Vols schedule college basketball's toughest

#2
#2
I'll have to take your word for it Willis, I don't feel like subscribing..
 
#3
#3
OWB said:
I'll have to take your word for it Willis, I don't feel like subscribing..
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In late February, plenty of college basketball coaches and athletic directors will be very concerned with their RPI. They'll also be keeping a very close eye on their SOS -- strength of schedule.


It's one of the biggest factors in the RPI formula and one they don't have control over once the schedule is set. When a few preseason Top 25 teams turn out to be NIT bound, it can be a heavy blow for many of the teams they faced.

Still, there are a few programs that won't have anything to worry about. They put together non-conference schedules that virtually guarantee a strong SOS.

Here's a breakdown of the best of the best.

The Toughest: Tennessee -- Bruce Pearl doesn't have to worry about being called a one-year wonder if he gets the Volunteers another high seed in the NCAA Tournament. Not with their brutal slate.

It starts in the preseason NIT with a field that includes North Carolina, Indiana and Gonzaga (the final two rounds are in New York City). The Vols are also staring at a probable second-round matchup versus mid-major power UNC-Wilmington in Nashville, Tenn.

Pearl and his boys don't leave the state of Tennessee in December, but that is where the good news ends. They have rematches with rival Memphis and Texas. Those teams lost many of their starters after reaching the Elite Eight, but they have reloaded. The Vols also face a mega-talented Oklahoma State team (also in Nashville). To add to the excitement, there are dates with another pair of mid-major powers: Murray State and Western Kentucky.

It doesn't stop with the start of SEC play either. After two conference games, they head North to face Ohio State and the nation's No. 1 recruiting class on Jan. 13. That's just in time for the Buckeyes' 7-foot phenom Greg Oden to get healthy and back into playing shape (Oden tore ligaments in his wrist and is expected back in mid-December).

Did I mention the Vols may start three true freshmen?

Runner-up: Indiana -- New coach Kevlin Sampson inherited a schedule that looks like it belongs to a team trying to make a national championship run. The Hoosiers travel to three of the toughest places to play in college basketball: Duke, Connecticut and Kentucky. They play host to Charlotte, Missouri Valley Conference favorite Southern Illinois and will face either Notre Dame or Butler in Indianapolis.

Five other Contenders and their top opponents

Auburn: Oklahoma State, Wisconsin or Missouri State (in the South Padre Island, Texas Invitational), Pittsburgh, Texas A&M.

Gonzaga: Preseason NIT, Texas in Phoenix, Washington State, Washington, Georgia in Duluth, Ga., Nevada in Seattle, at Virginia, at Stanford, Memphis.

Massachussets: at Pittsburgh, Boston College at Louisville, at Kentucky, Miami.

North Carolina: Preseason NIT, Ohio State, Kentucky, at Arizona.

Texas: Coaches vs. Cancer Classic (Final Four played in New York City), Gonzaga in Phoenix, LSU in Houston, Arkansas, at Tennessee, at Villanova.

Toughest Mid-Major Schedule: Wisconsin-Milwaukee -- The Panthers won't have to win the Horizon League to get into the NCAA Tournament again. They might not even have to finish second. A four-game stretch in November begins with home games versus Washington State and UAB and ends with road trips to Michigan and Northern Iowa. They also travel to MVC contender Missouri State and Wisconsin, a preseason top 15 team.
 
#4
#4
Thanks. I tried the link again also and it worked that time. Strange..

I guess Bruce Pearl is taking the Pat Summitt approach. Playing the best schedule possible makes your team better in the long run.
 
#6
#6
OWB said:
Thanks. I tried the link again also and it worked that time. Strange..

I guess Bruce Pearl is taking the Pat Summitt approach. Playing the best schedule possible makes your team better in the long run.
Click to expand...

Hope the approach pays the same dividends!
 
#7
#7
WillisWG said:
Hope the approach pays the same dividends!
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Considering the talent coming in, I don't see how it couldn't. The Vols are going to be a heck of a team in the next 2 to 3 years. If they can pull off a couple of upsets on that schedule, even more high profile players will give the Vols a look.

If nothing else, the Vols will get some TV time this season.
 
#8
#8
OWB said:
If nothing else, the Vols will get some TV time this season.
Click to expand...

and keep T-Boling attendance up. Believe UT was 5th in the nation in attendance last year: That's great! :good!:
 
#9
#9
I think we all agree Coach Pearl is the best coaching change Tennessee has made in a long time. He will have the guys ready.
 
#10
#10
I have tickets to the first two rounds at Rupp, so I'm hoping for another top-4 seed. Go Vols!
 
#11
#11
Wow, if Pearl can win us some of those big games that'll really bring Tennessee basketball to one of the top programs in college basketball.....Last year really done us a lot of good, but wins against Gonzaga, UNC, Texas, or OK State would really put it us up there, I know we beat Texas last year but two years in a row would be nice
 
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