(09-05-2021 10:12 AM)joshadam84 Wrote:  It’s awesome to see this sort of scheduling. Less money games. Some actual winnable road trips and hosting 5 non-conference games like you said without a non-D1 on the schedule! I love it.

Very much looking forward to their season.

(09-05-2021 06:41 PM)Todor Wrote:  

(09-05-2021 10:12 AM)joshadam84 Wrote:  It’s awesome to see this sort of scheduling. Less money games. Some actual winnable road trips and hosting 5 non-conference games like you said without a non-D1 on the schedule! I love it.

Very much looking forward to their season.

Josh, what do you think caused the change? Obviously its a new coach, but funding wise, was it more necessary before, or not so much REQUIRED as the coaches choice of a way to bring in money? Or was it a recruiting tool, to show kids they'd get to compete against a lot of top players and teams? Probably some of each.

I'd imagine the guarantee for a basketball game isn't really a ton of cash after expenses, not like in football. And half a season of them still isn't program changing money.

(09-08-2021 08:21 PM)joshadam84 Wrote:  

(09-05-2021 06:41 PM)Todor Wrote:  

(09-05-2021 10:12 AM)joshadam84 Wrote:  It’s awesome to see this sort of scheduling. Less money games. Some actual winnable road trips and hosting 5 non-conference games like you said without a non-D1 on the schedule! I love it.

Very much looking forward to their season.

Josh, what do you think caused the change? Obviously its a new coach, but funding wise, was it more necessary before, or not so much REQUIRED as the coaches choice of a way to bring in money? Or was it a recruiting tool, to show kids they'd get to compete against a lot of top players and teams? Probably some of each.

I'd imagine the guarantee for a basketball game isn't really a ton of cash after expenses, not like in football. And half a season of them still isn't program changing money.

Todor, I recall Elliott Charles mentioning he wants start getting fans into the JCC, and the only way to do that is to have some home games against quality opponents. He really wants to create that home court advantage atmosphere.. and this is the beginning stages of it. As a result, I really think the change in scheduling is due to his mindset.

Also, they're getting more sponsorships within the Chicago area and really pushing fundraising goals -- which both have been completely ignored for as long as I can remember. So the brutal non-conference road games was a necessity previously because the department really wasn't receiving income from other sources.

Here's an image of how the athletic department has increased their budget over just the past three years (notably.. Elliott Charles came in at the end of 2019).

And he appears committed to continue to increase their investment into the athletic department.

Seeing the early success of the volleyball and men's soccer programs gives me some hope that they're beginning to turn things around, but there's still plenty of games to play to see how things end up. Plus, basketball is its own beast.. so while I'm excited about both the men's and women's teams they still need to get some wins out on the court.

(09-08-2021 08:21 PM)joshadam84 Wrote:  

(09-05-2021 06:41 PM)Todor Wrote:  

(09-05-2021 10:12 AM)joshadam84 Wrote:  It’s awesome to see this sort of scheduling. Less money games. Some actual winnable road trips and hosting 5 non-conference games like you said without a non-D1 on the schedule! I love it.

Very much looking forward to their season.

Josh, what do you think caused the change? Obviously its a new coach, but funding wise, was it more necessary before, or not so much REQUIRED as the coaches choice of a way to bring in money? Or was it a recruiting tool, to show kids they'd get to compete against a lot of top players and teams? Probably some of each.

I'd imagine the guarantee for a basketball game isn't really a ton of cash after expenses, not like in football. And half a season of them still isn't program changing money.

Todor, I recall Elliott Charles mentioning he wants start getting fans into the JCC, and the only way to do that is to have some home games against quality opponents. He really wants to create that home court advantage atmosphere.. and this is the beginning stages of it. As a result, I really think the change in scheduling is due to his mindset.

Also, they're getting more sponsorships within the Chicago area and really pushing fundraising goals -- which both have been completely ignored for as long as I can remember. So the brutal non-conference road games was a necessity previously because the department really wasn't receiving income from other sources.

Here's an image of how the athletic department has increased their budget over just the past three years (notably.. Elliott Charles came in at the end of 2019).

And he appears committed to continue to increase their investment into the athletic department.

Seeing the early success of the volleyball and men's soccer programs gives me some hope that they're beginning to turn things around, but there's still plenty of games to play to see how things end up. Plus, basketball is its own beast.. so while I'm excited about both the men's and women's teams they still need to get some wins out on the court.

(09-09-2021 12:13 AM)Todor Wrote:  

(09-08-2021 08:21 PM)joshadam84 Wrote:  

(09-05-2021 06:41 PM)Todor Wrote:  

(09-05-2021 10:12 AM)joshadam84 Wrote:  It’s awesome to see this sort of scheduling. Less money games. Some actual winnable road trips and hosting 5 non-conference games like you said without a non-D1 on the schedule! I love it.

Very much looking forward to their season.

Josh, what do you think caused the change? Obviously its a new coach, but funding wise, was it more necessary before, or not so much REQUIRED as the coaches choice of a way to bring in money? Or was it a recruiting tool, to show kids they'd get to compete against a lot of top players and teams? Probably some of each.

I'd imagine the guarantee for a basketball game isn't really a ton of cash after expenses, not like in football. And half a season of them still isn't program changing money.

Todor, I recall Elliott Charles mentioning he wants start getting fans into the JCC, and the only way to do that is to have some home games against quality opponents. He really wants to create that home court advantage atmosphere.. and this is the beginning stages of it. As a result, I really think the change in scheduling is due to his mindset.

Also, they're getting more sponsorships within the Chicago area and really pushing fundraising goals -- which both have been completely ignored for as long as I can remember. So the brutal non-conference road games was a necessity previously because the department really wasn't receiving income from other sources.

Here's an image of how the athletic department has increased their budget over just the past three years (notably.. Elliott Charles came in at the end of 2019).

And he appears committed to continue to increase their investment into the athletic department.

Seeing the early success of the volleyball and men's soccer programs gives me some hope that they're beginning to turn things around, but there's still plenty of games to play to see how things end up. Plus, basketball is its own beast.. so while I'm excited about both the men's and women's teams they still need to get some wins out on the court.

Well, one way to start is by HAVING a home game before January Having a couple very early games that are not much more than scrimmages, and then a 2 month gap made it hard to keep to fans engaged. When you have a home game, and another the next weekend for example, people will come back. That gap was killer because once you came home again and were 1-11 and no one had really even gotten to know the players or anything, people wrote off attending.

I've been to Jones when there were people there, and it was fun. It was normal low major atmosphere and that will start coming back this season.