2014-2015 schedule

[wh]

One caveat along with adding a 10th team - a new league rule that states NO MORE NON D-1 GAMES PERMITTED. 

I think what ml is saying is that you can make all the rules you want but if your possible D-I opponents aren't willing to come to the ARC to play then it really is no good. It takes two teams to make a game. I think it says something about how tough it is to play against Valpo in the ARC.   

I can only surmise that you stopped reading my post after the 1 line you quoted.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

NO MORE NON D-1 GAMES PERMITTED

Why?  Less harmful to RPI than playing the Chicago States of the world.

Would you like Purdue to do us a solid and schedule us?  Don't you think the Purdue-Cals of the world feel the same way about us? 

I'd think it hypocritical to bemoan the Power-5 refusing to schedule us while also bewailing scheduling NAIA and D2&3 teams.

[wh]

NO MORE NON D-1 GAMES PERMITTED

Why?

I have neither the time nor the inclination to (re)explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it.

[valpo64]

For those of you that always complain about Valpo's b-ball schedule, why don't you examine a "major" program?  They too have problems with lousy preseason games at home.  Relatively speaking, many of those home schedules are worse than VU's and are a joke.  Put on your big-boy pants and deal with it!  Don't you believe that our b-ball coaches and M LB want the best for our program, including competition wise and financially? 

[wh]

For those of you that always complain about Valpo's b-ball schedule, why don't you examine a "major" program?  They too have problems with lousy preseason games at home.  Relatively speaking, many of those home schedules are worse than VU's and are a joke.  Put on your big-boy pants and deal with it!  Don't you believe that our b-ball coaches and M LB want the best for our program, including competition wise and financially? 

Lousy to a Power-5 fan is playing us. Lousy to us is playing Goshen. Apples and oranges. As to your other point, no one's questioning whether ml and the coaching staff want what's best for the program. The scheduling problem has nothing to do with desire. It does, however, have everything to do with results (by ml's own admission).  Lastly, I'm guessing its a little easier to put your big boy pants on when you don't live locally and aren't shelling out your own money for season tickets.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Lousy to a Power-5 fan is playing us. Lousy to us is playing Goshen. Apples and oranges.

Not true.  Lousy to a Power-5 conference is playing Alcorn State.  (i.e. someone 200 or lower.  100-200, where we are, is fine.)

Lousy to us is playing Goshen.

May well be apples/oranges, but only one of the two teams will take an RPI hit.

(i.e. you still have yet to adequately answer our point about non-D1 games not really mattering)

[justducky]

Why?  Less harmful to RPI than playing the Chicago States of the world.

So your argument is that since the RPI scoring systems are flawed we should embrace their mistakes, take the path of least resistance, and schedule 2 non-D1s instead of weaker D1s who might just be temporarily down on their luck. Brilliant!

Why do we not just address the problem at its source and get the flawed system corrected? This isn't all that hard and could be achievable with a little time, organized pressure and politicking. Off the top of my head you could alter the RPI system so that the lowest 2 D1 teams on all schedules are automatically dropped from the scoring just like the first 2 non-D1s currently are. Even some of the Power-5 teams could find advantages with some such minor adjustments. This is doable. Somebody just needs to point out the problem and get the ball rolling. 

[wh]

(i.e. you still have yet to adequately answer our point about non-D1 games not really mattering)

This has been discussed ad nauseam in the HL section. Big D, Pathfinder and I went into great depth explaining why playing an all D-1 schedule is necessary to elevate the image and profile of the league, and benefit every member in the process. You either accept it, or you don't.

[bbtds]

When the league dropped to 9, teams that were already scheduling 2 non D-1's were basically forced to find D-1 opponents to replace the 2 lost conference games, and "amazingly," they did.

The key here is "they did." Not "they can."

Are you saying that you don't believe ml when he says

Scheduling basketball games has changed significantly over the past 5 years.

They tried to get D-I opponents. They couldn't.

[wh]

Obviously, we're on 2 different planets.  You don't understand my point, and I don't understand how you don't understand.

