|
Post by Big D on Mar 11, 2023 13:13:15 GMT -6
Are there any "successful" programs with similar comps to UIC (i.e., commuter school, major city, limited sports culture, etc.)? There has to be a similar comped team/school that has a some inkling of a blueprint to follow How about Loyola? Dreadful basketball up until their Valley years. 2/3 of their campus is commuter. I’ve mentioned Milwaukee before. Maybe the most baffling example. While I wouldn’t say they have a winning culture, they have literally gone through 4 coaches and rebuilt 4 times since UIC was last relevant. Just this year, they built back up…again…to finish #2 in the HL. When was the last time UIC even sniffed 2nd place? Cleveland St recently. UC-Irvine, perhaps. Again…not great, but winning can be done. UAB is probably a stretch but they are a commuter campus. It’s not just not making postseason. It’s finishing near the bottom year in and year out. How? In 20 years not one coach could get this team in the top 1/3 of conference consistently, particularly when competing with the likes of Youngstown St, Green Bay, and other HL foes who we seemingly had every advantage over (location, facilities, academics, etc)? What is wrong? To me, we need to prioritize two things immediately. 1. NIL. What are we doing? When it first started up, UIC was one of the first schools to come out and say that we would lead the charge. Has anyone seen anything like this at UIC? wsuraiders.com/news/2023/1/24/general-wright-state-launches-official-nil-marketplace-for-student-athletes.aspxhotbrave.com/trueloyalnil.com/This is ours… uicflames.com/feature/nilAm I missing something? Lots of info, but I feel like there should be a next level for this type of thing. Maybe we have something and it’s not public? 2. Attendance. We need to do anything and everything in our power to increase attendance. I don’t care if we need to bus in kids from 100 different schools nightly. Pay fans. LOWER and I repeat LOWER ticket prices. Stop charging $13 for Bud Light you greedy b@stards. This is not the NBA. It cannot be said enough…lower prices across the board. A crappy hat cost me $35! Somehow get students at games. I don’t know what it is. I suspect a bit of it is that we’re in Chicago and there are so many other things to do than watch bad basketball. Partly commuting. I do think demographics likely plays a role here as well (whether people want to admit it or not). Also, a lot of UIC students work! But still there are 35000 students, and we can’t even get 35 (.01%) at a game??? We cannot continue to play road games at home. It’s embarrassing and makes winning harder…do SOMETHING.
|
|
|
Post by goveybaseball on Mar 11, 2023 15:10:17 GMT -6
Agree on the attendance it's freaking abysmal. They don't even have a PG next year I think even if everyone is back unless they land some major recruits this is a 2-3 win conf team again. I see Jones and possibly Fens or Clay leaving as well. Hope I am wrong. D2 doesn't sound out of the question the way this is headed. The MVC must be like why the hell did we let this school in.
|
|
|
Post by Big D on Mar 11, 2023 15:24:52 GMT -6
D2 doesn't sound out of the question the way this is headed. Well we have been recently linked to two D2 players in the portal. So maybe we’re on our way. Btw, anyone notice the attendance for the high school games at CU1 recently? Wonder the cost of tix. It seems people in Chicago are willing to attend to watch good basketball.
|
|
|
Post by goveybaseball on Mar 11, 2023 15:29:23 GMT -6
I'm sure it's packed HS basketball is way more popular then college in this city. D2 recruits wow 😮
|
|
|
Post by Camfan on Mar 11, 2023 16:57:16 GMT -6
Cam Fan why are these kids leaving with is going on! Flamesfan20 made an excellent point, 10 of 15 players have transfered under Yak. I am not that smart, but that all in itself certainly says something! I have no idea what it is like to coach a team, so my opinion here is only based on what I have seen personally, and I would not want to play for him. I think the only way this team could turn things around is to go out and get a coach that can breathe life into the program. It needs to be someone with history to the city, weather it is a former Bulls player, someone that could put eyeballs on the program and help these kids excel. Never in a million years going to get someone like Jordan, but can you imagine what someone like that could do to a program. Someone with Chicago ties will certianly gain the attention of the Chicago faithful and could IMO turn things around. That being said the school would actually need to care enough about the program to actually go out and do something like that. I have a better chance of monkeys flying out my butt that something even close to that happening, but these young men deserve much better than they are receiving, and as you can see many have realized this and left the program. I guess when you look at it from that perspective their are some postive elements of the transfer portal after all.
|
|
|
Post by Chuck A on Mar 11, 2023 17:01:00 GMT -6
Are there any "successful" programs with similar comps to UIC (i.e., commuter school, major city, limited sports culture, etc.)? There has to be a similar comped team/school that has a some inkling of a blueprint to follow How about the #1 team in the country...the Houston Cougars. Commuter school (85% of students commute), major city (#4) compete against pro sports (Houston Rockets, Houston Texans). Theirs is a blueprint UIC can follow. It can be done. By the way, Coach Yak isn't going anywhere. He's extended until the '25-'26 season.
|
|
|
Post by UICJohn on Mar 11, 2023 21:59:07 GMT -6
Cam Fan:
I know you have insights we don’t have. Sucks to hear that. I know you said Cam is focused on being back next year and working hard to be better. Those things make me worry if he will be back. I won’t ask to to share but hope he is.
