With KJ Simpson decommitting from Arizona, and Cal being on his final college list, is he a main target that we should try for to fill Bradley's void?





https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/kenneth-k-j-simpson-jr-233824

I wonder if recruits read these boards.

AunBear89 said:

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Good thing you aren't involved in recruiting. Your pitch sucks.

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Yes, but Fox has never brought in anyone who there was competition for who did not have legal troubles. So maybe "we suck" is no worse than the current pitch. Similar to how the team can't finish worse than last place next year.

parentswerebears said:

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Pipe dream. Why would any elite player come to Cal right now- carry the team in your back! Get triple teamed! Workout in outdated facilities m! Win the adoration of the ten fans on an obscure fan site! Finish last in the Pac12! Gee, now I'm sold.

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But, wait - Shocky can fix it all!

parentswerebears said:

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Fox's pitch can't be much better. If you're an elite athlete who's not an anomaly like Jaylen Brown, Cal has very little to offer, in terms of basketball.

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I'll repeat my pitch for the program which I stated a decade ago.
Players want to play in front of large crowds. It gets them excited. They don't want to play in front of small gyms.

Cal should do whatever it can to get people in the stands. Take a loss on ticket sales for the next 10 years in order to build that energy and habit of attending games. Fill the stands and the players will come.

It doesn't seem that hard! It really doesn't.

Sell the crappy seats for a buck.
A ton of lower seats are sold to people like my father who never shows up. Create a policy that if you aren't in your seat by X time period then your seat is up for grabs. Let the $1 people move down close to the action. That's just the way it's gotta be.

If Johnny Juzang leaves as expected for the NBA, KJ Simpson will be at UCLA next season.

Arizona is a bit of a mess right now. They also might lose Shane Nowell, a 4* guard from the Seattle area. Oklahoma and UDub were in the mix before he signed.

On top of that, Wildcats first team all Pac-12 point guard James Akinjo is the second Arizona guard in three days to enter the transfer portal, joining freshman Kerr Kriisa. Arizona has already lost four current players to the transfer portal: Guards Terrell Brown and Jemarl Baker and forwards Ira Lee and Daniel Batcho. If Akinjo and Kriisa leave, the Wildcats would have 10 players lined up for next season three of them starters.

concordtom said:

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parentswerebears said:

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Fox's pitch can't be much better. If you're an elite athlete who's not an anomaly like Jaylen Brown, Cal has very little to offer, in terms of basketball.

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I'll repeat my pitch for the program which I stated a decade ago.
Players want to play in front of large crowds. It gets them excited. They don't want to play in front of small gyms.

Cal should do whatever it can to get people in the stands. Take a loss on ticket sales for the next 10 years in order to build that energy and habit of attending games. Fill the stands and the players will come.

It doesn't seem that hard! It really doesn't.

Sell the crappy seats for a buck.
A ton of lower seats are sold to people like my father who never shows up. Create a policy that if you aren't in your seat by X time period then your seat is up for grabs. Let the $1 people move down close to the action. That's just the way it's gotta be.

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Concord - that's not the way it gotta be when a donor stares you in the face and says "I gave you $50K. I can sit in my seat whenever I want. Or I can take my charity elsewhere." Because at the price point it is charity.

I think it would be worth it to do a survey of donors asking nicely if the would participate in a program, if offered, of turning in their tickets for sale prior to game time. If there is sufficient interest, put that in place.

We need their money more than butts in seats. I'd like to think they would participate if asked. If not. Oh well.

Everywhere else, I would offer free seats to every student.

I also went to a women's game a few years back because they gave free tickets to kids at my kids' school. They should do that with men's games more. Fill the rafters with kids and students. You may not have noise on the floor, but you'll have noise.

OaktownBear said:

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concordtom said:

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parentswerebears said:

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Fox's pitch can't be much better. If you're an elite athlete who's not an anomaly like Jaylen Brown, Cal has very little to offer, in terms of basketball.

---

I'll repeat my pitch for the program which I stated a decade ago.
Players want to play in front of large crowds. It gets them excited. They don't want to play in front of small gyms.

Cal should do whatever it can to get people in the stands. Take a loss on ticket sales for the next 10 years in order to build that energy and habit of attending games. Fill the stands and the players will come.

It doesn't seem that hard! It really doesn't.

Sell the crappy seats for a buck.
A ton of lower seats are sold to people like my father who never shows up. Create a policy that if you aren't in your seat by X time period then your seat is up for grabs. Let the $1 people move down close to the action. That's just the way it's gotta be.

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Concord - that's not the way it gotta be when a donor stares you in the face and says "I gave you $50K. I can sit in my seat whenever I want. Or I can take my charity elsewhere." Because at the price point it is charity.

