Announcements of Non-Conference Schedules

[MacabreMob]

Why are our games hinging on the Civic Center?

I would think if these games are as good as they supposedly are, we can play them at a neutral or at their place with the condition we get the return game next year.

I'm not saying scheduling is easy, but it's not rocket science either. Sometimes you just have to be creative.

Siena has an open date:

http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=951889

Why not go there, and get the return game next year? Winning such a game should put us in favorable bubble position.

I'd much rather that than another home snoozer against somebody like SEMO.

1: Ummm.... cause we play there (at PCC).

2: Maybe the opponent wants the "winnable" 'True Road' game for their RPI; maybe neutral court costs are more than H-n-H???

3: I think Bradley has been creative with their scheduling.

4: Siena would be a good H-n-H series IMO.

5: "Buy-games" and "snoozers" round out schedules. I don't think schedules should be based on them and I don't think Bradley bases their schedules on those type of games. But schedules get "rounded" out with them - something to live with when you play (for example) at Mich St and at Florida along with Butler at home (... just looking at one season and one opponent like SEMO).

[Da Coach]

Why are our games hinging on the Civic Center?

I would think if these games are as good as they supposedly are, we can play them at a neutral or at their place with the condition we get the return game next year.

I'm not saying scheduling is easy, but it's not rocket science either. Sometimes you just have to be creative.

Siena has an open date:
http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/...asp?CID=951889

Why not go there

What? Maybe Bradley should just play all 30 games on the road? Then it becomes easy to schedule.

Anyone who would rip Bradley's effort to schedule quality opponents, doesn't understand the facts, or is just looking for more reasons to gratuitously denigrate them.
It is not as simple as picking up a phone and scheduling a game with each school you call. There are hundreds of hours spent on scheduling by the AD, all the coaches, and assistants, and everyone else involved. I have heard repeatedly it is the hardest thing they do at Bradley, and that's true of any midmajor school. Nobody wants to play Bradley, either the majors, or the other midmajors, unless they have the advantage of playing at their place. And especially this year, when they know we will be pretty good. Even Butler, which will be pretty good this year too, and which was under contract to play us in Indianapolis this fall, has asked to be let out this year!
Bradley does as good a job as it's possible to do with scheduling. Over the past 15 years, Bradley has consistently had one of the better schedules and SOS among MVC schools. Bradley's biggest impediment, as has been said before, is the fact that they don't own their own arena, so they have to lock dates in early (which most opponent schools aren't willing to do), or like this year, lose out on quality home opponents because the Civic Center Arena already has events that occupy desired dates.
Bradley already has a number of extremely tough road games scheduled at Iowa State, at BYU, and in Las Vegas against Utah, Oklahoma State, or Illinois. Also, there are already other road games scheduled that will be announced soon.
And I hear there will be good news about the TV schedule and coverage this year, too.

There is no reason for BU to sacrifice themselves by playing more road games than necessary, just because they are having trouble filling the home schedule. No school, other than 300+ RPI schools do this, and they do it just to raise more revenue playing guarantee games. It makes no sense to reduce their number of home games just to play more road games because it's easier to get a team to play you at their arena. Home games are big revenue producers for Bradley, and they won't sacrifice them.

[squirrelgotdead]

Butler asked out so they could schedule up, as in North Carolina.

It was to have been a road game.

My only point is I hope we're not turning people away, just because we can't play them here.

I would hate to see the quality of the schedule suffer to stubbornness. That is all.

[Da Coach]

Butler had other openings that they could have scheduled teams like UNC. There were other reasons given why they wanted out of their commitment with Bradley.

[shaunguth]

Even Butler, which will be pretty good this year too, and which was under contract to play us in Indianapolis this fall, has asked to be let out this year!

Just curious, but what repercussions or penalties are involved when a team breaks a scheduling contract? Iowa State recently did it to us and now Butler is doing it. I have always had a problem with programs/athletes that sign contracts and do not honor them.

[squirrelgotdead]

Usually there is a buyout clause for games. I don't know if that still applies if a series gets pushed back a year.

[TheAsianSensation]

If we replace Butler with another 2 games against Horizon schools, I might punch someone in the face.

[MacabreMob]

If we replace Butler with another 2 games against Horizon schools, I might punch someone in the face.

Ok... if not 2 more Horizon teams, how about Chicago St and Eastern Illinois instead?

[Indy_BB]

Butler was asked to be in the Jimmy V Classic vs either Georgetown or Syracuse (whomever they don't play plays Indiana). As is the model, Butler is getting more national with the schedule with home-and-homes with teams like Stanford starting soon. Some of the regional games of the past will be less prominent. Last year, Indiana State was dropped. I don't know how many schedules Ball State will remain if the do not improve.

I think it is likely the Xavier v Butler games will continue. I've always thought Dayton was probably the most likely "new" one, if they were looking for that sort of game.

[FarmerClone]

Kansas releases what it calls
"Competitive Non-Conference Schedule for 2009-10"

Kansas is being ranked #1 in some preseason previews...
they return all nine of their top nine scorers...


