Baylor Reveals This Season's "Ultra Competitive" Non Conference Schedule

[EricLA]

Mulkey wants 600 wins faster than Geno. Motivation for a cupcake schedule.

That's kind of funny but I can't imagine that she really thinks this. Geno is 991-135 - .880 winning %. Kim is at 506-96 - .841%.

The fastest coach to reach 600 wins is Nancy Fahey, current head coach of the Illinois Fighting Illini, who reached the mark in her 706th game as coach of the Division III Washington (MO) Bears. Nancy was 600-106. Kim would have to go 94-10 over the next 3 years or so - certainly possible, but not likely as I would expect 3-4 losses each year plus another one in the NCAA's.

I don't think any coach will come close to Geno's all time winning %. Kim, for example, would need to go 485-39 over the next 14 years averaging less than 3 losses per year during that time frame. Highly unlikely...

 

[CBus13]

C'mon folks. Kim is just trying to save some coin on her dry cleaning bill.
View attachment 23671

Me looking at that Lady Bear's tough schedule.

 

[UConnNick]

]

I was describing the dollar value Husky NAN provide to me when I posted ---they got 60,000 or so for these games--I believe NAN's value was 17000 --to me minimal to travel, hotel, eat, etc away from home for 2 or 3 days. Hardly 5 times most teams, even Div 3--for any year. To me that 17000 number is MINIMAL.
Don't shoot the messenger--I was posting the correction handed to me when I posted i THOUGHT I HEARD THEY RECEIVED 60,000 MORE OR LESS.

I think $60k is likely a figure that might be an average of what gets paid by the big boys on the men's side when they schedule one time, no return game opponents at home. I know several seasons ago the UConn men had a last second vacancy on the schedule, and we contracted with Morehead State (alma mater of Phil Simms) to play a game at Gampel for $90k, but I think that payout was unusually high. We were kind of stuck because we couldn't find anybody else that was willing to work that game into their schedule. Morehead State did it because of the enhanced payday involved. It put them into total scheduling hell. They had to criss cross the entire country in a week's time, playing something like four games in seven days, some on the west coast. The low major schools chase these type of games for the big $$$ they make for them.

I would guess on the women's side that the payouts are lesser, so maybe $17k or something around the $20k plus or minus mark would be typical. It would seem they still must consider them worth it or they wouldn't bother to schedule them. Most of these schools don't seem to care much about travel expenses, and sometimes they're traveling to a venue that's pretty close to home for them.

 

[JordyG]

Isn't one of the definitions of insanity repeating the same non productive behavior while expecting a different outcome?

 

[Vowelguy]

According to the NCAA Seletion Committee teams need to have a tough OOC schedule to get a high seed for the NCAA Tournament. It hurt Maryland last season. However, I agree with your reasoning about them having a tough conference schedule.

Not exactly.
Strength of schedule is ONE of the factors that the committee considers.
It also is relevant in terms of quality wins. If you havent proven you can be anyone during the season, the committee is not going to assume you are a top team.

 

[Nuyoika]

Kim is brilliant..... She has been around long enough to know how to play the scheduling game with the committee. She knows she can get away with it because of the RPI for the B12 although it's not as good as it has been in the past... That being said she likely is perfectly fine with getting the 2 seed in the tourney because if you have the talent getting a 2 instead of a 1 won't make much difference in competition usually. Now if she gets a 3 seed like Maryland did last year she might literally blow a gasket.

 

[Vowelguy]

UConn scheduling history vs ranked opponents
1993 - 3 OOC, 2 conf
1994 - 3 OOC, 0 conf
1995 - 2 OOC, 2 conf
1996 - 6 OOC, 0 conf
1997 - 4 OOC, 1 conf
1998 - 4 OOC, 0 conf

for simplicity, I used the preseason rankings

 

[Sonny44]

Baylor and Maryland play in quality WBB conferences. They don't need to schedule top teams in the OOC like we do. Their OOC cupcakes are our in-conference cupcakes. Plain and simple really.

In life you are defined by not by your abilities, but by your choices. Neither Baylor nor UCONN has a choice of conference opponents. UCONN WCBB isn't in the AAC by choice either.
Choosing only cupcakes to falsely inflate your record? Well the program should be embarrassed.

