tornado
New member
on November 24...
http://www.eiupanthers.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=87
http://www.eiupanthers.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=87
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EIU releases their schedule -- they come to Peoria
- Thread starter tornado
- Start date
MacabreMob
New member
The night before Thanksgiving.
houstontxbrave
New member
Have you ever been to EIU and its basketball "gym"?
I would never ever want Bradley to visit EIU and for that matter ever again to WIU.
While I see the merit of not going to play at WIU, EIU, etc, it does seem a bit hypocritical to expect or even hope for teams like Duke, Michigan State, or even Illinois to ever play us at Carver. I like most fans dont necessarily want to play at WIU or EIU, but would love to see Duke play in Peoria, or other "big name" teams.
EIU is on such a lower tier than BU, it's not even funny. Besides, EIU's "arena" is about the size of a high school gym. BU's been a DI school forever. EIU just joined the ranks in the last 10 years.
MacabreMob
New member
patrick_o'brian
Member
It doesn't matter what "tier" EIU is. They are a state school and we should take the opportunity to play our in state teams.
houstontxbrave
New member
So that same holds true for Chicago State?
This very similar to Bradley must have Peoria area players on its roster. If the game is going to help Bradley then lets play but if it is not going to be beneficial to Bradley no need.
And to me if we are going to play EIU or WIU they come to our place we do not go to theirs.
patrick_o'brian
Member
I'm sorry but I do not understand the wording of your post. Would you re-read it and elaborate?
Any game "in-state" is beneficial to Bradley because of the minimal travel costs. It may not help the RPI per se, but getting and keeping a couple state schools on the schedule is always beneficial. I agree with you that they should have to come to Peoria, which is the case now and EIU gets no return game, so I really don't see your arguement. Once again, please elaborate.
houstontxbrave
New member
Unless a game against a WIU or EIU or a NIU is going to benefit the program at Bradley I do not see any reason to play one of those schools. I do not care about saving a few buck regarding a nights of travel. These programs only play us if they come to Peoria, I NEVER want to see us ever go back to any of those campuses for a game, it is not worth it because they are all inferior programs to Bradley.
This arguement that we should play "instate" schools is to me similar to that Bradley needs to have Peoria area players on its roster. Only if either benefits the program, not just because.
I also asked if the same holds true to the orginal poster regarding Chicago State, because they are within the boarders of Illinois.
houstontxbrave
New member
Id rather have none of the above. My thought is a school like Bradley has ZERO margin for error. You can not lose a game, but if you do and it is against a very good team or a equal team it is viewed a little less harshly then a lose to the above. If we lost to an EIU or WIU thats it your season, unless you run the rest of the games is toast.
The above game does nothing, period. It doesnt help you with a win and it only kills you with a loss.
I prefer we play similar teams or teams viewed as higher quality. That is why a game like Western Carolina is so difficult to me, it is a viewed as a "lesser" opponent and a loss will stick out bigtime regardless of where it happened. And a win is just that a win.
it's boogie time
Active member
This isn't college football. There is room for error. In 2006, Bradley lost to Loyola, Butler, Drake, SIU twice, Wichita State twice, Creighton, Missouri State, Indiana State and still got an at large bid. There wasn't even a signature non-conference win. It was a better conference then and Bradley played very well down the stretch against some good teams.
How could you possibly execute this philosophy? If we only play teams as good or better than us, we, by definition would finish about .500. I know that's an exaggeration, but come on, make a reasonable non-con schedule that accomplishes this goal. Now extrapolate that out to if EVERYONE used that philosophy, no one could ever get a game. BU year in and year out has one of the best balanced non-BCS schedules in the country, and yet they still get criticized at every turn. We're gonna play teams that aren't as good as us, we're going to play teams that are better than us, both have their reasons, and thinking otherwise isn't reality.
houstontxbrave
New member
I do not think it is important or worth our time or energizes to make it a point to play instate schools. I prefer if we play like teams, I understand to balance a schedule you have to play other teams, but it does not have to be an instate school. I want the best possible schedule that is going to be most beneficial to out program.
I do not want to have to play WIU just because they are in Illinois.
I do not see why it is wrong to want to play schools like Butler, SLU etc who are in similar conferences and in similar "mid major" situations.
houstontxbrave
New member
2006 was and is a long ways away from the NCAA D1 landscape of today. Go and lose to EIU, W Carolina and see how far you get with the committee today. Even if you go 13-5 in conference. Lose to those names and likely RPIs and your begging for a bid. Replace the EIU lose to a Butler and I dont think the impact of that lose is as severe.
Bradley or any other MVC team can not afford to lose to a school like EIU ever.
squirrelgotdead
New member
This is exactly one of the major fundamental problems in the game right now.
As I've mentioned elsewhere, the influx of new DI members the last 15-25 years has changed the scheduling game.
What has happened is it has become easier for BCS level and MVC, A-10, CUSA and CAA level mids to buy and win more games. Even 10 years ago, Bradley could go out and buy a football school for a home game. Now everyone of those schools is dumping their windfall football profits into other areas of their budgets, chief among them, buying NCAA basketball home games.
As a result, the market for buy games has dozens more active buyers and fewer/pickier sellers by the time Bradley gets to pick. It has become easier for schools Bradley could buy without batting an eyelash even 10 years ago to go out and buy their non-con schedules.
And Bradley has become marginalized in that market.
When the NCAA split in 1973, there were fewer than 200 members that were considered Division I, of which Bradley was one. Since then, Division I has nearly tripled in size.
it's boogie time
Active member
Northern Iowa would have made the tournament the last two years if need be as an at large and they have some bad losses like Evansville, DePaul, Wyoming , Iowa, Drake and Indiana State. They were 5-5 in non-conference play in 2008-2009 with only wins over Texas Southern, Chicago State, Auburn, North Dakota and South Dakota State.
I'm sorry that I don't subscribe to the theory that everyone is out to get the mid-majors. You put a good team together and you'll make the tournament. If you have a team that has a poor frontcourt, you'll have to use smoke and mirrors to try and not let that become exposed in the non-conference.
I would love to hear what Valley teams should have made the tournament in this new landscape of D1 basketball. I don't recall seeing any coming through Carver Arena that didn't make it.
LittleBrave
Active member
2 years ago, Creighton got shafted by the NCAA with a 26-7 record and shared the Valley title with UNI. They lost to the Redbirds by a good margin, which ultimately cost them. But they were worthy of an At-Large berth IMO. Maybe it was the conference's S.O.S. that cost them.