What Next? Life After John Calipari

The other shoe dropped for Memphis and Kentucky basketball fans this afternoon as John Calipari chose to trade in his blue and gray for blue and white.

The move was contemplated for days by Calipari and the rest of the sports world as the pros and cons were weighed. Questions abound on the other side of the decision though one of the biggest has to be, what now for Conference USA?

For the last four seasons Memphis has been the undisputed champions of C-USA. The Tigers won both the regular season and tournament championships in the new alignment of the league.

Calipari also brought the Tigers back to prominence with six appearances in the NCAA Tournament. This times taking Memphis to the Elite Eight, and one time playing for the National Championship.

Again the question is now what? The era of Memphis dominance appears to be in question as recruits could follow Calipari to Lexington.

The league parity has been there in Conference USA when Memphis is acknowledged to be an anomaly in the league. Perhaps now if the Tigers are not able to recover from Calipari flying the coop then the league could truly show it's balance.

This season Tulsa, UAB, Houston,and UTEP all finished within two games reach of each other just behind Memphis. Going back another four games brings Marshall, UCF, and Tulane into the fold.

With a less dominant performance next season by Memphis could bring the entire league even closer together.

The four teams finishing closest to the Tigers in the final league standings have already proven themselves to be competent programs. The Golden Hurricanes and the Blazers each were invited to the NIT this season. The Cougars and the Miners each saw post-season action at the second CBI tournament. 

The Blazers have been considered the second team in C-USA for the past few seasons and if not for having to release players mid-season could have found themselves in the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. 

As for Marshall, Tulane, and UCF, each of these programs have been on the rise as of late. Since the arrival of the Herd and the Knights from the Mid-American Conference, both programs have made considerable steps forward and are on the cusp of being in the fold for the post-season.

Also, the arrival of Dave Dickerson at Tulane has turned the program into one of the strongest defensive clubs in C-USA.

So will Memphis be able to maintain dominance, or will someone else step up to claim the top? Only time will tell, yet the talent level is high across the league and it should be interesting to see where things lie after the 2009-'10 season.