rlh04d wrote:Sir Sci wrote:AndShock wrote:Denver averages over double the amount of people that Loyola does. Denver's program may be "insignificant" but at least people come to watch it.
Denver's basketball program being insignificant isn't the only problem. I believe I pointed out other issues as well. Also, a Belmont team that consistently makes the tournament and has a strong team (but low attendance) is still preferable to a Denver team that has never once been a good enough team to make the tournament but still has people show up.
Denver averages 3000 fans a game more than Loyola and their stadium seats an extra 2500 or so. Their endowment is only $50m less than Loyola's, and would also be the largest in the Valley. It's in a state that we don't have access to yet, which expands the geographic footprint rather than having a fourth team in a single state, which aids in TV deals and recruiting. They're in a smaller TV market, but it would still be by far the largest market in the Valley, and would give us access to potentially anyone in Colorado, and with far less competition for attention in Denver.
They have a DOCUMENTED commitment to basketball, rather than simply a hypothetical one, with their RPI and wins total increasing in all but one year of the last seven. They've been a top 100 RPI team with 20+ wins the last two years, which I don't know the last time Loyola was able to do. Were Loyola to have a resume of improvement over the last few years behind them, I would have no problem with them.
Loyola not only doesn't have a resume of improvement, they are actually getting worse. Their last two RPIs were two of the worst three in the last seven years. Their combined record over the last two years is the worst two year stretch in recent memory at Loyola. Loyola's SOS has fallen for SEVEN STRAIGHT YEARS, from a 132 to 264. Every year their SOS has been worse than the year before it. Every year they schedule easier and STILL someone manage to do worse. Meanwhile, Denver's SOS has improved for five straight years, and I believe seven of the last eight. Every year they schedule harder and do BETTER.
If you draw a chart of every statistical measure that is important for a basketball team, Loyola is trending downwards, and Denver is trending upwards. The strengths of Loyola are also strengths of Denver (market size, endowment, etc.). Do you need me to continue? Literally, I will draw a chart for you if you need pictures >=)
I'm not being biased against them ... Wichita State was irrelevant from the late 80s until the early 2000s as well. Obviously not being relevant in basketball shouldn't be held against them. But even when Wichita was bad, we had statistical measures that documented our ability to eventually make a quick turnaround -- namely fan support. And even then it took a talented head coach who is now coaching at Maryland six seasons to make the turnaround. Loyola has nothing but a large endowment, which tons of very bad basketball schools also have, what appears to be a dedication to creating the weakest OOC schedule in the Valley and finding new and creative measures to make it even worse every single season, and a mediocre head coach who has already failed at one Valley school.
