Meanwhile, Cajuns have the best basketball team in LA

[RaginDave]

I totally understand where your skepticism is coming from. We've been burned in the past. It takes me a while to get my hopes up for basketball

However, after road win at La Tech, I can say that I am cautiously optimistic. As for the eye test, this is simply a better team than in the past. Outside shooting is MUCH improved and there is no doubt we have legit talent at PG and down low. And as has been mentioned, we are fairly deep.

So in short, I am 100% with you on your caution, but at this point, I do think this is and will be a good team.

The biggest weakness on this team is at backup PG. Right now, C-Russ and Marquetti are handling that duty with help from Washington and PJ Hardy. As coach has mentioned in the past our 2nd best PG is playing high school ball in Texas right now.

We have got to get either Marquetti/Hardy or Russell better right now so that we can spell Stroman. Outside of that we have very few weaknesses. This is team is deep enough Jerekius Davis is getting 1/2 of the playing time he did last season, PG Hardy is getting 7 less minutes than last year per game and Justin Miller is getting 6 less minutes per game than last year. These guys made up 21+ points per game last year. Oh and by the way Kadavion Evans who averaged 5 points per game last year and 10.8 minutes in 15 games has not played a game this year due to injury.

[Cajunsmike]

I understand what you are saying but my only gripe with schedule is having the D2 home games. I would schedule money games on the road. Pocket that money to hopefully buy future home games. Other than that I don't worry about the D1 teams we schedule. Like others have said you couldn't have predicted that Richmond and Iowa would fall out like they have.

Your suggestion is being considered for future scheduling. As far as this season is concerned, I agree that it is impossible to predict how a team's RPI will move from one season to the next. Iowa is starting to play better as evidenced by a blowout at Drake over the weekend. Richmond has played several close games. UNO is the defending SLC champions. Their record right now is due to having played only two home games against non D1 teams. Shows even they are having trouble scheduling and they have the city of New Orleans to use as a draw. No way could we have known they would drop so much. Nicholls has 10 seniors and I expect they will do OK in the SLC. Note, they are refusing to continue the series. As far as Texas Southern is concerned, they are 0 and 9 this year due to having played every game on the road. I like the idea of playing Tech twice in the same season and I also think we should tie basketball home and home with New Mexico State with agreeing to play them in football. I am sure VObserver will make those suggestions to the AD when he meets with him on this issue. Maybe he will get a better opportunity to make this appointment in the coming weeks than recently. Dr. Maggard has been just a little busy recently. Regardless of the schedule, as far as the team is concerned, they are passing the eye test of many who have seen them play. Some people concerned about the schedule have not seen them play so it is difficult for them to make judgment. The guys on the squad are putting team ahead of the individual as evidenced by the assists stat. I know that aspect will continue going forward. Will that be enough to have success against the better teams in the league is a question I cannot answer. They will have to get better against dribble penetration but Gant at least gives us someone who can help protect the paint which is something we have not had in the past. Point here is there is nothing that can be done about the schedule now. The players have no control over that and I think they deserve support. Of course, in this economy every dollar is tight and I understand people being selective with their entertainment expenditures.

[CajunNation]

Your suggestion is being considered for future scheduling.

Big Boy basketball.

[Cajunsmike]

Big Boy basketball.

If this happens, don't expect the teams we buy games for to be of note. Quality teams don't go on the road for payday games unless they are getting big money from the power schools. You can choose to not believe that but you denying reality if you do. An example of how this works is Clemson is paying 90 grand to us. Will we pay that much is a question I can't answer. I don't know details but I would assume we are looking at paying 60 to bring in some D1 teams. By comparison, we pay about 15 to Loyola. The advantage of this approach is we may reduce the no. of non D1 games on the schedule. I understand people not wanting to pay money for those. Personally, I don't think we will get enough increased attendance for a team like North Florida vs Loyola to justify the extra cost. I agree the perception of the program will improve with fewer non D1 games and that is something tough to quantify.

