MVC-MWC Challenge (Season 2)

[LittleBrave]

I'm goin' bonkers waiting for the baseball season - with little interest in this year's college hoops post-season.
Looking ahead to next season's schedule, when will the pairings for this challenge be determined? It would be great to draw UNLV or New Mex. for an early season test.
Is the pairing based at all on this past season's conf. records?

I think that BU did a pretty good job at scheduling last season (except for Idaho St.), and with the expectation of Valley schools to boost their level of competition, I think they'll schedule as well as they can next season.

[SaintLouBrave22]

I'm goin' bonkers waiting for the baseball season - with little interest in this year's college hoops post-season.
Looking ahead to next season's schedule, when will the pairings for this challenge be determined? It would be great to draw UNLV or New Mex. for an early season test.
Is the pairing based at all on this past season's conf. records?

I think that BU did a pretty good job at scheduling last season (except for Idaho St.), and with the expectation of Valley schools to boost their level of competition, I think they'll schedule as well as they can next season.

It would be nice to try and get an A-10 and possibly a Colonial or Sun Belt opponent in here next season...


Those are the 3 conferences I have my eye on....


Just think of the possibilities with a SLU, Dayton, or Rhode Island, and a George Mason or VCU, and then a Troy or Western Kentucky on the schedule next year...

Would certainly have the team, name, and conference value to draw a few more fans to the arena....

Oh, and winning those games would help too

[houstontxbrave]

Scheduling will be very interesting this year.

If JL is getting the pressure to produce that is being indicted, does he

Schedule down to get more wins?

Schedule up to challenge this team and try to bring a much better home schedule to Peoria?

Does he try to avoid BCS games and play like conference teams?

If and I do not know for sure but I believe Butler is back on this slate, does he risk playing them and I think that game is in Indianapolis, and with the Mountain West team a home game and I think he can also go to Drexel if both agree on the BB return game?

Is there a tournament that Bradley might play in this season, does he stay in it if it is full of "challenging" games?

The next few months regarding scheduling will be very interesting.

[BradleyBrave]

Scheduling will be very interesting this year.

If JL is getting the pressure to produce that is being indicted, does he

Schedule down to get more wins?

Schedule up to challenge this team and try to bring a much better home schedule to Peoria?

Does he try to avoid BCS games and play like conference teams?

If and I do not know for sure but I believe Butler is back on this slate, does he risk playing them and I think that game is in Indianapolis, and with the Mountain West team a home game and I think he can also go to Drexel if both agree on the BB return game?

Is there a tournament that Bradley might play in this season, does he stay in it if it is full of "challenging" games?

The next few months regarding scheduling will be very interesting.

We won't schedule down. That does nothing for us. Plus I think we're locked in with enough tough games next year that SOS shouldn't be much of an issue. Performance in the MVC is going to be what makes or breaks JL next season. In fact, scheduling like Jank, getting a 'fool's gold' non-con record, and then going 9-9 in league play would give people even more ammunition against JL. JL has always scheduled well, and I don't see that changing in 2010-11.

[squirrelgotdead]

Also be on the 96-team expansion watch as well.

If so, I would expect Bradley to schedule easy and with lower-level BCS and mid-levels that are more willing to go on the road.

I would expect that regardless of what JL's particular situation is.

[Bravesfan]

Also be on the 96-team expansion watch as well.

If so, I would expect Bradley to schedule easy and with lower-level BCS and mid-levels that are more willing to go on the road.

I would expect that regardless of what JL's particular situation is.

Great point squirrel. If Bradley's goal is to make a new 96 team NCAA Tournament, then he can schedule down to a 347 RPI schedule (like Jank did at ISU), go 10-2 in the non-conference, win 11 games in the Valley and make the tournament.

If Bradley's goal is to try to earn a #12 or higher seed in the new 96 team NCAA Tournament, then he will schedule up as he always has and roll the dice with it.

I think either way scheduling high is always the way to go. Why should the Valley be satisfied with two or three bids under the new format when they can try for five or six?

[flipper]

coach les has stated repeatedly that scheduling is the hardest part of his job.

[LittleBrave]

I think either way scheduling high is always the way to go. Why should the Valley be satisfied with two or three bids under the new format when they can try for five or six?

Wouldn't that be great to have 5 Valley teams in it next year?
I think we have 5 contenders, so maybe 5 is in order...but only if this conference gets a tougher schedule and teams win more conf. road games.
Missouri St. lost 5 or 6 road games by a few pts. - which had they won them all, would be looking at being on the bubble - winning 2 of those, and they'd be an NIT team.
Was UNI the only Valley team with a winning road record?

[LittleBrave]

coach les has stated repeatedly that scheduling is the hardest part of his job.

If you asked him now, maybe it would be avoiding those pesky alphabet soup tournaments.

[thefish7]

I think Les will schedule up. I think he likes the challenge... And maybe believe a little of the "act classy and you'll be classy." Schedule like a big guy and you'll be one. That's what happened to our conference between 4 teams in 2006 and 1 team the last 3 years.

[BUfan14]

Well the way I see it is teams that played at home this year will play on the road next year, and vice-versa. You also can't play who you did last year. That would explain why we would play one of those 3 teams, they were the home teams this year, the other was BYU who we couldn't play because we played them this year. If it is by conference order, then UNI and Wichita St. would be no threat because they will both be on the road next year. Creighton played New Mexico this year, so they couldn't play them. ISU could play BYU, New Mexico, or UNLV. Southern would be the other home team, they played UNLV this year.

If I'm right in the way I see it here is our competition for the teams I assume we want either New Mexico or UNLV:

New Mexico: IL. St, Southern (below us in standings)
UNLV: IL. St., Creighton

The only way I see us not getting one of those 2 is if Creighton gets UNLV and IL. St. gets N. Mexico. Remember all of these teams could get BYU as well.

Just guessing, but I think we will see:

BYU at Creighton
New Mexico at Bradley
UNLV at IL. St.
Utah at SIU

No matter what happens 3 pretty good teams will be coming to the state of Illinois next year (weird all 3 Illinois valley teams are on the same side).