Around the Big East

[SJU85]

Uconn's meeting with Both Big East was apparently for their men's lacrosse program finding a home in D1.

So they are starting a Men's Lacrosse program. BE currently has six teams for Men's Lacrosse including Denver. Most conferences have six or seven teams for Men's Lacrosse.

 

[bamafan]

Curious if there are any legs to Maven's tweet about an alleged meeting of the presidents re UCONN joining BEC.

So @UConnHuskies calling @BIGEAST presidents 4 an audience bout membership in #BigEast #AmericanAthleticConference @KevinMcNamara33

UConn to Big East would be tremendous. We would need some kind of buy-out to prevent them from bailing again. Bring in another "BBall only" school like Dayton and then close the books.

NFW.
They'll be in the ACC some day.

Not saying it def happens but it would lend a lot more legitimacy to our hoops conference...

They didn't even dance this year.
The BE made them.
They're a shell of their former selves.
Get a team that's made it on their own.
Dayton and Wichita St. would be much better acquisitions.

Dayton has a great young coach and totally positive vibe about them. I would have said VCU before the leadership changed but Witchita State is probably the best second option...maybe a program like Cleveland State who's made the post season 6 of the last 8 years might be a decent fit but that would be a stretch. (all of this based on IF a BE expansion ever happens).

Cleveland State????? You really are a buckethead!

 

[Andrew]

Just assuming alum98 is referencing the fact that the staff if "pressuring" Dunn to stay another year. Rumor has it that they are telling him he is a 15-30 pick this year but if he stays next year he will be top 10. Don't forget that Cooley has done everything for this kid the last two years when he was injured. Don't think his handling of the situation has been wrong, certainly not Pete Carroll and Mark Sanchez like.

Here is what you seem to be missing, Dunn has led Providence to the NCAA tourney, which should be payback enough for Cooley. He is a first round draft choice which is 3 years of guaranteed money. If he returns to Providence and gets hurt again, who is going to compensate him for that. If he does not have as good a season next year, his stock will drop. This is a business decision and I think the smart move for Dunn is to enter the draft.

I never said that I don't think Dunn should enter the draft. In fact, I think the better decision for him would be to enter the draft. All I was saying is that I don't think Cooley has mishandled the situation. From everything I've heard, he has been pretty forthright, telling Dunn that he is probably a later lottery to late first round pick, but that if he stays and develops he will probably be a top 10 pick. It's not as if Cooley has pulled a Pete Carroll and said that he outwardly that Dunn declaring would be the wrong move because he has more to develop.

Pete Carroll was right.

 

[Section3]

Curious if there are any legs to Maven's tweet about an alleged meeting of the presidents re UCONN joining BEC.

So @UConnHuskies calling @BIGEAST presidents 4 an audience bout membership in #BigEast #AmericanAthleticConference @KevinMcNamara33

I know a lot of folks on the board are against it...I would take them w/penalties should they decide to defect

 

[austour]

Just assuming alum98 is referencing the fact that the staff if "pressuring" Dunn to stay another year. Rumor has it that they are telling him he is a 15-30 pick this year but if he stays next year he will be top 10. Don't forget that Cooley has done everything for this kid the last two years when he was injured. Don't think his handling of the situation has been wrong, certainly not Pete Carroll and Mark Sanchez like.

Here is what you seem to be missing, Dunn has led Providence to the NCAA tourney, which should be payback enough for Cooley. He is a first round draft choice which is 3 years of guaranteed money. If he returns to Providence and gets hurt again, who is going to compensate him for that. If he does not have as good a season next year, his stock will drop. This is a business decision and I think the smart move for Dunn is to enter the draft.

I never said that I don't think Dunn should enter the draft. In fact, I think the better decision for him would be to enter the draft. All I was saying is that I don't think Cooley has mishandled the situation. From everything I've heard, he has been pretty forthright, telling Dunn that he is probably a later lottery to late first round pick, but that if he stays and develops he will probably be a top 10 pick. It's not as if Cooley has pulled a Pete Carroll and said that he outwardly that Dunn declaring would be the wrong move because he has more to develop.

Pete Carroll was right.

What was he right about? Waiting a year probably cost Leinart $5-10 million.

 

[BodyHarmer]

No UConn please. Keep the conference at 10 teams and build some rivalries before expanding.

 

[SJU14]

I like the home and home every season, which would mean 10 is the maximum.

 

[L J S A]

I like the home and home every season, which would mean 10 is the maximum.

Unless you go to 11 and play 20 conference games. . .

 

[SJU14]

Is there a limit on games you can play in conference? If not then I guess that would take away from non conference schedule. I also don't think an odd number of teams is an option.

