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Re: Iup basketball
Saturday night was just a perfect storm for that game. I think there is a general excitement for the fans to cross the parking lot and go back in time so to speak at the Field House. Add to it the Saturday night atmosphere and the fact a flashy team was in town. Joe used the word 'swagger' to describe Shippensburg. Being honest I didn't expect anything like that crowd. It was legitimately lively and loud. I agree with Tony's article ... the announced gate of 1,045 was way off. They weren't even scanning tickets past 7 p.m. on the side opposite the benches.
Nobody could invigorate the IUP crowd like Kevin Reynolds but Shippensburg gives it a go. There wasn't a Dustin Sleva jawing at the crowd moment but they did enough to make things interesting. Give them credit ... it's not easy to get an IUP crowd fired up. It's very difficult, actually. Shippensburg also traveled well which also further evokes the home crowd in tight settings like MFH. Willem's monster jam at the end was the perfect exclamation on the night and sent the place in to a frenzy.
Chris Fite said he felt the crowd was a major factor in the game. I'd agree. The critical technical on Ship's Manny Span was a massive turning point in the game. He was getting rode hard all night. He finally lost his cool just for a second.
Now, would I want to play all the games over there? No way. But, that was the best atmosphere for a game in at least four years. The last one that comes to mind was when Mathis hit the game-winner against SRU. There was about 3,500 in the KCAC that night.
As Chuck said even if you get 2,000 in the KCAC that still means half the seats are empty and people are spread out. You get that 2,000 at MFH and it's rocking.
I've said for years on here I wish they'd make the change to only the benches' side at the KCAC being reserved. The other side would become all general admission. It would bring everybody lower to the floor. I don't like the student section, either. As many of you recall the student section at the Field House was behind the visitors' bench up through the Gary Edwards era. At the KCAC they are too far removed. It lessens the home-court advantage. If anything, I'd flip the end of the court the students sit at so they are across from the visiting teams' bench. It's the little things. I guarantee if you had a couple games like this past one the students one would be flocking to get in there. That turned in to an event -- not just another game. Huge difference.
IUP could do so much more at the basketball games. Turn off the lights for player introductions. Show more replays. Get a more lively announcer. Find one D1 arena that doesn't have the 'threeeeeeeeeeeeeee' P.A. announcer after each trey. They are struggling this year with the team entrance. Instead of the intro music they are letting the announcer talk about apartments for rent, etc. The 'atmosphere' items have been a train wreck thus far. The other week they played the same Mo Bamba song about 19 times.
If I had to pick the venue for a big, must-win game? Cross the parking lot every time and head back to the 1980s and 90s. That was a good taste of what games at IUP should all be like. They just need some minor tweaks. The target audience at the KCAC isn't the students. That's the biggest part of the problem.
Saturday night was just a perfect storm for that game. I think there is a general excitement for the fans to cross the parking lot and go back in time so to speak at the Field House. Add to it the Saturday night atmosphere and the fact a flashy team was in town. Joe used the word 'swagger' to describe Shippensburg. Being honest I didn't expect anything like that crowd. It was legitimately lively and loud. I agree with Tony's article ... the announced gate of 1,045 was way off. They weren't even scanning tickets past 7 p.m. on the side opposite the benches.
Nobody could invigorate the IUP crowd like Kevin Reynolds but Shippensburg gives it a go. There wasn't a Dustin Sleva jawing at the crowd moment but they did enough to make things interesting. Give them credit ... it's not easy to get an IUP crowd fired up. It's very difficult, actually. Shippensburg also traveled well which also further evokes the home crowd in tight settings like MFH. Willem's monster jam at the end was the perfect exclamation on the night and sent the place in to a frenzy.
Chris Fite said he felt the crowd was a major factor in the game. I'd agree. The critical technical on Ship's Manny Span was a massive turning point in the game. He was getting rode hard all night. He finally lost his cool just for a second.
Now, would I want to play all the games over there? No way. But, that was the best atmosphere for a game in at least four years. The last one that comes to mind was when Mathis hit the game-winner against SRU. There was about 3,500 in the KCAC that night.
As Chuck said even if you get 2,000 in the KCAC that still means half the seats are empty and people are spread out. You get that 2,000 at MFH and it's rocking.
I've said for years on here I wish they'd make the change to only the benches' side at the KCAC being reserved. The other side would become all general admission. It would bring everybody lower to the floor. I don't like the student section, either. As many of you recall the student section at the Field House was behind the visitors' bench up through the Gary Edwards era. At the KCAC they are too far removed. It lessens the home-court advantage. If anything, I'd flip the end of the court the students sit at so they are across from the visiting teams' bench. It's the little things. I guarantee if you had a couple games like this past one the students one would be flocking to get in there. That turned in to an event -- not just another game. Huge difference.
IUP could do so much more at the basketball games. Turn off the lights for player introductions. Show more replays. Get a more lively announcer. Find one D1 arena that doesn't have the 'threeeeeeeeeeeeeee' P.A. announcer after each trey. They are struggling this year with the team entrance. Instead of the intro music they are letting the announcer talk about apartments for rent, etc. The 'atmosphere' items have been a train wreck thus far. The other week they played the same Mo Bamba song about 19 times.
If I had to pick the venue for a big, must-win game? Cross the parking lot every time and head back to the 1980s and 90s. That was a good taste of what games at IUP should all be like. They just need some minor tweaks. The target audience at the KCAC isn't the students. That's the biggest part of the problem.
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