Review of Missouri Valley Non-Conference Scheduling

[tornado]

Nice review by some of the Creighton bloggers..

http://whiteandbluereview.com/?p=1508

BU and Creighton have the two toughest non-conference schedules........
and guess who is last...I mean really, really DEAD last....and so far behind the next closest team that it constitutes a gap almost as big as the gap that separates 1st from 9th!!
(you have to read his paragraph on the ISU schedule, it's funny)
(btw-- Creighton is #1 but based weakly on the possible matchups in early season tournament that aren't guaranteed to occur!)
And ONLY BU and SIU are in the top half of the league BOTH of the last two years in regards to strength of scheduling!!

[cpacmel]

Nice review by some of the Creighton bloggers..

http://whiteandbluereview.com/?p=1508

I find it interesting that you are giving such praise to these guys.

Did you see what they wrote in the last line of their review for BU?

Those trips will prove challenging for a Bradley team that sees its head coach squarely on the hot seat after not building on the school??™s trip to the Sweet Sixteen in 2005-2006.

[Da Coach]

I missed that because I was laughing so hard at the average RPI of the team at the bottom of this list-

Average Non-Conference RPI
The average RPI of the Valley’s non-con opponents this season is 173.84.


Actually, I thought it was a very well researched and well done article.
Just to show it wasn't a fluke, here are the non-conference RPIs from the last 2 seasons.
One teams really stands out as trying their hardest to schedule down.-


Illinois State: Wow. The Redbirds actually seem to have scheduled worse this season than last, a dubious achievement considering how badly panned their non-con was last year during at-large discussions toward the end of the season. Last year, the Redbirds handled Creighton twice and fell in the conference championship game to UNI in overtime — yet they couldn’t get a sniff of the NCAA Tournament. One has to think it was because their non-con schedule was severely underwhelming. A couple games against better RPI squads might have garnered them more consideration. This season’s Illinois State non-con schedule features Utah and a bunch of home games against less than impressive names. They’ll go on the road just three times in non-con play: SIU-Edwardsville (yawn), Illinois-Chicago, and Ohio

[squeaky]

WOW, is right!Those numbers are staggering. I did not realize how much worse isu's schedule was than everyone else's. It cant be an accident.If I was Doug Elgin I would ban them from the tournament, and if they didn't improve, they should be fined or kicked out of the conference.

[tornado]

And remember, there were PROMISES that they'd be scheduling better this year, and even posts from their fans that we'd be surprised and impressed with the caliber of their scheduled opponents....
But, their schedule hurts them in more ways than one...it simply won't prepare them for the rest of the season....
They went 14-0 to start the season, then finished out with an impressive 10-10 run from the point where they came to Peoria and got spanked.
The BracketBuster game (a 70-56 loss) and the losses in the MVC tourney and the NIT proved they simply were not who they thought they were. The Michael-Beasley-less K-State team with Jacob Pullen taking them apart for 32 points, while OE went just 6-23 hurting his team
Maybe Jank is wanting to be able to say what Ritchie McKay's bio says about Danny Granger "he took a virtual unknown and developed him into an NBA player." ??

[BradleyBrave]

Hmm. I've been a JL critic when I think it's been warranted, but I find that 'squarely on the hot seat' comment very amusing and innacurate. I think it is actually quite the opposite. I can't think of a time during his tenure when there's been more stability in the basketball program.

And as far as 'not building' on the Sweet 16 year, I beg to differ as well. We have state of the art facilities that will be completed by year's end, which are a direct result of our 2006 run. Our recruits that came to BU specifically because of the Sweet 16 and new facilities are laying a great foundation for success for this year and beyond. Only off the court issues and injuries will keep this year's team and next year's teams from contending, and with the recent influx of 4 year players, the foundation for sustained success has been laid. If JL's seat is hot, then everyone else's seat in the MVC with the exception of Dana and Ben should be too.

[tornado]

yeah...like some Bluejay blogger has any more insight of JL on the HS, than if we said the same thing about DA....
who by the way has gotten a few shots lobbed at him from his own fan base for Creighton's perennial flopping and folding in the post-season!

[shaunguth]

I find it interesting that you are giving such praise to these guys.

Did you see what they wrote in the last line of their review for BU?

