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Topic: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Topic: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

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Chicken George
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Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/13/2012 11:02:03 PM

2012-2013
Marshall
St.Bonaventure
Winthrop
Portland
@UMass
@BracketBusters(TBD)
@Memphis (Dec 5 - FedEx Forum)

We don't know the entire schedule otther than what's been posted here, so this post is premature. With the Sweet 16 finish and the entire roster back, I kind of envisioned us taking a little larger leap towards an At-Large bid, should magic not strike in Cleveland. The "Committee" talk about "going out and playing people" and I'm not sure this lineup catches many eyes.

Now I'm not saying we need to go crazy and schedule Murder-row and I'm sure teams aren't lining up to schedule us until the year after next, but doesn't this still appear kind of soft? Memphis was a nice get, but I'm hoping there is another exciting peice or two we don't know about.

Thoughts?

Kovy
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/13/2012 11:08:08 PM

I think wins over those schools will produce a good RPI but it won't be enough for an at large bid IMO.

Bobcat Love
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/13/2012 11:34:26 PM

Not even close.

Mike Coleman
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/13/2012 11:49:16 PM

Chicken George wrote:

2012-2013 Marshall
St.Bonaventure
Winthrop
Portland
@UMass
@BracketBusters(TBD)
@Memphis (Dec 5 - FedEx Forum)

Last year we had 15 non-conf games, so this is about half of our non-conf for next year. I think we need to see how it plays out.

Here the schedule with last year's RPI.

Ohio...45 Final RPI

Marshall..44
St. Bonaventure...73
Winthrop...271
Portland...238
UMass...77
Memphis...16

That's four Top 100 teams from last year so far. Last year, we had three Top 100 teams total. Of course last year's success has no bearing on this year's, FWIW.

Doc Bobcat
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/13/2012 11:51:59 PM

Schedule smedule.....just win baby.

oubobcatjohn
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/14/2012 12:27:57 AM

Would like to see Wichita State, Creighton, Gonzaga, VCU, Butler or Xavier on the schedule to see where we would fit vs other elite mid-major programs. Seeding could be important under the 68 team field. 12,11 or 10 seed would be really strong for a MAC champion.

cc-cat
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/14/2012 8:59:06 AM

); UMass who went 25-12 and to the NIT semis and St. Bonnie that went 20-11 and made the dance. Not a bad set of games. Add another attractive name game and a solid Christmas Tournament and go from there.

The Cats did not play like a Sweet 16 team last year until the final three weeks so we are not ready to run the top 25 at the beginning of the schedule. That said, after our run, the rest of the MAC will clearly have us on their radar so we will need to be ready to play every night - a strong(er) OOC will help prepare us.

Last Edited: 6/14/2012 10:14:31 AM by cc-cat

shabamon
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Location: Cincinnati
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/14/2012 9:09:25 AM

cc cat wrote:

If the second half of the OOC schedule is like the first half then we'll be fine. Memphis is a great game to schedule. The bracketbuster is what it is and Winthrop is a result of it. Marshall is a rival game - whether folks like it or not. That leaves Portland (who blew us out last year - so let's get them back); UMass who went 25-12 and to the NIT semis and St. Bonnie that went 20-11 and made the dance. Not a bad set of games. Add another attractive name game and a solid Christmas Tournament and go from there.

The Cats did not play like a Sweet 16 team last year until the final three weeks so we are not ready to run the top 25 at the beginning of the schedule. That said, after our run, the rest of the MAC will clearly have us on their radar so we will need to be ready to play every night - a strong(er) OOC will help prepare us.

We smoked Portland last year. They were terrible.

I would like to see two more Memphis-caliber teams on the schedule.

71 BOBCAT
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/14/2012 9:13:10 AM

The committee always looks at wins over teams in the top 50 RPI.
We need to schedule at least 4 of these teams even if they are away games, which could also turn out to be money games. TV exposure would also follow these match ups.
I would really like to know the final complete roster including transfers etc.

GO BOBCATS

Bobcat Love
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/14/2012 9:49:24 AM

cc cat wrote:

That leaves Portland (who blew us out last year - so let's get them back);

DJ had such an off night....

