Bradley's 2018-19 Schedule

[tornado]

Brian Wardle promises next year's schedule ....
"It’ll be a more challenging schedule than this year,” Wardle said. “I know that.”

but we don't know much about it yet....

Based on what we can extrapolate from last year's opponents...

Non-Conference:
-Home game vs. Chicago State (with probably another one in 2019)
-Home game vs. SEMO
-Home game vs. Eastern Illinois?*
-Away game vs. IUPUI
-Away game vs. Georgia Southern
-reports of a November Tourney
-Home game - MVC/MWC Challenge- TBD - (the series was said in 2015 to be "Renewed" & had been a 4-year deal from 2009-2013, so that would mean we will play thru 201
*There is a report of a home game with EIU but I have never seen that confirmed as a 2-for-1

Conference:
-18 game Conference schedule then MVC Tournament in March 2019

Has anyone heard anything else?

[64NIT]

I remember seeing a tweet, at the beginning of the season, from Coach Wardle to Gregg Marshall, after Marshall had belittled Bradley. BW extended an invitation to Marshall for a game and mentioned there were four open dates on BU's schedule (if I remember correctly).

Two are the dates from the now completed two-for-ones against Delaware and Mississippi. I suppose the game against Little Rock would be the third date. What school did BU play in 2017-18 that is not appearing on next year's schedule? This would be the fourth date.

[tornado]

Nothing new on Bradley's schedule for next year...

...but one prediction on my part- I predict Wichita will NEVER schedule any MVC team despite the big talk...
Remember - Marshall and the Wichita folk thought they were gonna WIN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP in 2018 (LOL)
...they didn't even win their 1st round game!! ...and they quipped about
how their schedule was really tough and mocked Bradley as being a low RPI team they wanted to avoid... LINK

.... heck, with Kelly, Brown, Nurger, Willis, Shaq Morris & Conner Frankamp all graduating - (Frankamp is their MVC, he won plenty of games for them this year)
PLUS if Shamet leaves for the NBA and McDuffie & Reaves have another under productive year -
then maybe Wichita is in for a big dropoff and we don't necessarily want them on our schedule...
time will tell but just maybe their RPI is gonna be worse next year than ours!!


and ...I suppose we should have a separate thread for the other MVC teams' schedules...

but one aspect of ISU's schedule has been known since last November...
they will play in a tournament in Cayman Islands with St. Bonaventure, Clemson, Georgi, Boise State, Akron & Creighton

UNI is playing in the Virgin Islands Paradise Jam - https://www.bloggingthebracket.com/2...s-thanksgiving

Missouri State is playing in the Hall of Fame Classic in KC, MO- https://www.bloggingthebracket.com/2...s-thanksgiving

Indiana State plays in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic- http://espnevents.com/diamond-head-classic/

[houstonbrave]

I hope we have some strong additions to that schedule because what is on there is not very impressive.

[tornado]

Dan Muller had some interesting comments about their schedule in the Vidette..
he basically said why bother....
"We currently have some really good games on the schedule next year. It’s going to be challenging for sure…
part of me looks and says 'What’s the point?'

If it doesn’t help you get in the NCAA tournament, which basically the committee tells you to play good games
but they don’t really care in the end, then what is the point? Next year’s schedule will be difficult
and we have the team to do it, but I am going reexamine our scheduling philosophy moving forward."

so it sounds like he's just gonna return to scheduling soft and just winning as many games as he can..


He also said they are looking to sign ...
"a guard that can shoot and some size inside" and mainly looking to sign juco kids...

[tornado]

story on SIU's schedule next year

http://thesouthern.com/sports/college/salukimania/hefferman-time-for-salukis-to-schedule-anybody-and-everybody/article_cf1dfdcb-f7c4-5163-a14c-829b24504e78.html

11 of their 13 non-conference games are already set...
Here's what's known about those 11 games....

-SIU has contracts to host Winthrop, Murray State and Saint Louis in return games from last season
-They play Southeast Missouri State and SIU-Edwardsville on the road
-SIU has committed to a return trip to the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas around Thanksgiving that will give them FOUR games - two opponents at home and two in Las Vegas- yet to be determined - but they might have very little to say about who is chosen (they got Lamar & NC A&T last year - two bad teams that hurt their RPI and may have cost them an NIT bid) and one could be a non-DI
-they plan to play a non-Division I team at home (they played UIS this past year)
-they get a road game in the Missouri Valley-Mountain West Conference Challenge (they 311 RPI San Jose State last year, again really damaged their NIT chances)

for the remaining two - they are attempting a "buy game" in order to play a highly ranked opponent on the road (Cincinnati and Xavier are mentioned as possibles)
and they want a decent opponent for a home-and-home series (Western Kentucky & Middle Tennessee State are mentioned as possibles)

[tornado]

Valparaiso announces they will play in the 2018 Myrtle Beach Invitational - November 15, 16 and 18, 2018.
(this is the same tourney that was previously called the Puerto Rico Tip-Off but was moved to Myrtle Beach last year due to hurricanes, and turned out to be successful.

