Non-Conf Schedule 08-09

[MacabreMob]

Florida announced their schedule today and BU is not on it, but the schedule also does not list their CBE pairing yet.

http://www.gatorzone.com/sched.php?sport=baskm

Wow!

Just last year's numbers (RPI - team - record):

239 S Utah 11-18
288 UMKC 9-21
250 Fl A&M 13-17
60 Fl St 19-14
291 Fl GC 10-21
162 UCF 16-15
132 Ga So 18-12
108 Winthrop 20-11
257 Stetson 15-16
103 NC St 15-16
322 Longwood 6-22

[Stryker]

Wow!

Just last year's numbers (RPI - team - record):

239 S Utah 11-18
288 UMKC 9-21
250 Fl A&M 13-17
60 Fl St 19-14
291 Fl GC 10-21
162 UCF 16-15
132 Ga So 18-12
108 Winthrop 20-11
257 Stetson 15-16
103 NC St 15-16
322 Longwood 6-22

Wow! Only one team with an RPI under 100, and six teams with an RPI over 200!

[TheAsianSensation]

Hey now - Florida is playing the in-states. Giving them games. So what if it hurts their RPI? Isn't it their responsibility to play them? *wink wink*

[real fan]

I have no problem with taking a buy game but I don"t believe it should happen every year; I think there are enough mid-majors( as we are labeled) that have quality teams that we should schedule instead of bowing down to BCS schools that will not play us in Peoria.

[Bravesfan]

I have no problem with taking a buy game but I don"t believe it should happen every year; I think there are enough mid-majors( as we are labeled) that have quality teams that we should schedule instead of bowing down to BCS schools that will not play us in Peoria.

There are plenty. Agreed. As a matter of fact, what would everyone think about a hypothetical schedule like this?:

1. Vs. Wright St
2. Vs. Loyola
3. At Temple
4. Vs. St. Mary's
5. At Akron
6. At Utah
7. Vs. Tulsa
8. Vs. Butler
9. At UW-Milwaukee
10. At Murray St
11. Vs St Joseph
12 At UAB

I think a schedule like this validates that there are many quality mid-majors that are in the same boat as us and would be glad to give us series. And while this schedule lacks the "meaty" BCS top 50 win that many on the NCAA tournament committee look for, no one could argue that this schedule would be infinitely tougher than the one Illinois St took on last year which ultimately cost them an NCAA tournament spot. If we go 9-3 or even 8-4 each year with this, a top 2 finish in the Valley almost guarantees us a spot in the NCAA's each year.

[brocks]

There are plenty. Agreed. As a matter of fact, what would everyone think about a hypothetical schedule like this?:

1. Vs. Wright St
2. Vs. Loyola
3. At Temple
4. Vs. St. Mary's
5. At Akron
6. At Utah
7. Vs. Tulsa
8. Vs. Butler
9. At UW-Milwaukee
10. At Murray St
11. Vs St Joseph
12 At UAB

I think a schedule like this validates that there are many quality mid-majors that are in the same boat as us and would be glad to give us series. And while this schedule lacks the "meaty" BCS top 50 win that many on the NCAA tournament committee look for, no one could argue that this schedule would be infinitely tougher than the one Illinois St took on last year which ultimately cost them an NCAA tournament spot. If we go 9-3 or even 8-4 each year with this, a top 2 finish in the Valley almost guarantees us a spot in the NCAA's each year.

Wow . . . that would be a VERY interesting approach. And would put the committee in a real spot if successful. I like it! We should think about doing this . . . really just a home-made Bracketbuster EVERY game.

[squirrel]

No more than 2 Horizon teams in a given year. Period.

Obviously Butler typically offers the better team, but I'm partial to Loyola because it's our longest standing non-con rivalry. I really think we should just continue to play Loyola every year, alternating home-and-home, maybe throw in an occasional neutral game (Sears Centre, iWireless in the Quad Cities, US Cellular in BMI).

If we play any other HL team, it should be only in replacement of one of the above. And any other HL team should have to go to Peoria.

[Da Coach]

I agree we should try to continue the series with Butler and Loyola each year. I wouldn't look for a game at a neutral site, since neither team would want anything to do with that, IMO. It would cost too much, hurt attendance, and take away any recruiting advantage for playing a school like Loyola in Chicago.

Getting together a quality schedule isn't easy. I would rather play another Horizon team, than another one from the Sun Belt, Ohio Valley, or other much lower ranked conference, though. At least they are all within driveable distance if it is a road game, and there are other obvious advantages to playing the Chicago schools.

[Bravesfan]

Wow . . . that would be a VERY interesting approach. And would put the committee in a real spot if successful. I like it! We should think about doing this . . . really just a home-made Bracketbuster EVERY game.

Yeah, I figured with this schedule we may end up playing one or maybe two top 50 teams per year. We may also end up with a couple of sub-150 RPI teams due to off years, but most of these games would be top 100 to top 150 which would really strengthen the RPI. Now, the question becomes would the committee equate a win against a hypothetical #48 St. Joseph's team with another team's win over a #48 Syracuse team? It would be very interesting to see what the committee would do in a situation like this, but I know that a solid schedule like this with very few "creampuffs" would warrant a serious look from the committee when it comes to filling out the last spots of the NCAA Tournament bracket.