113-35 at Home Last Season

[xubrew]

Just a tidbit, the other nine Big East teams were a combined 113-35 at home last season. That's a 77% winning percentage at home. If you throw out DePaul's 7-10 home record, it actually bumps it up to 81%. They managed that record against good teams. It's not quite like Memphis who bloats out their home record against sub-NIT caliber competition.

We will be playing in more snake pits than what we're used to. Providence, for instance, had a less than stellar year, but they were still 14-4 at home and took top ten teams to the wall in some of those losses. Beating a lower level team in this conference on the road is as difficult as beating most top tier A-10 teams on the road.

I am in favor of playing one or two games in hostile environments as a true road team prior to conference play beginning. At least one. I wish Gonzaga, or Memphis, or even Dayton were still on the schedule as OOC games. It's better to be going through the struggles of a hostile environment for the first time in November and December, than in January. Alabama, who is good and may be a tournament team, is still not on the level of anyone in this conference when it comes to a home atmosphere when the game is being played on December 21st. The students are gone, and it's the Saturday before Christmas. That's our only true road game.

[Titanxman04]

Just a tidbit, the other nine Big East teams were a combined 113-35 at home last season. That's a 77% winning percentage at home. If you throw out DePaul's 7-10 home record, it actually bumps it up to 81%. They managed that record against good teams. It's not quite like Memphis who bloats out their home record against sub-NIT caliber competition.

We will be playing in more snake pits than what we're used to. Providence, for instance, had a less than stellar year, but they were still 14-4 at home and took top ten teams to the wall in some of those losses. Beating a lower level team in this conference on the road is as difficult as beating most top tier A-10 teams on the road.

I am in favor of playing one or two games in hostile environments as a true road team prior to conference play beginning. At least one. I wish Gonzaga, or Memphis, or even Dayton were still on the schedule as OOC games. It's better to be going through the struggles of a hostile environment for the first time in November and December, than in January. Alabama, who is good and may be a tournament team, is still not on the level of anyone in this conference when it comes to a home atmosphere when the game is being played on December 21st. The students are gone, and it's the Saturday before Christmas. That's our only true road game.

Bama will be a good test and a good wake-up call for the team stepping out of Cintas. Bama will bring some fans in, though it certainly won't be much like a lot oft he Big East programs that we'll be going up against. What a great conference to be in, though.

[xubrew]

It will be a good test. So will the early season tournaments. It's not the same as going on the road against the Big East teams, though.

If Alabama is winning and conference play is in full swing, they're rammed full every night. Xavier is going down there before conference play begins. Between it being the Saturday before Christmas, and it not being a conference game, and it being before the bowl game, I see it being only two-thirds full with no students and no real atmosphere. I live in Alabama, and for people to care they have to be in the rankings for anyone to even notice in November/December, or football has to be over and they have to be in conference play with an NCAA Tournament caliber team. The Xavier game will likely be outside that window.

[chico]

Does Bama even know that basketball season starts while football season is still going on?

[xubrew]

Does Bama even know that basketball season starts while football season is still going on?

They do a lot better out of conference than UC does.

There is definitely core group within the fanbase that loves basketball. But, generally speaking, basketball games are not day long festivals like football games are, so people aren't going to make the trek to Tuscaloosa from whatever part of the state they live in to go see a basketball game against a team that they've never heard of. I think they'll have a decent crowd for their opener against Oklahoma. Oklahoma isn't particularly good, but they are at least recognizable. It isn't likely to sell out, though. They sell out if they're an NCAA caliber team in a conference game, or if they're ranked in the top 25 and playing a brand name team so long as the game doesn't fall during the holidays.

EDIT: That Oklahoma game may actually sell out because it's at Alabama, and they're playing LSU in football the next day. It's a great way to kick off the 24 tail gate. Having said that, if it sells out, it won't be on it's own merit. It will be a mere appetizer to the LSU football game.

[xubrew]

Oklahoma and Alabama are actually playing in Dallas, and unless there are 20,000 people in the restroom and at the concession stand, the game is not a sellout. I'd say there are maybe 100 people there.

I don't get this game. Why would they play each other in Dallas in the afternoon in early November?? They must like empty buildings.

[XUOHTX]

Oklahoma and Alabama are actually playing in Dallas, and unless there are 20,000 people in the restroom and at the concession stand, the game is not a sellout. I'd say there are maybe 100 people there.

I don't get this game. Why would they play each other in Dallas in the afternoon in early November?? They must like empty buildings.

It's part of a tip-off classic which features 3 games in one evening. Much easier to put butts in seats with six teams participating.