Game 24- UMASS

[Zippy87]

23 minutes ago, UAZipster0305 said:

The difference is that IU and UK have won many national championships and always make deep post-season runs AND they have traditionally been poor in football.

 

Meanwhile, an Ohio school has not won a national championship in 60+ years and Ohio State sucks up all the interest for dominant football.

 

Cleveland State, Can't, and Ohio all garnered national attention when they made NCAAT runs. I'd expect apathy when we lose every major OOC and post-season game outside of the MAC. To Joe Akron, we are a good team in a terrible conference, and that is supported every time we play external to the MAC.

 

KD always said that all that mattered was winning the MAC. I think he had it completely backwards. Win outside the MAC, then people will start to care.

 

I don't think he ever meant non-conference didn't matter, I think it was always more of knowing the realities that face MAC schools in getting an at-large. 

Edited 2 hours ago by Zippy87

[UAZipster0305]

7 minutes ago, Zippy87 said:

 

I don't think he ever meant non-conference didn't matter, I think it was always more of knowing the realities that face MAC schools in getting an at-large. 

Everything about his attitude and comments indicated that the non-conference schedule didn't matter. It stymied any opportunity of building community excitement towards larger crowds and program momentum that could progressively build towards larger OOC wins and maybe at-large bids in future years. How would St. Mary's or Gonzaga fare if their coaches were perpetually saying that the OOC didn't matter? Or conversely, how would their programs nosedive if they started saying this going into next season?

 

With a losing mentality you get losing. That's what KD's team had in the OOC and the non-MAC post-season. I give KD credit for elevating the program to sustained success in the MAC, but it was his time to move on.

Edited 2 hours ago by UAZipster0305

[Reslife4Life]

2 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

 

 Expecting something more than a random 3vs3 pickup game for the biggest game of the year is reasonable.

Nearly the entire point of the halftime entertainment, high five tunnel, tip off kid, national anthem singers, etc. Is to get people to buy group tickets to see their kids and friends performing. That's why we see these gigantic adult dance groups during the games against Concord in December. They don't really need to sell a lot of group tickets for the kent game. If we were to spend money on a halftime entertainer that would be taking money away from something else, like maybe fixing the seats. Was that frat boy basketball stupid, yes, but I don't blame them for having it at the kent game

[kreed5120]

17 minutes ago, Reslife4Life said:

Nearly the entire point of the halftime entertainment, high five tunnel, tip off kid, national anthem singers, etc. Is to get people to buy group tickets to see their kids and friends performing. That's why we see these gigantic adult dance groups during the games against Concord in December. They don't really need to sell a lot of group tickets for the kent game. If we were to spend money on a halftime entertainer that would be taking money away from something else, like maybe fixing the seats. Was that frat boy basketball stupid, yes, but I don't blame them for having it at the kent game

 

I don't mind those dance teams and other things you mention. I actually think its great marketing to introduce potential new fans.

 

In fact, when @Hilltopper gave me his seats for the EMU game, my fiancé stayed out at half-time because she wanted to watch the dance team perform instead of going into the Tommy Evans Lounge. 

 

Edit: I also wasn't hinting at spending money, at least nothing material, on the half-time entertainment. There are things that can be done that cost little to nothing.

Edited 2 hours ago by kreed5120

[UAZipster0305]

17 minutes ago, Reslife4Life said:

Nearly the entire point of the halftime entertainment, high five tunnel, tip off kid, national anthem singers, etc. Is to get people to buy group tickets to see their kids and friends performing. That's why we see these gigantic adult dance groups during the games against Concord in December. They don't really need to sell a lot of group tickets for the kent game. If we were to spend money on a halftime entertainer that would be taking money away from something else, like maybe fixing the seats. Was that frat boy basketball stupid, yes, but I don't blame them for having it at the kent game

 

All the program building talk aside, relative to this game, UMass would be a very nice, relatively big name program to get a win against, even if they are in the MAC.

[kreed5120]

26 minutes ago, UAZipster0305 said:

 

All the program building talk aside, relative to this game, UMass would be a very nice, relatively big name program to get a win against, even if they are in the MAC.

 

I do think a strong UMass would be good for the MAC. As a fan of the game, the more compelling match-ups the better. If the MAC consistently had 3 or 4 top 100 programs it would make the season feel more must see.

 

I just saw Miami @ WMU was selected as one of the ESPNU games. Akron/Kent was the other game selected that week. I see why they picked Miami since they're ranked, but on the surface that looks like a terrible game. At the same time I guess the only other possible game they could have picked over it would have been Toledo @ Ohio, but who would want to watch that?

Edited 1 hour ago by kreed5120

[UAZipster0305]

1 minute ago, kreed5120 said:

 

I do think a strong UMass would be good for the MAC. As a fan of the game, the more compelling match-ups the better. If the MAC consistently had 3 or 4 top 100 programs it would make the season feel more must see.

