Is next season's schedule too advanced for our talent?

[GOO]

Yes, the schedule is too advanced for our talent.  At least early on. It would be ideal to have more teams in that 30 to 50 range instead of top 30.  A team like Buffalo doesn't do much for the non-college fan.  A team like Kansas State doesn't do too much, either, but sure beats some buy game.

But, so what.  This is what we want.  The team will be challenged early and often.  They are veteran enough to not have their egos crushed if they lose more than they should. They should not be coddled like a coach has to do with some younger teams.

As fans, this is what we want for the program. For exposure, this is what we want.  For selling tickets, this is what we want (but Kansas State is a really good team, I'd rather have a big name that isn't quite so good or a hugh name that is really good, but we take what we can schedule).  For recruiting, this is what we want.  At this point I'd rather have the coaching staff error on the side of too hard than too easy.  Time to challenge everyone including themselves.

It is great to be in a position to think we can win some of these and compete in most or all of these games.  I say bring it on, even if the schedule has a couple more top teams than is ideal early in the season. 

[Its DJOver]

Yes, the schedule is too advanced for our talent.  At least early on. It would be ideal to have more teams in that 30 to 50 range instead of top 30.  A team like Buffalo doesn't do much for the non-college fan.  A team like Kansas State doesn't do too much, either, but sure beats some buy game.

But, so what.  This is what we want.  The team will be challenged early and often.  They are veteran enough to not have their egos crushed if they lose more than they should. They should not be coddled like a coach has to do with some younger teams.

As fans, this is what we want for the program. For exposure, this is what we want.  For selling tickets, this is what we want (but Kansas State is a really good team, I'd rather have a big name that isn't quite so good or a hugh name that is really good, but we take what we can schedule).  For recruiting, this is what we want.  At this point I'd rather have the coaching staff error on the side of too hard than too easy.  Time to challenge everyone including themselves.

It is great to be in a position to think we can win some of these and compete in most or all of these games.  I say bring it on, even if the schedule has a couple more top teams than is ideal early in the season.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't top 30 the cutoff for Q1 home games?  We won't have the benefit of having 9 conference Q1 games, so getting as many in the non-conference if preferable IMO.  We're an old enough team where I don't think it makes a huge difference between playing a good team in December vs March (We'll obviously be better in March, but we should be much better December '18 vs December '17) so I don't think the tough competition early on will be as big of an issue as you think it will.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't top 30 the cutoff for Q1 home games?  We won't have the benefit of having 9 conference Q1 games, so getting as many in the non-conference if preferable IMO.  We're an old enough team where I don't think it makes a huge difference between playing a good team in December vs March (We'll obviously be better in March, but we should be much better December '18 vs December '17) so I don't think the tough competition early on will be as big of an issue as you think it will.

My hope is this team is good enough that the quadrants are pretty much irrelevant. 

[Its DJOver]

My hope is this team is good enough that the quadrants are pretty much irrelevant.

Only way quadrants are irrelevant is if we get a 1 seed which aint happening.  It varies year to year, but there can be a pretty fine line between seeds, you can't know in May what an extra Q1 game will mean next March.

[79Warrior]

Yes, the schedule is too advanced for our talent.  At least early on. It would be ideal to have more teams in that 30 to 50 range instead of top 30.  A team like Buffalo doesn't do much for the non-college fan.  A team like Kansas State doesn't do too much, either, but sure beats some buy game.

I am pretty confident the "non college fan" is not watching regular season hoops, so not sure what you mean by that. Buffalo is a good opponent, and Kansas State is an excellent game for MU. The schedule is the best NC in a very long time.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Only way quadrants are irrelevant is if we get a 1 seed which aint happening.  It varies year to year, but there can be a pretty fine line between seeds, you can't know in May what an extra Q1 game will mean next March.

Ehh.  If you're a top 25 team in a major conference, you're not going to be worrying about quadrants come Selection Sunday. 

[Its DJOver]

Ehh.  If you're a top 25 team in a major conference, you're not going to be worrying about quadrants come Selection Sunday.

If you care about seeding you will, if you only care about getting a bid you won't.

