Ranking the bball support in the CAA

[BBall fan from Ct]

I've followed Elon sports since my daughter attended and recently graduated. This report by Jeff Goodman (who knows his stuff!) shows Elon as the worst men's bball job in the CAA, and that's including the effect of the Schar Center, amazing.  I agree with those on this board who want Matheny out, especially since all other D.1 schools have released their incoming recruits for 2019. Elon should be bringing in some studs with the school's location, academics and fantastic facility.  

watchstadium.com/news/caa-basketball-coaches-rank-the-best-jobs-in-the-conference-11-22-2018/

[Elon Man]

10. Elon (26) – The program went from the Big South to the SoCon in 2003, and into the CAA in 2014. Elon ranks dead last in four categories, and second to the bottom in two others. Matt Matheny has done a nice job in his four years in the league, and the Phoenix finished 10-8 in the CAA two years ago.

Where they win: “They have a new arena and an administration and a community that gets it.” – CAA head coach

The knock: “There’s no history, and they are the worst in the league in terms of spending. It’s the toughest job in the league. Clearly.” – CAA assistant

[Deleted]

I'm not sure I understand everything here. I also feel there are some things we can change and some we can't. I have also felt, for at least the last 12-15 years that men's basketball is Elon's best shot at national exposure, primarily due to the % of full scholarship players on the roster and the relatively low travel/expense costs as compared to football and baseball.

I think some of the categories are dependent upon other categories so as we do better in some, others should improve as well.

The most obvious category that can be most quickly effected is budget & resources. I don't know how Jeff knows what our financial resources are, but if we're truly #10 on the list, Elon Athletics/administration should be ashamed of themselves. And by the way, if Elon has "an administration ... that gets it." why the heck are our financial resources so much lower than everyone else in the CAA? If the old saying "Athletics is the front porch of the institution" is true, we need to spend some more money on the most visible part of the porch.

I'm certainly no media expert, but it seems to me the biggest thing a school like Elon has to rely on with regard to media exposure is a media contract negotiated by the conference. In my opinion, the CAA is possibly the worst D1 conference in this category. The CAA has no contract with anyone. Regarding things we can do as a school I would think winning would be the most effective avenue toward exposure. We could also involve our heralded communications school more in our sporting events, especially the bigger market sports like football and men's basketball. Also, what the heck happened to our radio show? We were on WBAG then WPCM then WSML now there's nothing. This is so disappointing! I used to listen to the post game show on the way home from the home games and the whole show on the away games. We have one of the best play by play audio announcers certainly in the CAA and I would argue better than any other school in the state. Now unless you stream the radio show you don't hear it at all. I bet these numbers are WAY down versus last year. Lastly, the Schar Center has one of the best and most well thought out media centers likely in the country for college basketball. So we have the technology. The only other thing we can do to get on TV more is play more games against majors. But if we're there just to get slaughtered, it may not be productive.

Game atmosphere has a direct correlation with winning, or at least being competitive. We just don't have that right now. I guess this is partially due to our small budget, which effects recruiting, but coaching and player development are also big components of winning.

There is nothing we can do about our geographical recruiting base, which is another reason we need to increase the budget so we can recruit more effectively in other school's back yards.

Elon is very proud of our academia. But if Wake Forest & Duke can recruit the people they do, I think we could ease up a little bit for our potentially number 1 exposure sport.

I don't think that Selling Pros is a very big deal with any team in the CAA, so the fact that we are last here doesn't bother me that much. But the only ways to increase this category is to recruit and develop players better.

The TD Arena is definitely nice, but the main arena is certainly no better than the Schar. Plus the Schar is much more spacious and has the Gill room for pre-game and halftime refreshments for the Phoenix Club members. The Schar also has a state of the art media center, that is definitely better than the TD Arena, unless they have recently updated theirs. I haven't seen CofC's practice facilities, weight room, treatment room, or locker room, So I can't comment on those, but I have seen ours and if theirs is better, more power to them! In my opinion, I think we probably have the best venue. The main thing I think the TD Arena wins on is the location. It's very hard to beat the center of Downtown Charleston.

There's really nothing we can do about tradition other than attempt to change it. And even with the explanation, I don't understand "Buy Games", so I won't comment on that.

