Mine Eyes Have Seen the Gory: Power Teams Play Weak Non-League Slates
October 13th, 2013 - 14:40
By any measure, it was shortsighted of Indiana and Kentucky to let their "Clash of the Titans" rivalry expire because of colossal coaching egos. Regrettably, the schedule neglect doesn't end there. Notre Dame finally met Purdue last year but it's obscene that fans aren't able to enjoy the following potentially great natural non-league matchups between in-state power league members: Cincinnati/Ohio State, DePaul/Illinois, Georgetown/Maryland and Penn State/Villanova.
Misguided Memphis mentor Josh Pastner didn't see the benefit in continuing the Tigers' series with Tennessee. He'd rather just sit at home and beat up on out-of-state fodder. Do you think there is any connection between that misguided mindset and Pastner going winless in his first 11 assignments against opponents ranked in the Top 25? But mark a date on your calendar. Instead of Memphis vs. Tennessee, we get the titantic tilt featuring the Volunteers vs. Tusculum.
Maryland, rather than coping with an exit fee lawsuit from the ACC, should face litigation from Terrapin fans because of a woeful non-league home schedule that probably cost them an at-large berth in the NCAA playoffs. To their credit, the Terps are playing a better non-league slate this season (incuding George Washington) but not enough to still be in a category with other schools that could be denied an at-large bid because of a lack of foresight. Ohio State and Pittsburgh could succeed Maryland this campaign as the most shortsighted schools possibly ending up in the NIT rather than the NCAA tourney. Shouldn't the overriding view be what's best for the fans, players and game in general? Instead, a striking number of schools should be criticized for their fiasco picking on an excessive number of patsies. Kudos to Virginia for scheduling Virginia Commonwealth although the Cavaliers succumbed at home against VCU in a credential-building contest.
The last two NCAA titlists - Kentucky and Louisville - should be embarrassed about their non-conference schedules leading up to their annual battle. Thankfully, Oklahoma is finally opposing Tulsa, Penn State is pitted against Pittsburgh in ACC/Big Ten Challenge and Purdue meets Butler. But rather than insomnia-curing mismatches, how much more interest would there be in Wichita State opposing Kansas and Kansas State, Akron and Dayton against Cincinnati and Ohio State, Tulsa against Oklahoma State, Illinois State against DePaul and Illinois, Missouri against Missouri State and Saint Louis, plus Belmont against Tennessee and Vanderbilt? KU may have the nation's most rigorous non-league slate for a Top 20 team but the Jayhawks should still have an entertaining duel with the Shockers on the heels of their Final Four appearance. At some point, Self-serving needs to defer to what's best for the sport.
Isn't this supposed to be the era for putting an end to bullying? The hoop haughtiness of power schools denying fans stimulating non-league games isn't a new phenomenon. For instance, LSU avoided potentially attractive in-state assignments for decades by never opposing McNeese State's Joe Dumars, Tulane's Jerald Honeycutt, New Orleans' Ervin Johnson, Louisiana Tech's Karl Malone, Northeast Louisiana's Calvin Natt, Centenary's Robert Parish and Southwestern Louisiana's Andrew Toney. Similarly, North Carolina shunned Davidson first- and second-team All-Americans Stephen Curry, Mike Maloy and Dick Snyder during the regular season. The Tar Heels did defeat Davidson in exciting back-to-back East Regional finals by a total of six points in 1968 and 1969 when Maloy averaged 21.5 ppg and 13 rpg.
Don't we deserve to see national players of the year such as Indiana State's Larry Bird (never opposed Indiana), Navy's David Robinson (Georgetown and Maryland) and Bradley's Hersey Hawkins (Illinois) strut their stuff in regular-season contests against nearby prominent programs? The Terrapins only met "The Admiral" upon being forced to compete in the second round of 1985 Southeast Regional when Robinson contributed game-high figures in scoring, rebounding and blocks.
In a form of "gaming," a striking number of power league schools "man up" by appearing as if they want to celebrate Black History month in advance during their non-conference slates by overdosing on scheduling outmatched opponents from the MEAC and SWAC. Mississippi State, infamous 50 years ago for failing to compete against black players, is virtually an HBCU adjunct member this season in an effort to try to avoid repeating as the nation's worst power conference team.
