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Post by Bomber on Apr 16, 2013 18:40:43 GMT -5
Two and a half more months? ..it stinks being at the bottom of the food chain We are in a conference in the top 1/3 of the basketball world. We aren't even close to the bottom of the food chain.
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Post by BasketBallJones on Apr 16, 2013 22:23:07 GMT -5
“
That is Bob Grant's quote in the DDN regarding Loyola's departure to the MVC. Does anybody in the HL office communicate to the member school's AD's and/or the school's Presidents. After reading that quote from Grant it sounds like we have Larry, Curly, and Moe running the HL.
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Post by mrose on Apr 17, 2013 9:13:22 GMT -5
The issue isn't with the HL being a borderline top 1/3 conference. The issue is the HL is acting like it belongs at the bottom of the food chain.
In the past couple of years every conference that resides in the top third has either been proactive or reactive by adding additional members. All the HL has done is have a deer in the headlights approach and lose two members.
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Post by wsutommygun on Apr 17, 2013 10:36:38 GMT -5
This is frustrating...can't believe we find ourselves in such a mess. Do you think the process needs to start from scratch? Seems like the presidents need to meet face-to-face or video conference and declare their intentions. What good is it to add 2, 3, or 4 teams if someone else is waiting to hear if they are invited to another conference. The new teams have a right to know, I'd want to know in the best interest for WSU. I still prefer a bigger and better HL but, this is a bit much for staying patient.
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Post by wsuraider09 on Apr 17, 2013 11:28:52 GMT -5
What I meant was simply this...
we can't make moves because the MVC may or may not be done with their moves, which is due to the moves in the A-10, which is due to the moves made by the Big East...which may or may not have parlayed from subsequent moves made over the last couple of years by the conference formerly known as the Big 10, etc. We have to wait for all the dust to settle to clean up the pieces and figure out whatever is left. I mean, we're not the SWAC or the MEAC.
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Post by mrose on Apr 17, 2013 12:20:47 GMT -5
The Horizon League could have made a move. We don't need to see what the A-10 or MVC is doing before we invite Oakland.
Oakland would jump at the chance to be in the HL and I don't believe they have or had any other viable options to improve their conference affiliation. I'm sure politics played into it with UDM, but inviting Oakland isn't dependent on other conferences.
I suppose another possible explanation for not inviting Oakland just yet is the HL basically has them in our back pocket. We know we can get them anytime we want so perhaps much of the time and energy has been focused on other schools that have other options available.
That said, the universe of potential schools to join the HL has always been finite so the delay in grabbing a school or two is becoming disconcerting.
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Post by hhgreen on Apr 17, 2013 17:58:56 GMT -5
We need to look elsewhere. I know basketball is the premier sport at Wright State but we also have the baseball team to think about. I would hate to see that auto bid leave.
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Post by Big D on Apr 17, 2013 20:35:58 GMT -5
LeCrone met with Oakland's Athletic Director Tracy Huth yesterday.
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Post by wolf41 on Apr 18, 2013 9:25:58 GMT -5
Please tell us this wasn't their first meeting.
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Post by mrose on Apr 18, 2013 16:20:49 GMT -5
Not sure what this means, if anything (probably not), but I found it sort of interesting.
Of the current Horizon League (sans Loyola) 7 of the 8 members are former Mid-Con/Summit members. Detroit is the only original member left of the MCC/Horizon. Perhaps now more than ever UDM is motivated to move on. They really have no where to go, but might be lobbying hard for a new conference.
Since LeCrone has been commissioner (21 years) the ONLY members the HL has added were members of the Mid-Con/Summit...6 in 1992 UWGB, UWM, WSU, UIC, CSU, NIU (5 remain--NIU left for football reasons), YSU in 01 and Valpo in 07.
Based on that track record I'm guessing the only expansion schools the HL picks up will be current Summit League schools. So, if we go past 9 and add more than Oakland who will it be? Though travels sucks I think I would rather have the Dakota schools than IUPUI or IPFW.
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Post by rock70 on Apr 18, 2013 19:27:54 GMT -5
Not sure what this means, if anything (probably not), but I found it sort of interesting. Of the current Horizon League (sans Loyola) 7 of the 8 members are former Mid-Con/Summit members. Detroit is the only original member left of the MCC/Horizon. Perhaps now more than ever UDM is motivated to move on. They really have no where to go, but might be lobbying hard for a new conference. Since LeCrone has been commissioner (21 years) the ONLY members the HL has added were members of the Mid-Con/Summit...6 in 1992 UWGB, UWM, WSU, UIC, CSU, NIU (5 remain--NIU left for football reasons), YSU in 01 and Valpo in 07. Based on that track record I'm guessing the only expansion schools the HL picks up will be current Summit League schools. So, if we go past 9 and add more than Oakland who will it be? Though travels sucks I think I would rather have the Dakota schools than IUPUI or IPFW. This is exactly why Lecrone needs to go. Under his watch we continue to lose good schools and we keep regressing as a conference. Think about the school Lecrone wasn't able to convince to stay. Butler Loyola Marquette Xavier St. Louis Dayton LaSalle I'm sure I'm missing some......... Now think about the schools he's replaced them with. All former Mid-Con/Summit League schools! My other disappointment is Mr. Grant seems content to put everything in Lecrones hands and doesn't appear to be exploring other options. I just don't see us moving forward under Lecrone! If Belmont and Murray State stay in the OVC we need to seriously look at seeking membership. At the very least Mr. Grant needs to at least explore this option. This is all very frustrating/disappointing.
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Post by Cheerfan on Apr 18, 2013 20:10:15 GMT -5
Think about the school Lecrone wasn't able to convince to stay. Butler, Loyola, , Marquette, Xavier, St. Louis, Dayton LaSalle I'm sure I'm missing some......... Now think about the schools he's replaced them with. All former Mid-Con/Summit League schools! AND THE HL DIDN'T MISS A BEAT. Seriously, some of you guys need to take a damn valium and chill out. The HL might very well add another former SL school next year in Oakland. We will be a better conference with them than we were last year with Loyola. You might also want to consider the fact that if several of the above school didn't leave the HL over the years, we wouldn't be in the HL. If Belmont and Murray State stay in the OVC we need to seriously look at seeking membership. At the very least Mr. Grant needs to at least explore this option. This is all very frustrating/disappointing. The HL (no matter who has been in the conference) has traditionally been ranked between 10-15. The OVC is a conference that has traditionally been ranked 20+. Last year they had their best finish as a conference EVER and finished ranked 16th. The HL finished 12th. There is absolutely no reason to drop down conferences. The HL will be just fine.
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Post by mrose on Apr 18, 2013 22:29:39 GMT -5
Rock70, you left out the biggest one of all....at least with name recognition. Notre Dame. They had all their Olympic sports in the MCC. Football and basketball remained independent, but all other sports were in the MCC. Today UND is regarded as having some of the best Olympic sports including baseball in all of college.
Again, I don't know how to read the tea leaves here, but out of the conferences that are typically in the top 12 RPI only 3 in the past 20 years that have added at least two new members and only added members from exclusively one other conference are: SEC: Texas A&M & Mizzou (Big 12); MVC: Evansville & Chicago Loyola (MCC/Horizon); Horizon: UWGB, UWM, UIC, NIU, CSU, WSU, YSU, Valpo, (Mid-Con/Summit).
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Post by Indy Raider on Apr 19, 2013 16:39:08 GMT -5
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Post by Sixth Man on Apr 19, 2013 18:47:57 GMT -5
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