2017-18 VU Schedule

[jtm]

http://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/schedule/#.WaXOYrJ96Uk

As intuited, the early slate is awful. But Nov. 24 on is formidable, albeit nearly exclusively away from the ARC.

[bigmosmithfan1]

Okay, so its two non-D1s instead of one (the exhibition doesn't matter). Not ideal, but not the end of the world. Remember that schedule negotiations are already starting for next season behind the scenes, so most of this was negotiated while we were a Horizon League team. I'd prefer zero non-D1s, but I'd also rather have scheduling flexibility next year than be saddled with a return game against a low-D1 team just for the sake of an extra D-1 game at home this year. And I can't blame VU for not wanting to go the guarantee route this year with all the other one-time costs involved in the transition.

A few thoughts:
-Utah State is still a better opponent than our best non-conference home game in most seasons.

-A non-conference schedule with Purdue and Northwestern (the latter of which is basically a Chicago game - there will be tickets available in Rosemont for as many VU fans that want to go), a Mountain West team at home, neutral site games vs. the defending CAA champ and perennial tourney team (UNCW) and a top MAC program (Kent), a traditional in-state rival (Ball State - who has nearly everyone back from a 21-win team last year), plus a solid WCC team can hardly be called weak or bad. Even the games people don't like aren't even that bad -- Samford is coming off a postseason appearance, SIUE gives us an OVC team at home for next season.

-More glass half-full: we have three non-conf. home games set for next season already: Ball State, SIUE and UCR, with no return games on the books (we'll be on the road for the MVC/MWC Challenge). That gives Valpo nearly a full year to try to land 3-4 quality home games for the non-conference slate as a full-time member of the Valley.

-Lastly, don't forget, we'll have the strongest and most appealing home conference schedule in school history this year: UNI, Illinois State, Indiana State, Missouri State, Bradley, SIU, Evansville, Loyola and Drake. Feel better now?

[wh]

Evidently, we have been placed in Tier-3:

The Valley employs a three-tier system for nonconference scheduling where each conference team is given a set of guidelines from year to year based on the perceived strength of their team. Should a Valley team perhaps be worthy of at-large consideration, the conference expects the team to schedule a bit more ambitiously than a team that is in a rebuilding phase.

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college/valparaiso-university/valley-commissioner-holds-orientation-for-valparaiso-coaches-and-administrators/article_eb1fbb2c-cb55-5059-aaaa-625ec520b606.html

[vu84v2]

I won't repeat my arguments on this awful non-conference schedule. But I will add that I frankly would prefer not to have return home games against UC-Riverside and SIU-E (who won a combined 11 games last year against D1 opponents).

[bigmosmithfan1]

But I will add that I frankly would prefer not to have return home games against UC-Riverside and SIU-E (who won a combined 11 games last year against D1 opponents).

Two things:

1. 2016-2017 has no bearing on 2018-2019.

2. You're aware that if you want to rid the home non-conference schedules of non-D1 teams, teams like SIUE (OVC) and UCR (Big West) will need to be a part of that mix, right? Unless you think there is a line of P5, Big East and A-10 athletic directors outside the ARC waiting to come play us at our place, that is.

Look, scheduling good teams to the ARC will get easier in the Valley than in the HL, but we're still gonna need home games, guys.

[FieldGoodie05]

Let's not be so dillisional to think the MVC gives us a path to at-large in the near term.

While it's great to hear opinions and concerns over scheduling, I'd argue the bigger picture is more important...W's in a season with several very tough road games.

It's great to have a strong ranking in _______, but it's far better to have a respectable W-L overall when combined with our new MVC opponents.  We are really going to have a tough year ahead.  Let's worry about national rankings (in whatever trendy chart is popular today) at a time the MVC can support at-large worthy teams.

[vusupporter]

Interesting to look at the MVC non-conference schedules released so far (Valpo's was #8) with an eye on the KenPom rankings - for bracketed tournaments, I forecast future opponents with wins/losses based on last year's KenPom.

