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The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
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Ms. Cottonball Offline
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The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
Ok fellas. Kudos to Bass for his hire of Coach K. 04-cheers

So now, with a fresh start, the last thing we need to hear from our Athletic Director and Staff is "I hope we can keep him".

Bass' contract expires in 2016. AD Bass has a clean slate to actually turn our program into something special. During the next 16 months (The Cottonball Challenge), I want to see the implementation AND FUNDING of a Plan to keep our Head Coach.

A Plan which doesn't have as its 1st priority AD Bass and Coach K holding hands in front of the BOT's requesting a contract extension.

Bass and Aycock need to figure out how they are going to raise some significant monies. NO more speeches about basketball excellence, blah, blah, blah.

IMO, we have a shot at keeping Keatts, provided there is progress toward the following:

Practice facility
Upgrade / Modernization of the locker room
Improve and modernize strength and conditioning facilities
Increased meal per diem for players
Significant increase to the recruiting budget
At least one charter flight that replaces the 5:00 am arrival to Trask after certain games.
Adequate office space
Summer school attendance, both sessions, entire roster
Fewer "money" games or at the very least, use some of those funds to bring opponents to Trask.

Bass and his team need to prove that they have what it takes to get the job done. And fellas, I'm not ignoring the revenue from increased attendance, additional endorsements, and increased Seahawk Club donations. Those monies do little more than supplement the operating budget.

I'm looking forward to seeing Towson's new basketball facilities. Have a great day boys. I'll be checking in from I-95.

Ms. Cottonball
02-21-2015 06:05 AM
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70shawk Offline
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
Glad you have gotten The Mullet out of your head for now so that you can get it back into the challenges at hand!

Speaking of the challenges at hand, let me ask you a couple of questions about the "Cottonball Challenge To Bass".

First of all - respecting your (and everyone's) right to confidentially - you clearly have a point of view grounded in some proximity to the inner-workings of the program. Since I don't recall you posting any "Cottonball challenges to Kelly Mehrtens", what is it about Bass in particular that seems to get your dander up? You may not dislike him personally (I don't know if you do or you don't) but there is clearly something about his way of doing business that you really don't like.

Also - while I think your list of challenges have great merit - they strike me as being challenges that would be faced by whoever is in that slot. I will concede that Bass's biggest mistake was advocating a contract extension for Buzz Peterson. But my own personal sense (from the outside looking in) is that Bass - and, I am sure, others - has stabilized a disastrous situation from the DePaulo/Mehrtens years, and that our signature programs are showing real progress. The problem is that college athletics (and its finances) realigned dramatically at precisely the wrong time for UNCW...so now whoever is AD would be facing the challenge of "how" to do (ie, fund) all of the things you think need to be done.

So please tell us. Why all of this is so Bass-centric in your mind?
(This post was last modified: 02-21-2015 07:43 AM by 70shawk.)
02-21-2015 06:47 AM
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Ms. Cottonball Offline
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
(02-21-2015 06:47 AM)70shawk Wrote:  Glad you have gotten The Mullet out of your head for now so that you can get it back into the challenges at hand!

Speaking of the challenges at hand, let me ask you a couple of questions about the "Cottonball Challenge To Bass".

First of all - respecting your (and everyone's) right to confidentially - you clearly have a point of view grounded in some proximity to the inner-workings of the program. Since I don't recall you posting any "Cottonball challenges to Kelly Mehrtens", what is it about Bass in particular that seems to get your dander up? You may not dislike him personally (I don't know if you do or you don't) but there is clearly something about his way of doing business that you really don't like.

Also - while I think your list of challenges have great merit - they strike me as being challenges that would be faced by whoever is in that slot. I will concede that Bass's biggest mistake was advocating a contract extension for Buzz Peterson. But my own personal sense (from the outside looking in) is that Bass - and, I am sure, others - has stabilized a disastrous situation from the DePaulo/Mehrtens years, and that our signature programs are showing real progress. The problem is that college athletics (and its finances) realigned dramatically at precisely the wrong time for UNCW...so now whoever is AD would be facing the challenge of "how" to do (ie, fund) all of the things you think need to be done.

So please tell us. Why all of this is so Bass-centric in your mind?

It's a clean slate 70's. Since I'm neither a Bass or a Mullet, no bites on question 1 from Ms. Cottonball.

In response to your other comments, there's no disagreement on my part.
BUT, Bass is the AD today, hence "The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass".

The "challenge" to Bass is to merely show progress, something more than fresh paint and decals.

