The New West Coast Conference - It's Going to be a "Dogfight"

After the NCAA tournament selection committee made the WCC seem irrelevant with zero at-large bids, Mark Few went off.  

He totally, and probably rightfully so, "called out" the greater than 200 RPI schools in the WCC and blamed them for dragging the top three teams down....

Just to refresh what he said:  “Our league needs to really step back and take notice.  It’s time for some of these other institutions to start picking it up.  They’re really dragging the top three down.”

Turns out, the NCAA selection committee made themselves "irrelevant" after their at-large selections went down one after another in embarrassing fashion.  Their PAC-12 picks looked like scrimmage teams - while the Zags were a "few" possessions away from a final four.

Well, the "drag down" schools listened and are getting ready to rumble.  Few's going to get the dogfight he asked for and the Zags are the biggest dogs in the fight...so far.

We may need to change the name of the WCC to the "WCCCC."  The West Coast Celebrity Coaches Conference!!!

Check out the Marquee Names:

Pacific hires Damon Stoudamire - NBA great

Portland hires Terry Porter - NBA great and coach

SCU hires Herb Sendek and NBA player Julius Hodge

LMU has Mike Dunlap back - a former NBA coach 

Add:

USF hires Kyle Smith, Ivy leaguer with something to prove

USD has Lamont Smith back with fresh talent

The resumes are impressive.  Star power.  Recruiting will be even more fierce because the "prize" is there for the taking.  The prize being NCAA tourney bids. 

And the schools are going "all in."  

We are not the only program with big facilities makeovers to dazzle recruits.  It's a "gold rush" mentality - NCAA or bust....

The NCAA payout numbers are B-I-G.  A one "win" unit this past year approached $300,000.   A final four appearance, with all the adders and annuities attached, can exceed $8.5 million according to Forbes!!!  That's per NCAA appearance.  So, just think of the loot Duke, Kentucky, Gonzaga, etc are generating.  That's HUGE, even in Donald Trump's world.

So, while we're happy to have our new coach, we have a long way to go to revamp the culture and roster to make a push.  Other than the WCC top three, everyone else is going to be parroting the same message - star coach, facilities, and contend for the big dance. 

One has to ask, why did Mark Few "call out" the rest of the league?  Why would he inflame the other schools to become more competitive and potentially take down the Zags after their 16+ years of supremacy?  

Because IMHO, he has to...

He's either really smart or really foolish.

My view, it's pretty smart and aggressive.  Again, it's all about NCAA's.

I believe he foresees the day, perhaps soon, where he will have to rely on an at-large selection.  A very tough go.  Just ask St. Mary's.

Consider his scheduling issues.  About half his games are set against 200+ RPI schools, mostly from the WCC.  Not the best for rankings.  He does schedule a good number of top 50 name teams to offset the patsies, but he can't afford to schedule many more in case they lose those games.  If he loses those games early in the season and those top 50 end up having mediocre seasons, it just compounds the problem.

So, by yanking our chains, he's minimizing his risk.  He believes he'll still beat most of the WCC non top three, even if they rise to RPI's of less than 100.  Even so, a loss here or there won't kill his chances as it would be to losing to a 200+ RPI team in league.  

Once the WCC starts getting two or more at-large bids, it helps him big time with the things that matter most; recruiting and scheduling.  

Pretty gutsy.  Bulldog mascot, bulldog mentality.

You may not like it, but you have to admire it.

For us.  First things first.  

Get the right "horses" in the corral.  Get them trained and fit.  Get them ready for the track - the NCAA tourney track.  

Mark Few is going to get the "dogfight" he's asked for.  

Time will tell if he's underestimating the fact that the Lions, Tigers, and Broncos he'll face might bring more than his dogs can handle to the fight. 

Game on...

Follow The Bucking Bronco on Twitter @Fcrary and on Facebook @ FrederickACrary 

The Future of SCU Men's Basketball - Are We the "Horse" to Ride?

W.C. Fields would be loving today.  "All things considered, I'd rather be in Philadelphia."  Or, on the campus of Villanova, where classes are cancelled today after an epic final shot and national championship victory.

The profile at Nova just became a "$upernova" that will light up the University for years to come...Awesome!

Made me wonder...What does Villanova have that we don't or even crazier, what do WE have that they don't?

The short answer - they have a 25 year head start.

We are both Catholic institutions* similar in mission, size, academic profile, urban locations, great campuses, and athletic facilities.  

Our MBB academic progress multi-year rates are both above 980 out of 1,000.

Etc, etc...

We were national in the early 70's and had a few bright spots in the 80's and Nash 90's.  We chose to build out the University campus, programs and Endowment, while schools like Villanova chose a vision that included athletics as an enabler to accomplish broader University goals.

Today, proudly, we have the "goods" to take this Brand national in MBB.  As season ticket holders and fans, we may feel we are a "dark horse," but we have a war chest to become the "horse" to ride in the WCC and more.  I'm not being a "homer" here.

There are facts to consider

Our Endowment of approximately $900m dwarfs Villanova's and by the way Gonzaga and St.Mary's.  

Our location - heart of Silicon Valley - is on fire right now.

Our Campus - stunning, and curiously enough, there's now a stallion statue right in the middle you can't miss.  Symbols.

Our Sr. University staff and Trustees have gone public that Athletics and MBB are to become nationally relevant in the 2020 strategic plan.

Fr. Engh and the Trustees are saying "yes" to the strategic and tactical needs to enable the vision.

Our A.D. is part of the decision making inner circle - no filters.

AND....

Money from the war chest is flowing...

New A.D. with a vision and attitude to get this done

Amped up branding with a new logo and uniforms

New facilities to impress recruits; lockers, Leavey floor, offices, training space, team space, co-located housing

More support staff to ensure we perform the best in the classroom and on the floor

New Coach with a "rep" for building tournament level teams

New Asst. coaches who have more experience and "cred"

Better scheduling - in tourneys with Arizona, Butler, Vandy

Recruiting budgets that can get us some Scout.Com "star" level players

You get the idea.  Major $$ to make us a serious Mid-Major program.  It's finally real people...

I know we're all from "Missouri" due to the past 25 years with SCU and athletics. 

IMHO, it's time for all of us to get on board.  

It won't happen fast, but the commitment to national, even striving for top 20 in MBB is part of the convo and more importantly, the budget.

The "old" Bronco is being put out to pasture and the new Stallion is getting ready to run - and that just may make us the "horse" to ride.    

*Villanova is Catholic, but not Jesuit

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