OakStreet
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/14/2012 9:51:08 AM

That's what he said!

cc-cat
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/14/2012 10:12:32 AM

my bad on the Portland score. yes, that game is a waste.

mf279801
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/14/2012 12:03:33 PM

The reason we got no at-large talk had nothing to do with our OCC schedule, and everything to do with losing 5 games in MAC play, including 2 games against the West. For a MAC team to get at large talk in this era, it will need a strong (but not murder's row) OCC schedule and 1-2 MAC losses, TOPS (not counting a narrow defeat in the championship or semi-finals game)

Andrew Ruck
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/14/2012 1:55:03 PM

^ ^ ^ Agreed...It is about stopping with the disappointing losses to bad teams in the conference, something we haven't been able to avoid for a long time. That (aka winning the regular season championship) is much more important than the OOC. Akron and Ohio should be battling for the title with just 1 or 2 losses each...SHOULD...but probably will not play out that way.

Andrew Ruck
B.B.A. 2003

athena
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/14/2012 1:56:00 PM

Are we playing in any holiday tournaments this year? I was hoping the Sweet 16 run would get us an invite to one of the bigger/more prestigious tournaments.

Chicken George
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/14/2012 3:08:48 PM

Anybody looked back to see what kind of teams JC chose to schedule while racking up all those 20+win seasons while at Kent St? Be interesting to see if he scheduled to have a good record, or he liked to go out and play some people. Then again, he may be in somewhat of a different mindset right now, whereas back then his goal may have been to rack up some nice resume numbers in hopes of getting out of town versus now where that "may" not be his ultimate goal.

Just seems to me that the philosophy of racking up a great record in hopes that getting an NCAA bid (assuming you don't win the tournament) is one way to get there, just leaves you so little margin for error. You lose say 5 MAC games and if you don't have any big wins in the OOC schedule, you're down to needing to win the tournament. Chances are a great record and no tournament win leaves you feeling good in that you're on the Bubble Watch, but then ultimately get left feeling snubbed when you don't get an invite.

A strong OOC schedule with a team like this may give you a triple edged approach to getting an invite. Say 5 MAC loses may be overshadowed a bit if you went out and have some marque victories. If you lose those marque games and have a great MAC record, then you may get the benefit of the doubt having at least tried versus the arguement you had a great MAC record, but played nobody in the non-conference schedule.

If it were me, this would be the year I tried to schedule 2-4 Memphis type games as without those wins you're putting all your chips on the tournament as with a great MAC record only that still may not be good enough.

OUVan
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/14/2012 5:37:40 PM

Kovy wrote:

I think wins over those schools will produce a good RPI but it won't be enough for an at large bid IMO.

That all depends on our record OOC. If we only lose one game again then it is easily an at large worthy schedule. That all depends on how we do in conference as well. If we don't lose to Toledo and EMU we were at at-large worthy team last year.

Jeff McKinney
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/14/2012 9:53:13 PM

Pretty good schedule IMO. On Portland, remember that they usually are pretty good but were down last year. I saw the game vs. them on web feed last year. They were actually a decent team; we had to fight hard to pull away from them in the second half.

Jeff McKinney
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/14/2012 9:54:50 PM

On Winthrop, there is an interesting side bar. Pat Kelsey will be their first year coach. He is a disciple of Skip Prosser and went into four years of depression after Prosser's death. Finally got out of coaching, but is now back in. Seems like a great guy. Prosser's son is on his staff.

Turney13
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/14/2012 9:57:07 PM

if we beat Louisville last year and lose to Akron in the finals probably still come up short, but maybe in the discussion

Turney Duff
Twitter: @turneyduff

Andrew Ruck
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/14/2012 11:36:29 PM

4 opponents in the top 80...2 opponents in the bottom 80. Guess which 2 McKinney is talking about.

Andrew Ruck
B.B.A. 2003

Chicken George
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/15/2012 2:18:33 AM

That's part of the maturation process when you're a MAC fan. Just like you have to develop the ability to get excited about an E. Michigan basketball game, you must also adjust to all the crazy OOC teams thrown your direction each year--like UT-Corpus Christi and yes, Portland.

Ohio69
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/15/2012 8:42:32 AM

Our schedule really doesn't matter.

The MAC doesn't get at large bids.

All that matters is what happens in Cleveland in March, as we Ohio fans know well after 2005, 2010, and 2012.

That said, I think it would be more fun to have at least 3 Memphis type (top 25- top 40 opponent) games every year.

Can somebody hit a pull up jumper for me?.....

Andrew Ruck
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/15/2012 9:44:01 AM

Chicken George wrote:

If that's the case, McKinney is the most mature fan in the entire conference.

Andrew Ruck
B.B.A. 2003

cc-cat
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RE: Is This Enough, or Still Too Soft?

Posted: 6/15/2012 9:52:21 AM

Turney13 wrote:

if we beat Louisville last year and lose to Akron in the finals probably still come up short, but maybe in the discussion

Great point - and unfortunately very true

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