Top-100 opponents
UNI - 5 (2 home, 2 neutral, 1 road)
Illinois State - 4 (1 neutral, 3 road)
Valpo - 3 (1 neutral, 2 road)
Loyola - 3 (1 neutral, 2 road)
Drake - 3 (1 home, 1 neutral, 1 road)
SIU - 2 (1 road, 1 neutral)
Bradley - 2 (2 road)
Missouri State - 1 (1 home)

Of the 4 home top-100 opponents, 2 are part of the MWC/MVC challenge.

Average KenPom of D-I Opponents
UNI - 134.6 (5 home, 5 road/neutral)
Illinois St. - 144.5 (4 home, 7 road/neutral)
Valpo - 156.3 (3 home, 8 road/neutral)
Drake - 176 (4 home, 8 road/neutral)
Loyola - 180.7 (5 home, 6 road/neutral)
Bradley - 197.3 (7 home, 5 road/neutral)
Missouri State - 200.3 (5 home, 7 road/neutral)
SIU - 211.1 (6 home, 6 road/neutral)

Average KenPom of D-I Home Opponents
Valpo - 175.7 (5 total home games, 2 non D-I)
UNI - 194.8 (7 total home games, 2 non D-I)
Missouri State - 210.6 (6 total home games, 1 non D-I)
Illinois State - 222 (5 total home games, 1 non D-I)
Drake - 225.8 (5 total home games, 1 non D-I)
Loyola - 242.2 (6 total home games, 1 non D-I)
Bradley - 244.4 (8 total home games, 1 non D-I)
SIU - 277.2 (7 total home games, 1 non D-I)

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/coachlottich/status/902663585654087680

[wh]

Let's not be so dillisional to think the MVC gives us a path to at-large in the near term.

While it's great to hear opinions and concerns over scheduling, I'd argue the bigger picture is more important...W's in a season with several very tough road games.

It's great to have a strong ranking in _______, but it's far better to have a respectable W-L overall when combined with our new MVC opponents.  We are really going to have a tough year ahead.  Let's worry about national rankings (in whatever trendy chart is popular today) at a time the MVC can support at-large worthy teams.

You may be right that it's a decent schedule on balance, but as a season ticket holder x 5 the OOC home schedule has special significance of its own. Hosting up to 3 non D-1 opponents and some low-level D-1's when the students are out has terrible entertainment value any way you slice it.

I don't want to sound overly pessimistic before the season even begins and I hope I'm wrong, but I fear that this year's version of the "Why don't the students and community support the Crusaders like they used to?" thread could be pretty lively.

[FieldGoodie05]

Let's not be so dillisional to think the MVC gives us a path to at-large in the near term.

While it's great to hear opinions and concerns over scheduling, I'd argue the bigger picture is more important...W's in a season with several very tough road games.

It's great to have a strong ranking in _______, but it's far better to have a respectable W-L overall when combined with our new MVC opponents.  We are really going to have a tough year ahead.  Let's worry about national rankings (in whatever trendy chart is popular today) at a time the MVC can support at-large worthy teams.

You may be right that it's a decent schedule on balance, but as a season ticket holder x 5 the OOC home schedule has special significance of its own. Hosting up to 3 non D-1 opponents and some low-level D-1's when the students are out has terrible entertainment value any way you slice it.

I don't want to sound overly pessimistic before the season even begins and I hope I'm wrong, but I fear that this year's version of the "Why don't the students and community support the Crusaders like they used to?" thread could be pretty lively.

Solid point, I live too far away to be a season ticket holder.  Hadn't thought from that perspective.  I suppose my bigger concern has always been in conference play.  90% of the games I attend are in conference.

[4throwfan]

My first post on this board was my comment last year that I thought that the schedule was really good for many different reasons.  I can't get as excited this year, but I'll still be sitting in the fourth row of each home game.

