Watching VT upset UNC...

[Lettucexxxx]

Makes me very very sad. Some of the best memories I have from being a student at MSU was the atmosphere in the hump, win or lose. No one wanted to play us at home during my time at State. I realize 2002-2007 were dark years for MSU Football, which helped our basketball following.....as we were grasping for anything positive but....... frick....just frick. If any of you students were watching the game tonight.....that used to be us. Black outs....white outs....free hotdogs....cheese on everything night.......we didnt need it. All we needed was a tip off.

A perfect answer does not exist to the question "What do we do?"

At this point, we are who we are on the court. I've seen better State teams and I have seen worse. My concern, not to beat a dead horse but........our Men"s team NEEDS our STUDENTS in a way I've never seen before. I sometimes get the sense of a Will being Broken. We have uber talent, but without heart, it gets you nowhere. That "Will to Win" "Heart" .....is fueled by confidence. We lack all 3......but guess what a strong crowd/fan support bring you?

Confidence, which fills the heart, to WILL a win. To reiterate what D@A touched on in his post, there's not 1 SEC team we cant beat.....home/away.
It's frustrating to so many of us because so many of us on this board attended State during the basketball glory years........and the frustration bubbles, not because said posters, as myself, lack patience. I seethe because the expectations we had during my years @ State are now a distant memory. A fond one but distant.

I'll end my melt with this: Basketball, more so than any of the other big sports.....Basketball players need fans. They need to be coddled, told they are the best and will ABSOLUTELY FEED off of a confident and rowdy game day atmosphere. Students, it's simple....if you want winners, demand it. Show up and demand it. We did and we were, for the most part, rewarded.

 

[DAWG61]

The death of the Hump can be traced back to the exact date they changed the seating. Looks like we'll never recover so might as well start playing the games in the Tin Gym or Sanderson Center back court. That'd be kinda fun. Seating capacity of 200. Maybe they can start scheduling freshman classes during the games in the upper deck. Certainly quite enough for it. Algebra and Chemistry on one side and Geology and American Lit on the other side. During half-time the students will have enough time to make it to their second class.

 

[57stratdawg]

Our pregame intro used to be a lot better too.

 

[FlotownDawg]

Three things combined to blow up our basketball fan support and they all happened about the same time. Reseating the Hump, firing Stans, and hiring Rick Ray and seeing the basketball program fall into the abyss. Having two very controversial decisions made in a very short span and then having six of the worst years in basketball in 30 years had the affect of a nuclear bomb dropped on the basketball support. We are still dealing with the nuclear fallout.

 

[DAWG61]

Three things combined to blow up our basketball fan support and they all happened about the same time. Reseating the Hump, firing Stans, and hiring Rick Ray and seeing the basketball program fall into the abyss. Having two very controversial decisions made in a very short span and then having six of the worst years in basketball in 30 years had the affect of a nuclear bomb dropped on the basketball support. We are still dealing with the nuclear fallout.

"that's where I stored the dead MSU basketball program that I killed"

 

[TBone.sixpack]

What an *******.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I think it's the combination of reseating and having every game on tv. Why drive two and a half hours when I can watch it at home?

 

[thatsbaseball]

Which one ?

 

[TBone.sixpack]

Touché

 

[GhostOfJackie]

I think it's the combination of reseating and having every game on tv. Why drive two and a half hours when I can watch it at home?

Why even watch it at all? This group of under performers has done nothing but cause me heartache for the past 7 years, and 4 of those years have been an absolute embarrassment. There are only so many hours in the day, so why fill what little free time I have with this team?

 

[DawgatAuburn]

I think it's the combination of reseating and having every game on tv. Why drive two and a half hours when I can watch it at home?

You know good and well that if we were a top 25 team you would find a way to Starkville for almost every home game. How do I know this? History!

 

[jb1020]

I miss Hank Flick too

He made the pregame at the Hump. Its a shame we burned that bridge.

 

[Ranchdawg]

Three things combined to blow up our basketball fan support and they all happened about the same time. Reseating the Hump, firing Stans, and hiring Rick Ray and seeing the basketball program fall into the abyss. Having two very controversial decisions made in a very short span and then having six of the worst years in basketball in 30 years had the affect of a nuclear bomb dropped on the basketball support. We are still dealing with the nuclear fallout.

Many on here warned about the consequences of firing Stansbury. Bottom line, people on here had nothing to do with it. Just like the seating decision. The big donors make the decisions with the AD. I believe hiring Howland was one of the best decisions we've made over the last 6 years. If we give him support by attending games the program will return to its former status. The big donors just have to be patient. I know our AD will be patient because he understands what Howland is going through.

 

[HD6]

Reseating the Hump is not a problem, its just an excuse. Anybody who has been to a women's game recently can tell you the atmosphere in there is just as electric as it was during the good years for the men. Losing is what has killed the Hump, period.

