[R i]

28/50 of the 50th-100th ranked teams in Kenpom are not P5. So let’s learn from last year and not waist time calling all The ACC schools begging for a game.

[olldflame]

28/50 of the 50th-100th ranked teams in Kenpom are not P5. So let’s learn from last year and not waist time calling all The ACC schools begging for a game.

Not sure why, but you apparently are determined to represent RMK as incompetent. I particularly have a problem with the use of the term "begging" in reference to calling other teams looking for games. That is his job. That is how schedules are made. Nobody said those were the only calls made. He wanted 1 or 2 more high majors on the schedule and ACC teams made geographical sense. A lot of the better regional mid majors we tried to schedule passed as well. We are a tough sell for quality opponents right now, and especially this season, when opponents knew we had almost everyone back from a really good team last year.

[LUGrad2000]

While this loss was embarrassing, all is not lost. This is a good team: very few turnovers, great unselfish play, very good defense. We had two really bad shooting games in a row. Free throw shooting is bad, but nothing that can't be fixed. Al least we know that there is no at-large birth to fall back on now. Playing with purpose, this team will get hot at the right time: tourney. We know the weak spot of the defense is the penetration drive straight down the lane. Tighten those weaknesses up and we will be a very dangerous team.

[TH Spangler]

An 18-1 record puts a lot pressure on you.

It's off now, so relax and have fun. Get ready for the tourney. Coach needs to experiment with the line up until then. Keep developing depth.

[Class of 20Something]

On the rotation. I love when Scottie and Myo are on the floor together. It's one of our strongest offensive sets.

[olldflame]

While this loss was embarrassing, all is not lost. This is a good team: very few turnovers, great unselfish play, very good defense. We had two really bad shooting games in a row. Free throw shooting is bad, but nothing that can't be fixed. Al least we know that there is no at-large birth to fall back on now. Playing with purpose, this team will get hot at the right time: tourney. We know the weak spot of the defense is the penetration drive straight down the lane. Tighten those weaknesses up and we will be a very dangerous team.

Don't be surprised if this loss to Stetson becomes less and less surprising/embarassing as the season goes on. I predict they will be no worse than the 4th seed and Jones is pretty much already a lock for COY.

[R i]

Not sure why, but you apparently are determined to represent RMK as incompetent.

That is a reckless accusation oldflame.

I think we need to change our non conference scheduling philosophy. RMK is not incompetent, he just didn't have much success building a good non conference schedule this season. You are apparently determined to find no fault with RMK in non conference scheduling. Here are the areas I think he can change scheduling philosophy to have more success. I have zero experience doing this, and trust his judgement but these are suggestions.

1) High Majors are nice, and our athletes and recruits love to see them on the schedule, but when it appears we are spinning our wheels, we should place more of an emphasis on mid majors. We shouldn't sacrifice dates and travel needed for a competitive schedule to appease and secure a couple High Majors each year. Our games are on ESPN+ either way. Not a big enough pay off in my opinion. This is the major thing I think we should change going forward.

2) Regional scheduling - I do not understand the draw for this. It would give our fans a nice away game to attend, but outside of administration and players' families, we get a very small number of traveling fans for non conference MBB game as it is.So sacrificing quality of schedule for regional games fans can attend, makes no sense. Plus we have a more national fan base than most other ASUN or low mid major MBB teams that could attend non regional contests. Regional match ups arent affecting enough recruiting to sacrifice a quality schedule either. Look at our latest signing classes. They arent "regional". Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Kentucky, Alabama, Texas. Playing Regional games and sacrificing dates does not make total sense for MBB at LU. If a regional opponent works out, it would be great. But we should place less weight on it in my opinion.

3) High win totals - We are in a one bid league. Our main focus should be to compete for that conference championship every year. Until we move on from the ASUN, we should treat each season as if we are in a one bid league. The best way to do this is to win some games and gain some momentum, but also to test ourselves much more than we did this season. We should not focus on season win totals at this stage in the game. High win totals are important, but more important in my opinion is challenging your squad and growing as a unit against stiff competition.