Right, because nobody could possibly write an opinion piece claiming JL is on some sort of "hot seat" and then turn around and write another article that actually contains facts!

[shaunguth]

And remember, there were PROMISES that they'd be scheduling better this year, and even posts from their fans that we'd be surprised and impressed with the caliber of their scheduled opponents....

I believe jank made similar comments just after this schedule was released. Can't wait to see what the improvements are next seaseon!

But, their schedule hurts them in more ways than one...it simply won't prepare them for the rest of the season....
They went 14-0 to start the season, then finished out with an impressive 10-10 run from the point where they came to Peoria and got spanked.
The BracketBuster game (a 70-56 loss) and the losses in the MVC tourney and the NIT proved they simply were not who they thought they were. The Michael-Beasley-less K-State team with Jacob Pullen taking them apart for 32 points, while OE went just 6-23 hurting his team
Maybe Jank is wanting to be able to say what Ritchie McKay's bio says about Danny Granger "he took a virtual unknown and developed him into an NBA player." ??

Sure it will.......that three-game weekend tournament at redbird (against Norfolk State, Southeast Missouri State, and St. Bonaventure) will have them more than prepared for St. Louis just like last year.

[shaunguth]

And as far as 'not building' on the Sweet 16 year, I beg to differ as well. We have state of the art facilities that will be completed by year's end, which are a direct result of our 2006 run. Our recruits that came to BU specifically because of the Sweet 16 and new facilities are laying a great foundation for success for this year and beyond. Only off the court issues and injuries will keep this year's team and next year's teams from contending, and with the recent influx of 4 year players, the foundation for sustained success has been laid. If JL's seat is hot, then everyone else's seat in the MVC with the exception of Dana and Ben should be too.

That's the one I've really grown to love lately! Again, I suppose we were expecting Bradley to go to the Elite 8, Final 4, and National Championship in the years following the Sweet 16, even before POB left? Obviously, if that is not the result in those years, the program is in "decline". I guess that would put a good number of coaches around the country "squarely on the hot seat".

[TheAsianSensation]

Just to play devil's advocate, not finishing in the top 3 in the Valley the last 3 years could be construed as "not building on the sweet 16 run".

I think everyone is making much ado about nothing. This is a program in a very stable place - no real danger of falling into the abyss of the MVC. Of course, I'll feel a lot more comfortable about it once the top 3 barrier is broken, preferably sooner rather than later.



As for ISU, whatever. I'm not really sure what their plan is with that schedule. Are they so married to the idea of home games and they can't get ANYONE to play them? That sounds far fetched to me.


Finally, even though those numbers are tolerable, I'd like to see those RPI averages in the 150's, not the 170's, for the entire MVC, and to see our top teams creep into the 130's.

[cpacmel]

But, their schedule hurts them in more ways than one...it simply won't prepare them for the rest of the season....

Last year's schedule only prepared them enough to finish 3rd in the MVC.

Last year's schedule only prepared them enough to make it to the MVC championship game.

Last year's schedule only prepared them enough to get an NIT bid.

Want to compare the above to what BU's schedule prepared them for?

They went 14-0 to start the season, then finished out with an impressive 10-10 run from the point where they came to Peoria and got spanked.

56 to 52 is getting spanked?

Sweet! You guys came to Normal and got spanked by us then. (69-65)

[Da Coach]

The game at Bradley was not as close a game as the final score might suggest if you were not there. Isu's largest lead was 1 point in the first 5 minutes of the first half, and after that, Bradley never trailed the rest of the game. BU lead by as much as 14 in the 2nd half, and held double digit leads until the final couple minutes. I can see that someone who saw the game could use the term "spanked", as the outcome was never in doubt.

And cpacmel, if your idea of success is a 1-2 record in the NIT over the last 2 years, despite 24 and 25 wins, then your schedule did prepare the team for such a success.

[Jack Bauer]

Regardless of league or postseason peformances, the awful schedule hurts the league as a whole. It hurts ISU's chances at dancing, which in turn hurts the league. If ISU has the squad to dance, schedule like it. Or at least try to schedule like it, we all know it's easier said than done.

[BUFAN]

We won't be able to give ISU their first loss this year. Even with the weak schedule I don't see the going 7-4 probable 6-5...