The reality is Rupp Arena is just a venue. It’s not a dedicated college arena like Allen Field House or Cameron. Those venues I could almost guarantee were originally designed to be loud. Rupp Arena undoubtedly was not and is still not. It could be a concert hall one day and a monster truck arena the next.
Rupp Arena - Where Opponent Career Highs Happen
- Thread starter lakercat
- Start date
there is a bigger issue than just the Crispen effect here (I just came up with that)
This team has given up 80 points 4 out of the 7 games they have played, which means the potential for alot of players to have career nights against us this season exists.
UK fans don't care if we win, but when you have a player throw the game off like Edwards did going 0-5 on 3 point shooting, they're going to lose.
I'm guessing this is why Cal is so anxious to get his 7 footers in there but as a result, our defensive prowess might increase but we're going to fall back to earth in scoring as well, and I'm afraid we're going to see more 67-63 type games.
If we're shooting 25 3 pointers in a game, it means we're not feeding it inside, and for a Calipari coached team, that means we don't have a lane clogging big man in there.
When you hear people talking about the team "reverting" remember this
who knows, maybe we'll get a balance of lock down defense and 3 point shooting but with Reeves and Edwards decision making to date, I'm not optimistic its going to happen very often.
This team has given up 80 points 4 out of the 7 games they have played, which means the potential for alot of players to have career nights against us this season exists.
UK fans don't care if we win, but when you have a player throw the game off like Edwards did going 0-5 on 3 point shooting, they're going to lose.
I'm guessing this is why Cal is so anxious to get his 7 footers in there but as a result, our defensive prowess might increase but we're going to fall back to earth in scoring as well, and I'm afraid we're going to see more 67-63 type games.
If we're shooting 25 3 pointers in a game, it means we're not feeding it inside, and for a Calipari coached team, that means we don't have a lane clogging big man in there.
When you hear people talking about the team "reverting" remember this
who knows, maybe we'll get a balance of lock down defense and 3 point shooting but with Reeves and Edwards decision making to date, I'm not optimistic its going to happen very often.
say what you will about the lower section blue hairs, but they are there filling up the seats for the crap games and when the team sucks (or selling it to fans for a rare opportunity to be on the floor).
The students? not so much
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Has less to do with the arena and more to do with the players/coach. Comes down to the small teams being excited for a once in a lifetime opportunity and meanwhile we have a coach that was once labeled as a “master motivator” that can’t get his guys to understand what’s coming at them. Another part of it is these guys come from the AAU, prep, and travel teams where they play all these games and the results don’t really matter. As long as you showed up and played well for everyone to see that’s what matters. Just make sure after the game you repost all your IG shoutouts and highlights you had during the game.
These kinds of games from players has been happening for years, I can go all the way back to the Crispin Brothers lighting us up. Penn is yet another team that shoots a high percentage of three pointers and average 9 made threes per game. You can bet they will light it up.
Blue hairs create the terrible environment there. There are problems for both students and blue hairs. Who cares if the arena is full if everyone is sitting on their hands.
Okay, we'll continue to have a terrible environment then. Great! Problem solved. Thinking students won't get tickets if they aren't only allowed to sit on one side of the court is asinine. I guess our fans aren't that great if we can't actually fill an arena? It has to be a social event and status symbol for people over the age of 65 at Rupp.
Did you hear Jay Bilas talk about it was deafening in Rupp for the Miami game?
the problem isn't Rupp
and if you think the solution is putting students down on the court thinking they'll be high energy to watch the Cat's play Stonybrook then you're not paying attention to what is going on in college sports.
All I know is other major programs are definitely louder and more intimidating than Rupp during non marquee games. Try going to one. Also, great we got loud up 15 against Miami.
This has been a problem for years. This is not some new trend at Rupp. Rupp has been quiet and unintimidating for a long, long time.
you joined in 2003 so clearly you've been around a while
I'm not going to say that a 70 year old sitting on their hands is great for the atmosphere, I just don't think that a 20 year old looking at their phone the entire game is much better
Yeah, I agree and I acknowledged the issue with our student section in my first post. I'm not really sure what the solution is with your point about the students in mind. I just know it should be a better environment than it is.
for both types, the challenge is the game is a social event
Yeah but I sure can't think of many that rival Evansville and NC Wilmington. 2 absolutely terrible teams.
If you run off the so called Blue Hairs you may well sink the program as they pay a lot the bills.
This is just foolishness. If you selectively begin after the 2015 season the Cat's have won 87.4% in Rupp since that point. Clearly this "problem" is exaggerated.
I know going to games in the Pitino era was often deafening and the older big money people were still down front then so I can't really buy that Rupp is the issue.
We win because we are clearly the more talented team. Doesn't mean the environment is good. I have went to games almost every season for the last 25 years and rarely has the place been "deafening". Rupp is not what it should be.
You can cease with touting the arena's and atmospheres of all other powerhouses as well in that case. According to this it is irrelevant as we could win just as much at the local YMCA by this logic. 25 years does not get you back to the Pitino era which is what I cited.
