Why is the game important ? Are we still eligible for post season ? A win against NTU will make us 6-9 in C-USA.

Local Owl said

Why is the game important ? Are we still eligible for post season ? A win against NTU will make us 6-9 in C-USA.

Posted On: Feb 19th 2016, 5:45 AM #354731

Every team makes it to the CUSA tourney this year ( So. Miss is ineligible). So 13 teams with seeds 12 & 13 having to play an extra game (basically a play in game). UTSA may have the 13th seed locked up. We are trying to avoid being #12.  I won't speculate on possible tie breakers or scenarios, etc, but currently it looks like FAU, WKU, and North Texas are trying to avoid it (12th seed) the most.

Losing last night hurt us, period.

We needed that game…as it stands we lost the head to head with Rice, and dropped a 1/2 game behind them.

Since FIU and us both have UAB and Middle left (losses for us in all likelihood), believe that our game against them will be a big determinant as to whether we avoid the play in game.

We will probably be 6 point underdogs to North Texas on Saturday night, and that one is practically a must win.

Whenever youre 7-20 and looking at a play in game to your conference tournament.  There is only one thing thats a must…change.

walty12 said

Whenever youre 7-20 and looking at a play in game to your conference tournament.  There is only one thing thats a must…change.

Posted On: Feb 19th 2016, 9:18 AM #354735

I have been hearing this for 22+ years. Seen handfuls of coaches, handfuls of AD's, handfuls of Presidents.

It always feels the same.

For those who are tired of me saying this, please look away.

I liken our basketball program building to Arline Industry Security. If you really had Airline Industry Security, a $200 flight would be $2000. It takes too much money to have actual security so you give the impression of security by making people take their shoes off and confiscating their water bottles.  People buy in that it is actual security and buy plane tickets. It's the only solution.

Building a basketball program takes money that we do not have. I have said a few times that if we doubled our current budget of $1.7M, it would only rank us about #100 in budgets for basketball. That's if we doubled. We are so far down the pecking order of basketball programs in the country. So what can you do? You give the impression that you are building a program by replacing the coach every 3 - 5 years and make people think change is coming. People get excited that change is coming…only it never comes because the problem is not the coach. The solution is not the coach.

And just because you throw money at the program doesn't make you good overnight. you have to throw money at it for years to make change.

We can go back to the dance one day. It's possible. But it will be a fluke until we build a program. Some on here thought Florida Gulf Coast passed us by because they had a great tourney one time. Hogwash. They are not a program either. They had a fluke season. When you have a legitimate program built, the flukes turn into regular occurrences and stop being flukes.

We need people on staff (and maybe we have some) who are building relationships at the HS level in Florida (Like football). We get a lot of players both on the women's and men's teams from elsewhere. No one is growing up saying they want to play basketball at FAU. We are recruiting kids from other states who do not even know what FAU is.

It's a tall order.

Ok, I'm done. Go Owls!!

fauowl said

walty12 said

Whenever youre 7-20 and looking at a play in game to your conference tournament.  There is only one thing thats a must…change.

Posted On: Feb 19th 2016, 9:18 AM #354735

I have been hearing this for 22+ years. Seen handfuls of coaches, handfuls of AD's, handfuls of Presidents.

It always feels the same.

For those who are tired of me saying this, please look away.

I liken our basketball program building to Arline Industry Security. If you really had Airline Industry Security, a $200 flight would be $2000. It takes too much money to have actual security so you give the impression of security by making people take their shoes off and confiscating their water bottles.  People buy in that it is actual security and buy plane tickets. It's the only solution.

Building a basketball program takes money that we do not have. I have said a few times that if we doubled our current budget of $1.7M, it would only rank us about #100 in budgets for basketball. That's if we doubled. We are so far down the pecking order of basketball programs in the country. So what can you do? You give the impression that you are building a program by replacing the coach every 3 - 5 years and make people think change is coming. People get excited that change is coming…only it never comes because the problem is not the coach. The solution is not the coach.

And just because you throw money at the program doesn't make you good overnight. you have to throw money at it for years to make change.

We can go back to the dance one day. It's possible. But it will be a fluke until we build a program. Some on here thought Florida Gulf Coast passed us by because they had a great tourney one time. Hogwash. They are not a program either. They had a fluke season. When you have a legitimate program built, the flukes turn into regular occurrences and stop being flukes.

