Making Our Schedule

[dgies9156]

OK, we had a poster talk about a home-and-home with Alabama. In that light, who would Scoop Nation want us to play regularly in a home-and-home as part of our OOC schedule. In that vein, I'll get it started this way:

Must Plays:
Wisconsin
Notre Dame

Should Play:
Iowa
Vanderbilt
Dayton
Minnesota
Michigan
Indiana

Be Nice If We Played:
North Carolina
Duke (yeah, I know that won't happen)
Iowa State (an intra-squad scrimmage would be nice)

I'd Like Us to Play (for persona reasons)
Tennessee
Southern Illinois-Carbondale

What do you guys think?

[Galway Eagle]

I wouldn't mind us doing a 3 or 4 for 1 with Loyola Chicago. I know it's not a big draw, but it'd be nice to have a year where there's two games in Chicago.  Also selfishly I'd like Northern Illinois because I'm sick of my dad saying no big schools will schedule his alma matter. 

I don't ever want to see us play Vanderbilt again, that first game was painful at the end but my a$$ still hurts from the second game. I'd rather have Purdue over them. 

[We R Final Four]

Notre Dame>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>anyone else.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Notre Dame>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>anyone else.

That's certainly what they think!

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I'd like to see us start a rivarly with Minnesota. Living in MN is part of the reason, but I also think they'd be a good fit for a rival, not too far to travel, lots of fans in both states.  It makes sense. 

[Tums Festival]

OK, we had a poster talk about a home-and-home with Alabama. In that light, who would Scoop Nation want us to play regularly in a home-and-home as part of our OOC schedule. In that vein, I'll get it started this way:

Must Plays:
Wisconsin
Notre Dame

Should Play:
Iowa
Vanderbilt
Dayton
Minnesota
Michigan
Indiana

Be Nice If We Played:
North Carolina
Duke (yeah, I know that won't happen)
Iowa State (an intra-squad scrimmage would be nice)

I'd Like Us to Play (for persona reasons)
Tennessee
Southern Illinois-Carbondale

What do you guys think?

Would like to see Northwestern once in awhile, especially with the Duke connection. As another poster mentioned, would be nice to play Loyola of Chicago or U. of Detroit on occasion as well.

As for higher-profile opponents, why not Gonzaga?

[brewcity77]

I'd like Notre Dame. What I really care about is the buy games, however. Give me Wisconsin, ND, 4 games in an exempt tournament, and any other high major game and that's good enough.

The key is improving the teams that come in for buy games. Find teams that can routinely win 15-20 games per season and play in a decent mid major league and I'm good.

[GooooMarquette]

I like the idea of home and homes where it's close enough to get a really good contingent of MU fans for the road game, and vice versa.  Most have been mentioned, like Minnesota, Iowa, Iowa State, Northwestern.

I'd also like Vandy and Mizzou for personal reasons (I went to Vandy and my daughter currently goes to Mizzou).

And while someone mentioned a 3 or 4 for 1 against Loyola...what about something like that against a school like Northern Iowa? A strong mid-major program that might not go for a straight buy game, but would be close enough for MU fan travel every 4th or 5th year.

[drbchilds]

I'd like to see these guys every year:

Wisconsin
Notre Dame
Louisville
UConn

in that order

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I'd like Notre Dame. What I really care about is the buy games, however. Give me Wisconsin, ND, 4 games in an exempt tournament, and any other high major game and that's good enough.

The key is improving the teams that come in for buy games. Find teams that can routinely win 15-20 games per season and play in a decent mid major league and I'm good.

Bolded and quoted for emphasis.

[rocky_warrior]

selfish: home and home with Colorado

[BrewCity83]

Bring back the games with UWM and UW-Green Bay.  It's stupid to bring in mid-majors from far away that fans have no interest in when we have these little upstarts sitting in our shadow.  And it would improve the RPI.

[GooooMarquette]

Bring back the games with UWM and UW-Green Bay.  It's stupid to bring in mid-majors from far away that fans have no interest in when we have these little upstarts sitting in our shadow.  And it would improve the RPI.

As buy games, or 3 or 4 for one home and homes?

