USA Today has finally updated “Around the Atlantic 10”:
Nice article. They even got Ian’s name right!
wow, that is as in depth 49er preview as you’ll find. I am guessing Utter wrote it or contributed heavily.
it slaps the A10 in the face a few times too.
Dewhurst will not be the starting SG.
Thats a good read.
Very rare, and very nice of course, to see such an accurate write-up about us from a national publication. I would bet money this is the only team preview we get in the next two months (outside of The Big O) that actually gets the facts straight about Jones/Dewhurst/Harris/Garrity and their eligability situations.
[QUOTE=CMack124;262610]Very rare, and very nice of course, to see such an accurate write-up about us from a national publication. I would bet money this is the only team preview we get in the next two months (outside of The Big O) that actually gets the facts straight about Jones/Dewhurst/Harris/Garrity and their eligability situations.[/QUOTE]
You forgot about WH :biggrin:
Hmmm…I didn’t find it particularly well written, but was just glad they finally updated it. For one thing, I can tell the writer with 100% certainty that Lutz did interview for the South Alabama job. And the notion that you can’t recruit Southern kids to play in the A-10 isn’t any more valid now than when Lutz was using that excuse after last season. Just my 2 cents…
GO NINERS! GO A-10!
And the notion that you can't recruit Southern kids to play in the A-10 isn't any more valid now than when Lutz was using that excuse after last season. Just my 2 cents...GO NINERS! GO A-10!
Jay Bilas said the same thing yesterday. Every basketball expert I hear, read, and see says its an uphill battle for a southern school to sign quality kids in the A10.
Why are you so stubborn on the fact that the A10 is a roadblock for recruiting??? As opposed to UMASS, Temple, etc where kids have at least heard of the A10 in their lives.
[QUOTE=metro;262641]Jay Bilas said the same thing yesterday. Every basketball expert I hear, read, and see says its an uphill battle for a southern school to sign quality kids in the A10.
Why are you so stubborn on the fact that the A10 is a roadblock for recruiting??? As opposed to UMASS, Temple, etc where kids have at least heard of the A10 in their lives.[/QUOTE]
Bilas is pandering to his audience. One week he’s up in Dayton with Bobby Knight for an event at UD Arena, where he’s singing the praisies of the Flyers and the A-10. The next he’s back in Charlotte bashing the A-10. Whoop-tee-do!!! :rolleyes:
I know Metro doesn’t like where the Niners are and I completely understand, but at the risk of lighting a fire, here’s my three cents as an outside and admitted proponent of the A-10 (at least until UMass goes to Division 1 football and joins the BCS!)
I think Lutz’ latest recruiting class, which was rated highly by some services, might supply some evidence to the contrary. With his job on the line, Lutz appears to have done a good job restocking the roster, although only time will tell.
And where are the players from? Well, I do notice a few Southerners, namely Wilderness of Georgia, Barnett of Charlotte and Ngoundo of Arkansas (via Africa). And the juco Coley is from Florida originally.
Even if the excuse that Lutz can’t recruit the South anymore were true, then the solution is to recruit other parts of the country, particularly the North. Ta da: Phil Jones! I am sure there are some East Coast kids that might want to play in beautiful Charlotte. And there’s also the Midwest (Mack) and even the West Coast (Gerrity)!
To put it bluntly, lots of people in the business, such as Bilas, are simply making excuses for Lutz because they like and respect him. Do these people actually talk to the recruits or follow Charlotte closely on the recruiting trail? No. So where do they get their information from? Lutz and his allies of course.
If Lutz hadn’t spent two years lamenting his plight – the move to the A-10 – perhaps he would not be on the verge of losing his job. Now that his rep is on the line, Lutz is responding. That’s very good for Niners fans.
The fact is, St. Louis is not sitting around to complain about the breakup of the old C-USA. The school is building a new arena and it hired one of the best coaches in the country, as we all know. Now Majerus has recruited five players for next year, all well regarded recruits from the Midwest, to play in the … East Coast-based A-10!
Are kids in the Midwest any different from those in the South? No. They want to play at a nice school, in a nice place, for a great coach. And they want playing time.
