WBB: Is the excitement gone?

[concrete]

Seems we had a fairly good year last year and so far have had a rough start (getting beat by Hampton barely escaping West kentucky). Is the excitement gone from Women's BB? I saw Gails' Texas team is now ranked higher than Duke as well.

I'm curious how long is Joanne's Contract? Does anyone know when it's up?

[concrete]

I think I saw on espn it said 5 years...pretty long investment

[PSurprise]

Well, haven't really had all that much to get excited about. And the loss to Hartford (not Hampton) doesn't help much if you're Coach P.

[concrete]

oops my mistake on Hartford

[DukeCO2009]

On campus? Yes. Very few people care about women's basketball. I'd say the student fanbase has been, at minimum, quartered since G left.

[concrete]

one of the initial selling points to us fans of the new coach was that JPM was much more of a people persona and fan oriented than Gail. So why is the fanbase on campus quartered? Was it the result of last years results or JPM herself?

[DukeCO2009]

It's based upon last year's poor results. Fact is, students are a lot more fickle with their support of the women's team than they are with the men. Can't explain why, because frankly I don't know--your guess is as good as mine.

[CameronCrazy'11]

How do I put this nicely? I think the reason that not as many students go to women's basketball games is because, in general, people don't find women's basketball as exciting to watch as men's. More people might go if we had the #1 or 2 team, but the level of excitement around the program still wouldn't come close to matching Krzyzewski's team.

[godukecom]

The womens basketball team has dropped dramatically in terms of play under P, and thus has lost fan support...

[hughgs]

... and thus has lost fan support...

Are you basing this on the number of season tickets sold over the past couple of years?

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=1623256&SPID=1846&SPSID=22760

Maybe it's the average attendance between last year (6,749) and the year before (5852)?

Or maybe it's simply that there have only been two home games and this board has never had the rabid following that the men have had.

[KandG]

Is the excitement gone...yes.

Now it's fair to say that enthusiasm for women's BB is always going to be fickle. But Coach G built an outstanding enough program that generated loyalty among a strong core of fans and built buzz across a wider audience for the marquee games, as well as the tournament. She was an unparalleled spokesperson for the program.

Coach P is going to need some time, of course, but it's fair to say that charisma and an entertaining style of play are not strengths of the teams she's put on the floor so far.

[YmoBeThere]

Coach P is going to need some time, of course, but it's fair to say that charisma and an entertaining style of play are not strengths of the teams she's put on the floor so far.

The Tubby Smith effect? Unfortunately he followed Pitino whose teams put points on the board. Perhaps we are seeing the same thing here with regards to Women's basketball at Duke?

[msdukie]

Anyone else feel like last year Duke Women's Basketball entered Duke Football post 1965?

[davekay1971]

I remember women's hoops at Duke before Coach G. They struggled. I very distinctly remember Coach G's first recruiting class. These four women came up to me and 3 friends on one of the outdoor courts on campus and asked if we wanted to play a pickup game. No idea who they were at the time. I asked (chivalrous guy that I am) if they wanted to split it up, 2 guys, 2 gals on each team. "No thanks, we'll run girls on guys," was the reply. And they did run girls on guys, to the tune of 11-2 and 11-4. About halfway through the first game, right after the girl I was checking blew by me with a lightning quick first step for the second straight time and the score was about 5-0, I ventured to ask if they were in any way connected with the womens' hoops team. "Yeah, we're the freshmen."

Ramblings down memory lane aside, obviously Duke can have a very competitive and exciting womens' hoops team, but it takes the right coach. Whether or not Coach P is that person, I think the jury's still out.

[miramar]

Along with some of the points above, I would say that expectations also play a huge role here. When Coach P came in, many expected that she would build on what Coach G had done. Unfortunately, the team has regressed, so the "fickleness factor" becomes even greater.

In addition, as Concrete noted, P was billed as more of a people person than G, so that also created certain expectations. Nevertheless, relations between the coaching staff and the team appeared to be very strained the first year, so that also leads to some disappointment. I am a Duke parent, and it is clear from speaking to my daughter and her friends that many undergraduate basketball junkies believe (fairly or not) that there were many problems in this area, and that affects their opinion of the entire coaching staff.

