2023-24 Schedule
- Thread starter MasonFanatic
- Start date
Your last sentence is especially spot on.
imo.
Non-conference scheduling isn't easy. It's really difficult to get home games that critics would consider exciting, because the teams people think are exciting are likely tournament hopefuls who don't want to (and don't have to) take a game on the road against a (likely) non-tournament team. Part of it is being realistic.
The MTE is solid:
UCF finished Top 60 last season and will be a P5 opponent this season.
Charlotte won 22 games
South Dakota State finished 2nd in the Summit League.
The Toledo, Tennessee, Tulane road stretch is really tough.
Non-conference home schedule is what it is. Conference home slate is really strong. Win games, elevate the brand, and better opportunities will come.
The MTE is solid:
UCF finished Top 60 last season and will be a P5 opponent this season.
Charlotte won 22 games
South Dakota State finished 2nd in the Summit League.
The Toledo, Tennessee, Tulane road stretch is really tough.
Non-conference home schedule is what it is. Conference home slate is really strong. Win games, elevate the brand, and better opportunities will come.
Al Davis was right. Just Win, Baby!
And yes, everything else will take care of itself.
Where's the party?
Sixth Man
I drove 1500 miles to watch KE's team get their a** handed to them by South Dakota St. Game was not nearly as close as final score. They are a legit program even if many folks haven't heard of them.
George Mason Patriots
4-4
76
Final
| 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GMU | 32 | 44 | 76 |
| SDST | 35 | 45 | 80 |
South Dakota State Jackrabbits
6-2
OP
- Thread Starter
- #149
There was that rumor a few years ago (might have been longer because I think it was under Paulsen) that we were going to get a h/h with UVA (after we had an original one a while before), but I think it fizzled out once Reuter came to Mason.
I'd love for us to get a game like that too, but we all know what it comes back to. I suspect JMU will get back on the schedule at some point and that is more likely than the other two. I don't think VT has played vcu since they got thrashed at the RC, and UVA hasn't done any VA schools in a few years (I'd have to double check though because Bennett was actually pretty good about doing games locally).
Monmouth was my first college basketball team and I still root for them, but if Mason doesn't win by 20 I'll be very concerned. They should be improved with Xander Rice on the team, but they were completely dreadful last year and I don't think anyone expects them to be any good this year.
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UVA played in Harrisonburg in the ‘21-‘22 season (JMU returned the game last year).
They played W&M, vcu, and GW (but all in Charlottesville) in 18-19.
I will say, though, now that they killed the PAC, it’s going to be even harder trying to schedule a P5 team, even one away from home. I’ve got to imagine they’re going to wind up adding 2 games to their conference schedule so they can keep as many games “in-house” as possible so they can get 8-10 teams in the tournament.
They played W&M, vcu, and GW (but all in Charlottesville) in 18-19.
I will say, though, now that they killed the PAC, it’s going to be even harder trying to schedule a P5 team, even one away from home. I’ve got to imagine they’re going to wind up adding 2 games to their conference schedule so they can keep as many games “in-house” as possible so they can get 8-10 teams in the tournament.
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I fear you are spot on and this is going to be a terrible side effect of the football tv money grab mega conference creations - now Power 5 teams in NCAAT are going to be limited to conference champs because it will be so hard for non P5's to build at large resumes with fewer OOC opportunities.
Absolutely spot on. Bigger conferences, means 18-20 league games. That means there is even less incentive for a Power 5 school to do anything but buy games or a neutral game. Hard to believe it would even be possible to have less incentive.
Also, with some of the Power 5s doing their "Challenges", there is even less room for scheduling.
Best we can hope for is that the mid majors try to team up to schedule one another and put the best against the best. Perhaps they need to look at bringing back a Bracketbusters type situation where a top team is nominated to play an opponent in February to help get a quality win.
Based on what we know of the nonconf I'll give my .02 on what I'm thinking. I haven't taken a deep dive on rosters, but just looking at last years net rankings and where I feel like each program can fall in this type of analysis.
Good to Great games that Mason finally has more than 1 of:
Toledo/ UT/Tulane/ECU
Having the 3 home and homes (Toledo, Tulane, ECU) I think are a great piece of the schedule. My hope is all of these teams end up in the top 125 or top 150 which is where we really should be targeting home and homes. Good work to get Tulane and ECU to agree to h/h.
As expected, taking a Power 5 buy game check (and beatdown), is good too. Nice that Barnes is finally playing Mason after all these years. Will be a fun game, even if Mason loses by 20+
Average/Best we can do/might be better than we think
Jacksonville classic games, including Cornell
Cornell was 128 in the Net last year and that could be a good matchup. Also, depending on who Mason plays in the Jacksonville MTE, maybe 2 top 100 chances which would be very good. Considering everything, this could be a perfect MTE for where Mason is as a program right now.
Crappy buy games that everyone does and we all complain about (Monmouth, Austin Peay, NJIT, NC A&T)
Hopefully Mason wins these by an average of 20+. Most of these schools are going to be sub 250 (maybe even worse) on the net. We'll take the scrimmage, pay them and send them home after a loss. I always prefer buy games that are top 200 NET but whatever. Also, Desmond White will be coming to Fairfax as a member of Austin Peay, which I know everyone is looking forward to.
Overall, from the looks of it, I think this could be a solid B. 2 new home and homes, MTE looks at least average. Only downside are the crappy buy games but those are expected.
Good to Great games that Mason finally has more than 1 of:
Toledo/ UT/Tulane/ECU
Having the 3 home and homes (Toledo, Tulane, ECU) I think are a great piece of the schedule. My hope is all of these teams end up in the top 125 or top 150 which is where we really should be targeting home and homes. Good work to get Tulane and ECU to agree to h/h.
As expected, taking a Power 5 buy game check (and beatdown), is good too. Nice that Barnes is finally playing Mason after all these years. Will be a fun game, even if Mason loses by 20+
Average/Best we can do/might be better than we think
Jacksonville classic games, including Cornell
Cornell was 128 in the Net last year and that could be a good matchup. Also, depending on who Mason plays in the Jacksonville MTE, maybe 2 top 100 chances which would be very good. Considering everything, this could be a perfect MTE for where Mason is as a program right now.
Crappy buy games that everyone does and we all complain about (Monmouth, Austin Peay, NJIT, NC A&T)
Hopefully Mason wins these by an average of 20+. Most of these schools are going to be sub 250 (maybe even worse) on the net. We'll take the scrimmage, pay them and send them home after a loss. I always prefer buy games that are top 200 NET but whatever. Also, Desmond White will be coming to Fairfax as a member of Austin Peay, which I know everyone is looking forward to.
Overall, from the looks of it, I think this could be a solid B. 2 new home and homes, MTE looks at least average. Only downside are the crappy buy games but those are expected.
The James Madison Bulldogs have announced their schedule........
View: https://twitter.com/TheD1Docket/status/1689311465864404995
View: https://twitter.com/TheD1Docket/status/1689311465864404995
Or they just do their own P5-P5 home-and-home:
View: https://twitter.com/MattNorlander/status/1689383048125595649
Matt says "another", but I'm too lazy to see what other power schools are doing home and homes.
They are fewer and far between. Usually they are setup as part of a conference "challenge". Like Rutgers is hosting Georgetown this year I believe as part of the Gannett games.
Interesting that the 'Bulldogs' have ODU on their schedule 3 times. I'm guessing it's a hold over from a previous year's scheduling/contracts.
Wow, Keystone College? That's a tiny D3 school. I went to a game there once. Play in an elementary school or CYO type gym.
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No bitter faces at Keystone.
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