It has taken a few weeks to develop enough thoughts for a muse, here I go:
If the NCAA is going to need cash for upcoming lawsuits, it is time the expand the largest asset they have, March Madness. Go to 96 or 128 teams, make it an entire week Tuesday-Sunday of game$, game$ game$, more to bet on more to watch.
Basketball season is groundhog day the last four seasons. Acuff already transferred once not sure he can go again without a lawsuit (West Virginia) Lovejoy hopefully healthy may go back in the portal but not like his options. Is the portal impacting fandom? Sure most of us crazies fell in love with the entire process recruiting, signing day, commitment, & development but its a new world with new rosters every year and we still watch when the games begin.

(02-26-2024 09:10 AM)fanfrompowellspub Wrote:  It has taken a few weeks to develop enough thoughts for a muse, here I go:
If the NCAA is going to need cash for upcoming lawsuits, it is time the expand the largest asset they have, March Madness. Go to 96 or 128 teams, make it an entire week Tuesday-Sunday of game$, game$ game$, more to bet on more to watch.
Basketball season is groundhog day the last four seasons. Acuff already transferred once not sure he can go again without a lawsuit (West Virginia) Lovejoy hopefully healthy may go back in the portal but not like his options. Is the portal impacting fandom? Sure most of us crazies fell in love with the entire process recruiting, signing day, commitment, & development but its a new world with new rosters every year and we still watch when the games begin.

College sports, in the portal era, are worse than the pros. New pros may have a 4 -year contract from the NFL or NBA which restricts their movement.

College athletes are essentially year to year. Literally a one year no cut athletic stipend contract if they do the work in class and keep their nose clean.

P.S. comparing and contrasting a CFB PLAYER to a CFB COACH makes no sense to me. Compare players in college and NFL and likewise College and NFL coaches.

Great “Muse”, FFPP! …worth the wait

I fully agree with expanding to 96 teams. Would basically be the top 25% in D1. I think at 68, there are too many very solid teams missing out. But 128 (top 33%) would be too much and would start diminishing the honor of such an invitation. But I think the consolation tournament NIT should also expand from 32 to 64. Not nearly the same prestige but still recognizes teams that had decent seasons. Going any further then this and you will get the CFP/bowls level of watered down.

I am not saying the Transfer Portal is bad per say. EMU teams have both benefited from it and lost from it. And it has benefited some EMU players to have the opportunity to move up to a bigger stage (or try to)- I am happy for them. But the extent to which these transfers occur is indeed diminishing my interest overall… and if I was a college coach, I would find another profession as this seems like it would be a maddening increase in off season workload.

(02-26-2024 11:36 AM)RamyEMU Wrote:  Great “Muse”, FFPP! …worth the wait

I fully agree with expanding to 96 teams. Would basically be the top 25% in D1. I think at 68, there are too many very solid teams missing out. But 128 (top 33%) would be too much and would start diminishing the honor of such an invitation. But I think the consolation tournament NIT should also expand from 32 to 64. Not nearly the same prestige but still recognizes teams that had decent seasons. Going any further then this and you will get the CFP/bowls level of watered down.

I am not saying the Transfer Portal is bad per say. EMU teams have both benefited from it and lost from it. And it has benefited some EMU players to have the opportunity to move up to a bigger stage (or try to)- I am happy for them. But the extent to which these transfers occur is indeed diminishing my interest overall… and if I was a college coach, I would find another profession as this seems like it would be a maddening increase in off season workload.

And they (college coaches) are moving to the NFL presumably as a safe haven, if we can believe the NFL is cushy...

Pivot to EMU MBB: Was Heath prepared to move from G league to D-1 MBB in the era of the portal???

Some of us remember Ray Scott, NBA head coach who apparently wasn't much into recruiting... and recruiting, more than X and Os coaching wins games.

(02-26-2024 02:06 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 11:36 AM)RamyEMU Wrote:  Great “Muse”, FFPP! …worth the wait

I fully agree with expanding to 96 teams. Would basically be the top 25% in D1. I think at 68, there are too many very solid teams missing out. But 128 (top 33%) would be too much and would start diminishing the honor of such an invitation. But I think the consolation tournament NIT should also expand from 32 to 64. Not nearly the same prestige but still recognizes teams that had decent seasons. Going any further then this and you will get the CFP/bowls level of watered down.

I am not saying the Transfer Portal is bad per say. EMU teams have both benefited from it and lost from it. And it has benefited some EMU players to have the opportunity to move up to a bigger stage (or try to)- I am happy for them. But the extent to which these transfers occur is indeed diminishing my interest overall… and if I was a college coach, I would find another profession as this seems like it would be a maddening increase in off season workload.

