Non conference schedule just posted

[eskimo]

2004-05 SAINT LOUIS MEN'S SCHEDULE

DATE OPPONENT

November

FRI., 5 UMSL (Exh.)

SAT., 13 TRUMAN STATE (Exh.)

Fri. 19 Paradise Jam

(Arkansas, Austin Peay, Winthrop, Troy State, Saint Louis, TBA)

Sat. 20 Paradise Jam

Sun. 21 Paradise Jam

Mon. 22 Paradise Jam

SAT. 27 ORAL ROBERTS

December

SAT. 4 HAWAI`I

TUE. 7 UW-MILWAUKEE

Sat. 11 at Gonzaga

WED. 15 OAKLAND

SAT. 18 DAYTON

Tue. 21 at Southern Illinois

WED. 29 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE

Fri. 31 at Iowa

February

14/16 IPFW

[willie]

Home schedule is not very exciting. Probably no 300 rpi types. Like the exh.games. We'll see the great Troy Slaten. We better be undefeated at home and that includes Dayton.

[3star_recruit]

That Oral Roberts game is dangerous.

[Quality Is Job 1]

The Paradise Jam field looks awful. The Billikens could win it, but it wouldn't be an accomplishment that would distinguish them in the eyes of the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. They may have to do no worse than 12-2 to get at-large consideration, and anything worse than 10-4 would be a disappointment (and that's being "nice," because I think they ought to be able to win all four Paradise Jam games and win all the home games for a certain 11-3).

[Billiken Law]

UW-Milwaukee made the tourney 2 years ago and won the Horizon regular season title last year. Hawaii is quite good too. I wonder if either of those include return games (would imagine Hawaii is).

[Iggy]

Oakland is dangerous too. They gave Mizzou a tough game last year. If we have to return a game at Hawaii, that could be rough. No road team ever wins at Hawaii.

[3star_recruit]

I don't see any heavyweights but I do see two probable top 25 teams - Gonzaga and SIU, 2 probable top 50 teams - Dayton and Hawaii, 4 probable top 100 teams - Austin Peay, Hawaii, UW Milwaukee and Iowa, two probable top 150 teams - Arkansas and Oral Roberts. SEMO is the only RPI killer I see on the list.

[DeSmetBilliken]

Here's a look at the schedule with each regular season opponents RPI at the end of the 2003-2004 season:

2004-05 SAINT LOUIS MEN'S SCHEDULE

DATE OPPONENT

November

FRI., 5 UMSL (Exh.)

SAT., 13 TRUMAN STATE (Exh.)

Fri. 19 Paradise Jam

(Arkansas(111), Austin Peay(94), Winthrop(210), Troy State (66),TBA(?))

Sat. 20 Paradise Jam

Sun. 21 Paradise Jam

Mon. 22 Paradise Jam

SAT. 27 ORAL ROBERTS (157)

December

SAT. 4 HAWAI`I (73)

TUE. 7 UW-MILWAUKEE (75)

Sat. 11 at Gonzaga (9)

WED. 15 OAKLAND (233)

SAT. 18 DAYTON (40)

Tue. 21 at Southern Illinois (25)

WED. 29 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE (267)

Fri. 31 at Iowa (86)

February

14/16 IPFW (303)

With the exception of the game in February with IUPU-Fort Wayne, we have avoided the games with the teams that have 300+ RPIs. My guess is that game is a result of our NIT game against Notre Dame, which was played in Fort Wayne. Hopefully those teams on the schedule that had Top 100 RPIs, like Hawaii, UW-Milwaukee, Austin Peay, and Troy State, can maintain RPIs like that this year. Stan Heath has been recruiting well at Arkansas, and even though prized recruit Al Jefferson went to the NBA instead of Fayetteville, I think that the Razorbacks should be an improved team this year.

[SIUSalukis]

Your welcome for providing your second highest RPI ranked team during non-conference!:-) J/K Anyways, if you get to play at Hawaii next year, it doesn't count as one of the maximum number of games you can play. The NCAA feels that with the travel out there, teams should be compensated in some way. You would think that just going to Hawaii would be compensation enough!

[Billiken Law]

>I don't see any heavyweights but I do see two probable top

>25 teams - Gonzaga and SIU, 2 probable top 50 teams - Dayton

>and Hawaii, 4 probable top 100 teams - Austin Peay, Hawaii,

>UW Milwaukee and Iowa, two probable top 150 teams - Arkansas

>and Austin Peay. SEMO is the only RPI killer I see on the

>list.

You missed the mighty Mastadons of IUPUFW as an RPI killer. Oakland could be - they really underachieved last year. Not sure what they have coming back.

[BillikenButch]

I applaud them for adding local teams to the exhibition schedule.

