Davidson next for A10?

[coasterville95]

Jeff Goodman (CBS) tweets that "the a10 is close to adding Davidson" per "sources"

Again, would not be surprise as George Mason and Davidson were the runners up when Butler and VCU got the nod.

[xubrew]

Davidson is a fantastic addition. It's good for both the A10 and for Davidson. They're losing three starters, and it kind of sucks that it appears they're going to be at the bottom of their talent cycle as they enter the Atlantic Ten, but they've had some very good teams that flew under the radar due to them being in the SoCon. They were very good this past year, and would have likely made the Sweet Sixteen had they not gone ice cold in the last five minutes of their game against Marquette. They did the same thing late in the second half out at New Mexico earlier in the year. It just sucks for them that they were a good shooting team, and their two biggest dry spells came in two of their biggest games. Still, it's a good program that will be competitive right away.

I'm not nearly as big on George Mason. They were bad before Larranaga, and they made a ridiculously bad hire after he left. They may not be good again for awhile.

[paulxu]

I would guess Davidson will struggle in the A10. They are a small school (less than 2000) and a perfect fit for part of the SoCon.
(the other part...larger state schools that play football...are gradually leaving)
Watched them play a lot as they visited Wofford each year...through Curry and onto now.
Very, very well coached team. But they'll have to ramp up their recruiting as they can't depend on one player to carry them through the A10 schedule.
Which may necessitate a cultural change for more academic at-risk players than they are use to bringing in.
Should be interesting to watch if they get in the A10.

[xubrew]

I would guess Davidson will struggle in the A10. They are a small school (less than 2000) and a perfect fit for part of the SoCon.
(the other part...larger state schools that play football...are gradually leaving)
Watched them play a lot as they visited Wofford each year...through Curry and onto now.
Very, very well coached team. But they'll have to ramp up their recruiting as they can't depend on one player to carry them through the A10 schedule.
Which may necessitate a cultural change for more academic at-risk players than they are use to bringing in.
Should be interesting to watch if they get in the A10.

If you've watched them as much as it sounds like you have, wouldn't you agree that they don't rely on one player?? They're always balanced and deep. The Curry years were the exception.

The thing that strikes me about Davidson is the sheer number of near misses they seem to have. Just this year alone, New Mexico is a place where top ten teams would struggle, and Davidson almost won there and should have won their. Marquette was arguably a top ten team, and Davidson blew that. It seems as though they are way undermatched, or in over their heads. The Atlantic Ten strikes me as being just right for them right now. They'll struggle, especially next year after losing three of their better players, but in the end I think it will make them a lot better. VCU didn't dominate the conference, but still ended up far better off than they would have been had they been dominating the Colonial. The A10 isn't a leage of superpowers, but it is still a league where the teams who rise to the top of it will be safely in the field. That's not the case with the SoCon. The best a team can hope for is to knock off some heavyweights out of conference, and then go through the tedium of trying to avoid a bad loss in conference. It typically doesn't even provide opportunities for top 100 wins, much less wins against teams that are on the bubble or inside the field.

[GoMuskies]

I think they'll do just fine in the A-10. They don't need to ramp up their recruiting at all. They teams they've had the last ten years would all (or almost all) have finished in the top half of the A-10, and some of them would have challenged for the league title.

[paulxu]

i believe they will struggle unless they lower the academic requirement. Remind me a little of Princeton.
Got a good system with a long term coach. Extremely disciplined team ball. Having a Curry took them to another level.
Took them 2 years to recover, and they play mostly 200/300 rpi teams in league.
Get to watch them some, and it is good basketball; but I think they will struggle going through 16 games of A10 ball.

[xubrew]

I seriously doubt Davidson will lower their academic standards. It's Davidson.

[bobbiemcgee]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9251315/atlantic-10-add-davidson-wildcats-2014-15

[xubrew]

I will definitely be rooting for Davidson in the Atlantic Ten. I can't help but think they're going to become much more indelible on the college basketball map. They do a great job developing their players, and as they lose their better players, the guys that take their place seem to end up topping them. They'll be pretty good again next year despite losing three starters, and playing in the Atlantic Ten the following year will reduce the number of games against sub 200 teams, and increase their chances of getting noticed.

[LA Muskie]

I like Davidson and I think this is a great pickup for the A-10. I have to say the conference is doing a good job of backfilling. Which I love because it means Dayton should generally remain a middling average/above average member.

