West Virginia sues the Big East to release them from the conference

The Big East bylaws state a 27 month waiting period before exiting from the Big East conference. Don't like the 27 month time period? No problem....lawyer up. That's exactly what WVU has done by suing the Big East conference today. Claiming that the Big East actions (or in actions) caused greater instability with the conference left WVU with no alternative but to grab another invite to a more stable conference. Or so the argument goes. For more information, here is a link to the story.

Konnichiwa!

It is a pleasure to welcome Marquette graduate Dan Fitzgerald to Cracked Sidewalks. After transferring in from Tulane, Dan played for the program from 2005 through 2008 where he averaged six points per game while nailing 40% of his three-point attempts. MU went 69-31 during Dan's three years on the court. We tracked Dan down in the Twitterverse and he agreed to jump in on Cracked Sidewalks to offer us a first -- perspectives from an active professional basketball player.

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Hello from Japan, where this Marquette Golden Eagle is now playing professional basketball. I am very honored the guys at CrackedSidewalks asked me to contribute to their site! I am four years removed from playing for the Blue and Gold, and I always love to stay connected with the Marquette family in any way possible. I'd love to share my experiences and opinions about anything that is MU basketball and tell you about my life playing overseas.

First a quick update. I graduated from Marquette in 2008 majoring in Marketing and entrepreneurship. Since then, I have been playing professionally overseas, spending my summers in Milwaukee/Chicago. I've traveled to 12 different countries, so far on my 4th season having played in Germany for two years, Switzerland, and now currently in Japan for the Sendai 89ers.

This past summer, I married my beautiful wife, Dominika, who played tennis at Marquette. She is now a photographer, so we both hope to show readers an accurate and entertaining look at living and playing overseas.

Watching Marquette Madness online got me all jacked up for the season, like I'm back in Milwaukee playing myself! I think I can speak for all former players playing overseas that we still get pumped up for Marquette games, even if now we're just watching them. I like the direction Buzz has the program going, Marquette being known as a hard-nosed, tough, disciplined squad. I'm positive teams know it will be a battle when they line up against us. Our preseason ranking is respectable, and hopefully the guys have even higher goals. So, here's to a great season which I'll be following closely... from afar.

I hope you'll enjoy reading my posts, and feel free to post any comments or send in questions (see the nav bar on the right. I'd be happy to reply.

GO MARQUETTE!

The Rest of the Big East, Part III

Here is the final installment in the Cracked Sidewalks preview of the other Big East teams. In case you missed either of the first two, the first part is here and the second part is here. And keep an eye out over the next couple weeks as Cracked Sidewalks will be presenting a more in-depth preview of Marquette's season. But without further ado, let's finish this thing.

South Florida
Who's Back: Augustus Gilchrist, Jawanza Poland, Ron Anderson Jr., Hugh Robertson, Shaun Noriega, Toarlyn Fitzpatrick
Who's New: Anthony Collins, Blake Nash
Coaches / Media Predictions: 14th / 14th
The Skinny: Gilchrist is USF's version of DJO, one of the best unsung players in the Big East. This team is also experienced, with six guys who are juniors or seniors that will be earning minutes. USF finished 15th last year, but that included overtime losses to BYU and UConn, a close loss to Marquette, and a win over VCU. Despite having some strength at the 2-5 positions, Stan Heath needs either JUCO transfer Nash or freshman Collins to take the reins at PG. Nash seems the favorite, but Collins is more of a pass-first player and will see time. This team looks better than 14th, but they have to prove they learned from the close losses last year. The Bulls have a sneaky-tough non-conference schedule, and while USF should be better than last year, finishing in the top-12 of the Big East and earning a NIT berth is about the best they can hope for.

St. John's
Who's Back: Malik Stith
Who's New: Who's Not? Dom Pointer, Maurice Harkless, God's Gift Achiuwa, D'Angelo Harrison, Nurideen Lindsey
Who's Ineligible: Jakarr Sampson, Norvel Pelle, Amir Garrett
Coaches / Media Prediction: 12th / 12th
The Skinny: Malik Stith is the only returning scholarship player after nine players graduated and two transferred from the Red Storm. Steve Lavin brought in a tremendous recruiting class, but three top 100 players are ineligible to start the season, though the Johnnies are working to get them eligible in time for Big East play. St. John's is also a bit small; without Pelle, Achiuwa is the tallest player on the roster at 6'9". And due to all the complications, St. John's held open tryouts for walk-ons with the expectation of adding as many as six players to the roster. Don't be mistaken, the talent at St. John's, if they all end up eligible, is probably among the best in the Big East. That's how good this recruiting class is. But none of them have ever played together. They don't know the system. They'll win some games on talent, but in a league like the Big East, you need experience to succeed. St. John's had that last year, hence the 12-6 finish. Without it, expect them to fall possibly even further than the pundits are predicting.

Syracuse
Who's Back: Kris Joseph, Scoop Jardine, Brandon Triche, Dion Waiters, C.J. Fair, James Southerland, Fab Melo, Baye Moussa Keita
Who's New: Rakeem Christmas, Michael Carter-Williams, Trevor Cooney
Coaches / Media Predictions: 1st / 1st
The Skinny: The Orange return virtually everyone, and add two five-star recruits in Christmas and Carter-Williams. The team is the consensus top team in the league (tied with UConn in the Big East Coaches poll) and seems to have it all: a star in Joseph, an experienced backcourt in Jardine and Triche, a wealth of big men like Melo and Keita, and a tremendous bench. The key figure will be Jardine, who on any given night can be a stud or dud. Those are risky tendencies for a point guard. Expect this team to be very good. They will challenge for the Big East title, though winning it will require Jardine to come up big in big games. Anything less than a top-three Big East finish and a top-two NCAA seed would have to be considered a disappointment for Jim Boeheim's team.

Villanova
Who's Back: Maalik Wayns, Mouphtaou Yarou, Dominic Cheek
Who's New: JayVaughn Pinkston, Tyrone Johnson, Darrun Hilliard, Markus Kennedy, Achraf Yacoubou
Coaches / Media Predictions: 8th / 8th
The Skinny: After losing their Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes, and Antonio Pena to graduation and seeing Isaiah Armwood transfer, a drop-off should be expected. With no scholarship seniors, junior Maalik Wayns will lead the way, which could be worrisome, as he shot below 39.9% from the field last year. Fellow juniors Mouphtaou Yarou and Dominic Cheek were wildly inconsistent a year ago. After those three, the bulk of the minutes will go to unknowns. James Bell played minimally last year. Freshman JayVaughn Pinkston, a former McDonald's All-American, will get every chance to start. The Wildcats also have an excellent recruiting class. Villanova plays a soft non-conference schedule that will likely have them coming into Big East play with no more than two losses and could be ranked. But zero seniors, three inconsistent juniors, and a stable of unknown quantities doesn't seem like a recipe for success in Big East play. A top-half finish may be beyond this group, and with all that inexperience they have the look more of a NIT-bound team than one that will be playing in the NCAAs.