And they (college coaches) are moving to the NFL presumably as a safe haven, if we can believe the NFL is cushy...

Pivot to EMU MBB: Was Heath prepared to move from G league to D-1 MBB in the era of the portal???

Some of us remember Ray Scott, NBA head coach who apparently wasn't much into recruiting... and recruiting, more than X and Os coaching wins games.

Most of Scott's recruits like Lance Hill didn't make it past the first semester. I think his best recruit was Tim Bracey who was out of Grand Rapids.

(02-27-2024 02:04 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 02:06 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 11:36 AM)RamyEMU Wrote:  Great “Muse”, FFPP! …worth the wait

I fully agree with expanding to 96 teams. Would basically be the top 25% in D1. I think at 68, there are too many very solid teams missing out. But 128 (top 33%) would be too much and would start diminishing the honor of such an invitation. But I think the consolation tournament NIT should also expand from 32 to 64. Not nearly the same prestige but still recognizes teams that had decent seasons. Going any further then this and you will get the CFP/bowls level of watered down.

I am not saying the Transfer Portal is bad per say. EMU teams have both benefited from it and lost from it. And it has benefited some EMU players to have the opportunity to move up to a bigger stage (or try to)- I am happy for them. But the extent to which these transfers occur is indeed diminishing my interest overall… and if I was a college coach, I would find another profession as this seems like it would be a maddening increase in off season workload.

And they (college coaches) are moving to the NFL presumably as a safe haven, if we can believe the NFL is cushy...

Pivot to EMU MBB: Was Heath prepared to move from G league to D-1 MBB in the era of the portal???

Some of us remember Ray Scott, NBA head coach who apparently wasn't much into recruiting... and recruiting, more than X and Os coaching wins games.

Most of Scott's recruits like Lance Hill didn't make it past the first semester. I think his best recruit was Tim Bracey who was out of Grand Rapids.

When I was a little kid in Northville, my favorite player was this guy:

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/pla...ely-1.html

I'm still musing...

https://youtu.be/x_uOBmzdUyI?si=-3e4RLy0J6q_8lQR

This is the 1982 NCAA National Championship game.

For Georgetown Eric, Sleepy, Floyd and Patrick Ewing.
.
For UNC: Matt Doherty, James Worthy, Sam Perkins, Jimmy Black and Michael Jordan.

Wow!!!!

(02-27-2024 07:42 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 02:04 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 02:06 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 11:36 AM)RamyEMU Wrote:  Great “Muse”, FFPP! …worth the wait

I fully agree with expanding to 96 teams. Would basically be the top 25% in D1. I think at 68, there are too many very solid teams missing out. But 128 (top 33%) would be too much and would start diminishing the honor of such an invitation. But I think the consolation tournament NIT should also expand from 32 to 64. Not nearly the same prestige but still recognizes teams that had decent seasons. Going any further then this and you will get the CFP/bowls level of watered down.

I am not saying the Transfer Portal is bad per say. EMU teams have both benefited from it and lost from it. And it has benefited some EMU players to have the opportunity to move up to a bigger stage (or try to)- I am happy for them. But the extent to which these transfers occur is indeed diminishing my interest overall… and if I was a college coach, I would find another profession as this seems like it would be a maddening increase in off season workload.

And they (college coaches) are moving to the NFL presumably as a safe haven, if we can believe the NFL is cushy...

Pivot to EMU MBB: Was Heath prepared to move from G league to D-1 MBB in the era of the portal???

Some of us remember Ray Scott, NBA head coach who apparently wasn't much into recruiting... and recruiting, more than X and Os coaching wins games.

Most of Scott's recruits like Lance Hill didn't make it past the first semester. I think his best recruit was Tim Bracey who was out of Grand Rapids.

When I was a little kid in Northville, my favorite player was this guy:

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/pla...ely-1.html

That's Kelvin "Face" Blakely!

Regarding the MAC basketball tournament, what happens if teams tie for the 8th spot and split their head to head game?

(02-27-2024 07:55 PM)EMU 83 Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 07:42 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 02:04 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 02:06 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 11:36 AM)RamyEMU Wrote:  Great “Muse”, FFPP! …worth the wait

I fully agree with expanding to 96 teams. Would basically be the top 25% in D1. I think at 68, there are too many very solid teams missing out. But 128 (top 33%) would be too much and would start diminishing the honor of such an invitation. But I think the consolation tournament NIT should also expand from 32 to 64. Not nearly the same prestige but still recognizes teams that had decent seasons. Going any further then this and you will get the CFP/bowls level of watered down.

I am not saying the Transfer Portal is bad per say. EMU teams have both benefited from it and lost from it. And it has benefited some EMU players to have the opportunity to move up to a bigger stage (or try to)- I am happy for them. But the extent to which these transfers occur is indeed diminishing my interest overall… and if I was a college coach, I would find another profession as this seems like it would be a maddening increase in off season workload.

