These next three games....

[kicker22]

Well another thing to consider....there are 353 teams. If every power 5 team only loaded up on other power 5 opponents, then college basketball as we know it would dry up. The cupcakes rely on these non-conference games to help fund their team for a year. So in a lot of respects the cupcakes need the bigger schools for additional funding. Iowa is paying Bryant and Western Carolina to come get smoked in Carver.

You could argue both sides of the coin, but IMO its good for college basketball as a whole. Watching VCU back in 2011 finish 4th in the Colonial conference but make it to the Final Four as an 11 seed was awesome. If Power 5 schools only played power 5 schools, VCU never would have made the NCAA tournament that year.

I definitely see the point your making and think its a great argument. But with regards to the teams were bringing in, I think it benefits them far more than it does us. I'm definitely not arguing that we should only be playing power 5 programs, but I also think if were going to move forward as a program we need to revaluate things. You can still bring in successful programs from smaller conferences, but if were intentionally scheduling the Western Carolina's, Bryant's or Savannah States, because we don't want to potentially bring in a Belmont, VCU, or reputable lesser known program because of the potential upset possibility then I question where we really see ourselves as a program.

 

[JG10Hawk]

SOS is not directly included in calculating #2-5 at all. The only part it may be part of is #1 for however they compute a "good team".

 

[smitharooney]

You also missed the who point of the thread. I don't think there is anyone here saying they need to schedule a "full slate of tough non conference opponents". It certainly wasn't my original point and I'm the one who started the thread.

The point was, when scheduling these cupcakes don't schedule the ones that end up losing over 20 games and are are ranked 300+ in the RPI. Instead schedule the ones that at least win a few games and have a chance to finish .500 or better. Does that make sense?

We are assuming it’s easy to find games for our team. Sometimes you just have to find someone who agrees to come to our place and get their heads beat in . When you schedule in advance you have no idea how bad they will be plus it might be difficult to find someone who would travel quite a distance to be our tune up game. When it comes to scheduling there are some variables that shift

 

[thedukeofearl]

We are assuming it’s easy to find games for our team. Sometimes you just have to find someone who agrees to come to our place and get their heads beat in . When you schedule in advance you have no idea how bad they will be plus it might be difficult to find someone who would travel quite a distance to be our tune up game. When it comes to scheduling there are some variables that shift

Sometimes there are variables that haven't shifted, for instance, the North Dakota State Bisons in football.....

 

[Jason Rann]

Agreed but Iowa only plays 11 non conference games. It would be nice as fans to play more teams in the 150 to 200 RPI range. That being said I'm sure those teams expect a bigger payout for coming to Carver. I'd guess that the ticket revenue for a 150 RPI team isn't going to be a whole lot better than a 300 RPI team. So if you have to pay twice as much to bring a slightly better team to Carver, it doesn't make a ton of sense. Now of course if that win vs a 150 RPI team is the difference between making the tourney or not then you absolutely need to fork out the extra money to get that team to Carver as making the NCAA tourney would make up for the difference cost wise.

The bottom line though is with more conference games Iowa will make the tourney most seasons if they have an above .500 conference record.

Good point. So I would rather be 11-0 than 8-3 or 7-4.

 

[Jason Rann]

Its confusing as hell. The NCAA provided this graphic to "explain" how it works and it mostly just adds to the confusion

 

[ssckelley]

Good point. So I would rather be 11-0 than 8-3 or 7-4.

If the goal is to simply get through your non conference undefeated then why schedule any games against P5 conferences? Just schedule all MEAC, Southern, and NEC conference opponents.

Or does playing a tough team once in a while help prepare them for the conference schedule?

I find it hard to believe that SOS will have no bearing when it comes time for the committee to determine who gets into the tournament and seeding.

 

[ssckelley]

We are assuming it’s easy to find games for our team. Sometimes you just have to find someone who agrees to come to our place and get their heads beat in . When you schedule in advance you have no idea how bad they will be plus it might be difficult to find someone who would travel quite a distance to be our tune up game. When it comes to scheduling there are some variables that shift

They can forecast out to see who will be decent. You look at the rosters and look at past results. Bryant has had 3 years in a row where they have lost over 20 games. They've only had about 2 seasons where they finished above .500.

If it's all luck then other teams sure seem to get good luck year in and year out.

