2023-2024 General Discussion

From a press release by the school/athletic department, St. John's averaged about 14,000 per game at the Garden this year, which included a sellout against UConn.

That would mean on average 5,500 to 6,000 empty seats and getting to about 70% capacity. Average attendance would be a little over 13,000 and about 65% capacity outside of the UConn game.

Probably electric when playing UConn or if there's another big brand/big following program in town, but otherwise in terms of CBB experience/atmosphere it has to feel like playing in a half-empty cavernous arena if playing there and 1/3rd of the seats are empty. Probably moreso when you've been at UK and Louisville before and selling out a 20,000 seat home arena.
 
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jdizzle said:
I said this on another thread and it didn't get much traction...

How about Mark Pope? Currently coaching at BYU, former Wildcat, Rhodes Scholar when at UK
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Good call. Was on a very good title team in 96. Remember them well. But he isn't the huge name so good luck with that fanbase. Maybe having gone there smooths it over

Hope so for his sake to let him have a shot ..
 
Actually starting to sound like Mark Pope is emerging as a target for the job.

I'm sure after running Cal out of town for losing to low seed teams is the first round, the ever rational UK basketball fans will rally around a guy who *checks notes* just lost to #11 seed Duquesne in the first round.
 
Good riddance! All the mouth-breathing, inbreeding, moonshine-swilling fools get their comeuppance as the creek done rose upon their beloved Big Blue. At least it’ll be Friday so they’ll have plenty of time to sit around on their rocking chair out on the porch with all the other appliances and consume enough bourbon until Ol’ Bertha looks just good enough to call it a night.
 
Chop Stix said:
If St. John's isn't delivering on the promises they made when he took the job, then that's a good reason to leave after just one season.

Otherwise, Pitino should've known very well what he was getting into when he took the job.

They've had no problem getting talent in the door over the past 10-15 years. Recruiting hasn't been an issue.

The on-campus arena sucks, but the truth is that St. John's hardly plays there. They play the worst of their non-conference buy games there and a couple Big East games against the teams that have zero draw in NYC (DePaul, Xavier, etc).

They played 8 regular season games at MSG, 2 at UBS Arena (NBA caliber arena 7 miles from campus), and another game at Barclays Center this past season. The Big East tournament will always be at MSG as well.

The atmosphere for St. John's games at MSG rivals any competitive Knicks game. The electricity is palpable.

If Pitino stays the course at St. John's I think they can be a consistent force.

If his end goal was to finish his career at a blue blood then this UK opening appears to be his best and maybe final shot at doing so.
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Pitino is 71 years old - 72 by the start of next bball season, his course is about to come to an end - coaching.
 
nwwarrior09 said:
From a press release by the school/athletic department, St. John's averaged about 14,000 per game at the Garden this year, which included a sellout against UConn.

That would mean on average 5,500 to 6,000 empty seats and getting to about 70% capacity. Average attendance would be a little over 13,000 and about 65% capacity outside of the UConn game.

Probably electric when playing UConn or if there's another big brand/big following program in town, but otherwise in terms of CBB experience/atmosphere it has to feel like playing in a half-empty cavernous arena if playing there and 1/3rd of the seats are empty. Probably moreso when you've been at UK and Louisville before and selling out a 20,000 seat home arena.
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You're making an awful lot of assumptions just based on numbers. I've been to a handful of those "14,000" games over the past 5 years. I've seen them play Villanova, Georgetown, Michigan, Seton Hall, and maybe one or two other teams. Some games were really good and other games were decisive losses for St. John's.

The atmosphere was generally top notch in every game because there was always a sizable away fan contingent that put extra pressure on the St. John's crowd to take control of the building. There was neutral court-postseason tournament energy even when St. John's had at least 80% of the crowd.

People don't go to the Garden just to sit on their hands and eat $15 hot dogs - especially for college games. Hopefully you get to experience the atmosphere for yourself some day.
 
I don't think seeing a "sizable away fan contingent" whenever playing UConn, Villanova, etc., in your own building is exactly a selling point. While I'm sure that experience has some unique characteristics, that does not happen at an actual big time job. That sounds like what you'd expect when Michigan or Ohio State is playing at Northwestern.
 
Omar said:
And it looks like Pope is the new hire. That’s pretty awful.
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Mark Pope was always a fan favorite when he played for UK. Hopefully, Big Blue Nation will rally around him and they will do well. I am not a UK fan but many would agree that when the blue blood programs do well, it is better for college basketball. His BYU team was fun to watch this year. They ran a solid offense and hit a lot of 3s.
 
jdizzle said:
Mark Pope was always a fan favorite when he played for UK. Hopefully, Big Blue Nation will rally around him and they will do well. I am not a UK fan but many would agree that when the blue blood programs do well, it is better for college basketball. His BYU team was fun to watch this year. They ran a solid offense and hit a lot of 3s.
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Billy Gillespie had a better track record before he took the UK job.
 
nwwarrior09 said:
I don't think seeing a "sizable away fan contingent" whenever playing UConn, Villanova, etc., in your own building is exactly a selling point. While I'm sure that experience has some unique characteristics, that does not happen at an actual big time job. That sounds like what you'd expect when Michigan or Ohio State is playing at Northwestern.
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I’d say that’s part of the deal when you play in the heart of the nation’s largest city with alums from all over residing in the Tri-State area, plus it’s not a long road commute for the UConn, Seton Hall, Villanova, etc. fanbases.
 
