18,815

[Tugg Speedman]

That's not how the casual fan thinks.  They come out when its convenient (on weekends) and against quality opponents.

+1

Why is MU "owed" a fanny in a seat?  They have to put a product out, and play an opponent worthy of, the cost of a ticket.

Unlike the impossible expectations of others, I think MU meets those objectives and gets great crowds.  Especially for a school that does not have 20,000+ undergrads that can fill an on-campus arena almost by themselves.

If you hate the fact that the last row is empty, sell your seat and go sit up there.

[schubert33]

I realize what my eyes saw.  The upper rows of each student section was empty.  Several sections throughout in the upper deck were also empty.  As someone stated earlier that Crean's numbers were contrived.  Well, the upper decks were virtually full then.  Some seats in the upper corners empty.  Today, much more than that.

I 100% disagree.  U need glasses, or need to worry about the game more and not the crowd!!!  People were in and out of their seats all game.  During the middle of the first half the upper decks were full.

I agree, fans should pay more attention, but the building was full.  You obviuosly looked up at the wrong times.  

[chapman]

Most important stat to me is there's either enough support and/or enough of a mentality for the team to not lose at home this year.  Nothing annoys me more than dropping home games, especially winnable ones.  We could make it through this year with only one loss.  We had four each of the last two years, which I hate-we're a better program than that and shouldn't be dropping four home games in a season.  And looking at the Wiki, it's the first year since the Final Four season we could manage to drop only one game at home.  That I like.

[MUMac]

+1

Why is MU "owed" a fanny in a seat?  They have to put a product out, and play an opponent worthy of, the cost of a ticket.

Unlike the impossible expectations of others, I think MU meets those objectives and gets great crowds.  Especially for a school that does not have 20,000+ undergrads that can fill an on-campus arena almost by themselves.

If you hate the fact that the last row is empty, sell your seat and go sit up there.

Yeah, it was just the last row.    I guess you do not read completely.  But if I give up my good seats, those will be empty anyway.  

You do realize that in MU's attendance, they include FAR more student seats than those 20,000+ undergrad campus arena's, don't you?  I guess not.

Anyway, you feel attendance is wonderful for the teams MU has put on the floor.  I do not.   I will just agree to disagree and move on.

[GGGG]

+1

Why is MU "owed" a fanny in a seat?  They have to put a product out, and play an opponent worthy of, the cost of a ticket.

Unlike the impossible expectations of others, I think MU meets those objectives and gets great crowds.  Especially for a school that does not have 20,000+ undergrads that can fill an on-campus arena almost by themselves.

I agree with this.  There are also more UW, UWM and possibly even more Whitewater alumni in the Milwaukee area.  Getting 18,000+ against an unranked team to me is a great accomplishment.

[MUMac]

I 100% disagree.  U need glasses, or need to worry about the game more and not the crowd!!!  People were in and out of their seats all game.  During the middle of the first half the upper decks were full.

I agree, fans should pay more attention, but the building was full.  You obviuosly looked up at the wrong times.  

I will admit, my attention was more focused on the floor and perhaps yours may have been more attentively focused on the crowd.  But, I did see what I saw.  I 100% disagree.  U need glasses or need to worry about the game more and not the crowd!!!! (one extra for emphasis)

[schubert33]

I agree with this.  There are also more UW, UWM and possibly even more Whitewater alumni in the Milwaukee area.  Getting 18,000+ against an unranked team to me is a great accomplishment.

I couldn't agree more.  MUMAC please whine some more!!!

[Tugg Speedman]

... and I disagree with the idea that the BC hurts recruiting.

You think that Seton Hall thought the BC was a dump when LeBron and Wade were sitting in the front row?  How about when John Wall attends a game.  Or Brandon Jennings.

I have no idea how to measure this but let me suggest that MU players play in front of more NBA players that did not play at MU than any school in the country.  We are one of the few teams that plays in an NBA arena, a few blocks from the Pfister (where the visiting teams stay) and what else is an NBA player going to do when in town and MU is playing?

The BC is a recruiting tool that many schools can only dream about and we have lost no recruits because a few rows at the very top were empty or because it did not sound loud enough on ESPN.  These are arguments that old "traditional" guys have on message boards.

[MUMac]

I couldn't agree more.  MUMAC please whine some more!!!

Sorry gang.  I guess I will fall in line with all the non-whiners.  Everything is good.  Everything is great.  MU's attendance is the best it should ever be.  Why would I think this team is worthy of better attendance?  You have all shamed me into realizing that a 13,000 night (as I stated, I posted in this thread, as it is the first to bring up general attendance) is good because MU has not both put a product worthy on the court and played a worthy team.  I understand that now.  I only brought up over 19,000 as that was as I recalled that as the capacity MU cited under Crean and I saw the many empty  rows in the upper deck.  I just think this team should be sold out every night and schubert33 thinks that's whining. 

Thanks schubert33, your intellectual post made me see the light.  

Good night everyone.  Great win and I was happy to be there.  Were you?  

[schubert33]

... and I disagree with the idea that the BC hurts recruiting.

You think that Seton Hall thought the BC was a dump when LeBron and Wade were sitting in the front row?  How about when John Wall attends a game.  Or Brandon Jennings.

I have no idea how to measure this but let me suggest that MU players play in front of more NBA players that did not play at MU than any school in the country.  We are one of the few teams that plays in an NBA arena, a few blocks from the Pfister (where the visiting teams stay) and what else is an NBA player going to do when in town and MU is playing?

