DanMcQ
Moderator
Posts: 30,604
|
Post by DanMcQ on Mar 27, 2011 15:05:24 GMT -5
|
|
richfame
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,266
|
Post by richfame on Mar 27, 2011 15:13:17 GMT -5
Dan if you want some CREDIT, win the game. If the Hoyas won the game they would get all the credit in the world. The reality is that Uconn is better, actually better three times this year. To the victor goes the spoils...
|
|
DanMcQ
Moderator
Posts: 30,604
|
Post by DanMcQ on Mar 27, 2011 15:26:53 GMT -5
rich: of course you're right, but right now you sound like the schoolteacher in those old Peanuts specials to me...
;D
|
|
richfame
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,266
|
Post by richfame on Mar 27, 2011 15:34:49 GMT -5
Im actually envious of the hoya women. The play with so much heart and desire. Every hoya fan should hold there heads up high. I just dont know why the men dont show that aggression. The women, press and are in your face all 40 minutes. They will be a team to be recon with next year.
|
|
DanMcQ
Moderator
Posts: 30,604
|
Post by DanMcQ on Mar 27, 2011 18:17:49 GMT -5
|
|
lichoya68
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
OK YOUNGINS ARE HERE AND ARE VERY VERY GOOD cant wait GO HOYAS
Posts: 17,440
|
Post by lichoya68 on Mar 27, 2011 18:34:16 GMT -5
|
|
DanMcQ
Moderator
Posts: 30,604
|
Post by DanMcQ on Mar 27, 2011 19:22:07 GMT -5
|
|
skyhoya
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 2,496
|
Post by skyhoya on Mar 27, 2011 20:05:37 GMT -5
perhaps coach flo can give III some pointers. There was a little sugar in the sweet 16 for the HOYAS.
|
|
theexorcist
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,506
|
Post by theexorcist on Mar 27, 2011 20:21:22 GMT -5
This got mentioned in the Tracee Hamilton article, but McNutt was been a rock for the team and I'll be sorry to see her go. She hit one of the last, if not the last three-pointers during the game and fought hard. She especially didn't hurt team chemistry when Sugar essentially became the team star - just worked to help her out.
We've already talked about Austin, Julian, Chris, and Ryan. Monica is graduating, too, and is also on track to be a great representative for GU, no matter what she does.
|
|
lichoya68
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
OK YOUNGINS ARE HERE AND ARE VERY VERY GOOD cant wait GO HOYAS
Posts: 17,440
|
Post by lichoya68 on Mar 27, 2011 20:25:42 GMT -5
very true about monica and very nice and well spoken adn capable person who will do well.. she did a very funny and great interview for fox news at mcdonough with coach and her teamates SHES GOT A GREAT FUTURE WISH her well go hoyas
|
|
FLHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Proud Member of Generation Burton
Posts: 4,544
|
Post by FLHoya on Mar 27, 2011 21:35:19 GMT -5
If Georgetown wants to be a national program in women's BB, they need to build for it--maybe the program needs to put down the deposit and get a game at Verizon, for instance (GU-UConn men's/women's doubleheader, anyone?), promote games beyond the confines of the Leavey Center, or actually sell season tickets and not just walk-ups that mistake the McD concession window for the ticket window. Secondarily, they need to significantly increase fundraising. Women's basketball lags behind every sport at GU, including other women's sports, and has never connected with its alumnae base. With track struggling to maintain its national presence and men's lacrosse in a ongoing decline over the last few years (good thing RDF is not a lacrosse fan or his head would have exploded in recent years), is women's basketball the next "national" sport to contend at Georgetown? The two sports at Georgetown that have had breakout seasons this year are women's basketball and women's soccer. A lot of similarities between the two seasons in my mind: --Both got program-defining wins over Top 5 opponents: basketball over Tennessee, soccer over Maryland in the NCAAs. --Basketball made third NCAAs ever, soccer made second NCAAs ever. Of course we know basketball made the Sweet Sixteen, but women's soccer made the Elite Eight. --For that matter, both teams played their first two NCAA games in College Park and beat Maryland in the second round. --Both teams recruited the superstar player that you need to break through to the next level. Sugar Rodgers will probably be the Big East pre-season POY next season, and Ingrid Wells started on the Natl Team that won the U-20 World Cup last year. --Both teams are returning a bunch of players next season: Monica McNutt is the only basketball player graduating, and the soccer team returns 8 of the 11 players who started the most games. They're going to be really good, probably pre-season Top 20 type teams if not more. --Aaaaaaaaaaaaand neither team's attendance is any good. So that gets to DFW's question: is this when the Athletic Department and fans begin to realize that we've got something going here? I've always been of the opinion that basketball, the flagship sport at GU, isn't the test of how good we are as (McD) promoters and (fans) supporters of the Hoyas. Basketball almost sells itself in a way. It's the other, less "sexy" sports where you really see the quality of the promotions and the fans. (Though maybe quantity--you really see the advantage in state school's like Maryland not in when they can get 80,000 for football (actually, Maryland's football attendance is terrible, so they're not the best example), but rather when Maryland routinely gets a few thousand per game for men's soccer.) But anyways, here's the test: two women's sports teams, one in the fall, one in the winter, who will almost certainly be very good next season and have a shot at deep postseason runs. How does GU go about promoting them and getting fans into the seats? And do we as fans respond? Built in difficulties of course--soccer plays a lot of weekday 3pm games. Women's basketball is a pain in the butt to attend on a weeknight at 7pm, trying to drive into DC, pay to park in a garage, and non-Big East women's bball games are often...well, they can be brutal. That being said, we need to do better in both sports--and that's alums and students alike. ALSO always thought the fall sports--your football and futbol--were like Hoya Blue training camp for the basketball season. If you do a good job promoting/attending those, basketball season will probably go well too. Can't honestly say in my "older" years having attended many games in both sports this season that Hoya Blue was that good at either one. The good news with the women's program--a lot of people noticed over the past two weeks. The size and sound of the GU crowds in College Park and especially today in Philly reflected really well on Hoya fans and the Athletic Department. In a strange way, that we played UConn was probably the best thing that could've happened, because it got that much more attention and it played well into our team's David vs. Goliath complex that made for a good story. As much as it's kind of a pain, as someone else pointed out before, to always have people using the women's team as a crutch to beat up the men's team's perceived lack of effort.......at least people are noticing the women's team. There are far worse talking points to have about your women's basketball team than: "they play really hard for 40 minutes, our players are badasses and I enjoy watching them." After all, we aren't that far removed from RDF's epic rant about women's basketball "teaching moments" from the time when a game ran long and pre-empted a men's game he wanted to watch. ;D The financial thing is tough. I vaguely remember an article this year or last in which Dave Nolan (the women's soccer coach) noted that the uptick in financial support--unsure if donations or more AD allocations--was making it possible for his team to offer more scholarships and that essentially this was the reason we were able to get a player like Ingrid Wells. IDK how women's basketball works, so not sure specifically what the biggest boost would be with more money for Coach Flo. I'd have to think that come fall, supporting the Practice Facility will pay dividends for both men's and women's basketball.
|
|
prhoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 23,358
|
Post by prhoya on Mar 27, 2011 22:40:48 GMT -5
Congrats to the women for an awesome season!!!!!! The men's team (AND JT3) can learn from their style of play.
|
|
CAHoya07
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,598
|
Post by CAHoya07 on Mar 28, 2011 1:44:11 GMT -5
Good post, FL. Would definitely like to see some more support around these two great women's teams, coming off of landmark postseason runs. It takes time, effort, and patience to build it, but if we can really build some infrastructure, I think these programs can be very good for years to come, and as you said, that is a good reflection of our overall athletic department.
(Sorry I can't provide more help from the West Coast these days, but I'll do what I can.)
I think we are already starting to build some support with women's basketball. I long ago stated that 1,000 would be a great goal to have for average attendance. Well, we finally broke that this year, with a lot of help from the sold out UConn game. In fact, look at the attendance growth for women's games from the past few years:
2005-06: 518 2006-07: 570 2007-08: 649 2008-09: 656 (WNIT) 2009-10: 852 (NCAA Second Round) 2010-11: 1,063 (NCAA Sweet 16)
Can we do better? Yes. Have we made some strides? I would also say yes. Although the bar we set was very low, we've more than doubled our women's basketball attendance in the past five years.
But we need to keep growing. I'm not sure what to do about the women's team's lack of fundraising: maybe that's something that Coach Flournoy can help spearhead. But there is a tremendous opportunity here, and while we've seen some progress, I believe we've only started to scratch the surface.
I look forward to the day when the capacity at McDonough is deemed too small for women's basketball as well.
P.S. I don't think you can say with any certainty that men's basketball will sell itself next year. We need to avoid a fan support slide for a season that will probably have the lowest expectations in the past five years. I'll probably make a post about this sometime in the off-season.
P.P.S. The women actually had a better regular season last year than this year: 15-3 in Big East vs. 9-7. Just goes to show how magnified the NCAA Tournament is, even on the women's side.
|
|
theexorcist
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,506
|
Post by theexorcist on Mar 28, 2011 6:07:32 GMT -5
I think that the women's Big East record had less to do with anything except the fact that the Big East was just sick this year.
