Pretty cool that this event is right in our own backyard. Remarkable amount of NBA buzz around it with as many as five scouts per team said to be on hand at the United Center. Potentially as many as 16 first round picks will be on the floor tonight in what is highly regarded as the best prospective draft class since LeBron/Wade/Bosh.

Man this should be our buzz.... We should be hosting at least two doubleheaders per year at the UC. We have done it in the past and we should do it again. A season opener and Holiday Doubleheader.

Looking at my 1970-71 schedule and see the following teams playing at the Stadium against LU ;Minnesota,UCLA,Marquette,USC and Wichita St.
The flip side of the doubleheaders
Northwestern vs Notre Dame
Iowa vs Cincinnati Illinois vs USC Notre Dame vs Illinois Jacksonville(Artis Gilmore?) vs Bradley
Through in a High School City vs Suburban
Easy formula. two fairly local teams take on two big time outsiders.

If you really want to get back into the major scene this is the way to do it. Go all out. There was sooo muck buzz about this doubleheader.
GO RAMBLERS

I didn't go but watched, and boy was that some good hoop. Wouldn't be surprised if those teams are ranked 1-4 at year end and you've got 1, 2, and 3 in the draft between Wiggins/Parker/Randle.

There used to be a Korean tavern on Argyle called "Soo Muck Buzz".

It was right next to a Chinese restaurant, Wun Hung Lo.

While I'm not disagreeing with you that a double-header would be interesting, you're comparing grapes to watermelons. Last night featured four historic programs all with recent success, Hall of Fame coaches, and three players that have "once in a generation" type talent. You also had plenty of NBA personalities and media on-hand to scout these players. In addition to that, the current Bulls' roster features the following alumns: Nazr Mohammed (Kentucky) Mike Dunleavy, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer (Duke); Kirk Hinrich (Kansas); and Derrick Rose (well kind of... Calipari/Memphis). While it would be nice to get Loyola back in the spotlight, I think we should be realistic about what kind of buzz a Loyola double-header could draw. A Loyola, DePaul, Northwestern, Illinois 4-pack would be great locally, but would not scratch the surface of last night outside the state.

Also, agree with 08. Last night was fascinating to watch. Four really great teams that could get up and down with elite talent making at least seven or eight "WOW" plays. Unfortunately, both games were turned into free-throw shooting contests for noticeable stretches and the best player on the floor all evening, Chicago native and Simeon's own, Jabari Parker fouled-out with four minutes to play. Totally ruined the aesthetic of the game and was a bit of a buzz kill. It will be interesting to see if the NCAA changes their tune because I can't imagine there are many in favor of keeping this up.

The idea that Chicago could become a true "college basketball town" is now water under the bridge. Unlike New York (home to the NIT) and Philadelphia, where the local media (principally newspapers) fostered local competition between the Big 5 and talked up the college basketball scene, Chicago had the Tribune hyping the Big 10 and more or less deliberately ignoring Loyola and DePaul because of their ties to the Big 10.

The Tribune began awarding the Silver Football award for the best player in the Big 10 in the 30s or 40s, and added the Silver Basketball award in the late 40s. They essentially "branded" the Big 10, and giving Loyola or DePaul equal coverage to, say, Illinois or Wisconsin would have diminished their "product." Out of market games between Big 10 teams-- Wisconsin vs. Ohio State, Iowa vs. Minnesota, etc.-- got as much if not more attention from the Tribune than Loyola games, even when the Ramblers were nationally ranked. Remember, this was in the era when there were three to five daily newspapers, each with a definitive core audience, and the current concept of "impartial journalism" was not in practice. The Tribune was the newspaper of upscale, educated, middle-class, Republican-leaning, suburban-oriented readers, as opposed to the Sun Times, Daily News, American, and other papers.

Read the Tribune articles about the 1963 NCAA tournament. They covered Loyola, sure, but their main emphasis was on Illinois. When Loyola defeated Illinois, the game article had very little good to say about Loyola. The coverage of Loyola in the tournament after defeating Illinois was greatly reduced. When Loyola won the championship, Carver winning the state high school championship made the Tribune headline. The slant was unmistakable. And Tribune-owned WGN's coverage mirrored the paper's coverage-- the state high school championship was broadcast live, and the NCAA championship was on tape delay in Chicago. Read the articles about the Loyola celebration of the NCAA championship, in which they characterized Loyola fans as thugs for shutting down Sheridan Road for an hour and a half-- no other paper saw it that way. Read what they wrote about Loyola in the '64 tournament loss to Michigan.

It wasn't until the mid or late 1970s that DePaul and Loyola began getting equitable treatment in the Trib. But by then, the Bulls had come on the scene and the college basketball doubleheaders were on the way out. The local teams aligning with conferences reduced the necessity to schedule high-profile games like the college doubleheaders, and animosity and competitiveness between DePaul, Loyola, and Illinois kept schools from playing each other.

Always appreciate your insight, 63.

I think any and all high profile programs are interested in playing in Chicago for the obvious reasons. If high profile programs play here ,,,like the other night. They will be covered. What it takes is the initiative,leadership and connections to do it. From my viewpoint it is obvious that we are making an attempt to upgrade our profile, part of that is to benefit the University overall. So if your gonna do it...go all the way...take some chances.
I remember the Sun Times doing a better job of covering the 63 season.Bill Jauss was always good to the Ramblers and now we are in the position of having to do something if we want the attention. Didnt the United Center offer the facility to DePaul for nothing? What was that about?

Sad to say, but I think the chances of Loyola replicating its former doubleheader glory during my lifetime are about the same as Roller Derby once again drawing 20,000 at the Stadium, or Soldier Field selling out for the next Prep Bowl football game.

Times change...