[justducky]

When the league dropped to 9, teams that were already scheduling 2 non D-1's were basically forced to find D-1 opponents to replace the 2 lost conference games, and "amazingly," they did.

The key here is "they did." Not "they can."

Are you saying that you don't believe ml when he says

Scheduling basketball games has changed significantly over the past 5 years.

They tried to get D-I opponents. They couldn't.

Not certain that your interpretation of all the ml commentary is completely accurate. I see it as being vague enough that much is left to individual interpretation which grants some minimum cover to any and all that helped put the schedule together. In any case if the RPI penalty for playing lower D1s was modified to adjust for its unintended consequences (everyone deciding to play 2 non D1 games) then DII, DIII, or NAIA teams would largely disappear from most most schedules.

[valpo64]

By the way, I don't live locally and I, along with some others I know, make the trip and do indeed buy season tickets.  I must admit though that there are a few games I choose not to travel to watch us play a game( i.e. Goshen).  I really do not see this as a problem that can be solved completely and it is something with which we will have to continue to adjust.

[valporun]

The idea of having two games in the OOC not counting towards the RPI because they are 200+ in the ratings index would make it a Power 5 conference's fun because they would go after the independents, SWACs, MEACs, and very low majors because guess what...THERE GAMES WOULDN'T AFFECT OUR RPI!!  Why play them then? It would just be a great joke for ESPN and the Power 5 schools. You just suggested something that makes the whole scheduling fiasco a huge bleeping joke.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Everyone does this, anyway.  Michigan is playing Wayne State (as an ex) and Hillsdale.  Also Nicholls St -- such that a game against UDM is no worse than the 2nd best home game Ann Arborites will see in November.

Then next month they host NJIT, former bitter conference rival of Chicago St., and then they get a feel for Coppin St. as well (Fangs a lot).

So, 3 D1 dregs and 1 non-D1, plus another non-D1 that doesn't count.  Somehow Michigan fans will manage to turn out, I'm sure.

And they have far more reason to question their AD's abilities lately.

[valporun]

LAA, Coppin St. fired Fang Mitchell after last season, so there will be no Fangs to bare in Ann Arbor for this game.

[justducky]

Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on September 26, 2014, 04:42:51 PM
Why?  Less harmful to RPI than playing the Chicago States of the world.
So your argument is that since the RPI scoring systems are flawed we should embrace their mistakes, take the path of least resistance, and schedule 2 non-D1s instead of weaker D1s who might just be temporarily down on their luck. Brilliant!

First off I need to apologize to LAA, since me calling him brilliant was obviously a mistake.     

I must admit though that there are a few games I choose not to travel to watch us play a game( i.e. Goshen).  I really do not see this as a problem that can be solved completely and it is something with which we will have to continue to adjust.

The world of all mid-major and below D1s is under assault and coordinated action by their administrators, coaches and fans will be required just to tread water.

The idea of having two games in the OOC not counting towards the RPI because they are 200+ in the ratings index would make it a Power 5 conference's fun because they would go after the independents, SWACs, MEACs, and very low majors because guess what...THERE GAMES WOULDN'T AFFECT OUR RPI!!  Why play them then? It would just be a great joke for ESPN and the Power 5 schools. You just suggested something that makes the whole scheduling fiasco a huge bleeping joke.

Any changes to the current RPI systems would require fresh modeling to insure that no new unintended consequences would be introduced. Since I only have 20 seconds of time invested in my initial proposal I am willing to concede that it might not be the ultimate or total solution. Why don't we all just focus on how to repair the broken system? Run, since I put 20 seconds of my time into what you believe to be a poor idea I challenge you to spend 20 minutes of thought towards finding a better proposal.