On increasing attendance - PLEASE don't play a doubleheader at Verizon. The UConn game yesterday was for a berth in the Elite 8 - and they couldn't sell out the Liacouras Center, which has a capacity of around 10,000 (most of the upper bowl was empty). Even if you promoted the heck out of it and gave out free tickets to every single girl's basketball program in a hundred miles, you STILL wouldn't come close to selling it out. And any of the other options - GW or Bender - would kill a home court advantage.
The men's team played in McDonough until things like the Mizzou game killed it. We need more Mizzou atmospheres for the women's team.
|
|
FLHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Proud Member of Generation Burton
Posts: 4,544
|
Post by FLHoya on Mar 28, 2011 6:25:08 GMT -5
P.S. I don't think you can say with any certainty that men's basketball will sell itself next year. We need to avoid a fan support slide for a season that will probably have the lowest expectations in the past five years. I'll probably make a post about this sometime in the off-season. That's actually why I underlined the word almost in my post. I've also been around for a few years when men's basketball clearly wasn't selling itself, so I know it's possible. I have discussed with others an unpleasant but intriguing scenario for 2011-12: what if the women's team is really good--like Top 15 all season kind of good--and the men's team is sputtering through a tough rebuilding year? Do GU fans then latch onto the women's team once in a while?
|
|
theexorcist
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,506
|
Post by theexorcist on Mar 28, 2011 6:50:11 GMT -5
P.S. I don't think you can say with any certainty that men's basketball will sell itself next year. We need to avoid a fan support slide for a season that will probably have the lowest expectations in the past five years. I'll probably make a post about this sometime in the off-season. That's actually why I underlined the word almost in my post. I've also been around for a few years when men's basketball clearly wasn't selling itself, so I know it's possible. I have discussed with others an unpleasant but intriguing scenario for 2011-12: what if the women's team is really good--like Top 15 all season kind of good--and the men's team is sputtering through a tough rebuilding year? Do GU fans then latch onto the women's team once in a while? I can't see it. ESPN and every other medium hypes the men so much that men's games - even games against South Florida - are events at the Verizon Center. The men and women play a very different game, which means that men's basketball fans probably won't cross. The lack of accessibility of the venue (no Metro, Georgetown jammed for traffic) means that almost every single alum (aka, people who are more likely to watch Georgetown play Syracuse in anything) won't make women's games. On the bright side, Papa Razzi might actually become a good place for dinner after the game. The interesting factor that you pose, however, MIGHT be the students. If there's a time to strike while the iron is hot and bring students in, it's now. Two busloads brought students to Philly and killed their entire Sunday, but they showed up and were loud. If HB/GU Athletics can do something to capitalize - and the women can put up their end of the bargain and do really, really well - then it's possible that going to McDonough to watch the women pound Pittsburgh can hit the tipping point.
|
|
lichoya68
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
OK YOUNGINS ARE HERE AND ARE VERY VERY GOOD cant wait GO HOYAS
Posts: 17,440
|
Post by lichoya68 on Mar 28, 2011 8:12:39 GMT -5
AS USUAL fl great points especaillly about supported twonationally ranked and successful womens teams that are also VERY FUN TO WATCH yup very fun to watch.. tough teams very spirited and hustling very fun to watch i hope at least the student realize this and get out to support THERI classmates who work just as hard as any other sport including mens bball so thanks womens bball for a great and exciting year and wonderful ncaa run adn game vs the number one team in the country and soccer cant wait for you ladies GO HOYAS ONE AND ALL LET S ALL GIVE SOME SUPPORT AND ITS FUN go hoyas
|
|
lichoya68
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
OK YOUNGINS ARE HERE AND ARE VERY VERY GOOD cant wait GO HOYAS
Posts: 17,440
|
Post by lichoya68 on Mar 28, 2011 8:15:40 GMT -5
psss congrats to monica mcnutt for a great hoya career GREAT PERSON GREAT LEADER and maybe SHELL be doing some womens games next year in the broadcast booth for fox news. you never know her intern interview of the coach and teamates was excellent and very funny ITS ABOUT MORE THAN BBALL wish her only the best she will represent all of us very well as a fellow alum GO HOYAS ONEAND ALL
|
|
hoyarooter
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 10,224
|
Post by hoyarooter on Mar 28, 2011 12:06:41 GMT -5
You need to play two great halves to beat a UConn women's team. We put together 1 1/2, but it just wasn't enough.
Congratulations to the Lady Hoyas. You should walk with your heads held high.
|
|
richfame
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,266
|
Post by richfame on Mar 29, 2011 19:44:13 GMT -5
I read a article that the Lady Hoyas head coach was taking some shots at UCONN center Dolsen. She was elluding to the fact that Tia Magee was killing her. Also there were reports that some of the lady hoya players were making snide comments refering to Dolsens lack of mobility and overall physical stature. Honestly no need for those comments.. Lady hoyas stay classy...
|
|