VCU Fans Invade the Barclays Center

[zls44]

Went to the A-10 yesterday, and VCU had by FAR the most fans there. Very impressive showing. Double what anyone else had. There were VCU chants going in the first three sessions of the tournament before they even played. In terms of turnout:

VCU
big drop
St Louis
giant drop
UMass
Butler
Temple
LaSalle
St. Joes
Charlotte

They're advertising the dates for the next three years in Brooklyn already, but I can see them getting bought out by another conference. The afternoon session was desolate (St. Louis-Charlotte and Butler-LaSalle). Gee, a session featuring mid-major teams from North Carolina, Missouri and Indiana didn't travel to Brooklyn? Shocking. They curtained the entire upper bowl, as well.

The VCU band was impressive, as was their marketing. VCU didn't play until 6:30. The afternoon session got out at 5 PM. VCU parked a double-decker bus wrapped in VCU marketing graphics (paid for by an alumni frat) right outside the Barclays Center so that all the exiting fans of the other teams would see them jamming and calling out the rest of the conference right when they walked out.



As for the basketball, St. Louis was very impressive. Butler is a deceptively big team, and Rosie Jones is fantastic. VCU game was fun, but they are incredibly reckless. Up fifteen with four to play, they didn't run clock and kept shooting threes (finished 11-28 from three, missing their last seven). UMass played well in a game they had to have, dominating a bigger Temple team on the glass.

 

[upstater]

Went to the A-10 yesterday, and VCU had by FAR the most fans there. Very impressive showing. Double what anyone else had. There were VCU chants going in the first three sessions of the tournament before they even played. In terms of turnout:

VCU
big drop
St Louis
giant drop
UMass
Butler
Temple
LaSalle
St. Joes
Charlotte

They're advertising the dates for the next three years in Brooklyn already, but I can see them getting bought out by another conference. The afternoon session was desolate (St. Louis-Charlotte and Butler-LaSalle). Gee, a session featuring mid-major teams from North Carolina, Missouri and Indiana didn't travel to Brooklyn? Shocking. They curtained the entire upper bowl, as well.

The VCU band was impressive, as was their marketing. VCU didn't play until 6:30. The afternoon session got out at 5 PM. VCU parked a double-decker bus wrapped in VCU marketing graphics (paid for by an alumni frat) right outside the Barclays Center so that all the exiting fans of the other teams would see them jamming and calling out the rest of the conference right when they walked out.



As for the basketball, St. Louis was very impressive. Butler is a deceptively big team, and Rosie Jones is fantastic. VCU game was fun, but they are incredibly reckless. Up fifteen with four to play, they didn't run clock and kept shooting threes (finished 11-28 from three, missing their last seven). UMass played well in a game they had to have, dominating a bigger Temple team on the glass.

Thanks for this report. Not surprised by VCU. Very surprised by St. Louis.

Also, Temple didn't show well? They packed MSG this year for the game against Syracuse.

Lastly, what did you think of the venue for a tourney?

 

[zls44]

It was hard to judge Temple since they share the same colors as UMass, but I was surprised how few fans they appeared to have.

Its a good venue. I've attended ten CBB games there this year. The curtain system works well. Would love to see the place packed for CBB though. It's incredible easy to get to. The subways stop fifty feet from the entrance. Twenty min from Grand Central.

 

[PRHusky]

I suggested in the conference realignment board that we should add VCU, St. Louis and one or two of the other best basketball only schools available and people thought there was something wrong with me. Still think it would be great for basketball in the "new" league.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

VCU had a very solid showing in Houston as well.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I suggested in the conference realignment board that we should add VCU, St. Louis and one or two of the other best basketball only schools available and people thought there was something wrong with me. Still think it would be great for basketball in the "new" league.

If we have to be stuck in this god awful league, I don't see why adding VCU, St. Louis or anything with a pulse from the A10 would be a bad thing.

People say the hybrid league won't work, but I guarantee if the SEC or B1G had Georgetown, Villanova, etc. the league wouldn't fail.

People can blame the hybrid, but in reality it was the lack of a true traditional anchor football program and inept leadership that did the conference in.

 

[upstater]

If we have to be stuck in this god awful league, I don't see why adding VCU, St. Louis or anything with a pulse from the A10 would be a bad thing.

People say the hybrid league won't work, but I guarantee if the SEC or B1G had Georgetown, Villanova, etc. the league wouldn't fail.

People can blame the hybrid, but in reality it was the lack of a true traditional anchor football program and inept leadership that did the conference in.

I like VCU but they are a Shaka Smart-move away from being nothing but a mouth to feed. I watched 3 games of CUSA ball this weekend, and I was surprised at the level of play, the skill-level and the athleticism. Sometimes we don't get to see such players up close because they are from Southern burgs, but there is a good level of talent at least in the final 4 teams of that conference. Granted, So. Miss. isn't a part of it. But I watched Memphis and Tulsa play, and they have just as much talent as the mid to lower level BE teams. Memphis in fact probably does very well in this year's BE.

