Sitting here eating my lunch looking at the ESPN Top 50 RPI teams and their non conference strength of schedule rankings. Not exactly what I expected.
Pantherlair posters might be surprised to learn that Michigan State (the team everybody holds up as an example of how to schedule difficult OOC opponents to develop a great team for the tourney) actually is only ranked 99th. Roughly one third of college basketball teams schedule tougher non con.
WVU, who claims to want a long term home and home with Pitt? Well they had the 223rd ranked non con schedule. Considerably worse than much maligned Pitt at 159th (artificially worse due to the Gonzaga non game).
And all you folks that think a phone call will set up a home & home series with favorite son Sean Miller's Arizona Wildcats. Not so fast my friends, they have the 250th ranked OOC schedule. Doubtful they're looking for a game ever at the Pete.
Perennial national players Louisville and Syracuse? 156 & 149
Historic BigTen programs Indiana and Michigan? 233 & 146
Am I missing something? Pitt's OOC schedule is what it is. "Right in the meaty part of the curve. Not showing off. Not falling behind." Attendance will return with consecutive trips back to the NCAA tourney, getting past the first weekend and some high profile home ACC wins.
H2P!!!
Pantherlair posters might be surprised to learn that Michigan State (the team everybody holds up as an example of how to schedule difficult OOC opponents to develop a great team for the tourney) actually is only ranked 99th. Roughly one third of college basketball teams schedule tougher non con.
WVU, who claims to want a long term home and home with Pitt? Well they had the 223rd ranked non con schedule. Considerably worse than much maligned Pitt at 159th (artificially worse due to the Gonzaga non game).
And all you folks that think a phone call will set up a home & home series with favorite son Sean Miller's Arizona Wildcats. Not so fast my friends, they have the 250th ranked OOC schedule. Doubtful they're looking for a game ever at the Pete.
Perennial national players Louisville and Syracuse? 156 & 149
Historic BigTen programs Indiana and Michigan? 233 & 146
Am I missing something? Pitt's OOC schedule is what it is. "Right in the meaty part of the curve. Not showing off. Not falling behind." Attendance will return with consecutive trips back to the NCAA tourney, getting past the first weekend and some high profile home ACC wins.
H2P!!!