So, I think the trustees and the Admin need to decide what they want out of the basketball program. If they want a program commensurate with the facility it's in, they need to review the budget then make changes that will get us better recruits and player development. Because until those things happen, we won't have a winning program and none of the other categories will improve.

[BBall fan from Ct]

Recruiting is the lifeblood of any program. The early signing period has passed and I don't remember seeing any announcement from Elon. With 5 seniors (all contributors) graduating, this is a critical time to re-stock the roster. Does anyone know who is coming in August ?

[seasonticketholder]

Recruiting is indeed the lifeblood of any program. Elon is at a huge disadvantage as the only CAA member that does not pay "Cost of Attendance" stipends to players. Even all Big South schools (High Point, Campbell, UNCA, Radford, etc.) pay CoA.

[fc4life]

Cost of attendance is real. However, it’s a poor excuse.
We have a staff that is inexperienced in player evaluation. It shows. In addition, they are weak in player development.

If a kid is choosing to go to a Big South school over Elon. That’s on them and a horrible education choice. We should not even be competing with those schools for kids.

We’re a joke of a program right now.

[BrownBag]

I LOL at FC4LIFE comment on how you should not even be comment with Big South schools.

You realize a place like Furman who is having success this year, is known to have...hmm, how should I say it? Very relaxed views when it comes to bending and breaking the rules to get a recruit.

Elon isn't even paying full cost of attendance. Do you think the players that Furman gets (that are better) really care about quality of education? Most kids that D1 talent isn't even pushed in high school as far as academics and many come from families who never attended college.

They aren't worried about quality of education, they are worried about getting to the next level.

What it is Furman, they aren't going pro? They can go pro overseas.

Plus, a degree is a degree to most of these recruits. They shouldn't even qualify into most colleges. Do you think they REALLY can apply that degree? Most will get a job from a company that is ran by a prominent booster if they even want that job. Go to any ACC roster and look up these guys and see what they are doing 10 years after they "graduate".

Most are coaching high school basketball teams, AAU, and doing camps and selling 1-1 workout packages.

Elon has the smallest budget in the conference. I told you this last year and I told you it was the LEAST desired job in the league. Oh but you can do much better than Matheny, who built Elon up to one of the better teams in the SoCon after the program was the laughing stock of the SoCon.

Oh but we have a new gym! We should get better recruits!

This last class looks to be solid. Poser has produced, Chuck Hannah is producing, the other two guards look promising but they are freshman.

So you give a man the least amount of budget in the conference and tell him, knock em out!

Finishing .500 in the CAA recruiting into that small, out dated gym was small miracle.

You have to PAY to PLAY in this game.

Under Armour is hot with the younger kids. Steph Curry wears it, how cool!

You know who runs AAU grassroots? Nike and Adidas.

Are you ready to start making academic exceptions?

Paying stipends?

Are you ready to get the budget up into ohhh...I don't know, top half of the conference? Because I know you guys like to DEMAND we finish in the top of the conference or you will be FIRED.

With all this said, now that the new gym in place....let's see what kind of recruiting class Matheny puts together.

I personally think this current group is going to be solid.

Oh but we have not landed anyone because I am too sorry to quickly google and look.

We have a kid coming named Goran Miladinović.

No, he did not win a Wimbledon title.

He is 6,11", pretty quick off of his feet. Blocks shots, can run the floor, but will need to improve his strength. Can step out to the three which is where the game is going now.

With all this said, 5 seniors, SHOULD be over .500 in conference play. After last year debacle, I can understand making a move but for Christ sake..if you make a move, INVEST in the program and give the next guy a chance.

[elonlax01]

So let's go with the idea that the operational budget is impacting success of the program (which I don't dispute). What does it say about a coach who is at an institution for 9-10 years and not be able to move the needle on this issue? I realize that not everyone was a Lembo fan, but he was at least openly vocal about theses issues and had some success at getting administration to pay attention to it.

[E]

The primary issues are coaching and budgets. Matheny belongs in Alimni gym. Not Schar. If we don’t increase our budget to be in the top 3-4 of the CAA, we’ll all know that all Lambert, Book and the trustees ever wanted was a fancy place for people like Anita Hill and Loretta Lynch to speak.