[talktomewillis]

It's not that unusual to play a big rival twice in one season. NMSU, who has trouble scheduling home games because of geography, plays UTEP and UNM twice each.

We could do the same with Tech. I don't think I'd do it with anyone else, though.

Jessie did this once with Bradley. Robert Lee did it with Cal State Fullerton and Georgia State.

[VObserver]

It's not that unusual to play a big rival twice in one season. NMSU, who has trouble scheduling home games because of geography, plays UTEP and UNM twice each.

We could do the same with Tech. I don't think I'd do it with anyone else, though.

Jessie did this once with Bradley. Robert Lee did it with Cal State Fullerton and Georgia State.

I would definitely do it with NMSU and Tech, and try to do it with SFA. All those schools care about basketball and will be top 175 at least 3 out of 4 years. I would also schedule Texas Southern at our house every year, as they will almost always win 20 games and all their losses will be to good teams. We don't need any p5 home games; we just need to schedule smart among mid-majors.

Cajunsmike, Texas Southern will likely be 0-11 when they start conference play, but their RPI will still be around 190, as their non conference SOS is 2. They will finish the year with 18 or so wins and an RPI in the 120-130 range, making them a good team to schedule.

[SlickRick]

I think we should reach out to NMSU and Tech for same season home and homes, and attempt to schedule Texas Southern at our house every year. That is 5 OOC games, 3at home, against likely top 125 teams. That alone would jump our RPI by 50 or more spots, even if we still play McNeese et Al.

That's a good idea with NMSU...we have agreed to keep playing them in football after they leave the belt, so should be some argument to extend this to Basketball.

[talktomewillis]

I would definitely do it with NMSU and Tech, and try to do it with SFA. All those schools care about basketball and will be top 175 at least 3 out of 4 years. I would also schedule Texas Southern at our house every year, as they will almost always win 20 games and all their losses will be to good teams. We don't need any p5 home games; we just need to schedule smart among mid-majors.

Cajunsmike, Texas Southern will likely be 0-11 when they start conference play, but their RPI will still be around 190, as their non conference SOS is 2. They will finish the year with 18 or so wins and an RPI in the 120-130 range, making them a good team to schedule.

The # of their RPI is irrelevant.

50% of your RPI is based on your opponents' record. Texas Southern starting 0-11 isn't good, regardless of what their RPI is.

In fact, if we had played Texas Southern non conference instead of Southeastern, our RPI would take a hit as of right now.

Which is another point. Your _____ing about current RPI is way too premature.

[VObserver]

That's a good idea with NMSU...we have agreed to keep playing them in football after they leave the belt, so should be some argument to extend this to Basketball.

Rick, people seem to think I am advocating getting SEC or Big 12 teams to Lafayette. I am not. I just want to get rid of non D1 games, and schedule a better quality of mid-major programs at home. Our road schedule is usually ok, we are just being unlucky this year with Iowa, Richmond and Ole Miss.

[VObserver]

The # of their RPI is irrelevant.

50% of your RPI is based on your opponents' record. Texas Southern starting 0-11 isn't good, regardless of what their RPI is.

In fact, if we had played Texas Southern non conference instead of Southeastern, our RPI would take a hit as of right now.

Which is another point. Your _____ing about current RPI is way too premature.

Care to make a small wager on season ending RPI for those 2 teams?

[RaginDave]

If by "a long time" you mean last year. We have only one decent win, Tech. I will get excited if we beat GaSo or UTA, and otherwise take care of business in conference.

You are correct we did have a similar record last year, I did forget that we started well last year, but this team is light years better than last year.

[CajunEXPRESS]

Didn’t I hear coach say after the UNO game that we went into conferences 10/3. That’s amazingly what we’re gonna be after the next two games. Couple that with LTURD being our best OOC victory both years. Last year lost to sister state Montana, this year Wyoming. Lost to overhyped Ole Miss this year so there’s a lotta similarities.