OOC and BE Schedule Thread **UPDATED**

[CO_Hoya]

FWIW, the Caps don't have a game on Dec. 11th, as per www.nhl.com/teams/was/schedule.html.

Dunno when the NBA releases their schedule.

[BSM]

The Sun Bowl is not an exempt tourney, so the 2 games in El Paso count as 2 games. The curious thing is that the GU/Oregon game is part of the Hispanic Classic, and Oregon is playing 4 games as part of that, which only count as one against the 28 game limit. If that holds true for the Hoyas, then we have a couple of home games left to schedule which will be exempt--the NCAA changed the rules several years ago so that you could play home games as part of a round robin type exempt tourney. The Ducks website announcing the schedule mentions who else is in the "Classic"

The rule applied a couple of years ago when we played Towson (?) and UVA (at MCI) as part of the John Thompson Classic. UVA had played Howard in TJ's House. Games weren't back to back; it didn't matter if GU or UVA had lost to Towson or Howard, GU v. UVA was still going to be the matchup.

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

According to Sports Radio 1430 in Tulsa - Oklahoma and GU will not play next year. The deal was nearly done - but apparently Nova stepped into the picture late and OU jumped at the chance to play a team that it is being ranked #2 to in some early projections.

[Cambridge]

cambridgehoya said:

Here are the confirmed games so far for the 2005-2006 season. I've included their records and RPIs from last year. I've also included their avg record and avg RPI over the last 3 years. They are ranked by last year's RPI.

Date		Venue		Opponent & Conf		2005 RPI		2005 Record		Avg RPI		Avg Record
TBD		AWAY		Illinois (B10)		2		32-1(15-1)		14.3		27-4
1/21/06		HOME		Duke (ACC)		4		25-5(11-5)		5.7		25-5
12/27/05		Sun Bowl		UTEP (WAC)		33		25-7(14-4)		126.7		17-13
11/26/05		HOME		Vanderbilt (SEC)		74		18-13(8-8)		64.3		17-13
12/03/05		AWAY		Oregon (P10)		81		14-13(6-12)		73.3		17-11
TBD		AWAY		Michigan (B10)		157		13-18(4-12)		92.3		16-14
12/11/05		HOME		Fairfield (MAAC)		178		15-15(11-7)		128.6		13-15
12/27/05		Sun Bowl		Colgate (PAT)		238		10-16(7-7)		242.3		12-15
11/18/05		AWAY		Navy (PAT)		304		8-18(5-9)		301.7		6-20
11/21/05		AWAY		James Madison (CAA)		305		6-22(3-15)		276.7		8-20

Date		Venue		Opponent		2005 RPI		2005 Record		Avg RPI		Avg Record
TBD		AWAY		Connecticut		13		22-7(13-3)		15.3		23-7
TBD		AWAY		Villanova		15		22-7(11-5)		50.7		17-12
TBD		HOME		Syracuse		20		27-6(11-5)		14.3		24-6
TBD		HOME		Cincinnati		23		24-7(12-4)		21		22-8
TBD		AWAY		West Virginia		34		21-10(8-8)		80.3		17-13
TBD		HOME		West Virginia		34		21-10(8-8)		80.3		17-13
TBD		HOME		Pittsburgh		36		20-8(10-6)		17.3		25-5
TBD		AWAY		DePaul		53		19-10(10-6)		50.7		19-10
TBD		AWAY		Notre Dame		73		17-11(9-7)		45.3		19-11
TBD		AWAY		Marquette		89		18-11(7-9)		60.7		19-9
TBD		HOME		Providence		94		13-17(4-12)		57		16-13
TBD		HOME		Rutgers		144		9-19(2-14)		109.7		12-16
TBD		AWAY		St. Johns		165		9-18(3-13)		138.7.		10-17
TBD		HOME		St. Johns		165		9-18(3-13)		138.7.		10-17
TBD		AWAY		South Florida		169		13-16(5-11)		127.7		11-17
TBD		HOME		South Florida		169		13-16(5-11)		127.7		11-17

Feel free to use this thread for rampant speculation and updates. I will update the table as more information becomes available.

Updated with the Vanderbilt game and the Duke date.

[AustinHoya03]

With the addition of the Vanderbilt game, we play at least one team from each non-BE high-major CBB conference except the Big 12: Oregon (Pac-10), Illinois + Michigan (Big 10), Duke (ACC), Vandy (SEC). None of these are easy games, but I think we'll be over .500 in these contests. If I'm right about that, and you add wins over the cupcakes and mid-major UTEP, we'll deserve to be in the Top 25 before conference play starts, no question. I think we deserve to be in the preseason Top 25, but we got little love from the voters last year and I don't expect any different this year.

[BubbleVisionBiff]

austinhoya03 said:

With the addition of the Vanderbilt game, we play at least one team from each non-BE high-major CBB conference except the Big 12: Oregon (Pac-10), Illinois + Michigan (Big 10), Duke (ACC), Vandy (SEC). None of these are easy games, but I think we'll be over .500 in these contests. If I'm right about that, and you add wins over the cupcakes and mid-major UTEP, we'll deserve to be in the Top 25 before conference play starts, no question. I think we deserve to be in the preseason Top 25, but we got little love from the voters last year and I don't expect any different this year.

I agree that we could/should beat Vandy, Mich and Ore. (but none are easy), but these (Navy, Fairfield) aren't JT III's father's cupcakes.

I agree that the early OOC schedule puts us in a much better position (for once, people have to defend NOT ranking us, instead of us defending the schedule!). Just saying we shouldn't overlook anyone, especially given our "system" and the fact that III may want to get long looks at the freshman before conference play starts.

