Would you rather schedule a top 10 team and lose by (2) points or
beat a cup cake by 20 points...

You know,,, I don't feel too bad about the loss last night... I would take the Top 10 team.....

(12-23-2015 01:31 PM)KCat Wrote:  Would you rather schedule a top 10 team and lose by (2) points or
beat a cup cake by 20 points...

You know,,, I don't feel too bad about the loss last night... I would take the Top 10 team.....

Is there an option C, none of the above. If the mentality of the program is to "hang around" with good teams then I think I'd rather spend my time and money on a boat or something.

I don't know how some of you aren't feeling bad about a loss, especially the way they lost the game. They had a 4 point lead with just over a minute to play. Losing under those circumstances is never a good thing. It was much of the same against Butler. They had an 8-10 point lead almost the entire 2nd half only to fall apart the last few minutes.

Agree with Marcus and Jarr.

(12-23-2015 01:54 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Agree with Marcus and Jarr.

Absolutely. UC athletics seems to have fallen into a period of being satisfied with being "almost there".

I think the difference for most is this...

I'm not satisfied with a loss. But I also don't see it as the end of the world or an overall indictment on this team, program, or its expectations.

I audibly cussed out loud during the walk back to my car. Then I went to bed and woke up with some perspective.

(12-23-2015 02:32 PM)JPBearcat3 Wrote:  I think the difference for most is this...

I'm not satisfied with a loss. But I also don't see it as the end of the world or an overall indictment on this team, program, or its expectations.

I audibly cussed out loud during the walk back to my car. Then I went to bed and woke up with some perspective.

these games are unbearable to listen to on the radio

It doesn't answer the question, but this loss definitely hurt. Personally, I think this team is really really good. The byproduct of that is the belief that this team is capable of winning every time they step on the court. This gets me emotionally in to the game for the first time in a while. Teams of the recent past have been pretty good, but I would have a "meh" reaction to most losses. Its a dichotomy of sorts, but it felt good to care enough to be ticked about last night...and I'm mature enough now to not feel the need to drink a few and go kick the dog!

(12-23-2015 01:39 PM)jarr Wrote:  

(12-23-2015 01:31 PM)KCat Wrote:  Would you rather schedule a top 10 team and lose by (2) points or
beat a cup cake by 20 points...

You know,,, I don't feel too bad about the loss last night... I would take the Top 10 team.....

Is there an option C, none of the above. If the mentality of the program is to "hang around" with good teams then I think I'd rather spend my time and money on a boat or something.

Agree 100%

Does this mean we should give them juice boxes and a snack after the game because they tried hard?

Hanging tough in big games and just "making" the NCAA tournament isn't enough for me anymore.

(12-23-2015 02:40 PM)Lush Wrote:  

(12-23-2015 02:32 PM)JPBearcat3 Wrote:  I think the difference for most is this...

I'm not satisfied with a loss. But I also don't see it as the end of the world or an overall indictment on this team, program, or its expectations.

I audibly cussed out loud during the walk back to my car. Then I went to bed and woke up with some perspective.

these games are unbearable to listen to on the radio

Unbearable on TV, too. I went to friend's house (he's an Iowa State alum) to watch the game on Sling-TV. Tied 78-78, with a minute and six seconds left on the clock, the broadcast went dead, and there we sat. We finally picked up the final score on another channel and he breathed a sigh of relief. Bastard.

I did enjoy watching him squirm when the Bearcats ate away at ISU's lead and went ahead, if only briefly.

Can't help but think the outcome would have been different if the 'clones hadn't been fired up a bit by their loss to Northern Iowa. Woulda, shoulda, coulda...

I'd play a top 10 team and lose by 2 for the entertainment value and the team also learns more from this type of a game. I agree with all those above to a certain extent. For me the real question is would you rather have this team and lose by 2 to a top 10 team when you still haven't learned to play your best basketball, but you know the talent is finally there to beat any team in the nation on any give night and have a chance to go far in the tourney. Or win a game like when uc beat #2 Syracuse in the big east tourney a few years ago on a career night shooting and playing out our a$$es, but you know the talent really wasn't there to beat or even play with those top 10 teams on any given night. That would be my question for those above.

(12-23-2015 01:54 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Agree with Marcus and Jarr.

Now that the toughest part of the schedule is over, UC is 75 in the RPI with a schedule strength of 150. Kind of makes me wonder about tournament implications playing in a weak AAC the rest of the way.

Playing a load of crap teams without picking off one of the top teams may not bode well.

(12-24-2015 06:00 AM)BearcatsUC Wrote:  

(12-23-2015 01:54 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Agree with Marcus and Jarr.

After the toughest part of the schedule is over, UC is 75 in the RPI with a schedule strength of 150. Kind of makes me wonder about tournament implications playing in a weak AAC the rest of the way.

Playing a load of crap teams without picking off one of the top teams may not bode well.

If you look at some of the cupcakes we beat,some have very bad RPI's that are 250+. Mick needs to do a better job of scheduling more mid majors that will hover between 100-150.

(12-24-2015 07:27 AM)jarr Wrote:  

(12-24-2015 06:00 AM)BearcatsUC Wrote:  

(12-23-2015 01:54 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Agree with Marcus and Jarr.

After the toughest part of the schedule is over, UC is 75 in the RPI with a schedule strength of 150. Kind of makes me wonder about tournament implications playing in a weak AAC the rest of the way.

Playing a load of crap teams without picking off one of the top teams may not bode well.

If you look at some of the cupcakes we beat,some have very bad RPI's that are 250+. Mick needs to do a better job of scheduling more mid majors that will hover between 100-150.

Yup.