West Virginia
Who's Back: Kevin Jones, Truck Bryant, Deniz Kilicli
Who's New: Dominique Rutledge, Jabari Hinds, Aaron Brown, Gary Browne, Pat Forsythe
Coaches / Media Predictions: 7th / 7th
The Skinny: Despite losing four 20+ mpg seniors and a key bench player to transfer, the Mountaineers still return a superstar in Jones, a four-year starting point guard in Bryant, and a space-eater down low in Kilicli. The top of the roster is strong, but how will the new guys fit in? Can the JUCO transfer Rutledge step into John Flowers role? Will Brown be able to replace leading scorer Casey Mitchell? Can the other freshmen provide immediate minutes to take the pressure off Bryant? Bob Huggins is a solid coach, and this team has the ability to be a top-half Big East team. They also have experience at the most important positions. But they will also be relying on a lot of fresh faces. If the newcomers can't contribute from the get-go, it could be a long season in Morgantown.

Well, that's it for the preview of the rest of the league. Over the next couple weeks, Cracked Sidewalks will continue helping you prepare for the upcoming season with our 2011-12 Marquette preview pieces.

West Virginia officially in the Big 12

Per ESPN, West Virginia has been formally invited to join the Big 12 which will stay at 10 teams, for now.

The Rest of the Big East, Part II

It's time to continue our look at the teams Marquette will be vying for conference glory with this season. This is the second installment in our "Rest of the Big East" preview. If you missed it, the first part is here. Without further delay, let's get back to the previews:

Notre Dame
Who's Back: Tim Abromaitis, Scott Martin, Eric Atkins, Joey Thomas, Jack Cooley
Who's New: Jerian Grant, Pat Connaughton
Coaches / Media Predictions: 9th / 9th
The Skinny: After losing Ben Hansbrough, Carleton Scott, and Tyrone Nash, everyone will expect a huge drop-off for the Irish. Of course, that was the expectation last season when Luke Harangody left too. Tim Abromaitis is a first-team All-Big East pick, and there's plenty of experience with super-senior Scott Martin and juniors Joey Thomas and Jack Cooley. Eric Atkins showed plenty of promise as a starter last year, and Jerian Grant could be a surprise breakout player for the Irish after redshirting last year. Don't be at all surprised to see Mike Brey's squad finish in the top half of the Big East. They won't challenge for the title again, but they will surprise some people.

Pittsburgh
Who's Back: Ashton Gibbs, Travon Woodall, Nasir Robinson
Who's New: Khem Birch, Malcolm Gilbert, Isaiah Epps, Cameron Wright
Coaches / Media Predictions: 4th / 4th
The Skinny: Gibbs wasn't expected to return and is the Big East Preseason Player of the Year. While they have some experience in Woodall and Robinson (if he's healthy) this team is very young. McDonald's All-American center Birch will likely start, and Gilbert should get time behind him. Epps and Wright are both redshirt freshmen. The Panthers will almost certainly enter Big East play with an unbeaten record and top-ten ranking thanks to a very soft non-conference schedule. But finishing in the top four might be tough for such a young team. Expect Pitt to stay in the top half of the league, but they'll need a lot more than Gibbs to challenge for another Big East crown.

Providence
Who's Back: Vincent Council, Gerard Coleman, Kadeem Batts, Bilal Dixon
Who's New: LaDontae Henton
Coaches / Media Predictions: 15th / 16th
The Skinny: New coach Ed Cooley is trying to bring the swagger back to Providence, but it won't happen this year. With Marshon Brooks gone, Providence's backcourt is thin. Vincent Council and Gerard Coleman both averaged in double-figures last year, but the only player to back them up is Bryce Cotton after freshman Kiwi Gardner was ruled ineligible. Up front, the Friars are a bit undersized (no one over 6'9") and don't have a lot of experience. Three of the four guys in the expected rotation are underclassmen. The bottom line is this team is in for a long season. Their bench only really has two likely contributors beyond the starting five, and they just aren't very talented. Once Henton matures and guys like Kris Dunn and Ricardo Ledo arrive, Cooley will have a chance to turn it around, but right now, there's no way they finish above the bottom two.

Rutgers
Who's Back: Dane Miller, Gilvydas Biruta, Austin Johnson, Mike Poole
Who's New: Myles Mack, Jerome Seagears
Coaches / Media Predictions: 11th / 11th
The Skinny: Mike Rice seems to have the Scarlet Knights pointed in the right direction. Miller, Biruta, and Johnson make up a solid frontcourt, though losing four-star freshman Kadeem Jack for the year hurts their depth. The backcourt isn't nearly as settled. Freshmen Myles Mack and Jerome Seagears will both be in line for major minutes, as the only returning guard to average more than 11 mpg or 3 ppg is erratic shooter Mike Poole. A bid to the NCAAs may not be far off, but it likely won't yet come this year. Expect Rutgers to finish around where they are predicted and be in pretty good shape for a NIT berth when March rolls around.

Seton Hall
Who's Back: Jordan Theodore, Herb Pope, Fuquan Edwin
Who's New: Kevin Johnson, Aaron Cosby
Coaches / Media Predictions: 13th / 13th
The Skinny: Seniors Theodore and Pope had better lead this team, because they are the only two upperclassmen on Kevin Willard's team. Trying to predict what SHU will do is like throwing darts in the ocean. If healthy, Theodore and Pope have the ability to be All-Big East players. Edwin needs to become more consistent to help pick up the scoring slack left by Jeremy Hazell. A trio of European imports, sophomores Aaron Geramipoor and Patrik Auda and freshman Haralds Karlis, will likely need to contribute significant minutes. SHU also has two solid recruits in Johnson and Cosby that could contribute. The Pirate faithful think the 13th-placed predictions are a slight, and that an easier non-conference schedule and a healthy team should have them in the top half of the Big East and back in the NCAA Tournament. But objectively, it would only take one senior getting injured to tank the season. This team should land somewhere just below the middle of the league, with postseason play, more likely the NIT, a distinct possibility.