Would they prefer to play in a BCS conference, at a school like UNC or Kentucky or Auburn or Georgia Tech? Probably. But St. Louis is getting it done now and Xavier has been getting it done for years. Dayton is also doing a good job recruiting outside the East Coast and even Duquesne – Duquesne! – is reeling in good recruits. This program has been the dormat since I was a teenager, which was much longer ago than I like to think!
All the excuse-making in the world doesn’t change a thing. The school can either let Lutz make the move to the A-10 an excuse for poor recruiting – or Charlotte can find a coach who CAN get good players to join the program.
As Run says, Go Charlotte - and go A-10!
The school can either let Lutz make the move to the A-10 an excuse for poor recruiting – or Charlotte can find a coach who CAN get good players to join the program.As Run says, Go Charlotte - and go A-10!
or… (and I don’t mean to be rude) hopefully leave this god-forsaken conference in the next few years. The Sunbelt in the 80’s was funner to watch.
in defense of Lutz, it was an adjustment for sure to the A10. Its kind of like sleeping with a swimsuit model for a few years and then having to wake up with a fat chick with bad breath and dirty toes every morning.
I do agree that St Louis has handled the move much better. I also would say that in the A10, a few of our olympic sports have done better (probably because the easier competition). An St Louis never had success on any level in CUSA, so they are probably glad to be out.
The big picture however is football and more NCAA hoops appearances, and the A10 does zip to help us in either. I could stomach the A10 if they would shave the conference down to 12 teams/2 divisions, where some kind of name recognition and rivalry could develope…and GET SOME KIND OF TV DEAL!!
I really like Bilas, but WH just administered a mighty whack from the Gavel o’ Truth.
You forgot about WH :biggrin:QFT!
. But St. Louis is getting it done now and Xavier has been getting it done for years. Dayton is also doing a good job recruiting outside the East Coast and even Duquesne – Duquesne! – is reeling in good recruits. This program has been the dormat since I was a teenager, which was much longer ago than I like to think! !
St Louis has spent some money, they have not “gotten it done” yet. The arena was needed, but Majerus is a stopgap.
I refuse to acknowledge Duquesne. what conference are they in? jeesh don’t remind me. :doh:
All devout fans want to be in the very best conference, so you and I are in the same boat, metro. Again, I cannot quibble with your desire to leave even if I hold a very different view on the A-10.
But … come on! First time I heard the old C-USA described as a swimsuit model. Louisville, Marquette and Cincy seemed to see a frumpier sort of gal. (-:
Metro, I’m not going to sit here and tell you I have been satisfied completely with the A-10. What looked like a good move has been frustrating due to problems post-2004 NCAA tourney (4 teams, including 2 in Elite 8, etc.) in the league office in Philly that are just now being addressed.
I liked the old Sun Belt too, as well as C-USA. Of course, it took 7 seasons before C-USA lived up to its hype/potential, and the A-10 finally seems to be on the rebound (pun intended!). BTW, I’m not convinced football will “fix” our hoops malaise (please don’t take that as an anti-football statement - thanks!).
Metro, you are like a guy in a sinking boat who tries to save himself by shooting holes in the bottom so he sinks a little faster. And here I was thinking the weather in Charlotte was nice!
You are so deep in a winter of miscontent that you might as well move North to New England, where you might learn to better appreciate the A-10.
All devout fans want to be in the very best conference, so you and I are in the same boat, metro. Again, I cannot quibble with your desire to leave even if I hold a very different view on the A-10.But … come on! First time I heard the old C-USA described as a swimsuit model. Louisville, Marquette and Cincy seemed to see a frumpier sort of gal. (-:
lol…you get my point.
Look at our RPI from 1996-2005 in CUSA (it averaged about 40 at the end of each year)
in the A10 the Niners have finished at 104 and 146
last year was self inflicted, we sucked. The year before we had a decent year and could not crack the top 100 RPI. That proves to me the A10 forces you to have a flawless season if you want to be in the NCAA or top 50 RPI.
But … come on! First time I heard the old C-USA described as a swimsuit model. Louisville, Marquette and Cincy seemed to see a frumpier sort of gal. (-:
:lmao:
Thats sig material right there!!!
The revisionist history regarding CUSA on this board is an amazing thing!