Omar said:
Why?
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I am assuming your why has to do with his credibility. Kentucky fans are loyal to their own. That will give him credibility. Not that is translates to wins or anything, but the Pope was a Rhodes Scholar when he was a student-athlete at UK. I wish him the best at UK! (again, not a UK fan...)
 
jdizzle said:
But Billy wasn't a UK alum. The fact that Pope was a player will help his credibility. Ultimately, nothing matters unless he wins.
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UNC and Duke both took former players who were assistants and promoted them. Kentucky picked a former UK player who has head coaching experience

We will see if it works out, but it's not like all the blue bloods get a proven big time winner to come in. Hurley from UConn was the Rhode Island HC previously

But if it doesn't work out, Kenny Payne at Louisville would be a comparison
 
MentorGrad2002 said:
Or any of us. But winning at Utah Valley and BYU isn't exactly easy
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Why is winning at BYU tough? Before this year, they were in the West Coast Conference, where they only had to deal with Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s and a big pile of nothing — pretty much the equivalent of playing in the Big Ten conference for football the past several years.

And BYU did fine in the overrated Big 12 as an inaugural member.
 
AEW Champion said:
Why is winning at BYU tough? Before this year, they were in the West Coast Conference, where they only had to deal with Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s and a big pile of nothing — pretty much the equivalent of playing in the Big Ten conference for football the past several years.

And BYU did fine in the overrated Big 12 as an inaugural member.
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They have an honor code where you have to pledge abstinence and not smoking /drinking ...

Not the easiest to recruit to a Mormon school in Utah that isn't exactly the richest with history in basketball

And we are more talking about the NCAA tournament over just the regular season

Yes we know he big east is the only conference that matters to you. Where did you go to school again ?
 
I'm not sure how far down the list Pope was, but obviously he wasn't the top choice of the UK administration. The thing with Pope or really most of the other guys in the running is the vibe will now change at Kentucky. With Cal it really became a place for one and done's and guys who's top goal was going to the NBA, quickly. Will Pope keep that going or will it become more of a traditional sign and develop players, or get guys from the portal. This may actually help Kentucky be able to make longer tournament runs.
 
AEW Champion said:
Why is winning at BYU tough? Before this year, they were in the West Coast Conference, where they only had to deal with Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s and a big pile of nothing — pretty much the equivalent of playing in the Big Ten conference for football the past several years.

And BYU did fine in the overrated Big 12 as an inaugural member.
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BYU is the only D1 school, at least to my knowledge, that requires players to sign a contract stating they won’t have premarital sex, drink alcohol or smoke anything. I’d imagine that makes it pretty difficult to recruit. Of course kids are going to break that contract, but BYU admin will strong arm the AD and suspend players who break that contact if they find out.
 
jdizzle said:
I am assuming your why has to do with his credibility. Kentucky fans are loyal to their own. That will give him credibility. Not that is translates to wins or anything, but the Pope was a Rhodes Scholar when he was a student-athlete at UK. I wish him the best at UK! (again, not a UK fan...)
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Who cares if he was a former player? He’s in over his head. This will be worse than Woodson at IU.
 
Orin Swift said:
BYU is the only D1 school, at least to my knowledge, that requires players to sign a contract stating they won’t have premarital sex, drink alcohol or smoke anything. I’d imagine that makes it pretty difficult to recruit. Of course kids are going to break that contract, but BYU admin will strong arm the AD and suspend players who break that contact if they find out.
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They’ve also got a significantly older team than anyone else. However, another reason why this is a boneheaded hire, none of those BYU kids are transferring to UK.
 
The 2nd or 3rd best player on the Jimmer led team that made the Sweet 16 was suspended late in the year for having premarital sex. I believe they ended his season (6-8 game suspension) before letting him return the next year.
 
I don't think getting players will be too difficult once people get past the shock of "how did he get this job?"

BYU has been running a very aesthetically pleasing offense that ranked very high in efficiency where the players jacked up a ton of 3s.
 
Cedar_Point said:
Oh really? People that aren’t coaches don’t have any wins? Wow, those Mentor and FAU degrees must be really tough to attain
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Well judging by your stupidity, the Ohio state one wasn't exactly complicated ...

You said March Madness wins. He has zero. Same as us... Comment was clearly in jest

Plenty have agreed with my assessment for the same reasons on it not being easy to win at BYU

You have some grudge against me so you are trying to come after me. Just move on with your little act.
 
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