And that's two-thirds of the league previewed. Keep your eyes open this weekend for a look at the final five teams in the Big East.

6-11 Durley commits; could make MU one of the biggest teams in D1

Just two years ago 6-foot-5 Lazar Hayward was playing center for a Marquette team that was the 7th shortest team in Division I basketball. With the signing of Aaron Durley, the AVERAGE MU player in 2012-13 would be taller than Lazar, as MU would be on pace to be the 44th tallest team in the land at 6-foot-5.7 inches.

Season	Height	Rank
2009-10	6' 2.7 "	341
2012-13	6' 5.7"	44

The chances of sneaking Durley out of Texas seemed low when he visited MU September 30 and tweated about how cold and rainy it was. When Kansas State, Arizona and Texas A&M started showing interest, it appeared MU would be a long shot in light of Durley having been acclimated to Saudi Arabia’s climate from 2000-06. My in-laws moved from Milwaukee to Saudi Arabia for a few years, and told me about the first flight from Milwaukee to Saudi Arabia. They landed at midnight, and were happy to hear it was 47 degrees in the middle of the night so they could rest before contending with the heat. They walked off the plane to get hit in the face with the furnace of the 47-degree CELSIUS (117-degree fahrenheit) midnight temperature. I really didn’t see a kid making the transition the other way.

However, late last night word came out that the center from Chris Otule’s high school, listed at 6-11, 260 in the Rivals database, had committed, leaving a projected roster for 2012-13 as:

2012-13	Roster	Year	Feet	Inches
Chris	Otule	Sr	6	11
Aaron	Durley	Fr	6	11
Davante	Gardner	Jr	6	9
Steve	Taylor	Fr	6	9
Jamil	Wilson	Jr	6	7
Jamail	Jones	Jr	6	6
Juan	Anderson	So	6	6
Vander	Blue	Jr	6	4
Jamal	Ferguson	Fr	6	4
T.J.	Taylor	Fr	6	4
Jake	Thomas	Jr	6	4
Todd	Mayo	So	6	3
Junior	Cadougan	Sr	6	1
Derrick	Wilson	So	6	1
Roster	Average Ht.		6	5.7

During his stint in Saudi Arabia, where his father was working, Durley was a baseball slugger who drew fame as the tallest player to ever make it to the Little League World Series – perhaps a good sign that he is coordinated for his height. He was 6-foot-8, 245 as a 13-year-old.

The other major conference team to get an early offer to Durley was South Florida, which has to be disappointed after also losing a similar battle to MU for late bloomer Davante Gardner.

He emerged as an all-state basketball player in Texas private school division, so he seems to arrive at Milwaukee further along than Chris Otule, who Buzz recently joked was the worst high school player above 6-foot-2 in Texas, before emerging at MU. Based on a Rivals article, he sounds like a guy you would really want on the team, answering every question with a “sir” and referring questions to his father.

Roster finally big, but still has plenty of potential point guards

Buzz clearly did not like forcing his undersized players to match up against bigger positions, and has solved that quickly. He filled in many switchables who can play multiple positions, and sent one of them to the NBA three years in a row.
With a roster with four players 6-foot-9 to 6-foot-11 in Chris Otule, Steve Taylor, Davante Gardner and now Durley, that only leaves the question of whether or not MU will have enough point guard play to be a truly dominant contender.

It appears the answer is yes.

The reviews on Junior Cadougan are very good, with reports he is finally back to the incredible speed he came to Marquette with before tearing the Achilles before his freshman season. With his strong play down the stretch, he is firmly established as the point guard for the next two years.

The early reviews on Derrick Wilson are bringing back memories of another D1 football recruit who picked MU instead – Tony Miller. While only time will tell if Wilson will become one of the top few point guards in the country and lead MU to the Sweet 16 like Miller, Buzz is already saying Wilson is the best freshman defender he has ever had.

Finally, let’s remember that TJ Taylor was ranked as the 16th best point guard in the country before sitting out last year and coming to Marquette, so for one year MU could have THREE great options at the point.

Adding great size AND point guard play to Buzz’s legendary switchable players looks pretty tough to beat, and having a guy who has put up 40 points in a game with some of the deepest ranges in the country (Jake Thomas) is a pretty nice option.

Oh, and that’s just 2012-13, BEFORE Deonte Burton takes the court for MU and AFTER the graduation of preseason All-Big East players Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder put up big numbers in their senior season.

Politicians with back room dealings and arm twisting...what could possibly go wrong

WVU is in the Big 12...wait, now they're on hold. Louisville is in instead. Maybe. Of course both schools just two weeks ago said they would remain in the Big East and were committed to staying....supposedly. Hard to imagine anyone took their promises seriously.

Now allegations by US Senators from West Virginia accusing a US Senator from Kentucky of being strong handed and manipulating the process. Shocking, simply shocking (tone of sarcasm clearly intended). As politicians are adept at doing, they've called for investigations into the matter. Don't be surprised if both schools are admitted into the Big 12.

Meanwhile, Rick Pitino apparently didn't get the memo from his AD or from Senator Mitch McConnell as he is lobbying hard for Memphis and Temple to be added to the Big East.

Sources indicate West Virginia will be accepted to the Big 12

Another domino looks likely to fall in the Big East. Multiple media reports today, including the NY Times, that West Virginia applied and was accepted to the Big 12. Remember that commitment all the members made just a few days ago to stay together and raise the exit fee to $10 million? Remember.

This is another blow to the Big East and could be the death blow from a football perspective. Hard to see how they can keep their AQ status with this final defection. Too much quality has left and there isn't enough to cobble up and keep an AQ status conference together.

It's unfortunate, but this appears to be the defining blow. Sure, the conference will live on with some schools from C-USA and maybe the MWC, but when the AQ designations come up in a few years, it's hard to see how the Big East retains their BCS status. This also likely means Louisville, UCONN, Rutgers and Cincinnati will continue to look for greener pastures for their football programs.

