I think this is the primary complaint about ISU's scheduling. As someone who doesn't live close enough to go to games regularly, it doesn't bother me as much as it bothers local people. I don't blame you guys for being frustrated by that. We ought to be able to have at least one out-of-state major conference (or good mid-major) team at Hilton every season, and we don't have that this year. They aren't common for us:
11-12: none
10-11: Michigan
09-10: none
08-09: Minnesota
07-08: Creighton
06-07: Minnesota
05-06: none
etc...
I just don't want people confusing a boring home schedule with a pushover creampuff schedule. It's not a hard schedule, but there are at least four games we can easily lose if we don't show up to play.
You've got it.
In basketball, you can easily lose any game if you don't show up. I've watched South Dakota State win in Hilton against the men not long ago.
I also get concerned for long-term things:
1) Obviously, there's at least a perceived problem with strength-of-schedule come tournament time. The MBB program is going to have a real bear of a problem with that.
2) It doesn't generate excitement. The possibility of watching the New Jersey Institute of Technology is underwhelming. Granted, they probably lose and that doesn't happen, but how can we actually justify charging money to watch that?
3) It makes me wonder if the coaches or department are setting an artificial ceiling for the program with this scheduling. It doesn't exactly say "we're reaching for the stars." They will say we are, and work like we are, but then we schedule like we just hope to get by.
Switching back to men, Drake has Air Force coming. Not saying they're going to be good, but at least they're recognizable.