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