Utah players, officials and coaching staff should don hoodies hiding their faces in shame during the Utes' non-league home slate. Why would anyone spend their hard-earned money on attending many of these mismatches? Even if an observer detests government involvement, perhaps state legislatures should step in where they can and force power league members to get off their high horse and play the following potentially entertaining intra-state games against quality mid-level opponents:
| Power League Member | Shunned Quality In-State Mid-Major Foes | Out-of-State Non-League Weak Sisters on 2013-14 Home Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | South Alabama and UAB | Charleston Southern, Georgia State, North Florida, Robert Morris and Stillman |
| Arizona State | Grand Canyon and Northern Arizona | UC Irvine, Grambling State, Idaho State, Maryland-Baltimore County and Miami (Ohio) |
| Arkansas | Arkansas State and UALR | High Point, Louisiana-Lafayette, Savannah State, South Alabama, Southeastern Louisiana, SIU-Edwardsville, Tennessee-Martin and Texas-San Antonio |
| Auburn | South Alabama and UAB | Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Florida A&M, Jacksonville State, Nicholls State, Northwestern State and Tennessee State |
| Baylor | numerous school in Texas | Charleston Southern, Hardin-Simmons, Louisiana-Lafayette, Northwestern State, Oral Roberts, Savannah State and Southern (La.) |
| California | Saint Mary's, San Francisco, San Jose State and Santa Clara | UC Irvine, Coppin State, Denver, Furman, Nevada, Oakland and Southern Utah |
| Cincinnati | Cleveland State, Dayton and MAC schools | Appalachian State, Campbell, Chicago State, Kennesaw State, Massachusetts-Lowell, Middle Tennessee State, North Carolina Central and USC Upstate |
| Connecticut | Central Connecticut State, Fairfield, Hartford, Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart | Boston University, Detroit, Eastern Washington, Harvard, Loyola (Md.), Maine and Yale |
| Georgetown | American, George Mason and George Washington | Colgate, Elon, Florida International, High Point, Lipscomb and Wright State |
| Georgia | Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Kennesaw State and Mercer | Appalachian State, Chattanooga, Gardner-Webb, Lipscomb, Western Carolina and Wofford |
| Georgia Tech | Georgia Southern, Georgia State and Mercer | Delaware State, East Tennessee State, Mississippi Valley State, North Carolina A&T and Presbyterian |
| Illinois | Bradley, Illinois State, Loyola of Chicago and Southern Illinois | Alabama State, Chicago State, Dartmouth, IPFW, Jacksonville State, UIC and Valparaiso |
| Iowa | Northern Iowa | Abilene Christian, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Fairleigh Dickinson, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Nebraska-Omaha, UNC-Wilmington and Penn |
| Kansas State | Wichita State | Central Arkansas, George Washington, Long Beach State, Northern Colorado, Oral Roberts, South Dakota and Troy |
| Kentucky | Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State, Murray State and Western Kentucky | Belmont, Boise State, Cleveland State, Eastern Michigan, UNC-Asheville, Northern Kentucky, Robert Morris and Texas-Arlington |
| Louisville | Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State and Murray State | College of Charleston, Cornell, Hartford, Hofstra, Louisiana-Lafayette, Missouri-Kansas City, Missouri State and Southern Mississippi |
| Marquette | Green Bay and Milwaukee | Ball State, Grambling State, IUPUI, New Hampshire, Samford and Southern (La.) |
| Maryland | American, George Mason and Loyola (Md.) | Abilene Christian, Boston University, Florida Atlantic, Morgan State, North Carolina Central and Tulsa |
| Memphis | Belmont, Chattanooga and Middle Tennessee | Arkansas-Little Rock, Austin Peay, Jackson State, LeMoyne-Owen, Nicholls State, Northwestern State and Southeast Missouri State |
| Michigan State | Detroit and MAC members | Columbia, McNeese State, Mount St. Mary's, New Orleans, North Florida, Oakland and Portland |
| Mississippi | Southern Mississippi | Louisiana-Monroe, Mercer, Middle Tennessee State, North Carolina A&T, MVSU and Troy |
| Mississippi State | Southern Mississippi | Florida A&M, Florida Gulf Coast, Jackson State, Kennesaw State, Loyola of Chicago, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Mississippi Valley State, Prairie View A&M and Southeastern Louisiana |
| Notre Dame | Ball State and Butler | Army, Bryant, Canisius, Cornell, Delaware, Miami (Ohio), North Dakota State, Santa Clara and Stetson |
| Ohio State | Akron, Cleveland State, Dayton and Xavier | American, Bryant, Central Connecticut State, Delaware, Louisiana-Monroe, Morgan State, North Dakota State, North Florida and Wyoming |
| Oklahoma | Oral Roberts | Arkansas-Little Rock, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, Mercer, North Texas, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas-Arlington |
| Oregon | Portland and Portland State | UC Irvine, Cal Poly, Morgan State, North Dakota, Pacific, San Francisco, Utah Valley and Western Carolina |
| Oregon State | Portland State | Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Coppin State, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Quinnipiac, SIU-Edwardsville and Towson |
| Pittsburgh | Robert Morris | Albany, Cal Poly, Fresno State, Howard, Loyola Marymount, Savannah State and Youngstown State |
| Purdue | Evansville, Indiana State and Valparaiso | Central Connecticut State, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Northern Kentucky, Rider and Siena |
| Rutgers | FDU, Monmouth, Rider and Saint Peter's | Army, Canisius or Elon, Florida A&M, UNC-Greensboro, William & Mary and Yale |
| St. John's | Iona, Long Island, Manhattan and Stony Brook | Bucknell, Columbia, Longwood, Monmouth, San Francisco, Wagner and Youngstown State |
| UCLA | Fresno State, Long Beach State and Loyola Marymount | UC Santa Barbara, Chattanooga, Drexel, Morehead State, Oakland, Prairie View A&M, Sacramento State and Weber State |
| Utah | Utah State and Utah Valley | Ball State, UC Davis, Evergreen State, Fresno State, Grand Canyon, Idaho State, Lamar, St. Katherine, Savannah State and Texas State |
| Wake Forest | Appalachian State, East Carolina and Western Carolina | The Citadel, Colgate, Jacksonville, UNC-Greensboro, Presbyterian, St. Bonaventure, Tulane and Virginia Military |