Good Morning basketball fans, even those who cheer for good ole FDU! Honestly fair weather fans are the worst kind. Anyone and everyone supports a winner. But when you see people still coming out in the thousands to see a losing team play anyone who does not have a player with the last name James, Jordan, Bryant, Jabbar/Alcinder, etc. you know that program has support. Unfortunately even when FDU won games the support was almost non existant. I even remember them going to the NCAA's and returning home for a huge celebration that attracted 100 plus people including yours truly. Support? At some places almost non existent.
This brings me to my point of program support. Coaches do need to be visible and part of a community to assist in efforts to get a community involved in a program. This has successfully been done for years in the Junior College ranks in places like Kansas, Texas, and Florida. Of course in many of the towns in those sleepy areas there is not much else to do except attend a game with great players who are a year or two away from the big stage. However, the marketing and promotions put into getting people out to games, including many who travel from as far away as 50 miles, is something that needs to be duplicated. But not by the coach as much as the entire athletic departrment including the sports marketing and sports information departments. Do not have one? Than maybe you should not be a D1 school! Have an ineffective one? You people know the answer to that !
I remember an ex coach at FDU named Tiny Green left to work at an A10 school. When things did not work out he returned to FDU and ran the basketball promotions during games. FDU was actually exciting and enjoyable and alot of this was a result of Tiny Greens efforts. Kids came out and people really enjoyed the FDU experience. This guy did a GREAT JOB! Than he was re-hired as a coach and the halftime activities and other stuff unfortunately stopped. Well, as you can see I think College Basketball should be an athletic experience and not just a game. It takes a team of people working together to get fans out to watch basketball games. And that goes from Junior Colleges to D2 and D3 programs like Gannon College where they have had great crowds for many years.
Area Basketball
Great but expected win last night for The Pirates of Seton Hall University. I said expected because I want to really emphasize the work "expected." It sure is a great feeling for SHU fans and supporters to be able to expect success. Years ago every game was a challenge and even if SHU was playing FDU, you could not predict the outcome.
Seton Hall is now in the top 20 nationally and the future seems very bright based on patient and selective recruiting that has yielded positive results including "The Crime Stopper." I wonder if the Newark Police Department helped in his recruitment (smile). Seton Hall is relevant again and kids are including them on final lists. I predict very good players transferring from other schools will call Seton Hall as well to join up with a program that is on the verge of being like the "PJ" teams of the past.
Attendance wise they are doing just fine and hopefully in the near future they will need to renovate that curtain to make it a tad bit shorter. Looking forward to attending a game but first I need to get a pair of good sunglasses because the future and potential of SHU in the Prudential Center is awfully bright.
Rutgers plays at Pitt tonight and what a place to play. Pitt is a hard out at home, although Danny Hurley and Wagner went in and came out with a huge win a few weeks back. Rutgers has a chance because although the team is young, they are talented. Unfortunately with youth, comes inconsistency. So be patient Rutgers fans. I know I will !!! Win or lose this team has a bright enough future for me to also wear sunglasses while watching them.
Notre Dame is quietly 11-6 and gaining momentum in the BE
Harvard is the team in the Ivy League? Are you kidding me? What ever happened top Penn (7-9) and Princeton? Say what? Harvard is not really part of the Ivy League anymore because recruitment wise they are similar to certain SEC and SWC Universities (smile). Oh Ok they just stepped up their recruitment efforts and found the best players in the world with outstanding grades and SAT scores to attend Harvard as opposed to accepting an athletic scholarship somewhere else. Well education is the key to your future and a Harvard education will open doors,,,,,,,
Providence is really well coached it seems. Soon the Duncan Donuts Arena will be a hard place to play for many teams. Providence spanked Louisville 90 to 59 last night. Do you actually think Louisville is not still there practicing since midnight? I wonder if the teams and players get free coffee and donuts when they play there?
Think Louisville gets free Kentucky Fried Chicken? I wonder if South Florida gets Papa Johns Pizza?
Does Memphis players can get to ride home on a Federal Express plane landing near where they live? How about Arkansas players? Think they get a huge discount at Walmart? Just wondering.....
Baylor is now 16 - 0 Wow, what a great job they have done getting kids to spend the winters in Waco Texas. Coaching must be outstanding because they beat out a number of great programs for some of the kids they have. Similar to Jim Valvano at Iona years ago when he out recruited Joe B hall and Kentucky for Jeff Ruland, even though Joe B arrived in a private jet for the home visit.
This Just In!!!!!! Important Notice!!!! Towson University has requested inclusion in that tournament with FDU, Binghamton, St. Peters, and NJIT. They claim they are worthy. After seeing they are now 0 and 13, I say yes. In fact it looks like NJIT would get the first round bye. Stay tuned!
HS
Season getting deep! Read a Mom on NJ.Com HS Forum politely and intelligently tell a person off for starting a rumor about her son transferring from St. Anthony's in this his senior year.
Read on the same forum a parent rightfully tell all AAU and HS coaches who were reading that they need to stop claiming the kids as their own. You people know the saying because I have said the same thing many times on here. It makes me cringe when I hear non family members say things such as "He Is One Of Mine" or "That's My Kid." And please note sometimes it is not the actual statement as much as it is the tone and spirit in which it is said. We all know that coaches mean they look out for kids and care about kids, but to me when you say it bragging you do so to take credit. Do you claim the last kid on the bench with zero skills at this time? How about if a kid gets into trouble? Do you say "I have To go Help One OF My Kids Get Out Of Jail?" Those are the kids of their Parents! And unless you are the legal guardian, you have no right claiming a person you had no role in bringing into this world. How about just saying "He Is One Of My Players."
On another note I also cringe when I hear a family member say "We Are Transferring" or "We Need To be Where We Are Comfortable." How about this one which I heard at the New Years Jump off: "We are changing up and playing for." Who the heck is "We?"
Also saw someone ask a certain very good to great players Dad why he comments so much on the NJ.Com HS BBall Forum. I thought though the person asking meant no harm, it was a silly question. The parent answers because it is his Son and he, the parent, knows and loves the game of basketball. Why can't he correspond and enjoy his sons success? Why can't he correct things that are false? Lastly he is a Father first and a basketball coach and fan second. Thus we as parents tend to go into protective mode about our children. And lastly when a parent understands basketball, coaches basketball, and played basketball, he or she will be much more involved than the non athletic parent or the parent who did not even know what a basketball was until their son started playing.
Folks are not giving Gil St. Bernard's much credit as one of New Jersey's best HS teams. After all they beat a great program from California. But until that in state game against Plainfield, they will always have doubters. In fact though I love the coaching, the guard play, and even the inside presence, I wonder just how good they really are? I will be at that Plainfield game when it takes place.
St. Patricks has lost a few games that they could have won so far this season. Much has to do with youth and inexperience including the coach who has been around the NJ HS scene for many years but still getting his feet wet as proved by Plainfield running the old Harlem Globetrotter and Washington General off the back play to beat St. Patricks. This will never happen again I am sure. How could you not face the ball with seconds left to allow this? Unacceptable and something that will be corrected I am sure. I really think at the end os the season St. Patrick's will be the most improved team in the state of NJ along with Hudson Catholic. The St. Patrick's job is a hard one with lots of pressure. Watch out for these guys at the end of the season and really watch out for St. Patricks next year!!!
Thats it for now so please have a wonderful evening of hoops.
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