A10 Versus CAA

[Cedric Dempsey]

If St. Bonaventure can deal with being average in the A10 for decades, then Mason will get this figured out.

 

[Bricker]

Tough but fair hypothetical here. I Choo-choo choose the A-10. But I would have picked CAA if ODU, vcu were still members. Times change. At least in the A-10 we consistently get to face some great programs in conference play.

 

[gmubrian]

I understand the game, but I also subscribe to the "rising tide floats all ships" model.

We weren't always going to have Larranaga, and all the years before larranaga give us no reason to believe we would have hired the next larranaga.

odds are we would have hired an average CAA coach, and become an average CAA program.

I'd rather be an average A10 program than an average CAA program.

In the CAA as it is currently constructed, if you have a really good year but don't win the conference tournament, you're not going to the big dance. In the a-10, most years winning the regular-season title is an at-large bid.

We have already risen to the level of the a-10 conference. We are a rock solid average A10 program. It has taken us a few years, but we have gotten there. if things break for us right now, our ceiling is much higher than if they had broken right for us in the CAA, and if they break wrong for us, our floor is much higher than if they had broken wrong for us in the CAA.

I was tempted to say you broke the rules on this one, but, you made a good point about Mason lucking out with Larranaga, and Mason likely doing just enough to remain average in the CAA.

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

Tough but fair hypothetical here. I Choo-choo choose the A-10. But I would have picked CAA if ODU, vcu were still members. Times change. At least in the A-10 we consistently get to face some great programs in conference play.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWuAIS7Vs_M

 

[Pablo]

Interestingly, there is a thread on the W&M board about missing an opportunity to join the ACC - https://csnbbs.com/thread-892330.html:

Sitting bull

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Post: #4
RE: William & Mary & The ACC
(Yesterday 09:08 AM)esayem Wrote: I posted this on the ACC board too:

I read a comment that W&M declined an ACC invite in the 70’s. The only thing I could find was from Lou Holtz’s book: a former president of W&M wanted Holtz to build the football team in order to gain entry as the eighth member. Then that president left and the new guy wanted football deemphasized, so Holtz went to NC State.

Any historians have info on this?


That is correct above. The W&M President then (1971 I think), Paschal, pursued the ACC and had the votes from the other league members, from what has been relayed. At the time, the ACC was down to 7 teams, South Carolina had just pulled out. ESPN wasn't around then so conference decisions were not based on money or markets - they were based on the commonality and local linkage of Universities.

Our new President came in 1972 and decided W&M was better fit toward an Ivy style approach. The move to the ACC would have required a step up in stadium expansion or new construction.

As W&M declined, the ACC added Georgia Tech as the 8th member.
(This post was last modified: Yesterday 11:23 AM by Sitting bull.)
Yesterday 11:22 AM

 

[Falco]

Mid-major conferences beat up on each other, Mason never dominated the CAA anyway. At least if you come out alive in the A-10 you're a damn good team and ready to beat NCAA tournament squads. CAA champs earn the right to be blasted by a 3 seed? No way in hell they'd ever earn a #8 seed again being the current CAA.

No way in hell mason would ever be an 8 seed in the A10 either.

 

[GMUgemini]

No way in hell mason would ever be an 8 seed in the A10 either.

Never say never. 2014 UMass was a 6 seed, GW was a 9 seed, and St. Joes was a 10, none of these schools are out of our reach.

 

[Bricker]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWuAIS7Vs_M

It's important to note that Ralph and I have the same basketball IQ as well.

 

[GSII]

No way in hell mason would ever be an 8 seed in the A10 either.

Not as long the Lil guy is at the helm.

 

[Falco]

Dane Fischer is 5-0 in the CAA. To bad DP and Company didn’t get a shot in the CAA. Maybe they would dance.

 

[GMUgemini]

Not as long the Lil guy is at the helm.

If Kellogg can get a 6 seed a UMass, Paulsen can get an 11/12 seed at Mason.

 

[patriot2000]

Forgive yet another long Patriot2000 post but I love thought experiments.

Strictly within the parameters of your game, I say CAA only because you stipulated if we stay A10 we only got to the dance every 10-12 years. Every 10 years or so, as a FACT... no chance of better, right? In that case, what's the point of playing in this league? The reason to love being in the A10 is (at the very least) the HOPE of better for us.

Although I understand the points of previous anti-CAA posters and can't fully disagree with them, I'd rather go to the dance every few years and finish in the top 3 of my league just about every year because of your sneaky 10-12 years clause.

Now, in a slightly more flexible scenario, A10 all the way. Keeping hope alive that we can be in the A10 AND see meaningful post season play every few years, I think this is better for us. It pressures us to spend more. It helps us recruit better (though I will give you the fact that a CAA team with frequent NCAA appearances may be able to recruit better than us). It will help us attract a better coach. Our president and AD have more pressure to keep up with a better league.

So, yeah, remove the 10-12 year clause, give me this Mason squad, this A10, this CAA... I'm good where we are.

I've seen Delaware, Drexel, UNCW, and JMU live this year. I've seen CoC on TV. There really is a difference in the "look" and talent level of a CAA team vs. Mason and a bigger difference vs. Top A10 teams. We could win the CAA, this year, with this roster. We could win the regular season or the CAA tourney and find ourselves in the NCAA or NIT, something that has eluded us for years. So, hey, the CAA could actually give us a BETTER shot at what I want... Meaningful post season, which leads to attendance and recruiting, which leads to continuing success.

However, I could easily argue that being in the A10 is HOW we built this roster (and the experience) to win the CAA. So, it's unfair to think we could get even the mediocre results we have now if we had our current coach in the CAA.

I've been as frustrated as anyone, and as outspoken lately. However, the things I do love about the current era of Mason ball probably don't even exist if we had stayed in the CAA (with the exception of the band... The one constant that is better than 99% of schools)

 

[Mason32]

No way in hell mason would ever be an 8 seed in the A10 either.

Huh? A team that had success in this conference would, not talking about current state of the program Jesus

 

[GSII]

If Kellogg can get a 6 seed a UMass, Paulsen can get an 11/12 seed at Mason.

Would also have to ranked #1 luckiest team throughout the season.

 

[gmubrian]

It's been fun catching up, but, it is back to my proposal hell for time being, and that means no time for the boards or Mason basketball :-(. I'll check back in after Monday of next week to see if everyone is following the rules of this game. ;-)

 

[Walter]

We are probably a mid-pack CAA team, at best.

 

[Patriotsince81]

Patriot League.
Play all games at the RAC. WE might sell out once or twice.

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

Patriot League.
Play all games at the RAC. WE might sell out once or twice.

4 letters: N A I A

 

[mkaufman1]

Division 3. Paulsen won a championship at that level!!