You guys cannot compare MBB to WBB ...the shape of the ball is all they have in common. Even UWGB get's blasted by any solid competition and they are consistently rated one of , if not the top, mid-major teams in the country. On the other hand, Butler was in 2 national championship games while being rated barely in the top-10 of the men's mid-major programs. Slocum could never recruit the way Barnes does, as that type of talent would never look here. The school wants players that can pass classes and stay out of trouble, so the administration can focus on other issues. All of this on top of a drastically increased talent level in the Horizon League basketball.
There are all but no professional women's sports at this time and scholarship-based collegiate women's sports is a relatively new thing; so top female athlete's are still very happy to get anything more than a scholarship (i.e.: food). You remember, they way it was for men prior to needs-based scholarships. So for now, colleges like YSU can recruit female basketball players (even somewhat locally) well and even afford the luxury of looking for some non-athletic requirements from their recruits ...like academics and attitude.
I tell you what, you look at UWM when they hired Bruce Pearl, then look at what happened to Pearl and don't for a second think that his recruiting indiscretions only began at Tennessee. This is the only reasonably successful team in our conference's recent history aside from Butler. This is also the blueprint for mid-major (Horizon League) success. Note that neither school plays scholarship-based football. Are you willing to do this, because I guarantee you that Slocum will have tremendous success. Then again, we will have the money to hire a bigger $$ coach.
You might also notice that Pearl is now at a school that has a very distinctive set of athletic priorities ...almost a clone to YSU. Strong women's sports, solid baseball, an unwavering dynasty in football along with a men's basketball program that has a .312 winning percentage since the year 2000. As soon as they start winning ...call the NCAA, as Pearl is gone.
Do not think that I am being negative of YSU ...on the contrary. I am a big fans of what Slocum does, because (even if out of necessity) he tries to do it right. The YSU Athletic administration is well aware of what they ask coach S to do and what he has done. I do expect some serious changes in YSU athletics, but for now the two people that you seem to criticize the most (Strollo and Slocum) have done quite a bit to help advance the the overall cause of YSU sports, even if MBB has been much more of a victim than other sports.