The Rest of the Big East, Part II

It's time to continue our look at the teams Marquette will be vying for conference glory with this season. This is the second installment in our "Rest of the Big East" preview. If you missed it, the first part is here. Without further delay, let's get back to the previews:

Notre Dame
Who's Back: Tim Abromaitis, Scott Martin, Eric Atkins, Joey Thomas, Jack Cooley
Who's New: Jerian Grant, Pat Connaughton
Coaches / Media Predictions: 9th / 9th
The Skinny: After losing Ben Hansbrough, Carleton Scott, and Tyrone Nash, everyone will expect a huge drop-off for the Irish. Of course, that was the expectation last season when Luke Harangody left too. Tim Abromaitis is a first-team All-Big East pick, and there's plenty of experience with super-senior Scott Martin and juniors Joey Thomas and Jack Cooley. Eric Atkins showed plenty of promise as a starter last year, and Jerian Grant could be a surprise breakout player for the Irish after redshirting last year. Don't be at all surprised to see Mike Brey's squad finish in the top half of the Big East. They won't challenge for the title again, but they will surprise some people.

Pittsburgh
Who's Back: Ashton Gibbs, Travon Woodall, Nasir Robinson
Who's New: Khem Birch, Malcolm Gilbert, Isaiah Epps, Cameron Wright
Coaches / Media Predictions: 4th / 4th
The Skinny: Gibbs wasn't expected to return and is the Big East Preseason Player of the Year. While they have some experience in Woodall and Robinson (if he's healthy) this team is very young. McDonald's All-American center Birch will likely start, and Gilbert should get time behind him. Epps and Wright are both redshirt freshmen. The Panthers will almost certainly enter Big East play with an unbeaten record and top-ten ranking thanks to a very soft non-conference schedule. But finishing in the top four might be tough for such a young team. Expect Pitt to stay in the top half of the league, but they'll need a lot more than Gibbs to challenge for another Big East crown.

Providence
Who's Back: Vincent Council, Gerard Coleman, Kadeem Batts, Bilal Dixon
Who's New: LaDontae Henton
Coaches / Media Predictions: 15th / 16th
The Skinny: New coach Ed Cooley is trying to bring the swagger back to Providence, but it won't happen this year. With Marshon Brooks gone, Providence's backcourt is thin. Vincent Council and Gerard Coleman both averaged in double-figures last year, but the only player to back them up is Bryce Cotton after freshman Kiwi Gardner was ruled ineligible. Up front, the Friars are a bit undersized (no one over 6'9") and don't have a lot of experience. Three of the four guys in the expected rotation are underclassmen. The bottom line is this team is in for a long season. Their bench only really has two likely contributors beyond the starting five, and they just aren't very talented. Once Henton matures and guys like Kris Dunn and Ricardo Ledo arrive, Cooley will have a chance to turn it around, but right now, there's no way they finish above the bottom two.

Rutgers
Who's Back: Dane Miller, Gilvydas Biruta, Austin Johnson, Mike Poole
Who's New: Myles Mack, Jerome Seagears
Coaches / Media Predictions: 11th / 11th
The Skinny: Mike Rice seems to have the Scarlet Knights pointed in the right direction. Miller, Biruta, and Johnson make up a solid frontcourt, though losing four-star freshman Kadeem Jack for the year hurts their depth. The backcourt isn't nearly as settled. Freshmen Myles Mack and Jerome Seagears will both be in line for major minutes, as the only returning guard to average more than 11 mpg or 3 ppg is erratic shooter Mike Poole. A bid to the NCAAs may not be far off, but it likely won't yet come this year. Expect Rutgers to finish around where they are predicted and be in pretty good shape for a NIT berth when March rolls around.

Seton Hall
Who's Back: Jordan Theodore, Herb Pope, Fuquan Edwin
Who's New: Kevin Johnson, Aaron Cosby
Coaches / Media Predictions: 13th / 13th
The Skinny: Seniors Theodore and Pope had better lead this team, because they are the only two upperclassmen on Kevin Willard's team. Trying to predict what SHU will do is like throwing darts in the ocean. If healthy, Theodore and Pope have the ability to be All-Big East players. Edwin needs to become more consistent to help pick up the scoring slack left by Jeremy Hazell. A trio of European imports, sophomores Aaron Geramipoor and Patrik Auda and freshman Haralds Karlis, will likely need to contribute significant minutes. SHU also has two solid recruits in Johnson and Cosby that could contribute. The Pirate faithful think the 13th-placed predictions are a slight, and that an easier non-conference schedule and a healthy team should have them in the top half of the Big East and back in the NCAA Tournament. But objectively, it would only take one senior getting injured to tank the season. This team should land somewhere just below the middle of the league, with postseason play, more likely the NIT, a distinct possibility.

And that's two-thirds of the league previewed. Keep your eyes open this weekend for a look at the final five teams in the Big East.

The Rest of the Big East, Part I

College basketball season is almost here. In less than three weeks, most of us will either be at the Bradley Center, watching on TV, or at least listening on ESPN 540 as Marquette takes on Mount St. Mary's. We're anxious to see DJO trying to live up to First-Team All-Big East honors, learn what Jamil Wilson can do as he finally hits the court, find out if Vander Blue can start making good on all his potential, and watch as Buzz tries to build on a Sweet 16 year.

But what about the rest of the Big East? Can UConn repeat? Who will challenge for the league title? How many of Notre Dame's seniors actually left? Can DePaul claw their way up the Big East standings, maybe rising as high as 15th by year's end? Over the summer, I took a look at our various non-conference opponents, now it's time to look at the ones we're familiar with. Over the next week (or so) I'll provide capsules on all of the Big East teams. Here are the first five:

Cincinnati
Who's Back: Yancy Gates, Cashmere Wright, Dion Dixon
Who's New: Cheikh Mbodj, Ge'Lawn Guyn
Coaches / Media Predictions: 5th / 6th
The Skinny: Gates, Wright, and Dixon are a three-headed monster. Joining them in the starting lineup should be JUCO PF Mbodj and Sean Kilpatrick, who has bulked up after his All-Big East Rookie campaign last year. The first two off the bench should be senior forward Justin Jackson and junior wing JaQuon Parker, with the speedy freshman Guyn getting time at both guard slots. The Bearcats play a soft non-con schedule again, so we won't know how good they really are until the end of January, after they've played some competition. They will have dreams of cracking the top four, but will likely be in next tier when the season is done.

Connecticut
Who's Back: Jeremy Lamb, Alex Oriakhi, Shabazz Napier, Roscoe Smith, Tyler Olander
Who's New: Andre Drummond, DeAndre Daniels, Ryan Boatright
Coaches / Media Predictions: 1st / 2nd
The Skinny: Despite losing their best player, UConn should be better than their title-winning team last year. Lamb received first-team All-Big East honors from the coaches, Oriakhi second-team, and both Napier and Drummond were honorable mention. Lost in the shuffle is five-star Daniels, who should contribute right away. But don't forget, this team only went 9-9 in league play last year. Someone has to lead them. As much talent as they have, there are knocks. Lamb has never had to be the man before. Napier and Smith had a lot of growing pains last year that need to be put behind them. And despite all his physical gifts, Drummond has virtually no back-to-the-basket game and not much range. If UConn puts it all together, they could be one of the best teams in the country. But while they might have supplanted Kemba's talent, the loss of his on-court leadership might be underrated. They should be in the top four, but I'm not sold that they're going to jump from 9th to 1st.

