Conference USA scheduling

[Scarlet Blind]

It's interesting in theory but also could hurt wonder if other conferences will follow suit in this.

https://deadspin.com/conference-usa-is-completely-revamping-its-conference-s-1826386373

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Not sure if this will get the desired result. Some years it could turn a 2 bid conference to 1 if top 5 teams beat each other up. Also what if top record teams aren’t the best teams?

 

[MGSA99]

With a 14-team Big Ten schedule:

Play a round-robin schedule plus a home-and-home with a “rival” opponent. 14 games.

After this, you’ll have a top half and a bottom half. Those halves play each other in another round robin. 6 games.

Giving us a total of 20 games.

 

[RUenvsci]

I was thinking that too. These teams are just going to beat each other up, and really for only a marginal increase in strength of schedule. The key for these mid majors is to schedule quality opponents in non conference play. See uconn women as an example.

 

[mikemarc1]

http://conferenceusa.com/news/2018/5/29/general-mbb-c-usa-rolls-out-innovative-schedule.aspx

Love it!

14 teams play each other once and one other team twice (their travel partner).

After those 14 games are played, teams are seeded 1-14 and arranged into 3 groups. 1-5 seed, 6-10 seed, 11-14 seed.

1-5 seeds then play round-robin 4-game schedule to complete season, 6-10 does same, 11-14 does sane but plays one team twice.

Helps better teams boost resume a bit..so I’m all for it.

 

[Mr_Twister]

Do season ticket buyers of bottom feeder teams get rebates after the first 14 games?

 

[mikemarc1]

Do season ticket buyers of bottom feeder teams get rebates after the first 14 games?

Why would they?

I’d say those are intriguing games with 4 teams battling for final 2 conference tourney spots.

 

[RU_Planning]

I don’t mind the innovation, but the league needs to make its teams schedule better OOC and for the perennial bottom feeders to get serious about basketball.

 

[BigEastPhil]

- CUSA Schedule is amateurish.

- A10 does prepare its schedule each year ensuring top teams play each other each year for SOS purposes.

- PAC 10 is thinking of doing the same.

 

[G- RUnit]

Non P5 conferences get hosed all the time so I think it is a great experiment. What do they have to lose?

 

[G- RUnit]

I don’t mind the innovation, but the league needs to make its teams schedule better OOC and for the perennial bottom feeders to get serious about basketball.

Like Monmouth did?

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Non P5 conferences get hosed all the time so I think it is a great experiment. What do they have to lose?

A NCAA tournament bid PLUS maybe extra money on fligths.

We focus on teams all the time that don't get in to the tournament and come up a hair short. Those teams obviously get a better chance by having a few better games. What happens when a team goes 17-3 in conference instead of 18-2 and doesn't get in. What are the probabilities that a top team in CUSA goes 4-0 in the 2 Home and 2 Away games?

A better solution is a CUSA finding a few conferences similar and doing a "Gavitt Games" so the better teams get better OOC. Obviously we don't always know the year before who the good teams might be.

 

[G- RUnit]

True but again they are not getting in anyway. Look at last year. Middle Tennessee went 16-2. ODU went 15-3. WKU went 14-4. All deserving. None got in. WKU proved deserving with NIT run. They have to try something different. Kudos to them. Playing each other means somebody is getting wins. We already know who is going to be good next year. I’d place money on Michigan and Martyland.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

ODU lost to Western Kentucky 3 times
Middle Ten State lost to Marshall twice
WKU lost to Middle Ten twice

Road games in those 5 team pods are most likely going to result in 2 games where you are underdogs. Plus you also have the CUSA tournament right after.... I hate the idea.

the reason they got no one in tournament is the top 3-4 teams beat each other up.

Middle Tennessee didn't get in because of their schedule, they didn't get in because they weren't good enough. I think they had a smart schedule. They lost last regular season game and 1st round of their tournament PLUS didn't win enough OOC games against decent competition.

 

[G- RUnit]

Yet WKU was as good as any other bubble team in the country and had a great NIT run. Never got a sniff. That’s a problem. How did Middle Tennessee do past years in the big dance?That’s a problem. ODU was even more ignored. That’s a problem.
I think it’s smart to try something new. One game tourneys with other leagues will just eliminate somebody. Always thought there should be more rewarding of outstanding play in league.

 

[BoroKnight]

This is no longer a conference, but an audition for the NCAA Tournament. And do you really think playing the fifth-place team in C-USA is going to give you that much of a boost in the RPI?

Write it down: This will not make a damn bit of difference in getting NCAA bids. But what it will do is increase attendance at those top five schools over the final two weeks of the season. So in that sense, it's worth something.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Put those 3 schools in a B1G schedule and I bet they aren't on a bubble.

 

[RU_Planning]

Like Monmouth did?

It isn't just about the top team scheduling tough OOC, but the mid and lower level teams doing it too.

CUSA has and can be again a 2-3 bid league if more programs put their resources behind their bball programs. The NEC will never be a multi-bid league.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

This is no longer a conference, but an audition for the NCAA Tournament. And do you really think playing the fifth-place team in C-USA is going to give you that much of a boost in the RPI?

Write it down: This will not make a damn bit of difference in getting NCAA bids. But what it will do is increase attendance at those top five schools over the final two weeks of the season. So in that sense, it's worth something.

I'll take it one step further and say it will actually hurt getting NCAA bids.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

It isn't just about the top team scheduling tough OOC, but the mid and lower level teams doing it too.

CUSA has and can be again a 2-3 bid league if more programs put their resources behind their bball programs. The NEC will never be a multi-bid league.

CUSA would have been a 2 bid conference....
1. Middle Tennessee State not lost it's last regular season game AND 1st round of the CUSA tournament.
2. 2 of those 3 teams played in the finals of the CUSA tournament
3. ODU beats Temple and W Kentucky in round 2 of CUSA tournament

CUSA probably had a 90%ish chance of being a 2 bid conference on March 1st

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Penn State finishes 21-13 in B1G
WKU finishes 24-10 in CUSA

I am sorry WKU can't blame a schedule.

 

[G- RUnit]

Yet beat BC, USC and Oklahoma State. Were 14-4 in league. Beat Purdue, SMU before injuries. One of losses was to Nova. Finished 27-11. Can not fault that schedule at all.

They deserved a bid. There were hosed. Time to try something new. When you got nothing you got nothing to lose.