Lol... If it hadn't been at Chapel Hill they might have! Instead the visual was UNC fans heading to the exits before the game was over
Auburn/Alabama game at Auburn. Auburn finished the 1st half very strong and has a nice halftime lead 55-41. Sold out arena at Auburn, Alabama is currently a top the SEC standings even though Auburn is higher ranked.
Interesting article on the Catlin Clark traveling road show, cue Neal Diamond! Clark's popularity surged during the 2022-23 campaign, when she won national player of the year honors and helped Iowa to its first NCAA championship game. Her games this season have brought sellouts for every home and away game, long lines outside arenas that seat using general admission, spikes in revenue and extraordinary attention to every arena the Hawkeyes visit. Everyone wants a glimpse of the 22-year-old as she closes in on the women's NCAA scoring record and as No. 2 Iowa prepares for another deep NCAA tournament run. According to Vivid Seats, Iowa fans are traveling 34% farther to see Clark and her teammates this season than last. The average ticket price for Iowa's road games (past and upcoming) is $107.75, and fans have traveled an average of 137.7 miles to see the Hawkeyes away from Iowa City. Iowa has drawn an average of 10,953 fans to its road contests, which continue on Sunday at Nebraska. No other Big Ten team has averaged more than 8,288 fans at its away games (Indiana), and the average attendance when conference teams have appeared on the road is 5,227. $1,000 floor seats and sellout crowds: Inside the Caitlin Clark road show
She definitely is a crowd pleaser. She never sees to trie and just keeps playing with a smile most of the time.
Of course there have been lots of great players in both the women's and men's game, but I can't really point to anybody who generates what Catlin Clark generates. I think of Kelsey Plum a great player obviously and continues to be so in the WNBA, but she didn't generate the same national interest as Catlin does.
The thing that Clark has over so many of the college greats is the media coverage. Maravich played in a pre-ESPN era, his final season was 1970, 9 years before ESPN debuted. No doubt players like Oscar Robertson didn't have the media coverage that Clark has. Plus with the Big 10 Network all of her games are on Nat'l TV. Buckeye Star Kelsey Mitchell was an awesome player, and Clark just passed her and is going to likely pass her as the top 3 point shooter. But Mitchell just didn't have the media coverage that Clark has, she's just been a phenom that the media loves. Magic, Bird, Jordan had great college careers but it was the NBA that made them household names.
Seems to me that Bird and Magic were household names in college...but admittedly I was living in Western Michigan and also had Indiana ties. But that 1979 Championship game, I believe, still is the most watched college basketball game ever.
I do think the Championship game was a big media event but as great as Bird was I don't think he had anywhere near the national coverage/media presence. Maybe Magic, but again I doubt all his games were televised and of course no social media.
I remember Maravich getting individual recognition much like Clark. And he was breaking all sorts of records like Clark.
Well Catlin got 31 today and it's likely she'll break the record at home vs Michigan. Also the loss puts your Buckeyes in sole possession of first place in the Big 10.
As many have noted, if he were playing today not only would he have even greater recognition than he did back then due to the different media world but instead of something like 3600 points it'd be more like 5000 points in 83 games, Catlin will play something close to 140 games. Still 2 remarkable players!
Aggies got a big win over top 10 Tennessee this weekend. They are seemingly getting hot at the right time of the year. Longhorns season is teetering on the brink, they've lost 3 of the last 5 and have to travel to top 5 Houston this week and top 5 Kansas next week. They are in danger of not making the NCAA's.
Traditional Buzz... get the team rolling late in the season and try to make up lost ground. Can't complain much... the early season hype was derailed by injuries, and the loss of a key player for the season. They'll make the tourney, and maybe make a little noise.
Wow...KU went to Lubbock and got run out of the gym, TT never trailed and beat them 79-50. One of the Tech starters was 12-12 from the field. Going on the road is not for the faint of heart in the B12.
Jeff Goodman @GoodmanHoops BREAKING: Ohio State has parted ways with Chris Holtmann, source told @TheFieldOf68 . Holtmann went to the NCAA tourney in each of his first 4 years with the Buckeyes, and was set to go the year the tourney was canceled. Went all 3 years at Butler and went to Sweet 16. Buckeyes has taken nose-dive the last two years and Gene Smith decided to make move now. While this is not official as of the moment, it does make sense. Gene Smith hired him and its his responsibility to end the contract. Really a sad ending for Holtmann but he will have a healthy buyout. I always like Holtmann and still find it to difficult to know what really caused the downfall.