 

[oldude]

In life you are defined by not by your abilities, but by your choices.

Great quote. You must be a Harry Potter fan.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I think $60k is likely a figure that might be an average of what gets paid by the big boys on the men's side when they schedule one time, no return game opponents at home. I know several seasons ago the UConn men had a last second vacancy on the schedule, and we contracted with Morehead State (alma mater of Phil Simms) to play a game at Gampel for $90k, but I think that payout was unusually high. We were kind of stuck because we couldn't find anybody else that was willing to work that game into their schedule. Morehead State did it because of the enhanced payday involved. It put them into total scheduling hell. They had to criss cross the entire country in a week's time, playing something like four games in seven days, some on the west coast. The low major schools chase these type of games for the big $$$ they make for them.

I would guess on the women's side that the payouts are lesser, so maybe $17k or something around the $20k plus or minus mark would be typical. It would seem they still must consider them worth it or they wouldn't bother to schedule them. Most of these schools don't seem to care much about travel expenses, and sometimes they're traveling to a venue that's pretty close to home for them.

Suppositions are fun, facts are better. A number of years ago Geno or CpTV or Currant reported the fee some WOMEN's team was being paid to play uconn--
that I wrote on the Boneyard last fall when Geno paid for cupcakes to come.
I was corrected by Husky Nan
Cocohusky--Corrected that by saying he saw checks for lullyvull and others worth 5 times their annual fees

Is what you are saying verifiable? If so where--
Forget men's team--we rarely discuss men's teams here--and i don't discuss them at all.
At this point MAYBE'S Don't do it for me---with all the suppositions/guessing--it's time for FACTS.

I appreciate your input ---but you are where we were when this started. Thanks.

 

[BroadwayVa]

In life you are defined by not by your abilities, but by your choices. Neither Baylor nor UCONN has a choice of conference opponents. UCONN WCBB isn't in the AAC by choice either.
Choosing only cupcakes to falsely inflate your record? Well the program should be embarrassed.

Good thing Einstein--wasn't judged by his Choices. HIs early personal life wasn't perfect. His MATH and Physics abilities changed many theories and beliefs--and with an explosive nature.
Grant--a drunk to some--his abilities saved the North for Lincoln--his personal choices were not always great.
Lee--bad choice to leave the US Army---with minimal supplies and under staffed Army--with his abilities--almost defeated the Yankee.

No argument---life is full of choices--but if we were all defined by only our bad ones--we'd have no hero's or leaders.
I have made bad choices--that's what humans do--and this may be one ot them.

As to falsely inflating your record---isn't that what Kim's intentions are or Md's last year?? As Vowel guy pointed out, Geno years ago??
I doubt VG said that in jest--I remember thinking that back then.

 

[BroadwayVa]

UConn scheduling history vs ranked opponents
1993 - 3 OOC, 2 conf
1994 - 3 OOC, 0 conf
1995 - 2 OOC, 2 conf
1996 - 6 OOC, 0 conf
1997 - 4 OOC, 1 conf
1998 - 4 OOC, 0 conf

for simplicity, I used the preseason rankings

Point and counter point. Geno did schedule CC's along with warmup's.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Isn't one of the definitions of insanity repeating the same non productive behavior while expecting a different outcome?

View attachment 23690

There has been a lot of that going on---for centuries---

 

[JoePgh]

I assume your tongue is firmly planted in your cheek.

Otherwise, Statue of Limitations. Who have the Huskies been playing since they started winning championships?

It isn't just 25 years ago that UConn played cupcakes (in quantity) in their OOC schedule. I've been following UConn since 2004-2005, and I remember many games in November and December that were completely pointless, against opponents like Fairleigh Dickinson, Oakland (Michigan), and Holy Cross. That only stopped when the Big East ended and Geno had to beef up the OOC schedule because the AAC schedule was (and still is, except for USF and Temple) so pathetically weak.

I have a distinct recollection of a Thanksgiving tournament at either Storrs or the Hartford Civic Center in approximately the 2010 era when all three opponents on the weekend were at the level of Fairleigh Dickinson. Supposedly the rationale was indeed based on revenue -- UConn could expect at least 8,000 even for a non competitive home game, and with that level attendance, they could afford to pay some cupcake to play them at home. Doing that was more lucrative for the program than scheduling a home-and-home against a good team, because it didn't involve travel costs and (very often) lousy attendance and therefore lousy revenue at the Away game.

