Non conference scheduling

[pogo]

Going back over the last several years I personally have not been impressed with the teams that WSU has played. I like the games that we play every other year home and home but its the really poorly ranked teams I don't care for. I know these buy games fill out the required home games that need to be played to fill out the season ticket packages but I would prefer more home and home series against higher ranked teams. It will probably be ill advised to schedule tougher this year due to the need to establish his system for a couple of years but I would like to see a tough enough schedule that doesn't drag our RPI/NET below 60+ range. Years ago we had to schedule tougher to make up for the Valley games. So in a couple of years I would like to see our guys play in crucible type games to prepare them for conference play.

[ABC]

Well, here is a thought, or maybe a memory:

I remember that one fateful day when Coach took me aside. I knew what was coming. "You don't have to tell me," I said. "I'm off the team, aren't I?" "Well," said Coach, "you never were really ON the team. You made that uniform you're wearing out of rags and towels, and your helmet is a toy space helmet. You show up at practice and then either steal the ball and make us chase you to get it back, or you try to tackle people at inappropriate times." It was all true what he was saying. And yet, I thought something is brewing inside the head of this Coach. He sees something in me, some kind of raw talent that he can mold. But that's when I felt the handcuffs go on.

[shock]

What language do people who are born deaf think in?

[SubGod22]

Going back over the last several years I personally have not been impressed with the teams that WSU has played. I like the games that we play every other year home and home but its the really poorly ranked teams I don't care for. I know these buy games fill out the required home games that need to be played to fill out the season ticket packages but I would prefer more home and home series against higher ranked teams. It will probably be ill advised to schedule tougher this year due to the need to establish his system for a couple of years but I would like to see a tough enough schedule that doesn't drag our RPI/NET below 60+ range. Years ago we had to schedule tougher to make up for the Valley games. So in a couple of years I would like to see our guys play in crucible type games to prepare them for conference play.

I'm good with a few buy games, but I wish we could do better than the SWAC to do it. We've taken the top CUSA teams, but generally them and the top of the Belt could make some good series. They're not the name brand that the casuals get excited for but they're better games, they're still winnable games and they better position you for post season.

I love the series we've had with 0U, OSU, KSU and MU. All localish schools that make for fun environments and help SOS. If we ever scheduled something with Colorado, Nebraska, Creighton, Arkansas or the plethora of Texas schools or even New Mexico or Colorado State it could be fun too.

Hopefully Paul and Saal and their teams can get us back to having better buy games and keep getting quality series as well.

[TrackSuitAndTie]

Paul Mills Contract Incentives

Non-Conf SOS Top 50: $25,000
Non-Conf SOS Top 100: $10,000

[WuShock16]

Paul Mills Contract Incentives

Non-Conf SOS Top 50: $25,000
Non-Conf SOS Top 100: $10,000

FIFY

[WuShock16]

I would agree with pogo that...

The H/H series have been pretty good. I am all about getting KSU, Mizzou, OU, OSU, etc on the schedule. It makes sense to do so on many levels for both them and us. Even Richmond seemed like a decent get at the time. That is a program somewhat similar to ours in recent success...until this year of course (160 NET...insert eye roll).

I don't love having Western Kentucky as a H/H over the next two years. That's a team we need to be buying.

I would like to see a little bit better than SWAC/MEAC type teams. The thing that I have started to understand about NET is that playing AWFUL teams isn't a total bad thing if you boatrace them. Metrics seems to like 20+-point beatdowns even against bad teams. The problem was beating Texas Southern by only 9, beating Tarleton by only 12, and of course losing to Alcorn.

I am hopeful that with HCPM's incentive to assemble a solid NCSOS, we can continue to be better in this regard.

[SubGod22]

Paul Mills Contract Incentives

Non-Conf SOS Top 50: $25,000
Non-Conf SOS Top 100: $10,000

I honestly forgot about those provisions. I like that he's encouraged to schedule tough. I'll take a few losses if we're playing good teams instead of losing to Alcorn State.

[Shock Top]

Keep renewing the OSU and Mizzou series.

Use your relationships with coaches at Baylor, KSU, and TTU to either renew or keep those series alive.

That would be a solid block of games to have most every year.

Start from there, then dream big for a couple others.

Maybe reach out to Willet at Maryland and Underwood at Illinois since their originally scheduled H/H series at their previous schools.

[TrackSuitAndTie]

HCPM's relationship with Jerome Tang bodes well for a continued H/H series with K-State I would suspect.

[MadDog]

I don’t really understand this, but I’m sure someone can enlighten me. Several times in recent years (including last season), we have scheduled one less game than everyone else. Why do we do that? Thx.

[SubGod22]

I don’t really understand this, but I’m sure someone can enlighten me. Several times in recent years (including last season), we have scheduled one less game than everyone else. Why do we do that? Thx.

Did we schedule one less game or did we just play in an MTE that gave us one less game? I believe you're allowed to schedule something like 28 games and an TME counts as 1, but you can play up to 3 or 4 games in those I think. Out MTE this year was only 2 games.

[shocks02]

I don’t really understand this, but I’m sure someone can enlighten me. Several times in recent years (including last season), we have scheduled one less game than everyone else. Why do we do that? Thx.

I believe that’s due to the non conference tournament being 2 games and not 3.

[shockerfan34]

I don't love having Western Kentucky as a H/H over the next two years. That's a team we need to be buying.

This is really the only part I'd disagree with. WKU is a solid C-USA program and if we want to be playing home and homes with teams from power conferences, we can't look down on programs like WKU with the same attitude than many power conference teams look down at us.

[WuShock16]

This is really the only part I'd disagree with. WKU is a solid C-USA program and if we want to be playing home and homes with teams from power conferences, we can't look down on programs like WKU with the same attitude than many power conference teams look down at us.

KenPom from the last decade

2014: 179
2015: 141
2016: 169
2017: 232
2018: 47
2019: 116
2020: 113
2021: 99
2022: 112
2023: 173

Okay, my comment was maybe a bit harsh if you look at this season as an outlier, but WKU's last decade doesn't exactly scream "Hey, they'll be a great addition to our schedule."