DePaul
Who's Back: Cleveland Melvin, Brandon Young, Jeremiah Kelly, Krys Faber
Who's New: Donnavan Kirk, Charles McKinney, Worrel Clahar
Coaches / Media Predictions: 16th / 15th
The Skinny: It's hard not to feel sorry for DePaul. First, top recruit Shane Larkin withdrew his commitment and headed to Miami. Then expected starter Tony Freeland suffered a season-ending injury while the NCAA ruled three-star freshman Macari Brooks ineligible. To top it off, freshman forward Montray Clemons also suffered a season-ending injury. That will mean Oliver Purnell needs more from his newcomers. JUCO transfer Clahar will get time from day one, and freshman wing McKinney will likely also be asked to contribute right away. Transfer Kirk will likely be needed as soon as he's eligible in December. It's a good thing they have a soft non-conference, because they'll need it. The good news is that Melvin and Young were among the best freshmen in the conference last year. This team is still a couple years away. They may not be quite as bad they were the past two seasons, but finishing as high as 14th in the league would be a significant accomplishment.

Georgetown
Who's Back: Hollis Thompson, Jason Clark, Nate Lubick
Who's New: Otto Porter, Mikael Hopkins, Jabril Trawick
Coaches / Media Predictions: 10th / 10th
The Skinny: This team is a shell of itself without Austin Freeman, Chris Wright, and Julian Vaughn. For the Hoyas to succeed, Thompson and Clark have to go from role-players to stars, and they'll likely need Otto Porter to contribute heavy minutes from the get-go. This team is very inexperienced. As much upside as they have, there are too many freshman in and seniors out for them to contend this year. They may challenge for a berth in the NCAAs, but if they do, it will be as one of the last teams in the Big East.

Louisville
Who's Back: Peyton Siva, Kyle Kuric, Gorgui Dieng, Rakeem Buckles, Chris Smith
Who's New: Chane Behanan, Wayne Blackshear, Zach Price
Coaches / Media Predictions: 3rd / 3rd
The Skinny: Leading scorer Preston Knowles left as did Terrence Jennings, which would signify a drop-off for most teams. Don't expect that from the Cardinals. This team is incredibly deep. They return 8 guys that averaged double-digit minutes last year and add two McDonald's All-Americans in Behanan and Blackshear. Buckles and Blackshear will miss the start of the season with injury, but Louisville has the depth to offset those losses. While the pundits have the Big East as a two-horse race between Syracuse and Connecticut, Louisville finished ahead of both last year and return virtually everyone. Pitino's team will challenge for the Big East title, and definitely have the ability to win it.

That's all for now, I'll be back later in the week with five more Big East capsules as we get ready for the season to start.

Marquette Link Bomb

(BE Media Day, Madness, and more)

Yesterday was Big East Media Day.  Marquette was picked to finish sixth by the coaches.  UConn and Syracuse were voted in a tie for first.  As we commented yesterday on twitter, there's not much that separates the #3 and #11 teams this year, so MU is in a good spot.  Putting the homer glasses on, we think a top four finish is reasonable.  Why not?

DJO was voted to the all-BIG EAST first team, joining preseason POY Ashton Gibbs, Jeremy Lamb, Tim Abromaitis, Kris Joseph, and Kevin Jones.  The Predator (Jae Crowder) was voted honorable mention all-BIG EAST.

The Big EAST website has an interview with Buzz Williams.  In refreshing news, Buzz immediately starts talking about how bad MU was defensively (no kidding) despite the strengths offensively.  Crowder and DJO joined Buzz this year for BE Media Day, continuing the tradition of Buzz bringing the seniors for the event.

Note that all those links are direct links instead of from the Journal-Sentinel.  Evidently, Todd Rosiak is no longer the MU beat reporter (boo), and he's been replaced by sportswriting robot Tom Enlund.  I think even the interviews with Dwyane Wade (Wade sees potential, Wade talks lockout) were written by a robot.  We'd ask Enlund if this is true via twitter, except that sportswriting robots don't use twitter.  (editors note:  robots do actually use twitter)

The Paint Touches blog continues to get it done, with a nice feature on Juan Anderson and his versatility.  If you're really looking for a MU fix, they teamed with WMUR Sports for Marquette Madness.  Tons of audio links.

speaking of Madness, here is the 2011 MU Men's Video that kicked off the event

If you didn't catch it, quite a few former players showed up at Madness (Novak, Butler, Hayward, Matthews, and Wade).  Watch the video of them being introduced.  Not to mention RJax, Cordell, and Terry Sanders showing up for the event. 

Or, you could just go and watch (or rewatch) the entire Madness event online now

Finally, if you watch nothing else, take 45 seconds to watch Buzz singing Sweet Caroline.  Then watch it again.  Everything about this clip makes me happy.

MU hoops more profitable than most FBS football programs - top 100 listed

While I have been as concerned about conference realignment as anyone, it is important to realize that even in a worst case scenario for the Big East, Marquette is not going to suddenly revert to being a wandering independent basketball team.

For those who believe football is all that matters, consider that the $5.5 million profit that the federal government showed for Marquette basketball in 2009-10 was more than MOST of the Division I-FBS FOOTBALL programs in the country. Overall, these official figures indicate Marquette basketball is the 56th most profitable sports program in all of Division I, while Louisville basketball is more profitable than all but 18 football programs. (see top 100 in all sports listed below).

There is every reason to expect we will continue to see more great players follow Wes, Lazar, Jimmy, DJO, Jae and Davante to Marquette to play in an NBA arena where the program is bigger than most football programs. Why go to a school where you are the 70th most important athlete on campus to many people?

The profit numbers give me hope that Rick Pitino keeps Louisville in the Big East as the $14.7 million profit for Louisville basketball currently dwarfs the $2.4 million profit I estimate Louisville football produces – though obviously this could change with a huge payout by the Big 12.

