2022-23 Nonconference schedule released

[BuiltFordBills]

8 hours ago, bauman said:

To have enough games to get your season ticket dollars.  One of the worst home OOC schedules in recent years.  The 2 tournament neutral court, Auburn and Iona are the 4 best OOC games and none of them will be seen by season ticket holders.  The only other OOC games I have any interest in are SIU - Carbondale, Memphis and to a lesser degree Drake.  Murray State and BSU are supposed to be down this year.  What happened to all the coach-speak about building a difficult schedule? Something is wrong when Memphis and  SIU-C are  your top home OOC games.

I think this is a the unfortunate new reality for mid majors that want good games.  You aren't always going to get great home and home matchups like we do with Memphis and Auburn.  Look at Dayton's home schedule, theirs is much worse than ours.  The big teams don't want to play on the road at good mid majors but will play them in neutral events.

[Pistol]

We've had a lower-division opponent on the schedule quite a few times. Season tickets used to include 18 most seasons; now it seems like we're getting 19 in the past several years that weren't pandemic-shortened. Some of those 18-date seasons included 2 exhibitions, too. I'd rather have 19 dates with an NAIA opponent and 1 exhibition than 18. And the stats count, even if the result doesn't factor into NET.

[almaman]

9 hours ago, TheBand said:

Wasn’t Paul’s sister a doctor? You know, a medicine woman. 

like 2 c more of her

[brianstl]

I would rather help out a HBCU NAIA program with a buy game check while possibly giving us boost in our attempt to recruit Dallas, instead of writing that check USC Upstate.  

Like others have said, this is a 19th home game.  I think when we see something like this it is pretty clear this was a back up plan put together when a plan for a bigger name program didn’t work out.  This date was most likely being saved for a home and home starting on the road against top 75 program or a neutral site game.  It didn’t work out and the staff tried to make the best out of late situation they didn’t plan on being in.

[Compton]

1 hour ago, CBFan said:

From a season ticket holders perspective I have seen worse home schedules.

There are no directional schools scheduled that I have not heard of.

I know who Tenn. St, Southern Il. is.

No Kennesaw St. Central Ark 

Starting off with Murray St. E-ville, and Memphis is an improvement.

I agree there is not an Auburn type of team scheduled but I do not know how good Memphis is going to be.

Let’s get the party started.

A bit odd that Murray St. is on a Monday and Memphis is on a Tuesday. If you had Memphis on a Saturday I'd think a good number of Tigers fans would help pack the 'fetz.

I like this schedule overall. Kind of a low ceiling and high floor as @CBFan mentions. Paul Quinn is a head scratcher. Tenn St is the only DI dog. SIUE gets a free pass IMO (same with Lindenwood and SEMO so long as there's only one of them on the schedule in a given year).

[Cowboy II]

-I chuckle at some of these reactions

[RUBillsFan]

2 hours ago, Box and Won said:

They have what appears to be offices or training facilities along the sidelines.  I'd say that makes them a perfect fit.

But do they have pool located on the level below the court?  If so, they're already honorary A-10 member and they just don't know it.

[RUBillsFan]

I get bemoaning having cupcake games on the schedule, especially for games against lower division opponents like Paul Quinn.

My counter argument is that you are going to the games to watch SLU play not necessarily the other team.  Games where we kick the absolute sh*t out of the opposition can be a lot of fun in person.  Sure there are rare snoozefest / frustrating games here and there where lesser opponent tries to take air out of the ball & muck things.  I'm thinking of like 2020 62-46 W vs UMKC, 2019 67 - 55 W over High Point, etc.  However, we usually play at a faster tempo than normal and blow the other team out.  Last year's demoralization of Harris Stowe was a blast.  SLU scored 127 points.  We got to see all our usual favorites do their thing (10 assist for Yuri, 3 threes from Gibson, etc) and also check in on bunch of the depth players that usually don't get playing time (all non walk-ons except Thatch got at least 15 mins).  You usually get to see guys throw down some monster dunks during fast breaks in garbage time - hopefully Thames or someone else can fill in Strickland's shoes here.

