Let's face it, GW  has never given a damn about putting a first class men's basketball team on the court. Never enough financial resources, never enough administration backing. Since the mid-sixties, men's basketball has been the only revenue-producing sport, but that has never fazed the school. What do they do when they need a new coach in 2019 after multiple failures? They offer a five year deal to a guy (albeit a nice guy), who had a .515 winning percentage at lesser schools. A typical, economical GW move. It's possible that Christian could have been a success here but it was a huge, unnecessary gamble. My feeling, after 56 years of following this mess (with few exceptions-- Bob Talent, Mike Jarvis), is that GW should get rid of varsity men's basketball altogether and just put a really dandy intramural men's team on the court. 

LSF: Sorry I forgot about Lonergan and Hobbs (for part of his tenure), although I firmly believe the school completely botched the Lonergan matter on so many levels. I will repeat, however, that whatever success the school has had with their head coaches, all those hirings and others were made on the cheap. As for the school not having the financial resources to get the job done, I question that. GW seems to own half the real estate in Foggy Bottom and, in any event, how much money would it really cost to pay for an experienced, successful coach from a really good league? Another point: What has the school lost by not having a top-flight men's team-- national exposure, local exposure on radio and tv, literally no coverage in the Post, declining attendance and on and on. Compare our story to that of Georgetown's. As you know, we had the same level program when John Thompson was hired at G'town. Admittedly, they got lucky with that hire but then took all kinds of innovative steps and risks to better the program including making a deal to play at the Cap Center. What has GW done during that period--literally nothing! And now even in its off-years, Georgetown basketball is a nationally recognized program while we sit at the bottom of the A10! Last, there are plenty of small schools with fewer financial resources and that are much less of an attraction than GW that have succeeded in basketball. For one, I'm getting really weary of the Little Sisters of the Poor arguments for why GW can't do what it needs to do.  Last, the fan base will not show up and write sizable checks until it believes that the school is committed to really winning--something I again will argue I have not seen in my 56 years of following the team.

moneybox wrote:

LSF: Sorry I forgot about Lonergan and Hobbs (for part of his tenure), although I firmly believe the school completely botched the Lonergan matter on so many levels. I will repeat, however, that whatever success the school has had with their head coaches, all those hirings and others were made on the cheap. As for the school not having the financial resources to get the job done, I question that. GW seems to own half the real estate in Foggy Bottom and, in any event, how much money would it really cost to pay for an experienced, successful coach from a really good league? Another point: What has the school lost by not having a top-flight men's team-- national exposure, local exposure on radio and tv, literally no coverage in the Post, declining attendance and on and on. Compare our story to that of Georgetown's. As you know, we had the same level program when John Thompson was hired at G'town. Admittedly, they got lucky with that hire but then took all kinds of innovative steps and risks to better the program including making a deal to play at the Cap Center. What has GW done during that period--literally nothing! And now even in its off-years, Georgetown basketball is a nationally recognized program while we sit at the bottom of the A10! Last, there are plenty of small schools with fewer financial resources and that are much less of an attraction than GW that have succeeded in basketball. For one, I'm getting really weary of the Little Sisters of the Poor arguments for why GW can't do what it needs to do.  Last, the fan base will not show up and write sizable checks until it believes that the school is committed to really winning--something I again will argue I have not seen in my 56 years of following the team.

Moneybox - the fan base isn't showing up. If you've truly been a fan for 56 years you would know that. I don't care how much we win - that's been proven by the past. They didn't show up for Jarvis, Hobbs or Lonergan on a regular basis. The fact that a school the size of GW can't draw 5,000 every night is ridiculous.

The students just don't care about basketball unless they can get themselves on TV. There are many distractions given all Washington, DC has to offer. We have a large number of international students. Basketball just isn't a thing at GW good or bad. Sure we can rally a few students for some marquee games when we are good. But it's not like it will sustain itself night in and night out.

Point is what you are saying isn't new or novel it's been that way since I arrived in the mid-1980s. JC could win the A-10 championship and go to the NCAAs and the next year instead of 2,000 we would have 3,000 not 5,000. The idea that there are donors just sitting on the sidelines waiting for us to be good is also pure fallacy. Never been true and continues not to be true. There are no sizeable checks.

GW has not and will never make the financial commitment to be a basketball power because it doesn't have to.. At best, we have to hope for years like we had under Jarvis, Hobbs or Lonergan. That's as good as it is going to get folks. And right now that looks pretty good. And if JC or any other coach gets there, they will be gone and we will start over. Or we will shoot ourselves in the foot as we did with Lonergan.

Everyone knows what GW should do but across a number of administrations and Boards, GW has refused to do so. It isn't changing.
 

You are correct about the Big East invitation. I may be wrong but at some point  I think GW turned down the opportunity to join a better conference and it may have actually been the Big East. I could use some help on that from veteran supporters of the program. That said, the A10 Conference has certainly given GW the opportunity to build a program that we can all be proud of. That hasn't happened and if we continue to be a non-factor in that conference, my fear is that GW will be asked to leave. 

Glad to see this thread stayed on-topic in discussing the road game against Fullerton St.

1) Fullerton State was a cautionary tale that we need to get our act together and even if beat on our soft OOC opponents from now on, any signs of improvement will be greatly welcome, but won't mean much until well into the league schedule.
2) The whole attendance thing, at least as far as alumni, has a lot to do with attitudes about GW, as well as GW's attitude. For whatever reason, GW doesn't inspire the school spirit that other universities do. And the reverse side is GW doesn't seem to value or reach out (outside of donations) to their alumni in a way that other schools might. 
   The relationship is pretty much blah both ways. 
   That and our abysmal performance for much of half a decade is not a formula to fill seats.
Have to say, in our meaningless exhibition game and unimpressive home opener, the students really turned out. That may be more pent-up Covid demand than anything else, but the student turnout was much more impressive than the opening game performance.