2014-15 Schedule

[ShockerPrez]

I used to think that chocolate was my favorite food group, but now I'm thinking that it's definitely bacon. Other food groups I like include BBQ, chili, smoked meats, and most things that are grilled, donuts, ice cream and, of course, cookies. Cake is ok but I like the others better.

I like the fried food group myself.

[Rlh04d]

This is going to be a long off-season.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

NCCU was a great buy game, basically close to the best you can get. As we are not going away from a couple of buy games I'd be thrilled to have them on the schedule every year if they can maintain their level.

I completely agree. On the spectrum of buy games, they were a great get. Out of the pool of teams that are willing to be bought for several games, each year there are always a couple that emerge as surprisingly good teams. I hope we have some luck getting those teams on our schedule in the future.

[ShockerGorilla]

DePaul would be a great buy game if they weren't in the same tournament as us every year.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

I'll re-post my question since it got side tracked the first time by Doc doing his best Fever impression and Fever, well, being Fever.

Anyone else nervous about the possibility that although we have what looks like a much improved schedule overall, we could still easily reach the end of the year without playing more than maybe one or two NCAA Tournament level teams?

Change "NCAA Tournament level" to top Top 25, or Top 50, or Sweet 16 hopefuls, or Big Time Opponents, or... or... or...

I'm not here trying to argue what specifically defines an opponent to get excited about as we all will have different opinions. I'm just trying to say that at the end of the day, we can all agree that it feels like the Shox are basically doomed to have one of the worst SOS of any top 25 team, year-in-and-year-out. I find it frustrating, and when I hear that the schedule looks better next year but then see so few games against top competition, it feels like a big downer.

Anyone else feel that way? Anyone else care to have a basketball conversation or are we stuck in a rut where JH4P = ass and no further conversation can be had?

[capnkirk]

WSU has the 4th best OOC SOS of the top 10 teams in the AP poll. Only KU, Duke and Florida have better ones. There isn't a thing Wichita State can do about the other valley teams OOC scheduling.

[Play Angry]

I think if we can add one more Top 50 "name" opponent to the OOC slate then it will be awfully darn good. It's decent as it stands, but that game would take it from "pretty good" to "outstanding."

I'm confident something will work out between now and Labor Day.

[AZ Shocker]

JH4P ~ time for a new league. Right now it is what it is. Time for a new league.

[Steeleshocker]

JH4P ~ time for a new league. Right now it is what it is. Time for a new league.

Truth

[FlyingWheat]

JH4P ~ time for a new league. Right now it is what it is. Time for a new league.

A new league would do it and we need it desperately to boost a hundred aspects of the program. It isn't, however, the only option. Consistency over two years helps, but the longer we stay at a high level of play, the better our opportunities get. See: Gonzaga. Was it Mark Few, or it might have been someone else, who told us that scheduling was the last thing to come with success and to be patient?

[110%]

JH4P sounds like what you are saying is that you want to play someone with a name on their jersey and I am 110% for that. No matter what has been said in the past that it isnt all about the name on the jersey; when you are trying to pick an opponent it is maybe the most important thing to consider. When we wanted to be picked then we had the other shoe on and said the name shouldnt matter. Our name is getting their quick, wont be long when we will be landing the kind of names I think most on here are looking for.

[Cdizzle]

This has not been a 1 or 2 year deal, as many in the short-minded media would have you believe. WSU has averaged a kenPom rating of 15 and an RPI of 18 over the past 4 seasons. This just so happens to roughly (if not exactly) coincide with the time Marshall had his first full team at WSU. Folks should be catching on.

The Final 4 was great. Beyond great. But the 2012 and 2014 teams were both Top 10 caliber teams, each 1 possession away from racking up a lot more NCAA tourney wins for WSU. Anyone who doesn't think this train is going to keep rolling so long as Marshall is here has missed the boat.

I'd love to see a schedule with a bunch of big names on it, coming to Koch arena. But I'm content watching a Top 10 team dismantle anyone with the guts to play them, and letting the dust settle where it may in March/April.

[Kung Wu]

I imagine our schedule will be an improvement over the past two years; and those two years happen to be a couple of the best years of WSU basketball ever. So why be concerned?

[Blackmag]

I think Coach has the program on the right track. Cdizzle was right when he said that this ride has been around for a while now. Actually things have going pretty well over the last decade. Turgeon had some very solid teams, a league title and sweet sixteen to his credit. Marshall has just taken it to a new level. We just need to keep him here till he decides to retire. Well it would be nice...

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

I imagine our schedule will be an improvement over the past two years; and those two years happen to be a couple of the best years of WSU basketball ever. So why be concerned?

Kung Wu, don’t confuse the great overall seasons the past 2 years with the number of quality teams on the schedule. Those are two separate issues. Nobody is complaining about the results as a whole each of the past 2 years, just the ho-hum nature of many of the opponents and a desire to get to see some really good Shocker teams face off against some high level competition.

When Bill Gates gets a splinter, I doubt he gets depressed and thinks his life is terrible. I bet he still knows he is living a very privileged, comfortable life. That said, I bet he simultaneously thinks “this splinter sucks, I wish I could get rid of it”.

That’s all I’m really saying. WSU basketball is doing great… about as good as ever in fact. At the same time, the top of the schedule is a bit of a downer to me. I wish it could be better. I see other programs with more high quality opponents on a regular basis and I get jealous. I’m a geek who posts this opinion on a message board. The strange thing is, other geeks call me an ass for explaining my feelings… feelings which, to be honest, I bet they share at times.