Projected Men’s Basketball Schedule

[ZuluWarrior]

There are lots of excuses for our incredibly uninspired men’s non-conference basketball schedule the last couple of years. I’ve done a great deal of research (actually very little) to project our 2018 non-con. What’s interesting is that they are all tournaments, if you can believe that (don’t):

November 17, 19, 21 (they each need a day off between games) for the
Opening Diva Tournament (this one actually might be real)
BG hosts Madonna, Lourdes and (Mariah) Carey Baptist College

The All Initial Invitational November 28th, 29th and 30th. Round Robin including BGSU, IUPUI, NDSU and NWMSU.

The Almost Major Competition Tournament:
BG hosts Notre Dame (College)
University of Michigan (Flint)
And Texas A&M (Corpus Cristi)

You can say this was a silly excercise, but my money is on a non-conference schedule that looks pretty close to this.

[AyZiggy97]

Legends Classic

Nov. 9 at St. John's
Nov. 11 at VCU
Nov. 19 vs Hampton (in Detroit)
Nov. 20 vs Loyola Maryland/at Detroit

That leaves 9 games

The D1 Docket has a return game from Drexel, but it's listed as the same date as the Johnnies game. So, who knows.
It's possible that they are owed a home game from Old Dominion.
One of those could be the Bill Frack Game

Everyone else on last year's schedule was the second of a home-and-home.

It's likely that a non Division 1 ends up on this year's schedule too because of the extremely well documented, and not in any way unique, problem of teams in the MAC finding home games.

[AyZiggy97]

Sat., December 1 at Hartford (America East Conf.)

It looks like 5/6 of the Hawks top performers last season are back as seniors this year.

http://www.hartfordhawks.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=193" target="_blank

[AyZiggy97]

Drexel's return game is Sun., Nov. 25

https://drexeldragons.com/news/2018/7/3 ... edule.aspx" target="_blank


Schedule so far (end of season Ken Pom ranking):

Nov. 9 at St. John's (74)
Nov. 11 at VCU (144)
Nov. 19 vs Hampton (in Detroit) (250)
Nov. 20 vs Loyola Maryland/at Detroit (323/319)
Nov. 25 vs Drexel (251)
Dec. 1 at Hartford (215)

[mbenecke]

The MAC released the schedule for conference games today.

1/5 @ Kent State
1/8 vs. Ohio
1/12 @ Central Michigan
1/15 vs. Ball State
1/19 vs. Western Michigan
1/22 @ Eastern Michigan
1/26 @ Miami
2/2 vs. Buffalo
2/5 @ Western Michigan
2/9 vs. Toledo
2/12 vs. Central Michigan
2/16 @ Northern Illinois
2/19 vs. Akron
2/23 @ Ohio
2/26 vs. Miami
3/2 vs. Kent State
3/5 @ Akron
3/8 @ Buffalo

As a student, the most frustrating thing about this is that the new "J-term" will have a majority of students off campus still on Christmas break during nearly the entire month of January, so it costs us any chance at a good student section for the games on 1/8, 1/15, and 1/19. I know many are disappointed in the current atmosphere of the games at the Stroh Center, and scheduling like this certainly does not help.

[AyZiggy97]

The rest of the non conference schedule is out too:

Tue., Nov. 6 -- TIFFIN
Fri., Nov. 9 -- at St. John's !
Mon., Nov. 12 -- at Virginia Commonwealth !
Thu., Nov. 15 -- N.C. CENTRAL
Mon., Nov. 19 -- vs. Hampton ! (Calihan Hall / Detroit, Mich.)
Tue., Nov. 20 -- vs. Loyola Maryland OR Detroit Mercy ! (Calihan Hall / Detroit, Mich.)
Sun., Nov. 25 -- DREXEL
Sat., Dec. 1 -- at Hartford
Wed., Dec. 5 -- at Cleveland State
Sat., Dec. 8 -- GREEN BAY
Sun., Dec. 16 -- FINDLAY
Fri., Dec. 21 -- WESTERN CAROLINA
Sun., Dec. 30 -- TENNESSEE MARTIN

Western Carolina is coached by Mark Prosser, whose dad Skip died 11 years ago after coaching Loyola Maryland, Xavier, and Wake Forest. He replaces Larry Hunter, former OU coach, who passed away in May.

[Class of 61]

I understand that the Tiffin game(exhibition), as we usually play a warmup type game. But why is FINDLAY on this schedule ( which seems better overall than in previous years).. with the Frack challenge game still to come.

[AyZiggy97]

I understand that the Tiffin game(exhibition), as we usually play a warmup type game. But why is FINDLAY on this schedule ( which seems better overall than in previous years).. with the Frack challenge game still to come.

Tiffin is a regular season game for BG. It appears that the Falcons are forgoing the one public exhibition game in favor of two closed scrimmages. So both Tiffin and Findlay are regular season.

