Home Games

[bk18]

I can't believe we're going to be playing Duke, but I think if we could get some high quality home games for the Chaif, it would be really huge for the program. Its an opportunity to change the culture of Billiken basketball for students and fans. All we need is one season that gets students fired up enough to get tickets to sky-rocket. If we filled the student section for every game through increased season ticket sales and game day sales, we could change a lot of student's view on going to the game. It was only a couple years ago when going to a game was something only dedicated fans did. Last year, we showed at a few games that going to a game is well worth it no matter how much you know about the team or basketball in general. Xavier game was insane. Those kinds of outings are what are going to convince students to invest in season tickets.

[Taj79]

No offense bk but where have you been? Nobody is coming to Chaifetz. We have long discussed how nobody comes to Dayton. Or to Butler. Or to Xavier. Sure, they'll come to Riverfront or meet you in Indianapolis, but on campus? Forget it. You get one shot every five or so years (see Pitt @ Dayton 2008). Otherwise ain't going to happen. Duke wouldn't come here AND Duke wouldn't give us a home-and-home anywhere else for that matter. This scheduling thing will be the annual lament.

Besides, I have yet to see SLU students support unconditionally. The current crop, sans a few hearty souls and you know who you are, look like bandwagoneers to say the least. Free food? They are there. Free t-shirts? Ditto again. Camping out overnigth for tickets to see East Bumfuque U.?

[bonwich]

Camping out overnigth for tickets to see East Bumfuque U.?

We're already playing them.

[brianstl]

No offense bk but where have you been? Nobody is coming to Chaifetz. We have long discussed how nobody comes to Dayton. Or to Butler. Or to Xavier. Sure, they'll come to Riverfront or meet you in Indianapolis, but on campus? Forget it. You get one shot every five or so years (see Pitt @ Dayton 2008). Otherwise ain't going to happen. Duke wouldn't come here AND Duke wouldn't give us a home-and-home anywhere else for that matter. This scheduling thing will be the annual lament.

Besides, I have yet to see SLU students support unconditionally. The current crop, sans a few hearty souls and you know who you are, look like bandwagoneers to say the least. Free food? They are there. Free t-shirts? Ditto again. Camping out overnigth for tickets to see East Bumfuque U.?

Butler has had some really good programs play at Hinkle over the last four years. They have had Notre Dame, Indiana, Purdue, Xavier, and Ohio State twice at Hinkle.

[ARon]

Butler has had some really good programs play at Hinkle over the last four years. They have had Notre Dame, Indiana, Purdue, Xavier, and Ohio State twice at Hinkle.

That's what happens when you've been winning CONSISTENTLY, FOR A SEVERAL YEARS.

We aren't there yet. But if the kids keep winning and making the dance consistently, it will come.

[bk18]

That's what happens when you've been winning CONSISTENTLY, FOR A SEVERAL YEARS.

We aren't there yet. But if the kids keep winning and making the dance consistently, it will come.

It's true teams don't want to play you when your RPI is 90. But top 50 teams don't want to play top 20 teams every single game. They like to spot their schedule with some easier games. And its not like good teams only play at home 100% of the time. I don't think its impractical to have a handful (3 or 4) non-conference home games against top 50 teams. Moreover, I think since most people would say that we will be a good top 50 program, but we will definitely not be at our best in the non-conference portion of the schedule. We will likely be a team to improve quite a bit throughout the season and move up in the RPI rankings. This is an attractive opportunity for a lot of teams. Hypothetically speaking, they can play a team with an RPI of 35 (as calculated at the end of the season) at a time when they are ranked like 60. SLU is a bullish investment.

[kshoe]

It's true teams don't want to play you when your RPI is 90. But top 50 teams don't want to play top 20 teams every single game. They like to spot their schedule with some easier games. And its not like good teams only play at home 100% of the time. I don't think its impractical to have a handful (3 or 4) non-conference home games against top 50 teams. Moreover, I think since most people would say that we will be a good top 50 program, but we will definitely not be at our best in the non-conference portion of the schedule. We will likely be a team to improve quite a bit throughout the season and move up in the RPI rankings. This is an attractive opportunity for a lot of teams. Hypothetically speaking, they can play a team with an RPI of 35 (as calculated at the end of the season) at a time when they are ranked like 60. SLU is a bullish investment.

All teams think they are going to get better as the year progresses. With a team with all the key players coming back, nobody hopefully injured or ineligible to start the season, I don't see why we would be expected to improve more than the average team.

[brianstl]

That's what happens when you've been winning CONSISTENTLY, FOR A SEVERAL YEARS.

We aren't there yet. But if the kids keep winning and making the dance consistently, it will come.

The point I was trying to make is we shouldn't write off any good programs ever coming to Chaifetz like Taj was. We build the program and just as importantly build relationships with coaches, AD's, and university presidents across the country................ we can get some quality programs to come in here.

[Taj79]

I'm just talking reality here. Folks are not going to be too keen to come in and play Majerus at home. Its a given how he plays, how he recruits, his teams are always over .500 and he wins. As much as I hate to say this, we are as Dayton is --- go back and look at their non-con over the last few years. Outside of Pitt at home and semi-annual tussles with Miami, they had to go to Cincinnati to play Kentucky, they had to go to Conseco to play Purdue, they had to go to Riverfront to play Cincinnati. The rest is scuffling as we will have to scuffle.

