College Basketball 2019-2020

[adkindo]

I'm certain Gonzaga would like to join a better conference, but there are no better conferences available given the geography and their lack of football. I know they and the Big East have kicked the tires over the years, but there's really no way to make a member in Spokane, WA work for a conference called the Big East (that has 5 members within almost a literal stone's throw of the Atlantic Ocean).

solution is to start playing football

[Reds Freak]

Their incentive is that nothing lasts forever. Mark Few will eventually have to retire. Long-term, they've got a lot better chance to maintain themselves as a premier program if they're in a better league.

And I agree with AH below on the TV revenue piece, too, although I suspect Gonzaga probably manages to do okay on that score. They're on major TV networks a lot.

I'm not privvy to the numbers, but I figure football is the main driver of the TV revenue bus so I wonder how much better they would do elsewhere. I would think it would take something radical like the Pac-12 adding them as a non-football member to improve the conference's basketball profile. Or the Big East or the American doing some sort of East/West divisions, but even that seems shaky.

[Bob Sheed]

BIG EAST
Western Division

[Assembly Hall]

And I agree with AH below on the TV revenue piece, too, although I suspect Gonzaga probably manages to do okay on that score. They're on major TV networks a lot.

Whatever Gonzaga makes, they could do a helluva lot better in a bigger/better conference. I would argue that they are making peanuts now to what their "brand" is worth. But they are "trapped" on the left side of the Rockies.

[adkindo]

I'm not privvy to the numbers, but I figure football is the main driver of the TV revenue bus so I wonder how much better they would do elsewhere. I would think it would take something radical like the Pac-12 adding them as a non-football member to improve the conference's basketball profile. Or the Big East or the American doing some sort of East/West divisions, but even that seems shaky.

The Mountain West has tried to get Gonzaga multiple times. I think a lot of the bball money is derived from outside of the television contracts from the NCAA Tournament credits. Most of the big conferences accumulate all and distribute somewhat evenly (I think). Not sure how that is handled in the WCC.

Actually, I just googled, and it appears they remain in the WCC because they get a sweetheart deal on the Tournament credits. So yeah, they actually could join a more competitive conference, but without a football team, it would be less revenue.

https://apnews.com/275680042f9e4b5bb7b71a4fbca0ff10

[texasdave]

The Bearcats were giving away free palpitations to anyone in the stands that wanted them last night. Or even if they didn't want them. They pulled it out in overtime though. Tre Scott has been on fire over the past 2 contests, scoring 50 points and hauling down 32 rebounds. UC lives to fight on for another day.

[Bob Sheed]

UC is one of those teams that keeps getting better as the season goes on.

I don't know what their ceiling is, but it has been a lot of fun to watch them progress.

[Boston Red]

Louisville is getting handled by the bottom of the ACC these days. Some really bad teams. Not a good look for a supposed top 5 team.

[Revering4Blue]

Louisville is getting handled by the bottom of the ACC these days. Some really bad teams. Not a good look for a supposed top 5 team.

Yet still not nearly as bad as Butler losing at home to an injury-riddled, weakened-by-defection Georgetown team. Then again, there are no sure things in Big East play.

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[Boston Red]

Georgetown is a fringe NCAA Tournament team. Georgia Tech and Clemson are...not.

At the same time, you're right that a team ranked in the top 20 shouldn't be losing at home to a team with 5 scholarships players.

[Assembly Hall]

Yet still not nearly as bad as Butler losing at home to an injury-riddled, weakened-by-defection Georgetown team. Then again, there are no sure things in Big East play.

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That was just pitiful.

[Todd Gack]

With the talk about UC and some bad conference losses in regards to Butler, Louisville, etc. Historically, I feel like the committee rewards good wins more than punishing bad losses. . . especially early in the year. UC will be penalized, a little bit, for those early losses, but not as much as people think. At this rate, if UC finishes 1st or second in conference and wins at least 1 game in AAC tournament, I think they're a shoe-in to make the tournament.

[Assembly Hall]

With the talk about UC and some bad conference losses in regards to Butler, Louisville, etc. Historically, I feel like the committee rewards good wins more than punishing bad losses. . . especially early in the year. UC will be penalized, a little bit, for those early losses, but not as much as people think. At this rate, if UC finishes 1st or second in conference and wins at least 1 game in AAC tournament, I think they're a shoe-in to make the tournament.

In regards to Butler and Louisville, they are both easily in. But they keep dropping down the seed line.

[texasdave]

Bearcats playing with fire again, trailing by 8 with 11 minutes to go against East Carolina.

[Todd Gack]

Bearcats playing with fire again, trailing by 8 with 11 minutes to go against East Carolina.

This team could lose 3 of their remaining regular season games and miss out on tournament orrrrrrrrr make an Elite 8 run. I have no idea how this will go.

All in all, they have played through an incredible amount of adversity this year. Quickly becoming one of my favorite UC teams of all time. 2006 will remain my favorite for multiple reasons.