If we get a bid, and another team that has a resume on par with ours and gets a higher bid I can guarantee that there will be complaining here.  Unless you're getting a 1 seed, you can always have a better resume.  More Q1 games/wins makes a better resume.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

If you care about seeding you will, if you only care about getting a bid you won't.

If we get a bid, and another team that has a resume on par with ours and gets a higher bid I can guarantee that there will be complaining here.  Unless you're getting a 1 seed, you can always have a better resume.  More Q1 games/wins makes a better resume.

Michigan State had 3 Q1 wins last season and got a 3 seed. 

In general, I agree with you.  Its always better to have better wins as opposed to not better wins.  A better resume is better than a not better resume.  But we should have a team that is safely in the field next season and we're not worrying about other teams falling out of bottom end Q1 status and into top end Q2 status in February and March.  I honestly don't think the committee gives a crap about the difference between an RPI 25 - RPI 35 team.  The quadrants are just a metric and a way of grouping teams to try and be more transparent about how the committee values wins and losses.  They aren't knocking a team because they lost a Q1 win just before the NCAA tourney because someone they beat in non-con lost a game in their conference tourney to drop them from a Q1 neutral court win to a Q2 win. 

[Its DJOver]

Michigan State had 3 Q1 wins last season and got a 3 seed.

Are you trying to say that their resume couldn't have been improved?  It's pretty hard to dispute that more Q1 wins make a better resume and a better resume increases  your chance at a higher seed.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Are you trying to say that their resume couldn't have been improved?  It's pretty hard to dispute that more Q1 wins make a better resume and a better resume increases  your chance at a higher seed.

See above.

[Silkk the Shaka]

It's what every generation does when talking about the next generation. I remember growing up and hearing how us Gen Xers were just a bunch of slackers who smoked pot and would never amount to anything. Now the Millenials are all social media addicted snowflakes who will never amount to anything. I imagine the Baby Boomers were once viewed as rock 'n roll addicted miscreants who would never amount to anything. They probably said the same of the Silent Generation and Greatest Generation before them.

I'm sure in the next couple years we'll start hearing the same criticisms about the iGen kids (even ones like the Parkland kids) and whatever label they end up attaching to kids like my daughter that are being born now. It's just what aging generations do to make themselves feel relevant. Probably more accurate to assess a generation when its nearing its end than before its zenith. Like saying the Baby Boomers are a bunch of government-teat sucking wretches that are going to bankrupt Social Security, tanked the economy due to repeated dalliances with trickle down economics, and the first generation in this country that truly left the world worse than they found it.

Speak of the devil, this podcast ep just came out today:

https://soundcloud.com/citationsneeded/episode-38-the-medias-bogus-generation-obsession

Many of the same things Brew is talking about

Anyway, can't wait to see the last 4 additions to the OOC schedule!

[Its DJOver]

See above.

For the most part I agree with you, but with all the new metrics and different rankings that value different things, the smallest of margins can be the difference between seed lines and/or travel locations.  Any advantage we can have to get a better seed/better location to play in, should be taken advantage of.  If that means playing the 29th ranked team instead of the 31st ranked team I'm all for it.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Anyway, can't wait to see the last 4 additions to the OOC schedule!

If this is correct: http://www.gomarquette.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/marq-m-baskbl-sched.html we get five more additions to the OOC schedule. Actually filling up the schedule this season.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Huh?

See Mexico thread;)

On a related note but not just 82, is it the full moon or are folks so hooked on teal lately, like opiates, they have turned off their sarcasm-o-meters?  It's the first summer holiday approaching folks...unbutton that top button and breath the fresh air.  Posters seem a little too literal and serious lately.

Seashells and balloons.  Beef and cheddars.

[MU82]

See Mexico thread;)

On a related note but not just 82, is it the full moon or are folks so hooked on teal lately, like opiates, they have turned off their sarcasm-o-meters?  It's the first summer holiday approaching folks...unbutton that top button and breath the fresh air.  Posters seem a little too literal and serious lately.

Seashells and balloons.  Beef and cheddars.

Well, I went to Mexico because my daughter got married there. Even those most concerned about the violence didn't seem to think I should have insisted that my daughter cancel her wedding.

Agree about teal. I never use it. Like to keep folks thinkin'!

