Schedule Details

[Cowboy]

-do we know getting the game with duke was not due to a friendship between rick and coach k?

[bsheldon]

You hope we can win 6 out of conference? Really.

Our freshman will contribute, but all we lost was JJ and Smith. We will get Paul back and I would think his experience would at least offset JJ. So even if the world fell apart and our frosh do absolutely nothing we can start WR, BC, CE, KC, and KM or WR, CE, KC, CS, and KM. We have 3 locks to score in double figures. There is absolutely no way Cody isn't better than he was at any time last year as he'll be in shape and won't be just stepping off the plane. Take the first 5, WR, BC, CE, KC, KM. We'd have CS and PE backing up the guards and CR backing up the 4 and 5. I think we could be at the very least an NIT team, and quite possibly a tourney team with just those 8 and whatever walk-ons we'd have.

For the first time in a long time we have a damn good team with no contributions from freshman.

Excellent, excellent post.

We were definitely good enough and more than should have been an NIT team last year. If we didn't have just one of our bad games early on especially the BG game, or had we actually beat IAST or ND or KM didn't get hurt, there would have been no way for them to keep us out. The point is, we have essentially the same cast as last year. Assuming KM, WR, CE, KC, CS, BC, and CR do not improve one bit from last year to this we should be at that same NIT level. Of course, that is not realistic as these guys were all still young last year and all made great strides with their games as the season progressed. Now throw 4 highly talented recruits, perhaps may be the best recruiting class in recent memory, into the mix and I think it is fair to say we will be better this year than last. Remember too, that last year three of these returning players that contributed a ton were freshman. Obviously, there are a zillion variables and things that could happen, but I for one am going to be very optimistic until the play on the court leads me think otherwise. I can't wait.

[Clock_Tower]

-do we know getting the game with duke was not due to a friendship between rick and coach k?

We don't really know ANYTHING for sure but it was reported, take it for what it's worth, that the league (A10) was instrumental in getting us this game in that Duke has played other A10 teams, one each year the last few years.

As to other Chicago teams, I don't buy that. Marquette and DePaul moved up to a better conference and we would re-arrange nearly our whole schedule to play them. Doesn't this same analogy work for Chicago Loyola and Detroit? We moved up to better conferences (Great Midwest/Conf USA and now A10). Wouldn't they be willing to re-arrange their schedule for us?? Yes, we could turn our nose up in the air and refuse to play them like Marquette and DePaul are doing to us now, but we should be building bridges with local/regional/former rivals. I want to see games with Bradley, Creighton, Loyola Chicago, Detroit, DePaul, Marquette, Memphis, Cincy, Louisville and, to a lesser degree, UAB, Houston.

IMO, it was just plain wrong for us to have snubbed Xavier (and to a lesser degree b/c I do believe we played once or twice) Dayton when we left the MCC for the Great Midwest. At the time (1992 or so), Xavier really wasn't that great. Why sign really, really bad (343 of 347), public, no-name school (Chicago State) for ANY type of game?

[Scoop]

You hope we can win 6 out of conference? Really.

Our freshman will contribute, but all we lost was JJ and Smith. We will get Paul back and I would think his experience would at least offset JJ. So even if the world fell apart and our frosh do absolutely nothing we can start WR, BC, CE, KC, and KM or WR, CE, KC, CS, and KM. We have 3 locks to score in double figures. There is absolutely no way Cody isn't better than he was at any time last year as he'll be in shape and won't be just stepping off the plane. Take the first 5, WR, BC, CE, KC, KM. We'd have CS and PE backing up the guards and CR backing up the 4 and 5. I think we could be at the very least an NIT team, and quite possibly a tourney team with just those 8 and whatever walk-ons we'd have.

For the first time in a long time we have a damn good team with no contributions from freshman.

Good Post. This years Frosh will be icing on the cake.

