Strength of Schedules - Year by Year Comparison

[TheAsianSensation]

So 3 DI wins and 4 wins over provies. . .

I remember running the numbers last year and it was something like 5-105 in the OOC against D1 competition. I think up to 12 or so wins if you include non-D1 competition - and they lost a few games to them too!

[tornado]

a mere 9 spots away from what Bradley's was.

and Missouri State was a mere 9 spots behind UNI in the Valley standings last year, so?
Nine spots away can significant...

[shaunguth]

It is not enough to play games like BU did against Michigan State and Florida.

Those are great games no doubt. But when you also play SEMO and SIUE you lose ALL benefit from those two contests.

So there's no point in getting involved in a tournament such as the Las Vegas Invitational, since that's generally how they're set up?

The way I see it is you don't get a chance to play the BCS teams very often, so you take them when you can get them. If there are already "cupcakes" on your schedule or the "cupcakes" are included in these tournaments, then so be it. I would MUCH rather play two potential top 25 teams along with Presbyterian and Wofford than host a tournament full of teams with RPIs of 201, 290, and 339.

[tornado]

Bottom line...no matter what the opponents or the SOS..

--BU is trying to schedule tougher

--but a couple Valley schools appear to be trying to schedule cupcakes and taking the Valley strength in the opposite direction

[cpacmel]

For as poor as ISU's schedule was last season, their non-conference SOS was a mere 9 spots away from what Bradley's was.

and Missouri State was a mere 9 spots behind UNI in the Valley standings last year, so?
Nine spots away can significant...

Try and stay focused man.

9 spots out of 10 teams in the MVC compared to 9 spots out of 344 spots in the SOS......come on.

[cpacmel]

ISU attempts a specific philosophy to their schedule, and their final SoS rank last year was a best-case scenario given the philosophy.

BU attempts a specific philosophy to their schedule, and their final SoS rank last year was a worst-case scenario given the philosophy.

This is plausible. But I can certainly give examples where several teams on ISU's schedule had poor seasons compared with their expectations too.

[cpacmel]

--but a couple Valley schools appear to be trying to schedule cupcakes and taking the Valley strength in the opposite direction

I would say every team that had a non-conference SOS over #150 falls into this category. That's everyone except SIU, UNI and Indy State.

[Da Coach]

How many had multiple opponents with RPI over 300?

Also, even when the MVC had the rule about scheduling teams with RPI>150, the rule did not apply if the matchup was out of the school's control, such as a tournament setup (unless the MVC school organized the tournament), or the Bracket Buster matchups.

[CABUFan]

Thanks AZ, I will cut JL some slack for some bad luck, but the next two years need to be big winners IMO. This year could be really good if a couple players step up, but next year could be special if our recruits come and catch on more quickly than most JUCOs. Will Wilkins catch on quicker than most JUCO's???

I agree also. It's time to get things done. I am also tired of middle of the pack Valley finishes and second or third rate tournaments. That said, I think things are headed in the right direction, and if everyone is healthy, I feel pretty good about our chances this year, and certainly next.

[tornado]

Look, the ISU and the SIU schedules hurt the Valley big time. I wish it wasn't so but it is so, and so don't shoot the messenger telling you it is so.
Let me quote the very fans of the teams in question-and I know I risk their wrath just by citing their very words...


from ISU..
"Shame on Jank and Zenger.
Has Jank and Zenger ever publicly expanded upon their scheduling philosophy?"

"I will shut up about this schedule if this mystery opponent is ANYONE from the B10, BE, ACC or Pac-10.
I would take Seton Hall, Providence...Hell, I'd take Rutgers at this point."
(it turned out to be Grambling)

"Disgusting and embarassing."

"weak schedule...Goofy schedule...terrible schedule...non-conference schedule is deplorable"

"It's basically the same schedule as the last two years. It's just very, very disappointing."

"Jank is doing a good job recruiting good players. He is doing a good job coaching those players. He is doing a poor job putting the schedule together. It's a low-major schedule."

"Saturating your sched with the North Floridas, Gramblings and SIU-E's of the college hoops world accomplishes nothing."

"We better win in the lou because they don't save at large bids for teams that schedule like that"

"Can you get into the NIT with a schedule like that? "


From SIU..
"Our schedule isn't that strong but it hasn't reached Illinois State levels of weakness yet."

"The only game on the schedule that is beyond pathetic and unforgivable is the game against Indianapolis"

"For a season ticket holder, this non conference home schedule is terrible and cup cake city."

but..."Alabama State won the SWAC last year"

" they're crummy games on a schedule with too many of them."

then finally the comment that this schedule was designed to assure CLo he would get the 20 wins he needed this year in order to save his job...

[Bravesfan]

Because they get 16-18 conference games to help offset scheduling cupcakes. And while we know the MVC is good, they don't nearly provide the RPI protection the BCS conferences do.

Oh, and squirrel, I do think the SWAC did pick off a game against a CUSA member last year, IIRC. That one, 4 wins over provisionals, and that was it for them.

Well, like I said, the Valley did have "BCS" type seasons in 2005 and 2006. So if every team together has great non-conference seasons one of these years, there's no reason we can't do this again.

[Bravesfan]

What I think about ISU's schedule or my degree of happiness really doesn't matter in this debate though.

There is a bottom-line here, and everyone seems to be dancing around it.

For as poor as ISU's schedule was last season, their non-conference SOS was a mere 9 spots away from what Bradley's was.

That's a good point. They accomplished what they did last year by quanity vs quality so to speak. If they scored just one or two more wins, they probably get to at least host a first round NIT game.

Maybe they do know what they are doing after all! Though yes, they do need to do more to get themselves into an at-large position of course.

[squirrelgotdead]

So there's no point in getting involved in a tournament such as the Las Vegas Invitational, since that's generally how they're set up?

The way I see it is you don't get a chance to play the BCS teams very often, so you take them when you can get them. If there are already "cupcakes" on your schedule or the "cupcakes" are included in these tournaments, then so be it. I would MUCH rather play two potential top 25 teams along with Presbyterian and Wofford than host a tournament full of teams with RPIs of 201, 290, and 339.

Not what I'm saying at all. Of course you pursue any opportunities you have to play those games, but the problem I've seen with BU is they schedule games against Top 15 teams they can't compete with so they make up for it by scheduling games that would be near impossible for them to lose. That doesn't fool me or anyone on the outside.

What I'm saying is one or two games doesn't matter. You must have breadth across the schedule. You are better doing what Bradley has this year in scheduling teams who figure to be at the top of their league across the board. That helps your profile more than 2 BCS losses and wins over DI riff-raff.

BU played 4 teams that adversely affected their SOS and related rankings last year. They tanked their numbers despite playing MSU and Florida.

Some of the teams on ISU's schedule were a lot better than SEMO, SIUE, UMKC, and FGCU. Badness on the sked can have a greater impact than a couple good games if you don't have breadth of quality.

[tornado]

but Bradley played SIUE when their RPI was NOT a factor as they were still considered non-D-I,
but ISU chooses to go there when the RPI does count againt them...

[squirrelgotdead]

Tornado:

You started this thread, solely using Pomeroy's numbers, which included SIUE last year.

The reason why only 9 spots separate BU and ISU is because a good chunk of ISU's schedule was considerably better than our four worst opponents.