 

[zls44]

Shaka is the third-straight big coach they've had there. Capel, Grant, Smart.

Three is a trend.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Is there any legitimate reasons we couldn't just invite VCU and St. Louis today?

I mean, a VCU team with Shaka Smart coming to Gampel I think would have a little juice to it. A ranked St. Louis team?

The pickings are absolutely bare, but for the interim, playing a VCU or St. Louis keeps the competition higher for UConn than having to potentially double up for a conference home/home with a SMU, ECU or Houston.

 

[upstater]

Shaka is the third-straight big coach they've had there. Capel, Grant, Smart.

Three is a trend.

Capel?

 

[zls44]

Is there any legitimate reasons we couldn't just invite VCU and St. Louis today?.

Football.

 

[zls44]

Capel?

When Jeff Capel was there, they were better than UVA or VT.

 

[upstater]

Is there any legitimate reasons we couldn't just invite VCU and St. Louis today?

I mean, a VCU team with Shaka Smart coming to Gampel I think would have a little juice to it. A ranked St. Louis team?

The pickings are absolutely bare, but for the interim, playing a VCU or St. Louis keeps the competition higher for UConn than having to potentially double up for a conference home/home with a SMU, ECU or Houston.

I don't get these arguments.

None of these teams are as good as those we've been playing. But they're not

College basketball is cyclical. You can't sit here and tell us that St. Louis is going to be better than Houston in the near future. You just can't. Neither program is strong. ou don't know that St. Louis will be better. Same with football. Houston had a darn good football team recently. They may drop like a rock in the new league. No one knows. This is mid-major land.

 

[upstater]

When Jeff Capel was there, they were better than UVA or VT.

Hard to prove. The level of competition wasn't the same, and I think Capel pretty much showed that he wasn't a big coach. Do you consider Dave Leitao a big coach for his DePaul performance?

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Football.

Why? Legitimately asking. We have 10 football teams (11 I guess if you count Navy). Would it kill the conference to have 2 bball only schools? I don't see how that affects football at all.

I don't get these arguments.

None of these teams are as good as those we've been playing. But they're not

Yeah, no kidding VCU/St. Louis aren't as good as Georgetown and Syracuse.

However, if were comparing them to SMU, Houston and ECU basketball, they are better programs today.

My point being is that if were in this conference long-term were probably screwed either way. Getting a couple of hot programs for the next few years while we wait it out wouldn't be a bad thing.

 

[zls44]

Hard to prove. The level of competition wasn't the same, and I think Capel pretty much showed that he wasn't a big coach. Do you consider Dave Leitao a big coach for his DePaul performance?

So making the Elite Eight just didn't happen?

 

[upstater]

Why? Legitimately asking. We have 10 football teams (11 I guess if you count Navy). Would it kill the conference to have 2 bball only schools? I don't see how that affects football at all.


Yeah, no kidding VCU/St. Louis aren't as good as Georgetown and Syracuse.

However, if were comparing them to SMU, Houston and ECU basketball, they are better programs today.

My point being is that if were in this conference long-term were probably screwed either way. Getting a couple of hot programs for the next few years while we wait it out wouldn't be a bad thing.

VCU is different because of the tourney success but I'm not going to differentiate too much between St. Louis and Houston. St. Louis is good now, flavor of the month, but since 2000 both have seen an equal number of NCAA tourneys. SLU has been pretty unimpressive (less than mediocre) in CUSA and A10. What they're doing now, however, is indeed better than anything Houston has done since 2000.

 

[upstater]

So making the Elite Eight just didn't happen?

The guy is an assistant. I mean, don't you have higher standards?

 

[gtcam]

Hard to prove. The level of competition wasn't the same, and I think Capel pretty much showed that he wasn't a big coach. Do you consider Dave Leitao a big coach for his DePaul performance?

Dave had some really nice teams at UVA

 

[ConnHuskBask]

All I'm saying is that if you hypothetically add VCU, St. Louis and a UMass (hoops only) you instantly give the basketball league a little depth which it desperately needs.

I think people would be at least a little excited at seeing those teams at Hartford or Gampel. You have to assume the schedule will be set up to be made for tv, with home/homes of UConn vs. Memphis, Temple vs. Cinci, etc. If we can play VCU or UMass twice a year in hoops over ECU, I'm all for it.

Also, I think that all but assures we could hold our tournament in Brooklyn.

 

[NHUConnfan]

I'm afraid an invite to VCU wouldn't be a great idea. The second one of the "big" jobs opens up, I wouldn't be surprised to see Shaka Smart's name at the top of the list.