U of Portland Tomorrow...

[Sudzilla]

Wondering if the Griz will get some support tomorrow against the Pilots? Probably the best team that will play us at home this year, including Weber.. Very good and talented team that will present a big challenge for the Griz.. If home crowd can show up and support it will be HUGE for the Griz morale. Here's hoping the game is getting the props it deserves from the local media outlets!

Anyone in Missoula looking to see some GREAT Hoops needs to get to this game. You wont be disappointed..

 

[MissoulaMarinerFan]

I will be there. I was at the CSF game, and there was about 2900 (I think?). Hopefully more people will show up to watch a young, exciting, up and coming Griz team!!

 

[BelierPeaux]

I was thinking more people would show this year due to the success from last year. Not to be as of yet. They really need to market this team better.

 

[GrizBBIsKing]

I was thinking more people would show this year due to the success from last year. Not to be as of yet. They really need to market this team better.

they really haven't market this team very well for over a decade.
attendance for the first three games this year is approximately 250+/- less than the first three home games played last year. Also, the actuall attendance was likely quite a bit lower than the official attendance which counts season ticket holders who do not show up. Looked like less than 2000 fans showed up against Fullerton.

Budget cutting has affected both the Griz and Lady Griz the last three years. Attendance keeps dropping each year like this, they may not be able to recruit out of state. That would be the nail in the coffin for this program at a time when it is starting to become really really good (next two to three years look very promising). Lady Griz have already got to the point of just recruiting in-state players only. there is good talent on the girls side of things in Montana every once in awhile (not this year as Selvig is likely to save two or three available scholarships for next year when there is a better pool of players). There just isn't that much division 1 talent in-state on the boys side as often.

This decline may be more due to the economy and attendance will pick up when economy picks up.

Montana saves its' marketing costs for the football program. That is where most of the money is. As long as the football program brings in the money, that is where the department will spend most its' money. This is not the 1974 to 1986 era where basketball reigned big.

 

[GrizDDS]

You'd think that the marketing would be more for basketball than football, since basketball has the potential to improve attendance by about 4,000 per game, create a nice home-court advantage, improve program stability, and become a decent source of revenue, while football is pretty much maxed out.

 

[GrizBBIsKing]

You'd think that the marketing would be more for basketball than football, since basketball has the potential to improve attendance by about 4,000 per game, create a nice home-court advantage, improve program stability, and become a decent source of revenue, while football is pretty much maxed out.

Considering I have seen very little advertising or promotion of basketball it is not very surprising to see attendance so low. Anyway, the Griz have so much potential, look real good at times, and a lot of upside, but only average 2,696 per game. Lady Griz, who are very young and looked so bad until the 8 minute mark left in the game today, average 2,704 a game. Lady Griz are actually up a little compared to the average they had after the first three games.
So, is there something really wrong with the men? Maybe more in-state players need to be on the team? why is the attendance for men falling and lady Griz kind of staying level, when it looks to me like the mens team that is improving the most?

 

[Jaredkuehn]

I went to the Pilots game against Saint Louis here in Portland on Tuesday night. This is not the Pilots team that won 20 games last season. They are very soft at the center position, Quale and Selvig should have a heyday in the paint. Hannibal looks like stud when he walks on the floor, but has terrible footwork in the paint. Knutson looks terrified everytime he touches the ball. They also appeared to be pretty weak at the point guard position. It felt like the crowd held its breath until the ball crossed center court on every possession. Cherry should be able to cause some turnovers and hopefully get some fast break points.

The Griz will have to keep Luke Sikma in check. He had 26 points, 7 rebounds and a handful of assists and was the best player on the floor tuesday night. The Griz will also have to keep Jared Stohl in check, he had a quite night against Saint Louis, but he's got the three ball and can get hot. Mitrovic is also a good shooter the Griz will have to watch.

If the Griz can keep the Pilots hot shots in check and force them to play in the paint, it should be a win for the home team. Eric Reveno is a great coach and will his team ready to play, but they just don't have the fire power they had last year. They graduated 5 seniors from last years team, and they show their inexperience.

Go Griz!

 

[Mousegriz]

Should be a good game tonight. As Tinkle mentioned in paper, the crowds have been marginal at best so far this year. Students stay away in droves, probably no more than 100 or so at Tues. game this week and many ticketholders must not make these early games. Wonder why no "Griz Kids" type program to get unused tickets in hands of some that might use.

It's frustrating that marketing is limited and town doesn't seem to support at anywhere near level it used to but some of the blame has to lie with the little things that were mentioned this fall. New player pictures not updated on websites and very little "buzz" created by team itself. Why not a poster signing day at the mall during busy shopping season, earlier Missoulian stories on new players when they get to town, etc., visits to on-campus groups to help bring more students to games. Compare Griz b-ball to Osprey baseball which gets front page lead article almost all summer, numerous player features, etc..... all for a team of out of state guys who are here for 3 months and then gone.

I appreciate Tinkle's concern about crowds but seems his effort to get things going is limited to commenting in paper that he and team are frustrated with crowds. He, the team and UM might have to start helping more with little things than they have in recent years.

 

[BelierPeaux]

Maybe the Basketballers need to get out in front of the community more? Do they do any visible volunteering? Maybe tip the press off to that so pictures show up, etc.

 

['68griz]

UM simply does not market basketball anymore. We've been season tickets holders for FB for 25+ years, but I never even know when there are basketball games. We aren't huge basketball fans, but probably would go to an occasional game if we knew about them before the morning of the day of the game.

 

[BelierPeaux]

Maybe I shouldn't complain. I mean, I was able to buy courtside tickets the the Griz/Cat game a week before the season started. I would have bought tickets wherever I could have for the game, but still, It's awesome for me, but sad that I could even do that.

 

[mtgrizrule]

Should be a good game tonight. As Tinkle mentioned in paper, the crowds have been marginal at best so far this year. Students stay away in droves, probably no more than 100 or so at Tues. game this week and many ticketholders must not make these early games. Wonder why no "Griz Kids" type program to get unused tickets in hands of some that might use.

It's frustrating that marketing is limited and town doesn't seem to support at anywhere near level it used to but some of the blame has to lie with the little things that were mentioned this fall. New player pictures not updated on websites and very little "buzz" created by team itself. Why not a poster signing day at the mall during busy shopping season, earlier Missoulian stories on new players when they get to town, etc., visits to on-campus groups to help bring more students to games. Compare Griz b-ball to Osprey baseball which gets front page lead article almost all summer, numerous player features, etc..... all for a team of out of state guys who are here for 3 months and then gone.

I appreciate Tinkle's concern about crowds but seems his effort to get things going is limited to commenting in paper that he and team are frustrated with crowds. He, the team and UM might have to start helping more with little things than they have in recent years.

Make the position, I will apply. I would love promoting GRIZ basketball, especially with the talent and basketball they play now. By the way, I would be a cheap hire too. :thumb: