Series vs. UMass coming

[Pudge]

Stop the hand-wringing.

BC, PC ... or UMass. Yes, I lump those three together. They are a step beyond UNH, Maine, Yale, Harvard (until further notice ... maybe I will revise this), UAlbany, Vermont, Central, Sacred Heart, Fairfield, etc.

I don't think anyone sees this as supplanting a Ohio State or a Texas or a Stanford type. Given circumstances, UMass could (at any one point) be better than a inter-regional. I say space these ... not 4 in 4 years for sure.

 

[BUConn10]

I've been saying for years that UConn should start a big time OOC game in Boston every few years. I was thinking more along the lines of PC or Notre Dame over UMass but if they get their act together I'd definitely tune in to our Huskies coming up to beantown for a little snack.

 

[Paesano]

I've been saying for years that UConn should start a big time OOC game in Boston every few years. I was thinking more along the lines of PC or Notre Dame over UMass but if they get their act together I'd definitely tune in to our Huskies coming up to beantown for a little snack.

A game in Boston is great, on the surface. The problem is BU and Northeastern aren't good enough, BC can go to hell and practically no one in Boston cares about umess. The only team that may make sense is Harvard and only if they get back on track, which I fully expect.

UMess in Boston is a waste. Play them 2 for 1, at worst. Hartford, Storrs and MAYBE Amherst, if we are feeling generous. But no way umess deserves home and home or 2 and 2 in any form.

 

[Kembacity]

oh who cares, I want a damn UConn game in Boston!

My buddy and fellow die-hard moved out to LA a couple of years ago, he literally lives a stones throw from Loyola, I'm so friggin jealous that he gets an away game right in his back yard this year

 

[James]

If this is billed as a "marquee matchup" then its meh, would much rather work be put into a series with a perennial contender h/h. We can all say umass will be okay in the future but facts are they haven't been good in a long time.

 

[BUConn10]

I feel like UConn is having trouble scheduling marquee power programs in OOC. Either teams are avoiding us, which I can see because we aren't really ranked that high in the AP or RPI much lately but we are capable of beating anyone, a losing scenario for the other team. That or conferences are requiring more P5 scheduling, I know the Big10 implemented that rule for football, wouldn't be surprised if it made it into basketball scheduling.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

I feel like UConn is having trouble scheduling marquee power programs in OOC. Either teams are avoiding us, which I can see because we aren't really ranked that high in the AP or RPI much lately but we are capable of beating anyone, a losing scenario for the other team. That or conferences are requiring more P5 scheduling, I know the Big10 implemented that rule for football, wouldn't be surprised if it made it into basketball scheduling.

Not sure why you'd think this when we have Ohio State, Syracuse and Georgetown on the schedule this year, with an Arizona series set to start next year.

We were in a tough spot for adding even more to the schedule this year because we already had Maui plus three road games scheduled and wouldn't have been willing to start another series on the road this year. I'm sure we tried very hard to get Syracuse to come to CT, but we landed on MSG and there's no way we could turn that down. Hence the hastily thrown together Auburn series just to get something somewhat respectable on the home schedule this year.

The real test will be next year when the Georgetown and Ohio State series expire. If our home and homes next year are "only" Arizona, Auburn, and UMass, then maybe you have a point. But let's wait and see how it shakes out.

 

[champs99and04]

This can't be seen as anything other than bad. I went to Amherst for a game last season to see them play Providence and the program is a mess. Granted, UMass got blown out, and students were on break, but the building was dead and you couldn't help being depressed just being there. Contrast that to my experience at URI earlier in the month and it's a complete 180 - that's a program dotted with talent for another couple years with a hot coach and a rabid fan base.

I like this in theory because I love regional rivalries. But the program is not at a place where us playing them can be seen as anything other than us struggling to schedule, especially if we're going to remain in the AAC. As @Brochacho said Auburn and UMass are not going to get the job done. I don't like playing the "we're UConn" card, but come on, we should not be scheduling reclamation projects, and before somebody says "I'd rather play UMass than UNH or Maine"...no kidding, but we don't play home and home with them.

