Do you think Gameday will come to Wichita this year?

[wufan]

UNI might need to be ranked for us to get the game.

[ShockerMas]

There's a decent chance that the Texas @ KU and Syracuse @ Duke games could be the deciding matchups for their respective conference regular season titles, so IMO it will be tough for the UNI @ WSU game to have as much intrigue as either of those other ones unless we are undefeated again.

Does anyone have a link to a list of possible Gameday sites for any of the other weeks? I'm guessing that Duke, KU, or Utah could be eliminated from hosting consideration for Feb 28th if they were being considered for other weeks and ended up being chosen earlier in the season.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

The MVC is living the dream riding the coat tails of WSU. Sorry, just can't stop thinking that and needed to post it.

Too bad from WSU's perspective, everything has to be accomplished DESPITE the MVC.

Gameday would be fun, but it is hard to see it happening for UNI coming to town. As others have already posted, there are some pretty good games going on that same weekend where there will actually be national interest for BOTH teams, not just one.

[Shock Top]

Hate to say it, but there is close to 0% chance beating out those other matchups. Not WSU's fault, by any means.

If you can't get GameDay to come as you pursue a historically perfect season, then no chance of getting them any other way (as long as they are shackled by the MVC that is).

[Play Angry]

They wouldn't put us in the running if there wasn't a shot, but a lot of it will be up to UNI finally stepping up in the OOC. We'll see- it would be a lot of fun.

[WstateU]

They wouldn't put us in the running if there wasn't a shot, but a lot of it will be up to UNI finally stepping up in the OOC. We'll see- it would be a lot of fun.

I agree, there's a chance...

Seriously, if the Shockers are undefeated (maybe one loss), Fred and Ron are having first team AA seasons and UNI is coming on strong, the chances improve greatly. As others have said, the new system at least gives us a slim chance.

[shockmonster]

Hate to say it, but there is close to 0% chance beating out those other matchups. Not WSU's fault, by any means.

If you can't get GameDay to come as you pursue a historically perfect season, then no chance of getting them any other way (as long as they are shackled by the MVC that is).

But last year, they scheduled ahead of time. If they had tried the approach (where they don't decide until late) they are this year last year, the Shockers would have had a great chance of being chosen.

[WuShock Reaper]

There's a decent chance that the Texas @ KU and Syracuse @ Duke games could be the deciding matchups for their respective conference regular season titles, so IMO it will be tough for the UNI @ WSU game to have as much intrigue as either of those other ones unless we are undefeated again.

Does anyone have a link to a list of possible Gameday sites for any of the other weeks? I'm guessing that Duke, KU, or Utah could be eliminated from hosting consideration for Feb 28th if they were being considered for other weeks and ended up being chosen earlier in the season.

Our Competition for ESPN GameDay (02/28/15) and where they are also being considered:

Kansas Jayjawks
01/17/15 - at Iowa State
02/28/15 - vs. Texas
03/07/15 - at Oklahoma

DUKE
01/31/15 - at Virginia
02/28/15 - vs. Syracuse
03/07/15 - at North Carolina

UTAH
02/28/15 - vs. Arizona

[Kung Wu]

UNI might need to be ranked for us to get the game.

No problem, their fans are pretty sure they will be a top-25 team by then -- just ask them.

[wufan]

No problem, their fans are pretty sure they will be a top-25 team by then -- just ask them.

They might be. Their back court depth is as strong as any top 25 team and their front court starting rotation is offensively skilled. They are in desperate need of front court depth and if they can find that, then they have the look of a typical dangerous mid-major with tons of experience and skill and just enough athleticism to win a game or two in March.

I look for UNI to be in the others receiving votes category for most of December to February and on the right side of the bubble at the end of the year.

[FlyingWheat]

Our Competition for ESPN GameDay (02/28/15) and where they are also being considered:

Kansas Jayjawks
01/17/15 - at Iowa State
02/28/15 - vs. Texas
03/07/15 - at Oklahoma

DUKE
01/31/15 - at Virginia
02/28/15 - vs. Syracuse
03/07/15 - at North Carolina

UTAH
02/28/15 - vs. Arizona

Actually, losing on the road to UNI first would probably help our chances a lot. Not that I would ever consider trading an undefeated season up just to get gameday.

Besides, does anyone think that ESPN could go an entire year without gameday at Duke?

[WuDrWu]

They might be. Their back court depth is as strong as any top 25 team and their front court starting rotation is offensively skilled. They are in desperate need of front court depth and if they can find that, then they have the look of a typical dangerous mid-major with tons of experience and skill and just enough athleticism to win a game or two in March.

Easy, baby.

