Any reports from SwishNDish last night?

[dw3dw3dw3]

Burton was supposed to go up against Wiggins right? Haven't seen any reports about it.

[GGGG]

Reports are that Duane Wilson looked very, very good.

[Goose]

Another big night for Duane from what I heard last night. Best part is doing it against really good competition.

[MattyWarrior]

Nothing in the Milwaukee J/S about this tournament in our fine city? They are really in tune over there.

[brewcity77]

Nothing in the Milwaukee J/S about this tournament in our fine city? They are really in tune over there.

To be fair...how much interest would there be? Outside of the true basketball junkies, I don't think there's much call for coverage. A relatively small percentage are local, and even those that are aren't really well-known to the general sports populace. AAU and Pop Warner simply aren't for the mainstream sports fan, which is why you usually have to dig a little to find any real coverage.

It would be different if there were a household name there, like Lebron was already at 15-16 years old, but even Jabari Parker, for all his potential, isn't someone whose name resonates with anyone outside of those that closely follow recruiting, and he's probably the biggest name in AAU-level basketball right now. Unless the mainstream sports populace cares, why would it be in their paper?

[MattyWarrior]

Because of the Wisconsin high school kids playin in it, I still go to alot of high school games in the area even though my son
graduated 2 years ago.

[brewcity77]

Because of the Wisconsin high school kids playin in it, I still go to alot of high school games in the area even though my son graduated 2 years ago.

Yeah, but there's a big difference between Wisconsin HS basketball and AAU basketball. Locals have ties that stretch back decades with their high schools, and they put a regional flair on stories that create an automatic interest. That doesn't exist for AAU. It hasn't been around long enough. Sure, there are people that have affiliations, but if you haven't, go to an AAU event. It's pretty much all college scouts, hangers-on, family members, and hoops junkies. It doesn't have a broad-base appeal, and I'm not sure it ever will.

Just bear in mind, we are definitely in the minority in terms of how avidly we follow college hoops, that's the case for even the most cursory members of this forum. You or I might be interested, but I would bet we make up less than 1% of the MJS Sports Section's reader base.

[Dr. Blackheart]

To be fair...how much interest would there be? Outside of the true basketball junkies, I don't think there's much call for coverage. A relatively small percentage are local, and even those that are aren't really well-known to the general sports populace. AAU and Pop Warner simply aren't for the mainstream sports fan, which is why you usually have to dig a little to find any real coverage.

It would be different if there were a household name there, like Lebron was already at 15-16 years old, but even Jabari Parker, for all his potential, isn't someone whose name resonates with anyone outside of those that closely follow recruiting, and he's probably the biggest name in AAU-level basketball right now. Unless the mainstream sports populace cares, why would it be in their paper?

So international news organizations like Fox, Yahoo and ESPN send media representatives to cover this event, but the local media is in the dark?  The problem with Milwaukee media is that they are so partisan and insular to local issues they fail to see their place in the national place;  The McD's game here was an example but so is the evolving rebirth in the city of a young, vibrant transformation.  Then there is the reporting on the Packers or Badgers...it is localized with a partisan bent instead of taking a broader view of themselves as part of the national discussion.  Is Summerfest a local festival or an international music fest?  Milwaukee needs to think broader, something MU is bow learning with Pilarz...and something Buzz knows.  MU is a national university.

[Jay Bee]

So international news organizations like Fox, Yahoo and ESPN send media representatives to cover this event, but the local media is in the dark? 

lol.  They send people whose job it is to cover recruiting.

It's not like Geraldo shows up to the gym or the front page of yahoo.com is covering this.  Recruiting 'services' who earn revenue by covering these events show up.. HUGE difference.

[Tugg Speedman]

Nothing in the Milwaukee J/S about this tournament in our fine city? They are really in tune over there.

If anyone in the game was going to UNC, then Fox would cover it live.

Seriously, Burton, Duane Wilson, Sam Dekker, Looney and Stone are higher ranked than Tokoto.  But I'll bet they do not get the breathless coverage that the UNC commit/bench warmer will get.

[77ncaachamps]

*cough* Rosiak would've reported on it *cough*

[brewcity77]

lol.  They send people whose job it is to cover recruiting.

It's not like Geraldo shows up to the gym or the front page of yahoo.com is covering this.  Recruiting 'services' who earn revenue by covering these events show up.. HUGE difference.