[RF1]

I really don't think scheduling Jesuit schools is that much of a problem if that is what Rick really wants. I am sure schools such as Holy Cross, Fairfield, Canisius, Loyola-MD, Loyola-Marymount, San Francisco, St Peter's, Detroit-Mercy, Seattle, and Santa Clara would be happy to play SLU.

[billiken_roy]

-do we know getting the game with duke was not due to a friendship between rick and coach k?

i believe it was reported that the a-10 commish actually brokered the deal. it was all her and the respective athletic directors.

[kevinfootes]

Is it just me? Why not Chicago Loyola for the Chicago team - for KM's home game? At least they are Jesuit and a former conference rival. At RPI 347, Chicago State is not exactly a powerhouse. I understand that DePaul is hiding from us but Chicago State is not the only option.

Do we know for sure that RM is refusing to play Loyola?

[billiken_roy]

Do we know for sure that RM is refusing to play Loyola?

i think clock is saying that loyola must be refusing to play us. remember, rickma says he'd play anyone. so if all the milwaukee teams said no and then they went to the chicago list, clock is just going through the list of d-1 chicago schools that would have been a better schedule choice for a home and away contract than chicago state.

[kevinfootes]

i think clock is saying that loyola must be refusing to play us. remember, rickma says he'd play anyone. so if all the milwaukee teams said no and then they went to the chicago list, clock is just going through the list of d-1 chicago schools that would have been a better schedule choice for a home and away contract than chicago state.

I took this the opposite way. I thought clock was saying that RM should have scheduled Loyola. Obviously you'd rather be playing Northwestern DePaul, Loyola, or even UIC. We just know know how this went down.

[DoctorB]

well -- I gotta love the optimism; sure hope everyone is right. but . . . . .

if you think we are just gonna run the table, besides Duke -- sorry I'll believe it when I see it.

We're gonna lose a few of those other 12 games, sorry to break the news. Maybe even 4 -- or 5 or 6.

(I'm not sure some of the responders actually read my post very carefully -- explain to me how I'm wrong, I'm all ears ...)

ps -- I'd love to see a game or 2 in the Big Ten -- not all that far away for at least 5 of the schools . . . . .)

[cheeseman]

-quality post Cheese, very high quality, and i feel the same as your opening sentence to your last point

-and to echo other comments, i would have a game with a team from Chi every year

-i do wonder if rick can guilt mizzou into a series, but to that end we are not playing semo or umkc

Oh but we did play those two teams in the last two years.

[cheeseman]

We don't really know ANYTHING for sure but it was reported, take it for what it's worth, that the league (A10) was instrumental in getting us this game in that Duke has played other A10 teams, one each year the last few years.

As to other Chicago teams, I don't buy that. Marquette and DePaul moved up to a better conference and we would re-arrange nearly our whole schedule to play them. Doesn't this same analogy work for Chicago Loyola and Detroit? We moved up to better conferences (Great Midwest/Conf USA and now A10). Wouldn't they be willing to re-arrange their schedule for us?? Yes, we could turn our nose up in the air and refuse to play them like Marquette and DePaul are doing to us now, but we should be building bridges with local/regional/former rivals. I want to see games with Bradley, Creighton, Loyola Chicago, Detroit, DePaul, Marquette, Memphis, Cincy, Louisville and, to a lesser degree, UAB, Houston.

IMO, it was just plain wrong for us to have snubbed Xavier (and to a lesser degree b/c I do believe we played once or twice) Dayton when we left the MCC for the Great Midwest. At the time (1992 or so), Xavier really wasn't that great. Why sign really, really bad (343 of 347), public, no-name school (Chicago State) for ANY type of game?

I am sure we did not snub X or Dayton. We were offered an opportunity they were not and we took it. They would have done the same if in our situation then. I have no problem with playing Loyola of Chi but apparently something did not mesh to make that happen. I doubt seriously that we went out of our way to have to play Chi State.