Another factor is the style of play. As a couple of posters noted, G's teams played an exciting brand of basketball, yet the offensive performance has been a real disappointment so far. I saw the team a few times in person last year, and it was tough to watch, so that can't help but affect the fan base. There are many sports on campus, so each team has to make a case for themselves, and I'm not sure that has happened of late with WBB.

The situation merited a long article at the end of last year in the Towerview, so there is no question that people have noticed what's happening. (Including the AD, otherwise I don't think they would have brought in Brickey.) Everyone expected improvement this year, but that has yet to happen. The season is young of course, but things need to turn around this year because recruiting is also suffering. I certainly hope the team has the chance to regroup over the Christmas break.

The Towerview article is worth a read:

http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2008/04/23/Features/A.Season.Of.Change-3343683.shtml

[Devilsfan]

Coach G even had a sports chauvinst like me watching and cheering for our woman. We should have tried harder to keep her, imo. Some people are just plain good at ALL aspects of their jobs and are leaders. A perfect example of this is Coach Cut. Something is missing in Duke WBB. I don't know what it is. Maybe the new program lacks the all important "intangibles". I do wish the new coach success though.

[concrete]

Along with some of the points above, I would say that expectations also play a huge role here. When Coach P came in, many expected that she would build on what Coach G had done. Unfortunately, the team has regressed, so the "fickleness factor" becomes even greater.

In addition, as Concrete noted, P was billed as more of a people person than G, so that also created certain expectations. Nevertheless, relations between the coaching staff and the team appeared to be very strained the first year, so that also leads to some disappointment. I am a Duke parent, and it is clear from speaking to my daughter and her friends that many undergraduate basketball junkies believe (fairly or not) that there were many problems in this area, and that affects their opinion of the entire coaching staff.

Another factor is the style of play. As a couple of posters noted, G's teams played an exciting brand of basketball, yet the offensive performance has been a real disappointment so far. I saw the team a few times in person last year, and it was tough to watch, so that can't help but affect the fan base. There are many sports on campus, so each team has to make a case for themselves, and I'm not sure that has happened of late with WBB.

The situation merited a long article at the end of last year in the Towerview, so there is no question that people have noticed what's happening. (Including the AD, otherwise I don't think they would have brought in Brickey.) Everyone expected improvement this year, but that has yet to happen. The season is young of course, but things need to turn around this year because recruiting is also suffering. I certainly hope the team has the chance to regroup over the Christmas break.

The Towerview article is worth a read:

http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2008/04/23/Features/A.Season.Of.Change-3343683.shtml


thanks for the link, i was looking for this before i posted. Miramar is right down the street from me, lol. (assuming its the city)

[Indoor66]

thanks for the link, i was looking for this before i posted. Miramar is right down the street from me, lol. (assuming its the city)

Maybe we need a Gold Coast Mafia.

[concrete]

Maybe we need a Gold Coast Mafia.

LOL.

[Jim3k]

Anyone else feel like last year Duke Women's Basketball entered Duke Football post 1965?

McCallie = Harp?

[CameronBornAndBred]

I've been surprised at some of the scores, and obviously the loss, this year. Remember, however, that we played Oklahoma State well and beat them. At the time they were 14th, so we do not have a BAD team. We have three tough games coming up at home, including Michigan (not far out of the top 25) and Stanford, currently 5th. I think by the end of that stretch we will have a better feel for where this team is at, and where our coaching is at. Even if we come away with 3 victories, I don't know if there will be any more excitement around the program than there has been, but I can say if we come away losing to anyone other than Stanford then this season is going to be grim to watch.

[Capn Poptart]

With a new coach, you have to give her time, but it's hard not to be disappointed. We've clearly fallen from our perch as the dominant program in the conference. Gail spoiled us! The rumors about friction between players and coaches soured me some, too.

[Cavlaw]

All I know is that Gail never closes her eyes anymore when I kiss her lips.
No tenderness, like before, in her fingertips?

[rasputin]

No tenderness, like before, in her fingertips?

I'm trying hard not to show it . . .