Re: Iup basketball
I was checking out some PSAC stats this morning. One glaring one: attendance.
It's always bad but it's REAL bad this year.
IUP men's attendance is WAY down ... as in approaching half of last season's gate average.
Even the Fairmont game ... played almost to the day of last years Fairmont game ... drew 700 less this year. IHS was home during both games. Last year the game got over 1,500. This year it was announced at 801. This year the tickets were even free at various locations all over town.
If you look at the yearly numbers, IUP men's attendance has dropped consistently over the past 5 years.
The conference does it no favors. Rivalry games are played over break. The break is 7 weeks long. Marketing is terrible. Slippery Rock at IUP on a Monday night over break? Are you kidding? Put that game in late January on a Saturday night and you get 3,000. Now ... they'll be lucky for 700. The league cries about revenue and then does this stupid stuff.
Nonetheless, the numbers are the numbers. It wasn't long ago the season average was near 2,500 per game. Right now, for this season, it's in the 700s. That's a drastic decline.
It's too expensive for starters. Tickets are double and triple every other conference school. Consession prices are major league level. Not all see the value in a $7 can of Miller Light.
But, prices were high four years ago, too. So ... why is nobody coming out to see Bravado Joe anymore?
We aren't talking about a few-percentage-point dip. This is extreme.
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Re: Iup basketball
I always wonder what that big IHS team would have been like with Dante on it ... had he not gone to Kiski Prep.
Carter is pretty legit. He's definitely a scholarahip-level player. If Joe doesn't offer him many others will. He reminds me a lot of what Malik Miller looked like at Farrell.
They lose Blake, Hutton and Glover after this season. Armoni and Keyes will come off redshirt status.
You're right ... there have been a lot of walk-ons over the years but not many scholarship players. That jump from Fifth Street to Wayne Ave is a pretty big one.Leave a comment:
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Re: Iup basketball
I have no opinion on Carter either way since I have never seen him play nor do I know much about him.
I was just curious how many local area high school hoops stars have ever really made much of an impact for the IUP men? I think the last one I can think of at the moment is Mike Bertness whom I believed played at IUP from circa 1983-87. To the best of my recall he did start for them for several years.
Anybody else? Chad Curran of Saltsburg. Never really made it into the rotation IIRC. The current kid from MC. The Rocco boys from NC. I don't think they really played much. Dom Lombardi of Indiana. Same.
This isn't much of hotbed for recruiting hoops at this level. Again, no opinion being levied against Carter at all.
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Re: Iup basketball
He's a 6'4" guard at Indiana High. He's good and will get a lot of D2 offers.
Very athletic, fast and he shoots well. Indiana won last night when he blocked a layup off the backboard.
I'd be shocked if IUP doesn't offer him. Rumor is they started scouting him last year.Leave a comment:
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Re: Iup basketball
Is Joe going to let IHS's Carlos Carter leave town?Leave a comment:
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Re: Iup basketball
Okay, yeah I think that was about the time that IUP WBB made the Elite Eight. That was a little before my time following the program. Yup, Sandy Thomas was the coach then.Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
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Re: Iup basketball
Believe it or not this is his 12th year down there.
He's about 150-150, give or take, at Francis Marion. I've loosely followed his teams over the years. This is a pretty talented one.
As for the ladies ... didn't they obtain a No. 1 ranking back in ... guessing here ... 1998 or 1999 under Sandy Thomas? She had that one senior-loaded team that started like 18-0. The Woodall girl was on it and Melissa McGill was its big star underneath.
Tom's scoring margin is about +30 for the season. Incredible. That said he didn't take on a real daring schedule. That changes real soon.
IUP, Cal and Boro are going to be quite a ladies race ... and all three may be in the Top 10. The East is way behind the West on the women's side. The men's side seems the opposite.Leave a comment:
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Re: Iup basketball
That may very well be the highest ranking that I can recall IUP WBB ever obtaining.Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
Also worth noting is that former Duke legend Bobby Hurley has his Arizona State team currently at number 3 in the men's poll. He's really put himself in line to land one of the very big jobs in college basketball like a Duke, North Carolina or Kentucky. And to think that he began a mere seven years ago as an assistant at Wagner where he shared an office with three other coaches after he had basically struck out in just about everything else that he had tried in life. Good for him.
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Re: Iup basketball
He's been down there quite a few years now. Maybe he has his final job in his mind. The Old Ball Coach must be around 60 or so these days. He was quite a character.Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
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Re: Iup basketball
IUP women's basketball (12-0) moved up to No. 3 in this week's poll.
Cal is also in the Top 10 (No. 10).Leave a comment:
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Re: Iup basketball
Don't look now but Gary Edwards' Francis Marion team is 8-0 ... and likely to soon crack some D2 polls.Leave a comment:
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Re: Iup basketball
We always have the good defense / bad shooting discussions.
I do agree, the IUP defense was good, but the opening run, the first ten minutes, Fairmont was cold. They were a bit below average with their foul shooting too, which is already not to good. I don't think playoffs is a lock for them - still a great win for IUP.Leave a comment:
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Re: Iup basketball
I'm glad Daunte was back on the court. I don't think it was a Bravado Joe smoke screen. I truly believe he had a plan and the time off helped Daunte get right. As far as Daunte slowing down... as a coach, I've been saying that all a long. Daunte sometimes plays to fast and he doesn't let plays develop. Hutton is a defensive guy, always has been and always will be as far as I'm concerned. I still don't understand the Vaughns situation. UGH!!! Hopefully these men can build off this big win.Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View PostLeave a comment:
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Re: Iup basketball
I forgot to mention Dante ...
Yeah, looks like I was wrong on that one. From Joe's post-game radio show after the Cheyney game it sounded like a done deal. Maybe Joe was blowing a little smoke?
It's a good thing. He played pretty well last night. It looked like the two games he sat and the week off for finals helped him a lot. Ayron Hutton yelled at him a couple times last night to 'slow down' ... good advice. It worked. As long as Dante isn't trying to be Stephon Marbury or Allen Iverson he's pretty effective.Leave a comment:
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