(03-09-2016 10:03 PM)DFW Owl Wrote:  

(03-09-2016 09:54 PM)cr11owl Wrote:  

(03-09-2016 09:41 PM)talon owl Wrote:  Please stay Marcus

Please stay everyone! We really could be special next year. I think UAB/LaTech/Charlotte/Rice could make CUSA more than a 1 bid league depending on OOC scheduling.

At large bid means Rice would have to be in the top ~40 That would be a huge leap. We should be much better but that would be very surprising.

I figured UAB once we beat them in the tournament.

The Owls fought hard all season. Didn't have a great shooting night, but that happens.

(03-09-2016 10:03 PM)DFW Owl Wrote:  

(03-09-2016 09:54 PM)cr11owl Wrote:  

(03-09-2016 09:41 PM)talon owl Wrote:  Please stay Marcus

Please stay everyone! We really could be special next year. I think UAB/LaTech/Charlotte/Rice could make CUSA more than a 1 bid league depending on OOC scheduling.

At large bid means Rice would have to be in the top ~40. That would be a huge leap. We should be much better but that would be very surprising.

This conference does not seem as terrible in basketball as it is in football, but I don't think the conference schedule will help RPI, either. It's a tough conference to get an at-large bid.

(03-10-2016 07:11 AM)I45owl Wrote:  

(03-09-2016 10:03 PM)DFW Owl Wrote:  

(03-09-2016 09:54 PM)cr11owl Wrote:  

(03-09-2016 09:41 PM)talon owl Wrote:  Please stay Marcus

Please stay everyone! We really could be special next year. I think UAB/LaTech/Charlotte/Rice could make CUSA more than a 1 bid league depending on OOC scheduling.

At large bid means Rice would have to be in the top ~40. That would be a huge leap. We should be much better but that would be very surprising.

This conference does not seem as terrible in basketball as it is in football, but I don't think the conference schedule will help RPI, either. It's a tough conference to get an at-large bid.

I agree it won't be expected but I think it's possible. This year was the bottom for CUSA in basketball. I think every team except FAU/FIU/ODU/UTSA/USM should be quite a bit better next year. Those schools haven't really shown me anything (ODU because they lose Freeman)

FAU will be decent next year. They have some good transfers. Not sure about the others. I think we need to stay positive and support the program and hope next year is our year, and the curse disappears.

(03-10-2016 07:11 AM)I45owl Wrote:  This conference does not seem as terrible in basketball as it is in football, but I don't think the conference schedule will help RPI, either. It's a tough conference to get an at-large bid.

As of this morning - and per Warrennolan.com - CUSA is #22 out of 32 conferences in RPI. It is behind conferences such as the Ivy (#16), the Metro Athletic (#19), the Ohio Valley (#21), and the Southern (#18) among others. It is really bad.

http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2016/conferencerpi

As an example, UAB - despite being 16-2 in conference and 25-5 overall - is generally considered to have absolutely no chance at an at-large. In fact, Joe Lunardi (ESPN) has them projected as a #14 seed despite this 16-2 / 25-5 record. In fairness, they played a weak non-conference schedule ... but, as of now, it will next to impossible to get an at-large from this league without beating a number of quality teams in the pre-conference. As mentioned, it's possible that a few teams improve - but it has a LONG way to go.

Put another way ... we've got to get out of here.

The problem with CUSA is that schools build programs with transfers in many cases. And then the schools that do it with freshmen often can lose the really special players (us, Tulane lost a solid player a few years back when it was still in CUSA). So there is no continuity outside of perhaps UAB and UTEP.

But we have to do our share to get our program in order. And one thing we have to do is increase our fan base. I'm not sure why at this point any Rice fans would choose to be only a football or baseball supporter, but not support the other programs too. Sure, you can't make every game unless you're Bob Reinhold or a few others. And I also understand if you're an ex-athlete in a particular sport and that's the only Rice team you're really interested in. But the casual fan/Rice alum who likes sports should make several games a year in all of the main sports if they really want to help out Rice athletics.

(03-10-2016 10:25 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  The problem with CUSA is that schools build programs with transfers in many cases. And then the schools that do it with freshmen often can lose the really special players (us, Tulane lost a solid player a few years back when it was still in CUSA). So there is no continuity outside of perhaps UAB and UTEP.

But we have to do our share to get our program in order. And one thing we have to do is increase our fan base. I'm not sure why at this point any Rice fans would choose to be only a football or baseball supporter, but not support the other programs too. Sure, you can't make every game unless you're Bob Reinhold or a few others. And I also understand if you're an ex-athlete in a particular sport and that's the only Rice team you're really interested in. But the casual fan/Rice alum who likes sports should make several games a year in all of the main sports if they really want to help out Rice athletics.

Easy to say when you live in Fort Bend!!

(03-10-2016 10:34 AM)HawaiiOwl Wrote:  

(03-10-2016 10:25 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  The problem with CUSA is that schools build programs with transfers in many cases. And then the schools that do it with freshmen often can lose the really special players (us, Tulane lost a solid player a few years back when it was still in CUSA). So there is no continuity outside of perhaps UAB and UTEP.

But we have to do our share to get our program in order. And one thing we have to do is increase our fan base. I'm not sure why at this point any Rice fans would choose to be only a football or baseball supporter, but not support the other programs too. Sure, you can't make every game unless you're Bob Reinhold or a few others. And I also understand if you're an ex-athlete in a particular sport and that's the only Rice team you're really interested in. But the casual fan/Rice alum who likes sports should make several games a year in all of the main sports if they really want to help out Rice athletics.

Easy to say when you live in Fort Bend!!