+100

Yahoo has Rivals, ESPN employs their Insider writers and a dedicated college sports channel, Fox has plenty of dedicated college sports writers. Comparing a local outlet with a shrinking budget to nationwide networks with viable subscription services are two totally different and unrelated worlds.

[injuryBug]

Milwaukee media thinks they are a major market and do not have the time for non professional teams anymore.  Look back 15-20 years ago and you saw much more attention given to local HS and youth sports.  All the coverage now is focused on the pro team.
I saw the GB press Gazette has Buzz and Jae front page of their sports section.  Bigger articles on them than I have seen out of Milwaukee in a few years.

[Silkk the Shaka]

I have a really good feeling about Duane Wilson.  It seems like he's about to blow up on the national scene this summer.  He's a perfect fit for MU.

[Dr. Blackheart]

lol.  They send people whose job it is to cover recruiting.

It's not like Geraldo shows up to the gym or the front page of yahoo.com is covering this.  Recruiting 'services' who earn revenue by covering these events show up.. HUGE difference.

lol back at ya.  These outlets send reporters...and they are reporters...to cover their long term profitable investments in college basketball.  It starts with the evaluation of high school talent to weigh their bets with advertisers and sponsors going forward...and with schools and conferences.

The hype, the influencer social model they follow, the business of ad dollars is all part of of a long range plan.  ESPN is so far ahead in this thinking.  Fox is moving quickly on college sports,  COMCAST/NBC is playing catchup and CBS is seeing they are behind.  DTV, BTN; etc.  If you want to look at the single minor event and see a couple of gymrats, you think like Milwaukee media.  f you think like the Washington Post or CNN you do a story on Milwaukee's evolving 3rd ward or MU's student athletes. The JS sends no reporters to the BE Media Day or puts out stories on 75 buck tickets.

btw. these media are moving on high school athletics...you see it their game coverage now creeping in.  HS athletic events deliver a prime audience who don't skip ads.  You can read all about in their industry rags.

[brewcity77]

But Doc, you largely answer the reasons the MJS won't cover this stuff. It's hard to invest in a futures market when you are scratching and clawing to find staffing for the present. And when you look at AAU attendees and just the event style, it's hard to rationalize it. The crowd are mostly scouts or people trying to make a buck off these kids with a few hoops junkies mixed in. There are anywhere from 4-8 games going on simultaneously between multiple age ranges. It's not something that is easy for one person to just jump into, and the following is a niche market.

It makes sense for an ESPN or Yahoo that sells subscriptions to people largely because of this coverage, but unless the MJS plans on having a guy doing an AAU beat all summer long around the country, it's an awkward one-weekend investment of time with a very limited return in terms of interest. Maybe if they went out of their way to cover the entire weekend as a one-shot series article, I could see it, but I'd be absolutely shocked to ever see routine AAU coverage from the MJS.

[Jay Bee]

Yeah, Dr. I think you're a little bonkers on this one.

Now, it would be nice if the JS did some profiles on a couple of local kids, including a highlight of their AAU team participation, etc.. but, there is really no reason for the JS to have guys "covering recruiting" like the "major news organizations (lol)".

[bamamarquettefan]

Newspapers are strapped so bad now. The circulation and revenue disappearance in the last decade stretches them so thin that it really is tough.  Unfortunately when you are in that mode, a police report is a lot easier story than getting out to things.

I really hope newspapers figure out how to make the on-line advertising work to they can one day staff back up - but until then I won't kick the reporters while they are down for missing things.

[UticaBusBarn]

Newspapers are strapped so bad now. The circulation and revenue disappearance in the last decade stretches them so thin that it really is tough.  Unfortunately when you are in that mode, a police report is a lot easier story than getting out to things.

I really hope newspapers figure out how to make the on-line advertising work to they can one day staff back up - but until then I won't kick the reporters while they are down for missing things.

Could not agree more. However, the economic situation faced by the JS does not preclude a news person from picking-up the phone and making some follow-up calls, or from electronically reviewing MU student policy.

Taking the "step step" need not cost the newspaper money, nor take up more than an hour of the reporters time.

Maybe newspapers are adding to their own economic misery by not finishing their job.

[BrewCity83]

You guys must've missed this preview (Thursday) from the Journal Sentinel:

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/preps/elite-high-school-hoopsters-in-town-for-tournament-i14t217-146374875.html

I don't think they ever did a followup, though.