Even some bad MAC teams would be better than unrecognizable names we've seen in Shoemaker. There are so many midmajors nearby, you'd think they'd schedule a few of them.

I'd never pay good money to see the likes of Norfolk State, but I'd at least have some interest in any of the MAC schools.

I wonder why Mick doesn't schedule Murray St. Usually at least low 100s at worst, finished 47 in 2014.

No reason to play six awful RPI killers this season. Good news about the conference schedule is that UC only plays Tulane and UCF once. Two games against 11-0 SMU, 8-3 UConn, 8-3 Memphis, 8-4 Tulsa, and 9-2 Houston will probably end up helping UC SOS. Even Temple and ECU are likely to be around 15 wins or so by the end of the year. The key making the tournament this season and earning a high seed is beating SMU. Win the next three and Bearcats are back on track for a good seed. Lose at SMU and UC has to wait to senior night to get an elite level win. UConn with an RPI in the 100's could become that type of win if they knock off Texas and Georgetown while rolling through the early part of their conference season.

I also believe by the end of the season VCU is going to be a quality win. Hopefully Nebraska can get to 8 to 9 Big Ten wins a well.

(12-24-2015 10:07 AM)bearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  No reason to play six awful RPI killers this season. Good news about the conference schedule is that UC only plays Tulane and UCF once. Two games against 11-0 SMU, 8-3 UConn, 8-3 Memphis, 8-4 Tulsa, and 9-2 Houston will probably end up helping UC SOS. Even Temple and ECU are likely to be around 15 wins or so by the end of the year. The key making the tournament this season and earning a high seed is beating SMU. Win the next three and Bearcats are back on track for a good seed. Lose at SMU and UC has to wait to senior night to get an elite level win. UConn with an RPI in the 100's could become that type of win if they knock off Texas and Georgetown while rolling through the early part of their conference season.

I also believe by the end of the season VCU is going to be a quality win. Hopefully Nebraska can get to 8 to 9 Big Ten wins a well.

This staff just doesn't understand the scheduling game. It's consistently been an issue. UC scheduled well with it's actual tests out of conference. They have plenty of solid games...but they choose the absolute worst slate of cupcakes year after year and it always hurts in the RPI game.

(12-24-2015 10:18 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(12-24-2015 10:07 AM)bearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  No reason to play six awful RPI killers this season. Good news about the conference schedule is that UC only plays Tulane and UCF once. Two games against 11-0 SMU, 8-3 UConn, 8-3 Memphis, 8-4 Tulsa, and 9-2 Houston will probably end up helping UC SOS. Even Temple and ECU are likely to be around 15 wins or so by the end of the year. The key making the tournament this season and earning a high seed is beating SMU. Win the next three and Bearcats are back on track for a good seed. Lose at SMU and UC has to wait to senior night to get an elite level win. UConn with an RPI in the 100's could become that type of win if they knock off Texas and Georgetown while rolling through the early part of their conference season.

I also believe by the end of the season VCU is going to be a quality win. Hopefully Nebraska can get to 8 to 9 Big Ten wins a well.

This staff just doesn't understand the scheduling game. It's consistently been an issue. UC scheduled well with it's actual tests out of conference. They have plenty of solid games...but they choose the absolute worst slate of cupcakes year after year and it always hurts in the RPI game.

Don't forget, the two worst ones came via the Barclays. UC needs to consistently get in the bigger tourneys where all games are played in one place and the teams are consistently better.

I would rather have the win... seven days a week and twice on Sundays.

I think this team is really good, but championships and deep tournament runs aren't given out based on who people think are "really good," they go to the teams that win games. In other words, being really good is merely a means to an end, and the end (winning) is all that matters.

Satisfaction with being -almost- good enough deeply disturbs me. Just win, baby.

(12-24-2015 10:18 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(12-24-2015 10:07 AM)bearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  No reason to play six awful RPI killers this season. Good news about the conference schedule is that UC only plays Tulane and UCF once. Two games against 11-0 SMU, 8-3 UConn, 8-3 Memphis, 8-4 Tulsa, and 9-2 Houston will probably end up helping UC SOS. Even Temple and ECU are likely to be around 15 wins or so by the end of the year. The key making the tournament this season and earning a high seed is beating SMU. Win the next three and Bearcats are back on track for a good seed. Lose at SMU and UC has to wait to senior night to get an elite level win. UConn with an RPI in the 100's could become that type of win if they knock off Texas and Georgetown while rolling through the early part of their conference season.

I also believe by the end of the season VCU is going to be a quality win. Hopefully Nebraska can get to 8 to 9 Big Ten wins a well.

This staff just doesn't understand the scheduling game. It's consistently been an issue. UC scheduled well with it's actual tests out of conference. They have plenty of solid games...but they choose the absolute worst slate of cupcakes year after year and it always hurts in the RPI game.

Last season they aced the scheduling game. St Francis 15-16, Morehead State 15-17, Eastern Illinois 15-17, NC Central 22-8, Stony Brook 21-12, and Wagnar 9-20 made up the buy game schedule. Just about every other season it has ranged from awful to average.

2-10 Robert Morris was supposed to be better, BGSU is still a solid game on the schedule. Hopefully some of these smaller schools start picking up wins in conference play.

There is no reason not to play Dayton other than someones ego taking a hit. If Xavier can play Wright State, Miami Ohio, NKU, and WKU there is no reason UC can't schedule a combination of those types of schools which could include other MAC level team. The other issue is Mick has to be willing to play more neutral site or semi-road games against good teams.

If UC gets an invite into the Big XII or the ACC, non-conference scheduling doesn't become as big as an issue. Right now the American has been a let down in basketball. Temple, Memphis, and UConn have been a shadow of the former self. SMU is in NCAA jail.