Conference reorganization is commonly thought of as a football-oriented process to occur over the next few years as the AAC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC all undergo major changes within their membership . But college basketball is also undergoing a major reorganization, and some of it is happening sooner than you might think.
With the 2022-23 season ending in November, the new Division I Conference will feature 24 teams as the winds of change continue to blow in college sports.we are already whole list This year’s changes and future conference trends in Julybut now it’s time to analyze what this season’s changes could mean on the court in the years to come.
With five schools debuting in Division I and solid leagues like the Atlantic 10 and Missouri Valley Conference undergoing big changes, the next few months could lead to some interesting new battles for automatic bidding for the NCAA Tournament. there is. So in this week’s Dribbling his handoff, the writer assesses which teams will have the biggest impact on the new conference starting in the 2022-23 season.
malay state
Losing Loyola Chicago (recent Final Four participants) to the Atlantic 10 in the Missouri Valley Conference wasn’t ideal, but the league responded strongly by adding a proud and impressive basketball program to Murray State. . The racer has appeared in three of the last four NCAA Tournaments, and this century he has appeared in his eight NCAA Tournaments. five This is always a sign of a program with a strong foundation. It’s no coincidence that basically all coaches hired over a period of time are successful. In that regard, consider that the last Murray State coach who never took the school to the NCAA Tournament was Ron Green, whose last game with a racer was in 1985.
can’t believe it.
Murray State’s transition to MVC is unlikely to be smooth, at least from a long-term perspective, even with Matt McMahon’s move to LSU after last season. That’s because his replacement is Steve his prom. He got ahead of McMahon and led the racer to his two conference championships, one NCAA Tournament and Top 10 rankings. He knows what success is like at Murray State, so I compete for an NCAA Tournament spot almost every year in his MVC, which was his 2nd bid league until 2 seasons before Prome. I hope you will continue. — Gary Parrish
Loyola Chicago
The Atlantic 10 is currently a 15-school league. That’s too much for a conference that has averaged 2.5 NCAA tournament bids over the past eight seasons. But when the A-10 wanted to add another team to bolster its national profile, working with Loyola Chicago was the best way to go. The Ramblers not only have recent success (making the Final Four is a huge boost to their resume), but their presence in the Chicago market will help the league with its recruiting footprint and media reach. If Drew Valentine, heading into his second season as head coach, can keep the program on track, LUC should be able to establish itself in the conference’s Top 6 program over the next five years.
The league did this ten years ago, sending Butler to the Final Four for the second year in a row. It proved short-lived as BU received the Big East’s call after a national reorganization prompted the dissolution of the old Big East. I don’t think this is the course for LUC with the resources, location and institutional fit to strengthen. If Valentine’s is there, it’s all set. — Matt Norlander
Bryant
Jared Grasso took over the stench of the program at Bryant, which was a shambles at the end of the Tim O’Shea era, and quickly turned it into a NEC powerhouse, winning the league’s regular season and postseason titles and its first-earlier year. to compete in the NCAA Tournament. The timing couldn’t be better for the Bulldogs, who continue to build a steady and consistent winning streak under Grasso.
The loss of First Team All-Confidence superstar Peter Kiss, the top scorer in the College Hoops last season and First Team All-NEC standout player, was Bryant’s move to the new conference a year ago. It’s not as easy to migrate as if it were integrated. Still, this program seems to rebuild rather than rebuild. Four high-level transfers have been added, led by NCAA Tournament star Doug Eddard from St. I have a lot of experience with levels.
America East transits through Vermont until further notice. He won the regular-season conference championship six times in a row. With an up-and-coming coach in Grasso and a proven return scorer in Charles Pryde reinforcing an experienced transfer class, the Bulldogs are poised to be big winners in AE just as they were in their final day at the NEC. increase. — Kyle Boone
southern indiana
Murray State and Belmont have won or shared the OVC regular season title every past 13 seasons. In the last 20 seasons, those two and Austin Pey have won the league 18 times. As for postseason success, one of these three of his has won the conference’s tournament, thus claiming an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. 13 out of the last 20 seasons. So where does the league go from here now that three of its best programs are gone?
With a back-to-back 20-win season and a 2021 NCAA Tournament appearance, Morehead State may be poised to emerge as the league’s top brand. But Southern Indiana, as a historically proud Division II program, will have a great opportunity to participate and make its mark soon. While not eligible for the NCAA Tournament until 2027, Screaming his Eagles could wreak havoc on his OVC soon. USI won his 1995 Division II National Title under Bruce Pearl and made his fourth Final Four appearance in 2019. A former competition rival.
Boasting an equally proud Division II legacy in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, Bellarmine won last season’s Atlantic Sun Conference tournament for just their second full season at Division I level. In his two seasons since promotion he has a record of 34-21 (Atlantic Sun 21-8) and the Knights are already showing strength in the new league. Given Southern Indiana’s similarly strong history and the weakened state of his OVC, the bet here is that USI will soon fill the void of success left by its new conference starting members. — David Cobb
