Keating & Walters Pack their Bags ( Thread Merge )

[ProjectMKUltra5]

Another idea is double header SCU vs USF_____SMC vs GU

Ugh. Seattle needs to get its **** together and get SODO shovel ready

[LongIslandZagFan]

Tell that to all the cities that have lost teams because they wouldn't build a new stadium. Like the Sonics for one.

You are comparing college hoops to the NBA??? last I checked USF isn't threatening to move.

[LongIslandZagFan]

An occasional change can build some buzz, sort of like the BiS. A marquee matchup might generate broader interest. Winning those of course is key to sustaining the interest.

We are still talking about USF... right?

[Zagceo]

We are still talking about USF... right?

Did You Know?
The Dons played their final games without a true home gym at the end of the 1957-58 basketball season.

For bigger opponents USF had used the mammoth Cow Palace, but for most tilts the Civic Auditorium, Winterland and Kezar Pavilion were used for the home courts.

USF had practiced in a high school gym borrowed for the afternoon from the local preps.

Completed in October of 1958, Memorial Gym was christened at the start of the 1958-59 season.

LINK

[USF]

Interesting quote: "Trash program, lots of players transferring out. If not for those lucky home wins vs. GU forever ago,". USF has never been a "cellar dwellar" in the WCC under Walters. USD, LMU and SCU and Portland have consistently finished below the Dons under Rex. USF beat Gonzaga three years in a row (2010, 2011 and 2012). Not all lucky and not "forever" ago. With the exception of the 3rd place finish 2 season ago, USF has been a middle of the pack team. No better, no worse.

And to clear up a few statements made on this thread. Oracle is a very modern facility and was uprgraded a few years back. Location is not great, but it cannot be described as old or fading. Chase Arena will get built, but it will take time. San Francisco politics and special interest make it very tough to build anything, but it will get done. And you are not supposed to park at Chase. Public Transportation is the only way really, just like AT& T Park.

I dont think anyone is pretending that USF will make their home in Chase arena. But there is a possibility that they could host a game or tournament there.

USF does not seat 5000. It's capacity is 4,500.

USF received a $ 15m gift from the Sobratos and WMG will undergo a major renovation. Capacity will actually be reduced, from what I hear. The work may take 3 years.

USF is also planning to build a dedicated practice facility in the space east of WMG. Again, I hear the money is there.

[LongIslandZagFan]

LINK

1950s... You are talking about the 1950s. I am talking about today... current history... not when my parents were teenagers.

St. John's used to play most of their games in MSG... now they play them at home in a much smaller arena... because it didn't make sense to have 18000 seats for 3000 people.

[Zagceo]

Good info USF. Thanks

Georgetown plays Home games in the Verizon Center…never say never.

Catch a little lightening in the Warrior magic and who knows.

[LongIslandZagFan]

Interesting quote: "Trash program, lots of players transferring out. If not for those lucky home wins vs. GU forever ago,". USF has never been a "cellar dwellar" in the WCC under Walters. USD, LMU and SCU and Portland have consistently finished below the Dons under Rex. USF beat Gonzaga three years in a row (2010, 2011 and 2012). Not all lucky and not "forever" ago. With the exception of the 3rd place finish 2 season ago, USF has been a middle of the pack team. No better, no worse.

And to clear up a few statements made on this thread. Oracle is a very modern facility and was uprgraded a few years back. Location is not great, but it cannot be described as old or fading. Chase Arena will get built, but it will take time. San Francisco politics and special interest make it very tough to build anything, but it will get done. And you are not supposed to park at Chase. Public Transportation is the only way really, just like AT& T Park.

I dont think anyone is pretending that USF will make their home in Chase arena. But there is a possibility that they could host a game or tournament there.

USF does not seat 5000. It's capacity is 4,500.

USF received a $ 15m gift from the Sobratos and WMG will undergo a major renovation. Capacity will actually be reduced, from what I hear. The work may take 3 years.

USF is also planning to build a dedicated practice facility in the space east of WMG. Again, I hear the money is there.

And you still don't fill it up... honestly, that is fine... my point wasn't a knock on WMG or USF fans... but the idea that playing at Chase doesn't make sense when with even your biggest home games you aren't at capacity.

[Zagceo]

1950s... You are talking about the 1950s. I am talking about today... current history... not when my parents were teenagers.

St. John's used to play most of their games in MSG... now they play them at home in a much smaller arena... because it didn't make sense to have 18000 seats for 3000 people.

So if I said ….Why not have Stanford vs USF in AT&T Park that would be understandable in light of USD vs SDSU game in PETCO field but in a new basketball arena….crazy talk.

[sideshow06]

We've recently had this conversation over at GIAG. A big factor that has to be considered is the expiration date of contracts and contract extensions. If a school wants to fire a coach before their contract is up, they may have to buy out the contract or at least part of it. Majors do this all the time, but most schools in our league are penny conscious and would finish out a contract rather than buy a coach out and then have to pay a replacement on top of that. This is probably one of the main reasons Grier got one more year last season. His contract wasn't up and USD probably figured better to wait a year then have to pay up.

That being said, Keating's contract is up this year. There's a pretty good chance he's out based on the new AD talking about changes and the fact he simply hasn't done much in his nine years. Rex's contract expiration is debated amongst a few who say they're in the know. Possibly up this year (in which case I think they make a move - or he does... he's probably the only one who has some prospects as an NBA assistant). But according to some sources, his contract may extend as far as '17-'18, which means he probably sticks around for a bit. I could be wrong, but I don't think there's a lot of pressure on Reveno, and he's well regarded as a coach and person in general. True, nice guy is not enough, but sometimes that goes a long way in a working relationship.

