MBB: Louisiana vs UTA

[MelRock]

What's the accomplishment? Sixth place and six game winning streak. I've already given the team and Marlin at a boy for the big win and the streak.

Your problem Mel is historic perspective. I've seen us do much better.

No your problem is you are living in the past that was not as great as you think it was. You expect us to do things that others are not doing in this day and age of the new NCAA. You get on here and bang a coach for things he does not control. You get on here and say he was lucky to get Long and Payton. I am sure he was lucky to get the 3 transfers that came in also. You think these kids play in spite of Marlin not because of Marlin. This is not the most talented team, or even close to being, but they play their asses off for this coach, not in spite of him. So every time you trash their coach then you trash them.

[ManAboutTown]

What's the accomplishment? Sixth place and six game winning streak. I've already given the team and Marlin at a boy for the big win and the streak.

Your problem Mel is historic perspective. I've seen us do much better.

We all have.. but the reality is, NCAA basketball is a completely different sport, with completely new tax bracket as it was in the 70s, 90s and early 2000s. Interest has also changed as the product has been watered down, the tournament has been changed and the NIT has become totally irrelevant.

Especially in our case, where money is taken from basketball left and right, and is not the fault or the lack of effort on the part of the staff. We have an institutional dilemma in Cajuns MBB because of the facility and money.

[CajunEXPRESS]

I do think he was in the right time and place to get those two. He still had to make the sale.

Unlike some here I do believe our talent is better than sixth. place. If it isn't then it's a coaching failure. Acquiring talent is a top three responsibility of any head coach.

[ManAboutTown]

I do think he was in the right time and place to get those two. He still had to make the sale.

Unlike some here I do believe our talent is better than sixth. place. If it isn't then it's a coaching failure. Acquiring talent is a top three responsibility of any head coach.

You predicted a top 5 finish in the league this year?

[CajunEXPRESS]

Not sure I predicted anything, but I'd never be satisfied with anything not in top three from a six year coach

[Cajunsmike]

I don't recall the actual dollars, but very substantial and for a number of years. As I stated in another at another time it would be helpful if the SBC coaching fraternity decided to up their chances of having more than a single entry and maybe two and a win or two. Then you would be talking millions spread over the conferce and participants.

I've yet to see Bob Marlin approach money raising like Lotief, Robe, Hud. He needs to face the facts, as you call them, find the money to bring in two or three better teams every year. He could also face the music and get paid to visit. I know which way I'd go. Of course we can curse the basketball gods for our geography, and continue to play for three games in March, which by the way is four games this year if lucky.

This site will give you an idea how much it is worth.

https://www.fool.com/investing/gener...bid-worth.aspx

Basketball can make money by winning a game or two in the NCAA tourney. In fact that would make it a big money maker. As far as raising money to bring teams in here goes, it sounds great in theory but the FACT is no team that would draw folks is coming here in today's world. You have to pay good money today to get a school like Stephen F. Austin here (they are not coming-just using them as an example) while WKU is not coming as they can get paid by going to a P5 school. It would take 2 for 1 deals to get some known mid majors to come. We would have to go there twice for nothing other than expenses and then pay them to come here. Might be worth doing but university does not want to do that at this stage. We can play more road games and get paid to do so to improve the schedule and RPI. Problem with that is impact on academics. You guys can harp forever about we need to buy games but don't want to face reality that known teams are just not coming Once again the schedule is not the issue as much as the standings. I am not as concerned with it this year as expectations were little due to all the new guys and they actually did better than most thought or I thought. Overall though, I agree we need to be pushing a top three finish more frequently. To say that to never expect to be lower than that is a little unrealistic as all schools have to rebuild at times. UTA has been building up to this year for several seasons. To say that those years should not occur often is something I can buy into.

[CajunAmos]

I wont get frustrated because, honestly, it took me a while to accept that MBB is a convoluted, complicated cluster ___. The bottom line is, we have some SERIOUS disadvantages. It is easy to say "we need solutions" and "fix the problem" but an entirely different thing to actually get into the trenches and DO it. USM, UH, etc won't come here. That's not a blame, it's a fact. Among other pains in the ___, geography is becoming more and more of an issue. Even if we take Mike's idea and play further away, we will still incur substantially more cost.

You made the comment about NCAA tourney money.. What is the payout for simply making the dance? Outside of that, college basketball at our level is not the cash cow that people want to make it out to be. Especially in our situation with the cajundome.

IMO, our money folks see that MBB in the SBC and the south are a not great investment, and because of that, there is less commitment. I could be wrong, and maybe 15 years of losing and irrelevance has set in with the fanbase. It also doesn't help that a chunk of MBB budget (as does football's budget, only football is much bigger so it hurts less) is subsidizing title IX sports, which we all know hemorrhage money.

I wonder if we could leverage baseball for this? Bab had commented that Rice and Houston wants us to play them in baseball so why don't we say sure if you'll play us in basketball.

[CRAWFISH61]

The man has been and still being given time...can he not have a UTA,LATECH ,UALR,Georgia state,USM type season at some point? Is that really too much to expect in 8 years? All similar schools in close proximity.

LA tech has not been to NCAA Tournament in decades

[Hark Mudspeth]

LA tech has not been to NCAA Tournament in decades

And still perceived as a better program right now even though we have beaten them.

[Hark Mudspeth]

LA tech has not been to NCAA Tournament in decades

And still perceived as a better program right now even though we have beaten them. That's why the "3 games in March" mentality is worthless because if the blind squirrel finds a nut every 8 years but doesn't build on it...it's worthless.