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South Carolina's lack of investment in its basketball programs

USC2USC

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Aug 6, 2001
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I have long felt our AD does not sufficiently invest in our basketball programs in a way that would assist us in getting both programs to national repsect level. At SC, the football program will always have certain challenges because we play a brutal conference schedule in the toughest league in the nation and our in-state rival is national elite...for now.

But basketball I think gives the school an opportunity to win. And our AD does not invest in this program. Dawn Staley deserves it. Frank Martin needs it. Click the link below and watch the video on the basketball practice facility at Tennessee. Hugely impressive amentities. Seperate practice areas for mens and womens teams. SC has nothing that comes close with its practice area set up in the hallowed out arena of a 52 year old building. It is simply not enough.

https://utsports.com/facilities/pratt-pavilion/13

Let me be clear....Colonial Life Arena is nice...thought I still think it needs addtions or more bells and whistles. This is not about the arena. It is about the actual practice areas, lounge, weight room, recruiting facilties etc that the players actually use every day.

We all thought the practice facility for football was so needed. And it was. So why does Carolina basketball not deserve something similar on a smaller scale. We shouldn't be satisfied with taking a back seat to Tennessee. One could certainly argue we have had more success than they have recently. They have never been to a Final Four. And our womens programs is miles ahead of them.
 
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I have long felt our AD does not sufficiently invest in our basketball programs in a way that would assist us in getting both programs to national repsect level. At SC, the football program will always have certain challenges because we play a brutal conference schedule in the toughest league in the nation and our in-state rival is national elite...for now.

But basketball I think gives the school an opportunity to win. And our AD does not invest in this program. Dawn Staley deserves it. Frank Martin needs it. Click the link below and watch the video on the basketball practice facility at Tennessee. Hugely impressive amentities. Seperate practice areas for mens and womens teams. SC has nothing that comes close with its practice area set up in the hallowed out arena of a 52 year old building. It is simply not enough.

https://utsports.com/facilities/pratt-pavilion/13

Let me be clear....Colonial Life Arena is nice...thought I still think it needs addtions or more bells and whistles. This is not about the arena. It is about the actual practice areas, lounge, weight room, recruiting facilties etc that the players actually use every day.

We all thought the practice facility for football was so needed. And it was. So why does Carolina basketball not deserve something similar on a smaller scale. We shouldn't satisfy for taking a back seat to Tennessee. One could certainly argue we have had more success than they have recently. They have never been to a Final Four. And our womens programs miles miles ahead of them.
The football practice facilities is paying huge dividends in football recruiting.
 
If we upgrade our facilities, will that make us competitive recruiting the top instate basketball elite talent?
 
I have long felt our AD does not sufficiently invest in our basketball programs in a way that would assist us in getting both programs to national repsect level. At SC, the football program will always have certain challenges because we play a brutal conference schedule in the toughest league in the nation and our in-state rival is national elite...for now.

But basketball I think gives the school an opportunity to win. And our AD does not invest in this program. Dawn Staley deserves it. Frank Martin needs it. Click the link below and watch the video on the basketball practice facility at Tennessee. Hugely impressive amentities. Seperate practice areas for mens and womens teams. SC has nothing that comes close with its practice area set up in the hallowed out arena of a 52 year old building. It is simply not enough.

https://utsports.com/facilities/pratt-pavilion/13

Let me be clear....Colonial Life Arena is nice...thought I still think it needs addtions or more bells and whistles. This is not about the arena. It is about the actual practice areas, lounge, weight room, recruiting facilties etc that the players actually use every day.

We all thought the practice facility for football was so needed. And it was. So why does Carolina basketball not deserve something similar on a smaller scale. We shouldn't be satisfied with taking a back seat to Tennessee. One could certainly argue we have had more success than they have recently. They have never been to a Final Four. And our womens programs is miles ahead of them.
You lost me with the last paragraph. Seems to me you shot your argument all to hell by including it.....
 
If we upgrade our facilities, will that make us competitive recruiting the top instate basketball elite talent?
Yes- we all know Zion chose Duke over us because Duke has a nicer practice facility. Just look at how our low end facilities have limited our WBB program...

JK OP- we all know the basketball team could have a little nicer practice facility and locker rooms. It will not happen any time soon. We will be lucky to not have to cut any sports from the athletic budget after Rona is done with is, let alone upgrading facilities!?!
 