[NextYearBill]

cant make the schedule TOO good... 1 loss by a "mid major" counts as 5 compared to the big boys who can go sub .500 and get in the tourney. this schedule is juuuust right 

[Compton]

For some context, list of non-con non-exhibition cupcakes:

2022: Paul "The Eskimo" Quinn (NAIA), Tenn State, SIUE (also Iona)

2021: Central Arkansas, Harris-Stowe (NAIA), Eastern Illinois, Stephen F. Austin (also Iona)

2020: SIUE, UAPB, Central Arkansas, UMKC

2019: FGCU, Eastern Washington, High Point, Maryville (DII), UMKC, Bethune-Cookman

2018: SEMO, Troy, North Alabama, Central Arkansas, NC Central (also Appalachian State)

2017: Seattle, Rockhurst (DII), Detroit, Campbell, SEMO (also Western Michigan)

2016: Southern Utah, Eastern Illinois, Chicago State, SIUE, Winthrop, NC A&T (also Ball State)

2015: Hartford, SIUE, St. Francis (BK), North Florida, Morehead State, Alabama A&M, Tenn-Martin

[willie]

9 minutes ago, Compton said:

For some context, list of non-con non-exhibition cupcakes:

2022: Paul "The Eskimo" Quinn (NAIA), Tenn State, Iona, SIUE

2021: Central Arkansas, Harris-Stowe (NAIA), Eastern Illinois, Stephen F. Austin, Iona

2020: SIUE, UAPB, Central Arkansas, UMKC

2019: FGCU, Eastern Washington, High Point, Maryville (DII), UMKC, Bethune-Cookman

2018: SEMO, Troy, North Alabama, Central Arkansas, NC Central (also Appalachian State)

2017: Seattle, Rockhurst (DII), Detroit, Campbell, SEMO (also Western Michigan)

2016: Southern Utah, Eastern Illinois, Chicago State, SIUE, Winthrop, NC A&T (also Ball State)

2015: Hartford, SIUE, St. Francis (BK), North Florida, Morehead State, Alabama A&M, Tenn-Martin

I don't believe Iona is a cupcake. 

[FromDaEastSide]

3 hours ago, Compton said:

A bit odd that Murray St. is on a Monday and Memphis is on a Tuesday. If you had Memphis on a Saturday I'd think a good number of Tigers fans would help pack the 'fetz.

Last season TFord said that the Memphis return game was going to be durning the week, since our game there was during the week. 

[Compton]

1 hour ago, willie said:

I don't believe Iona is a cupcake. 

Yeah. They're kind of borderline. I suppose Rick Pitino Iona isn't a cupcake, but most other incarnations have been. I included them because they're in a cupcake conference, despite St. Peter's breakout year.

[almaman]

any name coach makes it worthwhile imo

[kshoe]

16 hours ago, bauman said:

To have enough games to get your season ticket dollars.  One of the worst home OOC schedules in recent years.  The 2 tournament neutral court, Auburn and Iona are the 4 best OOC games and none of them will be seen by season ticket holders.  The only other OOC games I have any interest in are SIU - Carbondale, Memphis and to a lesser degree Drake.  Murray State and BSU are supposed to be down this year.  What happened to all the coach-speak about building a difficult schedule? Something is wrong when Memphis and  SIU-C are  your top home OOC games.

I don't understand this post at all. Memphis is a premium opponent by any metric. Not quite as exciting as having Auburn come in like last year but basically comparable to Seton Hall (2019), Butler (2018), Houston (2017), K-State (2016). We never play more than one really attractive opponent at home per year and it's not for a lack of trying. The rest of the home schedule is better than normal with 4 valley teams and Boise St. I think it's pretty awesome that we were able to get 4 MVC team and only one of them appears to be a home and home series (SIU).

The road/neutral schedule is pretty brutal with not a single one of the four games looking like a probable win (most will be coin toss type games).

