It’s Officially the College Basketball Offseason and I Need Your Support

The calendar has turned to April and with last night’s result in the books it’s officially the offseason in college basketball for all 351 schools. The coaching carousel is in full swing and the recruiting wire is buzzing with de-commitments, re-commitments, transfers and more. Providence has had great success these last 4 years and I’ve been lucky enough to cover the team for the last 3. Before I get any further into this post I want to express my deep gratitude and appreciation to everyone that has visited the site, tweeted, emailed, messaged or discussed Providence hoops at a bar with me these last 1,170 days since pcbb1917.com went live back on January 21, 2014. There have been more than 1.24 million views here since then and I think that’s pretty cool for a fanbase of a small Catholic school in Rhode Island.

The last two offseasons I’ve had plenty of ideas for upgrading both the site itself and my coverage but lack of time and funds — plus more pressing matters like proposing to my now fiance — have gotten in the way. This offseason I want to make some, if not all, of my ideas come to fruition. My most ambitious project is to totally overhaul the recruiting section of the site to create an interactive, sortable, searchable database of Providence recruits. In order to accomplish this I will need to change how the site is hosted and hire a freelance technical resource for the project. I want to stress that I have no plans to make any content on the site hidden behind a paywall.

My second goal is an in-season one. I’d love to be able to travel to more Providence away games and cover the team on the road. Last season I was lucky enough to be credentialed at Hinkle Fieldhouse for Providence’s game against Butler on New Year’s Day. It was an amazing experience to be in that building and anyone who has yet to cross that off their basketball bucket list should do it as soon as possible. Also be sure to get the shrimp cocktail at Harry & Izzy’s or St. Elmo’s.

My close proximity to St. John’s and Seton Hall allows me to attend those road games but paying for flights and hotels to cover the team in cities like Chicago, Cincinnati, Milwaukee and Omaha is pretty much out of my budget.

So…

This has all been a long-winded way to say that I’ve started a page at Patreon.com. What I’m asking for isn’t to line my pockets or help fund my honeymoon — though donations to that are also encouraged. I’m not putting any content behind a paywall and everything here will remain free for everyone, if you become a patron or not. If you choose to become a patron you will have my eternal gratitude and you will be helping the entire community by funding the upgrades to the site that I have laid out, and maybe even some others if time and money allow. There are various levels of access your generosity grants you to me and the community of like-minded patrons. You can find all of those details at my page. You should also be aware that any money that comes in beyond the monthly goal I’ve set will be donated to the Angel Fund at Providence College. The current monthly goal should pay for the technical projects I have planned.

So thanks for reading this and stopping by pcbb1917.com. The first live period of April is a mere 17 days from now and Providence has some spots to fill for next season, not to mention the possibility of the 3 local studs in 2018 and a former top target back on the market for 2017.

Follow me on Twitter @pcbb1917

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4 responses to “It’s Officially the College Basketball Offseason and I Need Your Support”

  1. Allan Russ Avatar
    Allan Russ

    Is there a way that I can make a lump sum contribution instead of a monthly contribution?
    I appreciate your site very much, thanks!

  2. Mike Hopkins Avatar

    Allan,

    Thank you for the kind words! You can donate as much as you want and then I’ll cancel the monthly subscription after the 1 month is charged, which will be on 5/1/17. If you are going to donate more than $20 just select the “Graduate Assistant” level and enter the desired amount.

    1. Allan Russ Avatar
      Allan Russ

      Have done so. Thanks and a hearty congratulations on your impending marriage!

      1. Mike Hopkins Avatar

        Thank you for the congratulations and the EXTREMELY generous donation!

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