2024-25 Schedule

[WuDrWu]

Not a fan. They will almost never be a Q1 game. Rarely will ever be a Q2 home game. Most times they will be a Q3/Q4 type game. They will likely have extra motivation just because it's us. Buy game? Sure .. they aren't home/home quality and not in an area with a ton of recruits either.

Their KP ranks the last few years

111, 223, 91, 163, 49 (Covid year), 177

So at BEST you can expect them to be a Q2 Road/ Q3 Home Game. Most times will be closer to a Q3 Road/Q4 home game.

It's not just that (and THAT is plenty, believe me) but it's also the way they play. And look, I have the utmost respect for Jake and the job he does. He gets a ton out of his guys, every year. His team will fight you tooth and nail to the bitter end and muck things up any way possible and they're very good at it. They are a bastard to play. But therein lies the problem...it's like playing against the wishbone in football. Does it help you for later in the season? Highly unlikely. Plus you're guaranteed to be their Super Bowl, here or there.

[TrackSuitAndTie]

So looking at the schedule basing of last years ranks, we would expect at best 3 Q1/Q2 opportunities in the non con. The rest are all Q3/Q4. We basically will have to be near flawless in the conference season to have a chance at an at large IMO.

I'd say the floor is 3 Q1/2 games in the non-con: K-State is safely Q1/2 and the neutral court games in Orlando are also safely Q1/Q2.

The road games at Western Kentucky and DePaul are both projected to be Q2 games (albeit on the low end of Q2) per Bart Torvik. Saint Louis was also borderline Q2 until Bart revised his model.

Still hoping for at least one more marquee opponent. You can't assemble a team like this and then play an unserious non-con.

[SkoShox]

So looking at the schedule basing of last years ranks, we would expect at best 3 Q1/Q2 opportunities in the non con. The rest are all Q3/Q4. We basically will have to be near flawless in the conference season to have a chance at an at large IMO.

I'd say that's pretty pessimistic. Here's the optimistic view: Last year Western Kentucky finished at 136 that's right at the cut line for a potential Q2 road game. Saint Louis is neutral plus a new coach and Robbie Availa will have them at least Top100 one would think. All 3 MTE teams will be close to a Q1 if not a solid Q2. Depaul has 4 4* star transfers plus 7 new 3 stars and Chris Holtmann running things. Not crazy to think they could sneak into the top 135. KSU will be a Q1 or Q2 game.

It's not out of the realm of possibilities that we have 5-6 Q1/Q2 games from our NC.

[SkoShox]

I'd say the floor is 3 Q1/2 games in the non-con: K-State is safely Q1/2 and the neutral court games in Orlando are also safely Q1/Q2.

The road games at Western Kentucky and DePaul are both projected to be Q2 games (albeit on the low end of Q2) per Bart Torvik. Saint Louis was also borderline Q2 until Bart revised his model.

Still hoping for at least one more marquee opponent. You can't assemble a team like this and then play an unserious non-con.

You wrote it better and faster than I could!

[ShockBand]

So if we thump our friends from Frostbite Falls, that will guarantee they will chatter about their NCAA at-large chances, amirite?

[ShockerExpress]

I'd say that's pretty pessimistic. Here's the optimistic view: Last year Western Kentucky finished at 136 that's right at the cut line for a potential Q2 road game. Saint Louis is neutral plus a new coach and Robbie Availa will have them at least Top100 one would think. All 3 MTE teams will be close to a Q1 if not a solid Q2. Depaul has 4 4* star transfers plus 7 new 3 stars and Chris Holtmann running things. Not crazy to think they could sneak into the top 135. KSU will be a Q1 or Q2 game.

It's not out of the realm of possibilities that we have 5-6 Q1/Q2 games from our NC.

This. Doesn’t take a hard look to see that 3 is likely the floor and not the ceiling.

I am fine with the H&H with UNI for now. An at large berth for us would look a lot like the 2006-2017 teams who got in.

I am not excited about our fall, either. But this is what it is.

Also someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I think SIU was our largest crowd of the season last year. Had like 2X more people at that game than Memphis (I realize there are other factors).

But, even as the UNI name means little to other people, it may sell many more tickets in Wichita than say… UMASS, Richmond, App State… idk pick any of those 70 teams others mentioned.

