November 22, 201510 yr Ol Roy tends to try and play a game in one of his senior's hometowns. This year, he scheduled Northern Iowa so Marcus Paige could have a homecoming. Unfortunately, Paige is hurt and couldn't play. But I would rather have my team play a true road game than a neutral site anyday. Dean Smith always did the same thing. I think it is a really cool idea.
November 22, 201510 yr Zero shame in losing this game for UNC, and kudos to them for playing it. Doesn't hurt them for hoops having a loss, and they got a taste of a hostile road environment early. UNI is a solid program, congrats on seizing the opportunity. Totally agree, I wish more big programs would follow suit. It's better for the game. Michigan State went to W. Michigan in football this year, it looked like a great environment.
November 22, 201510 yr Zero shame in losing this game for UNC, and kudos to them for playing it. Doesn't hurt them for hoops having a loss, and they got a taste of a hostile road environment early. UNI is a solid program, congrats on seizing the opportunity. The whole road environment thing is overrated. The games that matter are played on a neutral site.
November 22, 201510 yr The whole road environment thing is overrated. The games that matter are played on a neutral site. Disagree, and find that view short-sighted. To maximize your opportunities in March, you're going to need road wins within your conference. Each road win impacts your RPI like 1.4 wins, and the higher your RPI the better your seed, ergo, the better your chance of advancing on neutral courts in March and April. Izzo has been playing non-conference road wins for years, notably to IPFW a few years ago, as a way to get his kids experience and to pick up additional RPI points.
November 22, 201510 yr Disagree, and find that view short-sighted. To maximize your opportunities in March, you're going to need road wins within your conference. Each road win impacts your RPI like 1.4 wins, and the higher your RPI the better your seed, ergo, the better your chance of advancing on neutral courts in March and April. Izzo has been playing non-conference road wins for years, notably to IPFW a few years ago, as a way to get his kids experience and to pick up additional RPI points. I'll just the philosophy of the two best coaches in college basketball. You are talking about a strategy for mid majors which makes sense. The UK Dukes and UNC of the world don't need to worry about it.
November 22, 201510 yr I'll just the philosophy of the two best coaches in college basketball. You are talking about a strategy for mid majors which makes sense. The UK Dukes and UNC of the world don't need to worry about it. Okay, so 5-10 programs don't have to worry about maximizing their RPI, but 337 do. And Izzo and Michigan State is hardly on a different tier than those. But great point, UK and Duke can schedule differently and are above the fray. Hot take.
November 22, 201510 yr I seriously doubt where this game was played decided the outcome. UNC had an 18 point lead, then folded. They're just an overrated team at the moment, just like a lot of other teams are. The rankings really won't start to make much sense until January. I'm watching Duke/Georgetown right now and Georgetown is a top 25 team this year, yet they won't get any credit unless they win this game.
November 22, 201510 yr Okay, so 5-10 programs don't have to worry about maximizing their RPI, but 337 do. And Izzo and Michigan State is hardly on a different tier than those. But great point, UK and Duke can schedule differently and are above the fray. Hot take. The point of my post is UNC is on that tier and I don't buy this as some big boost for later. UNC Louisville Mich st Kansas etc.... I've always thought Coach K 's philosophy of non conference road games being very low on the importance scale to be true.
November 23, 201510 yr I'll just the philosophy of the two best coaches in college basketball. You are talking about a strategy for mid majors which makes sense. The UK Dukes and UNC of the world don't need to worry about it. So neutral sites are better? What happens when your team plays a conference game on the road, in a hostile environment, and cracks under the pressure? Neutral site games aren't near as hostile and true road games. You don't play neutral site until March, so why not prepare your team for your conference games, you know, the ones that matter?
November 23, 201510 yr UK has scheduled EKU, Morehead State, and WKU in past years (albeit at Rupp) but to my knowledge they've never scheduled Murray State. Wonder if they've ever considered occasionally adding the Racers to their schedule? What got me to thinking about it was the idea if UK ever wanted to try out the UNC philosophy of a hostile environment for a road game, Murray State would definitely be a good place to start.
November 23, 201510 yr Unfortunately that means you know who will be #1 this week. I'd rather they run under the radar a little. I'd say the win over Duke and preseason #2 ranking pretty much eliminated any chance of UK flying under the radar this season.
November 23, 201510 yr I'd say the win over Duke and preseason #2 ranking pretty much eliminated any chance of UK flying under the radar this season. True, but with UNC or someone else being #1 it would have kept some of the spotlight off of them.
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