Saint Louis game debacle

[Tatedc]

I'm probably in the minority here, but it's hard to build a program with 0 fans. In any sport you have smaller clubs or 'mid majors' (green bay packers, Davidson basketball, app football, Portland trailblazers, ext.) Who don't just have massive support after their good, but before they were relevant. That is part of the building proccess. Do you know how hard it is to improve and perform when no one cares about your result? I'm not sure why, but app state fans so not care about basketball. Period. We will never be a strong program. Can we improve? You betcha. But no one wants to come play in our cavernous arena with no fans. I would venture to say we are the 9th-10th biggest program in the state.

[Arsenal App]

I'm probably in the minority here, but it's hard to build a program with 0 fans. In any sport you have smaller clubs or 'mid majors' (green bay packers, Davidson basketball, app football, Portland trailblazers, ext.) Who don't just have massive support after their good, but before they were relevant. That is part of the building proccess. Do you know how hard it is to improve and perform when no one cares about your result? I'm not sure why, but app state fans so not care about basketball. Period. We will never be a strong program. Can we improve? You betcha. But no one wants to come play in our cavernous arena with no fans. I would venture to say we are the 9th-10th biggest program in the state.

When you've had nine years of crap and the only teams you can attract to Boone are the Milligans, Winston-Salem States, and NC Centrals it ought to be easy to figure out why App fans don't care about basketball. I don't think we'll ever be a powerhouse in hoops but I do think we can put forth a program that is competitive with an occasional team that contends for conference honors. Hell, if Virginia Tech can be ranked ninth in the country with their lousy tradition and crap arena then ASU ought to be able to finish middle of the pack in the Sun Belt.

[Gonzo]

I'm probably in the minority here, but it's hard to build a program with 0 fans. In any sport you have smaller clubs or 'mid majors' (green bay packers, Davidson basketball, app football, Portland trailblazers, ext.) Who don't just have massive support after their good, but before they were relevant. That is part of the building proccess. Do you know how hard it is to improve and perform when no one cares about your result? I'm not sure why, but app state fans so not care about basketball. Period. We will never be a strong program. Can we improve? You betcha. But no one wants to come play in our cavernous arena with no fans. I would venture to say we are the 9th-10th biggest program in the state.

We had respectable fan support for basketball when I was in college, packing the Holmes Center entirely on a few occasions. The atmosphere for the Davidson and UNCC games those years in particular could even measure up to Cameron Indoor. I'm not old at all. Class of 2011. Even after I graduated we had a decent showing for most games.

The fans are still here, but no one is going to come from off the Mountain to see us lose almost every game. You're putting the cart before the horse. It started with Capel and continued with Fox. Scheduling too. No more Curry's coming through. It's SBC games and D2 schools. There hasn't been a compelling out of conference home game at Holmes in years.

[hapapp]

While VT is not Duke, UNC, or even UVA, it has been to NCAA tournament 9 times and has won the NIT twice. To compare their tradition to ours is way off base. We would give anything to have done what they have in basketball.

[asu66]

While VT is not Duke, UNC, or even UVA, it has been to NCAA tournament 9 times and has won the NIT twice. To compare their tradition to ours is way off base. We would give anything to have done what they have in basketball.

Sadly, I must agree with Jerry. Speaking of basketball in the "modern era--1960 to the present" we've had some pretty good moments. Just not nearly enough of them.

[fjblair]

I'm probably in the minority here, but it's hard to build a program with 0 fans. In any sport you have smaller clubs or 'mid majors' (green bay packers, Davidson basketball, app football, Portland trailblazers, ext.) Who don't just have massive support after their good, but before they were relevant. That is part of the building proccess. Do you know how hard it is to improve and perform when no one cares about your result? I'm not sure why, but app state fans so not care about basketball. Period. We will never be a strong program. Can we improve? You betcha. But no one wants to come play in our cavernous arena with no fans. I would venture to say we are the 9th-10th biggest program in the state.

