Chris Mack to Wake Forest?

[slufan13]

Whoa

[Taj79]

Where did this come from? Just curious.

[ACE]

That wouldn't be surprising with the Wake/Xavier connection going back to Prosser. Xavier can do better than Mack playing checkers.

[wgstl]

He could join coach k in the a10 acc ncaa bid convo some more.

[billikenbill]

Apparently, some high dollar Wake boosters have been pushing for Mack. Word is that Mack made a very positive impression on them in his four year stint as an assistant from '01-'04. Wake is my local team and I can tell you that when these high rollers speak, the athletic director listens.

Be interesting to see how it plays out.

[billikenbill]

That wouldn't be surprising with the Wake/Xavier connection going back to Prosser. Xavier can do better than Mack playing checkers.

Wake Xavier connection goes back to Bob Staak, coach from '86-'89. He was the most hated former coach until Jeff Bzdelik showed up. The vitriol spewed at Bzdelik by Wake fans has been beyond insane.

[brianstl]

Aren't Mack and Gino buddies? Can't see Mack going to work for the AD that fired Gaudio in the way he did.

[billikenbill]

Aren't Mack and Gino buddies? Can't see Mack going to work for the AD that fired Gaudio in the way he did.

Bound to be with their connections to X and years together on the staff at Wake. The Gaudio firing has been shrouded in mystery with lots of innuendo about recruiting tactics and, shall we say, off the court stuff. What Wake should've done was allow Dino coach the '10-'11 team. John Wooden couldn't have gotten 12 wins out of that group. It would've been easy to show Dino the door after that.

[Cowboy]

-IF, BIG IF, mack goes from X to Wake that would be the second NBE coach to leave for the ACC this offseason, I don't think losing 20% of their coaches to one conference in one offseason is what the NBE presidents had in mind when they formed their league

-see IF, BIG IF

[AlumniFan]

-IF, BIG IF, mack goes from X to Wake that would be the second NBE coach to leave for the ACC this offseason, I don't think losing 20% of their coaches to one conference in one offseason is what the NBE presidents had in mind when they formed their league

-see IF, BIG IF

I do not want to rile people up, but the NBE is looking less and less attractive relative to the A10. Just my, uninformed I'm sure, opinion.

[sludevil]

I do not want to rile people up, but the NBE is looking less and less attractive relative to the A10. Just my, uninformed I'm sure, opinion.

It's a tradeoff. From my perspective, the A10 probably offers a better chance of making the tournament in any given year. The Big East offers better competition, more exposure, and, importantly, greater revenue. (Assuming we successfully leverage those benefits in the Big East, we could end up with a higher-quality and more nationally-competitive program, which means we'd be more likely to win games in years when we make the tournament.) So count me in the pro-Big East camp. I'll take more money and Georgetown/Villanova/Marquette over less money and VCU/Dayton any day of the week.

[AlumniFan]

It's a tradeoff. From my perspective, the A10 probably offers a better chance of making the tournament in any given year. The Big East offers better competition, more exposure, and, importantly, greater revenue. (Assuming we successfully leverage those benefits in the Big East, we could end up with a higher-quality and more nationally-competitive program, which means we'd be more likely to win games in years when we make the tournament.) So count me in the pro-Big East camp. I'll take more money and Georgetown/Villanova/Marquette over less money and VCU/Dayton any day of the week.

Quote from an Xavier fan from the A10 board:

"I suffered through the Baylor-Creighton game. This was an old fashioned pummeling. Baylor killed Creighton 85-55. The Big East this year was certainly overrated. This post season was an embarrassment for the entire Big East community. We have no Big East teams in the Sweet 16. We have been humiliated. I am ashamed to admit it, but the big East has to make changes if we expect to remain relevant as a premier basketball conference in the country."

And, regarding Buzz Williams departure...

"From what I have heard, he was concerned about the effect losing the relationship with ESPN will have on Marquette. Ratings this year on Fox were terrible and he did not think they would improve. The contingencies in the Fox contract were becoming all too real for Marquette."

