Thurs 12/12 BE Game Thread (1 Game)

[GreatDaneAttorney]

Crowd looks terrible... I thought DePaul got decent crowds

[ivet]

Crowd looks terrible... I thought DePaul got decent crowds

Not so much in December, the students are gone for the Winter Break until the start of the new year and it's currently 15 degrees in Chicago. Also, a lot of DePaul fans have been so disheartened the past (decade?) with the team that only the die-hard fans come out anymore. Not sure if you're aware too, they are currently playing in Rosemont at Allstate Arena. That place is a dump, it's near O'Hare out in the 'burbs. Folks are excited about the new Arena back in the city. Many Chicagoians hate it but citizens from Chicago always complain about something.

[GreatDaneAttorney]

Crowd looks terrible... I thought DePaul got decent crowds

Not so much in December, the students are gone for the Winter Break until the start of the new year and it's currently 15 degrees in Chicago. Also, a lot of DePaul fans have been so disheartened the past (decade?) with the team that only the die-hard fans come out anymore. Not sure if you're aware too, they are currently playing in Rosemont at Allstate Arena. That place is a dump, it's near O'Hare out in the 'burbs. Folks are excited about the new Arena back in the city. Many Chicagoians hate it but citizens from Chicago always complain about something.

I'm just surprised... I had known about the new arena plans, but I didn't realize they play out in Rosemont. I'm shocked students EVER make it out to the games right now.

[ivet]

DePaul was expected to win by 11 and won by 11

DePaul 81
FAU 70

[GumbyDamnit!]

Few things-
1- as PC has shown us- recruits can go up in smokes quickly.
2- All the schools you mentioned started recruiting those players before the split happened. Next years class will be the 1st one where the split has taken place and the full impact will be known.

Good ole Stever being a pessimist again, the majority of those recruits committed AFTER they knew the split was still happening and still committed. Not sure your argument holds up, maybe just maybe these kids want to play in an elite basketball conference in big cities where BASKETBALL is KING.

Next year will be the first year where it's the split the entire cycle. Your initial contact(which would have been pre-split)- means a lot. Next year will tell a much bigger story quite frankly. If we have a similar type year- great- even better than this year quite frankly....

Stever I think you may be missing the point as it relates to schools leaving the BE. It's not about single tournament games at MSG. Games at MSG alone do not tip the recruiting scales that much. It's about the families being able to see their kids play a handful of games close to home every year that helped some of these schools recruit. Teams could sell that their families could see them play at MSG for the BET as well as SJU, SHU, Rutgers, Nova, Gtwn. Every single conference foe in that DC to NYC corridor is gone for them from a conference standpoint. From 2007 to 2011 WVU brought in 7 recruits from the DC to NYC corridor. In the last 3 recruiting years while members of the Big12 they've brought in 1. Pitt brought in 17 kids (yes 17) from DC to NY since 2007. I guess it remains to be seen if they can keep it up but this first year in the ACC they brought in 4 kids--not one from DC, MD, Philly area, NJ, NY. I don't think that is a coincidence. Syracuse will probably survive because they are more of a national program, but I think Pitt will follow BC and WVU to basketball irrelevance in due time.

[GreatDaneAttorney]

Let's not forget the TV deal in all the recruiting talk. Yes, it's great to own the northeast, but I think the expansive coverage on FS1 is going to be a huge recruiting tool. What league has a better deal? What league has as many games on national TV? If it's important for mom to watch her son play, I don't know that any other league offers what the Big East does through FS1.

[stever20]

Well, already for UConn for instance- gets 2 games at MSG and then the game at Temple(neatly replacing Nova). Really, only one they're missing is DC area(wouldn't be shocked if they can't get Georgetown to play them for them to play the Terps some).. I think they may be in better shape than some like Pitt for instance.

As far as TV- I think a lot of what FS1 is giving us are the dog games this month, which frankly doesn't help much at all... We have almost as many games on CBSSN as the AAC does. The money isn't equal of course, but the AAC is going to be getting pretty good exposure.

[GreatDaneAttorney]

Big difference is distribution... Fox Sports 1 is available in standard cable/satellite tiers in nearly every home, often just above ESPN in the channel guide. CBS Sports Network is still a premium channel for many with pitiful ratings.

[Bill Marsh]

Big difference is distribution... Fox Sports 1 is available in standard cable/satellite tiers in nearly every home, often just above ESPN in the channel guide. CBS Sports Network is still a premium channel for many with pitiful ratings.

Fox Sports 1 was not available to m as part of my basic DirecTV package. I had to add an expanded sports package to get it.

[GumbyDamnit!]

Well, already for UConn for instance- gets 2 games at MSG and then the game at Temple(neatly replacing Nova). Really, only one they're missing is DC area(wouldn't be shocked if they can't get Georgetown to play them for them to play the Terps some).. I think they may be in better shape than some like Pitt for instance.

As far as TV- I think a lot of what FS1 is giving us are the dog games this month, which frankly doesn't help much at all... We have almost as many games on CBSSN as the AAC does. The money isn't equal of course, but the AAC is going to be getting pretty good exposure.

You may be right with UCONN. The more interesting thing to watch with them will be how Ollie keeps the program going at a high level now that their HOF coach has retired, and now that they have lost every rivalry that they've had for the past 30 years. Napier, for instance, is a Calhoun and a BE recruit. In 2-3 years if Ollie can keep the Huskies in the Top 20 consistently and make a run or two I will be VERY impressed.