Conversation Between xudash and newtsac

5 Visitor Messages

  1. Good talk. I'm glad I'm not crazy... I'm sure my delivery doesn't help the message sometimes, but as you can see I hardly post. And I don't use this forum as a public journal of my thoughts as the season goes along like some, haha.

    At one of the lowest points in the season (post Gonzaga I believe) that I still felt that this team is special. I feel vindicated already, but if they are to continue this to the F4 - it wouldn't surprise me. This is a resolute, resilient group that has the talent. If they can keep their wits about them, they can outsmart some of the more talented teams. Hopefully, I will have an excuse to finally visit New Orleans.
  2. n,

    Not baiting you at all. Your concerns are my concerns. You provided a private post to me. I responded, letting you know we're on the same page about this. Of course we want Xavier to dominate the league and make it to the promised land. But we also understand we need a good league. As we've noted, Butler may fit that profile now, but the issue is sustainability with Butler.

    I truly see Butler as more of a small-time oriented program that engineered two highly improbable runs.

    Let's at least make the S16 this year. What an accomplishment it will be, given THIS YEAR.

    UK looks frightening, assuming we take the additional step past Baylor.
  3. Continued...


    If they join the A10, so be it. I wish them well with the transition. I honestly do. My in-laws would be happy, which makes me happy. If their transition is beneficial to the A10 - awesome, we need another good program. But until it is an inevitability, I will fight it tooth and nail. I don't think it's as good of a fit as the national media does - because I go to more than one game a year, live here, and am surrounded by lifetime ticket holders as family. Hey - even some more realistic BU fans have expressed concern of BU returning to the days of the MCC as a mid-lower tier team if they join the A10.

    X will dismantle ND tonight. I hope. Let's go X!
  4. I can't tell if you agree wholeheartedly with me or are just baiting me... haha.

    I think that your concerns are founded. I don't want to come off as completely dismissive of Butler as a program, especially given their recent success. But the reality is, I attend just as many Butler games as their "fanbase" being that my in-laws are season ticket holders. People just don't show up.

    Plus, like I predicted - they didn't make the NIT this year. Florida did the same after they won back to back tourneys but they lost the entire squad to graduation and the NBA. Butler lost Howard (huge loss) to graduation and Mack to early NBA. I found that Mack departure especially puzzling given the pending lockout at the time and the fact that he would have average 20+ pts a game this year as "the man." Wouldn't have hurt his NBA stock. Pitt made the CBI this year, is Dixon on the hot seat? You bet! Is Stevens? NO WAY. That mentality of "dear little old us" is frightening.
  5. I'm really beginning to wonder if Butler can even survive a transition to the A10.

    They have relatively weak fan support given their recent success (inability to increase both attendance and ticket prices).

    What really has me wondering about it now is the so-called "Butler Way" - their moron fans believe the program is lilly white in its reputation and recruit a certain type of player. They will have to change their recruiting practices to survive in the A10. They'll never see the post-season if they don't.

    Butler is the darling stock right now, but its upside is questionable, especially considering that it wants to reduce capacity.

    Butler was about forces coming together that delivered Howard, Heyward and Mack. They put it together and made a run. Yet though they made it back to the NC game last year, they were humiliated by UConn.

    The ceiling is limited. The floor is deep. How long they keep Stevens will have a lot to do with what happens from here.
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