Ingredients for Shockers to be Recognized as a Perennial National Powerhouse

[ShockTalk]

IMO both the WCC and Mountain West conferences are superior to the MVC and represent the type of conference the Shockers should join not just for basketball but all of the Shockers' athletic teams. However, the conference with whom I hope the WSU AD is negotiating is the American Athletic Conference. The AAC is in its first year of existence and will lose Louisville to the ACC at the end of this year; opening up a great opportunity for the expansion minded AAC to capture both the Shockers and the Billikens of SLU. As Tulane, Tulsa and Eastern Carolina will join the AAC next year, adding the Shockers and Billikens will strengthen the conference and establish natural East/West Division rivalries.

East - Connecticut, East Carolina, Rutgers, South Florida, Temple, Tulane and UCF

West - Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis, SMU, St Louis, Tulsa and WSU

AAC membership will provide the Shockers with exposure to the big East Coast and Southern TV markets and their high school athletes; large potential TV revenue deals; re-establish rivalries with Cincinnati, SLU and Tulsa; provide new quality annual games with UConn, Memphis, SMU, Houston, South Florida, Rutgers, Temple, Tulane and UCF; and, very importantly, visibility to all those voters in the AP Poll (USA Today voting NCAA coaches already know about WSU).

Just a note: Rutgers leaves next year for the Big 10.

St. Louis will hold out for the Big East for the time being.

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

IMO both the WCC and Mountain West conferences are superior to the MVC and represent the type of conference the Shockers should join not just for basketball but all of the Shockers' athletic teams. However, the conference with whom I hope the WSU AD is negotiating is the American Athletic Conference. The AAC is in its first year of existence and will lose Louisville to the ACC at the end of this year; opening up a great opportunity for the expansion minded AAC to capture both the Shockers and the Billikens of SLU. As Tulane, Tulsa and Eastern Carolina will join the AAC next year, adding the Shockers and Billikens will strengthen the conference and establish natural East/West Division rivalries.

East - Connecticut, East Carolina, Rutgers, South Florida, Temple, Tulane and UCF

West - Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis, SMU, St Louis, Tulsa and WSU

AAC membership will provide the Shockers with exposure to the big East Coast and Southern TV markets and their high school athletes; large potential TV revenue deals; re-establish rivalries with Cincinnati, SLU and Tulsa; provide new quality annual games with UConn, Memphis, SMU, Houston, South Florida, Rutgers, Temple, Tulane and UCF; and, very importantly, visibility to all those voters in the AP Poll (USA Today voting NCAA coaches already know about WSU).

I too favor the American as a landing spot for us. But remember Rutgers leaves for the Big Ten next year, which will create an odd number of basketball programs. Navy joins as football only in 2015--the time I believe is our best (and only) hope for getting in. If they add any basketball schools, which is far from a given, it will only be one and my wild guess is it would be between us and VCU.

[ABC]

In the past, I believe the conference of the RPI of the WCC was usually lower than the MVC. That might change with the departure of CU.

[ShockTalk]

In the past, I believe the conference of the RPI of the WCC was usually lower than the MVC. That might change with the departure of CU.

True, but not only did the Valley lose CU, the WCC gained BYU. Currently, the last place team in the WCC in projected around 200 RPI. The Valley has 3 teams at 250 and below.

[ciaomichael]

Actually, Memphis would be in the category of "re-establish old rivalries" also, as they were a former MVC member. Their name was Memphis State back then, but it's the same school. At one point, the Valley had Cincinnati, Louisville, and Memphis State and was a strong conference. Memphis State went all the way to the NCAA championship final game, in 1973 I believe, when it ran up against the great Bill Walton-led UCLA.

I agree AAC would be a good affiliation, but since the existing members are football schools, they might be looking only for football schools. Of course, higher travel costs for the non-revenue sports would also be a consideration.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

Dude can coach...

I'm sorry. I just literally spit my beer out at this comment.