I think it would be worth it to do a survey of donors asking nicely if the would participate in a program, if offered, of turning in their tickets for sale prior to game time. If there is sufficient interest, put that in place.

We need their money more than butts in seats. I'd like to think they would participate if asked. If not. Oh well.

Everywhere else, I would offer free seats to every student.

I also went to a women's game a few years back because they gave free tickets to kids at my kids' school. They should do that with men's games more. Fill the rafters with kids and students. You may not have noise on the floor, but you'll have noise.

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It's a great discussion, and I love where you are going. That's exactly what I'm talking about.
I think donors could be sold on what I'm talking about.
If you aren't there by halftime, you ain't showing up. Let the seat jockeying commence, in an organized manner. Apps can control who gets to go where.

Donors who give 50k also want the Haas to be a rockin'. If the AD came out with a plan to pack the place, and told them that their seats weren't going to sit idly by, and it was sold with a vision and a plan, why wouldn't they make minor sacrifices.

HoopDreams said:

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OaktownBear said:

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concordtom said:

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parentswerebears said:

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Fox's pitch can't be much better. If you're an elite athlete who's not an anomaly like Jaylen Brown, Cal has very little to offer, in terms of basketball.

---

I'll repeat my pitch for the program which I stated a decade ago.
Players want to play in front of large crowds. It gets them excited. They don't want to play in front of small gyms.

Cal should do whatever it can to get people in the stands. Take a loss on ticket sales for the next 10 years in order to build that energy and habit of attending games. Fill the stands and the players will come.

It doesn't seem that hard! It really doesn't.

Sell the crappy seats for a buck.
A ton of lower seats are sold to people like my father who never shows up. Create a policy that if you aren't in your seat by X time period then your seat is up for grabs. Let the $1 people move down close to the action. That's just the way it's gotta be.

---

Concord - that's not the way it gotta be when a donor stares you in the face and says "I gave you $50K. I can sit in my seat whenever I want. Or I can take my charity elsewhere." Because at the price point it is charity.

I think it would be worth it to do a survey of donors asking nicely if the would participate in a program, if offered, of turning in their tickets for sale prior to game time. If there is sufficient interest, put that in place.

We need their money more than butts in seats. I'd like to think they would participate if asked. If not. Oh well.

Everywhere else, I would offer free seats to every student.

I also went to a women's game a few years back because they gave free tickets to kids at my kids' school. They should do that with men's games more. Fill the rafters with kids and students. You may not have noise on the floor, but you'll have noise.

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the cal WBB School Haas Rock game is great. Kids love it. Players love it.
I donate free tixs for that event every year. But the problem is not the tix price. It is the transportation.

more schools would come if they had the buses to take them

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When I was a kid, there was an annual Band Day at football games. Tons of high school bands marching at halftime.
Bringing in the St. Perpetua 12 year olds to play 6 minutes of hoops at halftime is not what I'm talking about.
Great idea, HD.

Let's face it, the current business model does not produce a winning team.

Stanford Jonah said:

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calbears4ever said:

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Maybe you are saying that from a football and MBB standpoint, which is true. On the other hand, recruits for sports like swimming, soccer, water polo, track and field, volleyball, and gymnastics have never overlooked Cal. It is clear that Cal values Olympic sports more than football and basketball (and indoor VB is in the top 3 in revenue for all Olympic sports, if I'm not mistaken)

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Anybody can compete in a game no one else is trying that hard to win

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We'll always have Cal vs. Duke 1993, Stanfurd Jonah. I hope you are old enough to have enjoyed that.

concordtom said:

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OaktownBear said:

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concordtom said:

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parentswerebears said:

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Fox's pitch can't be much better. If you're an elite athlete who's not an anomaly like Jaylen Brown, Cal has very little to offer, in terms of basketball.

---

I'll repeat my pitch for the program which I stated a decade ago.
Players want to play in front of large crowds. It gets them excited. They don't want to play in front of small gyms.

Cal should do whatever it can to get people in the stands. Take a loss on ticket sales for the next 10 years in order to build that energy and habit of attending games. Fill the stands and the players will come.

It doesn't seem that hard! It really doesn't.

Sell the crappy seats for a buck.
A ton of lower seats are sold to people like my father who never shows up. Create a policy that if you aren't in your seat by X time period then your seat is up for grabs. Let the $1 people move down close to the action. That's just the way it's gotta be.

---

Concord - that's not the way it gotta be when a donor stares you in the face and says "I gave you $50K. I can sit in my seat whenever I want. Or I can take my charity elsewhere." Because at the price point it is charity.

I think it would be worth it to do a survey of donors asking nicely if the would participate in a program, if offered, of turning in their tickets for sale prior to game time. If there is sufficient interest, put that in place.