[GuyFawkes38]

It's an adorable school for an adorable conference (it's fun to sound patronizing towards the A10 now). Just joking.

Davidson is a nice, logical pick up.

[xubrew]

I like Davidson and I think this is a great pickup for the A-10. I have to say the conference is doing a good job of backfilling. Which I love because it means Dayton should generally remain a middling average/above average member.

Most likely.

Dayton is typically tough to beat at home. The place can be a snake pit. But, away from home, they're below average most of the time. Average that out, and you've got a middling average/above average member. I think VCU will be a consistent frontrunner, and I really do think Davidson will be viable and competing for at-large bids most of the time. All and all, I think the league is as good as it was before, and maybe even a little better, and I think Dayton's place within the league will remain pretty much the same. I could be wrong, but they've been stagnant for a long time and have given very little indication that that will change.

[muskiefan82]

I have a hardtime saying the A-10 might be better after losing Xavier, Butler and Temple. VCU is a good replacement for any one of the 3, but Davidson is not on the same level. Neither is George Mason.

[bobbiemcgee]

ditto

[xubrew]

I have a hardtime saying the A-10 might be better after losing Xavier, Butler and Temple. VCU is a good replacement for any one of the 3, but Davidson is not on the same level. Neither is George Mason.

If you count Butler, then the league isn't better. They were only there for a year, though, so when I say I think the league will be as good as it was "before", I mean before Butler.

Before Butler, Xavier was a constant frontrunner, and we typically saw between one and three more teams that were in contention to get an at-large bid, and rarely was it as many as three teams other than Xavier.

Moving forward, I think VCU will be a constant frontrunner, and...well....we'll see between one and three additional teams in contention for an at-large bid.

As I've said before, I really like Davidson, and can see them being a team that's in the at-large discussion most of the time similar to how Temple was.

Other than that, I think it will fluctuate like it always did. Richmond was good for a time. Saint Joe's was good every now and then. SLU was good this past year. Even GW was good for a minute a few years back....but just for a minute. Right now, La Salle and UMass appear to be trending up. So, yeah, I think it will be as good as it was before...as in before Temple and VCU joined. Maybe even a little better.

[DC Muskie]

Maybe even a little better.

"Better" how?

By tournament bids?

By non conference wins?

GW has won two conference tournaments in 37 years of membership in the A10.

Entering next season, SJU will be nine years removed from their last conference title.

LaSalle made their first tournament appearance in 21 years, SBU made it last year after 12, and that was their first trip since 1978.

Since becoming a member in 2001, Richmond has never won the regular season title and won one conference tournament. They have the same number of Sweet 16's as Davidson does in the last 25 years.

I could go on and on. All of these programs have had their moments. But they are few and far between. VCU looks like the Xavier in this league because they won before they got into the A10 and won when they got there. Let's wait and see if Davidson can win in the A10 before we start saying they are the next Temple.

But "better" than the old A10? No way.

[xubrew]

"Better" how?

By tournament bids?

By non conference wins?

GW has won two conference tournaments in 37 years of membership in the A10.

Entering next season, SJU will be nine years removed from their last conference title.

LaSalle made their first tournament appearance in 21 years, SBU made it last year after 12, and that was their first trip since 1978.

Since becoming a member in 2001, Richmond has never won the regular season title and won one conference tournament. They have the same number of Sweet 16's as Davidson does in the last 25 years.

I could go on and on. All of these programs have had their moments. But they are few and far between. VCU looks like the Xavier in this league because they won before they got into the A10 and won when they got there. Let's wait and see if Davidson can win in the A10 before we start saying they are the next Temple.

But "better" than the old A10? No way.

Pretty much everything you said validates the fact that the A10 wasn't that good before, so why does everyone think it is such a stretch to say that the league will continue to be the same that it was?? In a good year, the A10 was the 7th best overall conference. There were a few years that Xavier was the only that was anywhere close to earning an at-large bid. So, yes, I think the tournament bids and non-conference wins will be about the same...and MAYBE even a little better. I think some of the programs, such as LaSalle and UMass, are actually trending up. After years of being stagnant and not giving a crap, some of them actually appear to be trying to get better.

