Hey Wichita State, wanna join us in the A-10?

[DistrictBaller]

Just throwing it out there. :banghead:

[CBB_Fan]

Honestly, probably not. That would be a good option if we were joining with Creighton, but the A10 as currently constructed just has too many horrible, horrible teams to balance out losing Xavier and Butler. Wouldn't be opposed to starting something new, with blackjack, and hookers.

Seriously though, I would fully support a new league basketball focused league made out of the WCC, A10, and MVC.

[DistrictBaller]

Completely understand. I empathize with you guys losing Creighton as well. Good luck to you guys with whatever happens.

[Dan]

the way our administration works, we'll probably do nothing and just stay in thi crappy conference

[SubGod22]

This conference will still probably be stronger than the A10. I want to find a better home as much as the next person, but an A10 without Xavier, Butler, Dayton and SLU isn't better than the MVC. Even the additions they'd make to replace those teams isn't going to do much. Even without CU, we have a resurgent Bradley and a solid UNI as well as an Illinois State that I think is going to be strong in a few years as well. If Indiana State could find a way to keep Lansing around....

With that said, the MWC is much better than the MVC and would be better than the C7.

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

This conference will still probably be stronger than the A10. I want to find a better home as much as the next person, but an A10 without Xavier, Butler, Dayton and SLU isn't better than the MVC. Even the additions they'd make to replace those teams isn't going to do much. Even without CU, we have a resurgent Bradley and a solid UNI as well as an Illinois State that I think is going to be strong in a few years as well. If Indiana State could find a way to keep Lansing around....

With that said, the MWC is much better than the MVC and would be better than the C7.

We are so damn close to the Front Range schools--I believe closer than some of the MVC schools if I remember right. If we could just be part of a package deal with a few other other midwestern schools so that the MWC could split into two divisions we would be golden.

[SubGod22]

We are so damn close to the Front Range schools--I believe closer than some of the MVC schools if I remember right. If we could just be part of a package deal with a few other other midwestern schools so that the MWC could split into two divisions we would be golden.

The thing is, the MWC would love Houston and SMU and Tulsa. Houston and SMU have no interest and Tulsa wants to be with Houston and SMU. Tulsa relies heavily on Texas for recruiting both students and athletes.

Plus, the MWC said they're not interested in going above 12 and I don't see that changing unless BYU decides to join them. Or they get Texas schools. I have seen a fan or two mention adding a couple of nonfootball schools to strengthen basketball even more, but I'm not sure the conference itself has much interest in that.

[Ricardo del Rio]

I know few agree with me, but I prefer the Catholics.

[Shocker-maniac]

I'm not sure that I agree with the common perception on ShockerNet on the subject of WSU moving to the A10 conference. The A10 without Butler, Xavier, Temple, Dayton, and St. Louis is still a very strong conference. This is especially true when you compare it to the Missouri Valley Conference without Creighton and WSU. What I did is I took the A10 and deleted the schools previously listed. The average RPI percentage for these schools is .538373. Then I took the MVC schools (less Creighton and WSU) and the average RPI percentage for these programs is .5143. The reason I did not include WSU in the MVC RPI is to do an apples to apples comparison of which conference remnants has the better programs and which would be a better fit for WSU.

The average RPI percentage for the remnant A10 programs would put it at right above the current Missouri Valley and just below the SEC in the current Conference RPI rankings. That would give it a ranking of 9. On the other hand, the remnant MVC programs would be ranked between Conference USA and the Horizon League with a ranking of 12 in the current conference RPI rankings.

After you take out WSU and Creighton, the highest ranked MVC school is Norther Iowa with a RPI percentage of .5529. 6 of the remnant A10 schools have a higher RPI percentage than Northern Iowa. Those programs are: (1) VCU - .6026, (2) LaSalle - .6009, (3) UMass - .5758, (4) Richmond - .5576, (5) Charlotte - .5615, and (6) St. Josephs - .5551.

If you were to add WSU to the remnant A10 programs the average RPI percentage would go up to .543458 which would stilll keep it in the same place of the current conference RPI rankings at 9, but it would be very close to the SEC RPI.

My conclusion is that it is vitally important for WSU to take a serious look at the A10 conference. Even with the defection of Temple and the rumored defections to the "New Big East" (Catholic 7) that it is actually a stronger conference than the MVC without Creighton and WSU. While the move to the Mountain West would be a better move, I just don't see that getting any traction beyond ShockerNet. I suspect that if the MWC were to consider looking at expanding its footprint that it is going to look to the west and perhaps absorb one or two WCC programs. While there are many variables to consider, I do not think that we should be dismissive of the A10 conference as something that we should strongly consider.

I would love to hear thoughts from others on this subject.

Remnant A10 Programs

Virginia Commonwealth	0.6026
La Salle	0.6009
Massachusetts	0.5758
Richmond	0.5576
Charlotte	0.5615
Saint Joseph's	0.5551
Saint Bonaventure	0.5347
George Washington	0.5174
Rhode Island	0.4868
Fordham	0.4607
Duquesne	0.469
Average RPI Percentage 0.53873 Remnant MVC Programs
Northern Iowa 0.5529 Evansville 0.5386 Illinois State 0.5271 Bradley 0.5012 Drake 0.5209 Missouri State 0.4704 Southern Illinois 0.489 Average RPI percentage 0.5143 Source: WarrenNolan.com

[GoShockers89]

UMass and Charlotte are leaving.

[Shocker-maniac]

UMass and Charlotte are leaving.

Drats! That changes that. Oh well, had fun doing my little spreadsheet.

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

The major practical consideration is that virtually all the schools leaving the A-10 are the western schools. The distance to every remaining A-10 opponent would be farther than to any school currently in the MVC. For the BB team that might not be a deal breaker because of charter flights, but for every other sport it would be a budgetary and academic disaster.

[tropicalshox]

The A-10 might be a to add a George Mason, Old Dominion and still be decent.

[Heinro]

I think the A-10 is a very viable option. Its got a good core already plus I'd expect Bradley, ISUr, George Mason, or ODU would be interested.

[SubGod22]

ODU won't go. They just upgraded football. ISU would stick it out until they can move up in football. It costs a lot less to leave the MVC than the A10