 

[PCHawk]

The way I see it is there absolutely has to be a reason for it. It would be beyond stupid (even for Barta) to play sub 300 teams instead of 250ish teams. After the one year that we got left out on the tourney for all the 300 teams we played there is no way they would do it again just for the hell of it. I'm sure there has to have been an effort to schedule slightly better terrible teams, but for whatever reason they haven't been able to. It simply cant be by choice can it?

 

[lightning1]

My rule has always been to play the best competition you can find. It's the best way to improve your game and your team. Reason # 897 why he's Gutless Gary.

 

[smhawk]

I don't expect it to last and I'll wager that at the end of the day they will still look at RPI and all the other rankings.

They haven't been focused on rpi for years. The new formula is owned by ncaa is likely models something they were using unofficially years prior.

You were wrong that rpi is in n.e.t. They don't need rpi anymore they won't use it.

 

[ssckelley]

They haven't been focused on rpi for years. The new formula is owned by ncaa is likely models something they were using unofficially years prior.

You were wrong that rpi is in n.e.t. They don't need rpi anymore they won't use it.

The weighted win percentage, which was used by RPI, is part of NET. The part I was wrong is the SOS part.

I don't believe RPI hasn't been used by the committee but whatever.

 

[InGoodCo]

Iowa is SOS is gonna be just fine too, there next 18-19 games are all against RPI top 150's after these 4 games.

 

[ssckelley]

Iowa is SOS is gonna be just fine too, there next 18-19 games are all against RPI top 150's after these 4 games.

Yes, and you are stating the obvious here.

I'll still say there is very little to be gained by playing the worst of the worst.

 

[Jason Rann]

If the goal is to simply get through your non conference undefeated then why schedule any games against P5 conferences? Just schedule all MEAC, Southern, and NEC conference opponents.

Or does playing a tough team once in a while help prepare them for the conference schedule?

I find it hard to believe that SOS will have no bearing when it comes time for the committee to determine who gets into the tournament and seeding.

It isn't the goal to play sh!t teams to get there. The point is to have a balanced non-con of tough opponents and cupcakes to get through it in solid fashion. We have done that this season.

 

[DDThompson]

That's not the reason. He won't agree to a home and home, theres no doubt Iowa would keep them on schedule if it was always at carver

That's not what Barta himself said. At least, it's not what I've heard/read that he said.

If he's too much of a coward to be transparent and say, "I offered to play UNI at Carver every year but they refused," then he gets the criticism for saying the reason they're not playing UNI on a neutral floor is to "win championships."

If he said the former, then I'll backtrack on that part of the criticism; but to equate winning championships to not playing UNI in any kind of context is just assinine.

 

[DDThompson]

You also missed the who point of the thread. I don't think there is anyone here saying they need to schedule a "full slate of tough non conference opponents". It certainly wasn't my original point and I'm the one who started the thread.

The point was, when scheduling these cupcakes don't schedule the ones that end up losing over 20 games and are are ranked 300+ in the RPI. Instead schedule the ones that at least win a few games and have a chance to finish .500 or better. Does that make sense?

Perfect sense.

Never thought I'd read a defense of playing 3 300+ teams is a way to improve your chances to make the tourney. And if Iowa is a bubble team for finishing around .500 in the B10, I'm going to enjoy when the same people talk about 300+ teams on the schedule.

 

[DDThompson]

UNI just got beat at home by double digits to Grand Canyon so they're trending for 200+, maybe 250+.

Yes. You're right.

Am I right that playing a 200-250 would be better than play a 307-335?

 

[DDThompson]

let's put it this way, my dad is getting up in years and i wanted to take him and my brothers to watch an iowa game and relive some memories together.

but when i saw the slate of teams scheduled over the Christmas season, . . . i decided to get them Old Wisconsin sausages/cheeses instead.

 

[ssckelley]

let's put it this way, my dad is getting up in years and i wanted to take him and my brothers to watch an iowa game and relive some memories together.

but when i saw the slate of teams scheduled over the Christmas season, . . . i decided to get them Old Wisconsin sausages/cheeses instead.

I did the exact same thing, except I'm a dad looking to take his kids to a game. I took some time off to burn a few of my PTO days and spend time with my wife and kids (she works for a school district). We have not been to a game yet this year so I checked the schedule, seen the puke of games they were playing and decided to do something else. That's when I came here and started this thread. Honestly I was initially more ticked off at the lack of competitive games than I was about RPI/NCAA impact. Judging by the amount of empty seats I seen watching the Western Carolina game I wasn't alone.

I didn't even waste the $10 to watch the game via streaming yesterday. The Drake vs NMST was WAY more interesting and it was free to watch.