Kansas Men??™s Basketball 2009-10 Non-Conference Schedule (home games in CAPS)
Date (Day) - Opponent, Site
Nov. 3 (Tuesday) - FORT HAYS STATE (Exhibition), Lawrence, Kan.
Nov. 11 (Tuesday) - PITTSBURG STATE (Exhibition), Lawrence, Kan.
Nov. 13 (Friday) ??“ HOFSTRA, Lawrence, Kan.
Nov. 17 (Tuesday) ??“ Memphis, St. Louis, Mo.
Nov. 19 (Thursday) ??“ TBA, Lawrence, Kan.
Nov. 23 (Monday) ??“ TBA, Lawrence, Kan.
Nov. 27 (Friday) ??“ TBA, Lawrence, Kan.
Dec. 2 (Wednesday) - ALCORN STATE, Lawrence, Kan.
Dec. 6 (Sunday) ??“ UCLA, Los Angeles, Calif.
Dec. 9 (Wednesday) ??“ RADFORD, Lawrence, Kan.
Dec. 12 (Saturday) - LA SALLE (Sprint Center), Kansas City, Mo.
Dec. 19 (Saturday) ??“ MICHIGAN, Lawrence, Kan.
Dec. 22 (Tuesday) ??“ CALIFORNIA, Lawrence, Kan.
Dec. 29 (Tuesday) ??“ BELMONT, Lawrence, Kan.
Jan. 2 (Saturday) ??“ Temple, Philadelphia, Pa.
Jan. 5 (Tuesday) ??“ CORNELL, Lawrence, Kan.
Jan. 9 (Saturday) ??“ Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn.

They play some tough non-conference opponents, as compared to some prior years where they nothing but cupcakes...
There is only ONE true road non-conference game prior to 2010...and only 3 total...(UCLA, Temple, UT)
Throw in a couple guarantee games and is is as good of a BCS team non-conference slate as you'll see...

Kansas has a solid history of scheduling a road game near where their recruits are from. The Temple game will take KU to Philly where the Morris' twins are from. A series with Minnesota was strongly rumored and must not have come to fruition unless it is one of the TBA, but it would not make sense. The reason to schedule the game would be to take Cole Aldrich back home for a game and Cole will not be here the following year when they would make the trip to Minneapolis. KU has done a very good job lately scheduling very solid competition for even their buy games.

[squirrelgotdead]

UMass is looking to fill 3 open dates as well. They are saying too many mid-majors this year are wanting buys. . .meaning they aren't looking for 1-1 series. They want either 1 and done or 2-for-1's.

http://www.masslive.com/sports/index.ssf/2009/06/umass_basketball_schedule_for.html

I'm also not opposed to doing an in-season home-and-home if necessary. In fact, it's a good way to ensure schedule quality.

[tornado]

but that article does indeed detail how incredible HARD it is for decent mid-majors to complete their schedule and get opponents to want to play...other than the bottom feeders who will accept a guarantee or the 2-for-1's with extra appearance fees added on!

But note, even UMass isn't willing to schedule 1-and-1's with other midmajors like Quinnipiac & and Holy Cross....they are insisting on 2-for-1's....so they are actually admitting they are doing exactly what they are ticked that other bigger programs are doing to them!!

But in the end, the story also details lots of reasons it is very hard to get those home-and-home arrangements, and obviously one of them they aren't freely admitting is hidden in this statement...
"In a concession to the rough economy...
...more mid-major opponents are spurning ...home-and-home deals...

UMass, which has its own budget constraints and cannot afford
an overload of "paid" home games..."

and they are obviously, then, looking for opponents on the east coast (thus Quinnipiac, Seton Hall, Holy Cross, UCF, etc..)
and they are really NOT looking to travel so far as to consider an opponent like BU.

They are trying like crazy to avoid the travel expenses....
so in the end, it is very unlikely they would do a home-and-home vs. Bradley!


Lastly...there are 270 mid-majors and low majors....and how many are looking to fill home-and-home dates??
Not many.....even if you use UMass as such an example, and really they are not since they aren't likely to want to travel outside of the east and they seem to prefer 2-for-1's with some lower mid-major patsies..
but are there any others in the midwest? I suspect (and I even know through other sources)
that there are very, very few...almost none.......

[MacabreMob]

UMass is looking to fill 3 open dates as well. They are saying too many mid-majors this year are wanting buys. . .meaning they aren't looking for 1-1 series. They want either 1 and done or 2-for-1's.

http://www.masslive.com/sports/index.ssf/2009/06/umass_basketball_schedule_for.html

I'm also not opposed to doing an in-season home-and-home if necessary. In fact, it's a good way to ensure schedule quality.

If UMass is having so much trouble... and if they think it's ok to schedule an in-season home-and-home series with someone.... why not just use those 2 dates and play 2 more teams in the A10 that they don't get to play H-n-H with?

[squirrelgotdead]

Because more conference games lowers your RPI ceiling.

[MacabreMob]

Because more conference games lowers your RPI ceiling.

More games against teams with RPI's of 300 will more severely hamper your "RPI ceiling".

Last year, UMass only got to play St Joe's (105 RPI) and URI (68 RPI)twice.

I understand the inbredness of the RPI of playing more Conference opponents.

But it's only 25% - Opponent's Opponents Average Winning Percentage. Some forget about the 50% which is your Opponent's Average Winning Percentage. So maybe it would have been better for UMass to add a Non-Conference Road Game at Dayton (27 RPI) or Temple (30 RPI) or get Xavier (17 RPI) to come in for a Non-Conference Home Game.

What's funny is... I recall an argument from someone over the Bracketbuster. They thought it would be better to play a 3rd game against an MVC school in a Non-conference matchup rather than a 4th team from the Horizon or even anyone else in the BracketBuster pool.