 

[Andrew]

Just assuming alum98 is referencing the fact that the staff if "pressuring" Dunn to stay another year. Rumor has it that they are telling him he is a 15-30 pick this year but if he stays next year he will be top 10. Don't forget that Cooley has done everything for this kid the last two years when he was injured. Don't think his handling of the situation has been wrong, certainly not Pete Carroll and Mark Sanchez like.

That Sanchez was not ready for the NFL


Here is what you seem to be missing, Dunn has led Providence to the NCAA tourney, which should be payback enough for Cooley. He is a first round draft choice which is 3 years of guaranteed money. If he returns to Providence and gets hurt again, who is going to compensate him for that. If he does not have as good a season next year, his stock will drop. This is a business decision and I think the smart move for Dunn is to enter the draft.

I never said that I don't think Dunn should enter the draft. In fact, I think the better decision for him would be to enter the draft. All I was saying is that I don't think Cooley has mishandled the situation. From everything I've heard, he has been pretty forthright, telling Dunn that he is probably a later lottery to late first round pick, but that if he stays and develops he will probably be a top 10 pick. It's not as if Cooley has pulled a Pete Carroll and said that he outwardly that Dunn declaring would be the wrong move because he has more to develop.

Pete Carroll was right.

What was he right about? Waiting a year probably cost Leinart $5-10 million.

 

[Sleek718]

I know UConn is a program with national title and past Big East cred but am I the only one who has really enjoyed the 10 team conference? There's something great about playing every team twice. I also like 10 teams because it's small enough that as a fan you can really get to know every team. If they were going to add a couple of teams, UConn and Dayton would be the type of schools I'd want, but I like 10. Take the ACC for example. As great as the top of the ACC is, look at how bloated that conference feels.

You are far from the only one Grayson. I've posted comments along these lines a few times. I love the current base of the league. I love 10 teams, and a true home/home. Some great rivalries developing, and just such a rarity in sports in this country as a whole...BALANCE SCHEDULE. American sports is plagued with ridiculous conferences/leagues/divisions and their stupid imbalanced schedules. I love the Eruo soccer leagues for this...20 teams, 38 games, home/home for everyone.

I know the itch to expand is always, well, itching. But I somehow hope, knowing that it will be fruitless in the long run, that the Big East will leave what's good alone. Someone else mentioned eleven teams with a 20 game league schedule. I can't vibe with that unfortunately because as the league stands...they HAVE to create strong out of conference games right now. After two disappointing years in the tourney, the Big East garnered six selections due in good part the OOC results. And until this league puts up some real national championship level teams, will have to prove itself beyond the league. Playing Dayton twice, or St. Louis, or even a dwindling UCONN will not really help matters.

But the Big East was so much fun this year. I normally don't watch teams that are not mine, but the Big East was the exception this year.

And UCONN, can we stop already, please? They tried playing with the big boys and got burned. Now, deal with it. Sucks that some quality basketball schools are lost in that conference (Conn, Temple, Memphis, Cincy), but such is their predicament. Big East has some climbing to do on its own before it worries about saving disillusioned schools.

peace.

 

[gman]

The main problem with the current BE is that we lack heavyweights because Gtown and Nova suck as tourney teams. Win that said I like the current format and don't wants Uconn back.

 

[RedmanMike]

A resounding NO to UConn. And its not because Jim Calhoun was an ass to us all those years, or even because of football (although that is a good enough reason in and of itself) . IT's also because UConnis a large public university.

The great things about the new Big East is that we are finally in a conference with schools with similar resources and missions. Our schools are private, mostly Catholic (although that doesn't matter all that much), and focused on basketball.

In the old Too Big East, not only were we competing against schools who have the resources of big-time football, but we also had to compete again large public universities that have access to a bottomless pile of taxpayer resources -- UConn, West Virginia, Rutgers, etc.

There is a huge resource disparity between those kind of schools and the school in the new Big East. So if we expand -- and I personally don't think we should -- then we should look other private schools -- a Dayton or St. Louis or St. Joe's. No UConn, no VCU, no UMass etc.

 

[SJU85]

Just assuming alum98 is referencing the fact that the staff if "pressuring" Dunn to stay another year. Rumor has it that they are telling him he is a 15-30 pick this year but if he stays next year he will be top 10. Don't forget that Cooley has done everything for this kid the last two years when he was injured. Don't think his handling of the situation has been wrong, certainly not Pete Carroll and Mark Sanchez like.

That Sanchez was not ready for the NFL


Here is what you seem to be missing, Dunn has led Providence to the NCAA tourney, which should be payback enough for Cooley. He is a first round draft choice which is 3 years of guaranteed money. If he returns to Providence and gets hurt again, who is going to compensate him for that. If he does not have as good a season next year, his stock will drop. This is a business decision and I think the smart move for Dunn is to enter the draft.

