Playing for First Place...

[mu_herd]

CUSA basketball standings currently have UAB in 1st at 7-0 (and on a 13 game win streak), Marshall and MTSU tied for 2nd at 6-1 and FIU a game behind at 5-2. If we win the next two, we'll be no worse than tied for first place with a head-to-head victory over the team we're tied with.

I've only been watching Herd basketball since around 2003, but in all that time I don't ever recall us being in position to lead the conference standings halfway through the conference season. This team has been beating everyone's wildest expectations for the last month. I'm sure it's no news to anyone here, but we need to pull out all the stops and fill the Cam on Thursday and Saturday. Bring back the energy we had in '11 and '12 when UCF and Memphis came to town. Get the glow sticks out of storage. It feels like a special time to be a fan of Herd basketball. Tickets are super cheap. Here's hoping we keep the ball rolling!

 

[herdftblfan]

There will be a HUGE number of major football recruits there on Saturday as well. Come out for that if nothing else.

 

[whf2]

Yes, the football recruits are important; great to make an impression of support on them. But the support they'd see should be for the team on the field. Surely they've earned it. We've waited a long time for a disciplined, heart-felt, team to be on the court. We have it, let's give them some love by showing up for THEM. IMHO anyway.

 

[31Herd55]

Jam The Cam & Yell Like Hell...............CAN DO !!!

 

[tradebait]

I remember we had 9K+ on a cold snowy weekday night against The Citadel in Huck's days. This town will support basketball if we can keep the momentum Dan is building.

 

[marshallsig]

I remember we had 9K+ on a cold snowy weekday night against The Citadel in Huck's days. This town will support basketball if we can keep the momentum Dan is building.

I was there. The place was always electric.

 

[31Herd55]

Yes, it was...even George Washington was in the house !!!

 

[TheGreenhouseEffect]

LaVern Evans.

 

[31Herd55]

Jeff Battle ... Bunny Gibson ???

 

[GreenDuke]

I get confused without looking it up but there were two great games vs The Citadel in the '80's The first was in 80-81 season and their star was Regan Truesdale and he and LaVerne Evans had a real shootout. It was I believe the largest crowd ever at the HC and it was on a Saturday night. The other game was around 83 or 84 and Felipe de las Pozas was their big scorer and LE was still at Marshall. MU won both games. Overherd or Woody can take a look at the record book and let us know.

 

[pintcan]

Evans didn't get much PT his first yr(80-81 I think) but the last three games he replaced an injured Wade and scored 90 some points.

 

[31Herd55]

The Huckabee years were a lot of fun...particularly the battles against UTC.

 

[31Herd55]

Most hilarious sign I ever saw was at the Charleston Civic Center the night after MU got bumped out of the Southern Conference Tournament by one of the bottom feeders...can't remember which school had the sign-bed sheet that only said, "WHERE IS THE HERD?"

Attendance for that game fell off about 7,000 with The Herd knocked out.

 

[oldeherd]

I get confused without looking it up but there were two great games vs The Citadel in the '80's The first was in 80-81 season and their star was Regan Truesdale and he and LaVerne Evans had a real shootout. It was I believe the largest crowd ever at the HC and it was on a Saturday night. The other game was around 83 or 84 and Felipe de las Pozas was their big scorer and LE was still at Marshall. MU won both games. Overherd or Woody can take a look at the record book and let us know.

Exactly, GreenDuke, I was in the crowd but thought the game was on a Saturday afternoon, but it definitely was on a Saturday. Remember, the paper reported the attendance for that game with the Bulldogs was 10,250, absolute capacity for the HC at that time. After the upgraded "remodeling" of the HC, attendance was lowered to a little over 9,000, current capacity. Always thought if MU was to ever seriously consider remodeling/upgrading the arena, they should put chairbacks in the upper bowl, replacing the bleachers, 2 chairback seats in place of 3 current bleacher seats. Next, should knock out east wall, expand HC to the east, bowl in that part of the arena with chairbacks and some "sky boxes". Could probably come up with somewhere in the 10,000-11,000 total capacity figure. Air condition the arena portion of the HC and seriously upgrade the concourses, restrooms, etc. Wouldn't be that bad a venue for CUSA or a lot of other places for that matter.