Buy season tickets and donate them! Shu and company are doing a great job bringing people in for Rice games and the team is only getting more entertaining to watch. Who knows soon you might even be able to sell the season tickets you don't use.

(03-10-2016 11:44 AM)cr11owl Wrote:  Buy season tickets and donate them! Shu and company are doing a great job bringing people in for Rice games and the team is only getting more entertaining to watch. Who knows soon you might even be able to sell the season tickets you don't use.

This.

We appreciate Orange County Owl and Walt Greenberg who live out of town, buy season tickets and donate them to other Owl fans. We do need OCO to make at least one appearance a season.

Western Kentucky upsets UAB, 88-77.

(03-10-2016 10:05 AM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  As of this morning - and per Warrennolan.com - CUSA is #22 out of 32 conferences in RPI. It is behind conferences such as the Ivy (#16), the Metro Athletic (#19), the Ohio Valley (#21), and the Southern (#18) among others. It is really bad.

http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2016/conferencerpi

As an example, UAB - despite being 16-2 in conference and 25-5 overall - is generally considered to have absolutely no chance at an at-large. In fact, Joe Lunardi (ESPN) has them projected as a #14 seed despite this 16-2 / 25-5 record. In fairness, they played a weak non-conference schedule ... but, as of now, it will next to impossible to get an at-large from this league without beating a number of quality teams in the pre-conference. As mentioned, it's possible that a few teams improve - but it has a LONG way to go.

Put another way ... we've got to get out of here.

CUSA TV contract situation getting worse, primary contract cut in half and now secondary providers are losing interest:

"The number of bidders is dwindling. Fox didn’t even bid on Conference USA football."

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/201...iBzhT.dpuf

(03-10-2016 04:06 PM)WIowl Wrote:  

(03-10-2016 10:05 AM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  As of this morning - and per Warrennolan.com - CUSA is #22 out of 32 conferences in RPI. It is behind conferences such as the Ivy (#16), the Metro Athletic (#19), the Ohio Valley (#21), and the Southern (#18) among others. It is really bad.

http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2016/conferencerpi

As an example, UAB - despite being 16-2 in conference and 25-5 overall - is generally considered to have absolutely no chance at an at-large. In fact, Joe Lunardi (ESPN) has them projected as a #14 seed despite this 16-2 / 25-5 record. In fairness, they played a weak non-conference schedule ... but, as of now, it will next to impossible to get an at-large from this league without beating a number of quality teams in the pre-conference. As mentioned, it's possible that a few teams improve - but it has a LONG way to go.

Put another way ... we've got to get out of here.

CUSA TV contract situation getting worse, primary contract cut in half and now secondary providers are losing interest:

"The number of bidders is dwindling. Fox didn’t even bid on Conference USA football."

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/201...iBzhT.dpuf

Cue Eric Burdon & The Animals, "We Gotta Get Outa This Place"....

(03-10-2016 11:44 AM)cr11owl Wrote:  

(03-10-2016 10:34 AM)HawaiiOwl Wrote:  

(03-10-2016 10:25 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  The problem with CUSA is that schools build programs with transfers in many cases. And then the schools that do it with freshmen often can lose the really special players (us, Tulane lost a solid player a few years back when it was still in CUSA). So there is no continuity outside of perhaps UAB and UTEP.

But we have to do our share to get our program in order. And one thing we have to do is increase our fan base. I'm not sure why at this point any Rice fans would choose to be only a football or baseball supporter, but not support the other programs too. Sure, you can't make every game unless you're Bob Reinhold or a few others. And I also understand if you're an ex-athlete in a particular sport and that's the only Rice team you're really interested in. But the casual fan/Rice alum who likes sports should make several games a year in all of the main sports if they really want to help out Rice athletics.

Easy to say when you live in Fort Bend!!

Buy season tickets and donate them! Shu and company are doing a great job bringing people in for Rice games and the team is only getting more entertaining to watch. Who knows soon you might even be able to sell the season tickets you don't use.

As I have noted in other posts, I do exactly that, donating to Ronald McDonald House

(03-11-2016 01:09 PM)HawaiiOwl Wrote:  

(03-10-2016 11:44 AM)cr11owl Wrote:  

(03-10-2016 10:34 AM)HawaiiOwl Wrote:  

(03-10-2016 10:25 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  The problem with CUSA is that schools build programs with transfers in many cases. And then the schools that do it with freshmen often can lose the really special players (us, Tulane lost a solid player a few years back when it was still in CUSA). So there is no continuity outside of perhaps UAB and UTEP.

But we have to do our share to get our program in order. And one thing we have to do is increase our fan base. I'm not sure why at this point any Rice fans would choose to be only a football or baseball supporter, but not support the other programs too. Sure, you can't make every game unless you're Bob Reinhold or a few others. And I also understand if you're an ex-athlete in a particular sport and that's the only Rice team you're really interested in. But the casual fan/Rice alum who likes sports should make several games a year in all of the main sports if they really want to help out Rice athletics.

Easy to say when you live in Fort Bend!!

Buy season tickets and donate them! Shu and company are doing a great job bringing people in for Rice games and the team is only getting more entertaining to watch. Who knows soon you might even be able to sell the season tickets you don't use.

As I have noted in other posts, I do exactly that, donating to Ronald McDonald House

Ronald McDonald House Volunteer here:
We appreciate it!

(03-10-2016 01:10 PM)bobreinhold1 Wrote:  We appreciate Orange County Owl and Walt Greenberg who live out of town, buy season tickets and donate them to other Owl fans. We do need OCO to make at least one appearance a season.

Hi Bob ... check your private message.