By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

CHICAGO - Bob Huggins was on one side of the room and Memphis' John Calipari on the other, but when the Conference USA basketball coaches gathered for their annual media day here Sunday, it was a classic point-counterpoint, with Calipari claiming he was thrilled to be staying in C-USA, and the UC coach playfully baiting his friend as the Bearcats hope for a future in the Big East.

"If this all happens," Huggins said, "Cal will be the highest paid mid-major coach in the country."

Sometime next week, UC, Louisville, DePaul, Marquette and South Florida are expected to receive invitations to join the Big East. C-USA reportedly will then add Tulsa, Marshall, SMU, Rice and Central Florida, severely damaging the league's power rating in basketball.

"Everybody will say this really shuts out Memphis," Calipari said. "They have a problem. But you do not have to be in one of the top leagues to have a top 20 program."

With its collection of private and public schools, some with football and some without, C-USA has always been a strange bird, but it figures to become even stranger if it has to stay together for two more years with five schools pounding on the door to get out, and five more knocking to get in.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino says that if the moves are going to take place, they should be done after this year.

"The best thing to do, if something is going to be done, is to do it right away," Pitino said. "It makes it so uncomfortable for everybody.

"I think it's going to be difficult next year. At every league meeting, you have the theme ... to promote the league, promote camaraderie, say you're the best. ... What league are you promoting?"

Calipari claims that if UC, Louisville and the others leave C-USA, the Tigers will be in the catbird seat as the league's established power.

But while Calipari reveled in his supposed good fortune, Huggins and Pitino talked about what a powerful league the Big East will be if and when they join it.

"If it happens, it will be maybe the strongest conference in the history of college basketball from a depth standpoint," Pitino said.