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Evansville fans traveled so well to Cancun. Pete Gillen couldn’t stop raving about it on the broadcasts. Seems based on the Cancun travel many are boycotting home games and the right hire will reactivate the fan base.

I don't think so. Just because there were a few dozen wealthy Aces fans who could afford to travel to Cancun does not imply there are thousands of "inactive" fans just waiting for Keno Davis to sign on the dotted line before they purchase their season tickets.

Also consider, the non-conference season started better than any of us expected, so there was a certain air of optimism in Cancun. I think that's gone now.

MissouriValleyUnite wrote:Evansville fans traveled so well to Cancun. Pete Gillen couldn’t stop raving about it on the broadcasts. Seems based on the Cancun travel many are boycotting home games and the right hire will reactivate the fan base.

That is what is so frustrating to us long time Aces fans. Pete Gillen, when coaching Xavier, made many trips to Evansville, and I am sure never saw less than 10K in attendance. He probably thinks that is the way things still are.

We have lost 60% of our attendance. The students are apathetic, and most people are sick and tired of Martyball. In addition to his mediocre record, he is simply not endearing to the general public. He is gruff, somewhat introverted, stubborn, and prone to simple nepotism. He clearly places his needs and wants above the program, and that is what has turned many fans away.

I am still convinced with the right coach, and some effort from the university, we can once again be among the leaders in attendance. We still have a strong, and fiercely loyal base. I just hope it is corrected before it is too late.

E-Villan wrote:

MissouriValleyUnite wrote:Evansville fans traveled so well to Cancun. Pete Gillen couldn’t stop raving about it on the broadcasts. Seems based on the Cancun travel many are boycotting home games and the right hire will reactivate the fan base.

That is what is so frustrating to us long time Aces fans. Pete Gillen, when coaching Xavier, made many trips to Evansville, and I am sure never saw less than 10K in attendance. He probably thinks that is the way things still are.

We have lost 60% of our attendance. The students are apathetic, and most people are sick and tired of Martyball. In addition to his mediocre record, he is simply not endearing to the general public. He is gruff, somewhat introverted, stubborn, and prone to simple nepotism. He clearly places his needs and wants above the program, and that is what has turned many fans away.

I am still convinced with the right coach, and some effort from the university, we can once again be among the leaders in attendance. We still have a strong, and fiercely loyal base. I just hope it is corrected before it is too late.

Couldn't agree more.

64 - 53 Salukis in Carbondale. I think SIU Just matches up well with UNI. Pippen was a nightmare for Koch and Phyfe. UNI was ice cold from 3 and a lot were uncontested.

I still have no confidence in SIU being a top 4 Valley team this year. Missing our most important returning stater for the year (Bol) and our best forward off the bench from last year (Wiley) makes me think we are destined for .500 in the valley at best. SIU will probably have 8 seniors next year so hopefully that will be our year to make some noise. Still happy we got the sweep on UNI for the first time since 2003...

DUBulldog wrote:

AndShock wrote:Fun atmosphere in Des Moines. Not what I expected.

Were you there, or just going by what you saw on TV? I was real impressed with how "into" the game the crowd was.

Just TV. Crowd seemed hyped up and attendance looked decent. I actually thought there were more people there than the box score said.

What two week period was it in the past two years where the Hot Take was that private schools were not serious competitors?

I think it was like mid-January 2017.

James_SIU wrote:64 - 53 Salukis in Carbondale. I think SIU Just matches up well with UNI. Pippen was a nightmare for Koch and Phyfe. UNI was ice cold from 3 and a lot were uncontested.

I still have no confidence in SIU being a top 4 Valley team this year. Missing our most important returning stater for the year (Bol) and our best forward off the bench from last year (Wiley) makes me think we are destined for .500 in the valley at best. SIU will probably have 8 seniors next year so hopefully that will be our year to make some noise. Still happy we got the sweep on UNI for the first time since 2003...

With all these teams holding serve at home, it will make for a very tight race down the stretch most of the seeds.

Rambler63 wrote:What two week period was it in the past two years where the Hot Take was that private schools were not serious competitors?

That wasn't a hot take, that's been true for all the privates except Creighton for a decade plus.

That isn't the Loyola I remember from our days together in the Horizon League. I knew they were good (watched the Florida game ) but didn't know just how good until today. They've really seized the opportunity to write a new chapter in the program's history since joining the MVC. Their location, financial resources and strong academic reputation give them a chance to be a very strong program for a long time. This team could do some serious damage if it gets into the tournament. I just hope Valpo seizes the moment like Loyola has. I have to wonder if a team like Loyola Missouri State or Drake could build themselves an at-large case if they could build up some separation from the rest of the Valley this year.