This two game skid could have nothing to do with non conference scheduling, and RMK is the GOAT coach at LU, but it appears we whiffed on non conference schedule this season, and I am not buying the excuse "no one wants to play us". We can find better quality opponents if we changed our philosophies it appears.

[olldflame]

Not sure why, but you apparently are determined to represent RMK as incompetent.

That is a reckless accusation oldflame.

I think we need to change our non conference scheduling philosophy. RMK is not incompetent, he just didn't have much success building a good non conference schedule this season. You are apparently determined to find no fault with RMK in non conference scheduling. Here are the areas I think he can change scheduling philosophy to have more success. I have zero experience doing this, and trust his judgement but these are suggestions.

1) High Majors are nice, and our athletes and recruits love to see them on the schedule, but when it appears we are spinning our wheels, we should place more of an emphasis on mid majors. We shouldn't sacrifice dates and travel needed for a competitive schedule to appease and secure a couple High Majors each year. Our games are on ESPN+ either way. Not a big enough pay off in my opinion. This is the major thing I think we should change going forward.

2) Regional scheduling - I do not understand the draw for this. It would give our fans a nice away game to attend, but outside of administration and players' families, we get a very small number of traveling fans for non conference MBB game as it is.So sacrificing quality of schedule for regional games fans can attend, makes no sense. Plus we have a more national fan base than most other ASUN or low mid major MBB teams that could attend non regional contests. Regional match ups arent affecting enough recruiting to sacrifice a quality schedule either. Look at our latest signing classes. They arent "regional". Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Kentucky, Alabama, Texas.

3) High win totals - We are in a one bid league. Our main focus should be to compete for that conference championship every year. Until we move on from the ASUN, we should treat each season as if we are in a one bid league. The best way to do this is to win some games and gain some momentum, but also to test ourselves much more than we did this season. We should not focus on season win totals at this stage in the game.

This two game skid could have nothing to do with non conference scheduling, and RMK is the GOAT coach at LU, but it appears we whiffed on non conference schedule this season, and I am not buying the excuse "no one wants to play us". We can find better quality opponents if we changed our philosophies it appears.

You can couch it in terms like needing to "change philosophies" all you want, but what you are basically saying is Ritchie either didn't know what he was doing or was afraid to face stiffer competition when he put together this schedule. You are also implying that you know/could do better. In addition, you are calling him an excuse maker/lier when he talks about nobody wanting to play us.

Did he "whiff" on this years schedule? Well, he was the one in there swinging, not me, so who am I to say?

[R i]

I hope our non-conference schedule is much better next year, and according the Mr. Old only RMK can comment on how to improve it.

I also thought I was pretty clear that those were suggestions and it was my opinion, and that I ultimately trusted RMK.

[R i]

what you are basically saying is Ritchie either didn't know what he was doing or was afraid to face stiffer competition when he put together this schedule.

Ok Boomer,

No one said he was scared to face stiffer competition. You pulled that one out of thin air.

[rogers3]

what you are basically saying is Ritchie either didn't know what he was doing or was afraid to face stiffer competition when he put together this schedule.

Ok Boomer,

No one said he was scared to face stiffer competition. You pulled that one out of thin air.

"Ok Boomer"...dumb and unoriginal. That being said, no one should fault you for having uneducated, inexperienced, Kool-aid driven opinions about what our coach (who happens to be pretty d**n good) should do next year. No offense taken and shame on anyone who took offense at your opinions!

[ballcoach15]

We are ranked 94th in Sagarin rankings, with a 325 in schedule strength.

[R i]

"Ok Boomer"...dumb and unoriginal. That being said, no one should fault you for having uneducated, inexperienced, Kool-aid driven opinions about what our coach (who happens to be pretty d**n good) should do next year. No offense taken and shame on anyone who took offense at your opinions!

