Topic: CUSA Basketball

[herdfan129]

I know its super early, but looking at realtimerpi CUSA is currently ranked 30th in conference RPI. It's time to admit this conference does in fact suck in both major sports.


http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_conf_Men.html

[MUsince96]

Incredibly early. Let's revisit when conference play starts and see how we did OOC.

[herdfan129]

Incredibly early. Let's revisit when conference play starts and see how we did OOC.

That's true. We still have all year to climb up to #23 where we finished last season.

[herdorbust]

Mtsu, utep and uab are all going to be good.  And odu will always play some tough defense.

[thunderingon]

The top half of the conference will be very competitive as always, but it has been the bottom half that drags down all of the rankings like the RPI.  I really like our conference for basketball.  The conference has a chance to help itself out tonight, including our game at Morehead, which would be a decent road win. ODU is at Temple, UTEP playing Boise, Southern Miss at Michigan.

[herdfan129]

This conference blows. You can try to spin it however you want, but we are one of the worst conferences in football and men's basketball. There is no denying this.

14 teams and 1 NCAA bid is pitiful.

We would make more money with only 8 teams splitting that 1 bid.

[pembrook burrows III]

CUSA basketball is a bit more complex than just saying "it blows." The lower half of the league has been pretty darn bad, and that drags down the league's overall rating.

But the best teams in the league are pretty good. The fact that the league's only representative has gone into the NCAA tournament as a very low seed three years in a row, and has won a first round game (UAB and MTSU twice), proves that. Effectively, the league has advanced to the round of 32 teams in each of the last three years. And that league representative has not totally dominated its CUSA mates at the top of the heap like Memphis used to do, again adding support to the notion that the top 4-5 teams have been pretty good.

These three NCAA wins in a row have earned the conference valuable additional shares from the NCAA tournament pool money that I think last 3 years each. There are plenty of one-and-done mid-major conferences out there over the past three years, but CUSA does not match that profile.

Certainly the league needs to improve, and it is not a Top 25 team producer. There needs to be more parity. It somehow needs to be able to garner more respect come tournament-picking time. But it is a better basketball league right now than a football league. 

[Herdmeister]

CUSA basketball is a bit more complex than just saying "it blows." The lower half of the league has been pretty darn bad, and that drags down the league's overall rating.

But the best teams in the league are pretty good. The fact that the league's only representative has gone into the NCAA tournament as a very low seed three years in a row, and has won a first round game (UAB and MTSU twice), proves that. Effectively, the league has advanced to the round of 32 teams in each of the last three years. And that league representative has not totally dominated its CUSA mates at the top of the heap like Memphis used to do, again adding support to the notion that the top 4-5 teams have been pretty good.

These three NCAA wins in a row have earned the conference valuable additional shares from the NCAA tournament pool money that I think last 3 years each. There are plenty of one-and-done mid-major conferences out there over the past three years, but CUSA does not match that profile.

Certainly the league needs to improve, and it is not a Top 25 team producer. There needs to be more parity. It somehow needs to be able to garner more respect come tournament-picking time. But it is a better basketball league right now than a football league.

You are right, Pembrook. The league has a consultant working on a plan to try and improve our RPI. Should be rolled out next year.

[herdorbust]

Like said above, the bottom half in basketball is bad. But the upper half is pretty darn good. MTSU proved that beating a projected final 4 (Mich St) team in the first round 2 years ago, and it never was even close. And UAB and UTEP will be very good this year as well. The difference in the top half in football and basketball in CUSA, is in basketball they are capable of beating top teams like MTSU did Mich St.

[herdfan129]

Like said above, the bottom half in basketball is bad. But the upper half is pretty darn good. MTSU proved that beating a projected final 4 (Mich St) team in the first round 2 years ago, and it never was even close. And UAB and UTEP will be very good this year as well. The difference in the top half in football and basketball in CUSA, is in basketball they are capable of beating top teams like MTSU did Mich St.

That's something I can agree with.

Just sucks to see how bad we are perceived as an entire conference.

[whf]

Schedule and beat those other conference teams; it is already happening this year. We've got a chance to beat two OVC teams (ahead of us in this rating) and two SWAC (also ahead of us in this rating) ourselves. It needs to happen across the broad.

We also need games against the Colonial, SunBelt, and Horizon leagues where our teams are local to those institutions.

[parshall2marshall]

[Moved to 'Going to Morehead' Thread]

[herdfan129]

ODU and UTEP both lost today.

UTEP literally gave the game away down the stretch just now.

[wasbarryb]

ODU and UTEP both lost today.

