Burwell agrees with Bernie, Bob & Frank

[SLURadioBoy]

http://tinyurl.com/oqi5

Jeez, why are all the St. Louis media guys wanting us to downgrade? I may only be in small market media, but I'm totally for SLU going to the A-10 (especially if the consolation is either a much weakened C-USA or the MVC)! I'm sorry, but I just don't see it. I would much rather battle it out in a harder conference that gets 3 or 4 NCAA Tourney teams a year than be a "power" in a conference that only gets one team in the "big dance" a year. No way we'll ever be considered a team to be reckoned with all around the country if we join the MVC. We may not be the best team in the country right now, but we're headed in the right direction and joining a weaker conference would be a "hurdle" that we probably could not overcome. If Bernie says we shouldn't settle for "mediocrity", then why should we join a weaker conference?

"Praises we sing, to you our alma mater,

Praise to the white and blue.

Our hymn shall ring, in tribute strong to you,

We hail Saint Louis U."

[tseugnekillib]

There is no doubt in my mind that if SLU was driving toward the MVC, the media would be taking the opposite stance, particularly BM.

[kshoe]

expect that SLU would go to the Big East? Once we knew the numbers, and we've known for two months now that the Big East would be looking to add 2 basketball only schools, did anybody really think the Big East would choose SLU over Depaul, or Xavier, or Dayton, or Marquette. Now, if Burwell had written that we didn't get the splinter, catholic, conference that we had wanted then I would agree with him, but I doubt there were too many people in the SLU office that thought we'd go ot the Big East as it currently is formed.

Again I ask, don't we already have natural rivalries with SIU and SMS. Why join a conference to play them 1 extra game?

[davidnark]

Has Bernie spoken on this matter? The only thing I have seen or heard from him is a Thank You he provided The Toarch for relaying the A-10 info.

[slufanskip]

I think Burwells column was the worst case of the media knocking SLU yet. It is right out there with a headline on the front page of the sports section. The casual fan reads this and immediately beleives that we are a Valley level school.

Roy ... I sent you an email ... let me know what you think

[billiken_roy]

i never advocating going to the big east. my top choice was to form the papal conference with an east and west division whereby the eastern half would be made up of primarily big east schools. to get involved with the big east would be putting on the same football headache we were faced with in conference usa plus the added travel concerns. i would rather stay in conference usa crippled than do that.

[billiken_roy]

i think it is more important that everyone contacts doug woolard with their thoughts on how the media is clueless.

all i hear about is how good our sports information department is. well if they are so damn good, then please someone explain to me how this perception even has started?

[jjray]

I think we all should drop a little note to Mr. Burwell letting him feel our displeasure with his Valley suggestion: [email protected].

[SLURadioBoy]

David, I heard Bernie say earlier this summer on KMOX how SLU would be perfect for the MVC. That's why I included him on the list. He said that he didn't see why SLU fans thought it would be a step down because of how well the Salukis and Creighton have played the last few years. Plus since we were a midwest team, we're in the perfect location to join them. Sorry, no sale for me...I want the A-10!

"Praises we sing, to you our alma mater,

Praise to the white and blue.

Our hymn shall ring, in tribute strong to you,

We hail Saint Louis U."

[3star_recruit]

Most sportcasters in town don't even follow college basketball. The only reason they're familar with Mizzou, SLU and the MVC is because those programs are local. If you told Bernie that the point guard at St. Joseph's was a preseason National Player of the Year candidate, it would be news to him.

[jjray]

Bernie is a Baltimore native and believe that he follows Maryland as well (might be an alum) ... but I agree with your point, they only know local when it comes to b-ball.

[aj_arete]

and count me as one of those who favor SLU moving to the Atlantic 10. For one, I remember those heated rivalry games with Xavier and Byron Larkin. Also, I think Dayton and SLU have some history together.

However all Bryan was trying to say was that as A LOCAL BASKETBALL FAN, he would prefer to see more regional rivalry games such as SLU with SIUC, SMS, and Creighton. I think he implied that if you only look at financial concerns that obviously the A-10 is the better move. While it's a good point that a few of you said that we already play SIUC and SMS once, I could see Bryan's point that playing those schools again and adding a Creighton or a Bradley could be very heated rivalries in the future.

