Full Story on BU's COPA EPTV Tournament Win over Bauru 83-58

[Da Coach]

I don't know if I would call it a recruiting tool or not....

Note that I did not say it would be used by coaches as a recruiting tool.
I said-

Who knows?, maybe little things like that can even be a plus when recruiting kids.

If an alternate jersey gets Bradley noticed on TV or on Sportscenter by high school kids, then it will raise the visibility of Bradley's name, and that would be a plus for recruiting. Every coach since Dick Versace has talked about one of the disadvantages Bradley has is that most high school kids outside of Illinois have never heard of it when the coaches call on recruits. Now, even a lot of Chicago kids don't know about Bradley, because the glory days are so far in the past. If you have to start the recruitment of a kid by explaining who you are, where you are, and that you are a D1 school, then it puts you well behind other schools in any recruiting battles.

[peoriaspitfire]

Great stat sheets for all. I LOVE BU basketball and don't have the money to "buy" a vote, but if I did, I would vote for the occasional use of an alternate jersey...especially a black one.

Thanks to everyone for keeping me in us in the loop. I visit this site daily for my fix.

[squirrelgotdead]

Note that I did not say it would be used by coaches as a recruiting tool.
I said-


If an alternate jersey gets Bradley noticed on TV or on Sportscenter by high school kids, then it will raise the visibility of Bradley's name, and that would be a plus for recruiting. Every coach since Dick Versace has talked about one of the disadvantages Bradley has is that most high school kids outside of Illinois have never heard of it when the coaches call on recruits. Now, even a lot of Chicago kids don't know about Bradley, because the glory days are so far in the past. If you have to start the recruitment of a kid by explaining who you are, where you are, and that you are a D1 school, then it puts you well behind other schools in any recruiting battles.

Visibility is established by a variety of means. Versace did it by drawing media attention to himself first, and that fire translated over to his teams.

Another way is to go out and play a national schedule. Play major teams on the East Coast, West Coast and South.

Yet a third approach is marketing. And that is incredibly key for a school like Bradley.

[MacabreMob]

I don't know if I would call it a recruiting tool or not. . .but it creates an excitement factor when fans see the special colors. Also if you're a player, I've heard kids say that there's a psychological advantage when special jerseys are worn. . .it says "this is an important game for us, and we're here to take care of business"

Anymore, alternate jerseys are just part of the game. You need 'em to keep up with the top programs.

While it may seem like fluff, and MMob will say if it's a marketing tool BU shouldn't bother. . .

If we enter basketball season and Virnette is still interim AD, I think it's a low-risk move on her part to give it a try. I think the popularity would drown out any old die-hards, IMO.

Plus, if the bookstore got an order in for them, hundreds of fans would go out and buy one.

First of all, yes - I hate marketing. We've had this discussion regarding a mascot like a squirrel which would help Bradley's marketing to sell more gear. And my argument against that and a squirrel for marketing is... the product (a good basketball team) sells gear, not marketing.

I am not completely against all marketing.

2nd of all, wearing a different color to mark a game as "important"??? I think of EVERY game as important, I am sure the coaches do, and I suspect the players do as well. I don't think a different color jersey is needed to accentuate the importance of any game.

3rdly - does the bookstore sell ANY jerseys for people to buy? (not just kids ones for $35)

[squirrelgotdead]

The bookstore at present does not sell jerseys, I don't think.

They did order a bunch after the Sweet 16 run. I bought an adult XXL size. . .

Several months ago they only had a couple left and they were on the clearance rack so I bought one to give to my sister's boyfriend as a gift.

[Bradleyguy10]

Every coach since Dick Versace has talked about one of the disadvantages Bradley has is that most high school kids outside of Illinois have never heard of it when the coaches call on recruits. Now, even a lot of Chicago kids don't know about Bradley, because the glory days are so far in the past. If you have to start the recruitment of a kid by explaining who you are, where you are, and that you are a D1 school, then it puts you well behind other schools in any recruiting battles.

Yep, just last night I was telling some people I met who go to Missouri Rolla that I go to Bradley and they gave me a confused look and had no idea where that was and have never heard of it...then one of them didn't even know where Peoria was. I can't blame them....sadly.

Another way is to go out and play a national schedule. Play major teams on the East Coast, West Coast and South.

I still think you have to win them to get the attention though because there are plenty of games on tv where it's a big school v. an unknown and it doesn't increase my interest in them one bit...I don't know about anyone else but that's how I am. But then winning the games means you are getting the attention for being good...entirely different from just playing bigger schools and getting attention.

2nd of all, wearing a different color to mark a game as "important"??? I think of EVERY game as important, I am sure the coaches do, and I suspect the players do as well. I don't think a different color jersey is needed to accentuate the importance of any game.

Oh come on Mob. It's not like they don't think every game is important, there's just that extra umph when there are alternate jersey's being worn. I agree it's a psychological thing. Prime example...last season with the throwback uni's..the team wore them until they lost. It's just something different than the norm. Get's the blood pumping haha.