Our Weakest Non-Conference Schedule Ever?

**CyCy** · 11-14-2008, 08:59 AM

Looking at last year's RPI rankings, only 3 of our 15 non-conference opponents finished in the top half of the nation - Drake, UNI and Houston.

Five finished higher than 300 (out of 340) and 2 are in their first year of Division 1.

Rankings:

UC-Davis (303), Loyola Marymount (308), UW-Milwaukee (178), Hawaii (271), Mississippi Valley State (228), UNI (131), Oregon State (269), Drake (10), Iowa (192), Jacksonville State (339), South Dakota State (330), Houston (80), Mercer (316), SUI-Edwardsville (1st yr Div 1), Houston Baptist (1st Yr Div 1)

**Clones85'** · 11-14-2008, 09:02 AM

YES it is

**ISUonthemove** · 11-14-2008, 09:05 AM

Good. We should also do this in football.

**cycloneace55** · 11-14-2008, 09:05 AM

Sounds like just what a young teams needs to build confidence. When its all said and done we only have to be in the top 64 to make the big dance. Winning against lesser teams will do more for the team as far as growth and learning then getting beaten but some of the best in the country. We should rack up the wins when we can because they are going to be hard to come by in the Big 12.

**flander1649** · 11-14-2008, 09:14 AM

Sounds just like what A&M did to get going. It worked out for them.

**keepngoal** · 11-14-2008, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by cycloneace55

Sounds like just what a young teams needs to build confidence. When its all said and done we only have to be in the top 64 to make the big dance. Winning against lesser teams will do more for the team as far as growth and learning then getting beaten but some of the best in the country. We should rack up the wins when we can because they are going to be hard to come by in the Big 12.

I understand what you are saying..... you really need to be in the top 32 or so for an at large bid.. the rest are conference championships.

-keep.

**isucyfan** · 11-14-2008, 09:19 AM

These guys need to learn how to win, and this is just the way to do that. I'm not worried about it affecting our RPI or anything...we need the wins, no matter who they're against.

**cycloneryan** · 11-14-2008, 09:21 AM

The only thing that sucks is if we are ever on the bubble we will not have many if any quality wins.

**cybsball20** · 11-14-2008, 09:21 AM

What happens to our confidence if one of these 300+ teams comes up and bites us?

**johnsonjj** · 11-14-2008, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by cybsball20

What happens to our confidence if one of these 300+ teams comes up and bites us?

We only got one direction to go...UP!

**isucyfan** · 11-14-2008, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by cybsball20

What happens to our confidence if one of these 300+ teams comes up and bites us?

That could certainly happen, but my hope is those 7-10 point losses from last year turn into close games or even wins, by giving these guys the feeling that they will be able to compete.

**Bobber** · 11-14-2008, 09:39 AM

Maybe, but the year we made the Elite 8 I remember that schedule being pretty weak too. It was part of the reason we didn't move up really fast in the rankings until the end.

This has been going on for a long time. Tim Floyd used to schedule some powder puffs too.

**iowast8fan** · 11-14-2008, 09:41 AM

well let's just win them all and we will start out 16-0....then we only need 4 conference wins to reach a 20 win season. No problem, right?

**CyAggie** · 11-14-2008, 09:44 AM

The non-conference wins are not assured for a young team.

Before we worry about if the schedule is strong enough if we are on the bubble, we have to be in a position to be on the bubble.

ISU needs a winning record.

**isucyfan** · 11-14-2008, 09:46 AM

A competitive non-con schedule would be damaging to any team in our situation, IMO. I don't care if we play every directional school in the dregs of the dregs of a conference. We need to learn how to win again.