LSU/UL NIT matchup

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Originally Posted by IberiaCajun

Congratulations! Both of those teams are league games.

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Thanks. I didn’t see where you specified in your question?

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Originally Posted by bballholic

Thanks. I didn't see where you specified in your question?

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Not to downplay those wins, but I think his point was that those games are required by the conference you are in. I wondered why LSU struggled on the road so much following those two games. Did not make much sense. As far as we are concerned, we don't get the opportunity to play schools like that as many won't schedule us. I bet you did not know that schools such as USM, Tulane, Rice, Houston, etc. refuse to play us home and home. Even SLC schools such as Lamar and Stephen F. Austin have refused to play us home and home in the past. When people criticize our schedule, they don't realize the difficulty we face in completing a schedule.

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Originally Posted by Cajunsmike

Not to downplay those wins, but I think his point was that those games are required by the conference you are in. I wondered why LSU struggled on the road so much following those two games. Did not make much sense. As far as we are concerned, we don't get the opportunity to play schools like that as many won't schedule us. I bet you did not know that schools such as USM, Tulane, Rice, Houston, refuse to play us home and home. Even SLC schools such as Lamar and Stephen F. Austin have refused to play us home and home in the past. When people criticize our schedule, they don't realize the difficulty we face in completing a schedule.

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Again, I agree. The non-conf schedule will get better. Jones cared more about reaching 20 wins than he did the NCAA tourney. Also, the Cajundome on a Sat night with LSU in town would be a great environment.

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Originally Posted by bballholic

Scheduling under Johnny Jones was a joke. Will Wade is working on this and it will start to get better as soon as next season.

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I edited an earlier post, but here it is again. In the last 2 years UL has had a better RPI than LSU. The three prior years LSU had a better RPI. In no year was the Cajuns RPI worse than 145; LSU was 195 last year. The RPI difference between the two has been modest, usually around 50 spots. Last year the Cajuns were 80 spots better, the year the Cajuns were 145, LSU was around 80 spots better. All in all, over the last 5 years anyway, home and home series would have been very beneficial to both teams.

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Originally Posted by bballholic

It would be great to see Louisiana basketball bust back onto the National scene. LSU, UL, Tulane have all had some great success in the past.

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Yeah but LSU declined to make the arduous trip then too.

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Originally Posted by bballholic

Thanks. I didn’t see where you specified in your question?

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I didn't. But, your answer just emphasizes how weak your ooc schedule is. Like others have pointed out, Tigers playing Cajuns would benefit both programs.

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Originally Posted by VObserver

I edited an earlier post, but here it is again. In the last 2 years UL has had a better RPI than LSU. The three prior years LSU had a better RPI. In no year was the Cajuns RPI worse than 145; LSU was 195 last year. The RPI difference between the two has been modest, usually around 50 spots. Last year the Cajuns were 80 spots better, the year the Cajuns were 145, LSU was around 80 spots better. All in all, over the last 5 years anyway, home and home series would have been very beneficial to both teams.

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Good points. LSU has been bad. This is more of a focus on where I’d like to see them go rather than where they have been. The recruiting class coming in for next season is off the charts. If Wade can build on that, LSU could have something special in the works if they can keep him around.

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Originally Posted by bballholic

Good points. LSU has been bad. This is more of a focus on where I’d like to see them go rather than where they have been. The recruiting class coming in for next season is off the charts. If Wade can build on that, LSU could have something special in the works if they can keep him around.

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I expect LSU to be in the top half of the SEC next season and to have a seeding of 6-9 in the NCAA tournament. I agree they should be much improved. Would be a good game road game for us and good competition for the Tigers.

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Originally Posted by bballholic

Good points. LSU has been bad. This is more of a focus on where I’d like to see them go rather than where they have been. The recruiting class coming in for next season is off the charts. If Wade can build on that, LSU could have something special in the works if they can keep him around.

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Even if LSU is top 25, and assuming the Cajuns continue the pattern of the last 5 years, home and home is STILL beneficial to both programs.

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Originally Posted by bballholic

Again, I agree. The non-conf schedule will get better. Jones cared more about reaching 20 wins than he did the NCAA tourney. Also, the Cajundome on a Sat night with LSU in town would be a great environment.

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I am sure your non conference schedule will get better and you have the resources to make that happen. In our case, we would have to play the huge majority of our non conference games on the road against power schools to improve ours much and some advocate that. Still major point of my prior posts was to illustrate how difficult it is to schedule here as many regional schools who don't have the program we do now refuse to play us. I imagine you were not aware of the difficulty of this situation for us.