2018/19 Schedule

[quote="Mike Zaun" post=292108]I got killed months ago for saying the OOC schedule is terrible. We have 1 real statement game OOC. That's it. Better hope the Big East is really good this year, because we will be dependent on them for decent wins. So basically we have very, very little room for error. Scheduling great programs means you are more likely to lose but at least your RPI is good and you can surprise people and add it to your resume. If you lose, no one is surprised. If you win, you get the national spotlight and a huge resume win.[/quote]

How many statement games were on the schedule last year coming in? I'll remind you. One. At the time Az St was and eventually returned to near irrelevance, joining a bunch of others on the schedule, especially after Porter went down for Mizzou.

It's not about scheduling a bunch of top 25 teams, it's about avoiding really bad teams. Last year there were a bunch of OK teams on the schedule, though again folks complained about Nebraska going in as well, but they, Mizzou and UCF well also barely relevant were good enough to keep the OOC SOS relatively strong. They didn't play any teams outside the top 150 or so, besides the games assigned by the tournament last year, except Sacred Heart whom they play again.

This year the high and high/mid majors look even worse going in (besides Temple) but they might surprise like Nebraska, and Az St did. The real problem is that they've scheduled 5 piss poor teams whose RPI at the end of last year put them outside the top 200. That's what will bring down the OOC SOS and therefore the RPI.

So yeah, I'd still kill you for not understanding the RPI and what on the schedule is the real problem. One thing that will help if only a little is that 2 of the OOC road games (5 each year) are now real away games, not neutral court games, and will count for a bit extra. Last year htey were all neutral court.

I'm still dubious about how down the BE will end up, since I hear that song every year, but with regard to OOC games it's the bottom of the schedule that's the problem.
 
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Two big issues this year will be OOC schedule and lack of quality bigs. Can't ever remember an OOC this weak.
 
[quote="austour" post=292109][quote="Mike Zaun" post=292108]I got killed months ago for saying the OOC schedule is terrible. We have 1 real statement game OOC. That's it. Better hope the Big East is really good this year, because we will be dependent on them for decent wins. So basically we have very, very little room for error. Scheduling great programs means you are more likely to lose but at least your RPI is good and you can surprise people and add it to your resume. If you lose, no one is surprised. If you win, you get the national spotlight and a huge resume win.[/quote]

How many statement games were on the schedule last year coming in? I'll remind you. One. At the time Az St was and eventually returned to near irrelevance, joining a bunch of others on the schedule, especially after Porter went down for Mizzou.

It's not about scheduling a bunch of top 25 teams, it's about avoiding really bad teams. Last year there were a bunch of OK teams on the schedule, though again folks complained about Nebraska going in as well, but they, Mizzou and UCF well also barely relevant were good enough to keep the OOC SOS relatively strong. They didn't play any teams outside the top 150 or so, besides the games assigned by the tournament last year, except Sacred Heart whom they play again.

This year the high and high/mid majors look even worse going in (besides Temple) but they might surprise like Nebraska, and Az St did. The real problem is that they've scheduled 5 piss poor teams whose RPI at the end of last year put them outside the top 200. That's what will bring down the OOC SOS and therefore the RPI.

So yeah, I'd still kill you for not understanding the RPI and what on the schedule is the real problem. One thing that will help if only a little is that 2 of the OOC road games (5 each year) are now real away games, not neutral court games, and will count for a bit extra. Last year htey were all neutral court.

I'm still dubious about how down the BE will end up, since I hear that song every year, but with regard to OOC games it's the bottom of the schedule that's the problem.[/quote]

That's a good point about last year, there was a ton of complaining prior to the season starting. A real genius move last year was scheduling a whole bunch of neutral site games, which really helped our RPI.
 
Last year there were 6 neutral court games. My bad. This year there are 3 neutral and two true road games in the OOC.
 
