Imagine if…

[BBFran]

I’ve been thinking about the introductory press conference for Coach Lundy. Imagine if our AD, for once, would show both some humility and some recognition of the paramount importance of the men’s basketball program.

How about starting with something like this: “Especially in March, we all know men’s basketball is the most important program we have, the one that can elevate our whole athletics program, build our school’s profile and draw students to our University. I know our University community has been profoundly disappointed for the last six years. As your Athletics Director, that’s on me. I’m responsible, and I intend to do everything I can to fix it, and you can hold me responsible if we don’t. We’re going to start that process by introducing our new Coach, Bart Lundy….”

We can dream.

[skrapheap]

Odds of this actually happening are, as various mathematicians i know would say, vanishingly small.

[jmartin]

The introductory press conference of Bart Lundy isn't about Amanda Braun, it's about... Bart Lundy.

The press conference is about introducing Bart Lundy to the Milwaukee Panthers community.

Bart Lundy is well respected within the coaching industry and brings 20 years of head coaching experience (combined in D1 and D2) with an overall record of 433–189.

[BBFran]

What I wrote would take 30 seconds to say and would be the greatest lead-in to the introduction possible, because it would publicly reassure Lundy -- and everyone -- that the AD actually recognizes her responsibility. Successive men's basketball coaches -- and all of us -- have learned the cost when there is no accountability for the success of the program at the AD level.

This has been THE fundamental problem at Milwaukee over the last decade that has led to the utter collapse of the program. Lundy is being asked to dig us out of a cavernous hole. The least our AD could do at the intro is to take 30 seconds to acknowledge her responsibility and commit to the men's basketball program as her absolute priority. Do you disagree with either proposition, that she has to take responsibility and that men's basketball should be the clear priority sport in our program?

[jmartin]

Mar 20, 2022 13:43:53 GMT -6 BBFran said:

What I wrote would take 30 seconds to say and would be the greatest lead-in to the introduction possible, because it would publicly reassure Lundy -- and everyone -- that the AD actually recognizes her responsibility. Successive men's basketball coaches -- and all of us -- have learned the cost when there is no accountability for the success of the program at the AD level.

This has been THE fundamental problem at Milwaukee over the last decade that has led to the utter collapse of the program. Lundy is being asked to dig us out of a cavernous hole. The least our AD could do at the intro is to take 30 seconds to acknowledge her responsibility and commit to the men's basketball program as her absolute priority. Do you disagree with either proposition, that she has to take responsibility and that men's basketball should be the clear priority sport in our program?

I agree that Amanda Braun should take responsibility but the introductory press conference for Bart Lundy isn't the appropriate venue to do so. It would be inappropriate for Braun to do this during Bart Lundy's introduction press conference.

Also, I agree that men's basketball should be the clear priority, and I would argue that the naming rights of the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena and the new dedicated practice facility for basketball are evidence that this is the case.

[jmartin]

The new practice facility for the basketball program, named the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin Center, is scheduled to open in Fall 2022.

This new practice facility should be an asset to Coach Lundy and his staff on the recruiting trail as well as developing current and future players.

Here's the link to the architectural drawings of the new practice facility:

mkepanthers.com/galleries/general/orthopaedic-hospital-of-wisconsin-center/577

[BBFran]

I couldn’t disagree more that this is not the appropriate venue. That 30 seconds — a mere half minute prelude that will take nothing away from likely an hour celebration of Bart Lundy — is the most impactful, supportive thing that could happen.

Frankly, if she doesn’t do something like this, it will reinforce for everyone that nothing has changed and nothing will change. We’ll all know that Lundy, like Jeter, Jordan and Baldwin, will be on his own. Just another coach “hired to be fired.”

[jmartin]

Mar 20, 2022 14:35:38 GMT -6 BBFran said:

I couldn’t disagree more that this is not the appropriate venue. That 30 seconds — a mere half minute prelude that will take nothing away from likely an hour celebration of Bart Lundy — is the most impactful, supportive thing that could happen.

And I couldn’t disagree more that this is the appropriate venue.

The introductory press conference for Bart Lundy should be about Bart Lundy, not Amanda Braun.

Not everything is about Amanda Braun. Your perceived case of ABDS (Amanda Braun Derangement Syndrome) is troublesome.

[reginaldkdwight]

Damn Fran its like AB stole your girl or something relax a bit, you want her to go on some tangent on a presser about the new coach. Get a grip dude out her frothing at the mouth over AB. I imagine she must haunt your dreams or something.

[ghostofdylan]

Mar 20, 2022 12:14:52 GMT -6 BBFran said:

I’ve been thinking about the introductory press conference for Coach Lundy. Imagine if our AD, for once, would show both some humility and some recognition of the paramount importance of the men’s basketball program.

How about starting with something like this: “Especially in March, we all know men’s basketball is the most important program we have, the one that can elevate our whole athletics program, build our school’s profile and draw students to our University. I know our University community has been profoundly disappointed for the last six years. As your Athletics Director, that’s on me. I’m responsible, and I intend to do everything I can to fix it, and you can hold me responsible if we don’t. We’re going to start that process by introducing our new Coach, Bart Lundy….”

We can dream.

I logged on just to "like" this post. It's impossible to overstate the primacy of men's basketball at a school like ours.

[jmartin]

Mar 20, 2022 15:38:48 GMT -6 ghostofdylan said:

Mar 20, 2022 12:14:52 GMT -6 BBFran said:

I’ve been thinking about the introductory press conference for Coach Lundy. Imagine if our AD, for once, would show both some humility and some recognition of the paramount importance of the men’s basketball program.

How about starting with something like this: “Especially in March, we all know men’s basketball is the most important program we have, the one that can elevate our whole athletics program, build our school’s profile and draw students to our University. I know our University community has been profoundly disappointed for the last six years. As your Athletics Director, that’s on me. I’m responsible, and I intend to do everything I can to fix it, and you can hold me responsible if we don’t. We’re going to start that process by introducing our new Coach, Bart Lundy….”

We can dream.

I logged on just to "like" this post. It's impossible to overstate the primacy of men's basketball at a school like ours.

I agree.

What do you think the new practice facility for the basketball program, which is scheduled to open in Fall 2022?


Here's the link to the architectural drawings of the new practice facility:

mkepanthers.com/galleries/general/orthopaedic-hospital-of-wisconsin-center/577

[Deleted]

Renderings look great. Candor would be better.

[ghostofdylan]

Mar 20, 2022 15:54:26 GMT -6 @victorpanther said:

Renderings look great. Candor would be better.

In this case, one thousand words would say far more than any architectural rendering.

[jmartin]

Construction began in August, 2021.

According to the below link, The OHOW Center will be a 16,000 square foot expansion to the Klotsche Center & Pavilion and will be utilized primarily by the Panthers men's and women's basketball team. The new facility will feature a full-sized basketball court that mirrors the game surfaces, a basketball strength and conditioning center, video room, auxiliary sports medicine and treatment center, and basketball student-athlete lounge.

The building, designed by HGA Architects & Engineers based out of Milwaukee, will also house the new Panther Athletics Hall of History.

The building is scheduled to be completed in the Fall of 2022 and will be located on the east side of the Pavilion, connected by a skywalk over the existing driveway to preserve access to the Pavilion parking structure.


mkepanthers.com/news/2021/8/26/general-mke-athletics-celebrates-groundbreaking-for-ohow-center.aspx

[Spirit of Bruce]

Why does "jmartin" act like no one is aware of the practice facility? Everyone here is well aware of it, and has been for quite some time.