At least the Non-D1 drag will be behind us by mid-November.  Problem with that is that it will be hard to generate excitement out of the gate.  Ideally, the Samford and SE LA games are interesting and are wins so that excitement finally starts to build for the Utah State game (which is the schedule highlight).  But then the team is out-of-sight and out-of-mind for the entire month of December so that any gained excitement is then lost.  Hopefully, it can start to build again during the early part of the conference schedule.

I'm not going to second guess the folks doing the schedule, because I know they likely work harder, and are more frustrated, than we can imagine.  But whatever the problems were/are, they need to be fixed or overcome next year, or people simply won't come to the games, regardless of how well the team does.

I'm sure that ML and the staff "gets it", and are working hard.

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/902625759356968962
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/902625920418242561
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/902626407095967744
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/902626685853593601
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/902627060451078144
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/902627459992039424

[vu72]

As Matt has stated on numerous occasions, "This team will get better as the season progresses"  That's code for "we've got talent but need to get the freshman acclimated and the senior guys playing as a unit"  Practice can only get you so far.

So the cup cakes serve a much needed purpose.  I would guess the schedule is to some extent by design and to some extent caused by the league shift.  I would think that much effort will go and will be driven more so than this year by the Valley who will recognize our potential next year of being an at-large team.

[valporun]

I have to agree with Pgmado and vu72. This schedule was built to accommodate all of the unknowns on our roster for this season. The two non-D1 games to start hurt attendance, but they'll be good for seeing what lineups/combos work together best in game situations going into Samford and SE Louisiana and the rest of the non-conference schedule. I mean, as I've said numerous years, our schedule is built to work guys into the lineup/games, not just to boost the win-loss record of the head coach. I've never felt critical about how Valpo Basketball schedules games, when I look at the team that we'll have on the floor in the coming season. Look at how many new Crusaders we have this season, either as transfers or true freshmen, compared to what we have returning from last season's roster. Yeah, I admit, I'll probably lose interest in watching the second half of the two non-D1 games early, but knowing these games will be more for in-game evaluation of combos and who's ready to be key cogs to this season help me grasp why our schedule doesn't favor giddy fan optimism for the season, but next year and in 2019-2020, we'll have reason to be "jumping out of the gym" with excitement for the teams we'll have, and the fear we may strike into our MVC opponents.

[M]

Terrible home slate for non con.  I get there are challenges for scheduling....going to be a boring december in the arc.

[valpo64]

I get a kick out of comments made about schedules.  Last year with a "good" non-conference schedule attendance was down but everyone raved about the list of opponents.  This year with a poor non-conference schedule people are unhappy and some appear to have no interest in going to those games. 

Should the powers that be try to schedule to best serve the kind of team we expect to have, or should they schedule like Oakland has done in the past,  or maybe like IPFW having to play both IU and Kentucky on the road? It appears that ML and Coach have almost a no win situation with some people.

Many mid-majors are having problems scheduling this year and besides, we just got into the MVC. Let's give this thing some time.

[bigmosmithfan1]

I'm telling you, we need to start viewing/promoting the Northwestern game like we would one of the United Center games. Yes, NU is the home team, but if Valpo wants to bring an ARC full of fans to that game, we'll be able to do so.

Yes, we have a lot of road games in December. Three are in easy driving distance, however, and one is practically a neutral site (sorry, NU is not going to garner much home-court advantage at Allstate Arena. There's a reason why DePaul finally left.)

Unrelated: I found it amusing that Northwestern's next game after playing us in DePaul's old house is against... DePaul, at the Blue Demons' new arena.

[FieldGoodie05]

I get a kick out of comments made about schedules.  Last year with a "good" non-conference schedule attendance was down but everyone raved about the list of opponents.  This year with a poor non-conference schedule people are unhappy and some appear to have no interest in going to those games. 

Should the powers that be try to schedule to best serve the kind of team we expect to have, or should they schedule like Oakland has done in the past,  or maybe like IPFW having to play both IU and Kentucky on the road? It appears that ML and Coach have almost a no win situation with some people.

Many mid-majors are having problems scheduling this year and besides, we just got into the MVC. Let's give this thing some time.

