UH , the Big West, and Basketball
By Jeff
OK, everybody is happy about UH joining the Big West in Basketball. I am who is not.
Yes, recruiting may be easier for the California kids. Yes, the travel will be much easier ( only California instead of Ruston , LA). Yes, we have a chance to win it and go to the " Big Dance".And yes, it is good for other UH sports. But for Basketball, it is a definite step down in this man's opinion.
Why? here are the facts. The Big West is not even considered a mid major conference.Yes, i know we have lost to Big West schools the last three times we played them, Twice to Cal Poly and once to UC Riverside. But frankly, those losses only demonstrated how far the UH program had fallen.
TV and National Exposure. Forget about it. You think ESPN or CBS is interested in Cal Northridge vrs UC Irvine.
And how about the arenas in the Big West. Cal Poly 3000; Cal State Fullerton 4000;Cal State Northridge 1600; Long Beach State 4200; Pacific 6000; UC Davis 7,000; UC Irvine 5000; UC Riverside 2700; and UC Santa Barbara 6000. It makes our 10,000 seat arena look like the rate.
How about the RPI of the Big West schools the last two years. The only schools with an RPI under 150 were Northridge at 126 two years ago; Long Beach State at 112 last year; Pacific at 138 and 99; and Santa Barbara at 97 last year. Not too many at large teams there. To be Fair, UH's RPI the last two years has been around 250, but go back just a few years and it was almost always around 100 or better.
So celebrate UH joining the Mountain West for football, and the WAC for baseball, volleyball, etc. But dont get too excited about the conference for basketball. And yes, i understand the WAC without Boise, Nevada, and Fesno and the addtion of the no name schools will be a poor basketball conference, but as i see it, the only place to put UH basketball was the Mountain West. That's one man's opinion. I would love to hear yours
Hoops Talk
December 10th, 2010 at 7:18 pm
Does the Big West have tournaments, like the WAC.
December 10th, 2010 at 7:21 pm
Wahine volleyball was an excellent fit. Don't really care for men's basketball. Virtually no DI talent in Hawaii, so the team is almost always nearly all out-of-state (including coaching staff). Kind of like Oregon and Boise State in football. Fun to go to games and they are 'our team'. However, no local players (or 1 or 2 at most- benchwarmers)= lack of additional sense of pride, some chip on shoulder ego. This feeling is missing. Kind of like rooting for a pro team. Sorry, but I know the feeling is not uncommon among kamaaina.
December 10th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
Thanks for the blog, Jeff. I appreciate your insight and your opinions. Personally, I'm happy that we're no longer in the WAC. But as an alum of a BWC school, I know what you're saying regarding the quality of the conference in basketball. Whether or not UH can help breathe some new life into the conference will be interesting . . . I wonder what the impact will be on the quality of the recruiting. What do you think?
December 10th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
unlike football, the only thing that really matters for mens hoops is getting into the ncaa tournament. win 3 games at the conference tournament at some california location and we are in - sounds good to me. most of our notoriety comes from the games we play before the conference season anyway.
December 10th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
I agree that it would have been great to see UH men's basketball in the MWC. But I can't imagine the Big West would have taken all of the non-football sports if it didn't get men's basketball. And I doubt whether the MWC would have been open to accepting UH for all sports.
December 10th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
I agree, I'm also one who is not happy about UH joining the Big West in basketball. I agree that moving football to the MWC and all other sports to the Big West was the best move overall for UH, hands down. It's better than remaining in the WAC for sure. It's just that being a huge UH men's basketball fan, the only good thing that may come out of this move is we may go to the NCAA's every year, which will help recruiting too. It will become a necessity to have a very tough non-conference schedule, even if it means going on the road a lot. Play the ranked teams early, gain experience, get better, breeze through the conference, and then be ready for the big boys again in the NCAA's. We have to become to Big West basketball what Boise State became to WAC football. We have to be so dominant in the Big West, and play and beat ranked teams non-conference, that we will gain respect.
December 10th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
You are being selfish; but face it; UH men's basketball will never be a power house, it never has and never will be. Financially, maybe playing a lesser schedule will allow the team to be successful and fans will return to the arena. Previously, within the last four years, with mediocre losing teams, the fans left. Need to look at the bigger picture, what is best for UH overall and its football program which is the financial driver for sports. Sorry but that are the facts.
December 10th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
jeff should learn to cool his jets. that is very selfish to think that way. good thing he is not running our basketball program.
he did say something correctly. this program had sunk below the depths. however, i surely am on the gib arnold bandwagon.
baby steps. get competitive and by 2012 i think he'll have this program ready to rock and roll with the best of the big west. what a statement that will make. we always have the preseason tournaments to load up the rpi.
baby steps. we could be putting ourselves in a similar status as the gonzagas of the northwest and the st. mary's of the wcc. what's wrong with going to the big dance often enough to make a name for ourselves.
baby steps. who knows we could make ourselves such a great basketball program the likes of the mwc would need the strength of our basketball team to enhance their conference.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:54 pm
AGREE on several points ... Gib noted on the Cal-Poly pre-game show that "...the team was in shock changing clothes in the women's swim team locker room..." then walking out into a high school gym; and with "No Fans" in the stands you've got to make your own motivation ...
SO a Definite STEP DOWN from the 15,000 to 20,000 Seat New Mexico, Vegas, Fresno Arenas [By the Way U.H. still doesn't have the minimum 14,000 seats needed to host a regional, not that the NCAA needs any excuses to ignore our "only money-making bid submittals"...
BUT the BEST Point is the St. Mary's/Gonzaga/Xavier / Pitt College of Charleston / Butler / Baylor Templates to BB Success...
December 11th, 2010 at 9:34 am
If UH wins consistently, no matter what sport, they will be recognized. UH will worry about themselves because, ultimately, that's what matters!
December 11th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
If the chances of going to the "Big Dance" is easier through the Big West,
I'm all for it.
December 14th, 2010 at 8:11 am
UH is a long, long way from dominating the Big West in men's BB. Reach that point and then we can complain about being in a "lesser" conference.
December 23rd, 2010 at 3:29 pm
If UH wins consistently, no matter what sport, they will be recognized. UH will worry about themselves because, ultimately, that's what matters!