The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(04-25-2018 10:30 AM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(04-25-2018 10:18 AM)monarx Wrote:  

(04-24-2018 02:58 PM)odu09 Wrote:  

(04-24-2018 12:52 PM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  

(03-12-2018 01:56 PM)Gilesfan Wrote:  At least MTSU did try and they got nothing from it. St Marys actually turned down some P-5 schools. MTSU worked with the premise that playing good teams on the road would help.

ODU was close a few years back. MTSU got snubbed, but would have likely gotten in with one CUSA Tournament win.

It is possible, and at this point, we need to open as many avenues to the NCAA's as possible.

Scheduling schools like Cincy instead of UMES not only enhances ODU's at-large chances, but it also creates a lot more fan interest.

(and if we lose, our at-large chances aren't damaged any more than they were by beating UMES).

I don't think anyone at ODU doesn't want to play Cinci. Why would Cinci put ODU on the schedule? The argument you just used against UMES is the same argument schools like Cinci use on us.

Cincy, Memphis and UConn are strange ones because their basketball programs are so much better than the rest of the AAC. They really don't fit in that conference. If you leave them out, ODU would do well to schedule any of the rest of the AAC because those teams will automatically have a higher RPI than UMES etc simply by playing those top three (and WSU). We should be scheduling as many AAC, A10, MVC teams as possible, with a few OVC, SBC, MEAC, CAA thrown in.

What makes you think they're not? Scheduling isn't like going to the supermarket and picking out what you want; both teams need to be equally interested and they have to agree on the terms of the games. ODU routinely plays multiple A-10 teams every year and will have at least three this coming season (VCU, Richmond, St. Joseph's). Just because every game isn't tailor-made for ESPN doesn't mean they're not trying to construct a good schedule.

And people keep pointing to UMES (or similar opponents) as being beneath ODU and/or a useless game. Well last year UMES played, among others, Maryland, Georgetown, St. Bonaventure, Virginia Tech, Creighton and Iowa State. And yet somehow they manage to overcome the indignity of playing them to still be considered strong basketball programs.

Schools like UMES serve a purpose in the early part of the season for stronger programs. Backups get more run. Coaches experiment with lineups and defenses. Fans get an easy win. Pretty much everybody plays bodybag games. That's the nature of the beast. And yet every time a game that doesn't meet our lofty approval gets scheduled, some people around here throw temper tantrums about how ODU doesn't care about the quality of the program and that it's not showing ambition or that it's living off low-hanging fruit.

The funny thing is that despite the wailing and gnashing of teeth that traditionally accompany the release of the basketball schedule, ODU usually has one of the better OOCs in CUSA OR the mighty and sacrosanct CAA.

The schools you mentioned that also play UMES are able to absorb the rpi hit because they play tough, respected teams in conference. We play too many teams comparable to UMES in conference to have that luxury. Of course, all of this is moot until we can beat MTSU and WKU.