So my call is KK is out. Rex MIGHT be, but it depends on the contract not his performance. Reveno is sticking around.

[sideshow06]

Makes all the difference. I wonder if SMC suffers a bit from being fairly inaccessible.

This is a totally different subject we've batted around several times on GIAG, but this is one of the main reasons why SMC's attendance will never really be anything like Gonzaga's even if our on-court results are similar, and we will never build a larger gym. Our campus is a 15 minute drive from the nearest freeway. You throw in the fact that we compete for entertainment dollars with Cal, Stanford, USF, SCU, San Jose State, and a bunch of pro teams from EVERY sport... we'll never be the draw that the Zags are in Spokane. Our tiny little gym (including the coming expansion of about 500 seats) is about all we'll be able to support. Ever. Sure, an occasional big game at the Coliseum could happen (and has in the past). And some games the fire marshall should be called and we probably could have sold another 1000 tickets. But we will not be building a new arena for a long long time (and even then it would probably be the same size, just nicer).

[SCU]

Just to chime in-

Santa Clara, while riding the buzz of the Nash era NCAA trips, played Kansas at then Compaq (which became HP Pavilion, and is now SAP center). They also played SJSU there once, maybe twice. That arena is borderline walkable (at least for the kids) from campus.

I think it was 2004 when SCU upset eventual national champs North Carolina @ Oracle. Results trailed off, and we haven't done it since. It was rumored two or so years ago, right after we won 20 games in that pay-to-play tourney, that Stanford would play SCU at SAP. Unfortunately, our academic calendars mesh in a way that we have finals in consecutive weeks, so we would have to play really early in the non-conf, and neither side wants to. Since then, Dawkins and Keating seem to have warm seats.

With the new AD and the influx of funds into the program, I wouldn't be surprised to see a marque game in Oracle/SAP/Chase/Golden 1 Center in the coming seasons, if the quality of play improves. While we're talking ancient history, as USF fans are wont to do (sorry), SCU played home games in San Francisco into the 50's, and played almost all home games in downtown San Jose until 1975.

As for the actual discussion this thread was supposed to be about, Santa Clara has a new AD who is very no non-sense. Since she has arrived, SCU has had very successful seasons in Mens and Womens soccer, Volleyball, and Women's hoops has 22 wins (we'll see y'all tonight). A recent Mercury News article hints that Keating is not long for this world.

The idea is that Coonan, the old AD, was hamstrung by KK's contract and an unwillingness by a contingent of SCU boosters to admit defeat on his (controversial) hiring. The OK seems to be there now, and SCU's recent strategic plan outlined being "nationally competitive" in Men's Basketball by 2020. It's hard to imagine, baring some ironclad clauses in 'Nine Lives' Keating's contract, him being here two weeks from now. 9 seasons was far too many, and the apathy among alumni, students, and even the players is pretty high. Between the start of the NCAA tournament (1939) and 1996, SCU went to the dance 11 times, and had 4 NIT trips. That's 15 legitimate post season trips in 57 years, or one NCAA/NIT every 3.8 years. We haven't been in 20 years now, it's really a shame. SCU was long know to give anybody a good game, and to win far more often that it lost. The laughing stock it has become is truly sorrowful for us.

[seacatfan]

Tell that to all the cities that have lost teams because they wouldn't build a new stadium. Like the Sonics for one.

A little bit of collusion by the NBA commish at the time helped Seattle "lose" the Sonics. Some would still to this day say the Sonics were stolen rather than lost.

[Once and Future Zag]

The idea is that Coonan, the old AD, was hamstrung by KK's contract and an unwillingness by a contingent of SCU boosters to admit defeat on his (controversial) hiring. The OK seems to be there now, and SCU's recent strategic plan outlined being "nationally competitive" in Men's Basketball by 2020. It's hard to imagine, baring some ironclad clauses in 'Nine Lives' Keating's contract, him being here two weeks from now. 9 seasons was far too many, and the apathy among alumni, students, and even the players is pretty high. Between the start of the NCAA tournament (1939) and 1996, SCU went to the dance 11 times, and had 4 NIT trips. That's 15 legitimate post season trips in 57 years, or one NCAA/NIT every 3.8 years. We haven't been in 20 years now, it's really a shame. SCU was long know to give anybody a good game, and to win far more often that it lost. The laughing stock it has become is truly sorrowful for us.

Without getting too deep into the issues, a lot of us here thought it was a shame the way that Dick Davey was shown the door. Hell of a coach.

[seacatfan]

Reveno seemed to be building some momentum at one point at UP, but he's gone the wrong direction since then. I don't see that program going anywhere. In any given year 4th place in the WCC is pretty much up for grabs. The Pilots haven't been close to that for a while as far as I can remember. It is possible to win there. Before GU started their run I remember UP going to the NCAA Tourney and actually give the Fab Five era Michigan a run for their money in the first half, but couldn't maintain it. Had a couple Oregon St. transfers that ended up being good players (I wanna say Ray Ross and Canaan Chatman, probably both played their HS ball in the Portland area). And most WCC schools are overshadowed by Pac 12 schools and/or professional sports, so I'm not buying that excuse.


Speaking of empty arenas, has anyone ever gone to a Seattle U. game? I can't say that I ever watch them on TV, but I gotta imagine there's well over 10,000 empty seats when they play at Key Arena.