Games of Interest (2015-16 Edition)

[Cdizzle]

I bet Baylor wins by about 15. My guess is 85-70

SPOILER ALERT!

Don't ruin an ending for people that are watching replay. It's one of the best ways to stretch value out of your cable package.

[SHOCKvalue]

Getting back to the Ozarks...

This point has been made before, including by me, but I repeat: all the talk about MoState is a warning about football and its financial impact.

If you play in a mid-major conference and aspire to have an elite basketball program that stays elite once it achieves that status, you MUST have a way to avoid being a stepping stone for coaches. That takes money. Gonzaga, for example, has done it by finding the right guy in Mark Few, a successful coach and recruiter who wants to be there enough that he's willing to take a below market salary for a coach of his stature there instead of chasing big $$ elsewhere. But his below market salary is still considerable, and not having football as a financial drain helps them cover it.

WSU is doing it a slightly different way: also by finding the right guy, one who isn't predisposed to jumping for the next job -- that's a prerequisite -- and then treating him and his program well enough (and paying him enough) that he's in elite territory in terms of perks and thus doesn't need to worry about getting a better deal even if comes looking for him. It also helps that he's proven to himself and everyone else that he can legitimately compete for a championship here. WSU's approach is more expensive than Gonzaga's, but it's again made more easily affordable by not having to devote resources to football.

The folks in Springfield, unfortunately, don't have the benefit of that kind of singular focus on basketball as opposed to football -- and it shows -- and now we hear the talk of their moving to the FBS level, which would raise costs even more. That's not a recipe for sustained success in basketball at even a mid-major level, much less having an elite program. And, in fairness, maybe an elite basketball program isn't what MoSt wants. But I have to believe they'd at least like to aim higher than at present.

From a financial standpoint, MSU is a pretty terrible comparable to WSU:

WSU AD Revenues:



MSU AD Revenues:

[Steeleshocker]

nm

[moshock]

I would submit that they are paying their head basketball, baseball, and football coaches around 3/4 of a million dollars while we are paying 3.5 million to our basketball, and baseball coaches.

Their city demands very little while our donors and city demand a lot.

All I'm saying is there are several multi billion dollar - privately held business' who could step up to the plate to help build a strong MBB program. The problem is the administration.

[MoValley John]

All I'm saying is there are several multi billion dollar - privately held business' who could step up to the plate to help build a strong MBB program. The problem is the administration.

I see a deeper issue. While you could try to squeeze Bass Pro, you could try to get more dead JQH money and you could try to get a little more money from Prime, you can't get any money from the everyday boosters. And the really big money likes to build landmarks with names on them, not pay coaches salaries. Getting these big fish to commit big money is difficult, but when there is no commitment from the little fish, the big fish just move on.

The real problem is that SWOMO is historically a teachers college with low paid alum, whom historically have never been big givers.

[Kung Wu]

Then that means Lusk is the worst coach in college basketball.

Well Chris Lowery is still technically a "coach", even though he's an assistant, but yeah.

[shockmonster]

No one knows Springfield better than Moshock. One benefit that we have is that we are Wichita State and Wichita is a part of our name. This brings our city and its businesses behind us.

[Stickboy46]

UNI down 27-12 with 7 minutes left in the first. UNI is not good away from home. They not only lose, they get blown out.

[WuDrWu]

Ben's comments at half were perfect. He said they did a good job of getting shots in the paint (they did) they just needed to convert to keep BYU out of transition (they didn't).

He thought they played good defense (again, they did) but that BYU is just really hard to guard (they are).


UNI played 8. That bench is short, short, short. Friedman, Koch and Carlson (really nice looking young player) share the post. Washpun, Bo, Morgan, Jesperson almost never come out.

Lohaus seems to have taken a step back this season. They have little room for fouls or injuries etc.

[Stickboy46]

Ben's comments at half were perfect. He said they did a good job of getting shots in the paint (they did) they just needed to convert to keep BYU out of transition (they didn't).

He thought they played good defense (again, they did) but that BYU is just really hard to guard (they are).


UNI played 8. That bench is short, short, short. Friedman, Koch and Carlson (really nice looking young player) share the post. Washpun, Bo, Morgan, Jesperson almost never come out.

Lohaus seems to have taken a step back this season. They have little room for fouls or injuries etc.

They unfortunately went from quality win for us to marginal win after that tournament.

[Dave Stalwart]

Kentucky beats Louisville by 2, 75-73. Humphries and Mulder barely appeared in the box score.

[SHOCKvalue]

They unfortunately went from quality win for us to marginal win after that tournament.

Was shocked to see their current kenpom ranking. IIRC they were sub-50 before this MTE, and now they're 83.

Considering UNI's flashes of greatness this season, coupled with their unresolved lows, means that UNI might be doing the Evansville-ing in the MVC this year.

[wufan]

Was shocked to see their current kenpom ranking. IIRC they were sub-50 before this MTE, and now they're 83.

Considering UNI's flashes of greatness this season, coupled with their unresolved lows, means that UNI might be doing the Evansville-ing in the MVC this year.

UNI, like WSU, has only shown thus far to be a home winner. We are both showing like P5 schools, but without the fringe benefits.

[Ta Town Shocker]

Dec 29 games
#17 SMU at Tulsa - 4pm ESPN2
Saint Louis at KSTATE - 7pm ESPN3
Jacksonville St at Alabama
# 1 Michigan State at Iowa - 8:00 BTN

[ShockerFever]

KU destroying a Big West foe at home by 2 at the half. I'm sure the officiating will be adjusted accordingly in the second half.