By KenPom rank, Hawkeyes have the worst non-conference schedule so far of 4 complete B1G schedules.
Why is a potential NCAA Tournament team playing 3 SWAC opponents?
By KenPom rank, Hawkeyes have the worst non-conference schedule so far of 4 complete B1G schedules.
Why is a potential NCAA Tournament team playing 3 SWAC opponents?
By KenPom rank, Hawkeyes have the worst non-conference schedule so far of 4 complete B1G schedules.
Why is a potential NCAA Tournament team playing 3 SWAC opponents?
Big Ten non-conference schedules largely underwhelming to this point.
Thad Matta and Tom Crean usually put out shallow nonconference schedules in terms of lack of quality teams and high numbers of cupcakes, with them gone, I expect those two programs to schedule better in the future. Can't blame the current coaches at those two for the schedules this year.
I did the math myself, Thad Matta had the absolute worst nonconference schedules in the B1G over the last 7 seasons (2011-2017) in terms of the most of what were practically guarantee games, averaging 9.1 per season (games vs low or mid majors at home with no return game ever), fewest "name" teams (27), fewest nonconference tourneys with 2 or 3 games at a neutral site (1 in 7 yrs, Rutgers was the only one even close to that with 2, while 10 programs were in 6/7 or 7/7). And he made the schedule this year, with 8 more cupcakes (& zero true road games), but a rare treat in the only 3-game neutral site nonconference tourney he ever scheduled as a head coach. He had some strong opponents on these schedules, but didn't have a single season in the top-100 of nonconference SOS per KenPom in this span, 2008 I believe is the last one he had that was top-100.
Good stuff. I would add Fran and (surprisingly) Beilein as guys who underschedule, but at least Beilein has a couple quality home & homes most every season.
Actually, Beilein is usually one of the best schedulers in the B1G, not quite Wisconsin good but not far off. McCaffery not so strong. Gophers and Terps were towards the bottom of the league in the guarantee game category (highest quantity), right near Indiana. I would say Wisconsin does it best in the B1G, and Michigan and MSU are other programs that top teams in the B1G should schedule similarly to or use as models for scheduling most of the time. Maybe this year is different for Beilein, I haven't checked it out, but I like his scheduling.
Per Rothstein we will play Harvard at the Barn. Should be a quality opponent. I can see them finishing 1st/2nd in the Ivy next year.
Thanks.
Still hoping there's a quality home & home that starts this season at The Barn. Need a quality non-conference home game (in addition to Miami) to help offset loss of Ohio State home game.
Per Rothstein we will play Harvard at the Barn. Should be a quality opponent. I can see them finishing 1st/2nd in the Ivy next year.
Will update above shortly.
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This schedule won't do them any favors come selection Sunday.
The 2016-17 gopher non-conference schedule wasn't that tough, yet it actually helped them on selection Sunday.
Actually it was a pretty decent schedule. The Gophers played 3 teams who earned at-large bids (Arkansas, FSU, Vandy), and two others were #75 (UT Arlington) and #99 (Saint John's) in the KenPom top 100.
I agree SS. And this year's is also. Another quality opponent would make it better than decent. Illinois and NW's non conference schedule's look very soft to my first glance. Hard to get better, hard to know what you need to fix if the first time you have adversity is a conference game.
The 2016-17 gopher non-conference schedule wasn't that tough, yet it actually helped them on selection Sunday.