I'm fine with both as buy games, but if we're going to give a home game to a mid-major, I'd much rather give it to a stronger team like UNI.

[🏀]

MU is not giving home games to any mid-major.

[jficke13]

They shouldn't schedule a single game with a team who has an expected RPI worse than 150. If you can't consistently beat RPI 150 teams at home you shouldn't be dancing anyway. Beating up on RPIs worse than 200 is a ticket to underseeding or no invite to the Dance.

[brewcity77]

MU is not giving home games to any mid-major.

The only exception to this would be quality mid majors like Gonzaga, Wichita State, UConn, or Dayton that are regulars at large teams in the tourney.

But teams like Milwaukee or Green Bay? We're not playing road games there. Simply not happening.

[Galway Eagle]

The only exception to this would be quality mid majors like Gonzaga, Wichita State, UConn, or Dayton that are regulars at large teams in the tourney.

But teams like Milwaukee or Green Bay? We're not playing road games there. Simply not happening.

We have played road games against UWGB and UWM though so I'd suggest not being over confident about that

[GGGG]

I would be cool with home and homes with top teams from the MVC and A10 like UNI, Wichita, Dayton and VCU.  If North Carolina can go to Cedar Falls, and Utah can head to Wichita, Marquette certainly can make the same trip.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

They shouldn't schedule a single game with a team who has an expected RPI worse than 150. If you can't consistently beat RPI 150 teams at home you shouldn't be dancing anyway. Beating up on RPIs worse than 200 is a ticket to underseeding or no invite to the Dance.

There is not a single team that schedules like this. Not one. This isn't close to a reasonable expectation

[brewcity77]

We have played road games against UWGB and UWM though so I'd suggest not being over confident about that

And that's exactly why we won't do it again. The only way that changes is if there's complete turnover in the administration of the athletic department. It's just not happening.

[RealChiliWarrior]

I would be cool with home and homes with top teams from the MVC and A10 like UNI, Wichita, Dayton and VCU.  If North Carolina can go to Cedar Falls, and Utah can head to Wichita, Marquette certainly can make the same trip.

North Carolina made the trip to UNI because it is in the vicinity of Marcus Paige's hometown.  Ol' Roy simply honoring a commitment made during recruitment. 

[Litehouse]

1) Wisconsin - done
2) Notre Dame - this needs to happen, even if MU has to agree to a 3-2 deal or play games in Chicago to get it started, and don't give me the Coach K assistants BS,  Brey and Wojo are not bigger than this long-standing historical rivalry.
3) Louisville - historic rival with fantastic games the past 15-20 years as well
4) Cincinnati - our biggest rival from the GMC/CUSA days
5) Illinois - neighboring team of interest
6) Minnesota, Michigan, MSU - the same, but I put Illinois higher because of the MU draw from there
7) Indiana - return of Tom Crean would be fun
8) Northwestern - more games in Chicago are always good

[PGsHeroes32]

I'd like to see us start a rivarly with Minnesota. Living in MN is part of the reason, but I also think they'd be a good fit for a rival, not too far to travel, lots of fans in both states.  It makes sense.

Same for obvious reasons as well but I think it would be a good thing for MU to play the gophers pretty regularly(at this point i just want 1 game lol). A decent big 10 oppenent that at the same time we should be considerably stronger than in most years. So rather than some stupid cupcake play a real team and still win most of the time.

[jficke13]

There is not a single team that schedules like this. Not one. This isn't close to a reasonable expectation

There is a strong correlation between games played against RPI sub 200 teams and under seeding. If we can be expected to defeat a team with an RPI of 200, we should be able to beat a team with an RPI of 150. Only one of those two games actively hurts our postseason chances.

The only thing you get by scheduling that soft is cover so at the end of the year you can say "but we got 20 wins!" A garbage win is only marginally better than a loss.

Maybe nobody schedules like this, but they should. Apply game theory to the scheduling. It is a system that can and should be exploited. If there is no value in scheduling an RPI sub 200 team, then you shouldn't schedule them. Period.

[GGGG]

There is value. You are more likely to win those games. Those games are more likely to be played at home. You can't just create the toughest schedule in the world and hope it works out.