To get an estimate of the overall profit or loss of all 3,500 Division I sports programs, I calculated the impact of Title IX matching scholarships. The 120 most profitable college football programs averaged over $9 million a year in profit, BUT football also necessitates matching scholarships for about four women’s teams, at an average cost of $2.4 million for the biggest 120 programs. Therefore and average of 25.5% of the profit earned by football goes right back into Title IX compliance. I did not calculate every single sport for every single school, but I estimated the 25.5% across-the-board with football programs.

For those who want MU football back, it is worth noting that more than a quarter of FBS football programs lose money even before you consider matching Title IX scholarships, including current and potential Big East members Rutgers, UConn, TCU, SMU, Nova, Temple, Southern Miss and Memphis.

Calculating the Title IX impact for basketball programs is much easier, since a men’s basketball program only necessitates having the same number of women on scholarship for basketball. While most women’s basketball programs do cost some money, Marquette and West Virginia actually turned a profit on the women’s side as well.

Put it all together, and the most profitable football programs clear about $7.1 million when pared with their Title IX programs, while the top 120 combined basketball programs clear about $2.1 million. The only other sport to crack the top 100 was Minnesota hockey as the 80th most profitable program.

The following table shows the 100 most profitable programs, with the profit for the men’s program, then the estimated cost of matching Title IX programs (or in the case of Marquette and West Virginia the extra money the ladies brought in), and then the total figure. Just for fun, I threw in the most profitable program for 21 other sports that also rank in the top 500 overall. And if you are wondering, I learned while my daughter was being recruited to play soccer (thank you Title IX), that Penn does not award scholarships even though they are Division I, thus their profit in many sports:

