Ummm I'm a little lost when is the duke and ucla games
Taking off a year from the Duke series but the series is not dead. I think we are done with UCLA and we need to find a new partner out west. You always want to play in So Cal but I wouldn't be opposed to playing Stanford or St. Mary's.
Correct. Duke had to drop two non-conference games this year because the ACC expanded the League schedule from 16 to 18 games in anticipation of Pitt and Syracuse joining next year expanding the League to 14 teams.
I agree the Duke series is likely to re-start soon but hopefully SJU does not lay an egg this year giving Duke pause and reason to look elsewhere for a non-conference opponent.
They didn't mind when we stunk for years. They want the NYC exposure. I think that when the series restarts next season, Duke is going to get SJU teams that give them all they can handle and then some...
Yes and they did not hesitate to drop SJU this year instead of someone else, meanwhile they added Kentucky (who dropped UNC).
And the NYC thing is a bit overrated since Duke consistently plays games in the NYC area without the need for playing SJU (see last year playing Michigan St at MSG, over the years playing Xavier, Pitt, Texas, Gonzaga either at MSG or the Meadowlands).
I am just saying let's be honest SJU needs Duke more then Duke needs SJU. Duke can schedule anyone in the country (see how fast they got Kentucky after Kentucky was looking for a prime non-conference opponent after its much publicized dropping of Indiana and UNC).
By showing that SJU is back as a Big East elite program it will make it more worthwhile for Duke to add SJU back even with the 2 fewer non-conference games they have going forward.
The Duke vs SJU games has been high value for both sides. The series has always had fantastic viewership on TV and I think both sides see it as a winning series. Too bad it is on hiatus even for one season. I think we could beat them this season.
Really, high value? You answered that question before when you said for a long stretch SJU stunk. I am sorry but the MSG crowds during those times were overwhelmingly partisan Duke and I do not have the TV ratings but my guess is they probably weren't that great for CBS or ESPN during those years. My guess is not many people outside of Durham and Jamaica, Queens were tuned into that barnburner in February 2008 when Duke squeeked out a 30 point win against SJU at Cameron, 86-56.
And yes SJU could beat Duke, interestingly enough they could lose to Duke as well. And again Duke scheduled Kentucky this year, you think they are afraid of SJU but are more confident in playing Kentucky?
Look I think SJU is on its way back, but again Duke can play ANYONE ANYWHERE. They don't need SJU. SJU needs Duke and it would help the series if they do what I think they are headed to do, that is play at an elite Big East level.
I agree SJU needs Duke more. The series will get more compelling, but despite the gap in talent over the series, we have given them headaches in a few of them. We even gave them a scare at Cameron last year with 5 freshmen before they were bailed out by the refs. And no I don't think Duke is afraid of us, but they did trade us for UK when Uk loses every starter and we double our roster. Unfortunate but not fear.
I do think UCLA dropped us for political reasons and the damage it would do to Howland and their fan base to possibly lose to Lavin and SJU more than once. They view Lavin as the scourge of Westwood and a buffoon that somehow ruined them. I don't think it was just coincidence and ucla choosing another direction.
Give them headaches? Trust me Duke schedules Big East schools for big time competition not for headaches. They have schools like Belomont and Davidson that give them headaches. "I don't want to schedule SJU because they are such a headache but I will schedule Michigan St at MSG because they don't pose a threat..."
I already went over the UCLA situation with you, Howland and Lavin have zero to do with anything. If anything Lavin is a plus to KEEP the series as Howland has always spoken highly of him and Guerrero, the AD, remains close with him. Potentially losing to Lavin has nothing to do with it. Go look at UCLA's schedule this year: Texas, Missouri, San Diego St with potential matchups at Barclays against Georgetown and/or Indiana. That's 5 NCAA teams who will most likely be in the NCAA again this year. Sorry they don't fear SJU. That is a myth. Howland needs a big year, everyone agrees, but he did not replace SJU for fear of losing to Lavin so he could play Texas in Houston and subsequently/potentially lose to them. "We can't schedule SJU this year because we may lose to them and it would look bad so let's schedule Texas in Houston because they are much easier...."
And actually you are inadvertently insulting SJU with these assertions. Again, Duke and UCLA schedule BCS opponents because they want BIG time competition and RPI points come tournament time. By saying these schools are afraid of losing to SJU you are essentially saying they are afraid of losing to SJU because SJU is clearly an INFERIOR program and it would not look good. Or else why would they choose to play the Kentucky's, Missouri's Michigan St's and Texas' of the world instead of SJU? Those schools have been significantly better with a lot more recent success then SJU.