Gotta go 70's. Breakfast stop in Emporia.
02-21-2015 08:37 AM
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Big Alpha Hawk Offline
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
Thanks Ms. Cottonball for a real thought out post, this is exactly has to be done. What I want from Bass is to step up and say "We want to have one of th etop 10 mid major basketball programs in the country and we are going to provide the resources to make it happen." We had a coach like that at one time and we need that again.
02-21-2015 09:13 AM
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70shawk Offline
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
[Image: maxresdefault.jpg]
02-21-2015 10:29 AM
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B_Hawk06 Offline
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
I like this Ms. C!

This was a well thought out post and addresses a lot of what all of us want, sustained success. I think Ms. C would ask these same questions regardless of who are AD is. If we are going to keep up with other mid-majors and keep the best coach we've had in years, well... we absolutely need these questions answered.

So far, I'm pleased with upgrades Bass has done, but of course he's not perfect. I believe after the season we are having that it's going to be a top priority to do anything and everything to keep Coach Keatts for the next few years.

I think all of those recommendations are excellent ideas, and it's clear our Cottonball has an inside track of sorts.
02-21-2015 10:31 AM
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Osprey#1 Offline
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
I agree with the Cottonball challenge and analysis. I think this has to begin soon to keep Coach Keatts or at least keep our program moving in the right direction. Not going to be easy as UNCW just took another cut to its operating budget.
02-21-2015 04:29 PM
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SEA33HAWK Offline
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
It takes more than talk on our end also. We need a lot more contributions. Bass and company need more monies to get the job done. When it comes to athletics, more than basketball is envolved. On the while we are starting to make the slogan a fact. "Where champions are made".
02-21-2015 04:39 PM
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Hawk So Hard Offline
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
I find it interesting that we challenge Bass to keep Keatts, but for the past 5 years, he has not been challenged to raise money for scholarships. How do we expect them to raise money now, when they have failed for the past 5 years? I know there are more W's on the board for basketball, but that will not transition into a significant increase in donations until Bass and Robert Aycock get out of their offices and ask for money. I have a challenge for you..."It's called the get out and ask for money challenge." Starting today, I would like to know how many times Bass and the Seahawk Club actively leave their office and solicit NEW donations to support UNCW Athletics. From now till March 31, I would be willing to bet they do not bring in more than $10,000 in NEW donations. I am sure they are sitting behind their desks reading this, so if you are, get out of the office and go raise some money.
Thank you,
Loyal UNCW Alumni, Letter Winner, and Seahawk Club member
02-23-2015 03:43 PM
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geezerhawkdad Offline
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
Bass and the Seahawk Club, with the Coach when his schedule allows it, need to hit the road in the spring and take advantage of this season. They need to host receptions at country clubs and restaurants in the big cities in NC and other areas where there are many UNCW alums and parents. Invite alums and parents of current students and grads. Make sure former athletes who live in the area are there. Dr. Leutze is still active. He wrote an Op-Ed piece in the Charlotte Observer recently. Enlist him.

Be armed with and distribute stat sheets that compare UNCW's athletic and academic budget to its conference foes and peer institutions in the UNC system. Tell the crowd UNCW needs donations and where the money will go. If there is a specific need, people will give. Remind people about the success of UNCW's teams and players on the floor, track, pool, and classroom.

Try to schedule home and home series with in-state opponents in big cities in NC: UNCG, Campbell (done), UNCC/Davidson, and UNCA. Publicize those games to alums in the area. Davidson paid UNCW to come to Davidson this year. They might be receptive to a home and home series because UNCW has proven to be a worthy opponent. Davidson needs in-state opponents.

Pester Wake for $ games if they won't go home and home. They play in a huge arena and do not draw well until the conference season starts. They will pay for a game and they are beatable. That upset will get some publicity.

A chicken wing and a cold drink go a long way to open people's checkbooks. Once they have a list of donors, they can go through the list to identify people who can make sizable donations.
02-23-2015 08:56 PM
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Seahawk Nation 08 Offline
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
(02-23-2015 08:56 PM)geezerhawkdad Wrote:  Davidson paid UNCW to come to Davidson this year. They might be receptive to a home and home series because UNCW has proven to be a worthy opponent. Davidson needs in-state opponents.

Doesn't the A-10 help teams pay for opponents as well? Sure wish the CAA had the budget to do that.
02-24-2015 07:56 AM
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tke75hawk Offline
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
yes the a 10 does help pay for home games
02-24-2015 09:36 AM
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herdfifteen Offline
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
Bass will likely have little choice in keeping Keatts if the right offer comes. With the obscene money the P5 schools are offering there is no way we could match it. He did turn down D1 jobs prior to coming here, and Pitino said it had to be the right job. Bass is to be congratulated for convincing Keatts to come at a rather modest salary simply because he had numerous schools interested in him.
02-24-2015 12:45 PM
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Seahawk Nation 08 Offline
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
(02-24-2015 12:45 PM)herdfifteen Wrote:  Bass will likely have little choice in keeping Keatts if the right offer comes. With the obscene money the P5 schools are offering there is no way we could match it. He did turn down D1 jobs prior to coming here, and Pitino said it had to be the right job. Bass is to be congratulated for convincing Keatts to come at a rather modest salary simply because he had numerous schools interested in him.

