AAC Tourney Headed to Hartford

[Muskie]

I bet MOR has his first class plane tickets and hotel accommodations BOOKED. (Link (http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/04/14/report-the-american-tournament-is-headed-to-hartford/))

In its first season in existence, the American held their conference tournament in Memphis, but with the Tigers a member of the league and losing in the first round, the majority of the event was played in front of embarrassingly sparse crowds.

[xubrew]

I still think Memphis is the best place for it. It doesn't really matter what city they have it in, though. If the host goes out early, it's a half empty house at best the rest of the way. There really isn't a location that is conducive to multiple teams other than maybe someplace in Florida, but UCF and USF aren't going deep into it any time soon.

[Muskie]

I still think Memphis is the best place for it. It doesn't really matter what city they have it in, though. If the host goes out early, it's a half empty house at best the rest of the way. There really isn't a location that is conducive to multiple teams other than maybe someplace in Florida, but UCF and USF aren't going deep into it any time soon.

That's true. I wonder if they're not just better off having the higher seeds host on campus? that sounds small time I know, but it promises a good crowd most of the time.

[Masterofreality]

I think it's hilarious that Little Mickey will feel screwed again, like his Borecats have to play a Tournament on the Favored Team's court.

Oh, the humanity!!!!

[sirthought]

I wonder if they should do what A10 does and have it in a tourist destination like Atlantic City. Neutral location that people might enjoy the trip for other than basketball. (Although I hate gambling, I guess some schmucks don't mind it.)

[powerofX]

I wonder if they should do what A10 does and have it in a tourist destination like Atlantic City. Neutral location that people might enjoy the trip for other than basketball. (Although I hate gambling, I guess some schmucks don't mind it.)

Agree. It's the only way to come across as even semi-major so that you don't have empty seats like at Memphis. With Tulane joining, I'd do NOLA. It's a tourist destination with flights in from pretty much any major city. Tulane is bad so it won't be like Uconn's home court for this coming year. But I'm just a guy with am internet connection and not the conference commish...

[GoMuskies]

Congrats to every other city in America

[nuts4xu]

They should put it in dayton, with all the other shitty basketball they play there.

[xubrew]

I wonder if they should do what A10 does and have it in a tourist destination like Atlantic City. Neutral location that people might enjoy the trip for other than basketball. (Although I hate gambling, I guess some schmucks don't mind it.)

Well then, maybe Florida is where they should have it. They could play it at Disney World, or Tampa. The American Spring Break Basketball Championship. (Oh brother)

That league is so boring without Louisville. At least you had a smattering of rivalries/good match ups with Louisville v Memphis, Louisville v Cincinnati and Louisville v UConn. Now you've got UCF v USF, and that's about it. Major tenth place implications when those two get together, but at least it's somewhat of a rivalry. There aren't really any others. I just don't think the Tulsa v Temple rivalry is going to heat up any time soon.

[D-West & PO-Z]

As much as I dont want it to be that can still be a solid league at the top with Memphis, UCONN, UC, Temple, and SMU. Now the rest is pretty terrible but Temple had a not normal, terrible, year, they should be back to form I would guess.

[xubrew]

As much as I dont want it to be that can still be a solid league at the top with Memphis, UCONN, UC, Temple, and SMU. Now the rest is pretty terrible but Temple had a not normal, terrible, year, they should be back to form I would guess.

I agree. Tulsa isn't a bad addition either. There just aren't any traditional or regional rivalries in that league. It's suffering some of the most severe side effects of realignment.

Houston vs Temple.

Tulane vs UConn

Tulsa vs South Florida

Those just don't seem like conference games. They seem like uninteresting OOC games in both football and basketball. What a disastrous cluster of teams that league has turned out to be.

The American, CUSA and Sun Belt should just get together and realign themselves into four leagues that actually make sense instead of having this bloated mass of suck that's spread all over the continent in all three of the leagues.