UTEP literally gave the game away down the stretch just now.

Until the "top half" of the conference begins winning out of conference games on a regular basis, we will remain a one bid league.  Herd fans can preach our significance as much as they want.

NCAA bids are based on this year's performance, not last year's tournament performance.

[CoachMaclid]

I'm going to play the "Stop Right There" Card... while I agree that CUSA has problems, I'm going to claim RPI is not valid evidence to throw out until teams are well connected, and they aren't well connected 2 games into the year.

As further proof, I somehow doubt the Ivy League will end up 9 spots higher than the PAC-12 when it's all said and done. 

[coalherd]

ODU and UTEP both lost today.

UTEP literally gave the game away down the stretch just now.

Yep, losses to Temple and Boise State don't win any brownie points from the selection committee, be they in September or in February. 

This conference doesn't need to waste any money (which it has too little of) on a damn consultant.  Answer is simple:  Schedule more "quality" OOC opponents, and win MORE OF THOSE OOC GAMES!!  Duh!

[Herdmeister]

Yep, losses to Temple and Boise State don't win any brownie points from the selection committee, be they in September or in February. 

This conference doesn't need to waste any money (which it has too little of) on a damn consultant.  Answer is simple:  Schedule more "quality" OOC opponents, and win MORE OF THOSE OOC GAMES!!  Duh!

Actually, neither were upsets.

[whf]

C-USA took a hit last night, to which Marshall contributed mightily.

[herdfan129]

I'm going to play the "Stop Right There" Card... while I agree that CUSA has problems, I'm going to claim RPI is not valid evidence to throw out until teams are well connected, and they aren't well connected 2 games into the year.

As further proof, I somehow doubt the Ivy League will end up 9 spots higher than the PAC-12 when it's all said and done.

Please go back and look at where we finished last year. 23rd.

[herdfan129]

C-USA took a hit last night, to which Marshall contributed mightily.

This is the normal thing in CUSA now days.

[HerdKelly]

The top half of the conference will be very competitive as always, but it has been the bottom half that drags down all of the rankings like the RPI.  I really like our conference for basketball.  The conference has a chance to help itself out tonight, including our game at Morehead, which would be a decent road win. ODU is at Temple, UTEP playing Boise, Southern Miss at Michigan.

So every single one of those C-USA teams lost last night AND MTSU lost at Home to Belmont. Really bad start for the conference.

[BHFIOHIO]

36th rated conf but last two yrs saw the champ beat a #2-4 seed in the first round. Those were the vs the little 12 and the Big.

[coalherd]

So every single one of those C-USA teams lost last night AND MTSU lost at Home to Belmont. Really bad start for the conference.

Exactly HerdKelly.  Look at the CUSA teams who won on Thursday:  those victories came against the likes of Bethune Cookman and I think North Texas put up triple digits on an NAIA caliber school.  Sister of the poor victories won't mean crap in post season selections!  And neither will what MTSU did in previous tourney games.  Their losing at home last night to Belmont, who annually is a strong mid major program, hurts the league, given that MTSU is again one of the favorites to win the league title.   Was hoping the Herd would help improve its post season stock by winning more on the road, but last night's performance at Morehead has dampened my enthusiasm.  4 OOC games remaining:  Illinois, Toledo, Xavier and Bill and Mary out of the Colonial.  Right now I'd be happy with a 2-2 split.

[herdorbust]

Exactly HerdKelly.  Look at the CUSA teams who won on Thursday:  those victories came against the likes of Bethune Cookman and I think North Texas put up triple digits on an NAIA caliber school.  Sister of the poor victories won't mean crap in post season selections!  And neither will what MTSU did in previous tourney games.  Their losing at home last night to Belmont, who annually is a strong mid major program, hurts the league, given that MTSU is again one of the favorites to win the league title.   Was hoping the Herd would help improve its post season stock by winning more on the road, but last night's performance at Morehead has dampened my enthusiasm.  4 OOC games remaining:  Illinois, Toledo, Xavier and Bill and Mary out of the Colonial.  Right now I'd be happy with a 2-2 split.

Coalherd what about akron, utc and ohio u?

[coalherd]

Coalherd what about akron, utc and ohio u?

Sorry, herdorbust, I guess my comments weren't clear.  I meant to comment on our OOC ROAD games.  We have 5 total this season:  Morehead was the first.  I was trying to say right now I'd take a split in the four remaining ROAD opponents before the conference season starts.  We all "know" (hope) that our guys will take care of those 3 you mention at the CAM!!  ;D