[DC Muskie]

Pretty much everything you said validates the fact that the A10 wasn't that good before, so why does everyone think it is such a stretch to say that the league will continue to be the same that it was?? In a good year, the A10 was the 7th best overall conference. There were a few years that Xavier was the only that was anywhere close to earning an at-large bid. So, yes, I think the tournament bids and non-conference wins will be about the same...and MAYBE even a little better. I think some of the programs, such as LaSalle and UMass, are actually trending up. After years of being stagnant and not giving a crap, some of them actually appear to be trying to get better.

Because there are no more schools like Xavier and Temple who have built themselves into consistent at large participants in the dance. None of those schools added are capable of doing home and home against stronger schools, that will provide them the opportunity to win.

You seemed to argue that since GW was good way back when and Richmond was good, the A10 could be even better with the addition of Davidson. I don't get that. Losing Xavier, Temple and yes even Butler hurts that conference greatly. The A10 had what, five bids last year? That's three right there. I don't think Davidson or Mason have the resources to be consistently good as Xavier and Temple. The A10 will most likely turn into a two or possible three bid league. It's basically turning more into the old CAA, then being better than the old A10.

[DC Muskie]

And yes I'm listening to music as I write this and totally realized just now we did not in fact go to the tournament last year.

I am terrible at multitasking on a Friday afternoon.

[xubrew]

Because there are no more schools like Xavier and Temple who have built themselves into consistent at large participants in the dance. None of those schools added are capable of doing home and home against stronger schools, that will provide them the opportunity to win.

You seemed to argue that since GW was good way back when and Richmond was good, the A10 could be even better with the addition of Davidson. I don't get that. Losing Xavier, Temple and yes even Butler hurts that conference greatly. The A10 had what, five bids last year? That's three right there. I don't think Davidson or Mason have the resources to be consistently good as Xavier and Temple. The A10 will most likely turn into a two or possible three bid league. It's basically turning more into the old CAA, then being better than the old A10.

That's not what I'm arguing at all.

Let me try again.

The Atlantic Ten of old generally saw Xavier as a frontrunner, and maybe one or two (and in a very good year three) other teams who were in a position to get an at-large bid.

I think the new Atlantic Ten will generally see VCU as a frontrunner, and maybe one or two (and in a very good year three) other teams that are in a position to get an at-large bid. I think Davidson will be one of those teams most of the time.

Last year, the Atlantic Ten got five teams in, but two of them were VCU and Butler, who weren't in the league "BEFORE.' People who are disagreeing with me are acting like Butler and VCU had been in the league all along, and that the league was always producing five teams that were safely in the field. if you take out Butler and VCU, the league was about the same as it was before. It certainly wasn't any worse, and was maybe a little bit better. L

VCU earned a #5 seed. I can only think of three years where Xavier earned a seed better than that. (2003, 2008, 2009). In looking at VCU, I think they're going to continue to be as good as they have been, and probably even improve.


So, my argument/anticipation is that VCU will be a solid frontrunner, Davidson will be in the picture more often than not, and everyone else will be between average and mediocre most of the time, but will compete for NCAA tournament bids some of the time on a fluctuating basis. Just like before. The only reason I mentioned GW was to show that no one was consistent, but several teams put together good teams on occasion. I think that will continue.

[DC Muskie]

That's not better brew. Even with a MAYBE thrown in front of it. That's what I am saying.

The A10 is doing a good job with what they have to work with. But they are not adding programs that Xavier and Temple provide in terms of resources. At best the A10 maybe as good as it was back in say the early 2000's.

[xubrew]

Last season, SLU got a #4 seed, VCU got a #5 seed and La Salle got a #11 seed. Three teams getting in without needing the automatic bid is a pretty good year by the old Atlantic Ten standards prior to Butler and VCU joining. Two teams getting seeded #5th or better almost never happened. In fact I can only think of one year when it did, and that was in 2003 when X got a #3 and UD got a #4.

That is as good as the league normally was berore. Actually, it was a little better than the league normally was. I think they will continue to perform at that level, and I think Davidson is another good addition.

2008 was Temple's first tournament appearance since 2001, and they needed to win the conference tournament to get it. Same with 2009. They've been good since then, but I wouldn't call them irreplaceable. They've won two NCAA tournament games since 2001.

VCU will take over the flagship role, and be as nationally visible as Xavier was. They have a brand name, a great athletic department, and they've got Spike Lee traveling with the team (that really shouldn't mean anything, but it probably does). They are a good program that is turning into one of the biggest media darlings out there. As has been talked about and whined about at length around here, Xavier didn't really experience that to the degree that other programs have.

