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Here's an article by Jeff Borzello from cbssports.com that highlights a potential threat to Butler & the BE- recruiting:

VCU made a big move in the recruiting world on Monday, picking up a commitment from top-50 forward Terry Larrier....Would Larrier have chosen VCU in its pre-Final Four days? Probably not. So how much of a bump have the Rams received from reaching the national semifinals back in 2011? Turns out, they've improved their recruiting significantly over the past three seasons. But what about Butler and George Mason?

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/23701039/vcu-has-seen-recruiting-uptick-since-final-four-what-about-butler-mason

Borzello doesn't sound the panick alarm for Butler, but just asking the question before Butler bounces the ball once as a BE member is not a good sign on the trail. It's never a good sign for a BE team to be lumped in with GMU in regards to recruiting. No one here should be surprised & it's early in Miller's tenure. But the jury was out on Stevens from a big time recruiting perspective before he bolted. To the point, VCU is separating itself from Butler (while still being in the A-10!) on the trail & putting pressure on the choice of 11 & 12 in the process. I want havoc in the BE- bring Shaka too though.

Hope they get invited, but the more things go their way the more I think it relieves pressure on the choices for #11 and #12. I see the problem with VCU as a fear of them dropping off and everyone wondering what they were thinking in inviting them over a familiar university many of us have a history with, like Dayton. Everything that goes against that fear eases their case for being included, in my opinion.

yorost wrote:Hope they get invited, but the more things go their way the more I think it relieves pressure on the choices for #11 and #12. I see the problem with VCU as a fear of them dropping off and everyone wondering what they were thinking in inviting them over a familiar university many of us have a history with, like Dayton. Everything that goes against that fear eases their case for being included, in my opinion.

Seriously, if VCU got invited and Shaka Smart took another job the next day, how would you honestly feel? I know they've had some success before Smart but w/o him, they likely drop off IMO. Then you have a school w/o their talented coach, that is a large public university that have nothing in common with the other Big East schools regarding culture and academics.

Jet915 wrote:

yorost wrote:Hope they get invited, but the more things go their way the more I think it relieves pressure on the choices for #11 and #12. I see the problem with VCU as a fear of them dropping off and everyone wondering what they were thinking in inviting them over a familiar university many of us have a history with, like Dayton. Everything that goes against that fear eases their case for being included, in my opinion.

Seriously, if VCU got invited and Shaka Smart took another job the next day, how would you honestly feel? I know they've had some success before Smart but w/o him, they likely drop off IMO. Then you have a school w/o their talented coach, that is a large public university that have nothing in common with the other Big East schools regarding culture and academics.

If we all were willing to happily accept Creighton before anyone knew DMcD was returning why would we hype up the chances of Shaka leaving VCU. VCU still is located in a recruiting hotbed & the BE/FOX would instantly make that job a prized job, maybe not for Shaka but what about one of the Hurley coaches (Danny is at RI & Bobby is at Buffalo I believe). Losing coaches is part of the deal but progs in the BE move on, just ask Butler what they plan to do.

Jet915 wrote:

yorost wrote:Hope they get invited, but the more things go their way the more I think it relieves pressure on the choices for #11 and #12. I see the problem with VCU as a fear of them dropping off and everyone wondering what they were thinking in inviting them over a familiar university many of us have a history with, like Dayton. Everything that goes against that fear eases their case for being included, in my opinion.

Seriously, if VCU got invited and Shaka Smart took another job the next day, how would you honestly feel? I know they've had some success before Smart but w/o him, they likely drop off IMO. Then you have a school w/o their talented coach, that is a large public university that have nothing in common with the other Big East schools regarding culture and academics.

Right now Shaka leaving would put their sell in jeopardy, but another 2-3 years of Shaka or another run and I wouldn't be any more worried than with most coaching changes. ...hence my stance that VCU continuing their trends will ease the decision of taking them. VCU has an impressive upward trend for over a decade and has been getting its dividends recently, they're at least close to being a program that you relatively safely navigate a coaching change. They should not be taken for Shaka, but everything he accomplishes helps the program in the event he leaves.