We need people on staff (and maybe we have some) who are building relationships at the HS level in Florida (Like football). We get a lot of players both on the women's and men's teams from elsewhere. No one is growing up saying they want to play basketball at FAU. We are recruiting kids from other states who do not even know what FAU is.

It's a tall order.

Ok, I'm done. Go Owls!!

Posted On: Feb 19th 2016, 11:26 AM #354738

I completely see your point Mark and this is why there should be a bigger commitment to the baseball program. 

LawOwl said

fauowl said

walty12 said

Whenever youre 7-20 and looking at a play in game to your conference tournament.  There is only one thing thats a must…change.

Posted On: Feb 19th 2016, 9:18 AM #354735

I have been hearing this for 22+ years. Seen handfuls of coaches, handfuls of AD's, handfuls of Presidents.

It always feels the same.

For those who are tired of me saying this, please look away.

I liken our basketball program building to Arline Industry Security. If you really had Airline Industry Security, a $200 flight would be $2000. It takes too much money to have actual security so you give the impression of security by making people take their shoes off and confiscating their water bottles.  People buy in that it is actual security and buy plane tickets. It's the only solution.

Building a basketball program takes money that we do not have. I have said a few times that if we doubled our current budget of $1.7M, it would only rank us about #100 in budgets for basketball. That's if we doubled. We are so far down the pecking order of basketball programs in the country. So what can you do? You give the impression that you are building a program by replacing the coach every 3 - 5 years and make people think change is coming. People get excited that change is coming…only it never comes because the problem is not the coach. The solution is not the coach.

And just because you throw money at the program doesn't make you good overnight. you have to throw money at it for years to make change.

We can go back to the dance one day. It's possible. But it will be a fluke until we build a program. Some on here thought Florida Gulf Coast passed us by because they had a great tourney one time. Hogwash. They are not a program either. They had a fluke season. When you have a legitimate program built, the flukes turn into regular occurrences and stop being flukes.

We need people on staff (and maybe we have some) who are building relationships at the HS level in Florida (Like football). We get a lot of players both on the women's and men's teams from elsewhere. No one is growing up saying they want to play basketball at FAU. We are recruiting kids from other states who do not even know what FAU is.

It's a tall order.

Ok, I'm done. Go Owls!!

Posted On: Feb 19th 2016, 11:26 AM #354738

I completely see your point Mark and this is why there should be a bigger commitment to the baseball program. 

Posted On: Feb 19th 2016, 7:01 PM #354742

Unless there are major donations, the money needed to grow basketball and baseball will have to come from Football success.  I think it will take 8-10 years of bowl invites to begin to impact the budget in a way we all dream about.

"And just because you throw money at the program doesn't make you good overnight. you have to throw money at it for years to make change."

Money matters to a degree, no question.  And the mens basketball program could use more of it.  But if you are going to justify going 1-15 in conference play last year because of finances we aren't even close to being on the same page.

I can assure you coaching matters.  Its not a coincidence Alabama went on the run they are on when Saban got there…they didn't throw money at the football program (well, any different than they had since before Saban...they have always pumped money into the program), they put the correct leadership in place.  Same as UF, they haven't taken money away from the program…a coach left.

We have the resources to compete at the CUSA level.  No, nobody grows up wanting to play basketball for FAU…but they dont grow up looking to play for any other CUSA team.  We have at least improved on our conference record from last year…but man, its been a tough few years.

I do agree however, that Chun should be doing more to financially support the basketball team.  I wouldn't have minded seeing him move to Illinois.  

I dont think its time to change Curry quite yet.  I just dont know what his vision, plan, etc to improve the program is.  Raising your hands in the air and just saying "we dont have enough money" isn't acceptable.  

walty12 said

Money matters to a degree, no question.  And the mens basketball program could use more of it.  But if you are going to justify going 1-15 in conference play last year because of finances we aren't even close to being on the same page.

I can assure you coaching matters.  Its not a coincidence Alabama went on the run they are on when Saban got there…they didn't throw money at the football program (well, any different than they had since before Saban…they have always pumped money into the program), they put the correct leadership in place.  Same as UF, they haven't taken money away from the program…a coach left.

Posted On: Feb 20th 2016, 12:20 PM #354758

If you are comparing Alabama Football program building to FAU Basketball program building, I agree we aren't even close to being on the same page. We are not even close to being on the same planet.  

Mike Shula went 26-23 with a program with the same resources that Nick Saban has gone 100-18 at.

I say bring back Matt Doherty!!