[DC Muskie]

And Temple has gone to the last six tournaments. Temple would have dominated the SoCon had they been a member.

Part of the reason those teams got those seeds is because of the addition of Butler in the league.

Again though I need to go back to the idea that I don't care about the A10. I will say that I will never ever agree with the idea that the A10 will be just as good or even better without Xavier, Butler and Temple in the mix.

[xubrew]

And Temple has gone to the last six tournaments. Temple would have dominated the SoCon had they been a member.

Part of the reason those teams got those seeds is because of the addition of Butler in the league.

Again though I need to go back to the idea that I don't care about the A10. I will say that I will never ever agree with the idea that the A10 will be just as good or even better without Xavier, Butler and Temple in the mix.

Butler was only in the mix for one year, and for the umpteenth time I'm talking about the way the league was before Butler joined it.

I'm not saying that the Atlantic Ten wouldn't be better if it still had Butler, Xavier and Temple. Of course it would be. Butler was never there before, though, so saying the Atlantic Ten would be better if it still had Butler is kinda like saying it would be better if they had Duke. Of course it would be. But, they never had Butler before just like they never had Duke before, so referencing them is pointless.

Moving forward, the A10 will have one flagship team that is often in the rankings and almost always in the tournament (VCU). It will have one, two, or maybe even three more teams in a position to make the tournament every year. I don't think it will be the same team every year because I don't think any of them are good enough to consistently produce tournament caliber teams, but I think almost all of them are good enough to occasionally produce a tournament caliber team. I could easily see Davidson, who this thread is about, being good enough to have a tournament team most of the time. Part of the reason Davidson didn't get better seeds in the past was because they were in the SoCon, which consists predominantly of sub top 200 teams.

Prior to last season, the A10 had one flagship team that was often in the rankings and almost always in the tournament (Xavier). They also had one, two, and in a VERY good year three additional teams in a position to make the NCAA Tournament.

So....exactly how is the league not at least as good as it was before??

On top of that, of the three shittiest teams known to man (Fordham, La Salle, Duquesne), only one of them is still completely shitty. There isn't nearly as much deadweight was there was four or five years ago, although Rhody is doing their best to compensate for the improvement of La Salle.

[DC Muskie]

Butler was only in the mix for one year, and for the umpteenth time I'm talking about the way the league was before Butler joined it.

Look, I'm not going to bother reading past this point.

VCU doesn't get a 5th seed without Butler in this league. LaSalle might not have been in the tournament without beating Butler.

VCU has been in the league one year, and you are projecting their role as the new Xavier. You point to the success of the seeds of the A10 in 2013, and you want to completely dismiss the fact that Butler helped the A10's over RPI.

That's fine. Have at it. Just don't expect me to read the rest of your argument if it bothers you that I brought up Butler and what they did this past season.

You can't have it both ways. Davidson is the new Temple, but it's the Temple of the past six years, not the Temple of the years between 2002-2007. LaSalle is good this year, but weren't before, but then UMass was good in 1996, as was GW....

My head is going to explode.

[xubrew]

VCU played Butler once at home. What seed do you think they would have gotten had they played George Mason or Davidson at home instead?? It may not have even made the difference of a seed line. VCU loses Troy Daniels, but they return everybody else that is worth a crap. They are going to be awesome next year. It's not that they got a #5 seed. It's that they got a #5 seed in a year that many were expecting to be a building year. To attribute how good they were last year to one home game against Butler is...well...insane. Treveon Graham was just a sophomore this past year. They're recruiting seems to be going pretty well too. They're not going to fall apart just because they don't get one game against Butler.

Seriously, I get that I'm out on a limb with Davidson, but how in the hell could anyone say that VCU is not a rock solid program?? It's kind of like saying people typically eat lunch in the afternoon. It's hardly a bold prediction. It's an obvious observation.

You were right about La Salle, though, I must admit. I said they were a #11, but they were actually a #13. Then again, they also played Butler just once at home, and Butler wasn't even at full strength, so they didn't get THAT much credit for it. Had they played Davidson or Mason at home, and not lost to Central Connecticut, their profile probably looks about the same. They also won at VCU and beat Villanova, but because they did lose to such a shit CCSU team, they probably did need that win against Butler.

[paulxu]

I could easily see Davidson, who this thread is about, being good enough to have a tournament team most of the time.

