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DePaul's Non-conference Schedule Drawing Fire Again This Year

DePaul scheduling as weak as possible is all they need to do and they'll be in the postseason every year.

It's a pretty simple formula DePaul needs to follow to become relevant. While, yes, the ultimate goal is NCAA appearances. . .they need to initially set their sights lower.

Just get ANY kind of postseason. To ensure that, schedule as weak a non-con is possible. Then don't lose any more than one or two. Finish within a game or two of .500 in Big East play. . .and voila. . .you're in the postseason.

Just looking at their non-con schedule, they are still in danger of losing up to 4 games!

Finishing with a winning record will keep interest in the program. Once you have the interest back, then you can slowly build back towards the national respect and NCAA appearances they once enjoyed.

With this schedule they will still likely fail given the simple formula they should be following.

If I'm a DePaul fan, I'm actually irate at this schedule because it dooms your team to failure.
 
Yeah. This schedule isn't as weak as I've seen from a BCS team before, but it's not strong either. When you're in DePaul's spot, you either schedule ridiculously easy or schedule up to take your lumps and harden the team. There are multiple plans available - but the schedule they wound up with is the worst kind.

I mean, if you're going to schedule for wins, why'd you put Alabama St and American, conference champions, on the schedule? If you committ to low-majors, play the lowest of the lows - not the ASUs of the world.

In fact, why are they even scheduling the Paradise Jam in this scenario?
 
Exactly. They are in a terrible spot. It will be several years before they can ever plan on competing in the Big East, I would think.

They were also in the Maui I think at one point the last 2-3 years.

I mean, I give them credit for scheduling tougher than necessary, but they don't go far enough in that direction and they either need to go one extreme or the other.

There are very rare instances where I advocate playing an insanely weak schedule, and DePaul's current situation is one of those.
 
At the very least, putting American and UIC on the schedule....those are the types of mid majors to avoid - the ones that can beat you and harm your "reputation" among the big boys. That, and a SWAC school as well, and that's a rant in itself right there.
 
I disagree..they are going to miss the post season tournies, but at least they can get better if they play some tough foes.
Even if BU or NIU had that schedule, there'd be people saying it's too soft and they should have done better.
 
tornado said:
I disagree..they are going to miss the post season tournies, but at least they can get better if they play some tough foes.
Even if BU or NIU had that schedule, there'd be people saying it's too soft and they should have done better.
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I agree with this general sentiment, but they didn't schedule with this in mind. Or schedule for easy wins. The real point is that the program has absolutely no direction and no plan right now.
 
Speaking of non-conference schedules, check out the pre-conference schedule put together by the Grizzlies of Oakland University. They felt they needed to upgrade their nonconference schedule to give them a better chance at an at-large NCAA bid. Oakland is playing at Kansas and Memphis in the Hall of Fame Showcase, and they are also reported to be playing at Michigan State, Wisconsin, Syracuse and Oregon this year.

http://www.ougrizzlies.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/081109aaa.html
 
I won't comment on anyone's Non-con until ours is posted....from what I've seen of it so far, we are in NO position to criticize DePaul or anyone else. Idaho St!!!! We have ZERO home games worth driving down to see right now...zero. I'll be at the opener because it's the opener....and Vegas, other than that, it's bantha fodder.
 
chitown..this forum is "Basketball Fans Talk", so it's ok to opine on anything, or anyone's schedule, and you don't need to do so only if someone else's schedule (namely BU's) is up to your standards.
 
tornado said:
chitown..this forum is "Basketball Fans Talk", so it's ok to opine on anything, or anyone's schedule, and you don't need to do so only if someone else's schedule (namely BU's) is up to your standards.
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I just think that its a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black when, as fans of BU, we feel the need to post on another team's schedule strength. Why? Is it some sort of rationalization to make ourselves feel better about our own schedule's shortcomings? I'm not questioning the "right" to post about it, I'm questioning whether it's "right". And here's another one...people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
 
jeffsu said:
...but I thought no mid major could get games against the big boys anymore?
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They are on the road games and I doubt if they have return dates. I bet we could play just about anyone also on the road! Other words, Oakland is taking a 180 degree different philosophy then IlSU. I say good for them and I hope they win some of them.
 
I disagree...

even if Bradley has the weakest schedule in America....
then the subject of DePaul's schedule is a different topic, and I don't see why it can't be discussed separately from BU's schedule?

Why does every single topic have to slide back to ripping on Bradley?
If that's what you want to see, let me know and I will give you a link to a message board where that's been going on for years, and where all the BU fans have deserted because that's the only way they discuss things there.

Here we actually have the cognitive ability to see the difference between "DePaul's Schedule" and "Bradley's Schedule", and we do have the ability to discuss or criticize one without feeling we need to drag up the other and make comparisons.


By the way....in the thread on Rick Pitino, I didn't feel the overwhelming urge to bring up the subject of John Calipari, or Jerry Wainwright, or Jim Les, did you??
Isn't it just possible to talk about DePaul's schedule without being compelled by some primal urge to bring up Bradley's schedule, too?
 
The Oakland-Oregon series is the final part of a three year deal. The first contest was played at Auburn Hills and last two at Oregon. Oakland will be going for the three game series sweep of the Ducks.
 
SFP said:
I bet we could play just about anyone also on the road!
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I dunno if that's 100% true, for a team like us. See, since we're good enough to beat people, some certain teams would rather avoid us altogether. The philosophy is that if you're going to play non-BCS teams, might as well schedule down to make getting the win easier.
 
SFP said:
I bet we could play just about anyone also on the road! .
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I bet we could too. And the more willing we are to do so, the more willing some of those schools would be to giving us a return game or at least a favorable neutral contest.

And I for one would gladly sacrifice a home game or two for that long-term benefit.
 
TheAsianSensation said:
I dunno if that's 100% true, for a team like us. See, since we're good enough to beat people, some certain teams would rather avoid us altogether. The philosophy is that if you're going to play non-BCS teams, might as well schedule down to make getting the win easier.
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That may be true to an extent, on certain teams but I don't think those schools view us as that big a threat, really on their home floor.

Michigan State (twice), Florida, and Mississippi State were our last for BCS road games and we served as little more than floor wax for those teams. Iowa State will be a big hurdle for this year's team.

Since we probably knew that going in, we tried to offset that with confidence building wins at home against vastly inferior teams.

Give me consistent quality. I actually think this year's schedule might be the most intriguing we've had under Les. Although, it's two bad the few opportunities to land a game vs. A10 team have fallen through. . .
 
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