[valporun]

Get rid of the Ratings Percentage Index, schedule whomever you want, and cut the NCAA Tournament back to the 31 winners of their respective conference championships and the IVY regular season champion. A bloated NCAA tournament with teams from the Power 5 just adding to the millions they'll get from the pie doesn't intrigue me anymore. If you aren't good enough to win your conference title, then you go to the NIT or hang up the uniforms for the rest of the academic year, and focus on school. Make the regular season mean something for teams to improve, not just focus on scheduling certain teams that will build a complicated resume that doesn't do anything to prove a good team from a bad team, just a matter of who can BS their way to getting teams to come to their place, or pay them the right amount to get their back sides handed to them.

[a3uge]

Just have the top two teams (according to some machine that does math and stuff) decide who plays in a championship game. Other teams that are really good can play each other too. These will all be at neutral sites. Have like 6 of these games more prestigious and sometimes the same conference playing each other. Name these games after flowers, fruits, and stuff, but put a big corporate sponsor in front of the name. Other teams with winning records can play in these 1-game matchups as well and complete for irrelevant trophies.

[bbtds]

Just have the top two teams (according to some machine that does math and stuff) decide who plays in a championship game. Other teams that are really good can play each other too. These will all be at neutral sites. Have like 6 of these games more prestigious and sometimes the same conference playing each other. Name these games after flowers, fruits, and stuff, but put a big corporate sponsor in front of the name. Other teams with winning records can play in these 1-game matchups as well and complete for irrelevant trophies.

Orange you glad schools like Valpo have "rose" above this kind of thinking? Cotton we all just see the benefit of playing each other and not worry about the consequences of losing? Let's not Sugar coat it. These big schools are afraid to lose like it would ruin their Fiesta and kill their Peach crop with an early freezing.

[justducky]

Just have the top two teams (according to some machine that does math and stuff) decide who plays in a championship game. Other teams that are really good can play each other too. These will all be at neutral sites. Have like 6 of these games more prestigious and sometimes the same conference playing each other. Name these games after flowers, fruits, and stuff, but put a big corporate sponsor in front of the name. Other teams with winning records can play in these 1-game matchups as well and complete for irrelevant trophies.

Why didn't I think of this?

When I was much younger this type of creative thought used to pop into my head on a regular basis, although it was frequently following a half bottle of scotch.

[justducky]

Get rid of the Ratings Percentage Index, schedule whomever you want, and cut the NCAA Tournament back to the 31 winners of their respective conference championships and the IVY regular season champion. A bloated NCAA tournament with teams from the Power 5 just adding to the millions they'll get from the pie doesn't intrigue me anymore. If you aren't good enough to win your conference title, then you go to the NIT or hang up the uniforms for the rest of the academic year, and focus on school. Make the regular season mean something for teams to improve, not just focus on scheduling certain teams that will build a complicated resume that doesn't do anything to prove a good team from a bad team, just a matter of who can BS their way to getting teams to come to their place, or pay them the right amount to get their back sides handed to them.

Sometimes going backwards is the best way to proceed forward. This would take us back to the format (32 teams) of about what maybe 1978? I like the simplicity.

But-------How long would it take the Power 5 schools to dissolve into 8 team conferences just so they could regain their NCAA disproportionate numbers? On the plus side the NIT could once again become a big, big deal of major significance. You could theoretically have more higher ranked teams in the NIT than the NCAA.

[valpo84]

Orange you glad schools like Valpo have "rose" above this kind of thinking? Cotton we all just see the benefit of playing each other and not worry about the consequences of losing? Let's not Sugar coat it. These big schools are afraid to lose like it would ruin their Fiesta and kill their Peach crop with an early freezing.

So, what was your pointsettia? It's not like you tied a bluebonnet on it. All this does is make me kind of sad, blue and gray. 

[crusadermoe]

Alamo reason to take a Holiday from this whole topic.   

See you later, Alli-GATOR.   

[valporun]

The 2014-15 basketball season officially gets underway tomorrow night!! Who else is getting overly excited for this?

[valpotx]

I like our road schedule, conference, and home game against UNM, so I am excited for those.  The only thing we can be excited about relating to the non-D1 games, is that we get to see some of the younger guys play more in those games, and hopefully get Chadwick some quality minutes to get him more game action.