Why are we playing Florida Gulf Coast University in March?

[Avenue Commons]

Shouldn't we play them now, during the non-conference schedule? What's the story?

http://www.fgcuathletics.com/mbasketball/schedule/

[dwaderoy2004]

without that game, we'd ahve a full week off prior to our last game, and crean, i believe, has stated that he wanted to keep them from getting rusty.  However, I think it also has to do with maine backing out so late of the blue and gold classic.  it cost us an extra game (hopefully win) on our schedule, and crean wanted to make sure our record was as padded as could be.  most schools already were booked by teh time maine pulled out, so we filled where we could.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Shouldn't we play them now, during the non-conference schedule? What's the story?

http://www.fgcuathletics.com/mbasketball/schedule/

Because they were originally part of the Blue and Gold Classic and when that hit the can they still honored the contract but we had to put it toward the end.

I actually like it, if the committee says your last 10 games matter more than the first ten, then this is another W in a part of the schedule that normally W's are harder to come by.

[Pakuni]

Spring Break in Fort Myers, that's why.

[Coobeys Oil Depot]

That Florida Gulf Coast team started out pretty competitive in their games versus the low, mid, and high majors they played. Not sure if that has continued over the last couple of weeks but even still good to see for such a new program.

It works out well since you don't want to go rusty into the Carrier Dome if we need the win for a bye.

[mviale]

could also be a recruiting trip

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Don't you bozos know that's a home game!!! It's not a freaking recruiting trip, it's $60 down the drain for season ticket holders!

[muhoosier260]

i like the Fl. Gulf Coast game, remember last year down the stretch when MU had a lot of struggles getting a win? This game should restore some confidence if there are similar struggles before the final BE game on the road @ 'Cuse.

[New Era Warriors]

Why are we playing Florida Gulf Coast in March? To kick the living crap out of them! It will give the team a chance to get their confidence up, play players that don't have the opportunity to play a lot, and allow the team to work on stuff in a real game situation. This will all be done before the Syracuse game, Big East tourney, and possibly the NCAA tournament. I like Crean for scheduling this game.

[spiral97]

Too bad we couldn't schedule a second game against UWM instead.. it'll be right about that time that the numbness from getting slaughtered in the first game wears off and they start really getting loud against MU again.  Ah well.

[Avenue Commons]

Shouldn't we play them now, during the non-conference schedule? What's the story?

http://www.fgcuathletics.com/mbasketball/schedule/

Because they were originally part of the Blue and Gold Classic and when that hit the can they still honored the contract but we had to put it toward the end.

I actually like it, if the committee says your last 10 games matter more than the first ten, then this is another W in a part of the schedule that normally W's are harder to come by.

I guess I always thought that all non-conference games had to be before the conference schedule started.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Shouldn't we play them now, during the non-conference schedule? What's the story?

http://www.fgcuathletics.com/mbasketball/schedule/

Because they were originally part of the Blue and Gold Classic and when that hit the can they still honored the contract but we had to put it toward the end.

I actually like it, if the committee says your last 10 games matter more than the first ten, then this is another W in a part of the schedule that normally W's are harder to come by.

I guess I always thought that all non-conference games had to be before the conference schedule started.

Nope...just like UW-Madison used to play at Hawaii at the end of the season for football sometimes, or how Washington did that just last week.

You can play them anytime you want, the problem is that usually your conference schedule (which is created by the conference) doesn't have enough holes in it to make it work for both teams.  In this case it did.

PRN...you get to see the 10th ranked team in the country play basketball....definitely worth the $60.

[dwaderoy2004]

Shouldn't we play them now, during the non-conference schedule? What's the story?

http://www.fgcuathletics.com/mbasketball/schedule/

Because they were originally part of the Blue and Gold Classic and when that hit the can they still honored the contract but we had to put it toward the end.

I actually like it, if the committee says your last 10 games matter more than the first ten, then this is another W in a part of the schedule that normally W's are harder to come by.

I guess I always thought that all non-conference games had to be before the conference schedule started.

naw...remember the final four year?  we played wake forest in the middle of our conference schedule as well.

[bilsu]

We would have played them anyways, so it does not cost an extra $60. While I understand the reasoning for putting a breather game in the schedule in March, I do not think it benefits MU at all in the selection committee eyes. If that was the only game we won in our last 5 games, it would be meaningless, especially if the the 11th game back was a good win that is no longer in the final ten games. Also anytime you step on the court you could lose and this loss would really hurt our seeding or selection. The one benefit for playing this game is to give players like Hazel a chance to play some significant minutes. The trouble with this is Crean will continue to play his usual rotation and waste this oppurtunity to let the little used players play.

[Marquette84]

Don't you bozos know that's a home game!!! It's not a freaking recruiting trip, it's $60 down the drain for season ticket holders!

What about the screw-job you put on MU by only paying $60 for the Notre Dame and Georgetown games? 

You know damn well that those tickets are easily worth three to five times what season ticket holders paid.  I don't see you offering to cough up anything extra, though. 

[nomarchip510]

Because of the Blue & Gold Classic, we just have to schedule another game against a weak opponent (it would have been the same if the Blue & Gold Classic were actually played), only it's the last game of the season. I mean it's not like we could have scheduled any team better than Fla Gulf Coast....everyone's in conference play and that's usually what teams want to focus on before their conf. tournaments.