2024-2025 Schedule Thread

[jessej]

I'm just surprised that the Ferrum game is scheduled on a Saturday.

IMO
Saturdays are "Prime Time" days and should be used for games against prime Opponents and/or local opponents to maximize turn out, ticket revenue, and potential TV coverage

 

[GMUgemini]

Someone can correct me, but my understanding is non-d1 opponents are not calculated in the NET.

Therefore, its an easy way to fill a glorified practice versus buying a game against a sub 350 opponent that only hurts your NET.

(I am not defending d3 home games, I think they are lame, but they are very common now.)

You are correct, but beating a 350 NET team by 30+ is not a negative on your NET rating because it boosts the crap out of your efficiency numbers. We finished with our highest NET ranking in a long time despite finishing 9-9 in conference largely because we beat some crappy teams early by a lot of points NJIT by 18, ECU by 22, NCA&T by 25, etc.

But yeah playing a non-D1 allows for the team to avoid those wildcard close game or god forbid you lose to a crap team and kill your at-large hopes early. I think it’s also just hard for mid-majors to schedule decent opponents right now and a lot of them schedule non-d1 teams.

 

[mkaufman1]

You are correct, but beating a 350 NET team by 30+ is not a negative on your NET rating because it boosts the crap out of your efficiency numbers. We finished with our highest NET ranking in a long time despite finishing 9-9 in conference largely because we beat some crappy teams early by a lot of points NJIT by 18, ECU by 22, NCA&T by 25, etc.

But yeah playing a non-D1 allows for the team to avoid those wildcard close game or god forbid you lose to a crap team and kill your at-large hopes early. I think it’s also just hard for mid-majors to schedule decent opponents right now and a lot of them schedule non-d1 teams.

Yes agreed, but remember you are assuming that Mason will pummel a 350 net ranking team by 30 or 20 or whatever. Not saying they won’t, it’s an assumption. There’s always a risk Mason sleepwalks and wins by 5z

Playing a d3 it doesn’t matter and really is just a practice. But I think we are in agreement on the positives and negatives of each situation here.

 

[gmujim92]

Can’t imagine you have to pay as much to buy a home game against a D2 or D3 school … wonder if that’s a factor?

 

[jessej]

assuming no schedule contacts
i have the games for my 10 pack ticket purchase
plus 1
( i am Penn Engineering - Class of 82 - 3 classmates are coming with me)

last year this was $115 for 11 games
great value

Madness

NC Central / KenPom 232

Coppin / KenPom 342

Penn / Me / KenPom 200

Penn / Dr. Susan

Penn / John White

Penn / John White Wife

#1 Loyola-Chicago

#5 St Joes

#6 Duquense

#8 Richmond

GWU

 

[jessej]

Season Opener Tip Time set
I expect the Woman's Tip Time to be 4 pm or earlier- depending upon whether or not it is a split doubleheader

 

[Old Man]

[Rant]
There have been folks here lamenting the schedule, particularly the slate of home games. STOP IT!

Are you a Mason fan or are you a fan of other teams? Is Cameron empty when Duke plays a cupcake? No. You play the schedule in front of you, and the part of the schedule that matters most is our conference schedule, and we're in a good conference.

I get that people want to see great/name teams come to the PatDome, and so do I. But we have to support Mason basketball no matter who is on the schedule. If we're not faithful in the small stuff (attendance at less than optimal games), then we'll never be faithful in the big stuff.

We need to fill the PatDome with Mason fans to watch Mason basketball. If we don't do that, whenever we have name programs come, the PatDome will be filled with their fans and be a bad look in general. And then the next game, we're back to complaining about lackluster fan support because no one is there to see us, since 'fans' only show for our opponent. We need the Mason fan support NOW, for Mason basketball, as we grow again in this game and new NIL environment. If we wait until the program is great and drawing good teams to home games, well, that's not going to happen.

You want to keep CTS and have recruits look at us as a great place to play, then put your butts in the seats now, and every game (as many as you can, ie show up!). Or better yet, the old adage applies here: We do what we schedule. Put the games on your calendar so they are the primary option for your attention on game nights. List it as a Mason game and whoever we are playing is secondary. Make it a habit. When we get enough people doing this year in and year out, attendance grows, support grows, and the games will grow in importance and marketability ... and everyone is happy!

Go Mason!
[/Rant]

 

[Patriotsince81]

[Rant]
There have been folks here lamenting the schedule, particularly the slate of home games. STOP IT!

Are you a Mason fan or are you a fan of other teams? Is Cameron empty when Duke plays a cupcake? No. You play the schedule in front of you, and the part of the schedule that matters most is our conference schedule, and we're in a good conference.

I get that people want to see great/name teams come to the PatDome, and so do I. But we have to support Mason basketball no matter who is on the schedule. If we're not faithful in the small stuff (attendance at less than optional games), then we'll never be faithful in the big stuff.

We need to fill the PatDome with Mason fans to watch Mason basketball. If we don't do that, whenever we have name programs come, the PatDome will be filled with their fans and be a bad look in general. And then the next game, we're back to complaining about lackluster fan support because no one is there to see us, since 'fans' only show for our opponent. We need the Mason fan support NOW, for Mason basketball, as we grow again in this game and new NIL environment. If we wait until the program is great and drawing good teams to home games, well, that's not going to happen.

