2014-15 Schedules?

[Snaggletooth]

Please explain the "sucky non-conference schedule" comment.

Because it sucks....what is there more to explain.

[2livewu]

I will just say this about the MVC:

We all want this league to kick ass. 2014-15 and 15-16 look like years for a big upswing and we need everyone to take advantage to the fullest extent possible. The first step is recruiting, and I think that top to bottom the league has done an excellent job. The second step is scheduling and we look a little soft. The third step, and the only one that really matters, is just win. We need to win a lot of games over the next two years!

I appreciate the positive Valley outlook but that's the problem with fans in general...they ALWAYS think the grass is greener, especially with recruits. Hell, there are WSU fans that think Brown and Kelly will be making fans forget about Early by late this season. Ain't happening.

(I will let you in on this little tidbit though, our young Estonian is NOT going to be popular around the league.)

I'd rather see programs committing dollars. That's what's going to a much bigger factor in upcoming success.

I feel confident that a repeat of 2005-06 (the last really good result league wide) isn't happening anytime soon.

Doug Elgin should make every Valley program attend the Ben Jacobson School of Solid Scheduling. This season is pretty weak, especially considering how solid they should be, but without a question he gets a pass.

Of course, WSU would get a pass, if not just because right now things are very much different in Wichita than they are anywhere else in the Valley. Ever.

[Aargh]

Loyola's average opponent RPI is appreciably better than last year's mainly by adding a buy game at Michigan State. Other than that game, the schedule is pretty similar to last year's. (No specific teams, just a statement). There's not much difference between playing an RPI 270 team or an RPI 320 team. The 270 team will be a little better for your RPI and bump your SoS a bit, but it just isn't going to matter.

As to who would we rather add than Loyola? How about NOBODY! Why the big rush to add another team? My thought was that if Loyola was the best there was at that time, maybe wait until a better time to add a team. Valley teams are struggling to get at-large bids and can probably schedule 2 OOC games that will be better on their at-large resume than playing Loyola twice. WSU has hit a point where they're playing for seeding, and the same thing applies. Playing Loyola twice instead of 2 OOC games could make a difference in seeding.

I appreciate Loyola's commitment to athletics and basketball in particular. I think there's light at the end of the tunnel, but it's looking like a very long tunnel.

P.S. 20 years ago, there really wasn't anything more than maybe the flicker of a candle down WSU's tunnel.

[Rambler63]

Loyola's schedule will be much better than last year, and not just because of the Michigan State game. Tulane will be in the AAC this year instead of CUSA, which should help. The Vegas tournament will definitely be much better than the truly awful Portland State tournament last year. UIC can't possibly be worse than last year, when they went 4-25 against D-1 opponents after coming off a respectable 177 RPI the year before.

On the women's side, scheduling has already taken a dramatic step up: Georgia Tech (RPI 41 last year), at Marquette (81), at Northern Kentucky (152), UAB (145), Eastern Illinois (298), at Missouri (107), at Northwestern (103), Michigan State (31), DePaul (22), at Dartmouth (309), at UIC (106).

Loyola is working on it. Fans take it very seriously and are keeping pressure on.

[rlh04d]

Loyola is working on it. Fans take it very seriously and are keeping pressure on.

That's what I want to hear.

[lusuperfan]

Loyola is working on it. Fans take it very seriously and are keeping pressure on.

That's what I want to hear.

Cause, you know, taking a popular consensus of disgruntled fans on a message board is almost always how head coaches of D1 basketball programs make major decisions.

[Rambler63]

Loyola is working on it. Fans take it very seriously and are keeping pressure on.

That's what I want to hear.

Cause, you know, taking a popular consensus of disgruntled fans on a message board is almost always how head coaches of D1 basketball programs make major decisions.

I was referring to a lot of behind the scenes activity, which includes face to face meetings with with the President of the University. The MVC tiebreaker based on strength of schedule is a large motivating factor. And some of those "disgruntled fans" on the message board have some real pull-- former players, announcers, top donors, etc.

[lusuperfan]

That's what I want to hear.

Cause, you know, taking a popular consensus of disgruntled fans on a message board is almost always how head coaches of D1 basketball programs make major decisions.

I was referring to a lot of behind the scenes activity, which includes face to face meetings with with the President of the University. The MVC tiebreaker based on strength of schedule is a large motivating factor. And some of those "disgruntled fans" on the message board have some real pull-- former players, announcers, top donors, etc.

Oh sure, and probably the best way fans can cause change is by "voting with their feet" and not coming out to the games to see us play poor teams. LU has seen that happen a lot recently

[Cdizzle]

As to who would we rather add than Loyola? How about NOBODY! Why the big rush to add another team? My thought was that if Loyola was the best there was at that time, maybe wait until a better time to add a team.

An option I favored, but apparently no one in the league had the thought presented to them. If Loyola looked like a program that was ready to invest and improve, great, let them prove it.

[rlh04d]

Loyola is working on it. Fans take it very seriously and are keeping pressure on.

That's what I want to hear.

Cause, you know, taking a popular consensus of disgruntled fans on a message board is almost always how head coaches of D1 basketball programs make major decisions.

I'm operating under the assumption that every Rambler fan on a message board equals 2% of Loyola's total fanbase.

Boom. Roasted.



Seriously, though, it's not like Loyola has bandwagon fans. Most of you are boosters and almost all of you are alumni. In a program as small as Loyola, you do have a voice, to some degree.