OOC Games for next year

Assuming you are Rose, who would you schedule games with for next year? Have any games already been announced? Our SOS hurt our chances to get into the dance. Would a better schedule gotten us in?



What if the WCC had less conference games giving room for more OOC games? Would that have helped our chances or even GU or SM's resume?



It is getting harder to get games against P5 teams.

Oregon, Wisconsin, Georgia, Nebraska, Indiana, LSU, Northwestern, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Boston College, Iowa, Stanford, Vandy, Iowa State, Minnesota, Illinois, Wake Forest, Oregon State, Washington, Colorado, Ole Miss. Or, P5 teams between 50-100 in the ratings (NIT level). Schedule 3, win 1, and the OOC wasn't a waste.

scott715 wrote:
Our SOS hurt our chances to get into the dance. Would a better schedule gotten us in?

I don't think our schedule kept us out. This year, if we had gone 1-1 against Alabama and UT-Arlington, won that overtime game against St. Mary's and not lost to Loyola, we would be in the tournament.



If we had had a harder OOC schedule this year, how confident are you that we would've won any of those games?

We had a lot of 200+ teams on the schedule. That hurt. Who knew that UMass and Prin would be on that list.



WCC and MWC need to set up a conference cross game. Two would be even better.



I think we should play NM St. Maybe Nevada and Grand Canyon (they were 170+ but maybe we need to build a relationship with them).

scott715 wrote:
Assuming you are Rose, who would you schedule games with for next year?

I wouldn't. I would focus on recruiting and retention and let Holmoe do his own work.

SMC needs desperately to beef up their OOC. BYU really pickled them for the Big Dance. Yes, they have some good numbers:

Saint Mary's (28-5, 16-2 WCC)

BPI: 26 | SOS: 231 | SOR: 48 | RPI: 47



BUT, that SOS of 231 is, to me, unacceptable. None of the other teams on the bubble have a SOS outside of 100, so a 231 is ridiculous. Is it that Randy Bennett doing that on purpose? I am surprised that Gonzaga's SOS is 137 when they scheduled SDSU, Florida, Iowa State, Arizona, Washington and Tennessee. It's that dead weight of the bottom of the WCC, but at least the Zags built up their OCC to compensate.



CBS has Gonzaga's OCC at 76. They have BYU's at 152. Utah's is 205. SMC 183 (so actually they were drug down more by their WCC schedule than their OOC).

As long as SMC is going 16-2 in the WCC BYU doesn't have much to complain about their SOS. BYU can't even better the sub 200 teams in it's own league.

I don't think it is complaining but a recommendation to help them get to the dance and a better seed. A top #25 team should not lose in the first round. They might as they will be the lower seed.

Mars wrote:

Oregon, Wisconsin, Georgia, Nebraska, Indiana, LSU, Northwestern, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Boston College, Iowa, Stanford, Vandy, Iowa State, Minnesota, Illinois, Wake Forest, Oregon State, Washington, Colorado, Ole Miss. Or, P5 teams between 50-100 in the ratings (NIT level). Schedule 3, win 1, and the OOC wasn't a waste.

I'd also try to get a couple of January and February bracket-buster games against MWC, WAC, CUSA, MVC, or A10 teams in that same 50-100 range. SDSU, UNLV, Fresno, Boise St., New Mexico St., Grand Canyon, W. Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, UAB, Old Dominion, St. Bonaventure, Davidson, Rhode Island.



I really like the idea to develop something with Grand Canyon - private Christian institution and a game in Phoenix.

There is a thread or a section of a thread on SMC's board where they talk about their SOS and Bennett's strategy. In short, they know it's a problem, but historically Bennett's take is schedule a weaker schedule, rack up wins, and get into the dance.



With BYU and GU in the WCC, that's all SMC needs to do. Get a bunch of wins, split games against BYU and GU, and make it to the finals. That's all they need to do. They aren't and can't compete with GU, so they make sure they finish second. It's why they don't like us so much. We're their real rivals. We are what stands between them and an NCAA bid. No one is beating GU.



If you noticed, over the last couple of seasons BYU has taken a more SMC approach to the schedule. I suspect this will continue.



In the MWC where there wasn't a single, dominant team and 3 teams could go dancing, there was more of an incentive to schedule a tough OOC.

Good question if that's a valid recipe. It's fairly obvious that SMC has followed that course. I honestly believe it can bite them in the backside this season. Lucky thus far that there were not so many regular season non-power conference champions that fell by the wayside. I hope they make it. I don't like dumming down the schedule at all, but selfishly I still want to see the WCC get two bids.

It makes more sense then to avoid +200 teams and more in the 100 range to help your SOS. Their SOS is like 230. Bring it down to 150.

I'm hoping Rose has a list of teams that don't get an invite to the dance and that they get a call Sunday evening. Yes we will have a few more losses but we need signature wins to get the invite.

Watching the GCU-NMSU final. Both of these teams would be good games for us. GCU would be a better conference team in the WCC than most of the current teams. Large school and in a big city.

How about this idea. We partner with GU and SM then talk to some of these teams that we want to schedule. Find two teams and offer a home and a road game split with our partner.



SM turned down games with Rhode Island and Creighton this year. They could have had one at home and one on the road. We would had taken the other side. Everyone gets a good home game and road game. They could had been scheduled the same week so one road trip for each team.



I think the hang-up is that teams want home games and not to give up road games. They also don't like having to wait until next year for the return trip. This helps everyone get what they want.



More good games and even split home and road.

scott715 wrote:

How about this idea. We partner with GU and SM then talk to some of these teams that we want to schedule. Find two teams and offer a home and a road game split with our partner.



SM turned down games with Rhode Island and Creighton this year. They could have had one at home and one on the road. We would had taken the other side. Everyone gets a good home game and road game. They could had been scheduled the same week so one road trip for each team.



I think the hang-up is that teams want home games and not to give up road games. They also don't like having to wait until next year for the return trip. This helps everyone get what they want.



More good games and even split home and road.

I like a good OOC schedule, but it would be great to not have to be do that by only going on the road.

We would get one home and one road game. Just with different teams. Same for our partner. SM are you listening?



https://twitter.com/drewjay/status/973332490004791297

Good recognition by Rose. At this point, we can't be stuck-up with our scheduling.

YNot wrote:

Oregon, Wisconsin, Georgia, Nebraska, Indiana, LSU, Northwestern, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Boston College, Iowa, Stanford, Vandy, Iowa State, Minnesota, Illinois, Wake Forest, Oregon State, Washington, Colorado, Ole Miss. Or, P5 teams between 50-100 in the ratings (NIT level). Schedule 3, win 1, and the OOC wasn't a waste.

I'd also try to get a couple of January and February bracket-buster games against MWC, WAC, CUSA, MVC, or A10 teams in that same 50-100 range. SDSU, UNLV, Fresno, Boise St., New Mexico St., Grand Canyon, W. Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, UAB, Old Dominion, St. Bonaventure, Davidson, Rhode Island.



I really like the idea to develop something with Grand Canyon - private Christian institution and a game in Phoenix.

ESPN stopped doing the bracket buster thing about five years ago. It would be hard for single teams to pull off after the start of the new year.

Conferences can try to set up these matchups.