Sec ranks in winning % in big 3 last 3 years (sec games only)

[msstate7]

Football = 9th (46%)
Baseball = 6th (58%)
Basketball = 6th (54%)

I just don't see how our basketball program is embarrassing other than the support we give it

[deadheaddawg]

The competition isn't even.

The sec is the best conference in football and baseball. The competition is very tough. Being competitive in the sec in football and baseball means you can be competitive on a national level.

In basketball the sec isn't nearly as strong. So while we may be a middle of the pack SEC team in basketball, that doesn't translate the same way a middle of the pack baseball or football does.

[msstate7]

The competition isn't even.

The sec is the best conference in football and baseball. The competition is very tough. Being competitive in the sec in football and baseball means you can be competitive on a national level.

In basketball the sec isn't nearly as strong. So while we may be a middle of the pack SEC team in basketball, that doesn't translate the same way a middle of the pack baseball or football does.

We were NIT semi finals in 2017

5-seed in ncaat in 2018 (obviously disappointing loss to end it)

This year is yet to be determined

Again, I'm not embarrassed by our basketball program.

[PGHBulldogBG]

Many fans see four and five star players on our basketball roster and think we should be Kentucky. Florida Auburn and LSU have those players too and aren?t really that far ahead of us in the standings this year. In fact UF, Aub and LSU were all picked preseason ahead of State. If we finish 5th in the SEC I don?t see what we are complaining about when that?s about where we should be based on our roster vs the other SEC teams. Sure I wish Howland was a better X and O coach but he?s keeping us competitive and recruiting is good

[Cooterpoot]

Expectations are rarely met. I think eliminating divisions has hurt too because we've got nothing to compete for except a top 6 finish now. Then you've got the whole bullshit seating arrangement that caters to the money toting blue hairs, while treating students like they've got corona virus.

[msstate7]

Expectations are rarely met. I think eliminating divisions has hurt too because we've got nothing to compete for except a top 6 finish now. Then you've got the whole bullshit seating arrangement that caters to the money toting blue hairs, while treating students like they've got corona virus.

We've certainly got issues with attendance that we have to figure out. Wish we could come up with a reward program for season ticket holders that their tickets get used 80% of the time or something similar.

[Saltydog]

Part of the problem is that we lose some games we shouldn't but we rarely beat a team that's better than us...?.We wouldn't be in this mess right now if we'd won games against NMSU, La Tech, UM, A&M...?..That is compounded by the perceived lack of effort in some of those...?.If we'd just won two of those, this probably isn't a discussion right now.....

[Cooterpoot]

The OM game ended all support (that was there) just about like Morehead losing to Mullen. Fans are tired of watching that kind of crap.

[BeardoMSU]

I think eliminating divisions has hurt too because we've got nothing to compete for except a top 6 finish now.

SEC West banners?

Going 8-8 but "winning a championship" is not the same as "competing"....but that was Stans' bread and butter. It was telling he was the only HC to vote to keep divisions back then.

[Cooterpoot]

SEC West banners?

Going 8-8 but "winning a championship" is not the same as "competing"....but that was Stans' bread and butter. It was telling he was the only HC to vote to keep divisions back then.

But the fans liked it and we weren't struggling to get asses in the seats. We've played for nothing since, and fans are gone.

[thf24]

Many fans see four and five star players on our basketball roster and think we should be Kentucky.

The thing they don't understand is that there's a very wide spectrum of players crunched together at the very top of the rating scale in basketball. The kind of players blue bloods like UK recruit are on a completely different level than the kind of high four and low five stars Stansbury and Howland so far have recruited, even though they're only a point or two (or less) apart in rating. If basketball ratings were spread out to the same degree as football, my guess is our average rating would be around a low four star.

Expectations are rarely met.

Expectations are often set too high based on revisionist history.

[Liverpooldawg]

We've certainly got issues with attendance that we have to figure out. Wish we could come up with a reward program for season ticket holders that their tickets get used 80% of the time or something similar.

We used ours 90% of the time for 20+ years, till we were stripped of our seats that we were promised we could always have as long as we bought tickets. There were a bunch of people like us. Many quit when it happened, we carried on for a few years (with better seats) but it just wasn't the same. We found ourselves going less and less (this was prior to Ray) because we didn't know the people around us, and they were never the same year to year and many times from game to game. There were a lot of cooperate seats around us. It wasn't uncommon for opposition fans to be in those seats. It just wasn't as much fun. I wouldn't go back to being a season ticket holder now even if they go back to doing it the way they used to. I wouldn't believe one word MSU said about it. I don't like being lied to. I still go to a game every now and then, but I only do it when I absolutely want to and when I easily can. I don't plan things around it anymore or go when it would be the least bit of a bother. I used to. There are a lot of locals still around like me, or locals who were our kids. If they hadn't changed it, I'd almost certainly have stayed with it. Most of them would have too. The core of the basketball fanbase that went to the Hump for most games, esp the weekday games, lived mostly with in an hour or so of Starkville. It wasn't large, but it WAS the core of the crowd. It was maybe 2500 to 3500 people. We lost a lot of them because of the choice that Greg Byrne made.

[Cooterpoot]

The thing they don't understand is that there's a very wide spectrum of players crunched together at the very top of the rating scale in basketball. The kind of players blue bloods like UK recruit are on a completely different level than the kind of high four and low five stars Stansbury and Howland so far have recruited, even though they're only a point or two (or less) apart in rating. If basketball ratings were spread out to the same degree as football, my guess is our average rating would be around a low four star.



Expectations are often set too high based on revisionist history.