I never said that I don't think Dunn should enter the draft. In fact, I think the better decision for him would be to enter the draft. All I was saying is that I don't think Cooley has mishandled the situation. From everything I've heard, he has been pretty forthright, telling Dunn that he is probably a later lottery to late first round pick, but that if he stays and develops he will probably be a top 10 pick. It's not as if Cooley has pulled a Pete Carroll and said that he outwardly that Dunn declaring would be the wrong move because he has more to develop.

Pete Carroll was right.

What was he right about? Waiting a year probably cost Leinart $5-10 million.

While he wasn't a finished product, Sanchez was the starting QB of two teams that made it to the Conference Championship game, in his first two years. You can say that it was because of the defense and the running game mostly, but the QB still needs to be able to make plays and to get that far doesn't happen for someone who isn't "ready" for the NFL. Overall, with Mark, you get what you have and another year of experience was probably not going to change that nor has six years in the NFL changed it.

 

[SJU85]

A resounding NO to UConn. And its not because Jim Calhoun was an ass to us all those years, or even because of football (although that is a good enough reason in and of itself) . IT's also because UConnis a large public university.

The great things about the new Big East is that we are finally in a conference with schools with similar resources and missions. Our schools are private, mostly Catholic (although that doesn't matter all that much), and focused on basketball.

In the old Too Big East, not only were we competing against schools who have the resources of big-time football, but we also had to compete again large public universities that have access to a bottomless pile of taxpayer resources -- UConn, West Virginia, Rutgers, etc.

There is a huge resource disparity between those kind of schools and the school in the new Big East. So if we expand -- and I personally don't think we should -- then we should look other private schools -- a Dayton or St. Louis or St. Joe's. No UConn, no VCU, no UMass etc.

That was the same argument I made previously regarding why I did not think VCU would get an invite into the BE and quite frankly, never even thought about it concerning UConn

I see a Dayton, St. Louis or Richmond before a State School

 

[redfan2kkkkkkjjjjjj]

Pukon?.. Lol!!... tough break fellas... in fact I might take temple just to stick it in their eye!

 

[gregbodkin]

I hate UCONN, I hate UCONN, I hate UCONN. Oh, by the way did I mention, I HATE UCONN!!! :lol:

 

[pjmcb15]

Just assuming alum98 is referencing the fact that the staff if "pressuring" Dunn to stay another year. Rumor has it that they are telling him he is a 15-30 pick this year but if he stays next year he will be top 10. Don't forget that Cooley has done everything for this kid the last two years when he was injured. Don't think his handling of the situation has been wrong, certainly not Pete Carroll and Mark Sanchez like.

That Sanchez was not ready for the NFL


Here is what you seem to be missing, Dunn has led Providence to the NCAA tourney, which should be payback enough for Cooley. He is a first round draft choice which is 3 years of guaranteed money. If he returns to Providence and gets hurt again, who is going to compensate him for that. If he does not have as good a season next year, his stock will drop. This is a business decision and I think the smart move for Dunn is to enter the draft.

I never said that I don't think Dunn should enter the draft. In fact, I think the better decision for him would be to enter the draft. All I was saying is that I don't think Cooley has mishandled the situation. From everything I've heard, he has been pretty forthright, telling Dunn that he is probably a later lottery to late first round pick, but that if he stays and develops he will probably be a top 10 pick. It's not as if Cooley has pulled a Pete Carroll and said that he outwardly that Dunn declaring would be the wrong move because he has more to develop.

Pete Carroll was right.

What was he right about? Waiting a year probably cost Leinart $5-10 million.

While he wasn't a finished product, Sanchez was the starting QB of two teams that made it to the Conference Championship game, in his first two years. You can say that it was because of the defense and the running game mostly, but the QB still needs to be able to make plays and to get that far doesn't happen for someone who isn't "ready" for the NFL. Overall, with Mark, you get what you have and another year of experience was probably not going to change that nor has six years in the NFL changed it.

whether sanchez was ready for the nfl or not has nothing to do with my point. My whole point in referencing sanchez was that what Carroll did could be considered wrong and that Cooley has not done anything close to that. Everything that has come out about what the PC staff is supposedly saying has been accurate to what Dunn's perceived value is. IT is not as if the PC staff is leaking that Dunn is being graded as a 2nd round or undrafted free agent. They're leaking that he is graded as a mid to late 1st round pick. I don't think Cooley has really done anything wrong with the way he's handled the Dunn situation.

 

[ADORAZ]

Dunn rumored to announce tomorrow. Hopefully he's staying.

 

[88grad]

The inaugural Dave Gavitt Tip-off match ups will feature 8 games between the Big East and the Big 10 to start the season. They have announced the first match up (which is a bit underwhelming to me) - Nebraska will visit Villanova.

The remaining match ups are supposed to be announced in the next few days.