Michigan State/Hollis '18 venture with UNC/Tex/Fla
I first heard on the radio on the way home today that Mark Hollis has concocted a round robin series with UNC, Texas, and Florida. All four teams would use the same airplane to get to their one game in New York, Chicago, and LA and the whole affair would span eight days during the winter holiday break.
You know, we like to make fun of him for tweeting at Trey Burke and bastardizing the English language, but can we make fun of him about this?
(I'm not marking this OT because it involves a school in our state/conference/division/a rival and sort of meta about college basketball, but by all means)
February 12th, 2014 at 9:49 PM ^
Odds on there being a fight between teams with this much time spent together ? I'll handicap it at 7/1.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:27 PM ^
February 13th, 2014 at 6:00 AM ^
good basketball is good basketball...
February 12th, 2014 at 9:55 PM ^
So how exactly are the student-athletes involved supposed to go to class during this eight-day extravaganza?
February 12th, 2014 at 9:57 PM ^
February 12th, 2014 at 10:02 PM ^
Before making fun of people about not going to class maybe check the entire story, it is occuring over break so they aren't missing class anyways. It is a brilliant idea, going to get a ton of press and will be a recruiting tool for state. Pretending like it isn't is just being naive or bitter.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:07 PM ^
But regarding classes, it's not like they're consistently going anyway. There's less reason for basketball players to attend class after their first semester on campus than probably any other sport.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:12 PM ^
OK, I read the story. The whole deal starts on December 14. I don't remember ever finishing all my exams that early. They'll probably find some way around it but it seems wasteful as hell, flying around to play at a bunch of neutral sites. They could all just agree to go to a tournament in Puerto Rico like we did.
This would be a much cooler idea if it were on campus. Actually, I think it'd be much more of a "game-changer" if these games were on campus instead of being in half-empty NBA arenas.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:12 PM ^
"I don't remember ever finishing all my exams that early."
Assuming you went to UM, I would just point out that Michigan has an unusually short winter break. They run very late and start very early compared to other universities. I went to grad school at Texas, and there was a solid month between the end of fall term and the start of spring (they didn't have a "winter" term, because, well, you know).
February 13th, 2014 at 8:39 AM ^
February 13th, 2014 at 9:48 AM ^
Yes. Big games should be on campus as often as possible.
February 13th, 2014 at 11:13 AM ^
That being said, there are a number of tournaments that have quality teams and this is just a traveling version which may be more tiring on the players. It may generate some talk, but I don't see a huge PR coup since their are other big tournaments and bowl games to compete. I think the players would rather be in a warmer climate personally.
February 13th, 2014 at 2:34 PM ^
Student at MSU: I finished my exams on December 8th last semester.
February 12th, 2014 at 9:58 PM ^
MSU players don't go to class anyways. Do you honestly think Jayru Campbell has anything above a D in high school?
February 12th, 2014 at 10:12 PM ^
I had actually read that he was a very good student, before the incident.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:22 PM ^
I'm guessing you don't know much about Cass Tech.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:02 PM ^
Four teams traveling on the same plane, playing games in none of their hometowns, over the course of 8 days during the school year? I don't see how that's a plausible idea
Now, if you had some kind of rotating round-robin at each team's home site (i.e. in East Lansing, MSU plays Texas and UNC plays Florida; in Austin, MSU plays Florida, Texas plays UNC, etc.) then you'd have a pretty cool event
February 13th, 2014 at 1:56 PM ^
It's basically a barnstorming trip, like athletes used to do in the offseason to generate extra cash (or, in the case of the NBA, what superstars did during the last lockout to generate extra cash by visiting places like the Phillipines), except that these are student-athletes. That being said, if I were a college bball player, I'd think it was somewhat cool, though I imagine I'd probably be pretty surly to the other teams while on the trip.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:56 PM ^
It's basically a barnstorming trip, like athletes used to do in the offseason to generate extra cash (or, in the case of the NBA, what superstars did during the last lockout to generate extra cash by visiting places like the Phillipines), except that these are student-athletes. That being said, if I were a college bball player, I'd think it was somewhat cool, though I imagine I'd probably be pretty surly to the other teams while on the trip.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:57 PM ^
It's basically a barnstorming trip, like athletes used to do in the offseason to generate extra cash (or, in the case of the NBA, what superstars did during the last lockout to generate extra cash by visiting places like the Phillipines), except that these are student-athletes. If I were a college bball player, I'd think it was somewhat cool, though I imagine I'd probably be pretty surly to the other teams while on the trip.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:01 PM ^
February 12th, 2014 at 10:06 PM ^
I detest Sparty as much as anyone here, but I have to admit that the concept sounds like a great move and beneficial to all involved.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:10 PM ^
Sounds kind of cool. Also sounds like a logistical nightmare for the schools to set up, but if they can pull it off, sounds like it might be a cool idea.