 

[TRest]

This can't be seen as anything other than bad. I went to Amherst for a game last season to see them play Providence and the program is a mess. Granted, UMass got blown out, and students were on break, but the building was dead and you couldn't help being depressed just being there. Contrast that to my experience at URI earlier in the month and it's a complete 180 - that's a program dotted with talent for another couple years with a hot coach and a rabid fan base.

I like this in theory because I love regional rivalries. But the program is not at a place where us playing them can be seen as anything other than us struggling to schedule, especially if we're going to remain in the AAC. As @Brochacho said Auburn and UMass are not going to get the job done. I don't like playing the "we're UConn" card, but come on, we should not be scheduling reclamation projects, and before somebody says "I'd rather play UMass than UNH or Maine"...no kidding, but we don't play home and home with them.

I think we ended the last series because UMass demanded they get one and ones.

 

[maineuconnfan]

I guess the only reason why I would really like this, is that playing in Mass brings them closer to Maine.

 

[zls44]

Unless the game is in Boston, there's no reason UConn should be playing UMass instead of URI.

URI has a better team, better fanbase and better facility.

 

[Matrim55]

Unless the game is in Boston, there's no reason UConn should be playing UMass instead of URI.

URI has a better team, better fanbase and better facility.

UMass, however, will be our replacements in the AAC, so we'll be doing our old conference a solid.

 

[Robertelamin]

So the rumors of Kevin Freeman going to UMass will finally come true.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Next up.....PC fans' heads explode... "UMass???....UConn is scared of PC".

Hell, if PC is willing to put their home game in Boston and play us in football in Foxboro I'm sure they would be on our schedule in men's hoops.

 

[80shusky]

I feel like UConn is having trouble scheduling marquee power programs in OOC. Either teams are avoiding us, which I can see because we aren't really ranked that high in the AP or RPI much lately but we are capable of beating anyone, a losing scenario for the other team. That or conferences are requiring more P5 scheduling, I know the Big10 implemented that rule for football, wouldn't be surprised if it made it into basketball scheduling.

The statistics actually disagree with your statement regarding us not being ranked high in the RPI lately, depending of course on what you perceive as "lately" or what you perceive of as "high". We would be considered a good win, or not a bad loss by most teams, by any standards including P5 given our end of season RPIs the last six seasons.
2015 - 32
2014 - 70
2013 - 23
2012 - 49
2011 - 32
2010 - 15

At worst in 2014 we were a top 100 win or loss and the rest of those years top 50. Syracuse's win against us last year in the Bahamas probably got them in the tournament, or at minimum helped a lot, despite their much better conference situation. It is not a losing scenario for other teams. Even if they lose to us, they lose to a top 50 team in most years. RPIs stated here were based on ESPNs RPI rankings. RPI as stated by many here aren't the end all of course compared to some other metrics like Kenpom or Sagarin but our numbers are good there as well.

 

[BUConn10]

The statistics actually disagree with your statement regarding us not being ranked high in the RPI lately, depending of course on what you perceive as "lately" or what you perceive of as "high". We would be considered a good win, or not a bad loss by most teams, by any standards including P5 given our end of season RPIs the last six seasons.
2015 - 32
2014 - 70
2013 - 23
2012 - 49
2011 - 32
2010 - 15

At worst in 2014 we were a top 100 win or loss and the rest of those years top 50. Syracuse's win against us last year in the Bahamas probably got them in the tournament, or at minimum helped a lot, despite their much better conference situation. It is not a losing scenario for other teams. Even if they lose to us, they lose to a top 50 team in most years. RPIs stated here were based on ESPNs RPI rankings. RPI as stated by many here aren't the end all of course compared to some other metrics like Kenpom or Sagarin but our numbers are good there as well.

I guess. But if you take those numbers as correlated to strength they still don't look that good. So if you play UConn as a top 5 team you will face a team that when is clicking will play like a top 5 team but if you beat us it's only equivalent to a RPI 35 win. Doesn't seem like that huge of a reward relative to risk, especially when it comes to scheduling the blue bloods who take scheduling risk/reward very seriously it seems.

