Is this a record? In Tark the Big East just sent 10 teams to the NT and another team to the PIT. I personaly have never seen a conference send that many teams but I wouldn't be surprised if it has happened before.

Pretty impressive! It's a little easier to acheive in D1 since the power conferences have a recruiting advantage. Still....that's a great season!

In DII Crum, the Heartland Conference could place 9 in the NT this time. After 11 games, all 9 teams have an RPI of 57 or better. I suspect one or two will bite the dust during conference play, though

bullcrap , Al!!!!

it is HARDER in D1 for a whole slew of reasons:

• more good coaches competing for roughly 50 spots (lets say 14 go to weakish CT winners)
• EE - this is HUGE. EE just decimates good and great D1 teams with regularity. To have 10 teams succesfully avoid/ deal-with EE and get into the NT is incredible
• because of the increase cmpetition, its hard to keep all 12 coaches. When you have OR and sully and daveymac and mbalding and kaveman, etc, etc, etc beating up on you every year, you are going to hav some turnover. in fact, the one team that didnt make the postseasn has a rookie coach and the last coach pretty much the cupboard bare.

Now, Al... first of all you know you are my homie. and you know i am not one of those guys that thinks D2 and d3 are easy and that all coaches down there suck. I know that is not true and i know there are some terrific conferenes in d2 and d3 and some great coaches. but i dont think there is quite the depth of great coaches and yhou dont have to deal with EE.

and dont tell me about the recruiting advantage of the power conferences. The top coaches at the top schools at lower levels have jut as much of advantage, if not more.

I cant speak intelligently about d2 recruiting because i havent spent alot of time there. but d3 recruiting is clearly easier than d1. especially for the good coaches at the good schools.

You know what, i might even grant you that itis just as hard at the lower levels to accomplish 10 NT teams in one year (i really dont think so, but i will grant you that for now) but to say that D1 is EASIER is just CRAZY, brother, CRAZ-EEE.

I think it can be easy anywhere you just need the right group of coaches. I've actively tried to recruit a group of coaches who would want to move up in IBA to a low end div I school and build it up. Even a bottom feeding team should be able to go 10-0 vrs the worst of the worst div I competition. If everyone goes 10-0, by the time the season ends you'd send over half to the NT. Do that for a few season, half the conf goes from D to B and then play a little tougher with the better recruits you can now get + the extra recruiting money while still aiming for 8-2 - 10-0. Now you send 10 to the post season and have a few in the A range. Now you can mix a few more tough teams, and still end up with by far the most non conf games. If everyone (or most everyone) wins there games, even the under .500 team will make the post season.

Having already been in two such conferences (Allen and Rupp), it's not nearly as easy as you describe. That said, with the right coaches (and, just as critically, their desire to stay in the conference), you can be as successful as a BCS conference.

I think it would be easy with a full conference in d2 or 3. I don't have a lot of experience in D1 (3 seasons), but if you get a group of guys who literally never miss the NT (even if they step on each other's toes during recruiting, you can frequently get Final Four level talent just from 'picking off of what's ' if you have a decent prestige), they still won't miss the NT even in the same conference.

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Quote: Originally posted by oldave on 6/12/2010bullcrap , Al!!!!it is HARDER in D1 for a whole slew of reasons:

• more good coaches competing for roughly 50 spots (lets say 14 go to weakish CT winners)
• EE -  this is HUGE.  EE just decimates good  and great D1 teams with regularity.  To have 10 teams succesfully avoid/ deal-with EE and get into the NT is incredible
• because of the increase cmpetition,  its hard to keep all 12 coaches.  When you have OR and sully and daveymac and mbalding and kaveman, etc, etc, etc  beating up on you every year,  you are going to hav some turnover.  in fact,  the one team that didnt make the postseasn has a rookie coach and the last coach pretty much the cupboard bare. 