If you build it they will come. It is that simple.

[Stonewall]

I don’t accept this excuse. We’ve done it before we can do it again. There is one simple formula for winning at App , good coaching. Put a good team on the floor , people will show up.

[swva appfan]

I'm probably in the minority here, but it's hard to build a program with 0 fans. In any sport you have smaller clubs or 'mid majors' (green bay packers, Davidson basketball, app football, Portland trailblazers, ext.) Who don't just have massive support after their good, but before they were relevant. That is part of the building proccess. Do you know how hard it is to improve and perform when no one cares about your result? I'm not sure why, but app state fans so not care about basketball. Period. We will never be a strong program. Can we improve? You betcha. But no one wants to come play in our cavernous arena with no fans. I would venture to say we are the 9th-10th biggest program in the state.

I'll have to disagree as well. I remember in the early to mid 2000's when we could walk up on game day of football games and buy tickets and we didn't suck by any means now look at Kidd Brewer. Success goes a lot further than non success... I've seen the Holmes Center with many more fans when we were... WINNING!

[Stonewall]

I have been in Varsity when it was literally packed , the U has doubled in size since .We were competitive in those days.

[87ASUgrad]

I don’t accept this excuse. We’ve done it before we can do it again. There is one simple formula for winning at App , good coaching. Put a good team on the floor , people will show up.

I was cleaning out an old desk the other day and found an old 1979 Appalachian State University Southern Conference Basketball Champions sticker in there. We had some good teams back then under Coach Bobby Cremins & Coach Kevin Cantwell. The basketball program was alive and the gym was packed for games. I went to one of their summer basketball camps in Boone when I was in high school around that time. It was a great camp and we got to meet some of the players and coaches. I remember they ran the hell out of us in Varsity Gym that week.

[Arsenal App]

When I arrived at ASU in 1980, Bobby Cremins was like a God on campus. No ASU coach has ever inspired as much awe and reverence as Cremins. Not Sparky Woods, not Scott Satterfield, not even Jerry Moore. Believe it or not, when Cremins arrived on campus our basketball program was in much worse shape than it is right now. Things can be turned in the right direction if we hire the right man. There lies the rub, as the saying goes.

[SpeedkingATL]

I was at App during the Maravich to Cremins transition. From zero fan support to packed Varsity Gym almost overnight. Difference was simply winning and losing and the last year of Maravich was likely the worst basketball team ever (based on record) at App.

Winning solves most attendance issues ….

[WataugaMan]

I had just gotten out of the Air Force and was attending Lees-McRae (junior college at the time) during the Cremins years. We attended almost every App home game before going to The Rock (Blowing Rock) afterward to celebrate. Those were some great times.

[Stonewall]

Even during the "Apke Era"...

[AppGrad78]

