Welcome to the latest edition of Talking Hoops With Ted Sarandis. The NBA Draft is firmly in the rearview mirror, but the big news we devote this podcast to is a reunion that just came to pass.
On Thursday, the Big East officially invited UConn to return to the conference in men’s basketball and many other sports. It’s a big development and makes too much sense for the basketball program given that they have basically been a fish out of water in the American Athletic Conference. It makes too much sense for the school and the Big East.
UConn’s recruiting has suffered since being in the American Athletic Conference, and for understandable reasons. It should get better once they’re back in the Big East, but what risk might that pose to the likes of Providence, St. John’s and Seton Hall? Kevin McNamara explored that in the Providence Journal, and we talk about that as well. It will certainly add to the challenge those schools have.
What will happen with football? The program is a big reason the athletic department is running a solid eight-figure operating deficit, and it won’t be in the American Athletic Conference for that sport only. Could UMass take advantage and try to make this their gain as well?
Additionally, what does the American Athletic Conference do now? Do they add a basketball-only school like VCU, which has been speculated to be a target of expansion there? Do they add a school with football like Old Dominion? Do they add multiple schools?
After covering a number of angles with UConn, we then look at a couple of big transfer stories. Kerry Blackshear opted to transfer from Virginia Tech to Florida, which is a big boost for the Gators, and Quentin Grimes will end up at Houston after an inconsistent freshman year at Kansas and pulling out of the NBA Draft. For Florida, getting Blackshear is a big gain as they are already set to be very strong on the perimeter with the return of Andrew Nembhard and the additions of Scottie Lewis and Tre Mann.
We hope you enjoy the podcast and share it with your fellow college basketball fans. Be sure to tune in again soon for more coverage of college basketball.
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