We need their money more than butts in seats. I'd like to think they would participate if asked. If not. Oh well.

Everywhere else, I would offer free seats to every student.

I also went to a women's game a few years back because they gave free tickets to kids at my kids' school. They should do that with men's games more. Fill the rafters with kids and students. You may not have noise on the floor, but you'll have noise.

---

It's a great discussion, and I love where you are going. That's exactly what I'm talking about.
I think donors could be sold on what I'm talking about.
If you aren't there by halftime, you ain't showing up. Let the seat jockeying commence, in an organized manner. Apps can control who gets to go where.

Donors who give 50k also want the Haas to be a rockin'. If the AD came out with a plan to pack the place, and told them that their seats weren't going to sit idly by, and it was sold with a vision and a plan, why wouldn't they make minor sacrifices.

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This has been proposed many time. Knowlton wont do it. Probably the same reason the Jerseys are not moved back into the rafters. Stubborn. Wont react to fan feedback and unwilling to make changes. .

I'm guessing he didn't enjoy it. I doubt he enjoys anything. He's GoldenOnenote v.2.

Smartness is way overrated.

Stanford Jonah said:

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79 Bear said:

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I wonder if recruits read these boards.

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I wonder if recruits look at the standings

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Further to my point:
I wonder if recruits look into the stands (and see that nobody is there).

(I don't need to wonder if players do - I've already shared many times about how Rod Benson used to check us out while we'd be checking them out. #LifeInTheFishbowl)

calbears4ever said:

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Maybe you are saying that from a football and MBB standpoint, which is true. On the other hand, recruits for sports like swimming, soccer, water polo, track and field, volleyball, and gymnastics have never overlooked Cal. It is clear that Cal values Olympic sports more than football and basketball (and indoor VB is in the top 3 in revenue for all Olympic sports, if I'm not mistaken)

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Or, maybe Cal simply doesn't pay players and their families money or other things of value under the table.

Doing that would be cheating (and is not the same as giving out scholarships). Recruits can always go to the G League if they want to get paid. Jalen Green did that

concordtom said:

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calbears4ever said:

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Maybe you are saying that from a football and MBB standpoint, which is true. On the other hand, recruits for sports like swimming, soccer, water polo, track and field, volleyball, and gymnastics have never overlooked Cal. It is clear that Cal values Olympic sports more than football and basketball (and indoor VB is in the top 3 in revenue for all Olympic sports, if I'm not mistaken)

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Or, maybe Cal simply doesn't pay players and their families money or other things of value under the table.

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There are four advantages to non-revenue sports at Cal.

1. We have major donors that specifically donate to nonrevenue sports. I don't think it is a coincidence that one of our biggest donors values swimming and one of our most successful programs is swimming. We certainly are not successful at all non-revenue sports

2. A lot fewer schools care about non-revenue sports and none of them care as much as like 50 schools care about football. Frankly, a lot of schools operate revenue sports at a significant loss either out of emotion or out of a pipe dream that they will make a ton of money one day. Which is not to say that Cal doesn't generally fare well among the schools that care about specific non-revenue sports.

3. Offering preferred admissions to an elite academic institution is a huge draw to non-revenue sports athletes and virtually zero draw to revenue sports athletes.

4. The faculty is not nearly as hostile to non-revenue sports both out of their own bias and due to the fact that academic concessions to non-revenue sports are much more subtle than they are for revenue sports (though they are definitely there) and also, yes, the million dollar salaries for the coaches grates.

concordtom said:

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calbears4ever said:

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Maybe you are saying that from a football and MBB standpoint, which is true. On the other hand, recruits for sports like swimming, soccer, water polo, track and field, volleyball, and gymnastics have never overlooked Cal. It is clear that Cal values Olympic sports more than football and basketball (and indoor VB is in the top 3 in revenue for all Olympic sports, if I'm not mistaken)

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Or, maybe Cal simply doesn't pay players and their families money or other things of value under the table.

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I meant, "...and that's a GOOD thing."
(Don't wanna be associated with cheating.)

BearForce2 said:

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parentswerebears said:

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Pipe dream. Why would any elite player come to Cal right now-

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monster pipe dream

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Maybe for those heavily rumored curvy yoga girls the recruits have read about in the monster thread. Is that what you meant?

(Yeah, that's an effective recruiting tactic - by an aging perv.)

Juzang announced today he's leaving for the NBA. Expect Simpson to sign with UCLA in the next few days.

Fucla

oskidunker said:

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Fucla

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Good on them. I don't think we'll be able to compete with UCLA in the near future so I have no problem wishing our sister school well.

He ends up committing to Colorado