Basketball Scheduling Changes

[ULvictory]

The days of at-large bids for mid majors is over, unless you win 30 games and even then it's not a given. Unless you beat Kansas or something.

The strengthening of schedule can, however, help in a seeding if you make the tournament as an automatic, as will this new scheduling philosophy.

But in my opinion, the at-large thing ain't happenin any more.

And THIS, my friend, is why basketball is dying on a vine. If these morons want to take away the exact reason of why people watch the tournament in the first place (Cinderella mid-majors), then so be it.

Now at the same time, I would STILL rather schedule a little tougher OOC. Yes, it would be a burden to lose to the likes of Ole Miss and Clemson; but it's almost like the St. Peter's argument in baseball. Winning two/three games against NAIA and Divison II competition doesn't do as much as losing to an SEC opponent. If anything, we need to a better job PREPARING to beat those teams.

[Cajun90]

Yes, it would be a burden to lose to the likes of Ole Miss and Clemson; but it's almost like the St. Peter's argument in baseball.

Keep in mind the St. Peter's argument had to do with the number of losses we were saddled with. IN basketball last season we played four teams OOC that had a winning record. Seven OOC teams had a losing record. Keep in mind 50% of the rpi calculation is your opponents record. It's great to add a good SEC team to the mix but just as important or more important is to try and schedule teams that typically have a winning record at any level. A game against FGCU this past year would, more than likely, have been worth more than the Ole Miss game.

I'm glad to see the scheduling change as well. The conference was ranked 20th in RPI this past season. That is pathetic and hurts our cause. Eight of the twelve teams in the league were in group #4 of the RPI calcs. As a league we played a total of twenty-one games against group #1 opponents and came away with two wins. Ironically nine of those twenty-one games came from the fact the Cajuns were group #1 for road games in conference and account for one of the wins against group #1 opponents.

Our non-conference SOS was 156 and our overall was 210. Obviously we need to do better in OOC scheduling and this appears like it could help but unless the SBC picks it up across the board I don't think it matters what we do for OOC scheduling because it won't overcome the SBC schedule.

[ULvictory]

Keep in mind the St. Peter's argument had to do with the number of losses we were saddled with. IN basketball last season we played four teams OOC that had a winning record. Seven OOC teams had a losing record. Keep in mind 50% of the rpi calculation is your opponents record. It's great to add a good SEC team to the mix but just as important or more important is to try and schedule teams that typically have a winning record at any level. A game against FGCU this past year would, more than likely, have been worth more than the Ole Miss game.

I'm glad to see the scheduling change as well. The conference was ranked 20th in RPI this past season. That is pathetic and hurts our cause. Eight of the twelve teams in the league were in group #4 of the RPI calcs. As a league we played a total of twenty-one games against group #1 opponents and came away with two wins. Ironically nine of those twenty-one games came from the fact the Cajuns were group #1 for road games in conference and account for one of the wins against group #1 opponents.

Our non-conference SOS was 156 and our overall was 210. Obviously we need to do better in OOC scheduling and this appears like it could help but unless the SBC picks it up across the board I don't think it matters what we do for OOC scheduling because it won't overcome the SBC schedule.

I used the St. Peter's argument because even though we swept them, our RPI took a MASSIVE hit with the fact that they went winless. And yes, we lost more games than we would've liked; but we still would've been in a better position for a regional berth without playing them even with those losses.

As far as basketball, I like the proposal that the conference is putting forth. But what it also tells me is that they're desperate. Obviously, our conference isn't that great. We all know that. But one thing that has always bothered me about our conference is that we do not know how to think ahead. This proposal should've been implemented at least 5-7 years ago after the last conference realignment. Knowing that P5 schools would try to create their little monopoly, the likes of the Sun Belt, CUSA, Horizon League, etc. should have known that this was bound to happen. It wasn't until this year where we saw that the Sun Belt and CUSA are obviously one-bid leagues where they decided to do something about it. The P5 schools didn't think of all of this in just one year. This was years in the making. What the mid-major conferences should've done was come up with this type of business model early on and evolve from it. Instead, we are starting from step 1 when it already may be too late.

[CajunNation]

I don't know if the scheduling alliance will include CUSA. They are fussing pretty hard on their BBS Board about this. Of course, they think they are above us and the Horizon.

[ULvictory]

I don't know if the scheduling alliance will include CUSA. They are fussing pretty hard on their BBS Board about this. Of course, they think they are above us and the Horizon.

BBS forgets that the last time their beloved team made the dance, the public hadn’t found out that Mili Vanilli were lip synchers.

Edit: I thought you were talking about Rustonia. I’m sure with their inflated egos, they aren’t happy about this either.

[Cajun90]

I don't know if the scheduling alliance will include CUSA. They are fussing pretty hard on their BBS Board about this. Of course, they think they are above us and the Horizon.

They are according to the conference RPI data I could find. Anywhere from 4 to 6 slots higher. But before they protest too much they might want to take note that in 2017 SBC was a full 10 slots higher than CUSA.

[CajunNation]

I don't like this alliance thing.

I've always been one to balk at the idea that your conference defines you. The CUSA guys don't want to do this. They would rather align with the MVC and the Colonial. Suppose they do that. Who replaces them in our alliance? The SLC?

What if the Horizon finds a better grouping for them? Now we get the A-Sun?

Where do these alliances stop? Suppose the AAC and MWC hook up for football? Then the MAC and CUSA align. What do we do?

[Cajunsmike]

I don't know if the scheduling alliance will include CUSA. They are fussing pretty hard on their BBS Board about this. Of course, they think they are above us and the Horizon.

At the meeting I went to regarding this possibility about the changes, I directly asked Mark Adams if CUSA was part of the alliance. Without hesitation he said YES. When I remarked some of those schools have egos and would object because they would see it as going backwards since many of them are former SBC members. He said that may be but the situation we are all in today requires a change. I am still skeptical this comes to pass. If it does, certain schools will try to avoid other schools.

[Cajunsmike]

BBS forgets that the last time their beloved team made the dance, the public hadn’t found out that Mili Vanilli were lip synchers.

Edit: I thought you were talking about Rustonia. I’m sure with their inflated egos, they aren’t happy about this either.

I don't think Tech minds the alliance for basketball as we have been playing home and home for a few years now and the series is expected to continue. We need to not have the Tech series count in the alliance. That would give us three non conference games against peer league schools every year.

[Cajunsmike]

I don't like this alliance thing.

I've always been one to balk at the idea that your conference defines you. The CUSA guys don't want to do this. They would rather align with the MVC and the Colonial. Suppose they do that. Who replaces them in our alliance? The SLC?

What if the Horizon finds a better grouping for them? Now we get the A-Sun?

Where do these alliances stop? Suppose the AAC and MWC hook up for football? Then the MAC and CUSA align. What do we do?

CUSA fans may not want to do it but apparently their presidents MAY have agreed to it. Geography may be a reason why.