MBB G11 Final: Louisiana 62 Tech 83

[ULvictory]

My point about mid major powers in the south in basketball has nothing to do with marlin or this program. I’m simply asking, how hard is it to have a consistent winning mid major program in the south? And more so, a relevant one. I asked for examples, got 1 response. Houston , who is ranked now and 10-0 but I haven’t herd of Houston basketball since Hakeem and Clyde were there. So not exactly consistent winners.

But honestly, why follow someone else’s trend? Why not set the precedence? Softball does it. Baseball has done it. Why not strive to be “that mid major school” in the south? It’s definitely not easy, but it’s not impossible either.

[CajunRebel]

During last night's discussion here the subject of "basketball powers" was brought up and I believe it was Jacob81 saying that it's so hard to build a program with basketball tradition in the mid majors in the deep south.

I would have to ask, why?

It's often said that a number of states in the midwest is where there's more "tradition" in basketball than in the south.........I'm guessing that means more high caliber high school players to help build college teams. I also often hear that a number of schools that don't feature football, concentrate on basketball, and are somehow basketball powers year-in and year-out because of that.

Again I'd ask, why?

1) Are there not plenty of quality high school basketball players in the deep south? I suspect there are. I understand that, just as it is in football, 4 and 5 star guys are likely to go to P5 programs, but are there still not plenty of 3 star guys to get, guys who still have the potential to be NBA players with the right coaches teaching them?

2) If there are not plenty of quality high school basketball players in the deep south, what's to keep an aggressive coaching staff from going wherever they are and getting them by recruiting them tirelessly? I know we've done that here before. Can we not do it again?

3) What advantage does a school that doesn't offer football, have over a similar-sized program that does? The only thing I can imagine would be a larger budget focused on basketball, but other than coaches salaries and perhaps a marginally better-looking facility in which to play the game, how does that extra budget actually translate into better players and more wins? How does that extra money translate into recruits saying.....that's where I want to play? How is it that some of those schools like Butler and Dayton, just to name a couple, always seem to get into the NCAA tournament, often with an at-large, and often winning a game or two, or even three? How is that? Don't they compete against the P5's for their players as well?

I suspect what's happening here is that we are letting this coaching staff make this sound impossible when it's not. Am I saying it's easy? Of course not. Being the best at whatever the hell you're doing ALWAYS takes a lot of effort and committment.

I just think the effort and committment is not there. It starts each year with lazy scheduling and goes from there.

Okay, I'm done.

Why?

1. Yes, the talent level isn’t as good. In this area, and especially in this state, our best athletes tend to play football and baseball.

2. Conferences in the south suck. I shouldn’t have to explain how huge the conference you play in is.

3. Schools in the south focus on football first. Basketball programs suffer as a result. Also, recruits notice when your basketball program is treated like an afterthought.

4. There are no good schools to play which kills RPI.

5. Attendance is terrible. As bad as we think our attendance is lately, we’re still consistently the Sun Belt attendance leaders by a decent margin.

And buddy, Butler is a Big East school located in Indiana, which is the epicenter of college basketball. Dayton is in (arguably) the best top to bottom mid major conference in the country.

As far as mid-major teams in the deep South, you can count the ones who have done better than us over the past few years on one hand.

[Cajunfanatico]

Why?

1. Yes, the talent level isn’t as good. In this area, and especially in this state, our best athletes tend to play football and baseball.

2. Conferences in the south suck. I shouldn’t have to explain how huge the conference you play in is.

3. Schools in the south focus on football first. Basketball programs suffer as a result. Also, recruits notice when your basketball program is treated like an afterthought.

4. There are no good schools to play which kills RPI.

5. Attendance is terrible. As bad as we think our attendance is lately, we’re still consistently the Sun Belt attendance leaders by a decent margin.

And buddy, Butler is a Big East school located in Indiana, which is the epicenter of college basketball. Dayton is in (arguably) the best top to bottom mid major conference in the country.

As far as mid-major teams in the deep South, you can count the ones who have done better than us over the past few years on one hand.

Would it be asking too much that we dominate the Sun Belt then, or is that really FREAKIN' HARD as well?

[Jacob81]

Holy cow kids. Again this has nothing to do with marlin or our program. It’s just a question. Why no winners or are there, name them.

We had the conversation last week about the last 30 years of the program. Where marlin stands and how the last 5 year stretch was all smoke and mirrors, and bob is a joke. Winning 20 games 4 out of 5 years (although didn’t previously happen here in the last 30 years) doesn’t mean what it used too.

[Cajunfanatico]

I wonder how much time our coaches spend in Indiana recruiting, or are they too busy preparing the team to beat the Virgin Islands and the Necksters?

[Jacob81]

But honestly, why follow someone else’s trend? Why not set the precedence? Softball does it. Baseball has done it. Why not strive to be “that mid major school” in the south? It’s definitely not easy, but it’s not impossible either.

Dude softball was a power before the Sec was playing softball. That is comparing apples to nuclear bombs. Softball is an original gangsta.

[Million$Mullet]

Follow the “Les Miles” model. Win just enough games to stay afloat.

I’d love to float on 500K a year

[Jacob81]

I wonder how much time our coaches spend in Indiana recruiting, or are they too busy preparing the team to beat the Virgin Islands and the Necksters?

Yeah we can pull kids out of Indiana. Come to Louisiana and play in the sunbelt in front of 2,000 people, or go to Indiana state and be a god on campus and play in front of 7-8,000. Basketball is king around there.

We should start a hockey team. Within a few years we can wonder why we aren’t a power in hockey. It’s the same reasons just amplified.

[Cajunfanatico]

Yeah we can pull kids out of Indiana. Come to Louisiana and play in the sunbelt in front of 2,000 people, or go to Indiana state and be a god on campus and play in front of 7-8,000. Basketball is king around there.

We should start a hockey team. Within a few years we can wonder why we aren't a power in hockey. It's the same reasons just amplified.

Hockey was immensly popular in Lafayette but that's a story for another day.

We've had top quality players out of the midwest play for us in Blackham FREAKIN Coliseum in front of about 8,000 rabid fans in the deep south while playing in the FREAKIN SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE. It can be done here.

[CajunVic]

I wonder how much time our coaches spend in Indiana recruiting, or are they too busy preparing the team to beat the Virgin Islands and the Necksters?

Wasted half their time this year.