2015-2016 Opponents

[zvillehaze]

If these listed games are official we are now at 18 conference and 10 OOC for 28 total. It would appear that the multi team MTE event we will host at the ARC might be our only loose end? Help me out. Would we be limited to 2 more games if constructed as an exempt tournament or could it grow to 3?

The NCAA allows a maximum of a.) 29 regular season games, or b.) 27 regular season games plus up to 4 games in a MTE event.

If the 28 games listed above are solid AND Valpo is hosting a MTE, then one of those games must be part of the MTE (assuming my math skilz are correct).  UCF and IPFW are not associated with a MTE yet, so I guess they are both possibilities.

[zvillehaze]

If these listed games are official we are now at 18 conference and 10 OOC for 28 total. It would appear that the multi team MTE event we will host at the ARC might be our only loose end? Help me out. Would we be limited to 2 more games if constructed as an exempt tournament or could it grow to 3?

The NCAA allows a maximum of a.) 29 regular season games, or b.) 27 regular season games plus up to 4 games in a MTE event.

If the 28 games listed above are solid AND Valpo is hosting a MTE, then one of those games must be part of the MTE (assuming my math skilz are correct).  UCF and IPFW are not associated with a MTE yet, so I guess they are both possibilities.

I just uncovered one more possibility.  I read that Oregon State was finalizing a 5-team MTE that they would host.  Valpo could be part of that MTE, where 4 teams would each play at OSU, then convene at Valpo to complete the remainder of the games.  Similar to when Valpo played at Nebraska a few years back, then hosted Chicago State, Bethune Cookman and Neb-Omaha in the "Valpo Sub-Region" of the MTE.  Just a thought.

[justducky]

I just uncovered one more possibility.  I read that Oregon State was finalizing a 5-team MTE that they would host.  Valpo could be part of that MTE, where 4 teams would each play at OSU, then convene at Valpo to complete the remainder of the games.  Similar to when Valpo played at Nebraska a few years back, then hosted Chicago State, Bethune Cookman and Neb-Omaha in the "Valpo Sub-Region" of the MTE.

Any hopes I had for some additional quality games just took a nosedive. Cal Fullerton and Loyola Marymount will both play at OSU and are not listed in an exempt tournament so they might be candidates? Both were very weak last year.

But---I am way overdue for some kind of pleasant surprise so I will just relax and see how the cards fall. We should get the full story soon.

[wh]

This tells me that we are struggling to close out our schedule.  Are multiple non D-1 home games in our future?

[tweet]638054415975493632[/tweet]

[Commissioner]

This tells me that we are struggling to close out our schedule.  Are multiple non D-1 home games in our future? [tweet]638054415975493632[/tweet]

No. You've got 10 definite games scheduled assuming Belmont is H&H this year. You'll probably schedule 1 non-DI game at home to round out the schedule (you get 11 non-conference games since you are not in an exempt tournament). That you haven't announce the schedule suggest that you are still trying to get a DI opponent. So it's 1 non-DI at most. Assuming Belmont.

http://udtitanbasketball.freeforums.net/post/3977/thread

[valpotx]

You can't blame other NCAA teams from being scared .  You bring back an entire team that lost to Maryland by 3 (who is a pre-season #1 candidate), and add more quality players.  Big schools run!

[StlVUFan]

You can't blame other NCAA teams from being scared .  You bring back an entire team that lost to Maryland by 3 (who is a pre-season #1 candidate), and add more quality players.  Big schools run!

Sure I can.  It's weak and timid.

[justducky]

I wish I already had an OOC schedule but this MTE must be holding the whole thing up. Looks like maybe 90 D-1 schools not yet placed in exempt tournaments so many various options may yet be open but should be closing fast.

As followup to an Iona game rumor I checked into their board to see what I could find. No confirmation but they are one of those 90, have been talking of an unknown Indiana destination swing, and also had UCF on and now off their schedule. Add this together and I would think they are part of the MTE field but who knows? With the way these exempt tournaments are now cobbled together any rational discussion on who, when, and where all of these games may be played is a waste of time but if Iona is in (and I suspect they are) I am somewhat more optimistic about the rest of the field. Perhaps we will not have any of those D-2 or D-3 games we were afraid of.