Rnk	College	Sport	Men's profit	Est. Title IX Impact	Est. Real Profit
1	Texas	Football	$68,782,770	$(17,539,606)	$51,243,164
2	Georgia	Football	$52,488,741	$(13,384,629)	$39,104,112
3	Penn State	Football	$50,407,978	$(12,854,034)	$37,553,944
4	Michigan	Football	$44,835,985	$(11,433,176)	$33,402,809
5	Florida	Football	$44,197,604	$(11,270,389)	$32,927,215
6	LSU	Football	$43,226,243	$(11,022,692)	$32,203,551
7	Alabama	Football	$40,725,197	$(10,384,925)	$30,340,272
8	Tennessee	Football	$39,208,537	$(9,998,177)	$29,210,360
9	Auburn	Football	$38,217,492	$(9,745,460)	$28,472,032
10	Oklahoma	Football	$38,103,560	$(9,716,408)	$28,387,152
11	South Carolina	Football	$35,457,715	$(9,041,717)	$26,415,998
12	Notre Dame	Football	$34,642,429	$(8,833,819)	$25,808,610
13	Nebraska	Football	$32,062,280	$(8,175,881)	$23,886,399
14	Ohio State	Football	$31,941,460	$(8,145,072)	$23,796,388
15	Iowa	Football	$27,352,540	$(6,974,898)	$20,377,642
16	Michigan State	Football	$26,964,777	$(6,876,018)	$20,088,759
17	Arkansas	Football	$26,478,860	$(6,752,109)	$19,726,751
18	Texas A & M	Football	$25,294,079	$(6,449,990)	$18,844,089
19	Louisville	Basketball	$16,706,817	$(1,978,928)	$14,727,889
20	Kentucky	Football	$17,971,203	$(4,582,657)	$13,388,546
21	Duke	Basketball	$14,242,969	$(1,039,915)	$13,203,054
22	Oklahoma State	Football	$17,292,309	$(4,409,539)	$12,882,770
23	Wisconsin	Football	$16,585,311	$(4,229,254)	$12,356,057
24	Mississippi	Football	$16,474,738	$(4,201,058)	$12,273,680
25	Arizona	Basketball	$13,363,103	$(1,430,867)	$11,932,236
26	UNC	Basketball	$13,824,688	$(2,153,268)	$11,671,420
27	West Virginia	Football	$15,102,123	$(3,851,041)	$11,251,082
28	Minnesota	Football	$14,848,773	$(3,786,437)	$11,062,336
29	Virginia Tech	Football	$14,828,223	$(3,781,197)	$11,047,026
30	Washington	Football	$14,664,667	$(3,739,490)	$10,925,177
31	Clemson	Football	$14,650,130	$(3,735,783)	$10,914,347
32	Illinois	Football	$14,193,299	$(3,619,291)	$10,574,008
33	Colorado	Football	$13,646,041	$(3,479,740)	$10,166,301
34	Indiana State	Basketball	$10,264,973	$(329,148)	$9,935,825
35	Ohio State	Basketball	$11,532,517	$(1,921,800)	$9,610,717
36	Missouri	Football	$11,594,938	$(2,956,709)	$8,638,229
37	Arizona State	Football	$11,576,019	$(2,951,885)	$8,624,134
38	NC State	Football	$11,529,798	$(2,940,098)	$8,589,700
39	Texas Tech	Football	$11,493,005	$(2,930,716)	$8,562,289
40	Wisconsin	Basketball	$10,049,768	$(1,508,851)	$8,540,917
41	Oregon	Football	$11,380,204	$(2,901,952)	$8,478,252
42	Arizona	Football	$10,675,291	$(2,722,199)	$7,953,092
43	Illinois	Basketball	$9,355,746	$(1,456,291)	$7,899,455
44	Syracuse	Basketball	$10,160,444	$(2,563,459)	$7,596,985
45	West Virginia	Basketball	$6,811,627	$608,109	$7,419,736
46	Georgia Tech	Football	$9,311,353	$(2,374,395)	$6,936,958
47	Indiana	Football	$8,943,424	$(2,280,573)	$6,662,851
48	Indiana	Basketball	$8,824,839	$(2,248,350)	$6,576,489
49	Minnesota	Basketball	$7,970,650	$(1,563,403)	$6,407,247
50	Vanderbilt	Football	$8,335,884	$(2,125,650)	$6,210,234
51	USC	Football	$8,196,472	$(2,090,100)	$6,106,372
52	Tennessee	Basketball	$6,736,628	$(792,533)	$5,944,095
53	Michigan State	Basketball	$7,752,191	$(1,990,120)	$5,762,071
54	Boise State	Football	$7,652,199	$(1,951,311)	$5,700,888
55	NC State	Basketball	$7,201,304	$(1,592,588)	$5,608,716
56	Marquette	Basketball	$5,548,653	$27,661	$5,576,314
57	UNC	Football	$7,269,531	$(1,853,730)	$5,415,801
58	Oregon State	Football	$7,054,605	$(1,798,924)	$5,255,681
59	UCLA	Football	$7,007,436	$(1,786,896)	$5,220,540
60	Pittsburgh	Basketball	$6,998,187	$(1,783,992)	$5,214,195
61	Northwestern	Football	$6,945,643	$(1,771,139)	$5,174,504
62	Dayton	Basketball	$6,024,000	$(905,274)	$5,118,726
63	Arkansas	Basketball	$8,591,645	$(3,557,929)	$5,033,716
64	Miami	Football	$6,728,367	$(1,715,734)	$5,012,633
65	Central Florida	Football	$6,653,435	$(1,696,626)	$4,956,809
66	Iowa State	Football	$6,580,398	$(1,678,001)	$4,902,397
67	Kansas State	Football	$6,396,572	$(1,631,126)	$4,765,446
68	Purdue	Football	$6,272,332	$(1,599,445)	$4,672,887
69	Washington	Basketball	$6,017,679	$(1,459,305)	$4,558,374
70	UNLV	Basketball	$5,589,104	$(1,177,299)	$4,411,805
71	UCLA	Basketball	$6,024,975	$(1,650,042)	$4,374,933
72	California-Berkeley	Football	$5,869,660	$(1,496,763)	$4,372,897
73	Maryland	Basketball	$5,536,767	$(1,297,597)	$4,239,170
74	Xavier	Basketball	$6,376,553	$(2,174,003)	$4,202,550
75	Brigham Young	Football	$5,439,315	$(1,387,025)	$4,052,290
76	Mississippi State	Basketball	$3,941,748	$-	$3,941,748
77	Texas	Basketball	$6,566,315	$(2,762,688)	$3,803,627
78	Pittsburgh	Football	$5,043,612	$(1,286,121)	$3,757,491
79	Utah	Football	$4,763,360	$(1,214,657)	$3,548,703
80	Minnesota	Ice Hockey	$4,272,482	$(837,485)	$3,434,997
81	Mississippi State	Football	$4,589,709	$(1,170,376)	$3,419,333
82	Northwestern	Basketball	$5,845,397	$(2,426,884)	$3,418,513
83	South Florida	Football	$4,359,168	$(1,111,588)	$3,247,580
84	Wake Forest	Basketball	$4,841,385	$(1,668,656)	$3,172,729
85	Kentucky	Basketball	$5,009,809	$(1,979,128)	$3,030,681
86	Stanford	Football	$4,044,674	$(1,031,392)	$3,013,282
87	Virginia Tech	Basketball	$4,404,952	$(1,401,752)	$3,003,200
88	Georgia Tech	Basketball	$5,213,420	$(2,293,515)	$2,919,905
89	Syracuse	Football	$3,834,314	$(977,750)	$2,856,564
90	Washington State	Football	$3,554,031	$(906,278)	$2,647,753
91	Georgetown	Basketball	$2,565,088	$-	$2,565,088
92	Louisville	Football	$3,294,638	$(840,133)	$2,454,505
93	South Carolina	Basketball	$5,115,933	$(2,801,869)	$2,314,064
94	Virginia	Football	$3,054,095	$(778,794)	$2,275,301
95	Vanderbilt	Basketball	$2,188,985	$-	$2,188,985
96	Missouri	Basketball	$4,124,762	$(2,006,208)	$2,118,554
97	Kansas	Basketball	$5,033,796	$(2,998,724)	$2,035,072
98	Alabama	Basketball	$4,300,697	$(2,279,857)	$2,020,840
99	Wyoming	Football	$2,702,970	$(689,257)	$2,013,713
100	Florida State	Football	$2,580,037	$(657,909)	$1,922,128
104	Texas	Baseball	$1,884,950	$-	$1,884,950
125	UNC Greensboro	Track	$521,948	$513,798	$1,035,746
144	San Diego State	Rowing	$-	$752,084	$752,084
150	Pennsylvania	Lacrosse	$434,062	$224,300	$658,362
159	Eastern Washington	Tennis	$218,819	$281,147	$499,966
167	East Carolina	Volleyball	$-	$457,875	$457,875
169	UAB	Softball	$-	$433,466	$433,466
172	Southern	Soccer	$-	$387,479	$387,479
183	UNC Greensboro	Golf	$176,904	$168,809	$345,713
197	Vermont	Field Hockey	$-	$293,897	$293,897
215	San Diego State	Water Polo	$-	$248,041	$248,041
241	NC Greensboro	Wrestling	$182,202	$-	$182,202
247	South Dakota State	Equestrian	$-	$165,000	$165,000
306	Pennsylvania	Squash	$38,201	$38,015	$76,216
313	Bowling Green State	Gymnastics	$-	$65,487	$65,487
325	Troy	Rodeo	$27,214	$29,154	$56,368
334	New Orleans	Swimming	$9,728	$43,720	$53,448
337	The Texas at El Paso	Rifle	$-	$51,201	$51,201
351	Hampton	Sailing	$13,150	$28,994	$42,144
382	Pennsylvania	Fencing	$19,132	$10,657	$29,789
478	Vermont	Skiing	$51,555	$(40,593)	$10,962

The MU backcourt: What do we have beyond DJO?

There are a number of reasons for optimism heading into the 2011-2012 Warriors basketball campaign, and that list usually begins with star senior guard Darius Johnson-Odom. Beyond DJO however, no part of the Marquette roster raises more questions than the rest of the backcourt.

First let’s remember how dominant Darius Johnson-Odom can be. DJO exploded on the scene as a sophomore and followed up with a strong junior season in which he averaged 16 points per game including more than 17 per outing in conference play. Johnson-Odom is the second-leading returning scorer in Big East action, and his clutch play against Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament catapulted the Warriors to the Sweet 16.

Beyond the senior player of the year candidate, coach Buzz Williams will rely on what amounts to a pair of second-year guards, Junior Cadougan and Vander Blue, and two freshmen, Derrick Wilson and Todd Mayo, to share the burden in the backcourt. Where MU might have strength in numbers, will the Warriors have enough backcourt talent to complement its star senior guard?  Could this mix be just enough for a veteran team like Marquette to chase a Big East crown and make another deep run in March?

Cadougan figures to start at the point after emerging down the stretch last season. During the season's final 14 games, the Canadian averaged 21 minutes per outing as Buzz Williams leaned on him at the expense of slumping senior Dwight Buycks.

