College Basketball Nation: 2011-12 Nonconference schedule

by **sixth ace** » October 9th, 2011, 8:27 pm

According to ESPN

All week, ESPN.com has been breaking down the nonconference schedules of each and every team in a dozen different leagues. On Tuesday, we began with the ACC, SEC and C-USA. On Wednesday, we continued with the Big East, Atlantic 10 and Colonial.

We devoted Thursday to the West, with the Pac-12, WCC and Mountain West. Friday is all about the Midwest. Let's begin with a look at the Missouri Valley...

BRADLEY

Toughest: Chicago Invitational Challenge (Nov. 25-26), at Michigan (Dec. 22)
Next-toughest: at George Washington (Dec. 15), at Drexel (Dec. 17), BracketBusters (home)
The rest: UMKC (Nov. 13), Southeast Missouri State (Nov. 16), North Dakota (Nov. 19), Wofford (Nov. 22), at Wyoming (Dec. 3), Northeastern (Dec. 6), Western Carolina (Dec. 20)
Toughness scale (1-10): 7 -- The Braves get the boost from their Chicago Invitational opponent -- Wisconsin -- giving coach Geno Ford at least two top-25 opponents (Michigan being the other) in his first year at Bradley. The I-95 corridor trip to George Washington and Drexel also should be good tests, and the BracketBuster looms in February.

CREIGHTON

Toughest: at San Diego State (Nov. 30), Northwestern (Dec. 22)
Next-toughest: at Iowa (Nov. 20), Nebraska (Dec. 4), at Saint Joseph’s (Dec. 10), at Tulsa (Dec. 19), BracketBusters (home)
The rest: Dale Howard Classic (Nov. 11-13), Campbell (Nov. 25), Houston Baptist (Dec. 17)
Toughness scale (1-10): 3 -- The Bluejays will be a hot sleeper pick this season, but they haven’t exactly built a schedule to match their reputation. There are no games here that will test how this team compares with its BCS brethren. Creighton, in fact, ought to be favored against the likes of Iowa and Nebraska. Northwestern is a decent test and the road trip to SDSU is part of the MWC/MVC Challenge. The BracketBuster could be entertaining, but even that lacks huge punch as the Bluejays drew a home game. The Dale Howard isn’t exactly classic, either -- with North Carolina A&T and Chicago State as the early opponents.

rest at the link... middle of the page

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketba ... e-analysis

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by **pafan** » October 9th, 2011, 9:18 pm

I want to know what mind-altering drug was required to give InSU's schedule a 7/10.

Even if I assume InSU gets all the best teams in the Old Spice Classic, I consider their schedule the weakest in the Valley. Its really not close.

ESPN list Ball State as one of "The Next Best." Ball State! chirp chirp

I think Creighton's schedule is a little under-rated, but not by much.

Otherwise, a solid analysis.

by **RoyalShock** » October 10th, 2011, 9:48 am

Look at those ratings in terms of wins that will look good come tournament selection time.

Though I have to figure InSU is getting far too much credit for playing Vandy.

by **WSUbballer** » October 10th, 2011, 10:39 am

I agree about Indiana State's schedule. The Old Spice Classic is easily the weakest field in that tournament's history and, by far, the weakest in all of the major preseason tournaments.

After that, their meat consists of 1 game at Vanderbilt. How that makes their schedule better than 6 or 7 other Valley schedules is beyond absurd. Maybe the writer is a Sycamore alum or a SycamorePride lol member?

by **jlandrus11** » October 10th, 2011, 10:40 am

RoyalShock wrote:Look at those ratings in terms of wins that will look good come tournament selection time.

Though I have to figure InSU is getting far too much credit for playing Vandy.

How do you figure that? Vandy will be ranked in the preseason top 10 and will most likely make the NCAA with an at-large bid. Vandy is going to be a very good team, and I am very excited that our guys will get a chance to upset them.

by **Red** » October 10th, 2011, 12:57 pm

What non conference schedule? Do we have one of those?

by **RoyalShock** » October 10th, 2011, 1:38 pm

jlandrus11 wrote:
RoyalShock wrote:Look at those ratings in terms of wins that will look good come tournament selection time.

Though I have to figure InSU is getting far too much credit for playing Vandy.

How do you figure that? Vandy will be ranked in the preseason top 10 and will most likely make the NCAA with an at-large bid. Vandy is going to be a very good team, and I am very excited that our guys will get a chance to upset them.

I mean in terms of it only being one game. As it is, Vandy is the only team on their schedule that you can point to, at this juncture, as a likely NCAA pick. And I'm saying that isn't enough to warrant the rating their OOC schedule received.