Bradley schedule for 2013-2014

[Da Coach]

...Didn't Dr. Cross say we would not seek to play "buy games"?

Here's a quote from the chat session we had back on October 21, 2010, Dr. Cross made these comments about scheduling-

Question from afan: We have a pretty competitive schedule. However, is there anything that can be done to get more of the "power schools (BCS)" on our schedule. How are your "contacts"?

Dr. Michael Cross: Scheduling is very difficult and it is becoming increasingly complicated. The amount of money that is flowing into college basketball from BCS schools' television packages (Big Ten Network, SEC on CBS) has guarantee games at some of the leading schools going for in excess of $100,000 per game. Simultaneously, the current economic environment has more and more schools seeking these dollars out to balance their athletic department budgets. Knowing that the home team statistically wins 70 percent of their games, playing as many home games as possible is in our best interest. So you are left with the choice of doing home-and-home series or "buy" games. Those with the largest budgets are not willing to do home-and-home series. Those with the smallest budgets go and play games at the places that write the biggest check. We are in the upper end of the middle group trying to get as many home games as possible while trying to avoid going to games on the road that don't make sense. As I began, it's a complicated process.


Question from Beninator: Do we have any scheduling preferences in regard to a specific region. ie: east coast schools?

Dr. Michael Cross: East Coast scheduling: We think that institutionally, there is a value to playing on the East Coast. It is an area that we want to recruit more non-athlete students from. As it relates to basketball specifically, there is no question that the media focus nationally is on East Coast basketball and having brand awareness of Bradley Basketball on the East Coast is important to being in conversations of the talking heads on ESPN and other places.

[tornado]

Duke was a buy game but then - that was a chance to play Duke...
this is Arizona State - still a nice opponent but no Duke

I don't have a problem if this if what we have to do to get those quality opponents - if they are willing to play us then I say any time, anywhere
When Geno was at Kent State - they played some buy games - Kansas in 2008-09, Pitt in 2009-2010, Florida in 2010-2011 ..
and they kinda got clobbered in all of them but they weren't afraid to go & play them!

[Da Coach]

Exactly, that was my point. The Duke game did make sense- national TV against one of the best programs in all of college basketball. That was a no-brainer. How many other "buy games" have there been recently against teams that aren't NCAA tournament teams? Or that won't be national TV games?

Dr. Cross'-
"We are in the upper end of the middle group trying to get as many home games as possible while trying to avoid going to games on the road that don't make sense."

A game at Duke makes sense, as would an opponent consistently in the top 50 RPI or regularly in the NCAA tournament, or any game that gets us a national TV appearance. But unfortunately, the game at Arizona State won't likely be on national TV, and their average RPI over the last 3 years is over 160. They have made the NCAA Tournament only once in the last 10 years, and that was 5 years ago.

[tornado]

if there's a time to play Arizona State and have a really good chance to win - it is this season - they are losing a lot of their scoring punch

[Da Coach]

I have been critical of the weak schedule we appear to have for next season, especially the home schedule, so I am not knocking an attempt to get a better team on it. But Arizona State is only a little better, and not anywhere near the caliber of a Duke. If we are willing to skip the home-and-home concept, and do "buy games", couldn't we have done better than Arizona State?
And I don't like the reversal of our policy about playing "buy games" against teams that are not Top 50 or Top 75 teams.

[Chico]

Right about the 70's Coach. Most of the games against top opponents in the 70's were on the road while most of the non-conference home games were against mostly weak opponents. Of course it made for a better record outside of the Valley. Do hope I'm back in Mesa when the Braves come to Tempe. IRemember seeing ASU play in the Fieldhouse during the 60's, might even have the program.

[bradleyfan20]

You play a buy game at Duke for 2 reasons: to get national exposure and for money.

You play a buy game at Arizona State for 2 reasons: to have a chance to get a WIN and for money.

I'll take the latter. Arizona State will be in the upper half of the Pac 12..fighting for an NCAA bid. They will be a top 100 RPI team. If we win that road game (Big IF)..it sets us up to make a push for our own bubble talk.

This is a good game for us to be playing. Use the money to buy other home games and get wins at our building. The difference between us getting paid and low majors getting paid - we use the money to buy home games. Low majors use the money to fund their operational costs.

Seems like a good decision!

[TheAsianSensation]

No one's mentioned it yet, but there's a good chance the Arizona State game is either on the way to the Vegas games or on the way back from the Vegas games. Just like how Hawaii usually gets one of the Maui teams in their home building. In that context the game would make more sense, if that's what ends up happening.

Anyway, Pac 10 is getting better. I give ASU a reasonable shot at Top 75, maybe Top 50.

[Da Coach]

... Arizona State will be in the upper half of the Pac 12..fighting for an NCAA bid. They will be a top 100 RPI team. If we win that road game (Big IF)..it sets us up to make a push for our own bubble talk.

This is a good game for us to be playing....

I hope you are right. But we had this exact same discussion about a year ago, and several people said the same things about how South Florida, George Washington, and Virginia Tech would be NCAA teams, would be great games, and would boost our RPI last season. They all turned out to be bad teams with significantly sub-.500 records and bad RPIs.
I hope Arizona State won't turn out the same.

[CABUFan]

You play a buy game at Duke for 2 reasons: to get national exposure and for money.

You play a buy game at Arizona State for 2 reasons: to have a chance to get a WIN and for money.

I'll take the latter. Arizona State will be in the upper half of the Pac 12..fighting for an NCAA bid. They will be a top 100 RPI team. If we win that road game (Big IF)..it sets us up to make a push for our own bubble talk.

This is a good game for us to be playing. Use the money to buy other home games and get wins at our building. The difference between us getting paid and low majors getting paid - we use the money to buy home games. Low majors use the money to fund their operational costs.

Seems like a good decision!

I agree with all of this. Obviously, a home and home would be better, but I have no problem with us taking one or two of these types of buy games a year.

[BUfan14]

Weren't we going to get in another tournament besides whatever the Illini thing is? Something about vegas I believe...is that no longer the case?

[Da Coach]

Weren't we going to get in another tournament besides whatever the Illini thing is? Something about vegas I believe...is that no longer the case?

That is still supposedly in the works, but there has been nothing announced yet.

[Chico]

Being the Braves will be playing out West, why not work out a home and home with UCDavis?

[tornado]

I'm guessing Chico that it won't happen any time soon

[Bobby Parker]

Look for the evolving 2013-14 Bradley men's basketball schedule to be posted at BradleyBraves.com at 5 p.m. today. 157 days to tipoff.

Heading to Normal for my daughter's super-sectional game!!!!!