Findlay was 28-5 last season and is one of the best Division 2 programs in the country.

It's really not that complicated: the MAC struggles getting home games. BG & 8 other MAC teams have released schedules and there are 16 games against non Division 1 teams. They have a varying number of non con home games overall.

BG: Tiffin & Findlay - 7 non conference home dates
Kent State: Shawnee State & Oberlin College - 8
Akron: Cedarville & Carnegie Mellon - 7
Miami: Midway (KY) & Wilberforce - 6
Buffalo: Le Moyne College - 5
Toledo: Wilberforce - 7
Northern Illinois: Rockford & Illinois Tech - 6
Western Michigan: Aquinas - 5
Central Michigan: Concordia, Siena Heights, & IU South Bend - 7

[BGFalconfromCincy]

I understand that the Tiffin game(exhibition), as we usually play a warmup type game. But why is FINDLAY on this schedule ( which seems better overall than in previous years).. with the Frack challenge game still to come.

Tiffin is a regular season game for BG. It appears that the Falcons are forgoing the one public exhibition game in favor of two closed scrimmages. So both Tiffin and Findlay are regular season.

Findlay was 28-5 last season and is one of the best Division 2 programs in the country.

It's really not that complicated: the MAC struggles getting home games. BG & 8 other MAC teams have released schedules and there are 16 games against non Division 1 teams. They have a varying number of non con home games overall.

BG: Tiffin & Findlay - 7 non conference home dates
Kent State: Shawnee State & Oberlin College - 8
Akron: Cedarville & Carnegie Mellon - 7
Miami: Midway (KY) & Wilberforce - 6
Buffalo: Le Moyne College - 5
Toledo: Wilberforce - 7
Northern Illinois: Rockford & Illinois Tech - 6
Western Michigan: Aquinas - 5
Central Michigan: Concordia, Siena Heights, & IU South Bend - 7

And I'm sure Eastern Michigan will have their usual 4 non-D1 opponents on their schedule once they release it

[FalconTurf]

Tiffin is not much to talk about other than nice opener to shake the rust off or open player eyes. The Findlay game will be a challenge as a perennial top 20 D2 school. I can accept playing local D2 schools, especially good ones like Findlay, a lot quicker than D3, NAIA and whatever else is in the list list AZ97 posted for the majority of the MAC.

[falconfan1]

mbenecke I hear you say re the J term. On campus students will not be around for those games. Got that.

Here is what I say.

Our students need to SHOW for the earlier and later games. Period. No excuse. No this or that. Not who is the opponent etc. Students go to hockey games. Which I love. Go to the available games. There is no excuse.

Support the teams when you can.

I know you will do that. Now bring 20 friends.

Be a Falcon.

Go Falcons!

[mbenecke]

mbenecke I hear you say re the J term. On campus students will not be around for those games. Got that.

Here is what I say.

Our students need to SHOW for the earlier and later games. Period. No excuse. No this or that. Not who is the opponent etc. Students go to hockey games. Which I love. Go to the available games. There is no excuse.

Support the teams when you can.

I know you will do that. Now bring 20 friends.

Be a Falcon.

Go Falcons!

"Be a Falcon." <--- I love it!

Will do. Ready for the semester to start and all of the events that come with it.

[AyZiggy97]

Finally completed a dive into MAC non conference schedules this season.

78 total games in MAC arenas. 56 vs D1 opponents. 22 vs non D1 opponents

Buffalo, Western Michigan, Ball State, Ohio, Toledo all play 1 non D1 team. (BUF, WMU, & BSU have 5 home dates. OU & UT have 7)
BG, Miami, Kent, Akron, N. Illinois all play 2 non D1 teams. (Kent has 8 home dates. BG & Akron have 7. Miami & NIU have 6.)
Central Michigan plays 3 non D1 teams out of 7 home games.
Eastern Michigan plays 4 non D1 teams out of 8 home games.

Eastern Michigan does have that weak home schedule, but goes to Duke, Rutgers, TCU, and Kansas.

In all MAC games against other leagues:
Big East - 6 games
Big 10- 5
ACC- 4
Big 12- 4
SEC- 3
Pac 12- 1

A-10- 2
American- 1

Horizon- 26
Missouri Valley- 8
Summit League, C-USA, WAC- 5
Colonial, SWAC, MEAC- 4
MEAC, Ohio Valley, Atlantic Sun, Ivy League, Big South, MAAC, Big West- 3
America East, Patriot League, Mountain West, Big Sky- 2
Northeast, Southland, Southern Conf, West Coast Conf- 1

11 games are TBD because of neutral site tournaments

[Schadenfreude]

78 total games in MAC arenas. 56 vs D1 opponents. 22 vs non D1 opponents

That's a shocking number. Even more shocking:

Central Michigan plays 3 non D1 teams out of 7 home games.
Eastern Michigan plays 4 non D1 teams out of 8 home games.