. Such a scenario would give the AAC a shot at 3+ bids.

[C0|dB|00ded]

I agree with you that the (UConn-based) author of that article failed to make a case against WSU.

IMO the author is correct that:
1) Gonzaga is the primary expansion target.
2) Logistics won't be prohibitive from the BE point of view toward inviting the Zags.
3) Logistics could be prohibitive from Gonzaga's point of view.

IMO the author is not correct that:
Gonzaga is the only expansion target.

IMO the order of likelihood of an invite would be:
1) Gonzaga
2) SLU
3) VCU
4) WSU

I don't see anyone else too realistic. Notre Dame would be a pie-in-the-sky obvious choice if the Irish would ever leave their non-football ACC agreement. Though pie-in-the-sky, ND is more likely than, say, Kansas or Baylor to accept an invite.

If the Pee would pick VCU, a mid-major, flash-in-the-pan public university in a crime-ridden neighborhood, over a national brand like Wichita State well... I don't know what to say, but... maybe it WOULD be a better fit with the mid-major profile of many of the members.

[ShockerFever]

I agree with you that the (UConn-based) author of that article failed to make a case against WSU.

IMO the author is correct that:
1) Gonzaga is the primary expansion target.
2) Logistics won't be prohibitive from the BE point of view toward inviting the Zags.
3) Logistics could be prohibitive from Gonzaga's point of view.

IMO the author is not correct that:
Gonzaga is the only expansion target.

IMO the order of likelihood of an invite would be:
1) Gonzaga
2) SLU
3) VCU
4) WSU

I don't see anyone else too realistic. Notre Dame would be a pie-in-the-sky obvious choice if the Irish would ever leave their non-football ACC agreement. Though pie-in-the-sky, ND is more likely than, say, Kansas or Baylor to accept an invite.

LOL SLU is garbage. Just saying.

But everybody needs their Rutgers I guess.

[WeWillShockU2]

I think SLU is primed for a Big E move. They have very good facilities and have a ok BB history. Good catholic university that fits the Big E profile.