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So we add Tulsa, ECU & Tulane. Per ESPN, our new additions next season currently have RPI rankings of 100, 196 & 214, respectively.

Plus we lose Louisville, whose RPI is 29.

This dead weight at the bottom is going to be a real drag.

True.

Indeed, maybe larry can coach Manning

Schedule up in ooc. Get some big wins early. Good for the RPI and for buzz around the team.

Those coming into the conference add little in the way of BB. However, Temple, Houston, USF have the potential to be much improved. It will not make up for the loss of Louisville or Rutgers, but it will not be a drop to CUSA status.

That said, we need to play some stronger OOC opponents to make a name early in the year.

Temple will be significantly better next year (they are waiting on transfers this year like we were last) they have a very strong basketball tradition and I expect them to get back to it sooner rather than later. Temple Memphis, Cincy, UCONN and us are enough to keep us as a legit conference.

We should be favored to win the conference next year . Temple, USF, and Cooger High have a shot at improving greatly.

Memphis has been dealing with this issue for years (SMU being one of the deadbeats). Hopefully each new team is committed to winning and looking at us, it can be done.

Pony_Law wrote:Temple will be significantly better next year (they are waiting on transfers this year like we were last) they have a very strong basketball tradition and I expect them to get back to it sooner rather than later. Temple Memphis, Cincy, UCONN and us are enough to keep us as a legit conference.

I agree. Temple almost beat Memphis at Memphis with only 7 scholarship players suiting up and they beat SMU at Temple. Fran can coach, he just needed a few more good players.

Tulsa has traditionally been a pretty good basketball school, so I expect them to ramp it up.

Still will have to schedule "up" for the OOC games.

Rebel10 wrote:

Pony_Law wrote:Temple will be significantly better next year (they are waiting on transfers this year like we were last) they have a very strong basketball tradition and I expect them to get back to it sooner rather than later. Temple Memphis, Cincy, UCONN and us are enough to keep us as a legit conference.

I agree. Temple almost beat Memphis at Memphis with only 7 scholarship players suiting up and they beat SMU st Temple. Fran can coach, he just needed a few more good players.

Cincy also only beat USF and Temple by two baskets. Their records are not good, but they have potential. Bad losses for us when you just look at it on paper, but they've held their own against the top teams in the conference.

Rutgers is 194 so that is no big loss.

I agree with everything said. I will be glad to see Rutgers gone. I have high hopes for Temple, Houston, and I think Tulsa will do what is necessary to raise the level of their program. Face it, every conference has some schools that are never consistently good. The AAC will have some as well. I think the AAC will eventually be one of the top 2 or 3 in the country.

It will still be a conference that puts 4 teams in the tournament.