Looks like Slocum will be back!

[ysuguins4]

But at YSU we are content with a losing men's basketball team...

Frustrating.  Isn't it.

[IAA Fan]

Yes it was a good game, but just because Nova is similar to us in football does not mean that we will ever be similar to them in basketball. So I see no correlation, other than both teams play basketball. I want it as well, but my sights a set a bit more realistic.

[go guins]

College basketball is much different than college football. 
What we need in BB is 1AA (not our Dan, but a second level playing for a different national championship)
You simply can't have YSU competing with better towns and programs and expect any success. 
This link is to the worst places to live in Ohio. Guess who is finally #1 in something?  Yup, it's us!

http://www.roadsnacks.net/worst-places-to-live-in-ohio/

Big time MBB players are NOT going to come to YSU.  Big time FB players don't either, but 1AA allows us to compete on a fairly level playing field with other places similar.  Having only 1A in BB is just silly IMO.  Issue is NOT us moving up in FB.  Rather it is the NCAA creating a second level in BB like FB. 

[Penguin Nick]

Are you kidding?  I don't EVER want a 1AA in basketball, this would completely destroy the tournament.  You already have a 1AA in basketball...it's called Division 2.  I'll take college basketball just as it is.  It's YSU who needs to re-evaluate how they operate their basketball program...not a restructuring of college basketball that is needed.  Northern Iowa would much rather go to the Round of 32 or the Sweet 16 than win a 1AA Basketball Championship.

And I was not comparing YSU to Villanova in basketball but we both do play 1AA Football.   

[go guins]

Are you kidding?  I don't EVER want a 1AA in basketball, this would completely destroy the tournament.  You already have a 1AA in basketball...it's called Division 2.  I'll take college basketball just as it is.  It's YSU who needs to re-evaluate how they operate their basketball program...not a restructuring of college basketball that is needed.  Northern Iowa would much rather go to the Round of 32 or the Sweet 16 than win a 1AA Basketball Championship.

And I was not comparing YSU to Villanova in basketball but we both do play 1AA Football.

For maybe one school every couple years, out of hundreds of schools and thousands of athletes, maybe.  Same is true for 1A vs 1AA football.  NDSU would have played in a 1A bowl the last couple years (roughly the round of 32 or Sweet 16 level)   and that would have been it.  One, maybe 2 schools a year. The Peach Bowl or whatever, and usually lose.  You say UNI is happier, but are you saying NDSU players would have been happier playing Georgia State in the Cure Bowl rather than competing for and winning another national title?  I don't think so and I'll bet you 2 things.  1AA basketball would cost less that 1A to be competitive (as is true BIG TIME in football) and it would be much more fun to be competitive than non-competitive as almost every 1AA football school is at 1A basketball.

[ytownchief22]

Basketball is much easier to have success in. Look at all these schools who make noise and get into the NCAA tourney and have great runs. Look at Akron. Perennial power in the MAC. You think any of those kids wanna live in Akron? No. It's all about coaching and this program has the wrong one.

[ytowngirl]

Slocum by far has gotta be the worst DI basketball coach.  I just don't think many other schools would put up with his factory of losing.

[IAA Fan]

Slocum by far has gotta be the worst DI basketball coach.  I just don't think many other schools would put up with his factory of losing.

You are right, but they wold start by providing him with what he needs to be successful. Then provide expectations. It has only been a couple of years since the conference "bully" left. MY biggest fear is that Valpo becomes the same bully in the HL, that they were in the MidCon. This is a new conference and changes are in the works, let's just wait and see. If something happens with Slocum before this ...then so be it.

Nick:

I am not necessarily in favor if a lower-division in DI men's basketball, but all the arguments that you make to Go Guins also apply to I-AA football. SO have this split in all DI sports may not be so far-fetched of a concept.

Also, Chief since when is Akron a "perennial power" in the MAC? Kent is the only perennial power in the MAC. Maybe OU years and years ago. Akron is like UWM, they floated to the top of the HL cup under Pearl ...now they are all but non-existent. Same thing will happen to Akron. Then look at a couple of past MCC/HL powers that defected to the MVC.

