CSNbbs

2006-07 WMU men's basketball Schedule

Oct. 30 Kalamazoo College (exhibition) 7 p.m.
Nov. 4 Mt. Vernon Nazarene (exhibition) 12:30 p.m.

Nov. 12 vs. Pittsburgh (at West Point, N.Y.) noon
Nov. 14 at Indiana State 7 p.m.
Nov. 20 Detroit 7 p.m.
Nov. 23 **Virginia Tech 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 24 **West Virginia/Montana 5 p.m./7:30 p.m.
Nov. 26 **Arkansas/S. Illinois/ TBA Marist/Minnesota
Dec. 2 San Diego State 2 p.m.
Dec. 5 at Temple 7 p.m.
Dec. 9 at Northwestern 8 p.m.
Dec. 16 Illinois State 2 p.m.
Dec. 20 at Indiana 7 p.m.
Dec. 30 at Davidson TBA
Jan. 2 ***Culver-Stockton TBA

Jan. 6 *at Northern Illinois 3 p.m.
Jan. 9 *Ball State TBA
Jan. 13 *at Toledo 7 p.m.
Jan. 16 *Central Michigan TBA
Jan. 20 *Eastern Michigan TBA
Jan. 24 *at Bowling Green 7 p.m.
Jan. 27 *at Akron TBA
Jan. 31 *Buffalo TBA
Feb. 3 *at Miami 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 6 *Ohio TBA
Feb. 11 *Kent State TBA
Feb. 14 *at Central Michigan 7 p.m.
Feb 16 ESPN BracketBuster TBA
Feb. 22 *at Eastern Michigan 7 p.m.
Feb. 25 *Toledo TBA
Mar. 1 *Northern Illinois TBA
Mar. 3 *at Ball State TBA
Mar. 7-10 MAC Tournament TBA

Key:
*MAC game.
**Old Spice Classic, Orlando, Fla.
***Date of game is tentative.

All times are eastern and subject to change

Looks to me like the toughest nonconference slate of any in the MAC. Very few cupcakes on this one. If the team is not ready and looking forward to league play after this nightmare, they never will.

Quote:The Broncos have at least four national television games: Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech (ESPN 2), and their second and third games at the Old Spice Classic, which will be on ESPN2 or ESPNU.

A year ago, Hawkins said he thought the schedule was too tough. This one, he says, is worse, though his team -- which returns All-MAC center Joe Reitz, as well as five other members of its playing group, and adds Michigan Mr. Basketball David Kool and transfer Mike Redell -- is more equipped to handle it.

``Illinois State, Indiana State and Detroit -- you might say those are our easiest games, and all three of those teams beat us last year,'' said Hawkins, who called the schedule the best in the seven seasons he's been with the program. ``There's no `Woe is me.' I'm excited to take on the challenge of it. I may not feel that way in the middle of the season.

``You'd really like a third of your (nonconference) games to be a toss-up, have a third where you're a major underdog and another third where even if you don't play your best, you can eke out a win. I don't see that game on our schedule anywhere.''

That is except for Culver-Stockton. That game is being played as a favor to its coach, Brad Hoyt, a friend of Hawkins. It's likely the last year the Broncos will play a non-Division I team. Beginning next season, games against such programs will be counted against a team's Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), which the NCAA Tournament selection committee weighs heavily when doling out at-large berths.

http://www.mlive.com/broncos/kzgazette/i...xml&coll=7

2006-07 WMU men's basketball Schedule

Nov. 12 vs. Pittsburgh (at West Point, N.Y.) noon
Nov. 14 at Indiana State 7 p.m.
Nov. 20 Detroit 7 p.m.
Nov. 23 **Virginia Tech 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 24 **West Virginia/Montana 5 p.m./7:30 p.m.
Nov. 26 **Arkansas/S. Illinois/ TBA Marist/Minnesota
Dec. 2 San Diego State 2 p.m.
Dec. 5 at Temple 7 p.m.
Dec. 9 at Northwestern 8 p.m.
Dec. 16 Illinois State 2 p.m.
Dec. 20 at Indiana 7 p.m.
Dec. 30 at Davidson TBA
Jan. 2 ***Culver-Stockton TBA
Bracket Buster away


2006-07 Toledo basketball Schedule

Nov. 11 at Missouri State
Nov. 17 Iowa (Paradise Jam, St. Thomas, VI)
Nov. 18/19 Alabama/Middle Tenn St.(Paradise Jam)
Nov. 20 Villanova/Xavier/Charleston/VCU Paradise Jam)
Nov. 29 at Drexel
Dec. 2 at Vanderbilt
Dec. 9 at Kansas (in KC)
Dec. 16 UNC-Wilmington
Dec. 19 Detroit
Dec. 22 Drake (Sun Bowl Trn. El Paso)
Dec. 23 UTEP/ Jackson St. (Sun Bowl Trn.)
Dec. 30 at Oakland
1 TBA home game
Bracket Buster home


Nearly Identical schedules. Both schools play 4 home games, 4 neutral court games and 6 road games (Toledo could be 5 and 5 if they don't play UTEP in their tourney). Both play at least 3 NCAA and 2 NIT teams plus a bunch of respectable teams. Actually looking at the tourneys, Western will play at least 1 more, possibly 2, NCAA teams and Toledo could play 2 more NCAA teams and an NIT team.

I think Toledo is better equipped for this schedule as they are a senior led team. Western is expecting a lot out of their nice freshman class, but guys usually need a year to adjust and improve. Good luck to everyone, both teams are good enough to win some of these.