Yeah, losing to La Tech, OM, NMSU etc. should be expected***

[DawgNsuds]

We've certainly got issues with attendance that we have to figure out. Wish we could come up with a reward program for season ticket holders that their tickets get used 80% of the time or something similar.

You mean like this?

MEN’S BASKETBALL

2019-20 SCAN REWARDS:
50% SCANS: Entered to Win 2 Tickets to the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament + 20% Off State Style Purchase
75% SCANS: 1 Bulldog Club Point + Men's Basketball Locker Room Tour + Entered to Win One of Five Team Signed Basketballs
90% SCANS: 1 Bulldog Club Point (2 Total) + Shoot Around in the Hump + Entered to Win One of Five Coach Howland Signed Jerseys

https://hailstate.com/sports/2017/11...-programs.aspx

I have MBB tickets but don't live in Starkville and can't make all of the games. The reality is that often times, I can't even give them away.

[thf24]

Yeah, losing to La Tech, OM, NMSU etc. should be expected***

Parity in basketball is the highest it's ever been and continuing to steadily increase. See UK vs Evansville this year. We in particular have never been above losing non-conference games like those, and those kind of teams are only getting better. So no, it shouldn't be a strong expectation not to lose any games like that ever. As far as OM, it was a rivalry game on the road. Yes, it was embarrassing and disappointing, but I'm never going to be surprised at anything that happens when we play that school in almost anything.

[BrunswickDawg]

Parity in basketball is the highest it's ever been and continuing to steadily increase. See UK vs Evansville this year. We in particular have never been above losing non-conference games like those, and those kind of teams are only getting better. So no, it shouldn't be a strong expectation not to lose any games like that ever. As far as OM, it was a rivalry game on the road. Yes, it was embarrassing and disappointing, but I'm never going to be surprised at anything that happens when we play that school in almost anything.

And NMSU is currently projected as a 14 seed, probably WAC champ; La Tech can get in if they win CUSA (they are 2nd, 1 game back of North Texas with 3 to play) - so It's not like we went out and lost to an 8-18 UNO.
We actually played a decent OOC schedule this year - and did relatively well - which is why we are still in the first four out right now.

We just need to win these last 3 and take care of business

[Johnson85]

And NMSU is currently projected as a 14 seed, probably WAC champ; La Tech can get in if they win CUSA (they are 2nd, 1 game back of North Texas with 3 to play) - so It's not like we went out and lost to an 8-18 UNO.
We actually played a decent OOC schedule this year - and did relatively well - which is why we are still in the first four out right now.

We just need to win these last 3 and take care of business

It seems like we really didn't the way the committee seems to reward good wins and ignore losses to good teams. I know there is a limit to how many good teams we can play while still filling out our home schedule in an economically favorable way, but I think we need to add a few more opportunities for good wins OOC.

[R2Dawg]

Expectations are rarely met. I think eliminating divisions has hurt too because we've got nothing to compete for except a top 6 finish now. Then you've got the whole bullshit seating arrangement that caters to the money toting blue hairs, while treating students like they've got corona virus.

Somewhat true on expectations. As 7 posted we are not an embarrassment at all, 7-8 years ago was. We can be near the top again. SEC is not a basketball conf as many have noted. UK and UF about the only real top programs. LSU, UT, Aub, SC all temporary success just like we have been.

[Ari Gold]

West banners..?? Wow.. there is a reason every sec coach but one voted for the way the format is now .. and that one was Stands..
so losing to OM “did it” for most fans.. I guess OM blowhards are right all that matters is beating them... how sad

People are running out of excuses to get behind the men’s hoops team. If you don’t want to that’s fine.. just stop bogging down threads with bullshit like Fire Ben , he can’t coach, team doesn’t play hard, ect... just don’t watch but don’t jump on board if we make the dance and if we make a run

And enough with the students are getting screwed... they barely fill up the lower levels as is and are as dead as any student section in the league..yes it would be nice to get them down closer to the action.. but lower level student seating should be full EVERY GAME. thank God Candyman sits in the student section he is the only one with a pulse there.. When the band is leading the way in noise made coming for the student section it’s a sad deal..

And with the lower level season tickets holders. There are 9 home league games .. maybe 4 or 5 are going to be on a weekend.. so you know that half the games are going to be played on Tuesday or Wednesday... so stop acting like it’s a shock we play a midweek game at 8
And yes they are all on TV if you enjoy watching them on Tv stop buying season tickets. I’m sure some of the upper level fans that come to over half of the games would love those lower level options

[Joebob]

West banners..?? Wow.. there is a reason every sec coach but one voted for the way the format is now .. and that one was Stands..
so losing to OM “did it” for most fans.. I guess OM blowhards are right all that matters is beating them... how sad

People are running out of excuses to get behind the men’s hoops team. If you don’t want to that’s fine.. just stop bogging down threads with bullshit like Fire Ben , he can’t coach, team doesn’t play hard, ect... just don’t watch but don’t jump on board if we make the dance and if we make a run

And enough with the students are getting screwed... they barely fill up the lower levels as is and are as dead as any student section in the league..yes it would be nice to get them down closer to the action.. but lower level student seating should be full EVERY GAME. thank God Candyman sits in the student section he is the only one with a pulse there.. When the band is leading the way in noise made coming for the student section it’s a sad deal..

And with the lower level season tickets holders. There are 9 home league games .. maybe 4 or 5 are going to be on a weekend.. so you know that half the games are going to be played on Tuesday or Wednesday... so stop acting like it’s a shock we play a midweek game at 8
And yes they are all on TV if you enjoy watching them on Tv stop buying season tickets. I’m sure some of the upper level fans that come to over half of the games would love those lower level options

The students don’t get excited for the same reason I don’t. It’s the way the team plays. Why is that so hard to understand?