2008-09 Men's Basketball Schedule Released

[brianstl]

I hate to plug another team on here, but Xavier has a fantastic schedule this year (side note: they've pretty much become the model program for SLU in every way possible, and I hope the two AD's have a very open line of communication). They have Auburn, Cincinnati, Duke (in NJ), Butler, Virginia, and LSU (in the middle of the conference season, similar to what they did with Tennessee last season).

The "buy" games are IPFW, Toledo, Miami-OH, Ohio, and Robert Morris- none of which will bury the RPI, and 3 of which play in the very competitive MAC (XU playing 3 MAC teams is similar to what we could be doing with the Valley- SIU, Creighton, and MSU every year).

On top of that, they're in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off the weekend before Thanksgiving, taking on Mizzou in the first round and the winner of Fairfield-Virginia Tech if they beat the Tigers. The other half of the bracket has Memphis, USC, Chattanooga, and Seton Hall. That's a tad bit tougher than this car dealership-sponsored dog and pony show we've got in Vegas.

This is exactly the type of schedule I would want SLU to put together in the future- a strong early-season tournament, no RPI destroyers, 3 teams from a geographically-close conference, the big state school rival, a minimum of 6 BCS-conference schools (likely 8), and enough road games to construct a tournament-ready team. My one minor complaint is that there isn't much of a marquee game at home- Butler is probably the closest- but they have enough neutral sites and national TV games to mitigate that a little.

http://goxavier.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/...-08-09-Schedule

Miami OH or Toledo are notbuy games for XU. They played at Miami Oh last year. I doubt IPFW or Robert Morris are either.

[Archy McNally]

I just want to throw this out there. This schedule looks very similar to those that Utah played when Majerus was there. They always had a soft schedule. The reason I know this is that we have a "fantasy college basketball" league where the best winning % wins and Utah always was a good pick, not just b/c they were a good team but also because their schedule was weak.

[Pistol]

Miami OH or Toledo are notbuy games for XU. They played at Miami Oh last year. I doubt IPFW or Robert Morris are either.

That's my point- they don't have any real buy games (I put it in quotes to be sarcastic). Those 3 MAC schools, IPFW, and Robert Morris are just their weaker games, which shows just how good the schedule is. They actually lost at Miami last year by 2, so I doubt they'll be coasting at any point this season.

[Box and Won]

I doubt IPFW or Robert Morris are either.

Really? I would think they are. We played IPFW as a buy game fairly recently, IIRC.

[brianstl]

Really? I would think they are. We played IPFW as a buy game fairly recently, IIRC.

Those two are probably buy games.

[billikendave]

That's my point- they don't have any real buy games (I put it in quotes to be sarcastic). Those 3 MAC schools, IPFW, and Robert Morris are just their weaker games, which shows just how good the schedule is. They actually lost at Miami last year by 2, so I doubt they'll be coasting at any point this season.

How do you think this SLU team would do against that type of schedule? Biondi and SLU can't afford a clunker of a season. Can you imagine the terrible PR from another 9-21 season? As it is, i suspect the Bills are +/- 2 wins of a .500 team due to the frosh and quality road games.

[billiken_roy]

I just want to throw this out there. This schedule looks very similar to those that Utah played when Majerus was there. They always had a soft schedule. The reason I know this is that we have a "fantasy college basketball" league where the best winning % wins and Utah always was a good pick, not just b/c they were a good team but also because their schedule was weak.

going back to 1999 utah never had an overall sos worse than 102 and an out of conference sos worse than 114. the rpi site i have doesnt go back any further.

[Pistol]

Really? I would think they are. We played IPFW as a buy game fairly recently, IIRC.

Robert Morris had an RPI of 135; IPFW was 218. That one is by far the worst RPI represented on the schedule (Toledo: 187).

[Pistol]

How do you think this SLU team would do against that type of schedule? Biondi and SLU can't afford a clunker of a season. Can you imagine the terrible PR from another 9-21 season? As it is, i suspect the Bills are +/- 2 wins of a .500 team due to the frosh and quality road games.

Excellent points. It's almost a chicken-or-egg scenario: no one wants to see a 9-21 team, but no one wants to see Savannah State or USC-Upstate. And it's not like we're going to be a 20-win team with this dreadful schedule, either.