You want to keep CTS and have recruits look at us as a great place to play, then put your butts in the seats now, and every game (as many as you can, ie show up!). Or better yet, the old adage applies here: We do what we schedule. Put the games on your calendar so they are the primary option for your attention on game nights. List it as a Mason game and whoever we are playing is secondary. Make it a habit. When we get enough people doing this year in and year out, attendance grows, support grows, and the games will grow in importance and marketability ... and everyone is happy!

Go Mason!
[/Rant]

Well said. Nothing beats a buzzer beater against vcu. But, I can also enjoy a blowout win against a lesser opponent if it gives our walk ons a chance to play, an honor they certainly deserve.

 

[DRK331]

When is the Mens and Womens Basketball Open Practice going to be?

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

Has to be the worst home OOC in 20+ years. Casual fans not gonna show up for these.

This is the ?

Short-term this will clearly suck for attendance. I don't 100% buy the "this is just who we could get" argument though the sentiment is obviously correct re the big boys.

If it games the NET and leads to an NCAA bid though? That would help attendance long-term.

Again, I'm glad we home and homed JMU. Ferrum might actually be a sleeper decent (at best) crowd if their alumni turn out...lots here.

But obviously no one here can get a work co-worker excited about coming to "GM" vs. UNC Asheville.

Gotta win ECU, JMU; upsetting Marquette Ala JMU on Michigan St. last year would obviously be a game changer

 

[Patriotsince81]

When is the Mens and Womens Basketball Open Practice going to be?

Good question. I have not seen mention of it anywhere. I can tell you the open practice last year was on Oct. 14. The year before was Sept. 17.

 

[Old Man]

But obviously no one here can get a work co-worker excited about coming to "GM" vs. UNC Asheville.

This highlights my point from a couple of posts above. We have to get Jollay's coworker excited about coming to a Mason game, to see Mason, not the other team. If the game has to include a sexy opponent to get that coworker to come to the game, then we haven't achieved anything.

People watch UNC, Duke, Ohio St., Kansas, Kentucky, etc., because of who they ARE, not because of who they PLAY. We need to get Mason to this point, or we'll be having this attendance discussion ad nauseum, kind of like now and every off season.

 

[2011WinOverVillanova]

There’s always the different state societies in DC. The North Carolina state society could buy some tickets for the unc ash game. It doesn’t accomplish the goal of a 100% mason crowd BUT it would bring money in.

 

[jessej]

hoping that the conference schedule dates, and potentially tip times, will be released by Friday

just looked it up - last year's Conference Schedule was released on
Wednesday, September 6, 2023

 

[MasonFanatic]

I'm just surprised that the Ferrum game is scheduled on a Saturday.

I tend to assume in this case, based on earlier schedule leaks, that we simply ended up with a hole we couldn't fill on that Saturday, so once everything else was done, that's where the D3 game got slotted in.

 

[jessej]

I tend to assume in this case, based on earlier schedule leaks, that we simply ended up with a hole we couldn't fill on that Saturday, so once everything else was done, that's where the D3 game got slotted in.

and maybe a lot of their fans come up as it is a Saturday and likely a unique game for them

 

[jessej]

from discussion on GWU Board about OOC SoS within the A-10

	OCC SoS	Key OOC Games
Average	243
Median	280
Dayton	36	(@Northwestern, MTE vs. LSU, St. John's, Houston, @SMU, Neutral vs. Cincinnati)
Saint Louis	100	(MTE vs. Wyoming, UVM, Wichita St., vs. Drake, vs. Utah St., vs. Hofstra, vs. Louisiana Tech)
Duquesne	145	(MTE @Nebraska, vs. UCIrvine, vs. Santa Clara)
Davidson	162	(MTE vs. Maryland/Clemson, @St. Mary's)
Rhode Island	170	(MTE vs. Northwestern, vs. Washington St., vs. Yale, @Providence)
vcu	181	(vs. McNeese St., MTE vs. Iowa St., Boise St., Penn St., vs. Memphis)
Richmond	273
George Mason	280
Loyola Chicago	285
St. Bonaventure	309
Umass	321
Fordham	335
Saint Joseph's	338
La Salle	353
George Washington	361

 

[Verdad]

Can we just copy and past this conversation for next year at the same time?

 

[mkaufman1]

from discussion on GWU Board about OOC SoS within the A-10

	OCC SoS	Key OOC Games
Average	243
Median	280
Dayton	36	(@Northwestern, MTE vs. LSU, St. John's, Houston, @SMU, Neutral vs. Cincinnati)
Saint Louis	100	(MTE vs. Wyoming, UVM, Wichita St., vs. Drake, vs. Utah St., vs. Hofstra, vs. Louisiana Tech)
Duquesne	145	(MTE @Nebraska, vs. UCIrvine, vs. Santa Clara)
Davidson	162	(MTE vs. Maryland/Clemson, @St. Mary's)
Rhode Island	170	(MTE vs. Northwestern, vs. Washington St., vs. Yale, @Providence)
vcu	181	(vs. McNeese St., MTE vs. Iowa St., Boise St., Penn St., vs. Memphis)
Richmond	273
George Mason	280
Loyola Chicago	285
St. Bonaventure	309
Umass	321
Fordham	335
Saint Joseph's	338
La Salle	353
George Washington	361

This was the Sos for the OOC from last year just for full context.

 

[jessej]

This was the Sos for the OOC from last year just for full context.

yes