Can you expound? Are you saying because they have a reserve transfer from Virginia who averaged 3 ppg and might be the first guy off the bench they are deep? I'm just trying to get a feeling for why you think their depth is as good as anyone in the country. Look, I like Jeremy Morgan a lot. I think he has a TON of potential. Bohanan is 1 dimensional. Washspindry is eh. Can't shoot and is small and not the smartest player. Neon Deon hasn't gotten 1 iota better since he was a freshman. Look, I think UNI is going to be good, but to go from a team that hasn't won a single game in 5 years in St. Louis (just maybe Ben doesn't have the coaching advantage he once did over the Valley) and finished 1 game over .500 last year to a top 25 team (don't throw that moniker around loosely, really being a top 25 team is damned special) is a bit of a stretch especially given their unusually soft schedule.

Believe me, I hope they are good. It's much better for us if they are.

[wufan]

Easy, baby.

Can you expound? Are you saying because they have a reserve transfer from Virginia who averaged 3 ppg and might be the first guy off the bench they are deep? I'm just trying to get a feeling for why you think their depth is as good as anyone in the country. Look, I like Jeremy Morgan a lot. I think he has a TON of potential. Bohanan is 1 dimensional. Washspindry is eh. Can't shoot and is small and not the smartest player. Neon Deon hasn't gotten 1 iota better since he was a freshman. Look, I think UNI is going to be good, but to go from a team that hasn't won a single game in 5 years in St. Louis (just maybe Ben doesn't have the coaching advantage he once did over the Valley) and finished 1 game over .500 last year to a top 25 team (don't throw that moniker around loosely, really being a top 25 team is damned special) is a bit of a stretch especially given their unusually soft schedule.

Believe me, I hope they are good. It's much better for us if they are.

I'm a little more bullish on their back court than you obviously. Jesperson did start for a team that went 23-12 and plays in the ACC. His stats aren't good, but his play is and he's a former top 100. Bohannon, might be one-dimensional, but that was to the tune of 4 made 3 pointers per game at a 46% clip in MVC play. Those two, along with Morgan, Washpun and Mitchell give them 5 very good options at the 1-3. I think that makes them as deep as anyone, not across the board as good, but capable of competing and winning the backcourt battle.

[Kung Wu]

I'm a little more bullish on their back court than you obviously. Jesperson did start for a team that went 23-12 and plays in the ACC. His stats aren't good, but his play is and he's a former top 100. Bohannon, might be one-dimensional, but that was to the tune of 4 made 3 pointers per game at a 46% clip in MVC play. Those two, along with Morgan, Washpun and Mitchell give them 5 very good options at the 1-3. I think that makes them as deep as anyone, not across the board as good, but capable of competing and winning the backcourt battle.

Without any recent success, to be voted top 25 in the country come February, they will have to win out this schedule:

Richmond (home) - top 100
VCU (away) - top 50
Iowa (away) - top 25
Wichita State (home) - top 25

They'd start getting votes if they can run the table through Iowa. They'd be 11-0 with a top-25 away win and a top-50 away win. Their votes would slowly ramp up as they tear through the Valley until they meet us. If they beat us, BOOM, they'd have a killer record and two marquee wins.

All that said ... not gonna happen.

For some reason Jacobson and the Panthers just aren't road warriors. They defend their home court well, but it's difficult for them to win on the road. And we all know that if you are cursed to play in the Valley, your marquee wins are going to have to come from road games. Maybe Jacobson has finally cracked his road win problem -- but what indicator is there that that would be the case? I can't think of a reason that this season will be any different than in the past.

[ShockerFever]

Easy, baby.

Can you expound? Are you saying because they have a reserve transfer from Virginia who averaged 3 ppg and might be the first guy off the bench they are deep? I'm just trying to get a feeling for why you think their depth is as good as anyone in the country. Look, I like Jeremy Morgan a lot. I think he has a TON of potential. Bohanan is 1 dimensional. Washspindry is eh. Can't shoot and is small and not the smartest player. Neon Deon hasn't gotten 1 iota better since he was a freshman. Look, I think UNI is going to be good, but to go from a team that hasn't won a single game in 5 years in St. Louis (just maybe Ben doesn't have the coaching advantage he once did over the Valley) and finished 1 game over .500 last year to a top 25 team (don't throw that moniker around loosely, really being a top 25 team is damned special) is a bit of a stretch especially given their unusually soft schedule.

Believe me, I hope they are good. It's much better for us if they are.

I totally agree. Yes, it would be to our benefit for them to be a good team, but they have A LOT of proving to do. Sure, everyone is back, and they have experience. But they aren't really the most talented bunch of athletes out there. I would look for them to improve, but to be Top 25 good? They would have to improve A LOT and actually win some important games.

Although their schedule should allow them to lose about 16 or 17 games and still get an at-large.