Yak had local ties and came so highly recommended. Is the infrastructure at UIC so impossible to overcome? I can’t believe he wood he a finalist for the Michigan job just a year before and then be so ineffective for us.
I just hate not I won’t what is next. We can’t have anyone else leave. We can’t. And we NEED some impact players coming in.
As a comp, Loyola was awful their first year and took until year 6 to get to that crazy level. We need a shake up now. MVC or not, we are stagnant. And that’s an awful place to be.
It should not be that hard to get a fan base on the stadium. Build that, build the program, and let’s go damn it!
|
|
|
Post by flames1106 on Mar 11, 2023 23:16:19 GMT -6
UIC needs a vision of where it aspires to be in hoops. And then as many here have suggested bold, decisive and dramatic actions must be taken to accomplish that. We have been mired in ineptitude for far too long. As a university UIC has made great strides. A successful basketball program could do so much for the schools recognition. Commit the resources, get the right people and make this happen. Enough is enough of all The failures. Go Flames!
|
|
|
Post by goveybaseball on Mar 12, 2023 6:27:51 GMT -6
Why can't Yak follow the Jimmy Collins model? They used to make the tourney and NIT under Collins, played a great non conference, had decent crowds and recruited locally. Ford and Banks were Sun Times player of the year and Bailey and Miller were studs too. Recruiting transfers from Idaho and DUquesne clearly isn't the answer. This will be a huge year for Yak. As of now I would be shocked if Clay, Fens and Jones are back.
|
|
|
Post by flames1106 on Mar 12, 2023 8:48:45 GMT -6
Notice how few of us are responding back and forth on this topic. That’s a big part of the problem. No one cares a bit about UIC basketball anymore . The solution to the Program’s problems goes well beyond needing much better recruiting ( which of course we do) . The fan base must be rebuilt and the team must be marketed much better. No one in Chicago even knows that Flames basketball even exists. That wasn’t the case in the past. UIC should strive to become Chicago’s college basketball team. Again, the Program needs such lofty goals. Think big! Otherwise one thing is certain, nothing will change and we will remain terrible. Of course reaching higher levels will be much easier said than done, but geez at least try!!!
|
|
|
Post by goveybaseball on Mar 12, 2023 9:05:26 GMT -6
I don't see UIC ever becoming Chicago's basketball team. Loyola right now seems to be the thing. Even bad they sold out most of their games. Depaul is in the big east and even they don't get much attention anymore. College hoops just isn't super popular here for some reason.
|
|
|
Post by flames1106 on Mar 12, 2023 9:56:23 GMT -6
Well actually I believe that Loyola should give us inspiration and hope. Their program for decades was terrible. Even worse overall than we’ve been of late . They went over 30 years in between NCAA appearances. Their attendance was just as bad as ours is now. I hold a degree from Loyola as well and have followed Ramblers basketball for a long time ( but to lesser extent than UIC) .15 years ago I would have never thought that it would be Loyola and not UIC that would attain the kind of success that they have. The point of course is if they could do it, why not UIC ? And of course Chicago is clearly a professional sports kind of town. But that doesn’t mean that a college team can’t become very popular here. It’s been a million years ago of course but DePauls teams back in the late ‘70’s and early 80’s were treated like pro teams. I’m not saying we can reach those kinds of levels, but we can always dream LOL And like I said why not UIC ?
|
|
|
Post by uiclaflame on Mar 12, 2023 9:58:00 GMT -6
I don't see UIC ever becoming Chicago's basketball team. Loyola right now seems to be the thing. Even bad they sold out most of their games. Depaul is in the big east and even they don't get much attention anymore. College hoops just isn't super popular here for some reason. A "battle of chicago" style college hoops tourney every year would help this (or even for a handul of years like Iowa's Hy-Vee Classic) - but of course, i doubt the bigger conference teams would want this
|
|
|
Post by uiclaflame on Mar 12, 2023 10:04:53 GMT -6
One thing that hurts UIC hoops vs some other comparble commuter schools mentioned is that it is a much newer institution than most others - so there isn't that tradition of past built there. Still not an excuse though!
While I am expressing frustration lately here - I am hopeful. Other sports (e.g. Baseball, soccer) seem to have some success, and while mens hoops is a different beast, it shows winning nowadays can be done at UIC.
And shoot - if Bracey and our WBB team can continue to get better - maybe the womens team can be a kick in the butt from our fans and/or admin to start investing more energy/strategy into MBB.
|
|
|
Post by Greg on Mar 12, 2023 12:03:48 GMT -6
Believe me I'm as disgusted as anyone here, however; its crazy to say who will or won't leave the program. It's the first year in the MVC, I'm willing to give Yak 1-2 more years, it can turn around
|
|