[SuperJon]

Like we've been doing, what are your expectations?

What do you think will happen?

What would you be happy with?

[jcmanson]

I expect 0-2

I would be happy with 1-1

[bigsmooth]

agree with manson.

[BJWilliams]

I expect 1-1 (and would be happy with that as well). If we go 2-0 Id be ecstatic (course that isnt going to happen)

[Sly Fox]

Oh ye of little faith. While I don't expect a sweep, it wouldn't shock me. We are talking about HPU & RU ... not the Horns & Heels. Anything is possible.

[olldflame]

Radford is clearly beatable if Chuck South can do it. We won at both of these places last year, so the returning players should have a positive mind frame going in. I have a feeling we'll get one. Not sure which one.

[bigsmooth]

im not saying we cant split or win both, because the big south is wacky, but i think it may take a few games to see what we will do if KO does not play or has a different role.

[ATrain]

If KO was health, I'd expect 1-1.

Come to think of it, I still do expect 1-1, just High Point to be much closer. 2-0 or 0-2 wouldn't shock me either.

[Cider Jim]

Anybody making either road trip? Flame Convert & I are doing the Radford trip.

[ATrain]

Anybody making either road trip? Flame Convert & I are doing the Radford trip.

In undergrad, I would've done the High Point trip. Sadly, I have not the time to go to either this year.

[Th3rd]

Anybody making either road trip? Flame Convert & I are doing the Radford trip.

In undergrad, I would've done the High Point trip. Sadly, I have not the time to go to either this year.

i want to go to one.. radford being the more practical... trying to see if anyone else is going so i can catch a ride (heck of a time without a car haha)

[SuperJon]

With the Radford game being at six, I won't be able to go because of wrestling at three. I'll be working at the HPU game on a feature for the website.

[whmatthews]

Oh ye of little faith. While I don't expect a sweep, it wouldn't shock me. We are talking about HPU & RU ... not the Horns & Heels. Anything is possible.

If we were playing the Horns & Heels, we'd atleast be 1-1.

But I expect 0-2.

[ATrain]

Anybody making either road trip? Flame Convert & I are doing the Radford trip.

In undergrad, I would've done the High Point trip. Sadly, I have not the time to go to either this year.

i want to go to one.. radford being the more practical... trying to see if anyone else is going so i can catch a ride (heck of a time without a car haha)

If anyone's going to Radford and wants to crash, my place is available.

[Cider Jim]

Even with Thursday's loss, we are still middle-of-the-pack in conference at 4-4, with 3 teams tied for 5th place:

Men's Basketball
Team Big South Overall
Coastal Carolina 7-1 17-3
Radford 6-2 10-7
Charleston Southern 5-3 10-8
High Point 5-3 10-8
UNC Asheville 4-4 7-12
Winthrop 4-4 8-10
Liberty 4-4 9-11
Gardner-Webb 3-5 6-12
Presbyterian 1-7 3-17
VMI 1-7 5-12

http://www.bigsouthsports.com/

[PAmedic]

Even with Thursday's loss, we are still middle-of-the-pack in conference at 4-4, with 3 teams tied for 5th place

depressing.

I'll fully acknowlege being a hoops novice, but why are we perennial re-builders? (I know- revolving door of coaches does not help)

that aside: this is the Big South. How can a school that is by FAR the largest in the conf and, I'd wager- on par (size-wise and $$$-wise) with MOST mid-majors in the country, fail to produce a quality product year in and year out? Mediocre at best is NOT a good return on the financial investment we've put into coaches, players (!) and facilities over the years.

swing away...

[jcmanson]

Even with Thursday's loss, we are still middle-of-the-pack in conference at 4-4, with 3 teams tied for 5th place

depressing.

I'll fully acknowlege being a hoops novice, but why are we perennial re-builders? (I know- revolving door of coaches does not help)

that aside: this is the Big South. How can a school that is by FAR the largest in the conf and, I'd wager- on par (size-wise and $$$-wise) with MOST mid-majors in the country, fail to produce a quality product year in and year out? Mediocre at best is NOT a good return on the financial investment we've put into coaches, players (!) and facilities over the years.

swing away...