Watching Michigan play in the NIT tip-off tourney at Madison Square Garden last season was awesome. Some of these traveling events can be a lot of fun.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:18 PM ^
Innovative? Perhaps, but most innovations are bad ideas. If Michigan was in this instead of MSU, Brandon would be getting lambasted here and on the front page. I do give Izzo credit though, for consistently playing tough non-conference schedules.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:20 PM ^
"Lambasted?" Personally, I'd be pumped to check it out .
Basketball is a different animal than football, and its scheduling flexibility allows for special events like this, which I can appreciate.
February 12th, 2014 at 11:11 PM ^
Given the response from some MSU season ticket holders, I think it's a pretty safe bet that DB would be lambasted on this board for something similar. The ones who pay big bucks for the right to the good seats are pissed because the home out of conference schedule (aside from the ACC challenge game) sucks. They feel these neutral site games (sound familiar?) take away from what could have been at least one more decent home game.
February 12th, 2014 at 11:23 PM ^
All I can say is that as an out-of-state guy, having the opportunity to see the team play is always welcome.
This also gets to what I was saying about basketball and scheduling flexibility, as opposed to football. The number of games that bball teams play opens them up to play more games on the road without really sacrifcing too much from the home game slate.
February 13th, 2014 at 9:42 AM ^
DB would be lambasted on this board for something similarWe have too many people concerned about themselves rather than the program, unfortunately.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:27 PM ^
It helps keep the program's profile higher. It's innovative and pretty much a good idea. I wouldn't mind seeing a certain other AD come up with something once in a while.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:30 PM ^
Don't temp him.
/s
February 12th, 2014 at 10:37 PM ^
Meh. The thing about college basketball is that there's always some kind of "Classic" going on in November/December, whether it's the preseason NIT, one of the conference challenges (like Big Ten/ACC), the various tournaments in Hawaii, the Caribbean, Orlando, the various New York tournaments and so on.
This will make a few headlines but people who think it's some recruiting game-changer are going overboard. MSU pulls some kind of publicity stunt every couple of years (the game at Ford Field, the game on the aircraft carrier, etc.) but it's not clear they've reaped any real benefits. If anything, their recruiting seems to be tailing off.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:48 PM ^
Anyone pointing toward this being a recruiting bump for MSU need only look at their last three or four classes and then again at the squad the Spartans will be fielding next season. 2014-15 will probably be Izzo's weakest team in years.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:37 PM ^
Reaction is surprisingly mixed at RCMB.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:58 PM ^
I think it's kinda cool, far cooler than, say, Arizona and a bunch of RPI deadweights that week.
February 13th, 2014 at 12:08 AM ^
I'll take the Arizona/cupcake combo, because those were home games. A big game at home is a million times better than a big neutral-site game.
MSU season-ticketholders get nothing out of this.
February 13th, 2014 at 7:32 AM ^
February 13th, 2014 at 8:21 AM ^
Sarcasm.
February 12th, 2014 at 11:44 PM ^
February 13th, 2014 at 12:32 AM ^
The one thing I wonder is why not sub out New York and LA for something like Charlotte/Atlanta and Dallas/Houston. I understand NY and LA are huge markets and I guess they're hoping enough alumni and general college bball fans show up but locations closer to some of the schools would probably guarantee good ticket sales.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:21 AM ^
Holding this tournament the week before Christmas is terrible timing. I doubt many fans will be motivated to travel during that time. I am guessing they chose those dates to try to avoid college football and NFL to showcase their events, but it probably won't help much. I think picking one city per year and doing it over 3-4 years would of made a lot more sense.
Add in the fact the choice of schools was pretty poor as well. They were probably limited to only Nike schools, but save UNC, it is surprising to see this event missing schools with strong basketball followings (Kentucky, Kansas, Indiana, Duke, Louisville, UCLA, Syracuse, Arizona, UConn, or Georgetown). The average Texas and Florida fans could care less about the roundball at that time of year and will probably be focused on the coming bowl games and college football playoff. No one is getting fired up to see Texas or Florida basketball on a neutral court.
Is it just me or does is seem like MSU has to come up with these spectacles to keep from being left out by the major college basketball powers? Reminds me of the guy who always needs to have the shiny new toy to try to impress people and make friends.
February 13th, 2014 at 6:15 AM ^
Begrudgingly, I guess I have to give Hollis props. His obsession with trying to equal or surpass UM has fostered some real creativity. Makes one wonder what is next. Should DB take a shot at one of these wild ass ventures?
February 13th, 2014 at 6:16 AM ^
February 13th, 2014 at 6:37 AM ^
The mgocommunity should likewise hate this.
February 13th, 2014 at 7:47 AM ^
February 13th, 2014 at 8:34 AM ^
His style doesn't appeal to me but it's a perfect fit for Tom Izzo. As long as we keep beating them once or twice a year I don't really care what they do.
February 13th, 2014 at 9:39 AM ^
The Michigan State obsession on this board is disturbing. Who gives a rat's tail about little brother?
February 13th, 2014 at 10:49 AM ^
he didn't schedule Appalachian State.
odd concept, but pretty good programs on board with Hollis.