While Cadougan claimed more minutes, his increased playing time came with consequences. The bruising point guard had by far the highest turnover rate on the team last season, coughing the ball up 28.9% of the time.  Beyond his struggles to protect the ball, Cadougan remains a work in progress on offense. As a sophomore he averaged four points per game to go with than two rebounds and three assists (overall, his assist rate was solid). For the season, Cadougan shot 44% from the floor, including 15% from three-point territory.

Some others are much more bullish on Cadougan.  None other than contributor Dr. Blackheart expects very good things from Junior based on his play down the stretch (the thread at MUScoop is well worth reading).  While Cadougan's play late last season was promising in spots -- his turnover rate did improve modestly -- his offensive limitations remain.

What of Vander Blue? Blue’s freshman season was sadly consistent. Blue performed well against lousy opponents early in the season, and as the level of competition improved his effectiveness crumbled.  Blue scored in double figures just once in the season's final 24 games. Incredibly he connected on only five field goals (5-34, 15%) and scored a walk-on like 16 points in the season’s final fourteen games.

Freshmen Todd Mayo and Derrick Wilson are also candidates to see action in the backcourt. Wilson, the burly former football player, figures to earn chances early to spell Cadougan as the team’s backup point guard. Mayo will be planted firmly behind the All-American candidate DJO at the shooting guard slot, though he could perhaps slide over to the point or even to a wing position depending on the rotation coach Williams establishes.

Any enthusiasm about the ability of these freshmen to contribute should be tempered by history, however. No coach in the Big East (the nation?) plays freshmen less than Buzz Williams. And with Blue, Cadougan, Johnson-Odom and perhaps even Jamail Jones seeing time in the backcourt or as designated shooters, history seems likely to repeat itself.

So what does MU have? Other than DJO, the returning backcourt talent at MU has offensive prowess that only Mike Deane could love.

MU returns an experienced point guard who now has one full, healthy season under his belt. The experience and sustained return to good health are positive indicators heading into the season, and Cadougan could be ready to make the leap and become a reliable floor general. He’ll need to be if this team is to reach expectations.  (editor's note: we are rooting for Cadougan to go all "Mo Acker as a senior" on me).

Last season Vander Blue endured lumps like few high-profile freshmen have in recent memory. To his credit Blue ran through the finish line despite rarely appearing to be comfortable on the floor. Blue is not a shooting guard; in fact, he is not a classic two-guard in any sense of the role. Blue, who has explosive hops and can create separation from a defender off the dribble, is an Alpha dog guard who could excel with the ball in his hands rather than playing off the ball constantly. Could we see Blue log time at the point? It will be interesting to see how Buzz uses his enigmatic sophomore this season.

So what are we left with? DJO and the Question Marks.  Stay healthy, Darius Johnson-Odom.

Big East invites 5 schools to join the conference

Sources have indicated that five schools have been invited to join the Big East Conference. SMU, UCF, and Houston (AD is Mack Rhoades, formerly a Marquette University Athletic Department official) for all sports. In addition, Boise State and Air Force for football only.

Navy was not yet extended an offer, but could in the coming days.

CNN touches on what is the unfortunate but likely concluson...Big East will lose BCS status (UPDATED)

Unless the powers that be can pull off a coup, when the BCS contract runs out it is likely the Big East will lose it's AQ status as a league. The remaining football schools just aren't of the quality needed to maintain that status. Adding Boise State helps, but Air Force, Navy, East Carolina, Memphis, Houston, etc? It just doesn't do it. That's going to be the ultimate rub. As Stewart Mandel writes today in his CNNSI article, will other conferences sit idly by while a 9-3 East Carolina or 10-2 Navy squad is going to a major bowl game considering the awful schedule that will be played in the Big East? Unlikely. Boise State is probably the only school left out there (now that TCU is gone) that has any hope of saving the AQ for the conference, but that isn't a given.

The BCS contract expires in 2013. The Big East has no one to blame but themselves. They had an ESPN contract in hand for over $1 billion and didn't sign it. That left Pitt and Syracuse to wander their eyes. One wonders when Paul Tagliabue's credentials pay off for the league. Certainly disappointing news to date for all of us that are fans of the Big East.

UPDATED: ESPN today goes into the three criteria to keep BCS status. One of the so called BCS gurus does not believe the Big East will meet two of the three criteria based on the teams mentioned that the conference will add.

"ESPN is the one who told us what to do"

"ESPN told us what to do" is a claim that one ACC Athletic Director made over the weekend as it relates to the possible destruction of the Big East.

This shouldn't surprise anyone.


CBS's Gary Parrish weighs in on whether ESPN fueled the demise of the Big East.


Meanwhile, Boston College's AD also stated that they are the ones blocking UCONN from coming into the ACC to protect their turf. Former Marquette #2, Father Leahy, is mentioned several times in the article.

Nothing screams East Coast like Boise, Idaho...but this is the new reality

Boise, Idaho....in the Mountain time zone...a state that borders Oregon which, of course, has it's entire coast on the Pacific Ocean....may soon becoming east. That's right, Boise State may soon be part of the Big East conference. The new realities of conference roulette have resulted in even stranger bedfellows and this one may be the most geographically absurd.

With TCU all but gone from the Big East before it played one game in it's new conference, the league is desperate to add teams to keep the automatic bid for the BCS in tact. Meanwhile, Boise State sits in the top five nationally in football but does not play in a BCS league and is tired of having to align every planet and a few stars each year to have the opportunity. Marriage made in heaven? Not exactly, but certain a marriage of convenience for however long it will last. The idea is to make Boise State a member of the Big East in football only. The Big East grabs a program near the top of the football world the last five years while the Broncos and their blue field suddenly have a much more friendly opportunity to play for a BCS championship if things go their way.

The Star Ledger is reporting today that this marriage is moving fast and we could see something very soon. Pairing up with Boise State would be the Air Force Academy, another school from the Mountain Time Zone. In an interesting twist, apparently the Big 12 also approached the Air Force Academy but the folks in Colorado Springs felt the Big 12 was not a good fit and said no.

Big East officials appear to accept the reality that TCU is gone

ESPN is reporting this morning that Big East officials are preparing for a world without TCU. The rumors have been rampant the last few weeks. In an interesting twist, TCU would probably dominate or certainly be an upper tier Big East football squad year in and year out. In the Big 12, they are probably relegated to a middle of the pack program behind OU, OSU, Texas and others. Nevertheless, the geographic fit is a no-brainer and as crazy as this sounds, the Big 12 is probably more stable than the Big East....though neither are anchored in anything resembling concrete these days.


The New York Times has their viewpoints on this as well.