I guess Saint Louis U. should move to the Valley (long

[StLouBlue]

I will try to respond to your points.

1. I don't think it is a knock on SLU or CUSA, but I do think SLUs recent teams have been similar to MVC teams. If you remove the top 3-4 teams in CUSA I see the remaining teams on par with most teams in the MVC.

2. As far as the regional matchups, I meant it for conference teams. Since SLU is not joining the Big 10 or Big 12, Missouri and Illinois are part of this point. If CUSA is gutted leaving the likes of Tulance, South Florida, Houston, S Miss, etc, then as far as regional matchups in conference the MVC would be a better fit.

3. I agree that SLU could eventually become a powerhouse and I hope Brad is laying that foundation. I also hoped that Spoonhour was laying the foundation and then Romar after him. It hasn't happened yet. I don't think the doubts of the locals has held the program back though. These local doubters are not the ones that made recruiting mistakes or didn't get the big recruits, those were coaches that didn't come through.

4. Comparing the coaches of the MVC and CUSA, of course the CUSA coaches are more heralded. Unfortunately those heralded coaches could be the ones leaving the conference. Huggins, Pitino and Calpari will probably be in a different conference because they have football. You are correct that the MVC has been a stepping stone for coaches, but this happens in every conference. SLU and S Florida coaches both moved up recently as well. Again if you are looking at a gutted CUSA without Pitino, Huggins, Calpari and Crean--suddenly those MVC coaches look pretty good compared to whats left in CUSA. If SLU moved to the MVC I don't think Brad would be gone as soon as he could, SLU would be an attractive spot for a coach because of the new staduim regardless of what league SLU is in.

Again I want to say I want SLU to be in the best possible conference they can get in. I have my doubts about being part of an eastern conference though and see SLU in a midwest conference. If this is with Marquette, DePaul and others in a new conference then great. If not well whatever you look it then is below CUSA now.

[Taj79]

nm

[Taj79]

Thicks said

"the conference is just Georgetown, St. John's, Villanova, Providence, Seton Hall, Marquette, and DePaul, is that really great for Marquette or DePaul? I don't see why Marquette and DePaul would be quick to leave SLU out of the scenario."

That's only seven teams and you need an eighth. Maybe we're it ... or maybe you divide the difference and convince Dayton and Xavier to join in. It seems to me that would be the better route to go .... and I belive that while not as strong, both MU and DP have long time ties to at least Dayton that would supplant their SLU ties. I think Dayton has kept them on their schedule in the same vein as they have kept us from GMW days.

This benefits all as the former Big East schools now have a stop off on the way west. MU and DP have a similar stop over on the way east. X and Dayton rid themselves of the baggage that I think the A-10 is (Fordham, Rhode Island, Richmond, Duquesne .. schools with less success than us and holidng no tradition versus the departing X and UD).

Maybe we are the eighth team in that equation, maybe not. If we are, we are the stand alone school ..... the furthest west (maybe) but with no one to tag onto as a "doubleheader" trip.

Personnaly, I can't see MU and DP doing any of this "what if" stuff. Sure, it might work for basketball but then again it might not. The Big East schools are all practically on the coast .... Philly, NYC, DC, and Rhode Island. The more sense geographic schools are part of the football Big Easters ..... Pitt and WVU. But as thicks does point out, geography has nothing to do with this ... football and money do.

[Quality Is Job 1]

Other than the Pac 10, I don't know of any conference in which team systemactically play back-to-back road games in nearby locations. Most conferences play their games too far apart for that and need to get back to school for classes. Unless the new conference plans on implementing the Pac 10 formula, which requires playing games on Fridays and Sundays or Thursdays and Saturdays, I don't see how having paired locations would come into play.

I really have no idea what all these schools will do, but I know I'd be making my points as a weekly sales pitch if I were Father Lawrence Biondi. He's got to sell the East Coast schools and Marquette and DePaul on including Saint Louis in the conference. If he can't (doesn't sound likely that he would fail, does it?), then SLU is in trouble.

No, StLouBlue, I'm not saying that the world would end or that SLU would no longer have a basketball program if they got stuck in an emaciated C-USA or moved to the Missouri Valley, but we could kiss away dreams of a Final Four and getting top-notch recruits and having top-tier basketball sports entertainment in St. Louis. If SLU winds up in the Valley, Saint Louis will always be a little brother to Missouri and Illinois. That's a distasteful idea.

[Taj79]

Don't get me wrong, thicks .... I'm not saying its a must but given all the pros and cons of any situation, my thinking is that this would be more of a "benefit" to add to the list rather than a detriment.

Hell if they got all this geographic crap straightened out, one would expect things to be closer and elimiante the need for things like this. I never understood the ACC looking at Syracuse and BC to begin with. The ultimate choice ... VaTech ... always made more sense to me and now it is so. Maybe ECu is the choice for the ACC. I doubt it.

All things being geographic, here's what I would see: Syracuse/BC/ Penn State/Temple would all be Big East. Notre Dame is Big Ten. So too might be Cincinnati. Louisville is southern to me .. maybe SEC. Same with Memphis although I could have seen Memphis in more of an old Southwest Conference fit. Marquette/DePaul/us/Creighton/Dayton/ Xavier are all some sort of midwestern flavor ... but too small and not state-affiliated to be in the Big Ten. Notre Dame is huge and is Big Ten in my book.