Baylor does have two fairly good teams on its OOC schedule: UCLA and Kentucky. That's about as many as Geno had in some years while UConn was still in the Big East.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Great..... Baylor and Maryland bashing in the same thread. All we need now is some UNC and TN bashing in here .... and I will be a happy soul

triaddukefan- - - Sylvia Hatchell at 1/2 of UCONN @ NoCar game 4 or 5 years ago was asked about the 22 turnovers her team had at the half in a 25 point deficit. "I don't care if we have 100 to's as long as we play fast!"
And as to TN, we don't have to bash TN as they do it to themselves with Holly Warlick as their HC!

 

[CocoHusky]

triaddukefan- - - Sylvia Hatchell at 1/2 of UCONN @ NoCar game 4 or 5 years ago was asked about the 22 turnovers her team had at the half in a 25 point deficit. "I don't care if we have 100 to's as long as we play fast!"
And as to TN, we don't have to bash TN as they do it to themselves with Holly Warlick as their HC!

Sounds like Q. at Syracuse interned under Sylvia because he said:
Head coach Quentin Hillsman said his team’s goal is to make 10 3-pointers every game. And he doesn’t care how many tries it takes to achieve that mark.
"Hillsman said. “Our goal is to make 10 3s a game. That’s our goal. If it takes 40 to make 10, it’s 40. If it takes 50, it’s 50
Maybe start a new thread Dumbest Basketball quotes ever!

 

[Bretski]

I have a distinct recollection of a Thanksgiving tournament at either Storrs or the Hartford Civic Center in approximately the 2010 era when all three opponents on the weekend were at the level of Fairleigh Dickinson. Supposedly the rationale was indeed based on revenue -- UConn could expect at least 8,000 even for a non competitive home game, and with that level attendance, they could afford to pay some cupcake to play them at home. Doing that was more lucrative for the program than scheduling a home-and-home against a good team, because it didn't involve travel costs and (very often) lousy attendance and therefore lousy revenue at the Away game.

I remember Geno talking about how the midseason tournaments (the campus ones, not the big ones like Paradise Jam) are hard to book because teams want to be guaranteed at least two wins...and they know if they play UConn they are definitely losing that game...which is why they are usually not the strongest competition.

 

[oldude]

It isn't just 25 years ago that UConn played cupcakes (in quantity) in their OOC schedule. I've been following UConn since 2004-2005, and I remember many games in November and December that were completely pointless, against opponents like Fairleigh Dickinson, Oakland (Michigan), and Holy Cross. That only stopped when the Big East ended and Geno had to beef up the OOC schedule because the AAC schedule was (and still is, except for USF and Temple) so pathetically weak.

I have a distinct recollection of a Thanksgiving tournament at either Storrs or the Hartford Civic Center in approximately the 2010 era when all three opponents on the weekend were at the level of Fairleigh Dickinson. Supposedly the rationale was indeed based on revenue -- UConn could expect at least 8,000 even for a non competitive home game, and with that level attendance, they could afford to pay some cupcake to play them at home. Doing that was more lucrative for the program than scheduling a home-and-home against a good team, because it didn't involve travel costs and (very often) lousy attendance and therefore lousy revenue at the Away game.

Baylor does have two fairly good teams on its OOC schedule: UCLA and Kentucky. That's about as many as Geno had in some years while UConn was still in the Big East.

I never suggested that UConn hasn't dined on a cupcake or two, but UConn never loaded up their entire non-conference schedule with cupcakes. Baylor has exactly 2 games scheduled OOC against Power-5 conference teams, and possibly 3 if they meet GT in the finals of the Bahamas tournament.