[SFHoya99]

Folks, I think we'll likely be dogs for Duke at home, Oregon, Illinois and Michigan on the road. We'll be favored due to home court for Vandy, and likely favored over UTEP despite the "neutral" game.

To make an impact, we're going to need to win some of those four "underdog" games, while holding our own elswhere.

[Jack]

Two thoughts:

-Has there been any confirmation on the Michigan game? I know it was supposedly nailed down 2 years ago, but there has been no subsequent mention to my recollection since JTIII took over. Perhaps it has gone the way of the previously "confirmed" San Jose St. and San Francisco games.

-Is there any chance that Georgetown will also be "hosting" part of the Hispanic College Classic and adding some exempt home games against a few cupcakes before going out to Oregon?

[CAHoya07]

jack said:

-Has there been any confirmation on the Michigan game? I know it was supposedly nailed down 2 years ago, but there has been no subsequent mention to my recollection since JTIII took over. Perhaps it has gone the way of the previously "confirmed" San Jose St. and San Francisco games.

I think that's definitely a possibility, considering the manner in which we've scheduled games this season.

[Bahstin]

Does anyone know where (if) I can get historical RPI ratings - specifically the final RPI standings in 1999?

[TrueHoyaBlue]

Try CollegeRPI.com

[Bahstin]

I can't tell you have happy I am about the schedule. I always felt like for the most part our season didn't start until January - like everything before that was pre-season exhibitions. I compared our non-conf schedule this coming year to the one when we last made the NCAAs:

2000-2001 Opponent	Conference	2000 Ending RPI		2005-2006 Opponent	Conference	2005 Ending RPI
Louisville	CUSA	29		Illinois	B10	2
UNLV	MWC	51		Duke	ACC	4
College of Charleston	SC	100		UTEP	WAC	33
Minnesota	B10	114		Vanderbilt	SEC	74
Houston	CUSA	182		Oregon	P10	81
Bethune Cookman	MEAC	204		Michigan	B10	157
Central Florida	TAAC	206		Fairfield	MAAC	178
Nichols St.	SInd	249		Colgate	Pat	238
Coastral Carolina	BSth	252		Navy	Pat	304
Maryland Eastern Shore	MEAC	276		James Madison	CAA	305
Morgan St.	MEAC	313
Howard	MEAC	317
Grambling St.	SWAC	318

RPI	2000-2001	2005-2006
1-10	0	2
11-49	1	1
50-99	1	2
100-199	3	2
200-299	5	1
300+	3	2

Also, if you look the final conference RPI ratings, our opponents in 2000-2001 had an average conf rank of 20.7. This year, it is 11.8. I think that helps alot in subjective rankings like the polls.

[Grandpa]

bahstin said:

Does anyone know where (if) I can get historical RPI ratings - specifically the final RPI standings in 1999?

Ken Pomeroy's site has RPI rankings going back to 2000:

kenpom.com/rpi.php

[TrueHoyaBlue]

Not sure if this means anything, but I was curious about the Hispanic College Fund classic, as a few people had mentioned that it was an exempted tourney...

Google turned up this bit on the NCAA web site:

"Hispanic College Fund Basketball Classic. Hispanic College Fund, Inc. November 20-22; 26. Eugene, Oregon and Washington, DC. One year certification."

www1.ncaa.org/membership/membership_svcs/certified_events-leagues-contests/bylaw30_lists/WinterSpring2005

Does the Washington DC host site mean we'll be getting a home game or two? And if so, what does that mean for the @jmu game on the 21st (or Vandy -- confirmed -- on the 26th). And why doesn't December 3rd show up, if that's when we're playing Oregon?

[BSM]

The Oregon website had the Ducks playing the other exempt games from 11/20-11/22.

On an unrelated note, if you read down the list of certified events on the NCAA link, you come across a one year certification for the "National Catholic Basketball Tournament" at Univ of San Fran. in December. Who knew?

[Jack]

From the ESPN Big 10 preview:

Michigan will be tested early and often (against Miami in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, home against UCLA in Ann Arbor, at Notre Dame, at South Florida, home against Central Michigan, Butler and Miami of Ohio). The Wolverines will also face their nemesis: Boston University, which has beaten Michigan twice in a row in Ann Arbor.

No mention of the Hoyas. I gotta think that game is not happening.

sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2132499

[BSM]

I get a sense that the game is off. I posted earlier that one of the Michigan blogs had Michigan v. GU at Vandy, which didn't make sense at the time, but in retrospect seems like it was the plan. The list of certified events on the NCAA website had some type of exempt tourney at Vandy over Thanksgiving weekend, which is now cancelled, which explains why Vandy is available to come to MCI on the Saturday.

If the Big Ten preview is going to list Central Michigan and Sth. Florida as part of their challenging sched, you have to figure the Hoyas would rate a mention--even from ESPN.

[SirSaxa]

bsm said:

you have to figure the Hoyas would rate a mention--even from ESPN.

It will be VERY interesting to see if ESPN acknowledges the significant upgrade in our OOC sched, after attacking us for crappy ones for so many years. I will be very surprised if they do.

[BSM]

It won't happen. What will happen is that ESPN will make reference to some school or coach playing a lightweight schedule with a snide reference to a Hoya-like schedule. We've become part of a cliche--there was a story in the Pittsburgh papers last year making reference to Walt Harris (the then Pitt FOOTBALL coach) playing a Hoya like OOC schedule--and its easier for the ESPN clowns to rehash the same old lame joke then actually do some research.

[KHoyaNYC]

I think if we score an early upset against one of our stronger out of conference opponents, ESPN will give us some acknowledgment. Frankly, though, I don't care what anyone thinks about our out of conference schedule except for the selection committee come selection sunday.