[Penguin Nation]

You are right, but they wold start by providing him with what he needs to be successful.
 

1AA--

He has the tools.  I posted on another thread that we were #5/10 in recruiting budget in the HL.  Why then, doesn't he recruit better than half of the HL? Because he's not a good recruiter.

Salary shouldn't matter.  One should perform at your best and EARN a raise.  If he performed well, then like Bolden, Tressel, and maybe now Barnes...he'll leave for much better pay.  So we can assume that Slocum is performing at his maximum.

I read that YSU WBB has for the fourth straight year has a higher attendance than either Can't or Akron WBB.  Success creates success.  Because of Bolden's and Barnes performance, everyone wins.  YSU gets more gate revenue, the YSU HCs get MAC HC offers and more $$, and the fans get to savor victory.

So we can say salary isn't a factor, nor is recruiting budget.  The facilities are adequate IMO.  What tools does Slocum not have?

[IAA Fan]

I think you severely underestimate the talent that we have recruited the past two years & Slocum did recruit those. I also would like to see our recruiting rank over each the past 10-years, as I suspect it only recently began to rise. I also suspect that we have to suffer significantly in other key financial areas to have the mid-pack recruiting budget.

Clearly much of this is because we lack a local recruiting base that most other HL schools have. We are not in Chicago, Detroit, nor even the tri-state area that WSU can recruit from. It might be time to consider a heavy local focus, as Tressel once did in football (late 80's to mid-90's). However, that really hampered his replacements. Do you think we have the local talent for this?

[ytownchief22]

Doesn't matter if he can or can't recruit. The guy can't keep any of his players in the program. The transfer list keeps growing and growing.

[Penguin Nation]

Clearly much of this is because we lack a local recruiting base that most other HL schools have. We are not in Chicago, Detroit, nor even the tri-state area that WSU can recruit from. It might be time to consider a heavy local focus, as Tressel once did in football (late 80's to mid-90's). However, that really hampered his replacements. Do you think we have the local talent for this?

Wright State recruited Mark Hughes from Ursuline, and as a Freshman this year was in WSU's top 7 in minutes and scoring.  Why did WSU out-recruit Slocum....here in Youngstown?

[jbags]

Underestimate the talent he has recruited ?! Then how do you explain his record if his talent is that good?!

[IAA Fan]

Wright State recruited Mark Hughes from Ursuline, and as a Freshman this year was in WSU's top 7 in minutes and scoring.  Why did WSU out-recruit Slocum....here in Youngstown?

You know the answer to that question in football recruiting, so why do you not think it applies to other sports and local talent? Why do most MAC schools out recruit us? It really has much less (that you might think) to do with a different level of ball either. WSU is 5-hours from Youngstown. The kid went away to school. Players want the college experience & that is difficult to overcome outside of a "special project" ...which we have had plenty of in MBB and football.

Now he drives to WSU and hears these words "Wright State is a basketball school, YSU is a football school". Game, set, match.

[Penguin Nation]

Wright State recruited Mark Hughes from Ursuline, and as a Freshman this year was in WSU's top 7 in minutes and scoring.  Why did WSU out-recruit Slocum....here in Youngstown?

You know the answer to that question in football recruiting, so why do you not think it applies to other sports and local talent? Why do most MAC schools out recruit us? It really has much less (that you might think) to do with a different level of ball either. WSU is 5-hours from Youngstown. The kid went away to school. Players want the college experience & that is difficult to overcome outside of a "special project" ...which we have had plenty of in MBB and football.

Now he drives to WSU and hears these words "Wright State is a basketball school, YSU is a football school". Game, set, match.

I picked Hughes as an example because he selected a school in the same conference as YSU, not a higher RPI conference like the MAC. 

If YSU is a football school, then it's not evident during the Strollo era.  I would consider YSU an all-sports school.  In the last 6 years I'd say WBB has been our premier sport.  Also, I would argue a school lacking FB doesn't have a complete "college experience."

Going back to the original point, what tools does Slocum not have?  There is local talent (Hughes is an example), he has (had) the 5th highest recruiting budget, and he has decent facilities.