[Littlebill]

23 hours ago, bauman said:

To have enough games to get your season ticket dollars.  One of the worst home OOC schedules in recent years.  The 2 tournament neutral court, Auburn and Iona are the 4 best OOC games and none of them will be seen by season ticket holders.  The only other OOC games I have any interest in are SIU - Carbondale, Memphis and to a lesser degree Drake.  Murray State and BSU are supposed to be down this year.  What happened to all the coach-speak about building a difficult schedule? Something is wrong when Memphis and  SIU-C are  your top home OOC games.

This is psychotic

[BilliesBy40]

6 hours ago, kshoe said:

I don't understand this post at all. Memphis is a premium opponent by any metric. Not quite as exciting as having Auburn come in like last year but basically comparable to Seton Hall (2019), Butler (2018), Houston (2017), K-State (2016). We never play more than one really attractive opponent at home per year and it's not for a lack of trying. The rest of the home schedule is better than normal with 4 valley teams and Boise St. I think it's pretty awesome that we were able to get 4 MVC team and only one of them appears to be a home and home series (SIU).

The road/neutral schedule is pretty brutal with not a single one of the four games looking like a probable win (most will be coin toss type games).

Yeah…that was a wild post. I’m a self-professed Coach Ford doubter, but if there is one thing he has mastered it is building our schedule.
 

I think people sometimes forget where we fall in the college bball pecking order.

[Scoop]

23 hours ago, Compton said:

A bit odd that Murray St. is on a Monday and Memphis is on a Tuesday. If you had Memphis on a Saturday I'd think a good number of Tigers fans would help pack the 'fetz.

I like this schedule overall. Kind of a low ceiling and high floor as @CBFan mentions. Paul Quinn is a head scratcher. Tenn St is the only DI dog. SIUE gets a free pass IMO (same with Lindenwood and SEMO so long as there's only one of them on the schedule in a given year).

Memphis on a Tuesday is gamesmanship. Memphis didn’t give us a weekend game last year so we don’t give them one. 

[JMM28]

This is a top 100 and possibly 50 NCSOS type schedule. If you think you’re a tournament team, this is a schedule you want. 
 

Iona isn’t a cupcake by any stretch. They’ve been in the tournament 7 out of the last 11 years. Tim Cluess had them rocking and rolling before he had health issues and then Pitino came along. 
 

I assume the Drake game is a H/H series? (You people in) Evansville is probably a buy because YPIE has cratered as a program. Jimmy Crews ain’t walking through that door. Murray wouldn’t be a bad H/H series at all. A decent road trip for SLU fans to a great mid major program. 
 

 

[dlarry]

Are some of these games scheduled a few years in advance? 
Drake, Murray State, BSU might be down this year but when were they added to the schedule? (I have no idea) 

Scheduling at a “mid major” had to be one of the toughest things in college sports.

Big programs won’t play you at home so you are forced to forecast how good other non P5 teams are a few years in advance. 
 

Personally I like this home slate of games. They have what can become geographic rivals, MVC schools, and Penny. If you can’t find anything to like in this schedule you aren’t trying hard enough.

[Compton]

On 8/13/2022 at 9:38 AM, Scoop said:

Memphis on a Tuesday is gamesmanship. Memphis didn’t give us a weekend game last year so we don’t give them one. 

A perfect opportunity to kick-off a perennial non-con rivalry - just the right prestige of programs, size of cities and distance to generate some meaningful visitor attendance - and they schedule both games for Tuesday. It's painfully stupid. I suppose it helps Memphis having Ole Miss (and to a lesser extent UAB) as frequent, although not perennial, opponents.

Memphis' 2022 home non-con:

Nov. 20 – VCU (57)
Nov. 30 – North Alabama (316)
Dec. 3 – Ole Miss (110)
Dec. 6 – Little Rock (315)
Dec. 17 – Texas A&M (36)
Dec. 21 – Alabama State (312)