It’s funny you mention this as I had been thinking along the same lines this past week. I think a lot of it has to do with our conference foes. Look who is typically in the top half of the conference year in year out: Radford, Winthrop, UNCA, High Point. Notice anything in common with these schools? No football, meaning that basketball is their “sport.” They put the focus of their entire athletic department on basketball; whereas, the other schools put their focus typically on football.

We should in NO way use that as an excuse. We shouldn't be struggling to compete with these teams every year though.

[PAmedic]

It’s funny you mention this as I had been thinking along the same lines this past week...Look who is typically in the top half of the conference year in year out: Radford, Winthrop, UNCA, High Point. Notice anything in common with these schools? No football, meaning that basketball is their “sport.” They put the focus of their entire athletic department on basketball; whereas, the other schools put their focus typically on football.

1. great minds think alike
2. the issue is- we still outspend most , if not all, of them. (and no, I don't have the link to that website we were looking at a yr or so ago that detailed each schools spending on athletics)
3. we need to step it up.

[olldflame]

Nice theory.

Reality check time.

Until last season Radford had consistently been a second division team for years.
High Point has had some good regular season finishes, but has NEVER been to the dance.
Winthrop and UNCA have probably been the most consistent finishers in the conference, but I suspect it had a lot more to do with a couple of guys named Marshall and Biedenbach than whether or not they have football.

[Cider Jim]

Anyone know if MASN is showing the Radford game?

[Chris Lang]

Yes.

[jcmanson]

Nice theory.

Reality check time.

Until last season Radford had consistently been a second division team for years.
High Point has had some good regular season finishes, but has NEVER been to the dance.
Winthrop and UNCA have probably been the most consistent finishers in the conference, but I suspect it had a lot more to do with a couple of guys named Marshall and Biedenbach than whether or not they have football.

I realize High Point has never won the ship, but I said those teams are consistently finishing in the top half of the conference and not necessarily winning the conference.

Since we joined the Big South in 91, Radford has finished with a .500 or better conference mark in 13 out of 18 seasons. They've won the regular season title 4 times, made the championship game 5 times and won it twice.

Winthrop has finished with a .500 or better conference mark in 11 of 18 seasons. They've won the regular season title 6 times, made the championship game 9 times, and won it 8 times.

UNCA has finished with a .500 or better conference mark in 11 out of 18 seasons. They've won the regular season title 3 times, made the championship game 4 times and won it once.

High Point joined the league in 99 and have finished with a .500 or better conference mark in 4 out of 10 seasons. They've won the regular season title 0 times, made the championship game twice.

Compare that to the football teams:
Liberty: finished with a .500 or better conference mark in 11 of 18 seasons. Won the regular season title once, made the championship game 4 times, and won it twice.

Coastal: finished with a .500 or better conference mark 3 times in the 7 years they've had a football team, won the regular season title 0 times, made the championship game 1, and have not won it.

CSU: finished with a .500 or better conference mark 6 out of 18 seasons. Won the regular season title 0 times, made the championship game 3 times, and a have won it twice.

VMI: finished with a .500 or better conference mark 1 time in 6 seasons. Won the regular season title 0 times, made the championship game 2 times, and have not won it.

I won't count G-W and Presby since their history is so short in the conference for all sports.

Non-football teams have finished with a .500 or better conference mark 39 of 64 seasons (61%), have won the regular season title 13 of 18 seasons (72%), made the championship game 20 times, and won it 11 times.

Football teams have finished with a .500 or better conference mark 21 of 49 seasons (42%), have won the regular season title once in 18 seasons (5%), made the championship game 10 times, and won it 4 times.

[olldflame]

You worked way too hard on that manson.

Radford was good under Bradley and Purnell. Then they stank. Now they're better with Greenburg.

High Point had Steel, who was a D2 legend during their transition to D1 and the BSC, and then they had Lundy, who was a good recruiter and had some good teams, but always choked in the tourney.

Winthrop stank. Then they had Marshall and dominated. Now................not so much.

UNCA has had steady solid coaching from Biedenbach for what seems like forever.

LU, CCU, and CSU changed basketball coaches like underwear. VMI has been bad at football and just about everything else; not just basketball.

My point being that being good in basketball is about having quality and continuity in coaching. The numbers for football vs non-football are what they are, but there is no causal link.

BTW, not having football has helped Winthrop, HP, UNCA and Radford win a total of 2 Sasser cups in the history of the league, both by Winthrop over 20 years ago.