I guess I would have hoped for something in between, like our schedules in recent years. I just want to see the program at a point where we can have a schedule like what XU has this year and compete with everyone on it. XU loaded their schedule last year, won their way into a 3-seed, and didn't lose until they played the 1-seed, UCLA. They've built a program that is legitimately competitive every year in the regular season and NCAA Tournament, and that's where I want to see SLU. If they did it, so can we, but not by playing the worst schedule possible.

[ACE]

Excellent points. It's almost a chicken-or-egg scenario: no one wants to see a 9-21 team, but no one wants to see Savannah State or USC-Upstate. And it's not like we're going to be a 20-win team with this dreadful schedule, either.

I guess I would have hoped for something in between, like our schedules in recent years. I just want to see the program at a point where we can have a schedule like what XU has this year and compete with everyone on it. XU loaded their schedule last year, won their way into a 3-seed, and didn't lose until they played the 1-seed, UCLA. They've built a program that is legitimately competitive every year in the regular season and NCAA Tournament, and that's where I want to see SLU. If they did it, so can we, but not by playing the worst schedule possible.

XU also had a home game with Tennessee last year. The difference is XU has established a recent record of NCAA appearances. We have to get in a few times and then teams will be more willing to pay us a visit. The same thing happened with Gonzaga.

One of the tricks is to find the best "buy games"... that's easier said then done. Looking at last year's schedule, programs like Loyola and Pacific are decent and would be good "buy games", but the problem is that they required a home and home... I don't think that's necessarily a good situation either.

[Archy McNally]

going back to 1999 utah never had an overall sos worse than 102 and an out of conference sos worse than 114. the rpi site i have doesnt go back any further.

That doesn't sound very good to me for a team that would routinely go to the NCAA tourney when Majerus was there.

[billiken_roy]

That doesn't sound very good to me for a team that would routinely go to the NCAA tourney when Majerus was there.

i would guess our sos will approach 150 - 200 this year at least.

btw, that was the worst utah sos numbers. most of the years since 1999 the sos numbers were in the top 50-75 and a few even lower.

[Cowboy]

i would guess our sos will approach 150 - 200 this year at least.

btw, that was the worst utah sos numbers. most of the years since 1999 the sos numbers were in the top 50-75 and a few even lower.

so you looked at the sos for utah at the end of the regular season?? b/c counting the tourney in the sos would be misleading

[billiken_roy]

so you looked at the sos for utah at the end of the regular season?? b/c counting the tourney in the sos would be misleading

the rpi page i go to doesnt count post season beyond the conference tourney. so the non conference sos is definitely an accurate projection. it would be the same rpi point that the ncaa or nit committee would be looking at to make decisions.

[kshoe]

XU also had a home game with Tennessee last year. The difference is XU has established a recent record of NCAA appearances. We have to get in a few times and then teams will be more willing to pay us a visit. The same thing happened with Gonzaga.

One of the tricks is to find the best "buy games"... that's easier said then done. Looking at last year's schedule, programs like Loyola and Pacific are decent and would be good "buy games", but the problem is that they required a home and home... I don't think that's necessarily a good situation either.

One of the underlying arguments in this thread is our buy game opponents should be better. While that is ideal, every team in the top 100 is looking to schedule the buy opponents ranked 150-200. At some level simple economics play a role and those teams in high demand are going to charge noticeably more than the teams ranked 250+. Maybe SLU went cheap, maybe we just want buy games that are locks to win, I don't know but its not like a SLU can just pick and choose which buy teams it gets to play and not suffer some downside (greater chance to lose or hit to the pocket-book).

[Quality Is Job 1]

Thicks, I don't think we should be knocking ST. B's too hard these days. They've beat us two in a row. Last year's game was pretty much a blowout considering it was Sr. night and in our house. Don't disagree they should be ex communicated, but let other schools seek it. We haven't earned the right.

72, I'm not Torch.

[moytoy12]

One of the underlying arguments in this thread is our buy game opponents should be better. While that is ideal, every team in the top 100 is looking to schedule the buy opponents ranked 150-200. At some level simple economics play a role and those teams in high demand are going to charge noticeably more than the teams ranked 250+. Maybe SLU went cheap, maybe we just want buy games that are locks to win, I don't know but its not like a SLU can just pick and choose which buy teams it gets to play and not suffer some downside (greater chance to lose or hit to the pocket-book).

