Are we playing Auburn this year

[Chief00]

You would rather play the bigger name, many of us would rather play the better team. We are taking about this year, not the future, right?

I don't think either side is necessarily crazy, just different views. I'm sure Auburn will be better very soon after Hurley leaves and Pearl starts rolling.

Pearl will do well at Auburn. I always thought that would have been a good final career place for JC. Well funded and the right perspective on academics but also a system in place where they can graduate guys without a lot of time being spent on the books.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Auburn is definitely on the way up. Before '15, they hadn't had a top 150 recruit since '12 and both guys from that year transferred after their freshman year.

Auburn had two top-75 recruits last season, and one will make his redshirted debut this season. In addition to Heron, Auburn has another top-75 recruit debuting this year with Jared Harper. Two more top-40 recruits for '17 with Austin Wiley and Davion Mitchell.

 

[80shusky]

For 2015-16:
Auburn: RPI 175, Kenpom 213
Rhode Island: RPI 120, Kenpom 82

From a strength of schedule standpoint Rhode Island might be better however Auburn may be on the come and playing in the SEC they may be able to help their metrics with some good wins.

Edited to add: I would rather play Auburn than Maine or Umass-Lowell.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I don't see why it has to be and either/or proposition. Auburn fits the bill of a power conference game that'll probably end up on ESPN and bolster the home schedule a bit. It's not an ideal home game, but a good one. URI also would fit the bill of a solid early season tune-up game. In place of a fifth game against Central/Maine/UNH/Wagner/Coppin St./etc. it's a solid option. I don't see why we have to compare the two against one another. Scheduling a H/H with Auburn does not mean we can't schedule a game or two with URI.

I suspect if tomorrow the Auburn BB series was announced and included was a H/H with AU in football we wouldn't be having this discussion. Highly unlikely of course, but it's good to be playing and on good terms with P5 teams in BB to leverage a bit of needed FB scheduling ability.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I don't see why it has to be and either/or proposition. Auburn fits the bill of a power conference game that'll probably end up on ESPN and bolster the home schedule a bit. It's not an ideal home game, but a good one. URI also would fit the bill of a solid early season tune-up game. In place of a fifth game against Central/Maine/UNH/Wagner/Coppin St./etc. it's a solid option. I don't see why we have to compare the two against one another. Scheduling a H/H with Auburn does not mean we can't schedule a game or two with URI.

I suspect if tomorrow the Auburn BB series was announced and included was a H/H with AU in football we wouldn't be having this discussion. Highly unlikely of course, but it's good to be playing and on good terms with P5 teams in BB to leverage a bit of needed FB scheduling ability.

The issue is that Auburn isn't a replacement for Maine.

Auburn is basically filling a slot for a marquee home game that fans would have preferred to see against a good or at least big-name team (think series we've had in the past with Indiana, UNC, etc.). Frankly, Ohio State and Georgetown aren't in that category either. Arizona is a step in the right direction.

As it is, we have zero marquee home games, unless you want to count anyone in the AAC.

 

[80shusky]

The issue is that Auburn isn't a replacement for Maine.

Auburn is basically filling a slot for a marquee home game that fans would have preferred to see against a good or at least big-name team (think series we've had in the past with Indiana, UNC, etc.). Frankly, Ohio State and Georgetown aren't in that category either. Arizona is a step in the right direction.

As it is, we have zero marquee home games, unless you want to count anyone in the AAC.

I think the scheduling issue is a quirk that they weren't able to work out this year. I'm sure they are aware of it as an issue. Maybe something will come along that they can plug in but they are running out of time for that.

 

[BUHusky]

The issue is that Auburn isn't a replacement for Maine.

Auburn is basically filling a slot for a marquee home game that fans would have preferred to see against a good or at least big-name team (think series we've had in the past with Indiana, UNC, etc.). Frankly, Ohio State and Georgetown aren't in that category either. Arizona is a step in the right direction.

As it is, we have zero marquee home games, unless you want to count anyone in the AAC.

I might need a shower because I'm agreeing with Chief and Tenspro in the same day. I'm usually a UConn apologist, but next year's home schedule is not ok. Auburn is not a marquee game.

 

[champs99and04]

URI will probably be good this season and we know they will go back to sucking next season when EC Matthews, Kuran Iverson and Hassan Martin are all gone. I would definitely rather a series with Auburn.

Iverson and Martin will be gone, but Matthews has two more years of eligiblity, and even if he declares for the draft they'll still have Jarvis Garrett and Jared Terrell back for their senior seasons.

Watching them under Hurley, they remind me of Pitt lite. I think they'll be competitive at the very least until he is there.

As for Auburn, it goes without saying that if there is any sort of football tie-in you do it in a second. I'm skeptical that's the case, though, and while it would be nice to schedule them if Pearl gets them up and running again, I'm not confident that happens in the next two years.

 

[selles]

I might need a shower because I'm agreeing with Chief and Tenspro in the same day. I'm usually a UConn apologist, but next year's home schedule is not ok. Auburn is not a marquee game.

This is a weird thread. Why are people making the assumption that we've decided to schedule Auburn instead of trying for some better team? Isn't it possible we've been trying to schedule a better team (even if unsuccessfully) AND ALSO have scheduled Auburn? Is there some inside scoop I'm missing here? If not, the complaints about playing Auburn on December 23 instead of Central like last year are ridiculous.

Also. A home in home with URI? Are you all kidding? Schedule home and homes with teams which are either 100% certain to be good, or have the national reputation to give the game cachet even if they're not good. If you're going to deviate from that, do it for recruits a la UNC.

Stop trying to make us a regional program. We are a national program.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I think the Yale loss probably will keep us from scheduling "maybe they'll be good" local teams for s little.

 

[Carduccib]

Is RR in the MAC or independent? (Sorry being a dick). What national station would pick that game up? Auburn is in at least a real conference

This...

 

[Robertelamin]

This is a weird thread. Why are people making the assumption that we've decided to schedule Auburn instead of trying for some better team? Isn't it possible we've been trying to schedule a better team (even if unsuccessfully) AND ALSO have scheduled Auburn? Is there some inside scoop I'm missing here? If not, the complaints about playing Auburn on December 23 instead of Central like last year are ridiculous.

Also. A home in home with URI? Are you all kidding? Schedule home and homes with teams which are either 100% certain to be good, or have the national reputation to give the game cachet even if they're not good. If you're going to deviate from that, do it for recruits a la UNC.

Stop trying to make us a regional program. We are a national program.

What national reputation does Auburn have? They haven't made the tournament in 13 years. It isn't any better than playing Tulane honestly.

 

[Carduccib]

What national reputation does Auburn have? They haven't made the tournament in 13 years. It isn't any better than playing Tulane honestly.

You couldn't be more wrong. Auburn is a P5 team, playing in a conference with a major TV deal. This game, although not ultra competitive, will be on ESPN