Memphis, Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky, UAB, Cincinnati, UConn, Temple, East Carolina, Charlotte, and Marshall isn't the best league in the world, but at least it could potentially turn into a conference with some regional rivalries coming out of it.

Same with UTEP, Houston, Rice, SMU, UTSA, Tulsa, LA Tech, LA Monroe, LA Lafayette and Tulane.

[X-band '01]

UC/Memphis was a good rivalry in the C-USA/Great Midwest/Metro Days. They need to get Charlotte back once their football program gets established in D-I. Charlotte fans had a hate for Memphis that I just could not understand.

[Masterofreality]

UCon saved that league last year with their ridiculous run and, of course, Connecticut based ESPN loves it. Now that Louisville is gone, and once the last of Calhoun's recruits are out, the AAAAAAAAAAAAC will become the true AAAAAAAAAAAAC.

[xubrew]

UC/Memphis was a good rivalry in the C-USA/Great Midwest/Metro Days. They need to get Charlotte back once their football program gets established in D-I. Charlotte fans had a hate for Memphis that I just could not understand.

Charlotte v UC was pretty good in the Huggins/Lutz days as well.

[xubrew]

UCon saved that league last year with their ridiculous run and, of course, Connecticut based ESPN loves it. Now that Louisville is gone, and once the last of Calhoun's recruits are out, the AAAAAAAAAAAAC will become the true AAAAAAAAAAAAC.

I think it already is. They've got one really good team, a few decent ones, and a bunch of tire fires.

[muskiefan82]

UCon saved that league last year with their ridiculous run and, of course, Connecticut based ESPN loves it. Now that Louisville is gone, and once the last of Calhoun's recruits are out, the AAAAAAAAAAAAC will become the true AAAAAAAAAAAAC.

With Louisville leaving, I am feeling even better about my Avatar.

[sirthought]

Come on guys, this conference isn't that bad. I get the sense that we just don't watch these teams play much so we don't know. And rivalries always develop. South Florida had good competitive teams for a few years. They just didn't seem to win, but they were always in the game. I know that's not the result their fans want, but it was still a challenging game for teams like UC to play against.

But if you're looking at teams RPI above 50 to 150, there isn't too much difference, save for certain scenarios. If they are in the 200s, then we know they have work to do, but I think every conference has a team with that happening.

Teams on the up swing due to new coaching: Houston, SMU, UCF
It's unknown about South Flordia with the UK asst. hire. And Tulsa is still looking to hire a new coach with Manning going to Wake.
But I think if you have UC, Memphis, UCONN, SMU, and Houston competing well, that's as strong as most conferences at the top.

[Masterofreality]

Come on guys, this conference isn't that bad. I get the sense that we just don't watch these teams play much so we don't know. And rivalries always develop. South Florida had good competitive teams for a few years. They just didn't seem to win, but they were always in the game. I know that's not the result their fans want, but it was still a challenging game for teams like UC to play against.

But if you're looking at teams RPI above 50 to 150, there isn't too much difference, save for certain scenarios. If they are in the 200s, then we know they have work to do, but I think every conference has a team with that happening.

Teams on the up swing due to new coaching: Houston, SMU, UCF
It's unknown about South Flordia with the UK asst. hire. And Tulsa is still looking to hire a new coach with Manning going to Wake.
But I think if you have UC, Memphis, UCONN, SMU, and Houston competing well, that's as strong as most conferences at the top.

Uh, South Florida and Houston just replaced their coaches. That doesn't appear to be on the "upswing" to me..unless "upswing" means the trajectory of Kelvin Sampson's cell phone bill.

SucKS leading returning scorer averaged 6.4 ppg last year. They look to be abjectly terrible. SMU will be good with Brown as coach. Memphis will be the usual overrated Memphis with Pastner as coach. The league was 9th in League rankings last year and have terrible Tulane and East Carolina coming in replacing Louisville.

That ain't good.