The BC is a recruiting tool that many schools can only dream about and we have lost no recruits because a few rows at the very top were empty or because it did not sound loud enough on ESPN.  These are arguments that old "traditional" guys have on message boards.

+1 The BC helps deliver recruits.  I would hate to see the Bucks leave Milwaukee, which unfortunately is a distinct possibility.

I'm sure MU had 5,000 more fans then the Bucks tonight, but we will have to wait till MUMAC is finished counting!!!

[AhoyaX]

Times must be great when we can get two pages of comments debating whether a crowd of 18,815, 215 above listed arena capacity, can be considered good or not.

[Tugg Speedman]

I agree with this.  There are also more UW, UWM and possibly even more Whitewater alumni in the Milwaukee area.  Getting 18,000+ more than a sell-out at nearly 19,000 against an unranked team to me is a great accomplishment.

Corrected

[Tugg Speedman]

The Bucks drew 17,723 tonight.  So MU outdrew the Bucks by more than a 1,000 and in total 36,538 people watched basketball in the BC today.

Is this a one day record for the BC?

[MUMac]

I recall one time when MU played Louisville or Pitt, the Bucks played that night.  They announced at that time it set the record.  I know MU's attendance that day was over 19,000.  Think the Bucks may have been over 18,000, but not sure.

[schubert33]

The Bucks drew 17,723 tonight.  So MU outdrew the Bucks by more than a 1,000 and in total 36,538 people watched basketball in the BC today.

Is this a one day record for the BC?

The Brathouse must have made a killing!!

[muguru]

I absolutely hate the excuse that fans don't show up because of the opponent. That's the weakest sauce ever. You are there to see MU and root for MU to win. It shouldn't matter one damn bit who they play. If it does, you simply aren't that big of a fan.

[TallTitan34]

It was a good win when people bitch and moan about an OVER CAPACITY CROWD. We could win the national championship and people would complain about how many MU fans made it to the game.

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

There are degrees of fanaticism. That's why there aren't 18,815 on MUScoop.

That's a great crowd, and while I would have liked to have been there I was instead in Appleton watching a Lawrence University women's BB game. There were many empty seats in the stands. I did not see any reason to complain or point it out to the AD.

[We R Final Four]

It was a good win when people bitch and moan about an OVER CAPACITY CROWD. We could win the national championship and people would complain about how many MU fans made it to the game.

Im with you tall titan GET READY GET READY--upward and onward

[ringout]

I was a student during the fat dumb and happy years.  Back in the day when we had to use typewriters for papers.  Anyway.

We went to all the games.  We scheduled our studying around the games.  We had fun.   I turned out OK.

[boyonthedock]

There are degrees of fanaticism. That's why there aren't 18,815 on MUScoop.

That's a great crowd, and while I would have liked to have been there I was instead in Appleton watching a Lawrence University women's BB game. There were many empty seats in the stands. I did not see any reason to complain or point it out to the AD.

everyone here is on a marquette message board, where the hardest of the hardcore come on the internet.

[jsglow]

Wow.  2 pages of attendance 'debate'.  I for one enjoyed the energy in the building yesterday.

Well, on March 3rd I guess I get to do my part.  I'm taking 3 outstanding HS Seniors to the game on 'Admitted Students' Day.  I've arranged lunch for them down in the Courtside Club where they'll get to high five the players before the game.  Then, I'll get them up in their seats before all the cool films start on the jumbotron followed by MU's NBA level introduction ceremony. They'll see the Bradley fill to the rim and, God willing, watch our Golden Eagles (no new debate here boys and girls) put a beatdown on the Hoyas.

And just maybe on Sunday they'll send in their deposit.

Instead of bitching . . .

[Tugg Speedman]

I was a student during the fat dumb and happy years.  Back in the day when we had to use typewriters for papers.  Anyway.

We went to all the games.  We scheduled our studying around the games.  We had fun.   I turned out OK.

By the dumb and happy years I assume you mean arena years.

http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/season_by_season_attendance

Year       Total    Average  Notes
1967-68 157,817 10,521  
1968-69 153,152 10,210  
1969-70 160,558 10,035  
1970-71 160,011 10,668  
1971-72 171,936 10,746  
1972-73 159,553 10,637  
1973-74 160,590 10,706  
1974-75 164,070 10,938  All Games Sold Out
1975-76 164,070 10,938  All Games Sold Out
1976-77 175,008 10,938  All Games Sold Out
1977-78 185,946 10,938  All Games Sold Out
1978-79 175,008 10,938  All Games Sold Out
1979-80 161,510 10,767  
1980-81 173,478 10,842  
1981-82 174,333 10,896  
1982-83 174,092 10,881  
1983-84 170,623 10,664  
1984-85 174,288 10,252  
1985-86 170,289 10,017  
1986-87 169,478 10,592  
1987-88 169,832 10,615  
1988-89  203,337  11,961  


It took a trip to the final game in 1974 regular top 5 rankings and a championship in 1977 to sell out the Arena.  And that only last 5 years.

Now we draw 15,000 to 16,000 year for a consistent 1st or 2nd round team.

[jt92]

This was the first home weekend game with students back from break.  I don't consider MLK a weekend game.  On the road for two more weekend games now.  Imagine SYR getting that type of schedule?  No way!!!   

[mu_hilltopper]

I buy tickets for friends (upper bowl) for about 8 games each year.   At half time, one of them said "this was the first game this year that you could feel the upper bowl folks getting into the game."

(This is why I wouldn't sit in the upper bowl.)