Buclover - the tournament games were on ASun.tv. Fancy little invention called the internet. It was clear that the arena was not packed.

And Buclover: I think Wooten's put back dunk still wakes you up in a cold sweat. If Rhoda is the person you choose to represent your team I am fine with that. Our boy Wooten was the real man that night. Rhoda tried to pick a fight and Wooten stood his ground and didn't take the bait. The refs through him out anyway, but Wooten gained my respect by not knocking Rhoda out.

KB,

Were you even at that game? Because your full of pig excrement. It was Wooten who both provoked and attacked Rhoda. The proof is that Wooten was kicked out of the game immediately and they were trying to decide what to do with Rhoda. Ultimately he was escorted out for retaliating. Wooten was gone in a flash. I don't know where the hell you dream this crap up. I really don't.



Wooten had some talent but he was a damn thug who got into a fight in every game I saw him play.

Posted this earlier but I believe this got lost in the KSU/ETSU back and forth..


KB, you make some very good points, and there definitely are some signs of some serious up and coming programs in the ASun.

One follow up that I have is concerning the NIT. Does the rule that a regular season conference champion getting a automatic invite to the NIT if they don't take their conference tournament title and automatic NCAA bid still apply?

And another follow up.. What about something like what the Patriot League does in terms of its conference tourney? That is, playing all rounds leading up to the Final at one site (the 1st Round and Semifinals) and then playing the Championship Game at the site of the highest remaining seed? This would virtually guarantee a packed house for the final and would look great on national television.

I do like the conference's decision to play both the Men's & Women's Tourneys at the same site.. Good for everyone imho.

Yes, a regular season conference champion that does not win its league tournament or receive an at-large NCAA bid gets an automatic entry to the NIT field of 32.

MylesKnight Wrote:And another follow up.. What about something like what the Patriot League does in terms of its conference tourney? That is, playing all rounds leading up to the Final at one site (the 1st Round and Semifinals) and then playing the Championship Game at the site of the highest remaining seed? This would virtually guarantee a packed house for the final and would look great on national television.

This is an intriguing idea. How big of a time lapse does the Patriot League have between the semifinals and the championship game? One day? Two days? Also, does every A-Sun school have large enough facilities to host a championship game?

No they don't

"the little ankle biting yapper dog and then we'd smack them around a little bit"

It sure is easy to slap around a team that does not even enjoy full D-1 membership yet! If this is what your program prides itself on watch out! Real BIG TIMERS! This has to be an all time low for your program.

In all fairness, Gold already knows it's the all time low for his program. I mean, till next year of course.

Are you guys up north doing anything to right the ship or it still full steam ahead in the wrong direction?

I know but it does not hurt to remind them sometimes. Although, I doubt they really need a reminder it is still fun!

(12-15-2008 12:00 AM)Golden Jedi Knight Wrote:  

MylesKnight Wrote:And another follow up.. What about something like what the Patriot League does in terms of its conference tourney? That is, playing all rounds leading up to the Final at one site (the 1st Round and Semifinals) and then playing the Championship Game at the site of the highest remaining seed? This would virtually guarantee a packed house for the final and would look great on national television.

This is an intriguing idea. How big of a time lapse does the Patriot League have between the semifinals and the championship game? One day? Two days? Also, does every A-Sun school have large enough facilities to host a championship game?

The Patriot League has now gone the route of playing all Conference Tournament Games at the home of the higher seed, but in the past the setup was: Quarterfinals & Semifinals at one site, and the Championship Game at the site of the highest remaining seed. Generally, there would be a 5-6 day gap between the Semifinal Round and Championship Game in which to ready the facility hosting and sell tickets. This setup creates a fantastic environment for a Championship Event that looks great on television.

Compare that to this possibility for the upcoming ASun Tournament in March. For argument's sake, let's say Lipscomb and Belmont are both knocked out prior to the Title Game. Any ideas on attendance in this scenario, or how the national television broadcast will look? Probably not very good at all, especially so if ETSU is also out of the mix.

As far as the question of each school in the Atlantic Sun Conference having a facility large enough for such an event, I believe that with the recent arenas at Mercer and Campbell being completed, the only facility in the Conference with a listed capacity of less than 3,500 is the Hodge Center at USCS (listed at just over 1,500, correct me if I'm wrong). A Higher Seed Home Court Title Game scenario could work, imo.

so con tourney is not in a neutral city. i believe this year it is in chattanooga, and needless to say charleston isnt a neutral city. there is nothing special about tourney being on a neutral court. if you are paying attention - conference usa plays in a member institution community as does the wac. outside of etsu - few a-sun teams draw very well at home let along travel on the road. also, under current a-sun bid policy, is very expensive to host the event.