However, wouldn't SLU also be considered one of those teams between 150-200? The economics would theoretically zero out.

[kshoe]

However, wouldn't SLU also be considered one of those teams between 150-200? The economics would theoretically zero out.

If we are really 150-200 then WE are the buy game. Personally, I think we are more like 75-125 right now but hope to be top 40 within a few years.

[Quality Is Job 1]

It's not exactly proper to use a prior season's RPI ranking to judge what a team's RPI ranking will be this year. Didn't we learn our lesson with Pacific?

Just because a team was ranked worse than 250 in last year's RPI doesn't mean that they will be that low this year. Scheduling is probably more art than science.

[RF1]

Does somebody at SLU have a secret love in Kingston, RI? This is the second Valentine's day there in 3 years!

Yes. Coach Majerus loves seafood. The URI campus in Kingston is just miles from the Atlantic Ocean.

[MB73]

It's not exactly proper to use a prior season's RPI ranking to judge what a team's RPI ranking will be this year. Didn't we learn our lesson with Pacific?

Just because a team was ranked worse than 250 in last year's RPI doesn't mean that they will be that low this year. Scheduling is probably more art than science.

So Savannah St, Samford, SC-Upstate, Liberty looking at breakout years?

Big recruiting yrs?

Top 25?

[kevinfootes]

1. 25 wins minimum to make the Dance.

2. I bet the A-10 is just thrilled with our effect on all its teams RPIs.

Is BC supposed to be any good this year?

So much for SLU fans whining about other A10 teams' SOS.

[kevinfootes]

Thu., Jan. 29 at Dayton* -Dayton, Ohio

Sat., Jan. 31 at Fordham* -Bronx, N.Y.

That is a rough road trip. I wonder if the team goes straight to NY from Dayton. However, with it being Thursday I wonder if the Dayton game is an ESPN game.

I'm sure they'll hop on the bus and drive straight to Fordham.

[kevinfootes]

If the patsies were strung together at the beginning so the youngsters could build some confidence and momentum, there could be a bright side to this. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Realistically we're favored in only 2 of the first 6 games. I shudder to think what the Chaifetz crowds are going to look like against the ensuing rogue's gallery of no-names if our record is .500 or less going in.

Our only hope is if Liddell and Lisch start out the season on fire.

That's easy. According to many posters on here the new building will be filled to the rafters every game with students and locals who are fighting to get the hot tickets. No more scheduling conflicts with the Blues and other events. If SLU doesn't win some early games, I'm afraid we'll see some empty seats.

[Clock_Tower]

One of the underlying arguments in this thread is our buy game opponents should be better. While that is ideal, every team in the top 100 is looking to schedule the buy opponents ranked 150-200. At some level simple economics play a role and those teams in high demand are going to charge noticeably more than the teams ranked 250+. Maybe SLU went cheap, maybe we just want buy games that are locks to win, I don't know but its not like a SLU can just pick and choose which buy teams it gets to play and not suffer some downside (greater chance to lose or hit to the pocket-book).

We cannot even pick and choose a buy team for the opening of Chaveitz?? I have less of a problem with a bad RPI "buy" team in the early part of the conference than than I do with UMSL to start the season/first game and the number of these no-name bad RPI teams.

Since X has been compared, keep the comparisons going. Toledo and Miami, OH are both located in the same state. If you are going to play such games, then keep them local - but Div 1 -- not UMSL. I know that Dayton and X both have played Miami for years. This is a rival game from many perspectives: close geography, alumni, students, etc. Sure, X is a better team/program than Miami but still a rival. I would imagine and assume Toledo is similar. Since UMSL and UMKC are on different levels, I would have less problems playing SEMO or now SIUE or more Valley teams (IL State, Bradley) - especially in place of the other teams on this year's schedule.

I have been following SLU for 25 years and am really disappointed that SLU lacks many rivals - even on lesser levels. Sure, we have bounced from conference to conference (and that affect continuity and rivals...) but we should have kept playing a few teams along the way. Thank goodness we kept MO State and SIUC. Shame we dropped Bradley, never play Creighton, stopped playing Chicago Loyola (glad to resume games with Detroit), haven't played DePaul (until this year's tournament game - not a home/away every other year), Marquette and Mizzou won't play us, we don't play any team from Big 12 or Big 10 every year, we haven't played Conf USA schools since the A10.