Yo AI. How did Gonzaga become so successful as a mid-major program?

[valpotx]

No need for Gonzaga or UConn in the Big 12 at this point.  Already in the top 2 basketball conferences (we can debate whether #1 or #2 all day), and those schools don't bring anything other than a solid basketball program.

TX, I totally agree with your initial  and your concluding statements.   BUT........

.......both in the top two conferences?  Gonzaga's WCC is mid major with only two competitive teams (and we beat one of them on our way to the NIT final). The Big East is very good in some years, but it pretty much runs hot or cold as a consistently top 3 or even 4 P5+1 leading conference.  But with the recent upheaval, the P5+1 doesn't even exist anymore, so this part of the discussion is rendered moot anyway.

Sorry, I must not have been clear with my wording, as I was saying that the Big 12 is already in the top 2 basketball conferences, not the WCC/Big East

[usc4valpo]

Big East is a very good basketball conference and produced national champions. They have a good thing going. If only DePaul can get their act together...

[historyman]

That and the decisions they made but mostly the relative attractiveness of their schools is the reason they were picked apart while the Big XII was left alone with the opportunity to rebuild. And that basketball league... Kansas Baylor Arizona Kansas State Oklahoma State Texas Tech and I'm sure I'm underselling a few more... Good Lord...

Did Scott Drew's job at Baylor for winning the Big XII conference just get a lot harder?

[VUGrad1314]

I would say yes because Arizona is a really good program but the other three are basically passable to slightly above average hoops programs most years with Utah probably being the worst at least as of recent history.

[JD24]

S And that basketball league... Kansas Baylor Arizona Kansas State Oklahoma State Texas Tech and I'm sure I'm underselling a few more... Good Lord...

Houston is joining this year as well. Arizona and Houston are obviously big time programs.

[VUGrad1314]

I still don't understand why the Big XII hasn't gone after San Diego State and Memphis yet. Decent football. Solid to great basketball. New markets. Sadly I doubt it happens anymore with the PAC schools joining. There's little chance either school cuts the mustard academically with them. Moreover it's probably true at this point that not even Memphis moves the needle for them in basketball anymore. I feel really bad for both Memphis and SDSU to be honest. They're as deserving as any program of a seat at the big table and they just for whatever reason haven't gotten it yet.

[vu84v2]

The Big 12 announced today that, while they had discussions, they are not adding UConn and Gonzaga. The reason cited was the dream scenario of getting many Pac 12 teams. Gonzaga is going to be a big piece of a puzzle for resolving what the MWC and remaining Pac 12 teams do going forward. They might just stay in the WCC, but the team with, far and away, the largest attendance left and the TV contract must be miniscule. As for UConn, I think they will just stay in the Big East and be happy. No conference is going to value UConn football.