3rd in assists - the only stat in which we were in the top three.

We finished 5th in attendance, behind MT, WK, NT and ASU.

Individual stats:
Rebounding - Neighbour 5th
Assists - Hagins 8th
FT% - Gillon 1st
3PT% - Gillon 4th
Blocks - Javes 9th
A/TO ratio - Hagins 6th

I could understand finishing behind MT, Western, and even ASU, but to come in behind a team that was as bad as N. Texas was. That pretty much tells you that we are a middle of the pack team in the Belt, and as long as Shields is here, the attendance isn't going to get any better. Ten years of the same old mediocre basketball program isn't going to change. You either got it or you don't. I'm surprised we finished ahead of South Alabama in attendance. We probably wouldn't have if we didn't count the ghosts.

We use the excuse that we're relegated to poor attendance because of the Razorbacks. Wichita State is in a small state with basketball powerhouses Kansas and Kansas State, and yet they draw 10,500 a game and recruit local players. That tells me the problem isn't Fayetteville, but with us. We're not making our program attractive to local players and fans.
What do we need to do to change that?

(04-03-2013 03:00 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  What do we need to do to change that?

Easy. Live in a state that cares about basketball. Kansas does.

(04-03-2013 03:00 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  We use the excuse that we're relegated to poor attendance because of the Razorbacks. Wichita State is in a small state with basketball powerhouses Kansas and Kansas State, and yet they draw 10,500 a game and recruit local players. That tells me the problem isn't Fayetteville, but with us. We're not making our program attractive to local players and fans.
What do we need to do to change that?

We move our university to Kansas were folks actually love college basketball.

Wasn't just about basketball. They are getting some good local players to stay home and play there. If they don't play at Kansas or Kansas State, they are willing to play at Wichita State. If Arkansas players don't play at Arkansas, they don't stay here. They go outside the state to play.

(04-03-2013 03:32 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(04-03-2013 03:00 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  We use the excuse that we're relegated to poor attendance because of the Razorbacks. Wichita State is in a small state with basketball powerhouses Kansas and Kansas State, and yet they draw 10,500 a game and recruit local players. That tells me the problem isn't Fayetteville, but with us. We're not making our program attractive to local players and fans.
What do we need to do to change that?

We move our university to Kansas were folks [b]actually love college basketball. [/b]

Great suggestion. We could move our franchise to Dodge City and change our mascot to the Dodge City Marshals. No, that's baseball that moves franchises around. Colleges sports teams aren't franchises are they?

Yes it's blamed on the hogs, and that's primary problem. The people of Kansas evidently aren't as ignorant as the people here, or they wouldn't buy all this hog **** that's forced down our throats, and they don't actually all worship at the same altar. They don't have the same old crap shoved down their throats every single day by every TV station, newspaper, and radio station in the state. The people in Arkansas are brainwashed from the crib to the grave.

(04-03-2013 03:59 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  Wasn't just about basketball. They are getting some good local players to stay home and play there. If they don't play at Kansas or Kansas State, they are willing to play at Wichita State. If Arkansas players don't play at Arkansas, they don't stay here. They go outside the state to play.

Wichita State has 1 player on their active roster from Kansas- and we know who that is. They did have another player from Kansas that hasn't played since Dec. 2. I assume he was hurt.

While folks in Kansas love basketball, I don't know that they produce a whole lot more basketball talent than Arkansas. Then again they might, but I certainly have never researched it.

Don't believe it will ever happen but, if UALR should ever join the Mo-Valley, I have no doubt the Lady Trojans would compete well immediately. The Men? Unless big changes are made from top to bottom, it would be like putting a plow mule out to race against thoroughbreds.

(04-03-2013 04:43 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(04-03-2013 03:59 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  Wasn't just about basketball. They are getting some good local players to stay home and play there. If they don't play at Kansas or Kansas State, they are willing to play at Wichita State. If Arkansas players don't play at Arkansas, they don't stay here. They go outside the state to play.

Wichita State has 1 player on their active roster from Kansas- and we know who that is. They did have another player from Kansas that hasn't played since Dec. 2. I assume he was hurt.

While folks in Kansas love basketball, I don't know that they produce a whole lot more basketball talent than Arkansas. Then again they might, but I certainly have never researched it.

Kansas has 3 players on the roster from Kansas. One is Bill Self's son, and one is Danny Manning's son. I assume both are walk-ons as they appeared in less games than anyone else on the roster. Obviously a very limited sample, but it does suggest that Kansas doesn't have a ton of basketball talent since I assume the majority of the kids in the State grow up wanting to be Jayhawks.

(04-03-2013 05:02 PM)DollarBill Wrote:  Don't believe it will ever happen but, if UALR should ever join the Mo-Valley, I have no doubt the Lady Trojans would compete well immediately. The Men? Unless big changes are made from top to bottom, it would be like putting a plow mule out to race against thoroughbreds.

It is certainly a limited sample, but Steve beat both Creighton and SIU in Little Rock. Still, it suggests to me that we would compete reasonably well with Valley teams at home. Winning road games would be another story.