BRIAN BAILEY: Motivation key for Pirates and fans

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After attending Wednesday’s wake at the coliseum, I didn’t know what to expect for a 6 p.m. start against a nationally ranked team.

East Carolina’s Wednesday loss to Tulane featured one of the smallest crowds in years. There was no enthusiasm, no fire, and relatively little interest in the program.

That’s a shame, because East Carolina had a great chance to beat Tulane. The Pirates had a chance to beat Rice the previous Saturday.

East Carolina’s effort, both on the floor and in the stands against Memphis, was good enough to get victories in those other two games.

That’s the problem that Coach Ricky Stokes and his staff have to figure out. It’s the same thing for the Pirate Nation. How do you get fired up for every team that comes into Williams Arena?

Make no mistake about it. No one is saying the Pirates are overlooking any team. East Carolina’s RPI (Rating Percentage Index) is near the bottom at 318. At this juncture, the Pirates can’t overlook any team!

Memphis coach John Calipari even said it. In describing the Pirate effort, Calipari said, “They showed no fear. The hard part for coaches is getting players to not only play this intense against big schools, but to go out and play against the other teams too.”

Part of the problem continues to lie within Conference USA. Rivalries are formed with schools close in closer proximity. In more compact leagues, players may have been recruited by several schools on the schedule. Former high school rivals may hook up against one another on the collegiate level.

That rarely happens in TEX-USA. It’s easy to say that teams should be fired up each and every time out. But ask yourself this question: Did you really want to see ECU against Rice or Tulane?

Memphis was nationally ranked. John Calipari is a household name. Fans came to see the best that Conference USA has to offer.

I guess it’s human nature to feel better about battling and losing to a ranked team as opposed to falling to an unranked team. The bottom line, though, is that a loss is a loss.

I know it’s hard to be patient, but we continue to get glimpses of hope for this team.

I really like John Fields. I think he’s better at this point than Corey Rouse was early in his career.

The Pirates have several big men who are getting important minutes against great competition. Gabe Blair and Justin Ramsey both battled the best Memphis had to offer on Saturday.

Chad Wynn, a 6-foot-10, 230-pound freshman from Atlanta, is reportedly really playing well at practice. He’s red-shirting this year and will have four years of eligibility after this season.

I also really like Brandon Evans. He’s a thick, tough nosed player who will drive to the basket and even get you a rebound or two.

The Pirates also have four new recruits coming in for next year, led by point guard Brock Young from Raleigh Broughton. Young is having an outstanding year and may be the top point guard in the state.

For East Carolina to win this season in hoops, the team will have to somehow find that same type of energy that it found for Memphis. It’s the same for the fans.

It goes back to what we’ve said about football for the last couple of years. Fans have to want to come out and see their team playing, regardless of the opposition.