And they (college coaches) are moving to the NFL presumably as a safe haven, if we can believe the NFL is cushy...

Pivot to EMU MBB: Was Heath prepared to move from G league to D-1 MBB in the era of the portal???

Some of us remember Ray Scott, NBA head coach who apparently wasn't much into recruiting... and recruiting, more than X and Os coaching wins games.

Most of Scott's recruits like Lance Hill didn't make it past the first semester. I think his best recruit was Tim Bracey who was out of Grand Rapids.

When I was a little kid in Northville, my favorite player was this guy:

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/pla...ely-1.html

That's Kelvin "Face" Blakely!

You remember him? He was a fantastic player. My mom was an EMU student at the time, I got to go to Bowen a lot! Hank Wiggins, Al Cicotte, Gary Green. I loved them all.

(02-28-2024 06:33 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 07:55 PM)EMU 83 Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 07:42 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 02:04 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 02:06 PM)emu steve Wrote:  And they (college coaches) are moving to the NFL presumably as a safe haven, if we can believe the NFL is cushy...

Pivot to EMU MBB: Was Heath prepared to move from G league to D-1 MBB in the era of the portal???

Some of us remember Ray Scott, NBA head coach who apparently wasn't much into recruiting... and recruiting, more than X and Os coaching wins games.

Most of Scott's recruits like Lance Hill didn't make it past the first semester. I think his best recruit was Tim Bracey who was out of Grand Rapids.

When I was a little kid in Northville, my favorite player was this guy:

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/pla...ely-1.html

That's Kelvin "Face" Blakely!

You remember him? He was a fantastic player. My mom was an EMU student at the time, I got to go to Bowen a lot! Hank Wiggins, Al Cicotte, Gary Green. I loved them all.

Yes, I do I remember Blakely. My first game at Bowen was when I was a freshman in 1977 and Hank Wiggins was point guard. I was hooked!

(02-28-2024 04:46 PM)EMU 83 Wrote:  

(02-28-2024 06:33 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 07:55 PM)EMU 83 Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 07:42 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 02:04 AM)emu79 Wrote:  Most of Scott's recruits like Lance Hill didn't make it past the first semester. I think his best recruit was Tim Bracey who was out of Grand Rapids.

When I was a little kid in Northville, my favorite player was this guy:

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/pla...ely-1.html

That's Kelvin "Face" Blakely!

You remember him? He was a fantastic player. My mom was an EMU student at the time, I got to go to Bowen a lot! Hank Wiggins, Al Cicotte, Gary Green. I loved them all.

Yes, I do I remember Blakely. My first game at Bowen was when I was a freshman in 1977 and Hank Wiggins was point guard. I was hooked!

My first game was the 1977-78 season too! My little league basketball team went to Bowen for the Toledo game. Stan Joplin was the PG for UT. I also remember going to the WMU game. Western had a guard named Herman Randle who was pretty good. The setup for Bowen seemed a little different back then, we sat in the balcony but we seemed pretty close to the court. Do you remember the court being set up closer to the balcony seating? Here is a photo of Bowen in 1979. You can see the hoop stanchion is set up right next to the balcony, so you had permanent seating at one end of the court. Cool times, the basketball atmosphere was incredible.

https://omeka.emich.edu/files/original/4...Dec006.jpg

(02-27-2024 09:41 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  Regarding the MAC basketball tournament, what happens if teams tie for the 8th spot and split their head to head game?

They go to winning percentage against the top ranked teams. For example, Akron is likely the top seed, they would look at the tied teams record against Akron. If TeamA went 1-1 against Akron, TeamB went 0-2 against Akron, then TeamA wins the tiebreaker.

But don’t get your hopes up. EMU is almost certainly not making the MAC tournament regardless of TyCuff’s injury. Now the fate is sealed.

(02-28-2024 05:42 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(02-28-2024 04:46 PM)EMU 83 Wrote:  

(02-28-2024 06:33 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 07:55 PM)EMU 83 Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 07:42 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  When I was a little kid in Northville, my favorite player was this guy:

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/pla...ely-1.html

That's Kelvin "Face" Blakely!

You remember him? He was a fantastic player. My mom was an EMU student at the time, I got to go to Bowen a lot! Hank Wiggins, Al Cicotte, Gary Green. I loved them all.

Yes, I do I remember Blakely. My first game at Bowen was when I was a freshman in 1977 and Hank Wiggins was point guard. I was hooked!