 

[GreenDuke]

Good pick up on the attendance, right you are.

 

[TheGreenhouseEffect]

If I know Hambone, the Cam is on his list of "replace" not remodel. Although he did do a great job with it, bringing it back up to par in the meantime. I actually love it as a place to watch basketball.

Yes the Huck days were crazy fun electric. I hope DD can bring the Cam back to what it used to be.

 

[imherdfan]

in '82 and '83 the tournament final 4 was held in Charleston, we lost in first round both years and never played in Charleston!! Felipe De Las Pozas had made some derogatory comments about Marshall. Having already bought tickets, me and some friends went up to watch the games. We rode Felipe from the moment he stepped on the court, he had a terrible game and The Citadel lost. We at least managed to have a little fun(the alcohol probably fueled it some ) even without the Herd being there.

correction- '82 was final 4, in '83 the whole tournament was there, we still lost on the 1st round

 

[pintcan]

prob cost BZ his job

 

[Tim Hensley]

During Huck's tenure, we had 10,000 (the Cam held 10,250 then) out on a 5-degree Saturday night to see VMI play (and to boo Jon Elmore's daddy...Ha!). For several years in the 'eighties, we ranked 32nd in college basketball attendance! No reason why we can't get near those numbers again. Seventy-five hundred for MTSU and UAB would be a great start.

 

[sistersville]

I was there. The place was always electric.

yep I was there too

 

[Herdmeister]

prob cost BZ his job

without a doubt, it did.

 

[oldeherd]

If I know Hambone, the Cam is on his list of "replace" not remodel. Although he did do a great job with it, bringing it back up to par in the meantime. I actually love it as a place to watch basketball.

Yes the Huck days were crazy fun electric. I hope DD can bring the Cam back to what it used to be.

Hamrick's "list", then, needs a BIG TIME dose of reality, TGE. First, check the MU 10 year Master Plan, approved in late 2013. Upgrading/remodeling of the HC is spelled out in the last phase of the plan. Consider that MU has yet, nearly 3 years later, to take ANY steps to construct any of the more urgent/priority projects spelled out in the plan, such as major remodeling and enlarging of the Memorial Student Center, any talk of a new basketball arena is nothing more than a pipedream.

Of course, that would all change if H-Town Mayor Williams (1) wins reelection, (2) suddenly obtains multi millions to complete (a) his hundred million downtown Marina, boat house, etc., project; and (b) the completion of the Hal Greer/Fairfield slum demolition project and replacement with a complete shopping center, grocery store, mixed use/housing project. Oh, not to mention the completion of the Paul Ambrose PATH project throughout Huntington. Oh, did I mention, the NEW HUNTINGTON BASEBALL PARK to be the home for both HERD baseball and a new minor league affiliate in Huntington.

So, when the day comes that Mike Hamrick leaves/retires as MU's AD, we will all be damn lucky, and grateful, if Marshall has a new, modern and in town baseball facility in which to play (along with a Huntington minor league team). But on that day, Herd basketball will still be played in the Henderson Center, albeit with a few more coats or so of Kelly Green paint splashed around the facility.

Note: All of the above is retracted in the event that: Robert C. Byrd is resurrected, again becomes Senate Majority Leader, and Congress resumes unrestricted earmarks!!!

 

[-Olen-]

prob cost BZ his job

BZ announced his resignation at the start of his final season - Nov. 1982.

Interesting side note on the search for BZ's replacement: Wake Forest dropped four straight to end the 82-83 regular season, and lost in the opening round of the ACC tourney by 1 to NC State (which allowed NC State to continue on to win the ACC, get the auto bid, and make their march to the 1983 NCAA championship). Losing five straight to end the season/tourney cost WF an NCAA tourney bid and essentially put Carl Tacy on the way out. MU was in talks to bring Tacy back (as he was expecting to be fired at the end of the NIT tourney run). However, WF made an unexpected NIT run into the final four and saved Tacy's job, and kept then Williamson HS All-American Mark Cline on as a signee for the upcoming fall. As a result of Tacy hanging on at WF, LSU assistant Rick Huckaby was offered the job.