Iowa State vs South Carolina
- Thread starter pikecy10
- Start date
From what I understand, ISU would LOVE to play Michigan or MSU EVERY year. Michigan is done w/ us and I am guessing that the schedule thing did not work out for Sparty. Minnesota has been the highest scheduling priority and it has not worked out either. If you can't get the schools you want- get the locations you want. Get something out of the schedule that can help. A game at the corn palace is a joke.
This schedule is still a huge improvement over the past coaches and how they set the schedule up.
"Outside of two Final Four teams, who are you really playing? " Nice. I needed a good laugh, thanks!
As well it should be watered down compared to last year, which was the toughest non-con schedule by a ranked team in years. I think their schedule was way too hard last year. They did not have enough easy games to allow bench players to get minutes and experience. With so many young guys being counted on, this really hurt them down the stretch. Self backed off the schedule on purpose this year, especially knowing KU would have Kentucky and likely Florida again.
And we all know that these early season tourneys are a total crap shoot as far as quality. You typically have no idea who the other teams are when you commit and how they will look. Entering a tourney with Michigan State, you assume that they will have an excellent team. And did I mention that Self knows that Izzo totally has his number? We just had a home and home with them a few years ago, played them in the ncaa tourney and played them in the Champions Classic in recent history and Michigan State has won most of those games if not all. It's a good test, no matter what their team looks like. Izzo is a hall of famer and can beat anyone on any night.
Assuming that Iowa is an ncaa tourney team? Doesn't that get you a lifetime ban around these parts? And I don't think the Big 12 is getting 7 teams in the tourney next year. I look for Okie State and maybe even Baylor to fade out to the NIT. Probably a five bid league this year.
But I agree about the "you never know" what teams will end up looking like feel for teams. I didn't think Villanova was anything at all when I saw them on the schedule in the Bahamas last year. Next thing you know they beat KU and end up as a #2 seed. Maybe Arkansas is poised to be that team, who knows?
But there isn't any difference in the "the elite teams will only play other elite teams". ISU is every bit the team that Texas is and Texas got a series with Michigan State booked. Teams don't need to be afraid to lose at Hilton because in this day and age a loss on the road against ISU counts for more than a win at home against a cream puff. SoS and resume are relied on more and more for tourney seedings. More teams seem to be willing to risk a loss on the road for the exposure and SoS bump. With ISU being a regular in the rankings these days, I'd bet they start to see teams taking them up on these offers soon.
Nothing wrong with your statement that Iowa State should "schedule-up" as much as possible given its recent success. I feel like you're suggesting the staff isn't even trying.
(1) This will sound like a knock against my school, but it's a statement of realism: Texas landing a series vs. Michigan State is far easier than Iowa State doing the same thing. Maybe that will change, but it's no surprise right now. Texas has reached NCAA Tournament something like 24 of past 25 seasons. Between 2001 and Hoiberg's second season, ISU made the tournament ONCE. Do you think Michigan State is going to consider scheduling UT an equal risk-reward compared to Iowa State? How many other "Iowa State-like" opponents would MSU have as possible opponents at this juncture?
(2) Yes. It's going to happen more frequently if results continue the way they're going. Similar to my intro to (1), ISU recently became a "regular in the rankings" last season.
Iowa State has two non-conference open dates, if my math is correct. That may end up as cupcakes at Hilton, or perhaps one gimme and another solid opponent, possibly home-and-home.
I don't see much of an angle for local media coverage, unless Fred is getting ready to do some recruitment in the area and wants to try to create a local buzz for us.
Other reasons include:
Bragging rights. How many other teams are playing non-con games in NBA arenas. This sounds better than a game in the Dakotas. Being able to talk about playing in this venue will go far in recruiting.
TV exposure. I'm assuming that there is some national broadcast interest in us.
Guaranteed money. I hope we are getting a good payday for this game. It will help to pay for Fred's raise.
Other power conference teams don't want to come to Ames. Simple as that. Michigan ran away after their loss to us. The only team to beat us at home the past few seasons is Kansas.
Didn't read all of this, but did anyone mention that maybe Fred is doing the Coach K thing of scheduling games near his players homes so family can come and visit? Like when ISU played Duke in Chicago, this is a favor for Niang who didn't get to play in the NCAA game?
After reading the entire thread...lol...