[Clock_Tower]

I am sure we did not snub X or Dayton. We were offered an opportunity they were not and we took it. They would have done the same if in our situation then. I have no problem with playing Loyola of Chi but apparently something did not mesh to make that happen. I doubt seriously that we went out of our way to have to play Chi State.

Let me just clarify. Our joining the new conference w/o X or Dayton was not the snub. I meant that our inability to schedule X as an OOC game was the snub. I just think that we had a good rivalry with X, and to a lesser degree Dayton, but then we stopped playing them when the conference ended. We want other schools (Marquette, DePaul, etc.) to play us even though we are no longer on conference and yet we never played X (and I believe UD only 1 or 2 times). Sure, we "upgraded" by playing Cincy instead of X, but friends/rivals/Jesuit schools should still find a way to play (at least 2 times over 15 years). Marquette playing in the Big East (w/ so many tough conference games) says they have no room left for us. Not the case for X. In the early 1990's, X was not the program they are today. X and UD joined the A10 when it was even less powerful of a conference as it is today.

[bauman]

Let me just clarify. Our joining the new conference w/o X or Dayton was not the snub. I meant that our inability to schedule X as an OOC game was the snub. I just think that we had a good rivalry with X, and to a lesser degree Dayton, but then we stopped playing them when the conference ended. We want other schools (Marquette, DePaul, etc.) to play us even though we are no longer on conference and yet we never played X (and I believe UD only 1 or 2 times). Sure, we "upgraded" by playing Cincy instead of X, but friends/rivals/Jesuit schools should still find a way to play (at least 2 times over 15 years). Marquette playing in the Big East (w/ so many tough conference games) says they have no room left for us. Not the case for X. In the early 1990's, X was not the program they are today. X and UD joined the A10 when it was even less powerful of a conference as it is today.

I agree with your last sentence. What everyone needs to remind themselves of is the fact the the A-10 is at its current level (about 7th in the country) because of the non-traditional Atlantic coast area teams. Think what level the A-10 would have been last year (or projected to be this year) without X, UD or SLU.

[Bizziken]

I agree with your last sentence. What everyone needs to remind themselves of is the fact the the A-10 is at its current level (about 7th in the country) because of the non-traditional Atlantic coast area teams. Think what level the A-10 would have been last year (or projected to be this year) without X, UD or SLU.

ESPN even thought highly enough of the Atlantic-10 to do a full Preseason Preview rather than lump us in (as per usual) with the 'Best of the Rest' designation for the best Mid-Major teams...

If the Atlantic-10 performs exceptionally this year, I don't see any reason why we couldn't overtake the Pac-10 and/or SEC in terms of Conference RPI, since both of those Conferences are experiencing 'down' years...The A-10 had a higher RPI than the Pac-10 last year, and were extremely close to beating out the Mountain West for the 6th rated Conference. (Obviously, the Mountain West isn't expected to be as good this year)...

[RF1]

X and UD joined the A10 when it was even less powerful of a conference as it is today.

That statement is not correct. X and UD joined the A-10 in the mid 90's when the league was at its strongest. UMass and Temple were national top dogs and the league, which had less teams back then, was sending 4-5 teams to the NCAA. There was even one season when the A-10 sent more teams to the NCAA than the Big East.

[bauman]

That statement is not correct. X and UD joined the A-10 in the mid 90's when the league was at its strongest. UMass and Temple were national top dogs and the league, which had less teams back then, was sending 4-5 teams to the NCAA. There was even one season when the A-10 sent more teams to the NCAA than the Big East.

You might be right-I don't have time to go back and check all the history of a league we weren't in at the time, BUT the Atlantic region teams in the A-10 need to be down on their knees every night giving thanks for the non- Atlantic region teams making the league what it is today. Unless we all knock each other off as we did at the end of last year, it's possible that 5 teams make the NCAA from the A-10---X, UD, Temple, Richmond, and SLU. that's 60% of the possibilities from the midwest.