Step 1: Hire this man

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I have long felt our AD does not sufficiently invest in our basketball programs in a way that would assist us in getting both programs to national repsect level. At SC, the football program will always have certain challenges because we play a brutal conference schedule in the toughest league in the nation and our in-state rival is national elite...for now.

But basketball I think gives the school an opportunity to win. And our AD does not invest in this program. Dawn Staley deserves it. Frank Martin needs it. Click the link below and watch the video on the basketball practice facility at Tennessee. Hugely impressive amentities. Seperate practice areas for mens and womens teams. SC has nothing that comes close with its practice area set up in the hallowed out arena of a 52 year old building. It is simply not enough.

https://utsports.com/facilities/pratt-pavilion/13

Let me be clear....Colonial Life Arena is nice...thought I still think it needs addtions or more bells and whistles. This is not about the arena. It is about the actual practice areas, lounge, weight room, recruiting facilties etc that the players actually use every day.

We all thought the practice facility for football was so needed. And it was. So why does Carolina basketball not deserve something similar on a smaller scale. We shouldn't be satisfied with taking a back seat to Tennessee. One could certainly argue we have had more success than they have recently. They have never been to a Final Four. And our womens programs is miles ahead of them.


Sadly,we STILL have Frank Martin and his inability to recruit.
 
If Dawn Staley can win with what we currently have Frank Martin should be able to do the same. I bet USC has never had Staley talk with Martin or Muschamp about how she's built a national power. That's what needs to happen.
 
You lost me with the last paragraph. Seems to me you shot your argument all to hell by including it.....

How so? I was speaking to both school's basketball programS. UT's mens teams have more recent success than ours but we have also been to a Final Four. Our womens team has been far more successful than theirs. It is basically a wash.
 
I have long felt our AD does not sufficiently invest in our basketball programs in a way that would assist us in getting both programs to national repsect level. At SC, the football program will always have certain challenges because we play a brutal conference schedule in the toughest league in the nation and our in-state rival is national elite...for now.

But basketball I think gives the school an opportunity to win. And our AD does not invest in this program. Dawn Staley deserves it. Frank Martin needs it. Click the link below and watch the video on the basketball practice facility at Tennessee. Hugely impressive amentities. Seperate practice areas for mens and womens teams. SC has nothing that comes close with its practice area set up in the hallowed out arena of a 52 year old building. It is simply not enough.

https://utsports.com/facilities/pratt-pavilion/13

Let me be clear....Colonial Life Arena is nice...thought I still think it needs addtions or more bells and whistles. This is not about the arena. It is about the actual practice areas, lounge, weight room, recruiting facilties etc that the players actually use every day.

We all thought the practice facility for football was so needed. And it was. So why does Carolina basketball not deserve something similar on a smaller scale. We shouldn't be satisfied with taking a back seat to Tennessee. One could certainly argue we have had more success than they have recently. They have never been to a Final Four. And our womens programs is miles ahead of them.

In the end this matters less. The coach matters most!
 
O Dear God! So every time your neighbor buys a new car do you run out and buy one too? Someone somewhere is always building something better than the last person. It happens. The day our new complex opened it was better than UTs. Now they have a better roundball practice facility. Let’s all panic.
 
Its the coach. UT started winning again in men's BB when they hired Barns. I always wondered why we didn't go for Bruce Pearl or Barns. In college basketball the slightly sleazy to sleazy coaches always seem to win as that's what it takes. We only saw the tip of the iceberg of the sleaziness in college men's basketball from those court trials.
 
How so? I was speaking to both school's basketball programS. UT's mens teams have more recent success than ours but we have also been to a Final Four. Our womens team has been far more successful than theirs. It is basically a wash.
Jajaja! You cannot even comprehend your original post. You argue for significant investment in the basketball programs yet, in the last paragraph, you want a practice facility on a "smaller scale." You say "we have had more success than they have recently." Also, "they have never been to a final four." And this, "our womens programs is miles ahead of them." Do you aspire to be like Tenneessee? I would have picked a more elite program to make comparisons.
 
Jajaja! You cannot even comprehend your original post. You argue for significant investment in the basketball programs yet, in the last paragraph, you want a practice facility on a "smaller scale." You say "we have had more success than they have recently." Also, "they have never been to a final four." And this, "our womens programs is miles ahead of them." Do you aspire to be like Tenneessee? I would have picked a more elite program to make comparisons.

