Game 8, 2023-24: vs West Virginia (Springfield, 12/16)

[Marty Peretz]

Not if your Tre's bank account.

[umasscollective]

It is so messed up that he is now on his 4th school. College hoops is in a really bad place.

McCall fired.
Beard fired.
Huggins fired.

He's a kid bettering himself after tough situations at each school he was previously at. Go Tre Go!

[69MG]

Talking about the actual game, WVU has basically under-achieved this year. They have more talent than their won-loss record shows. They will also be the biggest team we have faced this year, with their 2 best players being 6'9 and 6'11. On top of that, their point guard is finally able to play after an NCAA suspension.

As you can tell, this game really worries me.

[NilesGold]

^ It's going to be really interesting to see how UMass fares with Jesse Edwards. WVU's big man is good defensively, blocks a lot of shots, looks pretty agile, but I don't know if he's all that physical of a player. Cohen seems to struggle most with guys who make it hard for him to establish good post position.

[eldonabe]

It is so messed up that he is now on his 4th school. College hoops is in a really bad place.

McCall fired.
Beard fired.
Huggins fired.

He's a kid bettering himself after tough situations at each school he was previously at. Go Tre Go!

Tre is like a Basketball Black Widow - wherever he goes, the coach gets fired!

[DoctorJ]

Would take a big buyout to fire Cal.

Hey, maybe it works out for us in the long run! Tre goes to Kentucky and gets Cal fired. Cal comes back as Athletic Director and Head of Hoop Recruiting and we return to the golden days.

[UMassFan99]

Talking about the actual game, WVU has basically under-achieved this year. They have more talent than their won-loss record shows. They will also be the biggest team we have faced this year, with their 2 best players being 6'9 and 6'11. On top of that, their point guard is finally able to play after an NCAA suspension.

As you can tell, this game really worries me.

Was hoping he wouldn’t be back until the game after lol

[DoctorJ]

Not sure how we will handle WV. Really hoping for a solid game.

Now is time to rise to the occasion. I'm sure they've all had the game marked on their calendars for a while and it means a lot.

[Jeff90]

Our lack of size a major concern in this game.

[minutefanjsf]

Our lack of size a major concern in this game.

We are very strong though. Height is an issue, but I think the strength and heart these guys have can compensate for the lack of height.

[devildawg3010]

It is so messed up that he is now on his 4th school. College hoops is in a really bad place.

McCall fired.
Beard fired.
Huggins fired.

He's a kid bettering himself after tough situations at each school he was previously at. Go Tre Go!

He left a year before McCall was fired
He left the team before Beard was fired.
He left immediately after Higgins resigned.

I think it worked out pretty well for him. Going to four schools is quite a college experience. Being coached by McCall, Beard, Huggins, and Cal is also pretty remarkable. Hope he has a good year.

[inthescoop]

WVU may have good talent on their end, but they do not have an identity, and this is absolutely a winnable game.

Wonder how the crowd will be in neighboring Springfield.

[Juice Stand]

^If the department puts some effort into marketing this game, it should be well attended. The early game features FAU, who was in the Final 4 last year, and we're playing a national brand in WVU (casual fans don't know if they're good this year or not, they just know the name West Virginia basketball). Add in that Springfield is much bigger than Amherst, more accessible, and you have good dining, the casino, and the basketball HoF right there, and I would expect a real nice crowd.

Last year we played North Texas, who was really good, but the casual fan didn't know that so it wasn't a draw, only 3,426 in attendance. West Virginia is definitely a draw. I'm hoping for 5,000+

[umasscollective]

^If the department puts some effort into marketing this game, it should be well attended. The early game features FAU, who was in the Final 4 last year, and we're playing a national brand in WVU (casual fans don't know if they're good this year or not, they just know the name West Virginia basketball). Add in that Springfield is much bigger than Amherst, more accessible, and you have good dining, the casino, and the basketball HoF right there, and I would expect a real nice crowd.

Last year we played North Texas, who was really good, but the casual fan didn't know that so it wasn't a draw, only 3,426 in attendance. West Virginia is definitely a draw. I'm hoping for 5,000+

The event/game is put on by the Hall of Fame, so technically they market it.

What do you think can be done better on the marketing side overall? Form the Mass Co perspective, we’re trying everything we can - even for an event like Fridays with Marcus Camby - and it’s frustrating we’ve only sold 400 or so raffle tickets for all those great experiences.

[Juice Stand]

I have zero marketing experience, but I would try to schedule some time with the players and some schools or youth groups. Can the school buy a block of tickets and donate it to a group? It's too late to schedule it now, but a live episode of the Being Frank podcast somewhere in Springfield (casino, HoF, popular sports bar). I remember Derek Kellogg used to do some of these types of things when he was coach, maybe the rumbleseat in Chicopee? Even though it is a HoF event, there's nothing from stopping the school from doing a marketing push, right?

They've spent a lot of time trying to engage with students so far, this is a chance to engage with the local population and folks down in Hampden County. There are mixed opinions about Frank from some, but he's great in front of a mic and incredibly social.