[historyman]

I am somewhat more optimistic about the rest of the field. Perhaps we will not have any of those D-2 or D-3 games we were afraid of.

So Joel Osteen-like.   

[sliman]

Conference schedule is now online.

[zvillehaze]

Putting together some data on our OOC opponents:



For comparison, Valpo returns 98.46% of their minutes, and   98.82% of their points. I'm presuming that's #1 in all of college basketball.

Valpo doesn't appear to be on UCF's schedule.  http://www.ucfknights.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/ucf-m-baskbl-sched.html

[a3uge]

Putting together some data on our OOC opponents:



For comparison, Valpo returns 98.46% of their minutes, and   98.82% of their points. I'm presuming that's #1 in all of college basketball.

Valpo doesn't appear to be on UCF's schedule.  http://www.ucfknights.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/ucf-m-baskbl-sched.html

Well that's good to hear.

Can't find the post, but I believe someone reported it :?

[justducky]

You can't blame other NCAA teams from being scared .  You bring back an entire team that lost to Maryland by 3 (who is a pre-season #1 candidate), and add more quality players.  Big schools run!

Sure I can.  It's weak and timid.

Looks to me that UCF chose the weak and timid route. They have a 29 game schedule and appear to have decided against an exempt tournament participation that could have issued them some severe lumps. Our OOC schedule is already better than theirs and might improve even more.

Oh well. We already knew nobody wanted to play us.

[usc4valpo]

It is truly embarrassing to DePaul and Northwestern that they will not play Valpo. The last time they played was the 79-80 season. Truly unbelievable.

[a3uge]

It is truly embarrassing to DePaul and Northwestern that they will not play Valpo. The last time they played was the 79-80 season. Truly unbelievable.

I'd rather not play two teams that are pretty much guaranteed to finish below .500. Other than "pride", not much upside.

[covufan]

It is truly embarrassing to DePaul and Northwestern that they will not play Valpo. The last time they played was the 79-80 season. Truly unbelievable.

I'd rather not play two teams that are pretty much guaranteed to finish below .500. Other than "pride", not much upside.

DePaul should host a double header - Valpo against DePaul and Northwestern against Loyola.  Get all of these teams some time on local/Midwestern TV and local news, and a chance for our Chicago based alumni to attend a game.  We could also leave out DePaul, rent the AllState Arena and include Marquette - two local teams and two teams with many alumni in the Chicagoland area. 

[VULB#62]

It is truly embarrassing to DePaul and Northwestern that they will not play Valpo. The last time they played was the 79-80 season. Truly unbelievable.

I'd rather not play two teams that are pretty much guaranteed to finish below .500. Other than "pride", not much upside.

In Philadelphia there is such a thing as the Big 5:  Villanova (Big East), Penn (Ivy), St. Joseph and LaSalle (A-10) and Temple (AAC). 

Here's a snip from their website. http://www.philadelphiabig5.org/about/index.html

The official announcement of the formation of the Big 5 was made by University of Pennsylvania president Dr. Gaylord Harnwell at Penn's Houston Hall on November 23, 1954.The Big 5 was touted as a chance for Philadelphia to present the best basketball it had to offer with the schools sharing the profits evenly after Penn was paid for the Palestra's upkeep. The formation of the Big 5 was conceived by Penn athletic director Jerry Ford. Penn sports information director Bob Paul and the Quaker's business manager John Rossiter worked to put the round-robin format together. The other athletic directors who worked together to form the Big 5 were LaSalle's Jim Henry, St. Joseph's George Bertelsman, Temple's Josh Cody and Villanova's Ambrose (Bud) Dudley.  Little did these men know that the Big 5 would become college basketball's most storied tradition and unique rivalry.

For more than three decades, Philadelphia Big 5 — LaSalle, Pennsylvania, St. Joseph's, Temple and Villanova — waged college basketball's biggest, most envied, unique, and frenetic, intracity rivalry. No other city in the nation ever had as many major universities competing so feverishly for such a coveted title as did the City of Brotherly Love.

The Big 5 was housed at the Palestra, a venerable red brick building on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. That building hosted more fans at more games over more seasons than any other college arena in history. This musty, high-ceilinged, 75-year-old arena is still regarded by many people as the best basketball facility in the country.