Here's my final take. While it's true that SLU would probably be a perennial power in the MVC, they have devoted too many resources to a state of the art, on-campus facility to waste it by hosting games with Drake, Wichita State, and Northern Iowa. A move to the MVC would further reinforce the perception that SLU is small time, thus making it harder to land those difference maker recruits in St. Louis.

[billiken_roy]

i too want to play the mvc teams. but not as part of our conference schedule. imo, we use the mvc as our buy games in preseason. i would much rather schedule 3 more mvc teams each season as compared to north carolina a&t, sacramento state and grambling.

[aj_arete]

on our non-conference schedule. That is the equivalent of college football teams scheduling Mid-American Conference schools. Just ask Pittsburgh, Kansas State, or even Ohio State if that's a prudent strategy. All, except Ohio State, who barely squeaked by Bowling Green, lost to MAC schools and can kiss their national championship aspirations goodbye. MVC schools are very well-coached and can easily knock off teams from power conferences. Unfortunately, a win over these schools don't create much value, and a loss could be catastrophic to NCAA tourney hopes.

The Gramblings, NC A&Ts, and Eastern Illinois' of college basketball serve a purpose. They allow a coaching staff to use all of their players, experiment with lineup combinations, and give their freshmen playing time, without having to worry about losing the game. I still feel an ideal schedule is one where there are 3-5 cupcakes on the non-conference schedule and 1-2 games with elite schools where you don't get a return game at home.

[tseugnekillib]

broy, I see all of the MVC teams play every year in their post-season tournament at the Savvis. I'll take two games with either SMS, SIUC or Creighton every year, but no more than two. I want to see teams from different conferences as the buys.

[billiken_roy]

i totally disagree. and besides, if you want a cupcake, then play drake or northern iowa they are just as bad as nc a&t

[billiken_roy]

i dont want to see nc a&t or sacramento state imo those games are completely worthless.

[tseugnekillib]

Hopefully, there is something in-between to schedule.....like a UALR or a La. Tech!

[cheeseman]

AJs comment about the local media simply talking about SLU in the MVC is that they just want local rivilaries to write about is silly. If you use that line of thought then MU should be playing all the Missouri D1 schools and IL should do the same. Clearly, the local media likes the MVC because of what they do to bring in NCAA tournament games. The truth is none of them ever sat down and truly researched it. Also, why did they not say that Marquette and DePaul should join the Horizon League. I agree with Roy - the SI department at SLU has down a poor job of telling our story. Probably another case of Woolard's low key approach to everything.

[p diddy]

that's the point of slu being in a top conference. you get that return game from an eilite power if you are a member of the a 10 of cusa. we've seen that in the past with the latest example being arizona coming to the savvis center in december. lute will be happy to have you in the desert for a game or maybe two if he has to play back here, but we're not in the mvc, so we don't have to play that game. we're on some kind of equal footing in that regard.

bad boyz for life

[Schasz]

Yes and I am positive that he knows nothing about Jameer Nelson. I got to see him last year in that 1st round OT loss to Auburn and he put on a clinic.

[Schasz]

Only problem is that as buy games, you would only attract the bottom feeders of the MVC. We have played the SMS and SIU games on a tradeoff on home games and I am sure if we did start playing Creighton, it would be on a home and home contract basis.

[aj_arete]

by John Calipari of Memphis/UMass and John Chaney of Temple. Though, I think they've taken it to an extreme degree. I really think it'll be hard for a mid-level team from any power conference to get a home-and-home with an elite team. How many times has Iowa State been able to get a home and home with a top 25 powerhouse?

While I applaud Brad's ability to get Lute Olson to St. Louis this year, I do think that an abnormality.

[billiken_roy]

aj, go check our recent schedules. we have been playing top teams for quite awhile now. it is not a coincidence imo that being a part of conference usa and the great midwest allowed us to get home and home series with illinois, arizona, kansas, missouri, etc.

[Schasz]

I don't know about that as we have gotten home and home with the likes of KU and the Illini in the past. I don't think your argument would hold water.