Duh about recruiting

[Quest]

So many posts about SLU losing out to WKU, Duke-Esne and Idiots Out Walking Around (IOWA)...but seriously, does this come as any surprise to people??

Take away that we have poor facilities

Take away that we are in a poor conference

Take away that we have no national television exposure

Take away that other than Larry Hughes, no development at the next level

And you are left with a coach who cannot recruit quality athletes to a top-80 academic institution. That is unacceptable.

[Griffster]

Put in good facilities. (Almost there)

Get in a better conf.. with some true rivals.

Get some national exposure TV whatever

And your left with a much easier job to recruit big time players

and then you'll see player developement too.

[slu72]

I don't buy that the A10 is that bad and a detriment to recruiting. Yes there are some bottom feeders, but overall I think it's a conference getting better. Hopefully, member schools start scheduling better to raise RPI. I think one thing we could do would be to see them start scheduling more games with like conferences; MAC, MVC, WAC, Mountain West. SLU does a good job of this with the MVC, SIU and MoState. I'd like to see us add Bradley to that mix. Now add two games games like New Mexico State, Nevada and we'd have some head to heads come selection time. I think if the rest of the conference bought into this idea, it would help the A-10's overall image. Obviously, a better TV deal is required, but face it we are never going to get the exposure the BCS'ers do, unless member teams start becoming like St.Joe's a few years back. One other thing, the recruits that don't go BCS go somewhere...like VCU, Winthrop, Geo Mason, Butler...and they seem to do alright. I'm not giving UB a pass because of conference.

[Griffster]

I don't want to knock the A10. Not a bad conf. I have not problem with the conf or the team there. Where is the rivalry though? A Mizz vs. Ill game. A MO state vs SIU, a NC vs Duke. (ie just an example) I don't see anyone in the A10 that we can establish that kind of game with. The A10 as a conf. is fine, no problem there.

[slu72]

I think both XU and Dayton could become rivals over time. Especially, if we can compete with X on a year in year out basis. It will take time. Actually, I think our rivalry with SIU is bigger than theirs with MoState, but I may be wrong.

[cheeseman]

Kind of hard for someone to be projecting who our rivals are out of our conference from 1000 miles away. SIU is not our rival - look at the attendance figures. An out conference rival would bring in 1/3 more fans given that the tix are available at the Savvis. Right now X and Dayton might be the closest ones we have - after all we have a history there.

[brianstl]

Is really devoloping into one. Every game has been close and memorable. That includes the 2 before we joined the A-10.

[dewey33]

Its hard to see if we have a rivalry by assessing Scottrade Center attendance...because the its combination of size and our quiet fan base make it a mausoleum.

The SLU games at Dayton and X were nuts....I know they consider us rivals. Charlotte and St. Joe's will probably be the next best rivals in the league.

Its no different than the Big Ten where schools are rivals with the closest conference schools and then have a few regional rivalries that may be more intense.

If Mizzou would ever play us again, those games were crazy. Mo State and SIU are both big rivals, especially at their place.

Illinois has Indiana and Iowa, but the Mizzou game is huge.

Iowa has Illinois and Wisconsin, but the Iowa State game is big to them.

[Box and Won]

I wish we played Charlotte twice a year instead of Rhode Island. No offense to Rhody, but since we actually have a history with Charlotte, it would be preferable to play them.

[billiken_roy]

i've hated xu with a passion since those 80's games that kept us out of the ncaa tourney about 3 years in a row.

xavier is a rival already and dayton isnt far behind.