 

[wtw2400]

Reseating the Hump is not a problem, its just an excuse. Anybody who has been to a women's game recently can tell you the atmosphere in there is just as electric as it was during the good years for the men. Losing is what has killed the Hump, period.

The seating of the Women's Games is much different than the Men's

 

[MSUDC11]

There were some electric atmospheres in Stans’ last year, which was after The Hump was reseated. HD6 is right. While I still think it’s a bad idea that half our student seating is in the upper deck, that’s not why The Hump is dead.

The Hump is dead because Scott Stricklin murdered MSU Basketball altogether. If you’re going to replace your all-time winningest coach, dear gosh you have to get someone better than Rick Ray. And now three years into Howland’s tenure, it’s time to start wondering if this was ANOTHER bad hire for Stricklin.

 

[MadDawg.sixpack]

Reseating the Hump is not a problem, its just an excuse. Anybody who has been to a women's game recently can tell you the atmosphere in there is just as electric as it was during the good years for the men. Losing is what has killed the Hump, period.

Bingo.

 

[BiscuitEater]

If we give him support by attending games the program will return to its former status.

Sorry, it DOESN'T work that way. FACT .. There is DIRECT CORRELATION between WINNING AND ATTENDANCE. Men .. Women .. it doesn't matter. Winning is the ONLY variable.

Care to look at the WBB attendance over the last 7 years? (HINT .. Vic arrived at MSU in 2012)

WBB attendance has soared .. ONLY when we started winning .. going from ~1300s to ~6000+ with some huge 9K+ crowds coming up!

YEAR	RECORD	CONF REC	H CONF REC	H ATTENDANCE AVERAGE
11-'12	14-16	4-12	2-6	1442
12-'13	13-17	5-11	4-4	1317
13-'14	22-14	5-11	4-4	2321
14-'15	27-7	11-5	7-1	3755
15-'16	28-8	11-5	6-2	5162
16-'17	34-5	13-3	6-2	6641
17-'18*	20-0*	6-0*	3-0*	6124*

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[5049]

I think it's the combination of reseating and having every game on tv. Why drive two and a half hours when I can watch it at home?

Students can walk. They are the key to the Hump.

 

[Philly Dawg]

We won’t know that until we have a team as good as those we had when the atmosphere was better. If that happens, and we have similar sized crowds, and the atmosphere is worse, then we can blame re-seating.

 

[aTotal360]

This whole thing came from Mullen. He preached showing up to games would help us win. It's a marketing gimmick that people have latched onto because they have "witnessed" it work.

This isn't the 70s, 90s, or even the 2000s. People have more options than ever. You can spend a lot less money and even get a better view of the game from your couch.

Part of this blame falls directly on the game day operations staff. I've only been to a handful of game in the past 3-4 years. I think they do a pretty average job of making (what they have control over) a game a memorable experience.

 

[patdog]

Bingo. If the team is worth a ****, the atmosphere will be great. If the team sucks, the atmosphere and attendance will suck, no matter how you configure the seating. People don't like watching bad teams play ball and don't get excited when they do watch it. That will never change.

 

[wtw2400]

Going to Knoxville TN for a Women's Basketball game was eye opening. Besides Mic guy, it was an incredible place to watch a basketball game. They know how to do it. Best in the SEC I have seen.

as far as Mullen preaching a "win if you show up" it is quite ironic that one of his biggest wins against #4 Texas A&M in 2016 came when no one was at the game. And when the fans showed up like they did in 2015 Ole Miss, 2017 Alabama, or 2015 LSU, He would lay an egg. But at least Morale Victory Mullens could celebrate winning 2 of the last 6 Egg Bowls.

 

[Lettucexxxx]

I'm speaking more in the direction of our students and the folks within 20 miles. Yes, winning is the answer to bringing our Jackson and Memphis alumnus back to the Hump for the big weekday games...something that was done on the regular during the Stans era....but we have to start somewhere. To me, it's on the students. Show some pride.

You can't tell me that folks that are interested enough to follow us on tv arnt interested enough to walk across campus to watch or make the short drive from the golden triangle. I understand the economics as I'm not able to attend but maybe 2 games a year, however.....Our students need to recognize that they can single handedly WILL a team to victory within the closing minutes of a ballgame.

Hell, I can't tell you how many games we won during the Stans era because of our atmosphere alone...1 would be more than these boys have had.

If any of you were in attendee for the Kentucky game at home last year you witnessed first hand not only our best game under Howland but the best crowd we have had for a men's game in 7 years.
The team had a swagger that night. A coincidence, I think not.