[TrackSuitAndTie]

I'd say that's pretty pessimistic. Here's the optimistic view: Last year Western Kentucky finished at 136 that's right at the cut line for a potential Q2 road game. Saint Louis is neutral plus a new coach and Robbie Availa will have them at least Top100 one would think. All 3 MTE teams will be close to a Q1 if not a solid Q2. Depaul has 4 4* star transfers plus 7 new 3 stars and Chris Holtmann running things. Not crazy to think they could sneak into the top 135. KSU will be a Q1 or Q2 game.

It's not out of the realm of possibilities that we have 5-6 Q1/Q2 games from our NC.

Agree with what you said but wanted to flag that the MTE in Orlando is actually only two games (disappointing, I know).

[Stickboy46]

I'd say the floor is 3 Q1/2 games in the non-con: K-State is safely Q1/2 and the neutral court games in Orlando are also safely Q1/Q2.

The road games at Western Kentucky and DePaul are both projected to be Q2 games (albeit on the low end of Q2) per Bart Torvik. Saint Louis was also borderline Q2 until Bart revised his model.

Still hoping for at least one more marquee opponent. You can't assemble a team like this and then play an unserious non-con.

Depaul was 320 in NET last year .. They will have to be the most improved team in the nation in order to sniff Q2

I'll give you WKU though .. was thinking it was a home game even though it was clearly listed as in KY. That was a miss on my part. Still feels like an overall schedule that isn't set up for a team to make the tourney off of in the AAC.

Last 2 games are probably the decider. If both of those end up being Q3/Q4 games, we are probably AAC tourney or bust. Need 1 or 2 of those to be high level like you said.

[Stickboy46]

I'd say that's pretty pessimistic. Here's the optimistic view: Last year Western Kentucky finished at 136 that's right at the cut line for a potential Q2 road game. Saint Louis is neutral plus a new coach and Robbie Availa will have them at least Top100 one would think. All 3 MTE teams will be close to a Q1 if not a solid Q2. Depaul has 4 4* star transfers plus 7 new 3 stars and Chris Holtmann running things. Not crazy to think they could sneak into the top 135. KSU will be a Q1 or Q2 game.

It's not out of the realm of possibilities that we have 5-6 Q1/Q2 games from our NC.

I might have been pessimistic but I think your take might be the polar opposite. Expecting St Louis to jump from ~200 NET to Top 100 in year one of coach isn't a high probability. Expecting Depaul to go from 320 to 135 isn't a high probability either. The 11 newcomers might be good ... but its still 11 newcomers.

[ShockerFever]

Hard to schedule guaranteed Q1 and even Q2 games when you're on a downward trend.

I believe that we can do a better job of scheduling, but we can't do near as well as a few of you want when our NET has gone the wrong direction each of the last 5 years and we most recently were sitting above 150. UNI was better than us.

We need as many games as we can get against top 150 schools. Prefer that be closer to top 100 when possible, and UNI seems to fit that as they were essentially a borderline 100 team last year. I don't know who the return as I don't pay attention to Valley schools these days.

We have to perform better before we can schedule much better.

The issue isn’t Northern Iowa being on the schedule. The issue is having to do a home and home with them to do it.

We can do better even in our current state. This was a throwaway home and home IMO. Let’s hope they aren’t a 200-level team (which is definitely possible) when we hit the road next year for a revenge trap game with no upside.

[Atxshoxfan]

I see it this way.
First order of business is to get butts in seats. You can't do that in Wichita without winning allot of games.
2nd order is to target big games for the purpose of postseason play.

Since butts in seats helps recruiting and team play, I think the schedule is good at this point. If you schedule a bunch of Q1 or Q2 teams, your likely to lose the interest of some folks because of losses.
On the other hand you can't schedule a bunch of Yoder tech type teams either.

It's like the chicken or the egg first.

[WuShock16]

I’m hopeful that there is no Intrust game this year.

Has to be since the NCAAT is there this year- unless KSU or KU are taking it instead

I’d lean towards shocktown’s desire.

[WuShock Reaper]

WSU Shockers versus Kansas City Chiefs

So far, only a couple games up against the NFL World Champions x2:

DATE	CHIEFS	NFL Time	SHOCKERS GAME: w/ Game Time TBD
Mon, Nov 4	vs Tampa Bay	7:15 PM	at Western Kentucky - Bowling Green, Kentucky (E.A. Diddle Arena)
Sat, Dec 21	vs Houston	12:00 PM	vs. Kansas State - Wichita, Kansas (Charles Koch Arena)

[shockrah]

Taylor's story on UNI scheduling:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/wichita-state-to-renew-missouri-valley-rivalry-with-northern-iowa-in-2-year-series/ar-BB1pKXkZ

[WuShock Reaper]