OOC schedule is weak aside from Barclays tournament, Georgia Tech, Duke & Rutgers games which are fine. Having said that, we have a lot to be optimistic about this year; I'd rather have a weak schedule and strong team than the opposite. I'll look at that half full glass and wait for us to close on our first 2019 recruit so WCJF comes off the ledge :)
 
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This year seemed the perfect time for a game at MSG vs a major opponent. Team is on the rise, the league is down and fans still have a good taste in their mouths from last seasons Duke game.
So we get a Holiday Festival that should be played at CA.
One of SJU's strongest recruiting advantage has always been games vs top teams at MSG.
 
Lucky for us we're going to go 26-4 or 27-3 in the regular season with Heron in starting lineup.
 
I'm also not so sure how down the Big East will be this year. Maybe not as good at the top but 1-10 will be better as a whole. Not really any bad teams as even DePaul will be better. The Big East will get at least four teams in the NCAA Tournament. If Heron is eligible , we can finish in the top three.
 
It's not just an RPI issue, it's a perception issue. We are scheduling as if we are in the MAAC not the Big East and frankly, it's an embarrassment to our conference. If you want to be seen as relevant nationally, you must play and beat nationally relevant teams. In prison, guys get respect by attacking the biggest, baddest guys. Not the tiny guys. Playing so many cupcakes can lull this team to sleep and we may be playing not to lose rather than to win which has not served us well in recent years against much worse teams. Go look at Seton Hall's schedule...that is what we should have. We have Ponds for 1 more year most likely and to spend his time playing the cupcakes of the northeast is very discouraging. We never play Oklahoma, Texas, WVU, FSU, etc. type teams it seems.
 
Things just keep getting better and better for this program.
 
The Rutgers game is unfair. Rutgers is projected again to finish last in the B10. If SJ U was projected the same in the BE then fine. But SJU is a first division BE team, they should've been given a better opponent in the B10/Big East.
 
[quote="fordham96" post=292128]The Rutgers game is unfair. Rutgers is projected again to finish last in the B10. If SJ U was projected the same in the BE then fine. But SJU is a first division BE team, they should've been given a better opponent in the B10/Big East.[/quote]

I assume four B10 teams need to sit, but I wouldn't mind seeing our projected first place team play their first and last place team, our second play their second/second last, etc. so all teams get to participate.
 
[quote="otis" post=292132]Exhibition opponent Maryville University is no slouch last year knocking President Bobby G’s former school Miami of Ohio at Miami of Ohio.

https://maryvillesaints.com/news/20...ision-i-miami-84-80-in-exhibition-action.aspx[/quote]

Won 20 games last year. From Town and Country MO (about 20 miles from downtown St. Louis), where they are currently playing the PGA Championship.

BTW, the Rutgers game is back to being listed on Friday November 16.
 
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The only major conference teams we play that are not named Duke are at the bottom of their conference. GT is going to be terrible after losing an impact player on an already bad team. Rutgers is Rutgers. They will still play us tough but you know they will suck in conference. Cal is among the worst major teams. What I don't understand is, do we not call Texas/Ohio St/Michigan/FSU/Bama/LSU to arrange great OOC matchups or do we try but they say no? Those are exactly the types of OOC games we need at MSG and it will be a guaranteed good crowd. If Seton Hall's and PC's of the world can do it, no idea why we can't. Yes they have had more recent success, but they're not world beaters. What about Maryland? Nearby and a very good program. Kentucky? WVU? Why are we never scheduling these teams? South Carolina? NC State? You're never getting a casual fan to games playing no names.
 
I think a lot of people are missing the fact that we have been horrific for 3 years now. A lot of scheduling is done in advance. Like it or not we have been no better than Rutgers, Cal, GT, etc. Teams we are complaining that we have scheduled. Why should we expect other schools to hurt their OOC schedule by putting us on there?
 
Recall going to a SJU-Mich game at Nassau Colisseum back in the nineties. At an arena you needed a car to get to I believe the crowd was over fourteen thousand with a huge Mich contingent. Found out there are many Mich grads in the metropolitan area who would jump at the chance to see their alma mater play and I am sure there are many other schools in the same situation.
Problem is at SJU there is never anyone directly responsible for getting something done like a men's basketball schedule.
 
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