The answer, then, is as equally simple as it is difficult. We need to become a program that transcends conference affiliation and rises to the level of a P5-caliber basketball school like VCU did within the CAA. The wins are here and should continue to come. Money will make the rest of that happen.

Keatts clearly saw this program as one with potential or he never comes here. We need to maximize that potential by making a lot of the ideas in this thread happen. More in-state games, better facilities, and support from local businesses.
(This post was last modified: 02-24-2015 01:06 PM by Seahawk Nation 08.)
02-24-2015 01:05 PM
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82hawk Offline
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
I still think we need Keatts to succeed for several years before any real strides can be made financially. We also need the rest of the CAA to step up so we can get to multiple NCAA bids, based on the current structure of sharing credits.

In the end, our only real shot at long term success in the A10. Not sure how realistic that is with the current penalty for leaving, but they are the premier basketball only conference we have a shot at. It will also depend on how television revenue flows into that conference with the new union of the big conferences. I'm afraid they're going to suck the life out of mid major conferences, leaving the A10 at a huge disadvantage, to the point they have little more on the table than the CAA. Hopefully that becomes apparent in the next 4 years, so we don't make a mistake by moving before a collapse.

It's all become a battle of TV market share, and CoC actually has a leg up on us in that aspect. The question is, can they build a program better than UNCW? Or, would the A10 like to build a Carolina contingent with Davidson, CoC and UNCW?
02-24-2015 02:29 PM
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
Long term Id love to see us and CoC in the A10 as a package deal. Happy in the CAA no doubt, but a southern division of the A10 including GW, GMU, Richmond, VCU, Davidson, UNCW, and CoC would be impossible to pass up.
02-24-2015 05:33 PM
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Ms. Cottonball Offline
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
[quote='82hawk' pid='11802930' dateline='1424806186']
I still think we need Keatts to succeed for several years before any real strides can be made financially. We also need the rest of the CAA to step up so we can get to multiple NCAA bids, based on the current structure of sharing credits.

In the end, our only real shot at long term success in the A10. Not sure how realistic that is with the current penalty for leaving, but they are the premier basketball only conference we have a shot at. /quote]



82, as much as you and I have agreed in the past (:bow:kidding) I don't think we can afford to wait for any "financial strides" that may or may not occur in the future. The time is NOW ! If we (Bass, Boosters, Administration) miss this opportunity, I fear that we may be mired in mediocrity for several years to come. A 4-way tie for 1st place this late in the season speaks to the possibility that the strength of the CAA is improving. Multiple bids may not be out of the question.

I'm not sure what you mean by the rest of the CAA stepping up. Actually, UNCW needs to step up. Based on the revenue sharing formula, The "money" games hurt us......unless we somehow manage to pull off an upset. Typically, the officiating crew is not going to let a team lose knowing that they are paying $100k to their opponent. And on the other end of the spectrum, with respect to the revenue sharing formula, UNCW opponents included St. Andrews and Catawba and have a negative impact on our calculation.

Yes, I know.......upsets can happen. But it's a rare occurrence in top money games.

Couple thoughts on a move to the A-10.

1. Why would they want us? We have better attendance than the majority of the A-10 schools but we don't add much to the media market. On any given day, Wilmington viewers can watch local, Raleigh, Greenville, and Myrtle Beach.

2. Our facilities don't match the standards of the A-10.

3. Our boys already travel under extreme budget constraints. How do we afford a schedule made up of the A-10.......I know, Davidson, VCU, GW would be no different than our current travels, but the overall schedule would add to our costs.

4. Coach K has to place some value in the fact that he can become the dominant force in the CAA. By remaining at UNCW, his odds of post season play are going to be higher than most coaches of mid-major teams.


Looking forward to special senior night. It's nice to see Freddie go out with a smile.

Stay warm and safe fellas.

Ms. Cottonball
02-24-2015 06:01 PM
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Ms. Cottonball Offline
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
(02-24-2015 07:56 AM)Seahawk Nation 08 Wrote:  
(02-23-2015 08:56 PM)geezerhawkdad Wrote:  Davidson paid UNCW to come to Davidson this year. They might be receptive to a home and home series because UNCW has proven to be a worthy opponent. Davidson needs in-state opponents.

