Fran is mad at us......

[hoopjunkie]

...scheduled MAAC member Rider, and not us, for a home game in November.

Rider getting $100K for the trip. Guessing we could have used that money?

Thanks Fran

[MTS]

Hewitt gave us a 2 for 1 why won’t Fran?

We only play one guarantee game a year and it’s usually connected to a tournament.

[bigsaintg]

Does anyone know if we have even asked him?

[hankla]

Rider must be projected to be poor next season. A large percentage of Fran's buy games have been with below rank 300
teams. Saint fans would be up in arms if Siena ever scheduled many of those teams. Once in a while one of the cupcakes has surprised Iowa
but most all of the cupcake games have been no contests. While the blowouts may breed confidence, I always thought it would have been
better for Iowa to have more challenges in its non-conference schedule to prepare for the Big 10. I don't think Fran would have enjoyed mopping the floor with the Saints this past year.
Hopefully, he thinks that our new staff is assembling a team that would be too challenging for his guys this season.

[greengold4ever]

the whole guarantee money game is basically as follows............you will get a guaranteed amount of money and you will be guaranteed to get your arse kicked............

[hoopjunkie]

Excuse #1--Fran was afraid to face a 4 win team?? We finished 356th.....that seems right up Frans alley.

With the portal and NIL, who knows how good any team will be next year.

And I dont need a 2-for-1 from him. Give me my $100K and we'll stick around and take the beating. Program could use the money after what this HC change cost us.

[hoopdad]

Dumb statement on Fran being mad at Siena. Maybe, he just does not want to beat up on the program that he had so much success with and helped him get to his Big 10, big paycheck job?

[$cott]

Why the hell would Siena want to play a guarantee game at Iowa? For guarantee games you either want to go somewhere with nice weather, tourist attractions, is in your recruiting footprint, is drivable, or is at least a direct flight. Iowa checks none of those boxes.

[hoopjunkie]

Apr 29, 2024 10:26:01 GMT -5 hoopdad said:

Dumb statement on Fran being mad at Siena. Maybe, he just does not want to beat up on the program that he had so much success with and helped him get to his Big 10, big paycheck job?

No, THATS a dumb theory. Siena firing his boy Carm last month is more likely why Rider got the game and not us.

Why would he automatically beat up on us? We'll have an entirely different roster and coaching staff. Just like he has no idea how Riders roster will pan out.

[hoopjunkie]

Apr 29, 2024 10:33:04 GMT -5 $cott said:

Why the hell would Siena want to play a guarantee game at Iowa? For guarantee games you either want to go somewhere with nice weather, tourist attractions, is in your recruiting footprint, is drivable, or is at least a direct flight. Iowa checks none of those boxes.

So the boxes you just mentioned, how many do Duke, Wisconsin and Kansas check off? Guess we shouldnt have gone to those spots either?

You do it for a few reasons:

1) MONEY.....a lot of it. $100K is a nice paycheck for a winnable game

2)They're not that good. Beating a Big 10 team on their home floor would be a nice feather in GMac's hat.

3)Fran owes us some love for employing him for 5 years.

[$cott]

Apr 29, 2024 10:43:03 GMT -5 hoopjunkie said:

Apr 29, 2024 10:33:04 GMT -5 $cott said:

Why the hell would Siena want to play a guarantee game at Iowa? For guarantee games you either want to go somewhere with nice weather, tourist attractions, is in your recruiting footprint, is drivable, or is at least a direct flight. Iowa checks none of those boxes.

So the boxes you just mentioned, how many do Duke, Wisconsin and Kansas check off? Guess we shouldnt have gone to those spots either?

You do it for a few reasons:

1) MONEY.....a lot of it. $100K is a nice paycheck for a winnable game

2)They're not that good. Beating a Big 10 team on their home floor would be a nice feather in GMac's hat.

3)Fran owes us some love for employing him for 5 years.

Duke and Kansas basketball are tourist attractions! Either way, the Duke and Wisconsin trips were not guarantee games, they were part of the 2K Sports Classic that got us into a smaller tournament where Siena beat Radford and Bryant.

[hoopdad]

Apr 29, 2024 10:37:00 GMT -5 hoopjunkie said:

Apr 29, 2024 10:26:01 GMT -5 hoopdad said:

Dumb statement on Fran being mad at Siena. Maybe, he just does not want to beat up on the program that he had so much success with and helped him get to his Big 10, big paycheck job?

No, THATS a dumb theory. Siena firing his boy Carm last month is more likely why Rider got the game and not us.

Why would he automatically beat up on us? We'll have an entirely different roster and coaching staff. Just like he has no idea how Riders roster will pan out.

His boy Carm?  LOL!  His boy lead the program to the worst season in it's D1 history.  Fran is no dummy and understands, more than anyone, the importance of winning at Siena.  Any other theories?  Rider got the game and not us.  Was Siena even in the running for a game with Iowa?

[$cott]

Also, Kansas was part of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic so Siena got a home game out of it and the exempt event status.

As to the money, I've heard time and time again how hard it is to schedule home and home series. I've never heard once how hard it is to find guarantee games. Big schools are handing out $100k left and right for guarantee games. Makes far more sense to take that $100k from Georgetown than from Iowa. I also have no idea if that is $100k plus travel expenses or just $100k and you pay all your own expenses. If the latter, you are netting far more from a bus trip down to Georgetown than flying the whole team and staff to Iowa.

[james]

LMAO! Fran owes Siena Nothing, as a matter of fact the Saints owe him for the 3 year run,the honorable mention in the top 25 BB teams in the country. Funny how anyone who leaves Siena for better pastures,either a Coach or player becomes open season for Siena Family. GO SAINTS!!

[glen]

Also possible it fit in Rider's schedule better than ours.