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Post by acepurple84 on Apr 19, 2023 17:49:56 GMT -6
With Rags Butler connections that might be more likely than it was a couple of years ago. Probably some reluctance on their part to give us a home and home series especially after we beat them in their Final Four years. We also beat WSU, twice, the year they went to the final 4. Maybe we tout that, if we beat you then chances of you getting to the Final 4 improves
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Post by aceschamps6571 on Apr 19, 2023 18:01:47 GMT -6
With Rags Butler connections that might be more likely than it was a couple of years ago. Probably some reluctance on their part to give us a home and home series especially after we beat them in their Final Four years. That is a common misconception that the Aces beat Butler in their Final Four seasons. The Aces won at Butler early in their 2nd national runner-up seaon. Butler won here in their first Final Four season. After their second straight trip to the Final Four, the Bulldogs lost here in the Ford Center, but they played in the CBI that season.
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Post by acesslover on Apr 19, 2023 18:12:38 GMT -6
I wish UE would play at Indiana or Purdue or Xavier or Butler or any local school instead. That being said, this is a good buy game and could be winnable.
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Post by austinace on Apr 19, 2023 18:39:36 GMT -6
With Rags Butler connections that might be more likely than it was a couple of years ago. Probably some reluctance on their part to give us a home and home series especially after we beat them in their Final Four years. That is a common misconception that the Aces beat Butler in their Final Four seasons. The Aces won at Butler early in their 2nd national runner-up seaon. Butler won here in their first Final Four season. After their second straight trip to the Final Four, the Bulldogs lost here in the Ford Center, but they played in the CBI that season. Evansville beat Butler 71-68 on November 27th of the 2010-2011 season where Butler lost to Connecticut in the National Championship game. butlersports.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule/2010-11You are correct that in the previous 2009-2010 campaign they beat us in a close game 64-60 before losing to Duke in the National Championship game later that season. The point is we tended to play them close over the years and especially in the last years that they would play us. Hence their reluctance to play us since they think they are better than us and it would look bad if we beat them (again).
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Post by 65pointgame on Apr 19, 2023 18:48:26 GMT -6
I simply like a Butler game up in Indy because it offers the oppty to have an alumni event in conjunction with the game.
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Post by aceloverlarry on Apr 19, 2023 19:29:59 GMT -6
I wish UE would play at Indiana or Purdue or Xavier or Butler or any local school instead. That being said, this is a good buy game and could be winnable. They said they’re working on another big game, so maybe we’ll get two quality buy games this year. I’d love to play any of the 4 you mentioned or Louisville. I could see us taking a buy game from memphis at some point in Ziggys tenure as well.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2023 20:07:55 GMT -6
The best you can hope for Xavier, which is clearly interested in a higher calling, is to get into a tournament with them. I hope the MTE arrangement eventually is better than some Flo-Net Chamber of Commerce event. I think they need to do more than just the top half of the Valley to get into that conversation. I'd like to see them playing some American Conference teams and a couple of CUSA's eventually.
All in all, the schedule is trending upward and the next step is to get the women's program headed the same way.
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Post by aceschamps6571 on Apr 19, 2023 20:38:38 GMT -6
It wouldn't be surprising if a game at Purdue is the other "big" game. The Aces were originally scheduled to play at PU to open the 2020-21 season, before the NCAA canceled the first few weeks of the season, and that game had to be canceled. The whole non conference schedule was rearranged almost on the fly, and UE ended up playing in Louisville to begin that season. I hope it's not Purdue, but it was mentioned in 2020 when that game was called off, that they would try to schedule each other in a later season.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2023 21:11:03 GMT -6
With Rags Butler connections that might be more likely than it was a couple of years ago. Probably some reluctance on their part to give us a home and home series especially after we beat them in their Final Four years. That is a common misconception that the Aces beat Butler in their Final Four seasons. The Aces won at Butler early in their 2nd national runner-up seaon. Butler won here in their first Final Four season. After their second straight trip to the Final Four, the Bulldogs lost here in the Ford Center, but they played in the CBI that season. As I recall, the conversation was that Butler was quite close to bringing an NCAA champion team into E-ville and that would have been amazing, regardless of outcome.