Boomers Unite!

[R i]

Strength of schedule is 325th , we just dropped conference games we should have won by double digits. I dont know if the two correlate, but I think its a legit question. McKay still the GOAT so chill.

[adam42381]

We are ranked 94th in Sagarin rankings, with a 325 in schedule strength.

Strength of schedule is down to 328th (out of 353 teams) as of today. Can't blame the conference as the only ASUN team with a worse SOS is Stetson at 324. Best in the league is UNF at 139 with a league average SOS of 261. For comparison, the Big South average SOS is 271.

http://www.sagarin.com/sports/cbsend.htm

[olldflame]

Strength of schedule is 325th , we just dropped conference games we should have won by double digits. I dont know if the two correlate, but I think its a legit question. McKay still the GOAT so chill.

Saying we "should have won by double digits" on the road against 2 opponents who are now tied for first with us at 5-2 is like something I would expect to hear from ballcoach. Winning on the road in conference is tough.

[Jonathan Carone]

We are double digits better than both teams we lost to, even on the road. We played with no sense of urgency, our best players disappeared in both game, and we lost our identity. I think this team is good enough to win an NCAA tournament game so I’m holding them to something bigger then “conference play is hard” when the teams we are playing are close to 200 in the NET.

[olldflame]

We are double digits better than both teams we lost to, even on the road. We played with no sense of urgency, our best players disappeared in both game, and we lost our identity. I think this team is good enough to win an NCAA tournament game so I’m holding them to something bigger then “conference play is hard” when the teams we are playing are close to 200 in the NET.

I certainly believe we are the best team in the ASUN and was disappointed in those 2 results. That's different than implying we should beat every team in the conference by at least 10 points, whether at home or on the road.

The statement that winning on the road in conference is hard is far from original. Find one coach who doesn't agree.

[rogers3]

"Ok Boomer"...dumb and unoriginal. That being said, no one should fault you for having uneducated, inexperienced, Kool-aid driven opinions about what our coach (who happens to be pretty d**n good) should do next year. No offense taken and shame on anyone who took offense at your opinions!

Boomers Unite!

Get it right dude... I'm Gen X! So much better than a Boomer or a Millenial!

[Dalegarz1]

by Jonathan Carone » January 28th, 2020, 11:34 am
We are double digits better than both teams we lost to, even on the road. We played with no sense of urgency, our best players disappeared in both game, and we lost our identity. I think this team is good enough to win an NCAA tournament game so I’m holding them to something bigger then “conference play is hard” when the teams we are playing are close to 200 in the NET.


SPOT ON!!

[LU 57]

"Ok Boomer"...dumb and unoriginal. That being said, no one should fault you for having uneducated, inexperienced, Kool-aid driven opinions about what our coach (who happens to be pretty d**n good) should do next year. No offense taken and shame on anyone who took offense at your opinions!

Boomers Unite!

Get it right dude... I'm Gen X! So much better than a Boomer or a Millenial!

My kids keep looping me in on this as well. When I explained that I was actually Gen-X, the immediate response from my college freshman son was, of course, “OK Boomer”.

[Jonathan Carone]

The statement that winning on the road in conference is hard is far from original. Find one coach who doesn't agree.

Winning on the road in conference is hard.

Winning a game in the NCAA tournament is also hard.

Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it can’t be expected.

[ballcoach15]

We should have "carried the brooms" to Florida, and swept

[LUOrange]

Despite those 2 very narrow losses, we're still very clearly the best team in the ASUN/UAC, and the most recent ASOR Power Rankings is ridiculous. I can't wait for tomorrow night when we get our mojo back!

[R i]

I would still bet the farm that we win the ASUN and are the best team in the league. However, based on resume in the league so far, which power rankings most of the time are, we are 3rd. We have slipped up a bit here and are 0-2 against North Florida and Stetson in our last two. They are both playing well. Stetson is 4-0 in last 4 I believe.