This is a good game for Iowa State! Any game against an SEC, ACC, B1G, Pac or Big East Team is a good game regardless of venue or previous year's record. Any game in an NBA Arena in a major media market is an excellent game. So, this game fits both of those statements.
As for good games at Hilton, ISU should concentrate on home and home arrangements with NCAA mid-major teams that are craving attention. Sheesh, I bet Wichita State would play home and home with ISU. So would San Diego State. So would Dayton. So would Harvard, etc.
alaCYCLONE
This is a good game for Iowa State! Any game against an SEC, ACC, B1G, Pac or Big East Team is a good game regardless of venue or previous year's record. Any game in an NBA Arena in a major media market is an excellent game. So, this game fits both of those statements.
As for good games at Hilton, ISU should concentrate on home and home arrangements with NCAA mid-major teams that are craving attention. Sheesh, I bet Wichita State would play home and home with ISU. So would San Diego State. So would Dayton. So would Harvard, etc.
alaCYCLONE
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I think there is some truth to this, and an underlying fact that we want more exposure in the NE. Two of our current players (Hogue and Niang) are from the area and we have multiple targets in the area.
Do you really believe that ISU had the cache of Texas when that series was agreed to? ISU has had a wonderful recent run but Texas is still Texas.
The problem with Hilton being a tough place to play is that ISU hasn't had the name to offset a potential/likely loss for the visiting team. ISU's "name" is still on the rise but isn't to the level that makes teams OK with a likely loss. This is really simple and I can mail you a manual if you like.
1) Teams like Michigan State aren't scheduling these tough games looking solely to avoid losses. If that was the goal they'd take a gimme at home 14 times in a row like Syracuse does. Izzo has always scheduled tough and usually drops one or two of those tough games but it probably goes a long way towards getting his kids ready when the meaningful season starts. 6 Final Fours tells me that a few early losses doesn't hurt anything.
I am saying that ISU isn't trying to get these games; just trying to stoke the fires of ISU fans to be more demanding of such games. For a few years Kansas was scheduling really boring gimmes and season ticket holders starting griping about it. For that price, I want to see a few good games in there. I don't care if it's a loss, there is something special about seeing your team in the limelight playing in a game that gets top billing by the national media. In my opinion, ISU has reached a level where they can do that.That's all.
Don't be satisfied with cupcakes and a gaudy record. Teams have to be battle tested to prep for the tourney that matters. Plus, if you are going to pay good money (and I assume with the recent success that ISU ticket prices are rising) season ticket holders should get rewarded with a good quality opponent here and there.
What difference does the "name value" make? NONE. This isn't college football where one loss ruins your year. No one cares whether they dropped in the polls a few spots for losing a road game in a tough environment to a Top 15 ranked team in NOVEMBER. The only people that would give a team like Michigan State a hard time over losing to a team with less name recognition are Michigan fans on message boards. Do you think that Izzo cares about that? Especially since Michigan lost there last year.
Don't undersell your team. They have name recognition and national rep. That number next to theri name goes a long way with even the most casual observer and any televised showing of a game at Hilton would surely comment on the raucous atmosphere.
I don't need the manual; I think I've got it figured out just fine. Perhaps you need a different manual now that Hoiberg is putting ISU in the group of teams that matter nationally. It's tough for fans to change perspective when their team clears the hurdle from the "fighting to get respect" team to the "team that has respect" team. Now it's time to change tactics so that ISU can stay there.
Gotta get a few tough games on national tv; tough games so that you are closer to the top story on ESPN. Potential recruits want to see the coaches and teams they are considering getting more than just a blip mention on SportsCenter. It doesn't matter if you lose some of them. You'll win enough that kids see that ISU is big time.
Example of what others are saying- Fred's first year, ISU was in a home and home (a second set of them) w/ Virginia. Bennett had just taken the job and ISU drilled the Cavs at UVA. The return game was never made, UVA broke the agreement so they would not have to come to Ames. Bennet got what he wanted which was a good home game early and then did not return the favor.
So much goes into scheduling, timing w/ other school's finals and other scheduled games, the search for TV to carry the game and the trust that the deal would be honored for whoever travels first.
For KU, UK, UNC and Duke- these things are easy. For an ISU, Tennessee, Wake Forest or South Carolina - it is not that easy.
That thing about Virginia sucks. It would have been awesome to get them in last season or 2 years ago.
