2019-20 Non-Con

[twocoach]

That's a pretty bad schedule, until you start filling in some Q1 and Q2 Maui teams. Really hope we don't end up on the Chaminade side of the bracket.

We could end up facing three of the 9 other preseason top 10 teams *Michigan State, Duke, Nova). And a 4th if we draw UK in the Big 12/SEC challenge.

[jfish26]

Right - if you fill in the "TBDs" in that schedule with two Q1 and two Q2 teams, it rounds into shape nicely.

[Cascadia]

That schedule is a C- as is

[sdoyel]

That’s another tough schedule for Self and Co.

You’ve got 3 of Mich St, BYU, Chaminade, Dayton, Georgia, UCLA, and Va Tech in Maui. Then likely UK in the SEC Challenge.

[sdoyel]

That schedule is a C- as is

Lol. No

[Geezer]

Every year it looks like a schedule loaded with cupcakes and come tournament time we will have played over 20 games against tournament teams.

[pdub]

I think had we had replaced Milwaukee with a decent matchup, say a Big 10 team like Minny or Wiscy, perception would have changed.

I get the two easy games in Allen after NYC and Duke.

Also the Sprint Center game sucks but so does the Sprint Center.

[twocoach]

I dont want KU to play the nastiest schedule in the nation. I have seen zero evidence that it actually helps us. A few really tough games are great measuring sticks. Non stop tough games are an unnecessary grind that prevents bench players from playing.

My hope is that a few extra cupcakes results in Braun and McBride getting up some shots for more than the last 60 seconds of a game.

[twocoach]

That schedule is a C- as is

That schedule as is will be one of the Top 10 most difficult in the nation if we draw Michigan State in Maui.

[PhDhawk]

I dont want KU to play the nastiest schedule in the nation. I have seen zero evidence that it actually helps us. A few really tough games are great measuring sticks. Non stop tough games are an unnecessary grind that prevents bench players from playing.

My hope is that a few extra cupcakes results in Braun and McBride getting up some shots for more than the last 60 seconds of a game.

I agree with this. But, from a purely fan perspective, I'd like to see a few more teams like Colorado mixed in rather than, for example, ETSU. Just from an optics standpoint. CU and ETSU are probably very similar teams, but man if you struggle and beat CU by 5 it doesn't look nearly as bad as beating ETSU by 5 to the guy who just watches sportscenter highlights. A win against ETSU might mean just as much, especially in an algorithm, but when they're seeding teams, it's a hard sell to say that beating ETSU in Allen is a quality win.

If you're gonna schedule cupcakes, might as well schedule real cupcakes like Monmouth, who, we should probably beat by 50 and then Braun and McBride will for sure get minutes.

From a basketball, standpoint though I get it. We started doing this after the '10 and '11 tournament losses, where we scheduled really tough schools from smaller conferences. Of course you want to have teams used to playing senior-led teams from small conferences that know how to win and have a chip on their shoulder. But as a fan, UNC-Greensboro is not a sexy matchup and while I can intellectualize that they're something like a top 75 team, if we only beat them by 8, it still kinda sucks.

TL;DR - from fan POV schedule cupcakes that are real cupcakes, mid-level teams should be schools we've heard of not good teams playing at cupcake universities, mix in some marquee matchups.

[pdub]

Right.
If you replace UNC-Greens'bro with Ohio State or NC State or VCU or Saint Mary's you probably get more 'fan' cred.

[CrimsonNBlue]

I dont want KU to play the nastiest schedule in the nation. I have seen zero evidence that it actually helps us. A few really tough games are great measuring sticks. Non stop tough games are an unnecessary grind that prevents bench players from playing.

My hope is that a few extra cupcakes results in Braun and McBride getting up some shots for more than the last 60 seconds of a game.

I agree with this. But, from a purely fan perspective, I'd like to see a few more teams like Colorado mixed in rather than, for example, ETSU. Just from an optics standpoint. CU and ETSU are probably very similar teams, but man if you struggle and beat CU by 5 it doesn't look nearly as bad as beating ETSU by 5 to the guy who just watches sportscenter highlights. A win against ETSU might mean just as much, especially in an algorithm, but when they're seeding teams, it's a hard sell to say that beating ETSU in Allen is a quality win.

If you're gonna schedule cupcakes, might as well schedule real cupcakes like Monmouth, who, we should probably beat by 50 and then Braun and McBride will for sure get minutes.