Can you elaborate more on how he "can coach".

[wufan]

I'm a fan of "just win", but this is a pretty exclusive list, and one I wouldn't mind the Shockers being on:

http://www.ncaa.com/history/basketball-men/d1

[Shocker-maniac]

I too favor the American as a landing spot for us. But remember Rutgers leaves for the Big Ten next year, which will create an odd number of basketball programs. Navy joins as football only in 2015--the time I believe is our best (and only) hope for getting in. If they add any basketball schools, which is far from a given, it will only be one and my wild guess is it would be between us and VCU.

I thought that the AAC would be a good fit for us because of the geographic proximity of some of the schools. Unfortunately I think it is a longshot that we will be invited to join the conference. The conference commissioner is on record saying that it is unlikely a basketball only school will join the conference. The following is from a July 1, 2013 USA Today article:

"When Louisville and Rutgers leave and East Carolina, Tulsa and Tulane join in 2014, the league will have 11 all-sports members. Navy is coming as a football-only member in 2015. Asked whether the American would consider inviting a non-football school to balance things out – a relevant basketball program like VCU or Wichita State, for instance, would help boost the league's profile – Aresco said it remains unlikely."

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...eague/2480437/

[AndShock]

In the past, I believe the conference of the RPI of the WCC was usually lower than the MVC. That might change with the departure of CU.

The Ivy League is closer to us than we are to the WCC.

[ABC]

The Ivy League is closer to us than we are to the WCC.

Not so, young grasshopper

1 Big 12 Conference 0.5971 88-24 (0.7857) 1 0.5477
2 Big Ten Conference 0.5936 115-29 (0.7986) 2 0.5386
3 Big East Conference 0.5750 84-29 (0.7434) 3 0.5363
4 Pac 12 Conference 0.5745 104-32 (0.7647) 7 0.5242
5 Atlantic Coast Conference 0.5668 121-47 (0.7202) 4 0.5356
6 Southeastern Conference 0.5582 104-45 (0.6980) 5 0.5340
7 Atlantic 10 Conference 0.5476 100-47 (0.6803) 13 0.5132
8 American Athletic Conference 0.5345 81-32 (0.7168) 20 0.4905
9 West Coast Conference 0.5320 71-40 (0.6396) 16 0.5043
10 Mountain West Conference 0.5299 73-45 (0.6186) 10 0.5162
11 Missouri Valley Conference 0.5139 58-47 (0.5524) 17 0.5038
12 Mid American Conference 0.5093 64-48 (0.5714) 19 0.4959
13 Horizon League 0.4999 45-58 (0.4369) 11 0.5160
14 Colonial Athletic Association 0.4923 43-58 (0.4257) 15 0.5058
15 Sun Belt Conference 0.4910 38-57 (0.4000) 14 0.5118
16 Summit League 0.4878 37-51 (0.4205) 18 0.4986
17 Ivy League 0.4863 43-40 (0.5181) 30 0.4657

[Shocker1976]

I thought that the AAC would be a good fit for us because of the geographic proximity of some of the schools. Unfortunately I think it is a longshot that we will be invited to join the conference. The conference commissioner is on record saying that it is unlikely a basketball only school will join the conference. The following is from a July 1, 2013 USA Today article:

"When Louisville and Rutgers leave and East Carolina, Tulsa and Tulane join in 2014, the league will have 11 all-sports members. Navy is coming as a football-only member in 2015. Asked whether the American would consider inviting a non-football school to balance things out – a relevant basketball program like VCU or Wichita State, for instance, would help boost the league's profile – Aresco said it remains unlikely."

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...eague/2480437/

Thanks for the link to the USA Today article discussing the American Athletic Conference's strategic plans. Eviscerates my hope the WSU AD is in negotiations to move the Shockers to the AAC; I hope and pray the Valley improves or Sexton finds a more competitive basketball conference for the Shockers.