I understand why some use it. Sarcasm sometimes doesn't come out as intended in these kinds of threads. But some folks use it for everything, even the obvious.

teal=heroin!

[Silkk the Shaka]

If this is correct: http://www.gomarquette.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/marq-m-baskbl-sched.html we get five more additions to the OOC schedule. Actually filling up the schedule this season.

Even better!

[mug644]

Michigan State had 3 Q1 wins last season and got a 3 seed. 

In general, I agree with you. Its always better to have better wins as opposed to not better wins.  A better resume is better than a not better resume. But we should have a team that is safely in the field next season and we're not worrying about other teams falling out of bottom end Q1 status and into top end Q2 status in February and March.  I honestly don't think the committee gives a crap about the difference between an RPI 25 - RPI 35 team.  The quadrants are just a metric and a way of grouping teams to try and be more transparent about how the committee values wins and losses.  They aren't knocking a team because they lost a Q1 win just before the NCAA tourney because someone they beat in non-con lost a game in their conference tourney to drop them from a Q1 neutral court win to a Q2 win.

Is your batter bitter? A bit of butter would make it better.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

If they can have a Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout, why isn't their a Real Chili Invitational.

Was just thinking the same.

And it's cool they worked Skyline Chili into the Cincinnati rivalry.  Does the winning team get a giant pot of chili?

[brewcity77]

Michigan State had 3 Q1 wins last season and got a 3 seed.

I'm confused by this. Are you saying MSU should've been seeded higher based on body of work? Because they still had a losing Q1 record and 21 wins in Q3/4. I don't think there was anything wrong with their seed.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I'm confused by this. Are you saying MSU should've been seeded higher based on body of work? Because they still had a losing Q1 record and 21 wins in Q3/4. I don't think there was anything wrong with their seed.

I think J5 was saying that quadrants don't matter as much once you get to the higher seeds and was quoting the fact that Michigan St only had 3 Q1 wins and still managed a 3 seed as an example.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I think J5 was saying that quadrants don't matter as much once you get to the higher seeds and was quoting the fact that Michigan St only had 3 Q1 wins and still managed a 3 seed as an example.

This.

[GOO]

I am pretty confident the "non college fan" is not watching regular season hoops, so not sure what you mean by that. Buffalo is a good opponent, and Kansas State is an excellent game for MU. The schedule is the best NC in a very long time.

Not complaining and the schedule is excellent. My minor point was that a non-MU fan is not going to get excited by Kansas State, even though they are going to be really good and a great opponent... but, an equally good team or even a bit worse with a bigger name than Kansas State would sell more tickets (which may not be a big deal this year with the new arena anyway).  Only people that really pay attention to college ball will know that Kansas State is a good team; an equally good or worse UCLA team is a hugh game in Milwaukee.  Kansas State isn't even though they are really good.

Again, a minor nitpick point. The schedule is great and you take what games you can get.  I didn't mean for that to be a takeaway from my post.   

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Not complaining and the schedule is excellent. My minor point was that a non-MU fan is not going to get excited by Kansas State, even though they are going to be really good and a great opponent... but, an equally good team or even a bit worse with a bigger name than Kansas State would sell more tickets (which may not be a big deal this year with the new arena anyway).  Only people that really pay attention to college ball will know that Kansas State is a good team; an equally good or worse UCLA team is a hugh game in Milwaukee.  Kansas State isn't even though they are really good.

Again, a minor nitpick point. The schedule is great and you take what games you can get.  I didn't mean for that to be a takeaway from my post.

More of an indictment on those fans than that schedule. 

[brewcity77]

I think J5 was saying that quadrants don't matter as much once you get to the higher seeds and was quoting the fact that Michigan St only had 3 Q1 wins and still managed a 3 seed as an example.

I don't know, there was talk of Michigan State being a 1-seed going into the last week but their resume kept them off the top line. They were 4/5 in the polls and #6 in Pomeroy yet their schedule relegated them to the 3-line. I'd say it matters for everyone.

[warriorchick]

Exactly true, brew.

And I hate to break it to you, but your daughter is a diaper-addicted, Goodnight Moon-lovin' slacker who will never amount to anything.

Yep.  Too lazy to use the toilet or read her own books.