I don't want in your argument. But I watched a lot of Davidson over the past 20 years as they come to Spartanburg to play Wofford.
VERY well coached, a lot of fun to watch. And sometimes the SoCon has a good team every now and then (Wofford beating us at home?).
But they are a notch below A10 caliber players, and need a Curry to even compete on a consistent basis. I think they will struggle for a while until their recruiting catches up to the St Louis, VCU or most of the other A10 teams.

[xubrew]

Paul, one of the reasons I argue is that it's more fun to argue about college basketball than it is to not have any discussions at all about college basketball.

What I like about Davidson is the way they develop players, the way that they continue to push their profile (particularly with how well they schedule out of conference), the way that they have improved incrementally, and the fact that they've been so close the past two years.

Since the Curry years, which I think we can all agree were a huge aberration of what is typical for them, they've been getting better and better each year, especially the last two years. That, and they've been SOOO close. Two years ago, they beat Kansas in Kansas City, and seemed to be in a position to get an at-large bid, but then lost two crap games in conference, and it knocked them down several seed lines. They ended up having to play Louisville, who was a #4 seed, and who was as hot as anyone in the country. Davidson actually played them close. Had they not blown the games in conference play, they probably get a better seed and it is a winnable game. For that matter, had they played as well as they did against any other #4 seed, they probably win. Lastly, if they didn't have so many conference games against sub 200 teams, their RPI is better, they get a better seed, and have a better chance of winning.

This past year, the completely blew it against Marquette. I mean...WOW, it was an epic meltdown. In addition to going ice cold in the final minutes after shooting the ball well all year, they turned it over three times in the last ninety seconds and blew a seven point lead (or whatever it was) in less than a minute. They also blew what appeared to be a comfortable lead out in New Mexico earlier in the year. If they hang on to win at New Mexico, they probably get a better seed and end up winning. Had they not blown it against Marquette, they would have probably beaten Butler because that Davidson team was a nightmare matchup for them. So, I can't help but think that they just missed the Sweet Sixteen this past year.

With better consistent competition throughout the regular season, and more opportunities, I think it will be easier for them to break through. To play so many sub 200 teams with one or two shots at a top ten team, that's a hard way to get noticed. To play the majority of your games against the top 100, and get more chances at tournament caliber teams who aren't completely overwhelming, I can see them taking off.

They do lose three starters, but they had eight guys that saw contributing minutes a year ago. They always go eight or nine deep, they always seem to produce an experienced lineup even when they lose starters, and for the past three years they seem to be getting better with each cycle. That's what I like about them. It's not a sure thing. I get that I'm out on a limb. But, those are the indicators that have me thinking they can be a solid program and do very well in the Atlantic Ten.

As for VCU, a Final Four, followed by an equally as good (and probably better) overall season the next year that ended with a missed last second shot against Indiana that would have sent them to the Sweet Sixteen, followed by what everyone thought was going to be a rebuilding year, but ended up being a top 25 finish, followed by having four starters coming back next year with good recruits on the way after that, I don't think it's too outrageous to think they're a very solid program that appears to keep getting better, and can carry the Atlantic Ten as well as Xavier did. I really think next year's VCU team is going to make people sick because the media will be kissing their ass and hyping them up all year. But, media attention aside, they are going to be VERY good.

[GoMuskies]

But they are a notch below A10 caliber players,

I just don't see that. I heard a lot of talk about Butler and VCU not being ready to compete for the A-10 title because they didn't yet have "A-10 caliber players" early this year, too (not necessarily from you), and I knew that was a load of crap. The fact is, A-10 players aren't much different than SoCon players. The average A-10 player is better than the average SoCon player, sure, but Davidson doesn't have the average SoCon player. They have superior SoCon players. I think if you take the Davidson teams from the last ten years and put them in the A-10, they finish in the top half of the league virtually every year.

[paulxu]

Well, all I have is a bunch of impressions from seeing them up close in what amounts to a high school gym atmosphere.
Yes, they play good, well coached/executed team ball...and obviously excel when they get a Curry.
But they don't play A10 level competition night in, night out. They go off every now and then (like Wofford at X) but it's my impression they couldn't handle that on a consistent basis yet.
They are not Butler and VCU; not even close.