Doesn't the A-10 help teams pay for opponents as well? Sure wish the CAA had the budget to do that.

The CAA has a decent war-chest. VCU and Mason's tourny runs brought millions to the CAA which they ultimately forfeited. In addition, departing schools paid their fees to jump conferences.

It's time for ALL the players (AD's, Presidents, Conference Commish) to put these assets to work. Please. please, please.......try something innovative.
(This post was last modified: 02-24-2015 06:06 PM by Ms. Cottonball.)
02-24-2015 06:02 PM
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solohawks Online
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
(02-24-2015 06:01 PM)Ms. Cottonball Wrote:  [quote='82hawk' pid='11802930' dateline='1424806186']
I still think we need Keatts to succeed for several years before any real strides can be made financially. We also need the rest of the CAA to step up so we can get to multiple NCAA bids, based on the current structure of sharing credits.

In the end, our only real shot at long term success in the A10. Not sure how realistic that is with the current penalty for leaving, but they are the premier basketball only conference we have a shot at. /quote]



82, as much as you and I have agreed in the past (:bow:kidding) I don't think we can afford to wait for any "financial strides" that may or may not occur in the future. The time is NOW ! If we (Bass, Boosters, Administration) miss this opportunity, I fear that we may be mired in mediocrity for several years to come. A 4-way tie for 1st place this late in the season speaks to the possibility that the strength of the CAA is improving. Multiple bids may not be out of the question.

I'm not sure what you mean by the rest of the CAA stepping up. Actually, UNCW needs to step up. Based on the revenue sharing formula, The "money" games hurt us......unless we somehow manage to pull off an upset. Typically, the officiating crew is not going to let a team lose knowing that they are paying $100k to their opponent. And on the other end of the spectrum, with respect to the revenue sharing formula, UNCW opponents included St. Andrews and Catawba and have a negative impact on our calculation.

Yes, I know.......upsets can happen. But it's a rare occurrence in top money games.

Couple thoughts on a move to the A-10.

1. Why would they want us? We have better attendance than the majority of the A-10 schools but we don't add much to the media market. On any given day, Wilmington viewers can watch local, Raleigh, Greenville, and Myrtle Beach.

2. Our facilities don't match the standards of the A-10.

3. Our boys already travel under extreme budget constraints. How do we afford a schedule made up of the A-10.......I know, Davidson, VCU, GW would be no different than our current travels, but the overall schedule would add to our costs.

4. Coach K has to place some value in the fact that he can become the dominant force in the CAA. By remaining at UNCW, his odds of post season play are going to be higher than most coaches of mid-major teams.


Looking forward to special senior night. It's nice to see Freddie go out with a smile.

Stay warm and safe fellas.

Ms. Cottonball

A10 is a tough sell no doubt, but GMU got into the A10 based off of their final 4 run. If we could put together a solid, winning basketball program over the next decade, along with raising our financial support, we could make ourselves an attractive option to the A10 should the need arise for the A10 to expand. Again packaging ourselves with CoC to round out a southern division of the A10 is the way to go.

travel would be a little more not be that much different than the caa. we already go to philly, nyc, and Massachusetts. we would be adding western NY, Pittsburgh and RI, assuming the western A10 schools of St. Louis and Dayton finally get called up to the Big East (Which is the only real way the A10 would need to expand), but with divisional play all those trips would not be every year as they are now in the caa.
(This post was last modified: 02-24-2015 06:52 PM by solohawks.)
02-24-2015 06:50 PM
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82hawk Offline
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RE: The Cottonball challenge to Jimmy Bass
Cotton, if you notice my post, i'm not real high on us getting an invite, only stating that they are the only step up we even have a shot at. I specifically mentioned CoC as having a better TV market than ours. The good thing is that Wilmiington is growing into the surrounding areas as the population increases. The A10 may look at us a long term bet, especially if we can get back on a winning streak.

Yes, the time is now, but my point was that some trips to the NCAA tournament over the next few years for us and our CAA brethren would help fill the coffers. UNCW places a lot of emphasis on our basketball program, and has the fan support as well. So, when I say the others need to step up, i'm talking about their facilities and fan support. We really need UNCW and CoC to take the lead in CAA basketball. I just don't see the former AE teams leading the charge. Basketball just isn't supported in that area. I can't believe the pitiful crowds NU attracts while fighting for 1st place in the CAA. If UNCW can put together a string of a few top of the conference finishes, the crowds should remain, and the sponsors and donors will return.

I also am optimistic we are going to have a really good Chancellor to replace the dud that just left. We could be back to the trifecta of a good Chancellor, AD and coach by this fall.
02-24-2015 07:01 PM
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