(12-11-2008 07:08 AM)Goldfinger Wrote:  Kennesaw,

You can put the A-sun tournament anywhere in the southeast and you will have around a thousand ETSU fans on a mediocre year and two to three on a good year. This is without question the worst period of ETSU athletics and we out represent everyone in the A-sun by quite a big margin. A decent crowd of Buccanneer loyalists always shows up at Belmont and Lipscomb. The reason only fifty or so show up at Kennesaw is because Kennesaw is not seen as a threat by the fan base from ETSU. This isn't a cheap shot but a fact. Hell, the truth is that even though Belmont has found a way to hand it to us for the past couple of years the fan base at ETSU doesn't truly respect them either. We all know what ETSU basketball is and we've not had it since 2004. Is it dead forever? I am no sage.

As for rest of the A-sun I can tell you this...Neither Kennesaw, lipscomb, Jacksonville, or Belmont are ever going to acquire a real fan base that is respectable in the mid-major ranks. The reason is simple. They are small schools located in major markets and thus have too much competition. Nobody in Nashville gives a damn that Belmont almost beat Duke. At Best people in Nashville are pulling for Vanderbilt and at worst they are involved with UT.

Belmont has been to NCAA tournament for the past three years and nearly pulled off an upset against Duke in their last. Yet they couldn't pull anymore than a hundred people to watch them play an "away" game in their own hometown.

I don't know what the numbers are but I would bet you that ETSU had as many or nearly as many fans at last years A-sun tournament as did Belmont and Lipscomb and ETSU fans have NEVER EVER been more angry and spiteful toward our school of choice than we are now. The loyalists here down right HATE the administration. And deservingly so.

If Kennesaw were Appalachian state or Chattanooga or Furman...we'd bring several hundred people to your doorstep on gameday. But your not and so we bring fifty to a hundred. Now I myself have never seen a Kennesaw fan in my life. And you wish to be our rival?

If we are to be stuck in this toilet bowl of a conference...then the least the conference could do is at least give the appearance of a real conference tournament by putting it on a nuetral floor and purging it from the inter-mixing of womens sports. There is nothing more thrilling than that first weekend in march during conference tournament time. Nothing beats the level of hate fills the air. You have no idea how depressing it is to go from the southern conference tournament to the A-sun tournament.

You see how it works in the So-Conn is that fans show up from every school to a neutral city. Let's say Chattanooga plays the 9 o'clock game on the first day...that means you will find chattanooga fans sitting in the stands for the opening game at noon between Western Carolina and Georgia Southern. So will you find ETSU, ASU, Furman, Davidson...hell even Wofford fans. All will be sitting, watching, waiting. Let's say you are from a school that won an early game...that means that horrible knot in your stomach is gone for the day and you can relax as the other schools play...meanwhile you size up who is playing well and who isn't. And speculate amongst friendly and opposing fans what is needed to win the following day.

In the A-sun...if Lipscomb is playing the noon game this means that fifty or so Lipscomb fans show up and then after the game they leave and you don't see them for 24 hours. It's boring and inglorious as hell. And all the A-sun schools do that. minus of course...ETSU.

(01-22-2009 04:20 PM)silence dogood Wrote:  so con tourney is not in a neutral city. i believe this year it is in chattanooga, and needless to say charleston isnt a neutral city. there is nothing special about tourney being on a neutral court.

Charelston was at least a neutral floor. Chattanooga is a horrible site for the tournament just ask anyone who went a few years ago. As for there being nothing special about a tourney being played on a neutral court....Spoken like someone who wouldn't know the difference between fine wine and ginger beer.

key point about charleston is that it is a destination point. are a few other things to do besides go to a game. could probably make that argument about nashville. still do not understand your fascination with neutral site tournaments. i would think we would want to play wherever we can get a good crowd, wherever that is - neutral, home site, whatever. go ask the mountain west conference how special a neutral site tournament is. they tried it, and then went back to a home site event.

(01-22-2009 05:49 PM)Goldfinger Wrote:  

(01-22-2009 04:20 PM)silence dogood Wrote:  so con tourney is not in a neutral city. i believe this year it is in chattanooga, and needless to say charleston isnt a neutral city. there is nothing special about tourney being on a neutral court.

Charelston was at least a neutral floor. Chattanooga is a horrible site for the tournament just ask anyone who went a few years ago. As for there being nothing special about a tourney being played on a neutral court....Spoken like someone who wouldn't know the difference between fine wine and ginger beer.