bring the men's program to the level that Joe Foley has taken the women's program? Some say it's easier to recruit in women's basketball. I see some pretty darn good recruits playing for other SBC schools, and always have.

Granted when we had no decent facilities and the school was still finding it's identity, recruiting should have been difficult, but we now have a nice campus, a good academic school located in a good city, and we're still not able to recruit at a level comparable to other SBC schools. Doesn't mean we don't have some good players. We just can't get enough of them to compete at the highest level of the conference.

Yes we won division championships, but that meant we were usually the third or fourth best team in the league. Not good in a one bid league. So is there someone who can win big at UALR? Guess we won't know until we attempt to find out.

(01-26-2015 08:18 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  bring the men's program to the level that Joe Foley has taken the women's program? Some say it's easier to recruit in women's basketball. I see some pretty darn good recruits playing for other SBC schools, and always have.

Granted when we had no decent facilities and the school was still finding it's identity, recruiting should have been difficult, but we now have a nice campus, a good academic school located in a good city, and we're still not able to recruit at a level comparable to other SBC schools. Doesn't mean we don't have some good players. We just can't get enough of them to compete at the highest level of the conference.

Yes we won division championships, but that meant we were usually the third or fourth best team in the league. Not good in a one bid league. So is there someone who can win big at UALR? Guess we won't know until we attempt to find out.

The short answer- "No"

(01-26-2015 11:09 PM)mjs Wrote:  The short answer- "No"

A little longer answer is No, because to do that you would have to get rid of Steve Shields, and under no circumstances is Mickey gonna ever get off the Shields bandwagon. I thought he jumped, to the other side when Shields called the hogs, but then reality hit him and he couldn't stand the thought of losing Steve, so he forgave Steve of the unforgiveable sin.

(01-26-2015 11:20 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  

(01-26-2015 11:09 PM)mjs Wrote:  The short answer- "No"

A little longer answer is No, because to do that you would have to get rid of Steve Shields, and under no circumstances is Mickey gonna ever get off the Shields bandwagon. I thought he jumped, to the other side when Shields called the hogs, but then reality hit him and he couldn't stand the thought of losing Steve, so he forgave Steve of the unforgiveable sin.

I have never been on or off the Steve "bandwagon". He is our coach and I support him- Unlike others who like to support a coach who left us to go to Illinois or support a player who jumped ship. I think Steve has done a good job overall. This season is bad and there is no sugar coating that. Chasse may choose to make a coaching change at the end of this season and I would have no problem with it. It is his job not mine or yours. If he does make a change, I will support the decision and support the new coach. Those who think a new coach will result in us being a perennial Top 25 team are simply being delusional. This is a tough place to win- if some refuse to see the reality of that, that is their prerogative. I faced reality, quite a few years ago, and am happier for it.

I'm drinking the Kool Aid and think we'll begin a new era where we challenge Kentucky for the one and dones. Top 25 Hell. UALR....Number one!

(01-26-2015 11:39 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  I'm drinking the Kool Aid and think we'll begin a new era where we challenge Kentucky for the one and dones. Top 25 Hell. UALR....Number one!

That's the spirit. Like I said many times before, I truly believed UALR could become a big time program when we moved into Alltel Arena. Why not, a big time arena in a major city? I finally realized that ain't happening. Just too many factors working against us. I think we are and can continue to be a solid midmajor program. I am very happy with that. Much more than that is pie-in-the-sky.

I could live with being a solid mid major program, but we're not. I'm not expecting to be a Gonzaga or Butler anytime soon, but I think we should be at least as good a program as Belmont and teams of that nature. Actually I don't even consider us a mid major at this point in time. I see us as a low major. We're not good enough right now to be called a mid major, IMO. And therein lies the problem.

(01-26-2015 11:57 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  I could live with being a solid mid major program, but we're not. I'm not expecting to be a Gonzaga or Butler anytime soon, but I think we should be at least as good a program as Belmont and teams of that nature. Actually I don't even consider us a mid major at this point in time. I see us as a low major. We're not good enough right now to be called a mid major, IMO. And therein lies the problem.

Your conference pretty much determines where you stand in the basketball hierarchy. I think the Sun Belt is a midmajor conference. If you think it's a low major, I couldn't argue too much about that. But, that is where we are and we are not moving to a better conference. Only really possible scenario is us being thrown to the curb by the Sun Belt because we don't have football. I do feel more comfortable that this won't happen since the addition of UTA. Adding UAB would make me fell even better.

Love to have UAB in the league. They have a good tradition in basketball.

(01-27-2015 12:10 AM)outsideualr Wrote:  Love to have UAB in the league. They have a good tradition in basketball.

I used to feel that way too... Bring in New Mexico State as well. Now I'm not so sure I want the added competition. Tough enough for us to win the league as it is now.

Maybe with more good teams we could be a mid major with more than one bid to the NCAA tournament. Two or three bids would be great.

Yes the right coach could win here

I'm with you on this one. There is no doubt in my mind we could win with the right coach. Of course finding that right coach, and being able to afford him could be the problem. But there is someone out there who could take this program by the scruff of it's neck and lift it up to a very respectable program, IMO.

(01-26-2015 11:37 PM)mjs Wrote:  I have never been on or off the Steve "bandwagon". He is our coach and I support him- Unlike others who like to support a coach who left us to go to Illinois or support a player who jumped ship. I think Steve has done a good job overall. This season is bad and there is no sugar coating that. Chasse may choose to make a coaching change at the end of this season and I would have no problem with it. It is his job not mine or yours. If he does make a change, I will support the decision and support the new coach. Those who think a new coach will result in us being a perennial Top 25 team are simply being delusional. This is a tough place to win- if some refuse to see the reality of that, that is their prerogative. I faced reality, quite a few years ago, and am happier for it. I'll say one thing for you Mickey, you're sure loyal to be willing to go down with the ship.

Show me one post that anyone on this board has ever said that we want a new coach so we can be a "perennial Top 25 team." That's bull**** and you know it. We(me at least)just want a team that is a perennial top Sun Belt team most every year, and one that can play with and beat some of the bigger program OC teams we play.

I want a program that is a perennial Top 25 team! I just threw this in here to make MJS happy!