Meanwhile, Cajuns have the best basketball team in LA

[RaginScotsman]

Don't buy the garbage Marlin is selling about scheduling. Tech's SOS non conference this year is ranked 51st. Ours is 324th. You can't possibly believe that it is THAT much harder for us to schedule decent teams than it is for Tech.

I looked at it. They had some nice games like Alabama, Texas, good Evansville and SFA teams. However, 3-8 Jackson State is on there too. George Mason, Semo and Montana State are all hovering around .500. They’ve also played D2 Miles College and play at an 0-10 Alabama State team on Thursday. I get that your looking at numbers generated from some sort of SOS calculation, but just looking at it I don’t see where they are blowing our schedule away.

Maybe Maggard will schedule better than Farmer did, but on paper our schedule isn’t terrible. UNO was in the tournament last year. Richmond and Iowa are historically in the post season in either the NCAA or the NIT. Wyoming was in the tournament in 2015.
We’re always going to play Nicholls and McNeese, but last year this schedule looked a lot tougher than it has actually been.

[VObserver]

Hey VO...have you ever reached out to the heads that be and tell them how you scheduled good talented teams in the past?...as much as we all apparently love this program...we'd all be indebted to you if you could share your proven processes.

Nobody is paying me a half a million dollars a year to put a quality program together. I don't know about you, but I don't consider playing an SLC non conference schedule and consistantly finishing in the middle of a below average conference to be a quality program.

In point of fact, it is my intention to make an appointment with Dr. Maggard to discuss this issue.

[ZoomZoom]

The schedule favors us this year in that we only play the Georgia schools once, albeit in Georgia. That means only 3 games against top 100 teams (UTA twice, GaSo once). We should be no worse than 15-3 in conference; but I am betting the under on 13 conference wins. Marlin will find a way to blow at least 2 or 3 games that we should win..

And there is why the SBC, regardless who wins the tournament or how the Cajuns finish, is a one bid league. The majority of the schedule is against 100+ RPI teams, and multiple 200+. You’ve proved the situation the SBC faces. Unless all upgrade AND win OOC, it is what it is, even is reincarnated John Wooden coaches the Cajuns.

P5s will NOT come to Lafayette. May have happened when we both were younger, now that’s wizzing in a windstorm. Not happening.

We can go on the road and play P5s in their buildings and more often than not that doesn’t end well for G5 teams.

It comes down to the hot team at SBC tournament time. It’s a situation that is perpetuated by cable tv and the P5s, not the fault of any coach anywhere. It’s the system.

[VObserver]

And there is why the SBC, regardless who wins the tournament or how the Cajuns finish, is a one bid league. The majority of the schedule is against 100+ RPI teams, and multiple 200+. You've proved the situation the SBC faces. Unless all upgrade AND win OOC, it is what it is, even is reincarnated John Wooden coaches the Cajuns.

P5s will NOT come to Lafayette. May have happened when we both were younger, now that's wizzing in a windstorm. Not happening.

We can go on the road and play P5s in their buildings and more often than not that doesn't end well for G5 teams.

It comes down to the hot team at SBC tournament time. It's a situation that is perpetuated by cable tv and the P5s, not the fault of any coach anywhere. It's the system.

Tell that to Gonzaga or Northern Iowa.

[RaginDave]

Mid Major scheduling is a nightmare for every single one of about 200 teams. Friday I watched Georgia Southern and Cal State Bakersfield play. This was the second time this season they played each other, do you know why they played twice??????? According to the announcers and the coaches, neither team could schedule enough quality opponents so they decided to play each other twice in a home and home in the same season. The reason for this is because both teams have had some recent success and it was impossible to schedule enough quality games for both teams.

Georgia Southern has an RPI of 53 and Bakersfield has an RPI of 76. This is the second time this season Bakersfield has played a team twice, they played Idaho twice and GSU twice.

I also watched Ole Miss play Illinois State, the reason that game happened was because the Illinois State coach sent out a memo last season begging P5 teams to schedule the Red Hawks. Scheduling basketball quality basketball games for a mid major might be the hardest thing in athletics, especially if you are half way decent.