You bring up comprehension by mentioning things that arent even mentioned in my post? No where did i say we as a program should "aspire" to be Tennessee. I simply used them as a comparision on this facility as an example of a school where facilities are miles ahead of ours. Of course you would agree that a program like UNC or UK would have a laundry list of reasons their facilities are better than ours. I mention Tennessee because I believe our basketball facilities should be at least as good as theirs and we are far behind.

I also believe our football practice facilty is excellent but convey in my post that of course I wouldnt not expect something on that scale for basketball. More appropriate would something in the $8 million range of investment vs the $30 million spent on football.
 
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If Dawn Staley can win with what we currently have Frank Martin should be able to do the same. I bet USC has never had Staley talk with Martin or Muschamp about how she's built a national power. That's what needs to happen.

I wish it were that simple, but Staley just has "it." Muschamp and Martin do not.
 
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Want better basketball facilities? Pony up the cash. I wonder what our boosters think of Martin? Maybe they are speaking with their dollars?
 
I wish it were that simple, but Staley just has "it." Muschamp and Martin do not.

Martin has it, has not yet figured out the recruiting thing. If he figures out the recruiting thing, or hires someone who has elite recruiting skills, our program will take off.

We need to sign a couple of players at the level of the player we just missed to Florida State.

BTW, in the 2020 recruiting session, Tennessee signed the following 5* rated players:

Jaden Springer
Bradenton, FL
Keon Johnson
Bell Buckle, TN

And the following 4* rated players:

Corey Walker Jr.
Chatham, VA
Malachi Wideman
Sarasota, FL

So Tennessee is suddenly recruiting the lights out.
 
I wish it were that simple, but Staley just has "it." Muschamp and Martin do not.

You are right. Muschamp and Martin, particularly Muschamp, are nowhere near Staley. Worse than the two of them is Ray. He may be the worst AD in the SEC.

I am surprised that the BOT let it get to this sorry state in football. Almost to a person the BOT (including McMaster) is tied to USC one way or the other (Bachelors, Masters, JD, MD, etc). Surely, they want the best for the University.
 
You are right. Muschamp and Martin, particularly Muschamp, are nowhere near Staley. Worse than the two of them is Ray. He may be the worst AD in the SEC.

I am surprised that the BOT let it get to this sorry state in football. Almost to a person the BOT (including McMaster) is tied to USC one way or the other (Bachelors, Masters, JD, MD, etc). Surely, they want the best for the University.
Unfortunately, I'm not.
 
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I have long felt our AD does not sufficiently invest in our basketball programs in a way that would assist us in getting both programs to national repsect level. At SC, the football program will always have certain challenges because we play a brutal conference schedule in the toughest league in the nation and our in-state rival is national elite...for now.

But basketball I think gives the school an opportunity to win. And our AD does not invest in this program. Dawn Staley deserves it. Frank Martin needs it. Click the link below and watch the video on the basketball practice facility at Tennessee. Hugely impressive amentities. Seperate practice areas for mens and womens teams. SC has nothing that comes close with its practice area set up in the hallowed out arena of a 52 year old building. It is simply not enough.

https://utsports.com/facilities/pratt-pavilion/13

Let me be clear....Colonial Life Arena is nice...thought I still think it needs addtions or more bells and whistles. This is not about the arena. It is about the actual practice areas, lounge, weight room, recruiting facilties etc that the players actually use every day.

We all thought the practice facility for football was so needed. And it was. So why does Carolina basketball not deserve something similar on a smaller scale. We shouldn't be satisfied with taking a back seat to Tennessee. One could certainly argue we have had more success than they have recently. They have never been to a Final Four. And our womens programs is miles ahead of them.

I agree with everything you said. Problem is this. Dawn is here to stay. Just look at the amazing house she just built on the river. Before you say oh she can afford that and still move. She makes good money but that house was not built to see her move anything soon. It would take a special buyer to by over a million for that in the WC. Frank well Frank is my favorite all time coach period. But here is his issue he needs to win more. He also needs to commit long term to being here. People don't want to believe me but Frank was leaving after this past season. He was as good as gone. His assistants and staff were getting house ready to go on the market. Frank had a big move in mind. When Covid hit that stopped all the moving pieces. He has to be want to be here. But at the same time we need to give him reasons to stay. Build what they both need. As for the dump we call a basketball arena. It is half through it's life cycle now. It is time to upgrade it. It can be done. It will take about the same 64 million it took to build it but it could be a world class basketball arena. We just have to decide to do it.
 
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