What is this blasphemous travesty?!?!?

[muskiefan82]

I'm just going to have to accept this and recognize that X agreeing to play Dayton at all is the greatest charity move ever.

[nuts4xu]

I'm just going to have to accept this and recognize that X agreeing to play Dayton at all is the greatest charity move ever.

Charity move for a poverty program.

It is 9:21AM on Thursday July 25th, 2024 and dayton still sucks!!

[xubrew]

Dayton is comfortably in the rearview mirror for me as I've mentioned before. I don't think about them anymore. When they're brought to my attention, as is the case with the news of this charity game, then I'll dive in with comments about it.

I have no problem whatsoever with this charity event. In fact, it is a class move on Xavier's part to participate in it. And I am sorry for Anthony Grant and his family for what they've had to live through with the loss of their daughter and the circumstances behind that loss.

Beyond that, it's this simple, at least for me: this isn't about basketball, per se. Xavier is in the Big East. Dayton is not in the Big East. Dayton is a mid-major stuck in the A10. They deserve their fate because of their lack of success - the kind of success that would otherwise warrant their inclusion at the big boy table.

We hold our Big East membership over their heads institutionally. They would do the same to us were the situation reversed. I can assure you it drives them absolutely mad that they are in this position, especially vis-a-vis Xavier. If I really wanted to waste some of my life, I'm sure I could go onto their message board to find post after post about how important it is for them to make it into the Big East for the future.

That won't be happening. They're stuck. We are going to keep them stuck there. And we aren't going to do something really stupid like scheduling regular season basketball games with them. Let them enjoy - literally enjoy - their delusion of being a top dog in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

The last time they faced Xavier they got blown off the floor in a 29-point loss on a neutral court in Orlando. Imagine that program trying to make it through even one Big East regular season. They are where they belong with LaSalle and Fordham.

When I look at Dayton, I don't think there is a program that underachieves as much as they do given how set up they are for success. Any coach that's even average should be able to win there. Brian Gregory went to multiple NCAA Tournaments and even made the second round. BRIAN GREGORY!!!! I rest my case!!

Considering their resources and revenue, and comparing that to the rest of the teams in their league, they should be dominating. Not consistently being one of the better teams, but being the best team virtually every year like X was. They play 18 conference games and I think 6 home buy games. That's 24 of the 31 regular season games they play. A fucking magic 8 ball should be able to coach that team and win 22 games a year. Any season where they don't win 25 games should be looked at as not meeting expectations, and any season where they fail to win 22 should be viewed as a failure and a change should be made. Everyone thought Archie Miller was incredible. He really wasn't. He was just decent enough to win at a level that any decent coach should be able to win at when they're at a program that has so many advantages over their competition.

Yet, they don't win nearly as much as they should. They aren't necessarily outperformed by Fordham and LaSalle, but they are being outperformed by programs like VCU who don't have nearly the fanbase, the resources, or the cash that UD puts into basketball. Richmond won more A10 games than Dayton did last year. RICHMOND!!!!

Not being in the Big East should not be what drives them crazy. Only being able to win more than 25 games once in the last decade despite all the advantages they have should be what drives them crazy. I actually think obsessing over Xavier is kind of bad for them. Start dominating VCU (and everyone else that has far less than they do) first. Start being what programs like Nevada were when Mussleman was there and what Wichita State was when they were in the MVC. Out of the 364 (I think now) D1 programs, almost none of them are set up for success more than UD is and have as big of an advantage over their competition as UD does in terms of resources, yet they can't win. They need to start worrying about that.

[xubrew]

Grand Canyon. They're perhaps more set up for success than Dayton is. But, here's the thing. Grand Canyon is doing something that Dayton appears to not be doing. They are winning like that should be!! And this year...HOLY SHIT!! they may not start off in the top 25, but I think they'll be there for most of the season. They're freakin' good!

And...I know I'm in the minority, but I'd like to see X and GCU play. I think it'd be a great game. Great games and feuds. That's what I like to see. X v UD may not be a rivalry, but it was (and in a lot of ways still is) a feud. If I'm being honest with myself, that's really the only reason I want it to come back. And, it's hardly the only series that isn't played that I wish was played. I like that kind of stuff. I like it for all the reasons most of you don't. It's ironic, but I like the idea of more hate in college hoops more than I hate that idea.

But, GCU would be a lot of fun too. And, at least on paper, they're probably a better team to play than UD and would be the better choice if X were going to put a non-power program on the schedule (which I know they won't).

[bleedXblue]

Its amazing how quickly CBB went from load up the non conference schedule to get ready for league play to now schedule 2-3 good games and load up on a bunch of home patsies. At least thats what it feels like.

[xubrew]

Its amazing how quickly CBB went from load up the non conference schedule to get ready for league play to now schedule 2-3 good games and load up on a bunch of home patsies. At least thats what it feels like.

You're right. And, it's supposedly to game the NET. But, here's the thing...

I think we had three teams with top 30 NETS that weren't selected last year. The committee has repeatedly said that the NET is nothing more than a sorting tool. They've also repeatedly said that teams need to play a good OOC schedule. Last year, they took teams that played on the road and beat a team inside the bubble away from home over teams that didn't (including a few BE teams that were left out). It couldn't have been any more clear.

Yet, people tend to load up with home patsies. Shouldn't colleges be...yunno...smarter or something??