Stop being lame #mubb

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Howard is my pick to win the meac this year. Would be good from an rpi perspective

[brewcity77]

Howard is my pick to win the meac this year. Would be good from an rpi perspective

I'm leery of a team that had a scoring beast in Daniel and still only finished tied for 9th last year. Norfolk State will be good again and tough to beat. On paper, I have to think Howard will be in the mix, but Kevin Nickelberry hasn't yet had a season over .500 in his 6 years there and only one season with a league record over .500. Hard to pick a team like that to win the league.

[mu03eng]

Does anyone know if the buy rate for a team to play you varies? I know each deal is negotiated and you would think that the open market would dictate that a 200 RPI might have more value than a 300+ team but I wonder how much it really varies.

Take last season....if we total how much last years actual non-conference slate cost MU versus what the ideal slate would have been is there a material difference in cost?

[GGGG]

Does anyone know if the buy rate for a team to play you varies? I know each deal is negotiated and you would think that the open market would dictate that a 200 RPI might have more value than a 300+ team but I wonder how much it really varies.

Take last season....if we total how much last years actual non-conference slate cost MU versus what the ideal slate would have been is there a material difference in cost?

I don't know the specific answer to your question.  However I would say that if Marquette is making that decision based on cost, it is an indication of a larger problem.

[We R Final Four]

And we will get wades preaching about how lame we are for the next ten days.

Not moving on quite yet?

[mu03eng]

I don't know the specific answer to your question.  However I would say that if Marquette is making that decision based on cost, it is an indication of a larger problem.

I don't disagree, I'm just trying to figure out how much cost plays a role in schedule development. Theoretically there is a sweet spot of 30 teams that all high level D1 would love to schedule that combine positive RPI impact, beatability, name recognition, etc. Those teams would be in high demand and on the open market "expensive"

[GGGG]

Not moving on quite yet?

I haven't said a word about the scheduling revealing process since that time and am not planning to.

I do find it cute that you were apparently waiting to see when I next posted in this topic. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I don't know the specific answer to your question.  However I would say that if Marquette is making that decision based on cost, it is an indication of a larger problem.

If we used one of our buy games on Fresno State than the decisions are not being made soley on cost.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I'm leery of a team that had a scoring beast in Daniel and still only finished tied for 9th last year. Norfolk State will be good again and tough to beat. On paper, I have to think Howard will be in the mix, but Kevin Nickelberry hasn't yet had a season over .500 in his 6 years there and only one season with a league record over .500. Hard to pick a team like that to win the league.

Norfolk State and South Carolina State will be up there but I think Howard is the best bet. They are a senior heavy team, with good balance at every position, and a stud player who can carry them when they need it. Also, their second leading scorer was out with an injury last season and returns this season. If he had been around last conference season they would have finished a lot higher than they did.

[brewcity77]

If we used one of our buy games on Fresno State than the decisions are not being made soley on cost.

They certainly shouldn't be, and I agree that Fresno wouldn't be a cheap choice. However, in recent years, it sure looked like cost was an overriding factor.

That's why I hope that FSU's addition is the beginning of a list of palatable cupcakes and not the end. Adding them and five MEAC and SWAC bottom feeders will still make for a crappy schedule.

[4everwarriors]

Liked it better when da 'hole schedule was released and printed in da next daze Milwaukee Urinal, hey?

[brewcity77]

Norfolk State and South Carolina State will be up there but I think Howard is the best bet.

And regardless of who wins that league, it is nice knowing that all four of the possible teams for the 2K home games have upside. EMU and Gardner-Webb should both be worthwhile home games, Howard certainly has potential, and while IUPUI may not be a Summit contender, they are an excellent "bottom of the schedule" type team.

[We R Final Four]

I haven't said a word about the scheduling revealing process since that time and am not planning to.

I do find it cute that you were apparently waiting to see when I next posted in this topic.

I thought when you said you were done, you meant you were done.  My bad.

[GGGG]

I thought when you said you were done, you meant you were done.  My bad.

I'm sorry you fail to understand the concept of context.  Must be rough...

[We R Final Four]

Still not really done then, eh?

Strange that you are done with a thread and a topic but keep reading and responding. But go for it.

[BM1090]

And regardless of who wins that league, it is nice knowing that all four of the possible teams for the 2K home games have upside. EMU and Gardner-Webb should both be worthwhile home games, Howard certainly has potential, and while IUPUI may not be a Summit contender, they are an excellent "bottom of the schedule" type team.

I would think that we would get IUPUI and EMU just based on geography. Is that oversimplifying it?

[Herman Cain]

So based off a few things, here's a few teams that would be good picks for non-con games:
.

• Incarnate Word: Not a ton of history, but in their three years in D1 they have had a winning record each year and won an average of 10.3 league games per season. They don't play in the strongest conference, but offset that with a tough non-con schedule. Their two qualifying years they were in the 160-180 RPI range.
  
• Weber State: Randy Rahe has had one losing season in his decade in Ogden, the Big Sky is a decent conference, and there's an above average chance the Wildcats will put up 25+ wins (they've done it 3 of the last 5 seasons). Even better, in the past 5 years, they don't have a single away win over a true high-major team. Sure, they beat Dayton (Yay) and a terrible Utah (2011-12 team), but generally when they go on the road for buy games, they lose.
  
• Penn: You need some bottom feeders, and Penn has only had one winning record in the last 6 years. However, they play in a tough mid-major, which is good for the opponent's opponents factor, and Steve Donohue knows his way around the Ivy. When you consider they return 4/5 starters, they should improve.
  
