KeaneyBlue - The URI Basketball Forum

Anybody got a feel for how the student buzz is? I'm curious as to how many students will show up to games right off the bat. On the one hand I can see it being minimal, given our win/loss record from last year. But on the other hand the Hurley factor makes me think we'd see a decent turnout. Midnight Madness should be a good indicator I would think. Are they doing anything to promote it on campus?

I have a feeling that student buzz will come from winning basketball.
They generally don't seem as into the school's programs as in years ago, when it was
a must to go to the games.

Yeah, can't say I blame them after 11 years of mediocrity.

when i was there (last 5 years) outside the mob there wasn't a whole lot of interest

Ultimately it's going to be winning. The Mob keeps getting bigger every year, but even if everyone IN the Mob went to the games (they don't), it still won't be enough. Just win, baby. A win in either game at Mohegan Sun would be HUGE in terms of generating student interest (might take a miracle tho).

Unless they're really into basketball, I don't think many students have any idea who the Hurleys are. Winning, entertaining basketball is the answer to drawing student interest.

The student attendance on Friday I think would be a pretty good indicator of the buzz on campus.

The key is Freshmen. They usually show up in droves at the start of every season until the inevitable drop of interest when things get stagnant. Once we win, the kids will come once again.

Beating teams the students have heard of is the only way to get their attention. Unless they are diehard college basketball fans they have probably not heard of the Hurleys...they were playing when these kids were just born!

As a current student I'll say that a lot of people are interested in the team this year. Most students known nothing about college hoops but everyone knows that Hurley is supposed to be a good coach and are at least curious to see the team. Hopefully the Mob can get its act together and form a proper student section and encourage more students to get involved. The school needs a menacing student section.

Winning - and consistent winning - will cure the attendance woes.

Good thread, Mbang, you were right on the money. If they win either one of the Mohegan games, there will be a rush on tickets. I agree with some that many students don't know the Hurley's. The press conference was a good example. There were more "chatboarders" there than students. Go Rhody!

There was one season I remember where the campus was actually on fire for basketball and that was (one of) our huge collapse years.

We beat 'cuse and were 8-1 or 7-1 when PC was coming to the Ryan Center. There was a legitimate stampede and ensuing riot for tickets when gates opened, and there were people in tents for second semester games.

Let's face it, Rhody is a shitty bandwagon campus for the most part. Sports aren't a part of people's routines unless we're winning.

Win and it'll come back faster than you could imagine.

Like Baltimore Orioles fans, our fans will storm the bandwagon, knock it over and be back like nothing happened with a few good wins.

Blue Man, I think that was the last year that URI was ranked. I think we were as high as 21...but i could be wrong.

I think you're right...we had that one loss to Duke and went into the Dayton game at 15-1, and then slowly became part of the process again.

Rhody Guy wrote:Blue Man, I think that was the last year that URI was ranked. I think we were as high as 21...but i could be wrong.

You're spot on... National Rankings as of Jan 14, 2008

Blue Man wrote:I think you're right...we had that one loss to Duke and went into the Dayton game at 15-1, and then slowly became part of the process again.

The loss was to Boston College, but point taken. Our high water mark as far as national rankings was that big faceoff against Dayton. Unfortunately, it was one of the few times we actually lost to Dayton.

ATPTourFan wrote: The loss was to Boston College, but point taken. Our high water mark as far as national rankings was that big faceoff against Dayton. Unfortunately, it was one of the few times we actually lost to Dayton.

ohhh right. I stand corrected. So many big wins/close losses/late season collapses, my brain has made them all one.

I think right now the most important thing to do is target the current freshmen. It'll be tough to get last year's freshmen to come back. Just like Hurley is rebuilding the team, it is important for athletic's marketing team to rebuild the culture. I think that they are bit hands off and trying to let the Mob market to the students. Im not convinced that its the best way to do it. There are only 200 something people invited to their event on Facebook. ...not sure if a big enough effort is being made to bring students to games.

I agree with the others that said the only real thing that matters is winning. Even if you are able to get some students excited early in the year, they will quickly lose interest if the wins aren't there. I used to go to all the games as a student because I am a die hard Rhody and college hoops fan in general, and then I interned in the media relations office for a semester so I would work the games. But when it came to my roommates and other more "casual" fans, they were only interested in going when the team was winning games. So while some of these marketing efforts are certainly worthwhile, it will always come down to winning in the end, there are too many other things for these kids to do instead of go to games.

There has been a blitz on social media primarily focused on getting students to Madness. The more that show, the better the atmosphere will be...which will hopefully resonate with at least a larger base once the season begins.

It will take "quality" wins to bring back the student buzz. JB was the winningest (and losingest) head coach in URI history. But, if you don't win, then you are not going to get many quality wins. Quality wins is what gets you national attention and will revive student buzz.

I expect people are jacked up like us and when we do win it will be insanity

reef wrote:I expect people are jacked up like us and when we do win it will be insanity

Since that Pats are facing their old coach, Pete Carroll, this Sunday, let's say we're "pumped and jacked" about Madness and the program in general.

Oh yeah gotta love California Pete !!!

Was in the Union and the Ram's Den on Wed and very disappointed that I didn't see any signs or flyers for Rhody Madness. Certainly a mistake if they are only relying on social media to drum up interest.

Hopefully the players will storm all the well-populated areas right about now and personally spread the word.

One thing I remember when I was in school was that many of the kids went home on weekends. The campus was pretty dead after Friday classes. Is it still like that now? That's another thing that could affect how many students go to MM tonight.

probably not as much this weekend since last weekend was a long one. Kids do still go home but campus isn't deserted by any means

Its Family Weekend this weekend so if anything there should be a more than normal amount of students on campus. Rhody Madness is a listed event on the weekend schedule so that should give attendance a little boost.

Looks like the players are pushing it...

Eric Youncofski‏@EricYouncofski
Just handed some flyers out for #RhodyMadness everyone is real excited! You don't wanna miss it!