Wichita State Set for Shocker Madness

[WstateU]

It's time for an 'official' Shocker Madness thread. Come one, come all! :good:

http://www.goshockers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7500&ATCLID=209280242

[Shocker-maniac]

I will definitely be there. There is so much to look forward to for this event. I would think that it would be a packed house. This team is getting a lot of hype and in many preseason pubs we are a Top 25, if not a Top 15, team.

ESPNU will begin its telecast at 9 p.m., with introductions of the men’s basketball team and the 2013 Final Four ring presentation. The team will then participate in a dunk contest before a 20-minute scrimmage. Head coach Gregg Marshall will then speak to the fans in attendance to conclude the event.

[ShockerFever]

I really wish they'd do a little bit more promoting of the event outside of the goshockers.com branch. The Thunder hockey people are already clogging up the airwaves with their opening night ads for.. Friday, October 18th. Now, it shouldn't make too much of a difference, but I'm sure there are plenty of Thunder fans who are also Shocker fans. I'd hate to see a dent in potential attendance with another competing event going on. Normally, hockey doesn't draw too well, except for opening weekend.

Come on WSU. Let's get this thing packed for ESPN.

[Shox21]

Late Night at the Phog is ALWAYS packed and they have to turn people away. This is primarily because the STUDENTS come. Unfortunately, the students at WSU are there more for an education than they are for a sporting event. It would be fantastic if the students that do come to this each bring two others that don't usually attend. That might fill up a fourth of the arena and us "gray hairs" might fill up another fourth. If the corporate holders of season tickets would promote this at their places of business -- well, we just might have close to a full house. Actually, if all season ticket holders come that might go a long way to filling up the place. I don't think I've ever seen more than about 5,000 there, maybe close to 6,000, and I've been coming for a dozen years. KU got their last recruit to commit on "Late Night" and cancel his expected trip to Kentucky because he loved the atmosphere in the Phog that night. I don't know if our rather poor attendance at Shocker Madness has ever cost us a recruit, but I would have a hard time believing it actually got a recruit to commit.

[shockmonster]

Late Night at the Phog is ALWAYS packed and they have to turn people away. This is primarily because the STUDENTS come. Unfortunately, the students at WSU are there more for an education than they are for a sporting event. It would be fantastic if the students that do come to this each bring two others that don't usually attend. That might fill up a fourth of the arena and us "gray hairs" might fill up another fourth. If the corporate holders of season tickets would promote this at their places of business -- well, we just might have close to a full house. Actually, if all season ticket holders come that might go a long way to filling up the place. I don't think I've ever seen more than about 5,000 there, maybe close to 6,000, and I've been coming for a dozen years. KU got their last recruit to commit on "Late Night" and cancel his expected trip to Kentucky because he loved the atmosphere in the Phog that night. I don't know if our rather poor attendance at Shocker Madness has ever cost us a recruit, but I would have a hard time believing it actually got a recruit to commit.

It sounds like job for our group of students to do a promotion. What did they call a part of the arena? Marshalltown maybe?

[RoyalShock]

I just realized my son's middle school band is performing at the high school football game on the 18th. No can make it to the madness. :(

[1972Shocker]

I'm expecting about 5,000. As far as recruiting I recall reading somewhere that Kentucky spends 75% of their recruiting budget on their Big Show.

Coach Marshall obviously determines how much of his budget he wants to devote to Shocker Madness. If he doesn't feel the benefits are worth the cost of putting on a big production then I can live with that. Coach Marshall has to allocate his budget much more judiciously then the UK's and KU's of the world in order to maximize he returns. I have to say his investment decisions to this point have yielded very nice returns.

[SubGod22]

I'm expecting about 5,000. As far as recruiting I recall reading somewhere that Kentucky spends 75% of their recruiting budget on their Big Show.

Coach Marshall obviously determines how much of his budget he wants to devote to Shocker Madness. If he doesn't feel the benefits are worth the cost of putting on a big production then I can live with that. Coach Marshall has to allocate his budget much more judiciously then the UK's and KU's of the world in order to maximize he returns. I have to say his investment decisions to this point have yielded very nice returns.

I think all that's being said is if they're not going to make a bit of a production out of it, they're not going to draw in fans in large numbers and it doesn't become the recruiting tool that it is a number of other places. As it is, I cringe a little when I hear we have a visitor at Shocker Madness. Production value is zero and the atmosphere is fairly weak. Not a lot to excite a young recruit about this place.

[1972Shocker]

I think all that's being said is if they're not going to make a bit of a production out of it, they're not going to draw in fans in large numbers and it doesn't become the recruiting tool that it is a number of other places. As it is, I cringe a little when I hear we have a visitor at Shocker Madness. Production value is zero and the atmosphere is fairly weak. Not a lot to excite a young recruit about this place.

And all I am saying is that is Coach Marshall's decision as part of his allocation of finite resources. I certainly can't argue with recent returns on how he is investing his resources.

[SubGod22]

Then he shouldn't bring recruits to this thing. Even if Lee makes the visit, this isn't going to impress him one bit.

[1972Shocker]

I do think we would do a little better attendance wise if we would hold Shocker Madness on a Saturday evening. And if there was a volleyball match we could probably move that up to 3:00 or 4:00 pm and then set an exact schedule for starting Shocker Madness that would finish up by 9:00 pm.

Also, no high school football to compete with.

[RoyalShock]

ESPN

[Cdizzle]

Then he shouldn't bring recruits to this thing. Even if Lee makes the visit, this isn't going to impress him one bit.

Watching your potential future teammates get their own Final Four rings in front of ESPN cameras seems like it would be impressive, regardless of attendance.

[1972Shocker]

Then he shouldn't bring recruits to this thing. Even if Lee makes the visit, this isn't going to impress him one bit.

First of all if a recruit says to Coach Marshall this is when I can come I don't think Coach Marshall is going to say no we can't have you in that day because of Shocker Madness. You either need to re-schedule or just forget it.

Would that player be more impressed if he was in town this weekend and got to see 50 fans at the Open Clinic? I doubt it.

How does Shocker Madness compare to what the other schools who are recruiting this particular player do with their madness-type function? How many players have we had in on Shocker Madness night that are also being recruited by KU or UK and their ilk?

Clearly I have more faith that Coach Marshall knows what he is doing than you do, but that is just a difference of opinion we will have to live with.

[1972Shocker]

ESPN

Will that be blacked out in the Wichita area? If not, could that negatively impact attendance?