[xubrew]

Well, all I have is a bunch of impressions from seeing them up close in what amounts to a high school gym atmosphere.
Yes, they play good, well coached/executed team ball...and obviously excel when they get a Curry.
But they don't play A10 level competition night in, night out. They go off every now and then (like Wofford at X) but it's my impression they couldn't handle that on a consistent basis yet.
They are not Butler and VCU; not even close.

I think they've been better these last two years than they were in Curry's freshman and junior year. That's hard to quantify, but it's just the impression I get. Curry's sophomore year they were really good. They didn't have any top 100 wins during the regular season, but I want to say that they played four top ten teams that year, and lost all four games by a combined total of 20 pts, or something like that. They were actually 3-6 before they started blowing through all those sub top 100 teams. Kansas won the national title that year, and I still think Davidson should have beaten them.

But, like I said earlier, I don't even look at that season when I assess their program. It was an aberration and has nothing to do with their current program status. At the end of the day, I think playing so many teams outside of the RPI top 200 works against them. Playing A10 caliber competition will help them a lot more than it will overwhelm them.

The thing is, none of these arguments will be proven right or wrong until a couple of years from now, and by then no one will remember that we were even arguing about it. It's just that in the offseason, pretty much the only thing you have to talk about are hypotheticals.

[xubrew]

I don't want in your argument. But I watched a lot of Davidson over the past 20 years as they come to Spartanburg to play Wofford.
VERY well coached, a lot of fun to watch. And sometimes the SoCon has a good team every now and then (Wofford beating us at home?).
But they are a notch below A10 caliber players, and need a Curry to even compete on a consistent basis. I think they will struggle for a while until their recruiting catches up to the St Louis, VCU or most of the other A10 teams.

Why not?? It's the offseason. What else is there to do??

Here's the thing, and this is especially true with DC Muskie, the more valid I think his points are, the more strongly I argue against them. And why not?? It's the offseason. In his last post he mentioned that his head was about to explode. I would very much like to see that.

[GoMuskies]

Well, all I have is a bunch of impressions from seeing them up close in what amounts to a high school gym atmosphere.
Yes, they play good, well coached/executed team ball...and obviously excel when they get a Curry.
But they don't play A10 level competition night in, night out. They go off every now and then (like Wofford at X) but it's my impression they couldn't handle that on a consistent basis yet.
They are not Butler and VCU; not even close.

I understand. Basically it's just my opinion that most A-10 level competition is pretty average to bad. Finishing in the top half of the A-10 isn't much of an accomplishment to tell you the truth. I find it hard to believe that Davidson hasn't been better AND more talented than half of the A-10 on a very consistent basis.

[Milhouse]

Why not?? It's the offseason. What else is there to do??



Besides posting on UDpride?? :)

[xudash]

Besides posting on UDpride?? :)

Some of those guys really crack me up. I think it's Gem City who seems to believe that UD is the cat's meow.

He started a thread about UC and the AAC and used it as an opportunity to move his phantom armies around the board in order to 'flank' Xavier:

UC and the American Athletic Conference

It would appear that one of our oldest rivals in the Cincinnnati Beacats currently find themselves in a similiar predicament to our beloved Dayton Flyers. Both programs, it would seem have been left at the alter for the latest flavor of the month. UC has slid back into what would appear to be the second coming of C-USA called the American Athletic Confernce. On the other hand, our beloved Flyers have once again been rejected by the cool lunch table known as the Big East teams. I would argue this situtuation has just opened up an opportunity for our Flyers to renew one of our oldest and storied rivalries in the UC Bearcats. It's time to make lemonade boys.

Look, UC has to be looking for ways to improve their out of conference strength of schedule and on the other hand UD has to be looking for ways to get a marquee name on the schedule. This would seem to be a win/ win for both programs. If I were UD's administration, I would approach UC with the idea of renewing the rivalry at US Bank Arena. I would also include this neutral site game in the current season ticket package to ensure great attendance from the Flyer Faithful.

I would sell this game to UC as a way of isolating Xavier. Look, no matter which way you cut it, Xavier will always play second fidle to UC in the Cincinnati market. Xavier could join the Big Ten tomorrow and they'd still be seen as the little guy in the city of Cincinnati. It's just a fact of life.