Even when they were in the Big East, UConn always played more than a few top teams every year. From the time you indicate you began following UConn WBB, here is a list of the nationally ranked and major conference teams that the Huskies have faced each season until the old Big East was dissolved in 2013:

04-05: UNC, ASU, Mich St, TN, TX
05-06: OK, UNC, TN, TX, LSU
06-07: Purdue, UVA, TN, UNC, LSU
07-08: Stanford, Duke, UVA, South Carolina, Purdue, UNC, LSU
08-09: GT, OK, PSU, Wash, FSU, SC, LSU, UNC
09-10: TX, Clemson, Stan, FSU, UNC, Duke, OK
10-11: Baylor, GT, LSU, tOSU, FSU, UNC, Duke, OK
11-12: Stanford, TX A&M, Baylor, UNC, Duke, OK
12-13: TX A&M, Wake, Purdue, MD, PSU, Stanford, OR, Duke, Baylor

I stand by my original remarks that after they won their 1st championship, UConn has never ducked top competition like MD did last season or Baylor will do this coming season.

 

[eebmg]

Baylor and Maryland play in quality WBB conferences. They don't need to schedule top teams in the OOC like we do. Their OOC cupcakes are our in-conference cupcakes. Plain and simple really.

I do agree that teams in relatively strong conferences do not need to schedule OOC schedules that are as strong as UConn and it is probably smart for them to limit OOC top 20 confrontations to a manageable number (~5). However, I believe there is a strong benefit in scheduling top 20 teams OOC since this mimics how you would prepare for the Tournament. If you rely only on top teams in your conference which you are familiar with, you never master how to prepare for teams you have not seen and how to scout them effectively.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Ha, don't laugh too hard.. we haven't released ours yet. I don't expect it to be the gauntlet of last year but I think it should still be pretty decent...

Ohio State, Duke, Maryland and Connecticut for sure.. probably 1 more big program besides those 4.. Dawn's not going to beat down a young team.

The end of the previous year --schools were lining up to play Uconn with a less than strong team coming---SHOCK---they over excelled--
So I doubt those who lined up will do so again --except the "usual suspects" ND, USC, DePaul, ---Geno will have cup cakes on his schedule--and would have created the schedule as difficult as last season--but the comers---aren't coming. Hitting your head against the wall is only fun when you stop.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Neither Brenda nor Kim has an excuse for this pathetic OOC schedule. Last year I said I hoped the selection committee was paying attention to MD and thankfully they were. This year I hope the recruits are paying attention. This is really really ratchet for two high profile coaches to have gone this route two years in a row. Hey Kim, remember when you complained that ESPN should have been covering the UCONN vs. Baylor game last year? You were right but only because UCONN was in it. Next time you get on a soap box about lack of attention to WCBB, think before someone takes your advice and really punches you in the mouth.

I don't know if I agree but your last phrase , mean, but funny.

 

[JordyG]

Sounds like Q. at Syracuse interned under Sylvia because he said:
Head coach Quentin Hillsman said his team’s goal is to make 10 3-pointers every game. And he doesn’t care how many tries it takes to achieve that mark.
"Hillsman said. “Our goal is to make 10 3s a game. That’s our goal. If it takes 40 to make 10, it’s 40. If it takes 50, it’s 50
Maybe start a new thread Dumbest Basketball quotes ever!

More like dumbest basketball strategies ever. Dumbest basketball mindsets ever. It smacks of, yes it was Einstein who coined it, the quote I stated previously, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".

 

[UConnNick]

Suppositions are fun, facts are better. A number of years ago Geno or CpTV or Currant reported the fee some WOMEN's team was being paid to play uconn--
that I wrote on the Boneyard last fall when Geno paid for cupcakes to come.
I was corrected by Husky Nan
Cocohusky--Corrected that by saying he saw checks for lullyvull and others worth 5 times their annual fees

Is what you are saying verifiable? If so where--
Forget men's team--we rarely discuss men's teams here--and i don't discuss them at all.
At this point MAYBE'S Don't do it for me---with all the suppositions/guessing--it's time for FACTS.

I appreciate your input ---but you are where we were when this started. Thanks.

Newspaper articles, if you choose to believe what you read in the Courant, or other papers.

 

[cbraarj]

This years Baylor out of conference schedule still might be better than last year's Maryland out of conference schedule

This years Baylors OOC schedule might be better than Marylands Conference schedule, LOL!

 

[Carnac]

This years Baylors OOC schedule might be better than Marylands Conference schedule, LOL!

cbraarj, you've got an excellent sense of humor. You reached way out there for that one. I LOL when I read it. Good one!!