From a basketball, standpoint though I get it. We started doing this after the '10 and '11 tournament losses, where we scheduled really tough schools from smaller conferences. Of course you want to have teams used to playing senior-led teams from small conferences that know how to win and have a chip on their shoulder. But as a fan, UNC-Greensboro is not a sexy matchup and while I can intellectualize that they're something like a top 75 team, if we only beat them by 8, it still kinda sucks.

TL;DR - from fan POV schedule cupcakes that are real cupcakes, mid-level teams should be schools we've heard of not good teams playing at cupcake universities, mix in some marquee matchups.

It became a lot harder after the Champions Classic and SEC/Big 12 Challenge went into effect.

Anyone from a major conference demands a home-and-home series, and even some mid majors like Temple demand a home-and-home.

There's just no room in the budget to schedule a bunch of those, so you're left with trying to find the best mid-majors that will accept a buy-game.

[jfish26]

The 18-game league schedule (and quiet period during exams) also cramps things further.

[ousdahl]

I dont want KU to play the nastiest schedule in the nation. I have seen zero evidence that it actually helps us. A few really tough games are great measuring sticks. Non stop tough games are an unnecessary grind that prevents bench players from playing.

My hope is that a few extra cupcakes results in Braun and McBride getting up some shots for more than the last 60 seconds of a game.

This post reeks of roiboi.

I think we do benefit from a tough schedule, and I wanna play the best opponents.

I think any evidence that a tough noncon helps us has been offset by the fact some of our youngest teams in recent years that had the most growing pains also had to endure the most significant injuries and/or eligibilities. The rosters in March only vaguely resembled the the ones that played the noncon

[ousdahl]

Ok, not wanting to play a nasty schedule is roiboi, but you kinda have a point about bench development.

[twocoach]

We played just 4 games against ranked teams all season in 2008 so it's clearly not a requirement for a deep tourney. And I am old enough now to not get an ego boost off of "look who we beat" arguments online with rival fanbases.

Like I said, a few are needed so the coaching staff can roll the tape and show the team what they were and were not able to do against an elite opponent. Sometimes kids simply dont believe a coach until they have to watch it on tape in front of their peers.

It's really fun to see the team play an elite team at AFH. Those games simply have a buzz to them. That 2016 game vs. UK you could feel the electricity even before you walked into AFH. That was fun. So selfishly, I don't mind as many of those as possible but too many is a proven detriment. Watching guys break down as they grind out 38+ mph over and over is not good for tourney chances and I'd rather experience a national title parade than a really fun regular season game vs. some P5 non-con.

[pdub]

Dotson has no issues going 38 mph or over.
He's fast as fuck.

[CrimsonNBlue]

So selfishly, I don't mind as many of those as possible but too many is a proven detriment. Watching guys break down as they grind out 38+ mph over and over is not good for tourney chances and I'd rather experience a national title parade than a really fun regular season game vs. some P5 non-con.

Proven detriment? Causation, correlation, grumble grumble . . .

We always play a top schedule. Sometimes we do well in the tourney, sometimes we don't. At best, it helps, at worst, it has little bearing.

[PhDhawk]

"look who we beat" arguments don't have anything to do with age, or online fans, it has to do with tournament seeding. The tournament committee is still made of human beings, and public perception still factors in.

Villanova and KU both had 9 losses going into the tourney and we were a 4 seed and they were a 6 seed. We had a much tougher SOS.

The grind of the season isn't going to subside because of the non-con schedule. The big12 needs 1 or 2 truly shitty teams to give the team a break during conference season for that to happen, but the strength of the Big12 is there are no bad teams, so no easy games after we change calendars. Scheduling Incarnate Word in November isn't going to save Dotson legs in March.

[jfish26]

So selfishly, I don't mind as many of those as possible but too many is a proven detriment. Watching guys break down as they grind out 38+ mph over and over is not good for tourney chances and I'd rather experience a national title parade than a really fun regular season game vs. some P5 non-con.

Proven detriment? Causation, correlation, grumble grumble . . .

We always play a top schedule. Sometimes we do well in the tourney, sometimes we don't. At best, it helps, at worst, it has little bearing.

This isn't a great test year as far as low-ceiling vets (except for one guy, I guess), but I'll be interested to see whether the loss of the streak unburdens Self a little bit, as far as developing guys during the season even if it means dropping games.