My single best takeaway from this year's tourney show...

[Forza Azzurri]

is that the winner of both the AAC conference tourney and regular season got a #6 seed.

Their other team is an #8 seed and their two bubble teams are nowhere to be found.

That puts them on par with the Atlantic 10, whose high seed was a #7 but got three teams in, and firmly behind the Big East...

If they had any illusions about continuing to be considered a "power" conference, yesterday should have erased all doubt.

 

[Madbiker]

Larry Brown: "The Committee thinks our conference stinks."
That about says it all.

 

[SU2NASA]

Would anyone trade places with UConn? A national title last year and total irrelevancy forever?

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Would anyone trade places with UConn? A national title last year and total irrelevancy forever?

They are not irrelevant yet but this is going to be very interesting to watch...

Calhoun built that program from nothing. Even with the Big East, that was a tremendous accomplishment as there are many other Big East schools who never came close to having that much success, despite the conference affiliation.

Now the shoe is on the other foot:

Even if Ollie turns out to be a tremendous coach, given all the disadvantages of being in the AAC, will he be able to keep them from becoming what most good mid-major programs are: participants most years as a middle seed, sweet sixteen in the really good years and almost no shot at a final four...

 

[gilardino]

U C O N N UCONN UCONN UCONN

I will miss Kevin Ollie bringing his whole team to half court for a post game interview, their act gets old,

 

[gilardino]

Would anyone trade places with UConn? A national title last year and total irrelevancy forever?

NO WAY, we will be better off for the furture

 

[longislandcuse]

Would anyone trade places with UConn? A national title last year and total irrelevancy forever?

No way. CBB history is littered with former powerhouses who became completely forgotten. Unless UConn turns into Gonzaga East, they are done.

 

[gilardino]

U C O N N UCONN UCONN UCONN

 

[Ghost]

It will be interesting to watch develop. They probably become Memphis post-Calipari unless they escape.

Is Memphis still doing well? That's about where they'll be...

 

[Shenexon]

My single biggest takeaway is that I don't care nearly as much without SU in the tournament. UConn may become the CCC, i.e. Connecticut Community College, but I don't wish them any ill will. We had an important rivalry with them in the best basketball conference in the US for many years, and we were much more fortunate than they were when it all fell apart. I don't really enjoy anyone's agony unless it's a direct result of us beating them in a game. I will savor the memory of the 6 overtime game till the day I die but not their school's demise. I have friends in Connecticut that will never recover from the snubs unless they eventually find their way into a conference with standing. I feel for them in the "There but for the grace of God" kind of way. I'd much rather beat them on the field or on the court than how they lost this game.

 

[gilardino]

I am happy they will demise, sorry, no feelings for them, just laughter.

 

[SU2NASA]

U C O N N UCONN UCONN UCONN

I really enjoyed seeing them celebrate and chanting that over and over by beating Tulsa.

 

[SU2NASA]

They are not irrelevant yet but this is going to be very interesting to watch...

Calhoun built that program from nothing. Even with the Big East, that was a tremendous accomplishment as there are many other Big East schools who never came close to having that much success, despite the conference affiliation.

Now the shoe is on the other foot:

Even if Ollie turns out to be a tremendous coach, given all the disadvantages of being in the AAC, will he be able to keep them from becoming what most good mid-major programs are: participants most years as a middle seed, sweet sixteen in the really good years and almost no shot at a final four...

I don't know - they weren't even a bubble team in that monstrosity of a conference. And their lineup is going to be worse next year.

 

[OrangeCrush22]

Hindsight 20/20 -- they should never have moved their football program to the FBS level.

 

[Shenexon]

I am happy they will demise, sorry, no feelings for them, just laughter.

I understand. Lots of folks feel that way. I just never felt the same sense of ill will toward them as Georgetown and earlier BE rivals. I was more passionate about rivalries in the early days of the BE and still really enjoy my dislike of Georgetown. I have UConn fan friends who I respect and feel for them, not so much for UConn itself.

 

[HoustonCuse]

I still think they will wind up in a real conference at some point. I'd trade them for Pitt any day of the week. Their internet fans a d-bags but guess what: to other fanbases, all internet fans are d-bags (including us).

 

[dasher]

I still think they will wind up in a real conference at some point. I'd trade them for Pitt any day of the week. Their internet fans a d-bags but guess what: to other fanbases, all internet fans are d-bags (including us).

Not us

 

[CaptainJ]

Would anyone trade places with UConn? A national title last year and total irrelevancy forever?

What would we need to get their 3 other titles since 1999? If we want to have delusions of grandeur, why play small ball? It's quite an assumption to think they will never be relevant again. The first article in the OE memorial thread says we will be hindered for a decade by the sanctions. Im not sure which exaggeration sounds more likely to be honest.

 

[SU2NASA]

What would we need to get their 3 other titles since 1999? If we want to have delusions of grandeur, why play small ball? It's quite an assumption to think they will never be relevant again. The first article in the OE memorial thread says we will be hindered for a decade by the sanctions. Im not sure which exaggeration sounds more likely to be honest.

I wouldn't take those 3 other titles. Being UConn means that you're watching your team playing in a mid-major conference for the rest of your life. How depressing would that be every single year? Wouldn't your hope and fandom be utterly crushed?

 

[bryanradams]

I am happy they will demise, sorry, no feelings for them, just laughter.

I always loved battling with them in the Big East. I always thought they were more of a rival than G-Town, because they were consistently good. I hate losing to them, but I don't hate them as much as many of you seem to do.
I actually feel sorry for them (and Cincy), since they should be in a Power Conference. I do not wish them anything but good luck going forward, because it seems like it is not going to be as smooth for them.

However, it is 4:49 pm and G-Town still absolutely sucks.

 

[Ghost]

I wouldn't take those 3 other titles. Being UConn means that you're watching your team playing in a mid-major conference for the rest of your life. How depressing would that be every single year? Wouldn't your hope and fandom be utterly crushed?

This is my take as well - how fun would college basketball even be if you looked at the schedule in February and saw games against Tulane, Houston, and East Central Georgia coming up? I think it would kill me.

If you win out in conference, well, you should because you're UConn. Those seasons you can probably deal with - still awful, but you're probably getting a great seed. Yay!

If you lose to these teams, and don't win the conference...it's slit your wrist time.

Those titles are phenomenal, but I'm not sure I could deal with the sadness that would follow not making the tourney in a conference with THOSE teams...it's tough. I do feel a little bad for their fans.

 

[SWC75]

UCONN gave us this board, as I recall, so maybe we should have a little more regard for them. I wish they were in the ACC with us.

 

[SWC75]

I just decided I'd look at what the tournament might have looked like a couple of years ago for the Big East and ACC:

Big East
Villanova a #1 seed
Notre Dame #3
Louisville #4
West Virginia #5
Providence #6
St. John's #9

ACC
Duke #1
Virginia #2
Maryland #4
North Carolina #4
NC State #8

 

[IthacaMatt]

It will be interesting to watch develop. They probably become Memphis post-Calipari unless they escape.

Is Memphis still doing well? That's about where they'll be...

Or Houston, after Guy Lewis.

 

[zls44]

I don't know - they weren't even a bubble team in that monstrosity of a conference. And their lineup is going to be worse next year.

They return 9 of 10 guys (sans Boatright) and insert a top-3 PG recruit, plus another top-100 big guy.

But, you know, whatever fuels your delusions of UConn falling to the wayside.