[ShockTalk]

Not so, young grasshopper

1 Big 12 Conference 0.5971 88-24 (0.7857) 1 0.5477
2 Big Ten Conference 0.5936 115-29 (0.7986) 2 0.5386
3 Big East Conference 0.5750 84-29 (0.7434) 3 0.5363
4 Pac 12 Conference 0.5745 104-32 (0.7647) 7 0.5242
5 Atlantic Coast Conference 0.5668 121-47 (0.7202) 4 0.5356
6 Southeastern Conference 0.5582 104-45 (0.6980) 5 0.5340
7 Atlantic 10 Conference 0.5476 100-47 (0.6803) 13 0.5132
8 American Athletic Conference 0.5345 81-32 (0.7168) 20 0.4905
9 West Coast Conference 0.5320 71-40 (0.6396) 16 0.5043
10 Mountain West Conference 0.5299 73-45 (0.6186) 10 0.5162
11 Missouri Valley Conference 0.5139 58-47 (0.5524) 17 0.5038
12 Mid American Conference 0.5093 64-48 (0.5714) 19 0.4959
13 Horizon League 0.4999 45-58 (0.4369) 11 0.5160
14 Colonial Athletic Association 0.4923 43-58 (0.4257) 15 0.5058
15 Sun Belt Conference 0.4910 38-57 (0.4000) 14 0.5118
16 Summit League 0.4878 37-51 (0.4205) 18 0.4986
17 Ivy League 0.4863 43-40 (0.5181) 30 0.4657

You are looking at current RPI. The Ivy's forecasted RPI is .5000 at #13, MVC RPI is .5140 at #11, WCC RPI .5356 at #9.

As a note, the MAC projection is .5126 at # 12, just .0014 behind the Valley.

[AndShock]

Not so, young grasshopper

I was going off of RPIForecast so I guess I should've said we're projected to be further from the WCC than the Ivy is to us. Our Conference RPI is basically done moving for the year while the Ivy plays OoC games into mid to late January which will most likely help them.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

Well, the Ivy doesn't have a post season tournament either.

We should push for that so we don't have to contribute inflated lowering of our RPI for a tournament we can't seem to figure out how to win.

[shox1989]

IMO both the WCC and Mountain West conferences are superior to the MVC and represent the type of conference the Shockers should join not just for basketball but all of the Shockers' athletic teams. However, the conference with whom I hope the WSU AD is negotiating is the American Athletic Conference. The AAC is in its first year of existence and will lose Louisville to the ACC at the end of this year; opening up a great opportunity for the expansion minded AAC to capture both the Shockers and the Billikens of SLU. As Tulane, Tulsa and Eastern Carolina will join the AAC next year, adding the Shockers and Billikens will strengthen the conference and establish natural East/West Division rivalries.

East - Connecticut, East Carolina, Rutgers, South Florida, Temple, Tulane and UCF

West - Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis, SMU, St Louis, Tulsa and WSU

AAC membership will provide the Shockers with exposure to the big East Coast and Southern TV markets and their high school athletes; large potential TV revenue deals; re-establish rivalries with Cincinnati, SLU and Tulsa; provide new quality annual games with UConn, Memphis, SMU, Houston, South Florida, Rutgers, Temple, Tulane and UCF; and, very importantly, visibility to all those voters in the AP Poll (USA Today voting NCAA coaches already know about WSU).

The AAC is not an option without football. And the MWC is also very unlikely without football. The A-10, WCC, and Big East are the only decent conferences where football is not an issue. And unfortunately none of them are really a viable option for WSU. The most likely would probably be the A-10, but that conference will probably end up being just slightly better than the Valley in the long-term and the additional travel would be a killer for all WSU sports. (The WCC is too far away and is just private schools like the Big East). If WSU doesn't add football, the best hope appears to be to get the MVC schools to up their budgets and committments to basketball. Which doesn't seem very likely either.