OOC games 2017-2018
- Thread starter FrontRoyalSpider
- Start date
Cayman Islands Classic November 20th - November 22nd
Buffalo Bulls (MAC) (Cayman Islands Classic via Twitter)
Cincinnati Bearcats (American)
Iowa Hawkeyes (Big Ten)
UL Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (Sun Belt)
Richmond Spiders (A 10)
South Dakota State Jackrabbits (Summit)
UAB Blazers (C-USA)
Wyoming Cowboys (MW)
Dang it! my Copy/Paste wasn't working properly...I buzzed in first...Dang it!
Mite - I am more than willing to share the "glory" ...................fwiw.............of posting "first" about the Cayman Islands Classic - but better than that would be being in the Cayman Islands...................
One of my cousins will be a junior at Cincinnati next year. If we play them, Will look forward to it!!
I was told that we are playing a CAA team from outside the state of Virginia. Unclear if it's a buy game or a home and home. I suspect the latter.
I'm anticipating that we'll meet that team twice next year. And beat the crap out of them both times.
Interesting playing Marquis Godwin at ODU next year. He will probably drop 30 on us.
Compared to some of those other tournaments, the Cayman Islands Extravaganza is just so-so. The Phil Knight-a-palooza looks pretty good.
We need to play both Cincinnati and Iowa for the tournament to be good, but we may end up playing only one, or possibly neither if we lose our first game.
I like the Caymans. Have been there a few times. Nothing could be better than a trip there & also getting to see Spiders play.
At least we don't have to swallow a couple 250+ RPI games to get there.
We should get 1 Top 50 and 2 games between 100-200 rpi out of it. Could be better than than. I'll take it.
Unimpressive home OoC schedule so far- probably add Bucknell to that list
Only 1 P5 team in Cayman tournament and Cincinnati. Hopefully you get to play one or both.
Thank goodness the Robins family endowed that faculty chair at Wake or we wouldn't have that game.
At this point SOS looks weak
Upside is that the weak schedule should produce wins if the Board's talent evaluators are correct and we should at least get another NIT banner
Only 1 P5 team in Cayman tournament and Cincinnati. Hopefully you get to play one or both.
Thank goodness the Robins family endowed that faculty chair at Wake or we wouldn't have that game.
At this point SOS looks weak
Upside is that the weak schedule should produce wins if the Board's talent evaluators are correct and we should at least get another NIT banner
I'm open to ripping the schedule but it certainly seems a bit premature to do that.
No I agree with him, only playing 4 OOC games is weak...
Why do we ALWAYS leave OOC games on the table like this?? Geez.
One of the benefits of A10 & a long-tenured, well-respected coach is supposed to be a decent OOC schedule. Forget the home slate, from a season ticket holders perspective, which over the past few years has included Stetson, High Point, IUPUI, Delaware, Northern Iowa, Coppin State, Presbyterian, UMBC, Longwood and Bethune-Cookman. Putting that aside, where are the marquis home-and-homes? Where's Princeton for heaven's sake? Gill went to Duke and worked at Vanderbilt & Oklahoma, so what about them? We have had athletic relationships with NC State, UVA, and BC. Would not have Jim Larranga, Anthony Grant, or Shaka have picked up the phone? After all of these years, there should be an extensive web (sorry) of Spider contacts throughout the NCAA that could be leveraged...
I guess we will no longer play the Indians. Another traditional rivalry bites the dust. Very sad.
Obviously not since they aren't one of the four OOC games we are playing next season...
It's tough to get quality home games, so I would like us to adopt the approach of going anywhere to play anyone. One signature road win can mean a lot for your tournament resume. And the more shots you have at one, the more likely you are to get one.
Would like to see us play Vandy and Princeton in OOC, Miami, too. We used to play Iona, they have a decent program. Don't mind playing Bucknell, they went to the NCAA's this year, and I'd like to beat them for once. I do think our OOC schedule the past 2 or 3 years has been lackluster compared to the recent past (Florida, Kansas, Purdue, Cal, AZ State, UCLA, et al).
To be clear, this lack of focus - or ability to close - regarding scheduling is not entirely or even mostly to blame. Aside from a VCU split, 2 or 3 last minute-ish losses seem to keep us out every year: 2017 Oral Roberts & Maryland; 2016 JMU, WVU, Dayton; 2015 Wake & Northeastern; 2014 UNC, Wake (remember that one?), Ohio. It doesn't help to consistently have such little room for error, but the pattern of these close games needs to change.
Another strategy is to schedule as many top-100 teams as possible at home. VCU took this approach and sadly it worked. Princeton was a top-100 win for them at home. MTSU, same thing.
If we have Bucknell at home next year, that's a great example of this type of game. Solid teams that have a chance to win their conferences, but the kind that would be willing to come play us because it's a step up for them, too.
If we have Bucknell at home next year, that's a great example of this type of game. Solid teams that have a chance to win their conferences, but the kind that would be willing to come play us because it's a step up for them, too.
A win over Vermont, usually near the top of their conference, could provide RPI help.
So is this the known OOC schedule as of today.... with last year's RPI rankings compliments of ESPN.
Home (3)
Vermont (46)
JMU (258)
Oral Roberts (292)
Away (2)
Wake Forest (40)
ODU (138)
Neutral (3 of 7)
Cincinnati (12)
Iowa (81)
UL-Lafayette (115)
Buffalo (146)
Wyoming (151)
SDST (155)
UAB (200)
Home (3)
Vermont (46)
JMU (258)
Oral Roberts (292)
Away (2)
Wake Forest (40)
ODU (138)
Neutral (3 of 7)
Cincinnati (12)
Iowa (81)
UL-Lafayette (115)
Buffalo (146)
Wyoming (151)
SDST (155)
UAB (200)
Vermont is a great OOC game. We need more games like that of teams who aren't big names but have solid RPI. Middle Tennessee State available?