My initial thoughts include:

1. The schedule maker will need to work harder when we go to the A10. I don't see a home game that would excite the marginal B-Ball fan to come down and watch the Bills.

2. On balance the schedule is not terrible, it is just that the teams are not of the highest reputation.

3. I think they were originally hoping for better competition at the Paradise Jam.

4. A win at SIU or at Gonzaga will go a long way to determine if we go to the Dance. (Dayton maybe, but it is a home game.) Unfortunately these are the only two opportunities to get a coveted "good" win in the pre-season. No, I don't think a win at Iowa will mean much come March.

5. What's up with Ft. Wayne? Are we now in the Bracket Buster? We are not Mid-Major.

[3star_recruit]

Whoops, didn't see that one. Still, that's only two RPI killers versus four last year. That's definitely an improvement as is the spacing out of the marque games -- Gonzaga and SIU.

[kwyjibo]

This is a good schedule for the simple fact it may not have any 300+ RPI lead weights like last year. If SLU has a good record we will be in the tourney. A good schedule is one that gives you an opportunity. This one does that. You are right that it does not give a lot of opportunities for a good win but it gives enough. Hopefully C-USA will give us a few more chances.

While I understand reputation is nice for getting a "buzz" going and possibly some fannies in the seats, it is NOT a factor in post-season selection.

Paradise Jam was going to be a lot better (with Providence) but at least they got some good teams in bad conferences (which is smart RPI-wise). Is Eastern Michigan the last team?

I don't like playing "Ooey-Puffy" (Fort Wayne) at all but at least there is not a lot of them. The timing probably has to do with the fact that they are an independent and need games in February.

[SluSignGuy]

At a first glance, this schedule is not that sexy looking and I am nervous SLU may regret scheduling this many local schools, b/c if an upset happens, boy will we be hearing about it forever.

Just don't let us lose our first Exhibition game. It has happened before, but I don't know if I could take it.

I will post the schedule on the main page later today.

Steve

[Billiken Law]

There was some rule change on the part of the NCAA regarding the travelling teams like EA Sports which eliminated those type of teams. The new fad the past few years among some programs like Michigan State had been to play in-state lower division teams and now that is a necessity. Our womens team has been playing UMSL.

As for the timing of IUPUFU, er, FW, it's probably an issue of needing an additional home game and nobody else working out, so we're playing them in February. Not totally uncommon to have a non-conference game at this time.

[willie]

Steve you are aware that you can no longer play AAU type teams as exh. games. If your going to play D2 teams you might as well play local teams and keep expenses down. That said I'll never forget Monroe Douglas and Rowland Grays first game as Billikens. We played Washington U there. They led almost the whole game and we barely pulled it out at the end. Also we lost at least once maybe twice to UMSL in the 70's. Now I scared myself.

[Iggy]

How long will it take for Kevin Slaten to get thrown out of the SLU - UMSL game?

[Box and Won]

I remember that game! Since I was just a kid at the time, that was one of my first Billiken memories. The game was actually televised, and I remember that my father (a Wash U. grad) couldn't believe that his Bears were actually on TV. For some strange reason, I seem to remember the game being shown on Channel 9. Could that be right? Maybe it was 11.

[bonwich]

I suppose this is especially a question for kwyjibo, the ace of the RPI. Would our RPI be better off simply by not playing a game at all on that date, or is there a minimum number of games required? On the surface, that one makes no sense at all.

[willie]

Now your makeing this tough but it was probably channel 11. Didn't Channel 11 make a station swap and become KTVI????

[SluSignGuy]

I wasn't aware of the AAU type teams change. This makes more sense. But I could only imagine the Missouri taunts with that game..

Steve

[Billiken Law]

I'm guessing during the warm-ups.

[Box and Won]

Actually, it was Channel 30 that swapped with Channel 2.

At that time, my dad and I would frequently go to Wash U. home games (admission was free!), but it wasn't too long before I was pestering him to take me to Billiken games. The rest is history.

[kwyjibo]

Whether a team can help the other teams RPI is a function of their relative records. So as we hope to be somewhere in the top 100 and "Ooey Puffy" will not likely do any better than in high 200's it is very unlikely that this game (and possibly a few others) will help the RPI at all.

That said, there are other reasons to play the game. I personally do not like playing games where you have little chance to benefit but we will probably play a bunch of games where we have little chance not to benefit so it will balance out.

My problem last year was the combination of really bad teams and a lot of them.

Each team in NCAA D-1 plays 27 games and some tourneys (like Paradise Jam) count as one game. SO we did need another game and Fort Wayne was accomodating.

[StLouBlue]

I think Ft Wayne is still an independent, not in a conference. These schools are always looking for games during everyone else's conference season so it is not suprising we are playing them then. Hopefully a good game where we can rest some starters & let the end of the bench guys get some good minutes late in the season.