They are still going strong. Here's the 2014-15 results
Tue. Nov. 25: Temple 76, Penn 67 (Liacouras Center)
Wed. Dec. 3:   Saint Joseph's 58, Temple 56 (Hagan Arena)
Wed. Dec. 3:   Villanova 84, La Salle 70 (Tom Gola Arena)
Sat. Dec. 6:   Villanova 74, Saint Joseph's 46 (The Pavilion)
Sat. Dec. 6:   Temple 58, La Salle 57 (The Palestra)
Sun. Dec. 14:   Villanova 85, Temple 62 (The Pavilion)
Tue. Dec. 30:   La Salle 84, Penn 67 (Tom Gola Arena)
Sat. Jan. 17:   Villanova 62, Penn 47 (The Palestra)
Sat. Jan. 24:   Penn 56, Saint Joseph's 52   (The Palestra)
Tue. Jan. 27:   La Salle 53, Saint Joseph's 48 (Tom Gola Arena)

The Big-5 helped to make college basketball thrive in Philly.  Maybe something like that could work in Chicago?  There is a similar situation in the Chicago area with Loyola (MVC), NU (B1G), DePaul (Big East) and Valpo and UIC (Horizon). Traditions have to start sometime.  It just takes 5 ADs who can think a bit more broadly than just their own programs.  If it works all teams benefit and Chicago area players would stay closer to home.

[justducky]

This tells me that we are struggling to close out our schedule.  Are multiple non D-1 home games in our future?

Most schedules have been released and many fewer candidates for MTE are still open.

I can imagine frantic last minute activity in an attempt to accomplish the task.

[usc4valpo]

I would disagree with you on that comment. Games like that draw local fans and interest. The game also brings in Chicagoland Valpo alums, more so than many of the teams they are facing this year.  I think players would enjoy those matchups. It would be a win-win for all in the long term. Home and home games should be scheduled - the problem is Northwestern and most particularly DePaul have overinflated and unrealistic egos with their athletics.

[covufan]

I would disagree with you on that comment. Games like that draw local fans and interest. The game also brings in Chicagoland Valpo alums, more so than many of the teams they are facing this year.  I think players would enjoy those matchups. It would be a win-win for all in the long term. Home and home games should be scheduled - the problem is Northwestern and most particularly DePaul have overinflated and unrealistic egos with their athletics.

And most likely would lose a game with Valpo this year.  If they signed up for more than one year, they might lose more games to us.  Very little upside for them.  As a basketball fan, I think it would be great for the Chicagoland area.

[justducky]

Iona is now on the Oregon State schedule and that is almost a total confirmation that they are in our MTE. UC Santa Barbara looks like another potential member of that field. Anybody hear any rumors about them?

[zvillehaze]

Iona is now on the Oregon State schedule and that is almost a total confirmation that they are in our MTE. UC Santa Barbara looks like another potential member of that field. Anybody hear any rumors about them?

The Oregon State schedule has 29 games, which is the max without any MTE games.  Reading between the lines, they aren't part of any MTE this year.

[justducky]

The Oregon State schedule has 29 games, which is the max without any MTE games.  Reading between the lines, they aren't part of any MTE this year.

So if the OSU end of it didn't come together is it a safe bet that we will not be hosting any part of an exempt tournament?

If so you can see the vicious circle. We need to host in order to get in line for a spot in a neutral site tournament next year but UCF drops out, nobody wants to come to the ARC, so now are we back at square one?

[oklahomamick]

The Oregon State schedule has 29 games, which is the max without any MTE games.  Reading between the lines, they aren't part of any MTE this year.

So if the OSU end of it didn't come together is it a safe bet that we will not be hosting any part of an exempt tournament? If so you can see the vicious circle. We need to host in order to get in line for a spot in a neutral site tournament next year but UCF drops out, nobody wants to come to the ARC, so now are we back at square one?

Couldn't we just pay a team to come? 

[valporun]

oklahomamick, are you ponying up the money to rent the United Center for a game against Notre Dame or Kentucky? I mean when Valpo pays a team to come in, we get IUSB or Purdue-Cal, not a mid-major or high major team.