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Post by austinace on Apr 19, 2023 21:13:16 GMT -6
It wouldn't be surprising if a game at Purdue is the other "big" game. The Aces were originally scheduled to play at PU to open the 2020-21 season, before the NCAA canceled the first few weeks of the season, and that game had to be canceled. The whole non conference schedule was rearranged almost on the fly, and UE ended up playing in Louisville to begin that season. I hope it's not Purdue, but it was mentioned in 2020 when that game was called off, that they would try to schedule each other in a later season. At least they likely won’t have Edey as he just declared for the NBA draft yesterday - but is maintaining his college eligibility for now. www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/36225916/purdue-zach-edey-declares-nba-draft-maintains-eligibility
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2023 7:48:23 GMT -6
I don't think playing a B1G is ever a bad idea, even if the predicted score is a negative-40. There are manifold reasons for this, and some of it doesn't deal with sports. The athletics program at any university carries the colors and the pep-vim-heritage. It is important at times get out and flaunt it. Yeah, you'd like to make the game competitive -- and the road-kill paycheck is a consolation prize (especially when you win). Anybody asked me, I'd have at least one B1G on my schedule every year.
And while I am at it, remind them that the Aces are usually favored to win the baseball game.
I will reassert, part of this growth has to include the women. The NIL money has to start appearing there. The NCAA women's tournament was pretty damned awesome. No reason the people who are boosting the UE programs can't widen their focus. As a fan, I am less interested in WBB than some other sports but, man ... I still feel a sense of pride when they win.
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Post by E-Villan on Apr 20, 2023 10:51:34 GMT -6
I have said this before, but the only way I ever want to see Butler on the schedule is if it is a home and home series. If Gonzaga is a major in a mid-major conference, then Butler is a mid-major in a major conference. Their basketball budget is dead last and only about 1/3 of the leaders in the Big East. They are no higher than 3rd in interest in their own home city, well behind both Purdue and IU. They caught lightning in a bottle twice and used it to leverage a bid into the Big East. Prior to that, they had been repeatedly rejected by other conferences, including the MVC.
Although we got into the MVC and they were left behind in the Horizon, we kept them on the schedule every year. They were our oldest rival and we even gave them the opening game of the Ford Center, bumping IU to the second game. Despite this, they dropped us like a hot potato as soon as the Big East invite came. I have lost a lot of respect for them and could care less really if we ever play them again at all.
Don't forget, it was their glory boy who pawned off his assistant coach on us, without mentioning his extra-curricular activities...not to mention following the Butler Way also gave us Lickliter.
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Post by 65pointgame on Apr 20, 2023 15:31:52 GMT -6
Someone needs to tell the IU AD to come visit EVV. Then have them go to Kohls/Target/Walmart etc and see that the quantity of UK merchandise is 2x that of IU gear--- that might encourage them to play at the Ford and build their brand image here in the far reaches of SW Indiana.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2023 16:15:53 GMT -6
Although we got into the MVC and they were left behind in the Horizon, we kept them on the schedule every year. They were our oldest rival and we even gave them the opening game of the Ford Center, bumping IU to the second game. Despite this, they dropped us like a hot potato as soon as the Big East invite came. I have lost a lot of respect for them and could care less really if we ever play them again at all. I think there are a lot of memories of Butler dating back to the 1960s that make games against them appealing. For all the right reasons, it should be interesting and acceptably competitive. The aura of the old fieldhouse smells like sneakers and ... popcorn. But really, Butler is trying to convince people that it's more important around Indy than it is. I think there are far worse games that can be scheduled, but the Indy media probably sees the Aces as similar to South Dakota in terms of central Indiana fan interest. In terms of fan interest, the game means more to Evansville than Butler.
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Post by aceloverlarry on Apr 20, 2023 20:44:35 GMT -6
Someone needs to tell the IU AD to come visit EVV. Then have them go to Kohls/Target/Walmart etc and see that the quantity of UK merchandise is 2x that of IU gear--- that might encourage them to play at the Ford and build their brand image here in the far reaches of SW Indiana. Would love to see it; but I think embarrassing IPFW loss at the end of the Crean tenure might have been the last time we see IU play on the road at a midmajor ever again honestly. They haven’t played an in state midmajor since ISU whooped em in Archie’s first season as HC too. I don’t think IU cares about their brand within the fringes of the state as long as they still own the Indy metro.
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