I don't know enough to speak intelligently on this topic, but comments like the above concern me. I try to read a lot of stuff about the NBE to find the compelling reasons to make the move, but then I read other stuff that contradicts the pro reasons for moving. Granted, everyone commenting has an axe to grind, but what once seemed like a slam dunk decision now seems like a 3 point shot...in the Billiken's last game this season...

[JohnnyJumpUp]

It's a tradeoff. From my perspective, the A10 probably offers a better chance of making the tournament in any given year. The Big East offers better competition, more exposure, and, importantly, greater revenue. (Assuming we successfully leverage those benefits in the Big East, we could end up with a higher-quality and more nationally-competitive program, which means we'd be more likely to win games in years when we make the tournament.) So count me in the pro-Big East camp. I'll take more money and Georgetown/Villanova/Marquette over less money and VCU/Dayton any day of the week.

Yesir

[sludevil]

Yeah, I think there is at least some cause for concern. I've also heard the rumblings of poor ratings, and it's telling that the Big East seems to be losing coaches to power conferences (of which the Big East is not). But, still, even with these problems, the Big East is a marked improvement over the A10. There's just far more power and money (both old and new) tied up in the Big East than there is in the A10. And, like I said before, if I'm going to anchor my fortunes to another school, I'd feel much better if that school is Georgetown than if it's VCU.

[kshoe]

Quote from an Xavier fan from the A10 board:

"I suffered through the Baylor-Creighton game. This was an old fashioned pummeling. Baylor killed Creighton 85-55. The Big East this year was certainly overrated. This post season was an embarrassment for the entire Big East community. We have no Big East teams in the Sweet 16. We have been humiliated. I am ashamed to admit it, but the big East has to make changes if we expect to remain relevant as a premier basketball conference in the country."

And, regarding Buzz Williams departure...

"From what I have heard, he was concerned about the effect losing the relationship with ESPN will have on Marquette. Ratings this year on Fox were terrible and he did not think they would improve. The contingencies in the Fox contract were becoming all too real for Marquette."

I don't know enough to speak intelligently on this topic, but comments like the above concern me. I try to read a lot of stuff about the NBE to find the compelling reasons to make the move, but then I read other stuff that contradicts the pro reasons for moving. Granted, everyone commenting has an axe to grind, but what once seemed like a slam dunk decision now seems like a 3 point shot...in the Billiken's last game this season...

Marquette feeling like the new big east is a step down does not mean its not a huge step up for SLU as far as geography, money, competition and overall exposure. Still the right move if invited.

[AlumniFan]

Marquette feeling like the new big east is a step down does not mean its not a huge step up for SLU as far as geography, money, competition and overall exposure. Still the right move if invited.

Did you see WH's perspective on this on the A10 board? He has been virtually invisible lately (like the past 18 months), but he came out of hiding and wrote a pretty interesting post. Worth reading.

[kshoe]

Did you see WH's perspective on this on the A10 board? He has been virtually invisible lately (like the past 18 months), but he came out of hiding and wrote a pretty interesting post. Worth reading.

Here is his post for those that don't want to go find it.

:I am probably one of the few longtime A-10 fans on this board (despite my absentia) who laments the demise of the old Big East and a strong Northeastern conference. So I would not say I am totally enjoying the new Big East’s meltdown.

My expectation is that the NBE will either become a twin brother of the current A-10 – or it will eventually become like the old A-10.

What do I mean? Consider the second half of my statement: the NBE could become like the old A-10. What the NBE could do is steal the best three programs from the current A-10. That would weaken the league so much that the NBE becomes pretty much the old A-10, with perhaps a bit more cache. And the current A-10 would drop down more to midmajor status.

Perhaps more likely is that the NBE becomes a carbon copy of the current A-10. That’s because the NBE over time would lose most of the advantages it had as part of the old Big East and settle out as a semi-major conference right outside the BCS leagues.

The contract with Fox was the first big mistake. As others have pointed out, your league has to be on ESPN at least some of the time. Fox has a much smaller cable imprint and ESPN has always discounted coverage of sports or leagues to which it has little or no ties. The NBE simply doesn’t get the same airtime and attention. No more Big Mondays is a big deal.

The result will be a dropoff in recruiting. Slowly players that would have given great consideration to NBE schools in the past will start shifting attention to other conferences.

With less media attention and weaker recruiting, the league’s best coaches will look around and get feelers from bigger conferences. Buzz Williams is just the tip of the iceberg. He sees a dimmer future at Marquette and a lesser chance to compete for a national title. I expect other big schools to go after Jay Wright and eventually lure him from Nova.

That means the NBE is not a destination league, not even the best schools. It’s a feeder league just like the A-10. There will be more coaching turnover and all the risk that entails, particularly the potential for program instability relative to the Old Big East.

Then there’s scheduling. The NBE won’t be able to buy games with quite the same success as the Old Big East and it will become harder to schedule big-name noncon opponents, especially for bottom-tier NBE teams. More difficultscheduling will make it somewhat harder to build at-large portfolios.

From my perspective, the single best thing the NBE has going for it is John Thompson Jr. He alone is what keeps Georgetown a marquee program even with the dropoff this year. Without him, think of Gtown in the Craig Esherick days. Georgetown could quickly become an also-ran on the national scene if Thompson left. A small, private school with no nice on-campus arena doesn’t go very far these days.

If that happens, some other school will have to take the place of Georgetown as a flagship but the league will lose a lot of luster.

All this is not to say the NBE can’t be a success. Clearly the A-10 has shown the way with its consistent success over the past few decades.

But there is little reason to expect the NBE to maintain a profile in the NCAA basketball hierachy more akin to BCS conferences than to the likes of the A-10, MVC and Mountain West.

Its more realistic goal is to become the best basketball-only league - and steal the claim for that mantel from the A-10. And means the two leagues will circle each other warily in a zero-sum game for some years to come.

[kshoe]

Here is his post for those that don't want to go find it.

:I am probably one of the few longtime A-10 fans on this board (despite my absentia) who laments the demise of the old Big East and a strong Northeastern conference. So I would not say I am totally enjoying the new Big East’s meltdown.

My expectation is that the NBE will either become a twin brother of the current A-10 – or it will eventually become like the old A-10.

What do I mean? Consider the second half of my statement: the NBE could become like the old A-10. What the NBE could do is steal the best three programs from the current A-10. That would weaken the league so much that the NBE becomes pretty much the old A-10, with perhaps a bit more cache. And the current A-10 would drop down more to midmajor status.

Perhaps more likely is that the NBE becomes a carbon copy of the current A-10. That’s because the NBE over time would lose most of the advantages it had as part of the old Big East and settle out as a semi-major conference right outside the BCS leagues.

The contract with Fox was the first big mistake. As others have pointed out, your league has to be on ESPN at least some of the time. Fox has a much smaller cable imprint and ESPN has always discounted coverage of sports or leagues to which it has little or no ties. The NBE simply doesn’t get the same airtime and attention. No more Big Mondays is a big deal.

The result will be a dropoff in recruiting. Slowly players that would have given great consideration to NBE schools in the past will start shifting attention to other conferences.

With less media attention and weaker recruiting, the league’s best coaches will look around and get feelers from bigger conferences. Buzz Williams is just the tip of the iceberg. He sees a dimmer future at Marquette and a lesser chance to compete for a national title. I expect other big schools to go after Jay Wright and eventually lure him from Nova.

That means the NBE is not a destination league, not even the best schools. It’s a feeder league just like the A-10. There will be more coaching turnover and all the risk that entails, particularly the potential for program instability relative to the Old Big East.

Then there’s scheduling. The NBE won’t be able to buy games with quite the same success as the Old Big East and it will become harder to schedule big-name noncon opponents, especially for bottom-tier NBE teams. More difficultscheduling will make it somewhat harder to build at-large portfolios.

From my perspective, the single best thing the NBE has going for it is John Thompson Jr. He alone is what keeps Georgetown a marquee program even with the dropoff this year. Without him, think of Gtown in the Craig Esherick days. Georgetown could quickly become an also-ran on the national scene if Thompson left. A small, private school with no nice on-campus arena doesn’t go very far these days.