Jackson State, Nicholls and other teams don't have many issues, because #1 they are not likely to upset anyone and they realize that no one is coming to their crappy gym's so they are not screaming for a quality home/home opponents which is #2. If you have the talent to possibly upset a really good opponent, most teams are not going to play you at your home gym. They are going to, if anything, force you to play them at their place.

I will say it again, we had no idea of knowing that Iowa and Richmond were going to be as bad as they are this year. Both finished with RPI's in the top 100 last year both are in the 200's this year. When Marlin scheduled us in the Cayman Classic, he was thinking that this was going to be a great RPI tournament for him.

Look do I like our home schedule, no, but show me a mid major that thinks they are not only make the tournament but feel they have the talent to make a run in that tournament and show me their awesome home schedule. As it was said before, La Tech's home schedule includes:

Non D1 Miles College
Non D1 Texas Tyler
Stephen F. Austin (Nice pickup, but same as playing another mid major in the same position)
Jackson State (RPI 302)
UL (See Stephen F. Austin)
Alabama State (this game is in New Orleans against a 331 RPI team) No one will be there.

See Stephen F Austin's Home Schedule:

Non D1 St. Edwards
Non D1 LeTourneau
Non D1 Howard Payne
Florida A&M (RPI 307)
NDSU (RPI 109 part of the Hoops in the Heartland tournament)
ULM (RPI 239)
Rice (RPI 270)
Non D1 Arlington Baptist College

UTA:

Loyola Marymount (RPI 193)
Non D1 Texas Dallas
Rice (RPI 270)
North Texas (RPI187)
FGCU (RPI 178)
Cal Poly (RPI 279)

Georgia Southern

Cal State Bakersfield (part of an in season home/home)
Non D1 Tennessee Weslyan
Savannah State (RPI 209)
That is it

Georgia State

Non D! Carver Bible College
Tulane (RPI 113)
Liberty (RPI 207)
Montana (RPI 197)
Non D1 Point University
They also played at Alabama A&M (RPI 347)

This is not a UL problem, this is a mid major problem.

[SlickRick]

Yep, it is.

[VObserver]

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.

[Clutch0364]

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.

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.

[zephyr]

Don't buy the garbage Marlin is selling about scheduling. Tech's SOS non conference this year is ranked 51st. Ours is 324th. You can't possibly believe that it is THAT much harder for us to schedule decent teams than it is for Tech.

Warren Nolan is projecting Iowa to be 3-15 in the Big 10, with a final RPI of 258. Not a good win. Ole Miss is projected as 1-17 in the SEC, with an RPI of 271. A bad loss.

Tech is projected 14-4 in CUSA, with an RPI of 92. A good win.

You and all this SOS analysis is driving me nuts. You're barely 1/3 of the way into the season and we are _____ing about what our RPI will be in a month. We have an exciting team. Maybe its OK to sit back, go to some games and enjoy the season. We will not be able to do anything about the SOS or RPI. All we can do is support these guys and have fun watching to see what happens. I've criticized Marlin as much or more than you on here and have felt the same way more often than not but I am still excited about the team and I think college basketball will be very exciting moving forward.

[zephyr]

Nobody is paying me a half a million dollars a year to put a quality program together. I don't know about you, but I don't consider playing an SLC non conference schedule and consistantly finishing in the middle of a below average conference to be a quality program.

In point of fact, it is my intention to make an appointment with Dr. Maggard to discuss this issue.

As I said in a previous post, I have felt this way as well for the last several years. However, this year's team is exciting and I'm going to watch and have fun and if we ____ the bed like we have in previous seasons in conference play then I think your position is more than justified.

[DocCajun]

I don't necessarily disagree, Rick, but we play such a crappy schedule that it is impossible to tell if our guys are really good, or if they are only good by comparison to the folks we have played.

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.

[talktomewillis]

Tell that to Gonzaga or Northern Iowa.

Then tell it to a non power that plays FBS football. Your analogy is apples to figs.