Here Here

[VU2014]

The Valpo Student radio show breaks down the Valpo & George Washington Schedules and compares them. Link is below if you want to give it a listen. (Start at 07:30 if you only want to hear about Valpo's schedule)

https://www.pscp.tv/w/1YpJkmmwEYAKj

https://twitter.com/happeninghoops/status/902973716585472000

Side Note: One of the students considers the A10 a high major league. I personally disagree. In my opinion the A10 is still a mid-major conference but its one of the better conferences that can as of right now consistently be a mutli-bid Mid-Major league.

[FWalum]

I get a kick out of comments made about schedules.  Last year with a "good" non-conference schedule attendance was down but everyone raved about the list of opponents.  This year with a poor non-conference schedule people are unhappy and some appear to have no interest in going to those games. 

Should the powers that be try to schedule to best serve the kind of team we expect to have, or should they schedule like Oakland has done in the past,  or maybe like IPFW having to play both IU and Kentucky on the road? It appears that ML and Coach have almost a no win situation with some people.

Many mid-majors are having problems scheduling this year and besides, we just got into the MVC. Let's give this thing some time.

Scheduling is extremely difficult for Mid-Majors.  I have talked to Jon Coffman at IPFW about this and I really feel for these coaches.  How was IPFW rewarded for its victory over IU last year... they were shunned by almost everyone of consequence.  Here is their non-conference home schedule.  4 NCAA DI opponents - Delaware State (Adolph Rupp Classic), Detroit Mercy, SIUE, Stetson.  4 Non-NCAA DI including Defiance and Olivet (NCAA DIII) along with IU Kokomo and Concordia Michigan (NAIA DII).  All Non-Con DI games were moved to the Memorial Coliseum so no one can say they didn't want to play in the "High School Gym" Gates Center.

AT OAKLAND
HOME VS DEFIANCE    DIII
HOME VS DELAWARE STATE
AT UIC
AT KENTUCKY
AT EAST TENNESSEE STATE
HOME VS DETROIT MERCY
IU KOKOMO  NAIA DII
HOME VS SIUE
AT AKRON
HOME VS STETSON
AT INDIANA
NEUTRAL VS LIBERTY
NEUTRAL VS LOUISIANA TECH OR ALABAMA STATE
OLIVET  DIII
CONCORDIA (MICH.) NAIA DII

[VU2014]

Must listen Union Street Hoops Podcast! Paul did a interview with the Forbes writer who broke the story about HL suing VU & MVC. Also does another interview with Luke Gore breaking down the schedule and why the schedule is the way it is.

http://www.nwitimes.com/digital/audio/union-street-hoops/podcast-union-street-hoops-episode/audio_bcec8bec-8dcb-11e7-8f86-5b81f5440cce.html

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/903012267758944256

[valpospartan]

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/902625759356968962
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/902625920418242561
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/902626407095967744
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/902626685853593601
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/902627060451078144
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/902627459992039424

Is there a way that you can post tweets without all the duplicates? 

[EddieCabot]

Enjoyed the podcast.  I think both Coach Gore and Paul described the positives of scheduling non-DI teams.  They don't hurt RPI and they give a great opportunity to smaller schools to compete against DI players in a big-time environment.

Anyone complaining about the schedule should listen, as Coach Gore explained in detail how difficult putting a schedule together can be.

[talksalot]

so we're playing Robert Morris on 11/2... Should I ASSUME that this represents the Eagles of RM -Chicago?  I looked at all four Robert Morris schedules (CHICAGO, PEORIA, SPRINGFIELD, PITTSBURGH)...and we are not listed on any of their schedules... is there a 5th Robert Morris I don't know about?

[VU2014]

so we're playing Robert Morris on 11/2... Should I ASSUME that this represents the Eagles of RM -Chicago?  I looked at all four Robert Morris schedules (CHICAGO, PEORIA, SPRINGFIELD, PITTSBURGH)...and we are not listed on any of their schedules... is there a 5th Robert Morris I don't know about?

I believe you are correct.

I think that game is technically just an exhibition game though.