SelectionSunday
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Always helps if your opponents play good nonconference schedules. Virginia Tech and especially USC (even without Jio Fontan) figure to be helpful in terms of strength of schedule. DePaul, not so much.
DEPAUL (Nov. 24)
Toughest: Old Spice Classic (Nov. 24-27)
Next-toughest: Ole Miss (Dec. 1), Milwaukee (Dec. 5)
The rest: UT-Pan American (Nov. 11), Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 14), at Loyola-Chicago (Dec. 7), Chicago State (Dec. 10), at Northern Illinois (Dec. 14), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Dec. 17), Cal Poly (Dec. 21)
Toughness scale (1-10): 2 -- The Blue Demons won only one Big East game last season (and seven overall), so putting together a difficult schedule probably wouldn’t have been the smartest thing for Oliver Purnell. DePaul's first-round opponent in Orlando (Minnesota) is a sleeper in the Big Ten, and the rest of the Old Spice field has some sneaky-good teams like Indiana State and Fairfield. So there are other opportunities for DePaul. But this isn’t a postseason team anyway, so the schedule is probably right for the Blue Demons.
VIRGINIA TECH (Nov. 30)
Toughest: NIT Season Tip-Off (Nov. 14-25), at Minnesota (Nov. 30), at Oklahoma State (Dec. 31)
Next-toughest: St. Bonaventure (Nov. 27), Kansas State (Dec. 4), BYU (Jan. 25)
The rest: East Tennessee State (Nov. 12), Monmouth (Nov. 14), at Rhode Island (Dec. 7), Norfolk State (Dec. 11), Campbell (Dec. 17), North Florida (Dec. 19), Eastern Michigan (Dec. 22)
Toughness scale (1-10): 7 -- This is a tough one to judge because so much could happen in the NIT Tip-Off. Presuming the Hokies get past Monmouth, they would likely face George Mason and down the road, Syracuse at Madison Square Garden. On the surface, this is certainly an improvement for Seth Greenberg's program. Road games at Minnesota and Oklahoma State are no easy chore in those arenas, and while Kansas State and BYU might be slightly rebuilding, those are still two commendable home games. Bottom line: If the Hokies again fail to make the NCAA tourney, the schedule itself shouldn't be the reason.
USC (Dec. 3)
Toughest: at San Diego State (Nov. 17), Las Vegas Invitational (Nov. 25-26), at Minnesota (Dec. 3), Kansas (Dec. 22)
Next-toughest: New Mexico (Dec. 10), Georgia (Dec. 17)
The rest: CS Northridge (Nov. 11), Nebraska (Nov. 14), Cal Poly (Nov. 19), Morgan State (Nov. 22), at UC Riverside (Nov. 30), TCU (Dec. 19)
Toughness scale (1-10): 9 -- Good or bad, Kevin O'Neill's teams are frequently lauded for their toughness. In 2011-12, his schedule deserves the same treatment. There's little to criticize here: USC is willing to go play quality teams on the road (at SDSU, at Minnesota) and bring them to the Galen Center (Kansas, New Mexico), and will play essentially a road game vs. UNLV in the first round of the Las Vegas Invitational before taking on either North Carolina or South Carolina. There is nary a cupcake to be seen. The Trojans might take a bruising by the time conference play starts, especially without the injured Jio Fontan, but O'Neill's willingness to go anywhere and play anyone is downright refreshing.
DEPAUL (Nov. 24)
Toughest: Old Spice Classic (Nov. 24-27)
Next-toughest: Ole Miss (Dec. 1), Milwaukee (Dec. 5)
The rest: UT-Pan American (Nov. 11), Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 14), at Loyola-Chicago (Dec. 7), Chicago State (Dec. 10), at Northern Illinois (Dec. 14), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Dec. 17), Cal Poly (Dec. 21)
Toughness scale (1-10): 2 -- The Blue Demons won only one Big East game last season (and seven overall), so putting together a difficult schedule probably wouldn’t have been the smartest thing for Oliver Purnell. DePaul's first-round opponent in Orlando (Minnesota) is a sleeper in the Big Ten, and the rest of the Old Spice field has some sneaky-good teams like Indiana State and Fairfield. So there are other opportunities for DePaul. But this isn’t a postseason team anyway, so the schedule is probably right for the Blue Demons.
VIRGINIA TECH (Nov. 30)
Toughest: NIT Season Tip-Off (Nov. 14-25), at Minnesota (Nov. 30), at Oklahoma State (Dec. 31)
Next-toughest: St. Bonaventure (Nov. 27), Kansas State (Dec. 4), BYU (Jan. 25)
The rest: East Tennessee State (Nov. 12), Monmouth (Nov. 14), at Rhode Island (Dec. 7), Norfolk State (Dec. 11), Campbell (Dec. 17), North Florida (Dec. 19), Eastern Michigan (Dec. 22)
Toughness scale (1-10): 7 -- This is a tough one to judge because so much could happen in the NIT Tip-Off. Presuming the Hokies get past Monmouth, they would likely face George Mason and down the road, Syracuse at Madison Square Garden. On the surface, this is certainly an improvement for Seth Greenberg's program. Road games at Minnesota and Oklahoma State are no easy chore in those arenas, and while Kansas State and BYU might be slightly rebuilding, those are still two commendable home games. Bottom line: If the Hokies again fail to make the NCAA tourney, the schedule itself shouldn't be the reason.
USC (Dec. 3)
Toughest: at San Diego State (Nov. 17), Las Vegas Invitational (Nov. 25-26), at Minnesota (Dec. 3), Kansas (Dec. 22)
Next-toughest: New Mexico (Dec. 10), Georgia (Dec. 17)
The rest: CS Northridge (Nov. 11), Nebraska (Nov. 14), Cal Poly (Nov. 19), Morgan State (Nov. 22), at UC Riverside (Nov. 30), TCU (Dec. 19)
Toughness scale (1-10): 9 -- Good or bad, Kevin O'Neill's teams are frequently lauded for their toughness. In 2011-12, his schedule deserves the same treatment. There's little to criticize here: USC is willing to go play quality teams on the road (at SDSU, at Minnesota) and bring them to the Galen Center (Kansas, New Mexico), and will play essentially a road game vs. UNLV in the first round of the Las Vegas Invitational before taking on either North Carolina or South Carolina. There is nary a cupcake to be seen. The Trojans might take a bruising by the time conference play starts, especially without the injured Jio Fontan, but O'Neill's willingness to go anywhere and play anyone is downright refreshing.