 

[80shusky]

I guess. But if you take those numbers as correlated to strength they still don't look that good. So if you play UConn as a top 5 team you will face a team that when is clicking will play like a top 5 team but if you beat us it's only equivalent to a RPI 35 win. Doesn't seem like that huge of a reward relative to risk, especially when it comes to scheduling the blue bloods who take scheduling risk/reward very seriously it seems.

So here is the other thing regarding the "blue bloods" and home and home matchups. They don't play that many of them or that many true road games against other really good teams any more. Other than Kentucky who is decent at that. Most of their marquee non-conference matchups are on neutral courts this coming season. If I have this wrong please someone chime in.
Kansas
Duke - neutral
Stanford at Kansas (H&H?)
Nebraska at Kansas (H&H?)
Indiana - neutral
Kentucky at Kentucky -SEC/B12 challenge
UNLV at UNLV - (H&H?)

Duke
Kansas - neutral
Cinci or URI - neutral
Mich St at Duke - ACC/B10 challenge
Florida - neutral
UNLV at UNLV (H&H?)

UNC
Indiana at Indiana - ACC/B10 challenge
Kentucky - neutral
Tennessee at UNC - (H&H?)
Clemson at Clemson - (H&H?)
Tulane at Tulane (H&H?)

Kentucky
Mich State - neutral
UCLA at Kentucky - (H&H?)
Valpo at Kentucky (H&H?)
UNC - neutral
Louisville at Louisville (H&H?)
Kansas - SEC/B12 challenge

So when you look at their true possible home and home matchups (I'm not sure if these are home and homes hence the ? for each matchup) the "blue bloods" aren't playing great teams. They are playing decent OOC schedules on neutral courts however. My point is people saying we should be scheduling top home & home matchups because the top teams do aren't really looking at who is scheduling who and where. These blue blood programs aren't scheduling top teams home & home in most cases with the exception of the Kentucky/Louisville matchup and UCLA if want to count them.

 

[zls44]

Carolina's actually more willing to play on the road at some rando mid-major than against actual power programs. Its really odd. On the one hand, I respect that they're the one who is willing to go to Northern Iowa, but at the same time think they should be going to KU or Arizona once in a while.

 

[4in16]

Carolina's actually more willing to play on the road at some rando mid-major than against actual power programs. Its really odd. On the one hand, I respect that they're the one who is willing to go to Northern Iowa, but at the same time think they should be going to KU or Arizona once in a while.

They do that to give their seniors home games, Geno does the same thing with the women's team.

 

[Robertelamin]

I'm probably jumping to conclusions but UMass and Auburn do reek of lazy scheduling. One program has probably been begging UConn to play for a decade and the other was Benedict's employer 6 months ago. Neither team excites the fans at all.

 

[Rumrunner]

UMass helped with the three-way scheduling dance that put BC on the football schedule. Quid pro quo and gentlemanly deal-making that benefits all.

 

[mauconnfan]

I'm just glad KO isn't afraid to play the Minutemen after all those years that JC quivered in his sneakers over the thoughts of playing UMass.

 

[A10 fan]

Why doesn't UConn schedule Pitt? Pitt struggles to get good H&Hs, and you'd think UConn would be an attractive game for them, and vice versa.

 

[TRest]

Why doesn't UConn schedule Pitt? Pitt struggles to get good H&Hs, and you'd think UConn would be an attractive game for them, and vice versa.

Who knows? Pitt didn't make a graceful exit from the BE, it and Georgetown lead the charge against the pretty reasonable ESPN tv contract. It's also another school who gained from playing us more than we did from them.

 

[mauconnfan]

Who knows? Pitt didn't make a graceful exit from the BE, it and Georgetown lead the charge against the pretty reasonable ESPN tv contract. It's also another school who gained from playing us more than we did from them.

So many variables in scheduling but I think you hot a piece of if on the nail here. I mean it took time to discuss with all of our old BE rivals as pretty much all of them would be good for the schedule but you can't play them all while the other Top 16 seeds get in with 5-6 cupcakes having assisted in their overall record. I think the Huskies are doing fine despite our wish for a better league.