USF and the BE Basketball

[usfgrad84]

With all the whining and complaining, how many teams from lesser conferences would have done SIGNIFICANTLY better than we did in our first three years against BE level of play game in and game out?  I can think of Memphis and perhaps a small handful of others (Drake, Xavier and Butler).  Other than that, I don't see many teams doing more than just marginally better than we did the first few years.  Just like us, I would imagine all but those teams would have struggled from day 1.

We knew coming into this league it would be tough.  Very few teams in the country would have stepped up and competed in the BE without having to completely upgrade their level of talent.

[I_Bleed_Green&Gold]

USF wasn't added to the BEAST cuz of our BB program.  We were added for FB and improving in BB would just be the icing on the cake.  Their are MANY teams that would've done better than us in BB but they wouldn't have gotten to #2 in FB either.  FB is KING!

[usfgrad84]

USF wasn't added to the BEAST cuz of our BB program.  We were added for FB and improving in BB would just be the icing on the cake.  Their are MANY teams that would've done better than us in BB but they wouldn't have gotten to #2 in FB either.  FB is KING!

We certainly understand that it was football (plus some other factors) that allowed us to get in to the BE.  For the sake of this discussion about BB, do you really think a lot of teams would have done significantly better than  we did playing agains the BE competition?  Other than the teams I listed above I really don't see it.  A game or maybe a few games difference, but not significantly better.  There were only 6 teams from outside the power conferences that have received at large bids in each of the last 3 years.  Their records, for the most part, are more a reflection of the level of competition they play within their conference.  Let them play a full slate of BE teams and I really don't very many getting to the BE tourney let alone becoming a 9th BE school to make the NCAAs.

[IncrediBULL]

In BB, we were invited for the same reason Vandy is still in the SEC for football.  There needs to be some teams at the bottom in every conference for the ones at the top to look good.  Florida and USF was never brought in to be competitive in BB.

The primary reason we were brought in the BEAST is football, but not for becoming a competitive team.  It was so the opposing teams (Pitt, WVU, Syracuse, Cinci, Rutgers, and Louisville) could come to florida to recruit and be seen by local prospect players.  If I recall correctly, WVU had 19 players from FL this year and I think Rutgers had a bunch too.  I don't think they counted on us being so competitive so soon and rising to the top.  I think we are maybe 2 - 3 years away from being top 1 or 2 in the BEAST every year.

Re MBB, I suspect they wanted to have FL covered for recruiting since most of the great BB players from Florida end up playing out of state.  This would guarantee a chance to showcase their teams on the road in FL.  And probably with a win based on our performance since the early 90's...

With CSH being hired, and with the direction our FB program is going, they are probably dissapointed that we are as competitive (Or getting there in MBB) than we are.  Wait a few years in MBB and see how pissed they get at us when we force some upsets of traditional powerhouse Beast BB teams...  I savor the day.