My first game was the 1977-78 season too! My little league basketball team went to Bowen for the Toledo game. Stan Joplin was the PG for UT. I also remember going to the WMU game. Western had a guard named Herman Randle who was pretty good. The setup for Bowen seemed a little different back then, we sat in the balcony but we seemed pretty close to the court. Do you remember the court being set up closer to the balcony seating? Here is a photo of Bowen in 1979. You can see the hoop stanchion is set up right next to the balcony, so you had permanent seating at one end of the court. Cool times, the basketball atmosphere was incredible.

https://omeka.emich.edu/files/original/4...Dec006.jpg

Love the history lesson, Guys!!

Dear RamyEMU,
You are correct. The only permanent seating when Bowen opened was the balcony, and the basketball court ran parallel to it. I don't know when the court was changed, so that the end of the court faced the balcony.

Money Musings..

Watching NFL Network. Caleb Williams got 12M in NIL money this year. Had a half dozen or more sponsors ponying up big bucks.

Made more at USC than he could have w. the NFL.

(02-29-2024 10:03 AM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear RamyEMU,
You are correct. The only permanent seating when Bowen opened was the balcony, and the basketball court ran parallel to it. I don't know when the court was changed, so that the end of the court faced the balcony.

We need to do a deep dive on the history of Bowen Fieldhouse for basketball. In the 80's, they moved the court facing the balcony back--now too far away to watch the game from the balcony. That was the set up when EMU played their final game at Bowen vs Toledo, one of the all time classic games, won by Earl Boykins on a last second shot. EMU basketball has never come close to matching the game day environment of Bowen.

(02-29-2024 01:21 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(02-29-2024 10:03 AM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear RamyEMU,
You are correct. The only permanent seating when Bowen opened was the balcony, and the basketball court ran parallel to it. I don't know when the court was changed, so that the end of the court faced the balcony.

We need to do a deep dive on the history of Bowen Fieldhouse for basketball. In the 80's, they moved the court facing the balcony back--now too far away to watch the game from the balcony. That was the set up when EMU played their final game at Bowen vs Toledo, one of the all time classic games, won by Earl Boykins on a last second shot. EMU basketball has never come close to matching the game day environment of Bowen.

Agree with Bob that the game atmosphere hasn’t come close to Bowen but will also add we’ve not had a talented team at the GGA that could come close to the teams that played at Bowen.

If you take a team that is not talented and put them at Bowen nobody is coming to watch the game.

Heath has blown two seasons of rebuild with too many Ls and nobody is coming to watch a crap show.


There are thousands of potential buying customers and quite frankly we have not tapped into the gold mine due to bad basketball. I have friends in the AA / Saline / Canton area always come to me and say “I remember when I went to Bowen to watch Grant Long, Thomas Twins, Neely, Kennedy, Tolbert, Boykin, Dial, Wilson etc

If we could get a back to back MAC contending EMU team the GGA would out rock Bowen IMHO

Watching the NFL Combine DLs.

Fmr. WMU DL, later Florida State, has good quicks in the 40 and some ability drills.

Curious where we 'll get drafted.

(02-29-2024 02:38 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  

(02-29-2024 01:21 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(02-29-2024 10:03 AM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear RamyEMU,
You are correct. The only permanent seating when Bowen opened was the balcony, and the basketball court ran parallel to it. I don't know when the court was changed, so that the end of the court faced the balcony.

We need to do a deep dive on the history of Bowen Fieldhouse for basketball. In the 80's, they moved the court facing the balcony back--now too far away to watch the game from the balcony. That was the set up when EMU played their final game at Bowen vs Toledo, one of the all time classic games, won by Earl Boykins on a last second shot. EMU basketball has never come close to matching the game day environment of Bowen.

Agree with Bob that the game atmosphere hasn’t come close to Bowen but will also add we’ve not had a talented team at the GGA that could come close to the teams that played at Bowen.

If you take a team that is not talented and put them at Bowen nobody is coming to watch the game.

Heath has blown two seasons of rebuild with too many Ls and nobody is coming to watch a crap show.


There are thousands of potential buying customers and quite frankly we have not tapped into the gold mine due to bad basketball. I have friends in the AA / Saline / Canton area always come to me and say “I remember when I went to Bowen to watch Grant Long, Thomas Twins, Neely, Kennedy, Tolbert, Boykin, Dial, Wilson etc

If we could get a back to back MAC contending EMU team the GGA would out rock Bowen IMHO

I went to The GGA when Emoni's Lincoln Rail Splitters played Ann Arbor Huron High. It was a really tight game and could have been a preview of the state championship until COVID cancelled the season. The place was rocking! I got a glimpse of what could be. I loved Bowen but it's really not fair to compare. 2000 people at Bowen was loud. When there is 2000 in the bigger GGA I can hear the coach talking in the huddle from the 15th row.