Appalchian State men's basketball since World War II

1945-46 11-8 .579 -- Francis Hoover
1946-47 11-3 .785 -- Flucie Stewart
1947-48 20-8 .714 -- Francis Hoover
1948-49 14-7 .667 -- Francis Hoover
1949-50 21-9 .700 -- Francis Hoover
1950-51 16-8 .667 -- Francis Hoover
1951-52 18-6 .750 -- Francis Hoover
1952-53 5-18 .217 -- Francis Hoover
1953-54 4-20 .167 -- Francis Hoover
1954-55 12-12 .500 -- Francis Hoover
1955-56 8-13 .381 -- Francis Hoover
1956-57 4-19 .167 -- Francis Hoover
1957-58 12-12 .500 -- Bob Light
1958-59 16-9 .625 -- Bob Light
1959-60 19-9 .704 -- Bob Light
1960-61 17-10 .630 -- Bob Light
1961-62 11-13 .458 -- Bob Light
1962-63 14-12 .539 -- Bob Light
1963-64 14-12 .539 -- Bob Light
1964-65 14-10 .584 -- Bob Light
1965-66 17-10 .630 -- Bob Light
1966-67 21-8 .725 -- Bob Light
1967-68 14-13 .519 -- Bob Light
1968-69 12-15 .445 -- Bob Light
1969-70 15-12 .556 -- Bob Light
1970-71 8-16 .334 -- Bob Light
1971-72 8-18 .308 -- Bob Light
1972-73 6-20 .231 -- Press Maravich
1973-74 5-20 .200 -- Press Maravich
1974-75 3-23 .116 -- Press Maravich
1975-76 13-14 .482 -- Bobby Cremins
1976-77 17-12 .587 -- Bobby Cremins
1977-78 15-13 .536 -- Bobby Cremins
1978-79 23-6 .794 -- Bobby Cremins
1979-80 12-16 .429 -- Bobby Cremins
1980-81 20-9 .690 -- Bobby Cremins
1981-82 11-15 .423 -- Kevin Cantwell
1982-83 6-21 .223 -- Kevin Cantwell
1983-84 13-16 .448 -- Kevin Cantwell
1984-85 14-14 .500 -- Kevin Cantwell
1985-86 17-12 .586 -- Kevin Cantwell
1986-87 7-21 .250 -- Tom Apke
1987-88 16-13 .552 -- Tom Apke
1988-89 20-8 .714 -- Tom Apke
1989-90 19-11 .633 -- Tom Apke
1990-91 16-14 .533 -- Tom Apke
1991-92 15-14 .517 -- Tom Apke
1992-93 13-15 .464 -- Tom Apke
1993-94 16-11 .592 -- Tom Apke
1994-95 9-20 .310 -- Tom Apke
1995-96 8-20 .286 -- Tom Apke
1996-97 14-14 .500 -- Buzz Peterson
1997-98 21-8 .724 -- Buzz Peterson
1998-99 21-8 .724 -- Buzz Peterson
1999-2000 23-9 .719 -- Buzz Peterson
2000-01 11-20 .355 -- Houston Fancher
2001-02 10-18 .357 -- Houston Fancher
2002-03 19-10 .655 -- Houston Fancher
2003-04 9-21 .300 -- Houston Fancher
2004-05 18-12 .600 -- Houston Fancher
2005-06 14-16 .467 -- Houston Fancher
2006-07 25-8 .758 -- Houston Fancher
2007-08 18-13 .581 -- Houston Fancher
2008-09 13-18 .419 -- Houston Fancher
2009-10 24-13 .649 -- Buzz Peterson
2010-11 16-15 .516 -- Jason Capel
2011-12 13-18 .419 -- Jason Capel
2012-13 15-16 .484 -- Jason Capel
2013-14 9-21 .300 -- Jason Capel
2014-15 12-17 .414 -- Jim Fox
2015-16 9-22 .290 -- Jim Fox
2016-17 9-21 .300 -- Jim Fox
2017-18 15-18 .455 -- Jim Fox
2018-19 5-12 .294 -- Jim Fox

[appst89]

Wow! Only 11 20+ win seasons in that span, and 13 20+ loss seasons. So, we've been pretty good a few times, pretty bad a few times, and mediocre most of the time.

I've been around during times when support has been good. Winning will cure the woes, but there hasn't been a lot of winning over the years.

[Arsenal App]

What those records don't show is that we lost in the conference finals in '81, '90, '91, '98, '99, '07, and '10. Had we had some better luck and made the NCAA in a few of those years perhaps the program could have kicked on instead of falling back into mediocrity. The '98, '07, and '10 teams especially should have made the NCAA tourney. We were the best team in the conference all three of those years. We just blew it in the conference tourney.

[Saint3333]

The talent on the roster is better than our record. We just don’t do the little things well, especially down the stretch.

[wncapp78]

I don’t recall Fancher making the championship game during his tenure. Who did we play in the championship game?

[AppStateNews]

I don’t recall Fancher making the championship game during his tenure. Who did we play in the championship game?

Charleston. And DJ Thompson had the worst game of his career that night and Draper for Charleston had one of his better games. It still came down to the wire..