Hey Jake...

[jman2004]

Re: Hey Jake...

I believe the demise of this program is the biggest demise in Panther Athletic History.

That's not going to be a popular opinion . . . but boy things were looking bright about three years ago.

[jegbomb52]

Re: Hey Jake...

Well Panthertrack?

If you can't say that going from 3 NCAA tournaments (two at-large) and a 12-2 start in 05'-06' to pretty much below .500 in conference and BCS opponents, to two consecutive bottom half of the league finishes, poor attendence figures ($42 a ticket or not, not to get 7,000 for ISU, thats terrible), 1 conference tourny victory. Then what do you say is the biggest dissapointment of a program in UNI athletics history? Don't disagree with my opinion unless you have one of your own to share. Don't just tell me i'm wrong.

Just for the record, I am not at the ledge, I jumped after losing 9 of 10 in 06' down the stretch when Eric Crawford returned to the team.

[FMPanther]

Re: Hey Jake...

i will tell you why he was sitting: He was brutalized last night in all aspects of the game. period.

[Newsbreaker]

Re: Hey Jake...

I'd love to disagree with Jeg just to do it, but I can't. Even the bad football years weren't a fall of this caliber. We've gone from having the basketball program acting as the national face of the University and one of the great up-and-coming teams in the country to near irrelevancy even in our own league. Hell, UNI basketball was fast becoming the dominant men's team in the state, and all that momentum is gone now.

[jegbomb52]

Re: Hey Jake...

I'd love to disagree with Jeg just to do it, but I can't. Even the bad football years weren't a fall of this caliber. We've gone from having the basketball program acting as the national face of the University and one of the great up-and-coming teams in the country to near irrelevancy even in our own league. Hell, UNI basketball was fast becoming the dominant men's team in the state, and all that momentum is gone now.

Wow Newsy, I almost wish you would show up at Beck's this weekend for the App Game so we could drink a beer together...almost.

[Newsbreaker]

Re: Hey Jake...

Wow Newsy, I almost wish you would show up at Beck's this weekend for the App Game so we could drink a beer together...almost.

Let's not get carried away here.

[Khan4Cats]

Re: Hey Jake...

Well Panthertrack?

If you can't say that going from 3 NCAA tournaments (two at-large) and a 12-2 start in 05'-06' to pretty much below .500 in conference and BCS opponents, to two consecutive bottom half of the league finishes, poor attendence figures ($42 a ticket or not, not to get 7,000 for ISU, thats terrible), 1 conference tourny victory. Then what do you say is the biggest dissapointment of a program in UNI athletics history? Don't disagree with my opinion unless you have one of your own to share. Don't just tell me i'm wrong.

When have we finished in the bottom half of the conference? We have been 5th the last two years. In a 10 team conference, that puts us in the top half. Yes, we tied last year and played as the 6 seed. But so did Mac's last team. So if you want to use that argument to claim decline, then it started Mac's last year.

Below .500 in conference? Nope, 9-9 both years. I agree not great, but not below .500.

Below .500 vs BCS opponents? Nope. In the last 2+ years (Jacobson era), we are now 4-4 against BCS opponents including last night. That's the same 4-4 that McDermott was against BCS teams his last 3 years here, not counting the 3 NCAA games, which would put him at 4-7.

1 conference tournament victory? Same number as in Mac's last two years.

I don't know why attendance is down, I agree, that was disappointing.

As for biggest disappointment in UNI Athletics History?

How about not capitalizing on the goodwill built by Eldon Miller after the 1990 run and actually making a move to get an arena like the McLeod about 10 years earlier. We were at least able to ride that will into the MVC, but the AD let it fizzle at that.

How about the 2006 football team pi$$ing the momentum from 2005 down their legs with embarrassing home losses to D-II North Dakota in the "banner dropping game" and then not showing up against Western Illinois when the season was on the line?

I will repeat. This program is not in decline.

[williebat]

Re: Hey Jake...

When have we finished in the bottom half of the conference? We have been 5th the last two years. In a 10 team conference, that puts us in the top half. Yes, we tied last year and played as the 6 seed. But so did Mac's last team. So if you want to use that argument to claim decline, then it started Mac's last year.

Below .500 in conference? Nope, 9-9 both years. I agree not great, but not below .500.

