Let’s Move Gonzaga and Memphis
I remember years ago when Florida St was stuck in the ACC and they dominated in football. I never thought they would ever lose in a conference that was so weak in football. Years later, Florida st is a better than average football team in a decent conference but they aren’t dominating anymore.
Meanwhile in college basketball we are stuck watching Gonzaga and Memphis slowly creep up the rankings because they don’t play anyone good ever. Memphis is ‘stuck’ in conference USA and just running over most teams. They get the occassional close game but they have now won 56 straight conference games. It’s an amazing streak no matter where you play and college basketball teams usually play so well at home that you’d expect them to falter at least once over the past 3 years but they haven’t.
Gonzaga is ‘stuck’ in the WCC and I’m getting tired of them moving up in the rankings every season only to lose in the 1st or 2nd round of the tourney. They aren’t an upset special anymore, in fact they are the team that most people now expect to lose early in the tourney. The move up in the rankings while beating up on Loyala Marymount and San Francisco. Meanwhile teams like Notre Dame aren’t even going to make the tourney because they play in the toughest conference in America. It bothers me and I have a fix. Make them change.
Teams don’t go undefeated in the ACC, Big Ten and Big EAst for a reason and that’s because of the parity. Make Gonzaga play in the Mountain West. It’s a natural fit for them and a step up from their current conference. They’d have to play BYU, UTAH, New Mexico, San Diego St in front of bigger and better crowds. They wouldn’t go undefeated in the MOuntain West. Utah already beat them this year. As for Memphis, get them out of conference USA because the league isn’t rising to the level of the top team like it did in the ACC with Florida St in football. It’s been long enough now and I’m tired of watching Calipari cakewalk through those schools while North Carolina has to go to Duke, Maryland, Wake Forest and others. Memphis moves up while North Carolina moves down despite the schedules. If Memphis football was better you could put them in the SEC, but Memphis is considered a high major in a mid major conference. It bothers me.
Either way, I’m betting that Memphis and Gonzaga are both out by round 2 this year but neither will make it past the sweet 16.