 

I just saw Miami @ WMU was selected as one of the ESPNU games. Akron/Kent was the other game selected that week. I see why they picked Miami since they're ranked, but on the surface that looks like a terrible game. At the same time I guess the only other possible game they could have picked over it would have been Toledo @ Ohio, but who wwould want to watch that?

 

I watched UMass-Miami a few weeks ago. It was an excellent game that UMass could have won. Their big man is going to give us problems.

[kreed5120]

21 minutes ago, UAZipster0305 said:

 

I watched UMass-Miami a few weeks ago. It was an excellent game that UMass could have won. Their big man is going to give us problems.

 

They seem to be good when they can slow the game down and turn it into an old school 80s, 90s style of play. They don't really have the athletes or perimeter shooters to play an up and down the court, high scoring game.

[Zippy87]

1 hour ago, UAZipster0305 said:

Everything about his attitude and comments indicated that the non-conference schedule didn't matter. It stymied any opportunity of building community excitement towards larger crowds and program momentum that could progressively build towards larger OOC wins and maybe at-large bids in future years. How would St. Mary's or Gonzaga fare if their coaches were perpetually saying that the OOC didn't matter? Or conversely, how would their programs nosedive if they started saying this going into next season?

 

With a losing mentality you get losing. That's what KD's team had in the OOC and the non-MAC post-season. I give KD credit for elevating the program to sustained success in the MAC, but it was his time to move on.

 

Again, I'm not sure he ever said non-conference schedule didn't matter. He often said they have to win in the MAC Tournament to ensure getting there because the committee didn't typically award MAC teams with at-larges, and he wasn't wrong. Look at the 06-07 team.

 

I'm also not sure where this revisionist history comes from that his teams didn't play anyone non-conference.

 

16-17 - Creighton, Gonzaga

15-16 - Villanova, Arkansas

14-15 - Miami, Penn State, South Carolina

13-14 - Oregon State, South Carolina, Iowa State

12-13 - Penn State, Oklahoma State, Creighton

11-12 - Mississippi State, West Virginia, VCU

10-11 - Minnesota, Dayton, Temple 

09-10 - Texas A+M, VCU

08-09 - Pittsburgh, VCU, Dayton

[Reslife4Life]

33 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

I do think a strong UMass would be good for the MAC. As a fan of the game, the more compelling match-ups the better. If the MAC consistently had 3 or 4 top 100 programs it would make the season feel more must see.

 

I just saw Miami @ WMU was selected as one of the ESPNU games. Akron/Kent was the other game selected that week. I see why they picked Miami since they're ranked, but on the surface that looks like a terrible game. At the same time I guess the only other possible game they could have picked over it would have been Toledo @ Ohio, but who would want to watch that?

Mark it down, the lights will be too bright for Miami at "University Arena" in Kalamazoo

[zippy5]

37 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

I do think a strong UMass would be good for the MAC. As a fan of the game, the more compelling match-ups the better. If the MAC consistently had 3 or 4 top 100 programs it would make the season feel more must see.

 

I just saw Miami @ WMU was selected as one of the ESPNU games. Akron/Kent was the other game selected that week. I see why they picked Miami since they're ranked, but on the surface that looks like a terrible game. At the same time I guess the only other possible game they could have picked over it would have been Toledo @ Ohio, but who would want to watch that?

If Groce and Steele stay for a bit more, and UMass can get up to a top 100 team, we will have a very nice mid major conference.

[UAZipster0305]

11 minutes ago, Zippy87 said:

 

Again, I'm not sure he ever said non-conference schedule didn't matter. He often said they have to win in the MAC Tournament to ensure getting there because the committee didn't typically award MAC teams with at-larges, and he wasn't wrong. Look at the 06-07 team.

 

I'm also not sure where this revisionist history comes from that his teams didn't play anyone non-conference.

 

16-17 - Creighton, Gonzaga

15-16 - Villanova, Arkansas

14-15 - Miami, Penn State, South Carolina

13-14 - Oregon State, South Carolina, Iowa State

12-13 - Penn State, Oklahoma State, Creighton

11-12 - Mississippi State, West Virginia, VCU

10-11 - Minnesota, Dayton, Temple 

09-10 - Texas A+M, VCU

08-09 - Pittsburgh, VCU, Dayton

I didn't say we didn't play anybody in the OOC. I said, we didn't win in the OOC, and why would we when there is a defeatist attitude from the beginning?

 

Of all the games you listed, I think the only ones we won was one against Penn State and another versus Mississippi State. That makes it 2-22 in the games you listed, if I counted right.

Edited 56 minutes ago by UAZipster0305