• St. Francis (NY): Who'll get excited about these guys? No one except schedule junkies. Why get excited? They are consistently, even reliably mediocre. One 20+ win season in the last 6, four seasons in the 15-18 range, and never less than 12. They also play in a bad (not SWAC bad, but no one is) league that has ensured they won 8+ league games each year. I love low-majors that always do well in their league because you can at least count on double-digit wins and a record that won't really hurt your RPI.
  
• Toledo: I love MAC teams. The league is tough and they all seem to win games. Everyone talks about the MVC, Horizon, and A-10 as the creme de la creme mid-majors, but the MAC is right there. Toledo has had a winning record the past five years under Tod Kowalczyk, return 4 starters, they'll be tough.

.
I certainly don't expect 5 teams like that, and it would be very risky to schedule 5 teams that you know will be "good" for RPI. I would really like to see at least two teams like these. Give us Weber State, Incarnate Word, and three teams from the Summit, C-USA, Sun Belt, MAAC, Ohio Valley, or Patriot and I'll be a happy camper.

I would love to see us focus on MAC teams.  Lots of good candidates there. 
http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_midam_Men.html

[brewcity77]

I would think that we would get IUPUI and EMU just based on geography. Is that oversimplifying it?

I think we'll at least get one of those two, but Michigan likely will too. I would guess all four "big" teams will play different "small" teams, which means Michigan and us will have different opponents (only one in common).

My guess would be that Marquette and Michigan would each play two of EMU, IUPUI, and Howard. Pitt probably gets Howard and Gardner Webb, while SMU gets Gardner Webb and either Howard or IUPUI.

[Benny B]

Does anyone know if the buy rate for a team to play you varies? I know each deal is negotiated and you would think that the open market would dictate that a 200 RPI might have more value than a 300+ team but I wonder how much it really varies.

Take last season....if we total how much last years actual non-conference slate cost MU versus what the ideal slate would have been is there a material difference in cost?

There's some variance, but

a) Excluding outliers, the difference in cost among buy opponents is typically $10k, maybe $15k.  Buy games hover around the $95k-100k mark, so you're looking at a difference of 10-15%.
b) The buy teams aren't necessarily setting their own price; in most cases, they typically either simply agree or decline what's offered.
c) The cost isn't always correlated with the "buy" team's RPI (or projected RPI)... the cost of travel has more effect on the "buy" fee.
d) With respect to the above, MU might pay Chicago State less than they would a UMBC because CSU isn't going to incur airfare, and possibly hotel, costs.  But say someone like Texas Pan-Am plays Becky on Thursday and Purdue the following Monday... UTPA might be willing to agree to a buy with Marquette for even less than Chicago State because under NCAA rules, they would otherwise have to return to McAllen between the UW and PU games... a Saturday game in Milwaukee means they don't have to fly back to McAllen in between UW and PU, and because it would likely be a lot cheaper to fly to Madison, charter a bus from Madison to West Lafayette with a stopover in Milwaukee, and fly back from West Lafayette than it would cost to fly R/T to both Madison and West Lafayette, they might just take anything MU offered them.

[Stretchdeltsig]

Sultan is suffering from gas and or has a slow day.  Let's forgive him.

[mu03eng]

There's some variance, but

a) Excluding outliers, the difference in cost among buy opponents is typically $10k, maybe $15k.  Buy games hover around the $95k-100k mark, so you're looking at a difference of 10-15%.
b) The buy teams aren't necessarily setting their own price; in most cases, they typically either simply agree or decline what's offered.
c) The cost isn't always correlated with the "buy" team's RPI (or projected RPI)... the cost of travel has more effect on the "buy" fee.
d) With respect to the above, MU might pay Chicago State less than they would a UMBC because CSU isn't going to incur airfare, and possibly hotel, costs.  But say someone like Texas Pan-Am plays Becky on Thursday and Purdue the following Monday... UTPA might be willing to agree to a buy with Marquette for even less than Chicago State because under NCAA rules, they would otherwise have to return to McAllen between the UW and PU games... a Saturday game in Milwaukee means they don't have to fly back to McAllen in between UW and PU, and because it would likely be a lot cheaper to fly to Madison, charter a bus from Madison to West Lafayette with a stopover in Milwaukee, and fly back from West Lafayette than it would cost to fly R/T to both Madison and West Lafayette, they might just take anything MU offered them.

Perfect, this is what I was thinking but good to get a sanity check.

Side note, Scott Kuykendall has reached out over twitter to discuss the "strategy" on the Scrambled Eggs podcast...would there be interest in such a conversation?

[Coleman]

Side note, Scott Kuykendall has reached out over twitter to discuss the "strategy" on the Scrambled Eggs podcast...would there be interest in such a conversation?

Roney Eford has risen!!!!!!!!!!!

[Benny B]

Perfect, this is what I was thinking but good to get a sanity check.

Side note, Scott Kuykendall has reached out over twitter to discuss the "strategy" on the Scrambled Eggs podcast...would there be interest in such a conversation?

I would absolutely be interested in hearing what Kuykendall has to say... but what's a podcast?

[mu03eng]

I would absolutely be interested in hearing what Kuykendall has to say... but what's a podcast?

Recording we release 2 minutes at a time over a 2 week period.

[Benny B]

Recording we release 2 minutes at a time over a 2 week period.

Stop being lame #scrambledeggs