 Now, Al... first of all you know you are my homie.  and you know i am not one of those guys that thinks D2 and d3 are easy and that all coaches down there suck.  I know that is not true and i know there are some terrific conferenes in d2 and d3 and some great coaches.  but i dont think there is quite the depth of great coaches and yhou dont have to deal with EE.and dont tell me about the recruiting advantage of the power conferences.  The top coaches at the top schools at lower levels have jut as much of advantage, if not more.I cant speak intelligently about d2 recruiting because i havent spent alot of time there.  but d3 recruiting is clearly easier than d1.  especially for the good coaches at the good schools.You know what, i might even grant you that itis just as hard at the lower levels to accomplish 10 NT teams in one year (i really dont think so,  but i will grant you that for now)  but to say that D1 is EASIER is just CRAZY, brother,  CRAZ-EEE.

oldave, d3 recruiting is easier, but its easier for everybody. you are competing against people who also have it easier. i don't see why that makes it harder to get 10 NT teams in a d3 conf which is on equal footing as everybody, compared to a d1 conf with major built in advantages over most other teams in the area...

I only know d3, but it seems like it would be easier at high level d1 because of the baseline presitges. Even with a couple down seasons, a high baseline prestige keeps you up at a high prestige making it easier to get good recruits. With a couple down seasons at d3, you're back to a B-/C+ prestige and you can't get the pulldowns/dropdowns you used to be able to. Personally, I'd say it'd be hardest to do it at d2, where you'd need to get 9 of the 23 at large bids.

Anyone who thinks it would be easy, trying joining a conference as the 11th or 12th team. You'll find it's not that easy.

The ACC in Knight threatens to do this almost every season (but usually gets 7-9)

Quote: Originally Posted By ellisonatg on 6/12/2010The ACC in Knight threatens to do this almost every season (but usually gets 7-9

Threatening and doing are 2 different things. I'm sure if everybody stays put we'll threaten the 10 team mark every season as well but we may never do it again.

Quote: Originally Posted By hitman1979 on 6/12/2010Anyone who thinks it would be easy, trying joining a conference as the 11th or 12th team. You'll find it's not that easy

that was my point. but I'll even go so far as to say "try joining one of these uber-conferences as the 9th or 10th best team. " (and then try to get in he NT and also lets see if the previously stong teams can hang in there when there are no more easy wins at the bottom of the conf)

I realize its fairly easy to get 6 or 7 in the NT (assuming you have the right 6 or 7) but I think with each one you try to add, it gets exponentially touher.

One of our teams came in to conference play 9-1 and rpi in the top5 or so in the country. He proceeed to go 4-12 in conf play and finished last in the brutally tough West division. he entered the CT at 13-13 but with a 25ish rpi. heneeded at least one wn to get in. he won 4 in a row and won the CT and finished with a 17 rpi. that only got him an 8seed in the NT , but he is a clear favorite to make round2. this is a last place 4win team.

some of you have suggested there are ways to get together and build an uber conference and maybe even game the system by building non con schedules that help the common good. but in big east tark, t has just kind of happend.

I guess I am in the minority, as most seem to think that 10 in the NT is not that tough and that it is downright simple in a D1 power conference. I still hold firm to the notion that it is not nearly as easy as it looks.

I will just wait patiently and you guys can let me know when your conferfence accomplishes this easy feat.

(im not really as bitter as I sound... just a litle wound up ;-)

Quote: Originally Posted By ellisonatg on 6/12/2010The ACC in Knight threatens to do this almost every season (but usually gets 7-9

my point

as for A&M, I am hoping we bring back the southwest conference!!!

seriously, i dont really understand all this "uber conference" talk and really dont understand why it is good for texas and oklahoma to go to pac 10.

here is another thought.... a big conference is good for the average and below average teams... as it gives you more chances to have one or more of your teams have a big payday in football or hoops that will tckle down to you.

but if you are the big dog (like the hated Tee-sippers, i suppose) it seems like the bigger the conference is, the more your paydays get diluted...right?

sounds like we are headed for the Pack-16. i dont like it. i guess if we cant keep the big12 together (why not trade names wth the big10? or dump a couple more and go back to big 8, but with the Texas teams instead of nebraska, colorado , etc.) then i would prefer the SEC. the Texas teams just seem to fit there much better than with the coasters... dont they?