Howland's first hand busted...Newman, Keg, Brooks, Turner.....His second hand has not looked much better, although we do have an ace in the hole with Nick. I'm hoping not only do we get dealt a better hand next season but that our card holder plays to Booray everyone else at the table.

 

[HD6]

In what way? The students are behind the bucket on our end, and the rest of the seats are season ticket/general admission.

 

[KurtRambis4]

as far as Mullen preaching a "win if you show up" it is quite ironic that one of his biggest wins against #4 Texas A&M in 2016 came when no one was at the game. And when the fans showed up like they did in 2015 Ole Miss, 2017 Alabama, or 2015 LSU, He would lay an egg. But at least Morale Victory Mullens could celebrate winning 2 of the last 6 Egg Bowls.

Come on. The statement is made in reference to building a program, not winning a single game.

Surely you understand that?

 

[DAWG61]

Is it against the rules to start a rewards program for students that go to the games? Extra credit, day off from school, extra Spring Break time or something? You'll get a massive wave of students when you start giving them some extra incentive

 

[5049]

A long term sustainable program in football or basketball (big revenue sports) can only survive if the fanbase is active. You cannot wait on winning if you want to compete with the best. Fans have to show up and create an atmosphere that entices the best players.

That is the facts. Dan Mullen was right about this. I really do not care to squabble about this game or that game. We need big picture thinkers.

Lettuce you are correct in that it starts with the students. Always has and always will. That is short term and long term, as they are 80% of the atmosphere. Show me a fan who blames it on losing and I will show you a fan who will not be witnessing a successful program.

 

[BiscuitEater]

A long term sustainable program in football or basketball (big revenue sports) can only survive if the fanbase is active. You cannot wait on winning if you want to compete with the best. Fans have to show up and create an atmosphere that entices the best players.

Chicken & egg .. But you just got it BACKWARDS. ie. MSU hired Vic .. Vic recruited talent and started winning .. Crowds increased as the winning increased. Vic took a team to the NCAAs TWO years ago as the #5 seed and got OBLITERATED by #1 seed UConn BY 60 POINTS

ONE year later, Vic beats #1 seed UConn in final 4 to make the NC game, BREAKING UConn's 111 game winning streak. We are now the #2 team in the country and are "Competing with the best." (your words!)

Hate to bust your bubble BUT it started with Vic + talent + playing with intensity + WINNING = crowds (FOLLOWED winning, NOT before!) ERGO, Howland puts a competitive team on the floor that plays with smarts and passion .. and THEN the hump will start rocking.

 

[wtw2400]

A big problem is there is "technically" no student section for women's basketball. That section is designated "general admission" so a lot of regular fans end up sitting there and it just messes up the whole student section. State needs to solve that. Which also means students sit anywhere since it's "general admission".

There is no "general admission" for men's basketball. Most are empty season tickets and regular fans being forced to sit in the upper decks. If there is no compelling product on the floor, then you have to do something if you really want fans. But if you just want all of that $. Well you see what the result is right now.

 

[BulldogBlitz]

No. I feel ya but no. I'm not even sure where to jump it, but nah...students for the sake of it (because duke or whoever) is the answer.

I grew up a lot on basketball when Memphis state made their run to the final four with Andre Turner...William Bedford...etc. You can be a rabid fan without being a student and I've honestly never seen our students being that.

My time at state started poorly bball wise but ended in an epic fashion with us beating shaq. "Fans" don't show until after the winning starts. I was there during guaranteed loss night and it irritated me, but the only thing I could control was me getting in there every game. Never did miss a home game. Rarely saw the same people sitting around me (beans helped)

 

[Lettucexxxx]

Not to split hairs, you are partly correct but I'm pretty sure without the championship run last year our woman's attendance would have still been on a steady uptick. Look big picture....how did we get here?!? More to do with the overall state of the program, COACHABLE HOMEGROWN TALENT.....A fairy Coach in his prime who would rather eat **** than lose......and Pride. Pride is infectious. Our women's team possess it. It wasn't given to them. They garnered it, housed it then put the fire to use. The fans feel it, the team feels it, it's beautiful chemistry.

To label our fanbase as wagoners may be fair with our ladies basketball program but let's not act like they were headed out west from Indipendece in a 17ing '68 Bronco......It took time to get to the promise land.....compared to the men's program who's lead wagon was set fire at the first river crossing by a rabid group of Indians full of typhus, scurvy and dysentery.


If our boys can't find a spark, let's make one. Students, go get some kinnlen, a backpack blower and some diesel. ....Let's get creative. ...Set the Hump ablaze and I bet our men's team begins to warm around it.

 

[RocketDawg]

I don't see how you could possibly give them academic credit (such as days off, extra credit, etc.) for attending a basketball game. Maybe do it in other ways ... credit toward a better parking spot or something else not connected to classroom performance.