And I for one will never count games at Savvis or the Dome as home games. Come into our place and play.

As for Butler and Indiana, Notre Dame, and Purdue --- instate schools are instate schools. While not of the same caliber, we have Missouri State and SIU. Granted, they are not the same level as the Indiana schools but you know what I mean. Same with neighboring Ohio State. I guarantee you the big schools are rolling the dice mostly with Butler --- sure they made the final last year but all things peak at the same time for them. In the grand scheme of things, I doubt th eBig Ten schools fears little Butler year ina and year out.

As long as there are true bottom feeders in the A10 --- like Fordham, La Salle, St. Bonaventure, and so one --- SOS in conference is not going to go up eight years out of ten. And with the big boys MOSTLY staying away, the conundrum exists.

[brianstl]

I'm just talking reality here. Folks are not going to be too keen to come in and play Majerus at home. Its a given how he plays, how he recruits, his teams are always over .500 and he wins. As much as I hate to say this, we are as Dayton is --- go back and look at their non-con over the last few years. Outside of Pitt at home and semi-annual tussles with Miami, they had to go to Cincinnati to play Kentucky, they had to go to Conseco to play Purdue, they had to go to Riverfront to play Cincinnati. The rest is scuffling as we will have to scuffle.

And I for one will never count games at Savvis or the Dome as home games. Come into our place and play.

As for Butler and Indiana, Notre Dame, and Purdue --- instate schools are instate schools. While not of the same caliber, we have Missouri State and SIU. Granted, they are not the same level as the Indiana schools but you know what I mean. Same with neighboring Ohio State. I guarantee you the big schools are rolling the dice mostly with Butler --- sure they made the final last year but all things peak at the same time for them. In the grand scheme of things, I doubt th eBig Ten schools fears little Butler year ina and year out.

As long as there are true bottom feeders in the A10 --- like Fordham, La Salle, St. Bonaventure, and so one --- SOS in conference is not going to go up eight years out of ten. And with the big boys MOSTLY staying away, the conundrum exists.

Or we could end up like XU. Who has played the Illini, Arizona St., Kansas St., Tennessee, Auburn, and LSU over the past four years at Cintas. I believe that Wake forest has a return game at Cintas this year too.

[cheeseman]

It's true teams don't want to play you when your RPI is 90. But top 50 teams don't want to play top 20 teams every single game. They like to spot their schedule with some easier games. And its not like good teams only play at home 100% of the time. I don't think its impractical to have a handful (3 or 4) non-conference home games against top 50 teams. Moreover, I think since most people would say that we will be a good top 50 program, but we will definitely not be at our best in the non-conference portion of the schedule. We will likely be a team to improve quite a bit throughout the season and move up in the RPI rankings. This is an attractive opportunity for a lot of teams. Hypothetically speaking, they can play a team with an RPI of 35 (as calculated at the end of the season) at a time when they are ranked like 60. SLU is a bullish investment.

Review your math - if you have 3-4 top 50 games at home then you will need to have 3-4 top 50 games away so you get the return games the next year. No way we will play 6-8 top 50 teams every year.

[brianstl]

Add Jacksonville St. as a buy game according to Rickma on 590 a few minutes ago.

[Westy03]

Brian, is there anything else of interest in the interview? I know Rick is suppose to join Bernie M. sometime in the afternoon.

[thetorch]

Add Jacksonville St. as a buy game according to Rickma on 590 a few minutes ago.

I thought he meant Jacksonville? They have a much better program than Jacksonville St. St is an OVC team too, I doubt we play two teams from that conference. Jacksonville is on par with Belmont. Paired with Murray St that is a significant upgrade in our buy game schedule from last year.

[FromDaEastSide]

Or we could end up like XU. Who has played the Illini, Arizona St., Kansas St., Tennessee, Auburn, and LSU over the past four years at Cintas. I believe that Wake forest has a return game at Cintas this year too.

Brian, Illinois played X at US Bank Arena not at Cintas, I think they play a game a year at US Bank Arena.

[Pistol]

Brian, Illinois played X at US Bank Arena not at Cintas, I think they play a game a year at US Bank Arena.

Same with K-State. That was scheduled to be Huggins' return to Cincinnati, but he had already bolted for WVU by the time the game was played. They had already signed to play at US Bank Arena, but that game would have been much better at Cintas, which would have been full or close to it instead of half-empty downtown.

[slufanskip]

Or we could end up like XU. Who has played the Illini, Arizona St., Kansas St., Tennessee, Auburn, and LSU over the past four years at Cintas. I believe that Wake forest has a return game at Cintas this year too.

How have we compared with X as a team that a top BCS team would like to play on the road? Schools like X and Gonzaga have earned the reputation that a loss on the road at X isn't considered a bad loss by the selection committee or the polls.

Didn't someone also say in the other thread X played a one time away game at Duke in the last few years? It hasn't seemed to hurt them.