DistrictBaller

No doubt. Funny stuff.

My sources tell me that Dino Gaudio's sources are full of ****.

That was easy.

__________________
"We will wreak havoc on our opponent's psyche and plan of attack."
- VCU Head Coach Shaka Smart

vaNtR

No disrespect WH, but have you been there? I don't think the Pavilion even qualifies as a "good" basketball arena. I've had the misfortune of being in there more than once.

BmoreX

I don't really get this argument...

Georgetown plays all of its mens' basketball games at Verizon Center. Using that picture doesn't really do the team justice.

Is it possible they'd have to play at their on-campus facility if a split occurs? Maybe. They certainly should expect less attendance now then a few years back when Cuse, Pitt, ND, WVU were in the conference. But you can bet your ass that G'Town will fight tooth and nail to get donor money in order to play at Verizon.

jhbonas

Bonas TV market would not just be Olean NY - are you kidding me? It would be Western NY which would include Buffalo NY which curently has an NFL team and NHL team and 19,000 seat arena that is always the first arena to sellout when Buffalo hosts the NCAA tourney.

Without Bonaventure the conference would have no representation in NY State from Westchester county to albany to syracuse to Niagara Falls - thats a HUGE gap that St Bonas would fill.

bprichard

That's wishful thinking. I love the Bonnies, but they are no kind of media draw.

College Hoops

Just wondering what the perspective of the Butler & VCU posters is vis a vis this talk about them joining the BE catholic schools along with some combination likely to include Dayton, St. Louis Xavier etc.? If they were the only two non-catholic schools would they be comfortable with that?

MudFlap

Yes, that's huge. They can walk as a group and pay zippo to the BE, then add 5 teams or so to a new League. Starting to look like the best case for them.

A10BBall

BmoreX where have you been? Go back earlier in the day on this thread.. Georgetown athletic department is in the red because it costs them $40k per game to rent with only filling a 1/3rd of the arena... They can not sustain that and will probably returning in the near future with an investment in the on campus arena... The university does not want to pay $500k per year for it with empty arena..

DistrictBaller

Is there some kind of requirement that you have to be catholic to play basketball?

No?

Then play ball as far as I'm concerned.

I never got the idea that the Big East basketball schools would suddenly sacrifice basketball quality to align themselves with schools that fit their exact profile when that is something they have never done in the first place. They'll do what gets them the most money and if the networks tell them they will get more TV money if Butler and VCU are in the league as opposed to whatever private/catholic/jesuit school, they won't hesitate.

This isn't about theology. This is all about money and quality basketball that people will turn on their TV to watch. I'm confident Brad Stevens and Shaka Smart will help both schools in any scenario that has them being considered.

__________________
"We will wreak havoc on our opponent's psyche and plan of attack."
- VCU Head Coach Shaka Smart

BmoreX

Sorry, must have missed that post.

But my main point stands. I am confident that Georgetown will try their damndest to stay in Verizon because, as has been pointed out, the on-campus "arena" is simply inept.

But let's say you're right and they cannot afford Verizon anymore. I believe that the Hoyas would invest to upgrade their on-campus facilities or seek a better, more affordable option.

That in itself shows me they are committed to their basketball program, something that some A10 schools still don't show me.

sheg

This forum has more stadium porn than the rest of the internet combined.

jpschmack

I'm not hating on St. Bonaventure. (I'm a Bona grad, by the way).

We are two big IFs from being CONSIDERED:
-- IF we didn't have the scandal and instead of 25-89 from 2004-08, were competitive -- something like 64-50 with 3 NITs (maybe an NCAA bid) AND
-- IF John Rigas wasn't a crook and his Empire Sports Network was still a corporate partner that was airing our games from Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and the Southern Tier.

Then we might be considered along with Duquesne, Creighton, and VCU/Richmond. But that would be for spots #12-14 spots after X, SLU, Dayton and Butler.

DistrictBaller

Here's what Marquette's AD Larry Williams had to say about the whole 'catholic' issue:

Some really good thoughts from Williams all throughout this piece: http://espnwisconsin.com/common/more...&post_id=16611

__________________
"We will wreak havoc on our opponent's psyche and plan of attack."
- VCU Head Coach Shaka Smart

jpschmack

Agreed.

I said it awhile back in this thread: The money is coming from ESPN, CBS, NBC and FOX, not Eternal Word Network.

jpschmack

Great game face:
-- We get the A-10 name in the press: SportsCenter, ESPN.com, etc, etc.
-- We show strength: We're stable, you're not.
-- The top half shows loyalty to the league publicly (while privately the whole league is probably calling those seven to check in and lobby for a spot if they split)
-- The bottom half shows how ridiculous a 21-team league sounds, and hopes the BE7 says "No way, let's stick with football.