ShockerHoops
Well-Known Member
Either you're highly disingenuous, or simply don't have a grasp of the climate of Wichita State basketball, or athletics. Wichita isn't just one NCAA run and an NIT win, to be elevated over Colorado. Do you realize that Wichita State has not lost a regular season basketball game in 642 days? Our last 2 losses are to eventual National Runner-up Kentucky, and then our next loss was to eventual National Champion, Louisville. Wichita has the best record in the ENTIRE NCAA Division I over the last 4 years. The Shockers have not lost at home to a non-conference opponent since a bracketbusters matchup with VCU in 2011, which was lost by a last second foul debacle. Go to our next home loss to a non-con you have to go back to 2008. We spent around 5 million on basketball last year, and we have all the amenities of a power 5 school. The only thing midmajor about Wichita State is the conference we're associated with. And at this point, it's like complaining about the parents that birthed you. You have no control over it. We had around 7 sports make the NCAA tournament last year, our athletic department is in a golden age right now.
Here are some video links to see what Wichita State basketball is all about.
http://vimeo.com/78301056
http://vimeo.com/56778502
http://vimeo.com/56050703
Do we have better facilities than CU? I'm not sure about your weight room or practice gym, but we definitely do have a better arena. I loved your guys arena when I came and saw a game there, and the atmosphere was fun and I couldn't even imagine a game against someone like KU there, but we seat 10,506 and it's packed every game. You do have one up on us in the fact that Boulder and Denver does blow Wichita out of the water, but that's an obvious observation by anyone. However, what would be considered a con to some, is a pro to others. Nothing happening in Wichita means Shocker hoops is the #1 show in town, and it ain't even close. This city is black and yellow and it's apparent. Not only is it great for fans, but it's great for players. This is it, this is the big time in Wichita. Want to be known where ever you go in a city? Be a basketball player in Wichita. Cleanthony Early chose Wichita in part because it is the only show in town. No football, it's just basketball. Not a lot to do in Wichita to get you in trouble or busy with the nightlife, these guys can focus on hoops.
We do have a nice campus, is it as nice and scenic as Boulder? No, but it's not like Wichita's buildings are made of cinderblocks. We don't have mountains surrounding our campus, but I think it's beautiful, none the less. It sits atop the hill in Wichita and overlooks the city to the west. We "stand proudly on the hill" and I'm sure you mountain folk would laugh at our hill. But on top of a basketball program with recent success, we've recently had success in enrollment expansion and expanding our campus. We recently remodeled our student center which looks like this, and built a new dorm overlooking our football field now used for Track, and Koch Arena. The dorm looks like this. Academically Colorado is ranked better, but Wichita has many colleges with great reputations, and great alumni that have done wonderful things after graduating. Wichita has a great school of music that has produced Grammy winners, Broadway actors and actresses, and we have a great Marcussen Organ in Wiedeman Hall. We have a good business school that has produced some great ventures, including starting Pizza Hut. You can google it, I won't get into listing off people and successes. We have NIAR which is the National Institute of Aviation Research, and recently expanded out to the Coliseum which is an old arena/convention center outside of town to house bigger projects. Wichita State is renowned for our aeronautical engineering. We are most known for our Business and Engineering school's, I'd have to say. We are a research university, and have plans to start an innovation center which pairs private business with our university working together. Our new president appears to be a visionary, and has WSU on an upward trajectory in nearly every category academically.
Nationally televised games? I'd actually argue that we do have more nationally televised games than Colorado, but I don't have figures to back that up. But currently Wichita will be on ESPN I think 22 times this year so far, and we have scheduled dates that could be added later.
More pro players? NBA, no, but we currently have three guys on NBA rosters. Most players in our program have gone on and played professionally in Europe and Asia.
In conclusion, I mean no ill words towards Colorado, and wouldn't have made direct comparisons if it weren't for having Wichita called out. I don't mean to start a WSU vs Colorado post, cheers gents. I hope we meet up in the Diamond Head finals. I'm a big proponent of Wichita playing Colorado, and making it a permanent match up that could develop into a nice rivalry.
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