Around the Valley Non Con

[WuDrWu]

At first glance I have the following thoughts......

I don't see any at-large schedules. Maybe UNI and MAYBE Illinois State if they get LSU and Clemson AND they win both.

We should be granted immunity from playing SIU. We should get the 2 wins credited, without being RPI penalized, and allowed to replace those games with a 2nd MTE or exhibition home game. The only thing that can happen playing SIU is getting someone hurt.

So far I see 6 games against P5 conferences that aren't in MTEs. We have 2 of the 6 and not surprisingly, the only home game. I believe that 2 of those between UNI, Drake, Iowa and Iowa State are going away next season.
I conservatively estimate (subtracting MTEs) 528 possible non-conference games involving P5 teams. The Valley has 6 of those. Somehow, someway, that number has to go up.

SIU should write us a check for their share of NCAA money. It would most likely bounce.

[WuDrWu]

So far I see 6 games against P5 conferences that aren't in MTEs. We have 2 of the 6 and not surprisingly, the only home game. I believe that 2 of those between UNI, Drake, Iowa and Iowa State are going away next season.
I conservatively estimate (subtracting MTEs) 528 possible non-conference games involving P5 teams. The Valley has 6 of those. Somehow, someway, that number has to go up.

I'm just thinking, when schedules are finalized, it could be interesting to see the conference by conference breakdown of P5 non-conference, non-MTE's, scheduled games. It will take some work, but I'm curious where we fall.

[WuDrWu]

^^^ That's pathetic ^^^

Can we send SIU to the OVC?

That's FIVE 300+ RPI games based on last season, 3 more in the 250+ range. One doesn't count leaving 4 top 150 games. St. Louis (which will be down but probably top 100 at least), Yale (possibly the gem of schedule), Kent State and Murray State, both of whom should be improved from last season.

8 250+ RPI games is not what we're looking for, imho.

[ShockerDropOut]

With those schedules, the only way the Valley gets two teams in the tournament is if WSU doesn't win the Valley tournament. Every Valley team outside of Kansas knows that their only hope to be playing in the final 68 is an upset of WSU in St. Louis. Barring that, Shox are the lone Valley representative. Disappointing and pathetic. Can we move to a new conference fast enough?

[Kung Wu]

SIU should write us a check for their share of NCAA money. It would most likely bounce.

MUHAHAHA!!!

[Kung Wu]

Looks like VCU is establishing a presence, too. Where's the game with WSU?

Shaka = Oil
Gregg = Water

[wufan]

With those schedules, the only way the Valley gets two teams in the tournament is if WSU doesn't win the Valley tournament. Every Valley team outside of Kansas knows that their only hope to be playing in the final 68 is an upset of WSU in St. Louis. Barring that, Shox are the lone Valley representative. Disappointing and pathetic. Can we move to a new conference fast enough?

UNI will be pretty good. They have a very deep backcourt and two good starting bigs. If they can get production from a third big then they have a shot at an at-large.

Other mediocre to bad teams in the Valley made big strides in talent acquisition and I would expect one more to be competitive.

[Kung Wu]

Bradley

11-14-14 Texas-Arlington
11-19-14 Robert Morris
11-23-14 North Carolina A&T (Corpus Christi Challenge) @ Bradley
11-25-14 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Corpus Christi Challenge) @ Bradley
11-28-14 TCU (Corpus Christi Challenge) @ Corpus Christi
11-29-14 Mississippi State or St. Louis (Corpus Christi Challenge) @ Corpus Christi9
12-02-14 Central Michigan
12-06-14 @ Memphis
12-09-14 @ Kansas State
12-18-14 Eureka College (DIII)
12-21-14 California-irvine (Las Vegas)
12-22-14 Arkansas-Little Rock or Wisconsin-Green Bay
12-28-14 Illinois-Chicago

Coupled with their recruiting making a big swing forward, there are enough BCS teams here to make a statement. They need Saint Lewis [sic] and must be road warriors though. Come on Geno. This is your 4th year. No more excuses. Get it going.

[Ricardo del Rio]

DePaul might as well just join the Valley.

I admire your humor, but I am pretty sure the Valley does not need another doormat.

[Ricardo del Rio]

Coupled with their recruiting making a big swing forward, there are enough BCS teams here to make a statement. They need Saint Lewis [sic] and must be road warriors though. Come on Geno. This is your 4th year. No more excuses. Get it going.

I love [sic].

[Shocker-maniac]

It's not a stellar non con schedule, but allow me to play devil's advocate. How do we know that this is not the best non con schedule that the MVC schools could put together? OK, SIU no doubt, could have done better, but what about the rest of the MVC? We all are in the same boat, the P5 schools do not want to play us. Should we expect the rest of the Valley schools to do buy games at the P5 schools? According to statsheet.com the Valley ranked 11th last year in NCSOS, right behind the Mountain West (10), WCC (9), and AAC (8).

http://statsheet.com/mcb/conferences/stats

[AndShock]

It's not a stellar non con schedule, but allow me to play devil's advocate. How do we know that this is not the best non con schedule that the MVC schools could put together? OK, SIU no doubt, could have done better, but what about the rest of the MVC? We all are in the same boat, the P5 schools do not want to play us. Should we expect the rest of the Valley schools to do buy games at the P5 schools? According to statsheet.com the Valley ranked 11th last year in NCSOS, right behind the Mountain West (10), WCC (9), and AAC (8).

http://statsheet.com/mcb/conferences/stats

In 05-06 the Valley ranked 8th
In 06-07 the Valley ranked 5th

Maybe 11th-13th is the best the conference can do, but it further emphasizes the fact that The Valley's peers aren't the MWC and the A-10 anymore, it's the MAC and Horizon.

[capnkirk]

The Valley's peers aren't the MWC and the A-10 anymore, it's the MAC and Horizon.

OUCH!!!!! :(

[WuDrWu]

It's not a stellar non con schedule, but allow me to play devil's advocate. How do we know that this is not the best non con schedule that the MVC schools could put together? OK, SIU no doubt, could have done better, but what about the rest of the MVC? We all are in the same boat, the P5 schools do not want to play us. Should we expect the rest of the Valley schools to do buy games at the P5 schools? According to statsheet.com the Valley ranked 11th last year in NCSOS, right behind the Mountain West (10), WCC (9), and AAC (8).

http://statsheet.com/mcb/conferences/stats

It's a fair question and yes, there are many factors that play into scheduling in addition to the often heard "we don't want to play Wichita State" card. It's NOT easy and anyone that tells you it is doesn't know jack-squat.

That being said, my point is what are you bringing to the table? In SIU's case, they are barely leaving their area code. Road games at SIUE AND SEMO? Tourney at Kent State? They aren't trying. Go get paid if money is that tight. Take the buy games, there are PLENTY of options. Do NOT leach off us, take our money and bring NOTHING to the table. I'm aware of the Salukis big run during the first 9 seasons of the century. BUT while WSU wasn't winning at the level we expected, we held up our end of the bargain schedule-wise with very few exceptions. We spent money, we tried.

There needs to be a stick with the carrot, like there used to be.

[capnkirk]

And where is Doug Elgin in all of this? I swear I heard he was bringing back the scheduling mandate and it would be enforced this season?

Maybe his hands are tied and the majority of schools voted it down?

Like Doc said, WSU should not have to go 34-0 to be able to get a one seed in the ncaa. But that is exactly what is going on again this season.

Any loss in the conference last season was going to be a bad loss. It looks like it is going to be the same this season...