There's a nice array of teams - Valparaiso, Cal State Fullerton, Saint Joseph’s, UCF, Wake Forest, West Virginia and Western Kentucky plus an 8th team to be announced later
ESPN will sponsor and broadcast the games.

https://twitter.com/valpoathletics/status/984137369212334080

[wizard1]

Bradleys Schedule

Many other MVC teams seem to be able to schedule pre-season tournaments that have higher level Divn. l teams. We don't seem to be doing this and as a result we are ending up with a weak pre-season schedule against low level teams. Strong schedules better prepare us for the season, help home attendance, and help recruiting. Cummon Chris & Brian, Lets beef up our schedule as we build the BU Basketball Program. To not do so will only hurt us in the long run.
Wizard

[PurpleAceFan]

Many other MVC teams seem to be able to schedule pre-season tournaments that have higher level Divn. l teams. We don't seem to be doing this and as a result we are ending up with a weak pre-season schedule against low level teams. Strong schedules better prepare us for the season, help home attendance, and help recruiting. Cummon Chris & Brian, Lets beef up our schedule as we build the BU Basketball Program. To not do so will only hurt us in the long run.
Wizard

Coach W and Coach Simmons appear to have same mindset. Schedule soft in non con and hope to get some cheap early wins to build confidence. Hope UE's new coach changes that.

[tornado]

that philosophy did help a little to get fans & media to go soft on Patrick Ewing in his first season as head coach at Georgetown...just because they knew they were headed for a down year...

They set up the easiest non-conference slate because they knew they were going to be weak and had a lot of young players - then ended up with with a .500 record overall

http://www.guhoyas.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/gu-m-baskbl-sched.html

[64NIT]

IUPUI revealed part of its non-con schedule and Bradley plays there on November 28, 2018:

https://twitter.com/IUPUIJaguars/status/984102525908512768

[tornado]

Great find 64!! Thanks -




Non-Conference:
November 28, 2018 - Wednesday Bradley @ IUPUI
-Home game vs. Chicago State (with probably another one in 2019)
-Home game vs. SEMO
-Home game vs. Eastern Illinois?* - *There is a report of a home game with EIU but I have never seen that confirmed as a 2-for-1
-Away game vs. Georgia Southern
-reports of a November Tourney
-Home game - MVC/MWC Challenge- TBD - (the series was said in 2015 to be "Renewed" & had been a 4-year deal from 2009-2013, so that would mean we will play thru 2018 )


Conference:
-18 game Conference schedule then MVC Tournament in March 2019

[tornado]

Loyola will be in the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase in 2018 (same tourney Bradley was in last year)
Loyola's presence makes this a decent tourney for the other 7 teams..but...

Here are the eight teams and their final 2017-18 RPI's:
Loyola Chicago 14
Georgia Southern 143
Towson 154
Miami (OH) 170
North Dakota State 214
Florida Atlantic 269
Pepperdine 313
Incarnate Word 348
it actually is a pretty weak tourney for Loyola - they could get 3 teams with RPI's in the 200-300's

https://twitter.com/GoodmanESPN/status/986298495907885056

[wizard1]

Bradleys weak schedule

ISU is playing in the Cayman Island tournament which is very strong. Bradley doesn't appear to be in any pre-season tournaments as yet. IMO, this puts us at a great disadvantage going into the MVC season next year. Our schedule is very weak while several MVC teams have beefed up their schedules and are playing in strong tournaments. This does not help our program grow and is beginning to show that BU is a weak/lower level Mid-Major.
Somehow, we must find a way to schedule better teams. Scheduling may be hard but other MVC programs are finding ways to strengthen their schedules. Why can't we?
Game attendance will be down, local media will not cover BU as much, our national reputation will diminish, and recruiting will be tougher. Wake up Chris & Brian....Your scheduling is hurting us!
Wizard

[BUfan39]

ISU is playing in the Cayman Island tournament which is very strong. Bradley doesn't appear to be in any pre-season tournaments as yet. IMO, this puts us at a great disadvantage going into the MVC season next year. Our schedule is very weak while several MVC teams have beefed up their schedules and are playing in strong tournaments. This does not help our program grow and is beginning to show that BU is a weak/lower level Mid-Major.
Somehow, we must find a way to schedule better teams. Scheduling may be hard but other MVC programs are finding ways to strengthen their schedules. Why can't we?
Game attendance will be down, local media will not cover BU as much, our national reputation will diminish, and recruiting will be tougher. Wake up Chris & Brian....Your scheduling is hurting us!
Wizard

It's not as easy as it sounds... Especially when you were one of the worst programs in DI RPI wise just a short 2 years ago. Hopefully we can return to playing some of these bigger names in the coming years but I don't think it's as easy as just calling up John Calapari or Coach K.