Xavier is going to take a PR hit for killing the UD rivalry game. (in both markets) On the other hand, UC has the opportunity to look like the good guys here and steal a little thunder by saying, we'll play the Flyers! On top of that, knowing Mick Cronin, he'd be all for renewing this traditonal rivalrly. It's also an opportunity for both programs to play up the regional rivalry in an attempt to mimimize the Xavier rivalry. Steal some of their thunder so to speak. I would even push for the UD vs UC game to be part of rivalry week over the Xavier vs UC game. I would try to market the crap out of this game, to make it bigger than the "Cross Town Classic." Give it a catchy name and throw in a travel trophy, promote the heck out the thing. Send a message to Xavier that no matter what league they are in they are still the third place team in the market when your talking about fan bases in southern Ohio. Come on UD, get this game back on the schedule.

I know some of us believe that going over to the UD board now is taboo, but I go there occasionally for the entertainment, especially now with those hillbillies in limbo.

Did you guys know that Xavier is going to take a PR hit for killing the UD rivalry game?

[muskiefan82]

Ummmm...........who is the rival Dayton team? I am unaware of a rival team by that name. I remember a team named Dayton that has lost every game they've played against Xavier in Cincinnati since I have been going to the games (82-83 season), but not a rival. Strange that there might be another team with the same name that is a rival and I don't know who they are? Does Dayton, KY have a Division 1 team?

[Milhouse]

I read it occasionally and I find it hysterical how much Xavier Envy there is over there. It's just ridiculous.

If they focused on their own program as much as they focused on us maybe they'd actually be somewhere.

[DC Muskie]

Xavier could join the Big Ten tomorrow and they'd still be seen as the little guy in the city of Cincinnati. It's just a fact of life.[/I]

My God, if we joined the Big Ten that would mean we have a huge football program, one that's on par with Ohio State.

Do you think people actually think about the utter nonsense they write when they try and make comparisons like this? It's a fact of life that if Xavier was in one of , if not THE richest atheltic conference in the country, it would still be the little guy to UC? Ummm...okay.

It's a fact that my completely made up, pulled out of my ass analogy, is true. When clearly it wouldn't.

I like how this guy thinks that Dayton and UC putting together a rivalry game in Cincinnati no less, and "market the crap out of it" will somehow, someway isolate Xavier.

Then all of sudden we move down a peg to third most important because hey regular sports fan, UC and Dayton are playing in a shitbox! "ShitBox Shootout!" That's what you can call it actually.

Two shitbox teams playing in a shitbox gym. Make a toilet the trophy and then call the trophy the "Handshake." Dayton fans would surely get fired up to win the "Handshake" trophy for sure. Yup UD admins, make this game happen!

Not our rivals.

[GoMuskies]

Dayton should totally get a home and home going with NKU. That would show us.

[Muskie]

maybe they'll also register a website called daytonhoops.com to outflank xavier message boards .. seriously I stopped paying attention to these guys right around February 17, 2013.

[xubrew]

Besides posting on UDpride?? :)

Or reading it??

[coasterville95]

So, is it too early to drop all the A10 teams on social media, and add the Big East teams. Or should I wait till July 1st?

[El Shaqtus]

I think Davidson is good for the A-10 myself, but who gives a *bleep*, right?

Go win that darn Big East. That way, we could meet deep in March.

I actually saw friends putting a petition together to have the A-10 kick SLU out of it. Yeah, it's ugly over here.

[coasterville95]

People from within SLU want SLU kicked out??!!?? What sense does that make, the SLU program is on the rise, look at this past season!

[El Shaqtus]

People from within SLU want SLU kicked out??!!?? What sense does that make, the SLU program is on the rise, look at this past season!

It's a running Big East joke.

It's no one with any connection to the program, that's for darn sure.

Our future is tied to that Ohio school which shall not be named.

[xu95]

It's a running Big East joke.

It's no one with any connection to the program, that's for darn sure.

Our future is tied to that Ohio school which shall not be named.

I don't think your future is tied to them. I think you have a future in the BE with Richmond while Dayton tries to figure out how they can still be a middle of the pack road team in the A10.

[GoMuskies]

So, is it too early to drop all the A10 teams on social media, and add the Big East teams. Or should I wait till July 1st?

Wait until the end of the A-10 baseball tournament. Unless Xavier gets swept at Butler and misses the tournament.

[xubrew]

SLU has a future with Jim Crews. I can see that being a problem for them. Other than the Romar years, SLU was never a team that was consistently in the NCAAs before Majerus. Now that Majerus is gone, and Crews is there, I'm not 100 percent sold on their staying power. It wouldn't surprise me if they were able to stay good, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it is a foregone conclusion either.