Below .500 vs BCS opponents? Nope. In the last 2+ years (Jacobson era), we are now 4-4 against BCS opponents including last night. That's the same 4-4 that McDermott was against BCS teams his last 3 years here, not counting the 3 NCAA games, which would put him at 4-7.

1 conference tournament victory? Same number as in Mac's last two years.

I don't know why attendance is down, I agree, that was disappointing.

As for biggest disappointment in UNI Athletics History?

How about not capitalizing on the goodwill built by Eldon Miller after the 1990 run and actually making a move to get an arena like the McLeod about 10 years earlier. We were at least able to ride that will into the MVC, but the AD let it fizzle at that.

How about the 2006 football team pi$$ing the momentum from 2005 down their legs with embarrassing home losses to D-II North Dakota in the "banner dropping game" and then not showing up against Western Illinois when the season was on the line?

I will repeat. This program is not in decline.

Did you watch the same game as everyone else last night? IMO ISU and UNI are both falling towards bottom feeder land, if they are not already there.

[SteinPizza]

Re: Hey Jake...

We've gone from having the basketball program acting as the national face of the University and one of the great up-and-coming teams in the country to near irrelevancy even in our own league. Hell, UNI basketball was fast becoming the dominant men's team in the state, and all that momentum is gone now.

Agreed News. UNI Men's hoops plays at the highest level of any of our programs in a nationally visible sport. I'm not going to jump on the anti-Jake bandwagon, and I didn't see the game. But, some of the frustrations on the game thread were the same things I felt watching the UIC game a few weeks ago. The lack of shooting is a recurring theme going back a few years - even to Mac.

One thing that concerns me is the minutes played by Ali and Moran. It will be tough for them to shoot better if they continue to play so much later in the year. Neither has played ball at this level, and their legs could easily go south. Same with Koch, who people said was tired. I don't blame him for being so if he was expected to be our entire inside presence for much of the game. It seems like Jake HAS to find a way to get both Koch and Jordan on the floor at the same time for fairly long stretches of play. I'm not anti-Jordan either...it sounds like he may take awhile to get into the flow after missing so many practices w/ injury.

[Panther789]

Re: Hey Jake...

I will repeat. This program is not in decline.

Well, if thats the case, I sure hope we arent peaking.

[dan_beeding]

Re: Hey Jake...

Well when you can't even fill the place of 7,000 for an IN STATE rivalry game, echo's happen a lot

last night was a statement game like last years Iowa game to get students to the game. Another failure and I'm guessing another down year for student attendace. Just have to wait I think.

It was an electric atmosphere the last half hour, and I'm sure that will stick with quite a few students. With our more uptempo offense, I think our student attendance numbers will be up.
Charging $40 for a ticket is the reason we didn't sell out, IMO.

[Panther789]

Re: Hey Jake...

Did you watch the same game as everyone else last night? IMO ISU and UNI are both falling towards bottom feeder land, if they are not already there.

In my opinion, we are both in or near bottom feeder land, but 1 appears to be going in the right direction.

[Panther Cat]

Re: Hey Jake...

I believe the demise of this program is the biggest demise in Panther Athletic History.


GO PANTHERS!

If you think the drop off from Eldon Miller to Sam Weaver wasn't worse than this than you have only recently become a UNI basketball fan.

[UNIFanSince1983]

Re: Hey Jake...

Jordan didn't play because he is slow and weak. He is 7 foot with hardly any coordination and terrible hands. Did you see him lose the ball going up for a dunk? He would have never gotten to see the court at Wisconsin, and probably would have transferred to a DII by now. I've waited for him to improve and do well and I wish him well because lord knows we are going to need him, but come on.

Jake should have made a few adjustments as we went on, but he can't go out there and shoot for his team. They missed at least 3 layups. I mean wide open layups that is not coaching. Give him a break. You guys must not have been around when we were winning 8 games a year. I for one have been going to games since 1983 a lot of those years I didn't have a choice as I was too young, but I have seen too many bad UNI basketball teams to say this is a collapse of massive proportions. We have still won 18 games two years in a row. You guys are becoming as fickle as the Iowa fans who want to fire Kirk Ferentz. Give me a break! Go back to Hawkeyereport!

[UNIFanSince1983]

Re: Hey Jake...

If you think the drop off from Eldon Miller to Sam Weaver wasn't worse than this than you have only recently become a UNI basketball fan.

Could not have said this any better myself!