If that happens, some other school will have to take the place of Georgetown as a flagship but the league will lose a lot of luster.

All this is not to say the NBE can’t be a success. Clearly the A-10 has shown the way with its consistent success over the past few decades.

But there is little reason to expect the NBE to maintain a profile in the NCAA basketball hierachy more akin to BCS conferences than to the likes of the A-10, MVC and Mountain West.

Its more realistic goal is to become the best basketball-only league - and steal the claim for that mantel from the A-10. And means the two leagues will circle each other warily in a zero-sum game for some years to come.

And while I respect the heck out of WH and think there is at least a possibility he is right, the fact still remains that the Big East has many built in advantages for SLU that the A-10 doesn't. To me its not whether the Big East can remain as one of the top 3 conferences like it used to but rather it can consistently be the 5-7th best conference the way the Great Midwest, CUSA and the last 2 years have been for the A-10. Quite frankly, that is what I would like from our conference year in and year out and if sometimes its even better then great.

People should not lose sight of the fact that these last 2 years for the A-10 have been significantly better than the previous 9. There were some times when the A-10 was a one bid league going into the conference tourney. These things tend to be cyclical and people shouldn't assume that just because the A-10 at its peak is comparable to the Big East at its bottom (any time Georgetown and Marquette don't make the dance should be considered abnormal) doesn't mean this is how it will always be.

[Franchise_08]

Unfortunately for the Big East to even think about expansion this soon something bad must have happened and they are panicking. As a Billiken fan, SLU would be foolish to not accept an invite. A10 has peaked and so now its time to abandon ship. Next season, A10 may be unwatchable but you know Georgetown and Marquette have a better chance to rebound than GW or Richmond. If the NBE comes calling, I will be first in line to accept the charges.

[AlumniFan]

Unfortunately for the Big East to even think about expansion this soon something bad must have happened and they are panicking. As a Billiken fan, SLU would be foolish to not accept an invite. A10 has peaked and so now its time to abandon ship. Next season, A10 may be unwatchable but you know Georgetown and Marquette have a better chance to rebound than GW or Richmond. If the NBE comes calling, I will be first in line to accept the charges.

While I disagree, I understand your point. It just is not the slam dunk (for me) that it was 18 months ago.

[Franchise_08]

I am just thinking about a Wednesday home game against St Bona or Depaul...clear winner here.

[brianstl]

The Big East will be fine long term. Will it be the monster conference it was over the last decade? No, but it is important to remember the original Big East wasn't that conference either. With the exception of Cuse (a big loss), the programs that powered the conference during its first decade are there. Long term the Big East is the smart bet.

[Dwayne's_World]

The big east commissioners would be wise to restructure the TV plans. This Fox deal is garbage, the ratings for Fox Sports 1 were awful. People want to watch ESPN, period. Unfortunately they most likely can't do anything in the near future...

[Cowboy]

The Big East will be fine long term. Will it be the monster conference it was over the last decade? No, but it is important to remember the original Big East wasn't that conference either. With the exception of Cuse (a big loss), the programs that powered the conference during its first decade are there. Long term the Big East is the smart bet.

-I agree, but that first decade of the Beast was a long time ago in a totally different landscape of the media

-my understanding is the tv deal is for 10yrs, if the ratings suck for the next 9yrs what do you think Fox will do on renewal? As a counterpoint, Jane, you ignorant , I don't believe Fox went into this expecting to lose or being willing to lose to ESPN over the long haul, so I suspect they will do/demand/suggest something to make this better for them, and hopefully the conference and its members. Or, what I speculate is much less likely, does Fox throw in the towel and there is conference reshuffle version 10 or whatever at that point?

-imo CMay and the new Prez have some ciphering to do if we get a call as for me going there is not as crystal clear as it once was

[JohnnyJumpUp]

-imo CMay and the new Prez have some ciphering to do if we get a call as for me going there is not as crystal clear as it once was