I will enter this discussion having lived and breathed the notion that facilities don't matter. Because RU didn't have the facilities and I didn't like hearing about it.....the buzzword, even from SHU and others in the old Big East was, "is RU dedicated to caring or making an investment into the program or being about basketball "???
There was a RU court club story many years ago when FHJ was the coach and he outwardly complained that RU wouldn't get the kids we lost recruiting to Notre Dame or whomever....because ND had a million dollar sound system, fireworks, state of the art scoreboard that introduced the players and parent names during official visits...and I sat there wondering "is this guy serious"??....Because RU didn't even have a sound system at the RAC, or a dedicated facility to practice??
Fast forward and for every RU football game since Waters, FHJ, Mike Rice, the "official visit" for RU hoops centered around a home football game. 35K, 40, 45K fans, full student section and you could spot RU coaches pointing out the fan enthusiasm and energy and it was in some ways the highlight of excitement or energy. It was the one thing or place where RU placed some upgrades or investment into (football)....while still woefully behind 90% of other major college football programs.
BUT
If you pitch all of these things, combined with student sections & everything else.....it is very difficult to compete, without it, even for myself, who denied that it could not matter that much, if it all.
Let me simplify it this way...if SHU wanted to invite FS1 for a few hours a day for a full week to campus to watch practice and behind the scenes of locker rooms, rehab facilities, and needed to have cameras and media present, what would they see??
Would the media have a proper place to plug in their laptops, sit comfortably to watch practice?? Would there be a potential small cafeteria for a sandwich, wrap, salad, beverages to take care of Steve Lavin, Gus Johnson and Raftery, or let's expand it to others that are just used to a certain standard to work as a film crew etc...??
These facilities aren't going to prevent Myles Powell or Quincy McKnight from scoring on GameDay. The question is how much does the program emphasize game day as the focal point of the program OR does it prioritize the other 340 to 350 days a year and use of the facility??
If you have both a great game day arena AND facility, it's tough to beat with the right coaches....if a program is missing any of the 3 (coaches, game day environment and facilities), you have a hurdle that others may not have. The best programs will ensure 2 of the 3 are in place (facilities and student/fan support) to prevent it from being anything else other than it being solely on the coaches to create a game plan and recruiting talent.