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Okay, I've been going since 1996 where I went to every home game from 1996 to 2001 brecause my sister cheered for UK. I guess I should have said 27 years, huh? I have gone to more sporting events at UK than you have, I promise you. Do you want to get technical on who is a bigger fan and put more money into the athletics department? Rupp is not what it should be. If a top 10 team/Louisville isn't there, it really isn't a better environment than any other program and that is a problem.
You sound sillier with each post. My last post clearly destroyed the theory that it addressed. If it was 27 years you definitely should have said that as you look questionable changing it after the fact. I can remember times the only way to communicate with the person next to you was to yell in their ear.
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No, you look silly by acting like I had to be exact with the years. My b, my blunder. I can remember the blue hairs not standing up for ranked SEC games over the last 15 years, as well. I also remember the deafening silence of Rupp in many non conference games. It's okay to acknowledge Rupp isn't not a top 10 environment for college basketball at this point. It's sad. Maybe it was better 30 years ago. Shame that was 30 years ago, though. Rupp was definitely loud during a lot of Tubby's years too. Now, Rupp sucks. Hell, Cintas Center at XU gets louder than Rupp anymore. Bud Walton is louder, Auburn's is louder, Tennessee's is louder. These are football schools we're talking about. It's embarrassing to feel like you can't stand up during a game because you don't want to disturb the people behind you. I've sat in lower level, upper level, and courtside and it really doesn't make a difference. Maybe it's not a Rupp thing, it's just a lack of excitement for the program.
I said the Pitino era and you cited a time that did not fall within that era. You can not admit you made a pretty large error with that retort? You admit it was very loud during a lot of the Tubby Era as well so clearly it is not the building or it's location's fault. As far as standing up to back your team I'm on your side every time with that. I don't believe the interest problem is in anyway exclusive to here. The fanhood challenge nonsense is what drew the "silly" remark.
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Where are you getting that I'm saying the arena itself is bad? The arena is fine especially after getting rid of the beehive.
I'm clearly referring to the fans/excitement level here? I do prefer on campus arenas personally, but I feel like Rupp works as an off campus arena as the entire city/most of the state follows UK, not just students/alumni. If I miscommunicated that I was complaining about the actual arena, my bad. This was aimed towards the excitement level of the fans inside the arena. I don't like how the student are underneath the basket on one side. I prefer Michigan State's layout where the students surround the floor. Having the blue hairs surround the floor and take naps during the game does not make for an intimidating game experience. Yes, I know they fund everything so I'm not sure if there is a real solution here.Also, with the 25 years vs 27 years thing, I was not thinking that deep into it. Literally just said a ballpark area of when I've been going to games. Sorry for the confusion. The first game I ever went to at Rupp was Notre Dame in fall of 1996.
I'll give you credit for a good rational post here. My preference would be to put the students on the side starting at bottom of the upper deck. The bigger problem is student interest imo. I would be in support of upgrading the home schedule as well. You do now acknowledge the need for the "blue hairs" which is pretty much what set this off initially.Where are you getting that I'm saying the arena itself is bad? The arena is fine especially after getting rid of the beehive.
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the home schedule is a huge issue
there are teams we could schedule that would draw a crowd but Calihorsesass won't play any team that could potentially pose a challenge (After UNC-W, its really not shocking why).
Kentucky could schedule Murray St, NKU, Notre Dame, St. Louis, Belmont, Xavier, UC, EKU, Morehead, I'm sure there are even better ones if I just thought about that would have either regional or rivalry motivators for fans. A return to the Home and Home with Indiana will/would help,
He could bring in teams that would not be top 10 and most years not even top 30 but would be challenging, desirable name recognition teams for the program to play, but he won't because he knows he'd get 2-3 losses if he continues with the rent-a-player routine - but that is kind of a moot point because he gets those losses playing the Nuns of the Blind now as it is.
So part of the reason Rupp isn't Rupp in your eyes is because the coach wants as many gimme development games he can get away without being ridiculed or mandated to play a real team.
I mean the teams I mentioned with maybe the exception of Notre Dame, Xavier and UC would only be a slightly higher risk than UNC-W, and certainly on par with St. Joseph, but from fan interest, they'd draw a large crowd just on geographic location alone
there are teams we could schedule that would draw a crowd but Calihorsesass won't play any team that could potentially pose a challenge (After UNC-W, its really not shocking why).
Kentucky could schedule Murray St, NKU, Notre Dame, St. Louis, Belmont, Xavier, UC, EKU, Morehead, I'm sure there are even better ones if I just thought about that would have either regional or rivalry motivators for fans. A return to the Home and Home with Indiana will/would help,
He could bring in teams that would not be top 10 and most years not even top 30 but would be challenging, desirable name recognition teams for the program to play, but he won't because he knows he'd get 2-3 losses if he continues with the rent-a-player routine - but that is kind of a moot point because he gets those losses playing the Nuns of the Blind now as it is.
So part of the reason Rupp isn't Rupp in your eyes is because the coach wants as many gimme development games he can get away without being ridiculed or mandated to play a real team.
I mean the teams I mentioned with maybe the exception of Notre Dame, Xavier and UC would only be a slightly higher risk than UNC-W, and certainly on par with St. Joseph, but from fan interest, they'd draw a large crowd just on geographic location alone
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