2023-24 MBB Schedule

[oruvoice]

3 minutes ago, GoldenEagleFan said:

Ok…. You don’t really want me to start insulting you… it could get too personal and too truthful for you to handle. 

Go for it. 

[ORUTerry]

Guys, we played Saint Mary’s, New Mexico, Utah State and Houston at their place in front of hostile crowds. Those are four really good teams. While we did play New Mexico in February this year, most non-conference games will be played before Christmas. I am dubious that games played in November or December are that determinant on our subsequent play in March. There is nothing we can do about our conference schedule. 

We played a talented (and hot) Duke team that did not overlook us. The Blue Devils were a very bad match up. We also could not make shots in the first 10 minutes of the game - which impacted our confidence. I also wonder if our coaching staff might have been a tad unfocused. 
 

 

[oruvoice]

3 minutes ago, ORUTerry said:

Guys, we played Saint Mary’s, New Mexico, Utah State and Houston at their place in front of hostile crowds. Those are four really good teams. While we did play New Mexico in February this year, most non-conference games will be played before Christmas. I am dubious that games played in November or December are that determinant on our subsequent play in March. There is nothing we can do about our conference schedule. 

We played a talented (and hot) Duke team that did not overlook us. The Blue Devils were a very bad match up. We also could not make shots in the first 10 minutes of the game - which impacted our confidence. I also wonder if our coaching staff might have been a tad unfocused. 
 

 

Fair points, Terry. 

My main contention is to just be honest about the scheduling. As OT has said and others (including myself) have directly heard from staffers...we play the schedule to boost our NET and achieve a glossy W-L record. Yet, in public, they try to sell us on the "nobody will play us" bologna.

That said, I 100% agree with ORU40's earlier post. Have some pride. Schedule up and get after it.

[eagle88]

How about we reign this thing in and practice the fruits of the Spirit. I am including myself. Everyone has a right to their opinion and especially on a site such as ORU we should all allow that and be respectful. Let's let other college websites trash their own.

[EagleManiac]

14 minutes ago, ORUTerry said:

Guys, we played Saint Mary’s, New Mexico, Utah State and Houston at their place in front of hostile crowds. Those are four really good teams. While we did play New Mexico in February this year, most non-conference games will be played before Christmas. I am dubious that games played in November or December are that determinant on our subsequent play in March. There is nothing we can do about our conference schedule. 

We played a talented (and hot) Duke team that did not overlook us. The Blue Devils were a very bad match up. We also could not make shots in the first 10 minutes of the game - which impacted our confidence. I also wonder if our coaching staff might have been a tad unfocused. 

Spot on. Last year was maybe the best schedule we've had since I've followed ORU basketball. We just happened to run into the Duke buzzsaw at the wrong time.

[GoldenEagleFan]

Duke was 18-1 when healthy. They were healthy against ORU. They were missing a starter against Tennessee. It was pretty easy to see why many talking heads predicted Duke in the Final Four, AFTER the bracket was released. 

[oruvoice]

10 minutes ago, eagle88 said:

How about we reign this thing in and practice the fruits of the Spirit. I am including myself. Everyone has a right to their opinion and especially on a site such as ORU we should all allow that and be respectful. Let's let other college websites trash their own.

You are right. I got carried away. 

[GoldenEagleFan]

And whoever it was on here that keeps asking ORU to be “honest” about scheduling…. Where is the dishonesty? They clearly play the best schedule to boost their NET… AND they had trouble getting teams that would return their phone calls. Hence the reason that they had AVAILABILITY to schedule New Mexico in the middle December. No team voluntarily schedules 1 game less than you're allowed to schedule. They obviously had trouble filling games. 
 

Reaching out to a Top 25 team who is 12-0 on the season on December 28th to play a game on the road in a hostile environment in the middle of January sounds EXACTLY LIKE “schedule up and get after it” or “Anybody/Anywhere/Anytime”. 
 

Both can be true… you can schedule to boost your NET (which helped ORU earn the highest seed in school history) and you can have opponents look at the talent on your roster and say they would rather play someone different. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. 
 

But that’s just my opinion.

[OKC Eagle]

I just read 4 pages of this thread.  This is not our best collective work.

[oruvoice]

24 minutes ago, OKC Eagle said:

I just read 4 pages of this thread.  This is not our best collective work.

I resemble that remark! 

[ORUalum]

would not mind seeing ORU participate in something like this.

“This is something we felt as though we needed because of how difficult it is for all of us to schedule quality opponents. It gives two of us a neutral site and a road opportunity against high-quality Quad 1 or Quad 2 opponents,” College of Charleston athletic director Matt Roberts said. “I’m really hoping this spurs others to follow and join us in the future.”

...

“We’re all trying to build an at-large resume,” May said. “We’ve got two great programs coming to our gym. We all know how difficult it is to get non-conference home and neutral-site games and this gives all of us an opportunity over the next three years to build something in the non-conference.”

 

 

[Idig32]

2 hours ago, Old Titan said:

Now, on the other side of the coin:  it should be noted that the year ORU seemed so at ease facing Ohio State, Florida, and Arkansas in the NCAA tournament, they DID have the experience of having played FOUR P5 teams in the regular season:  Missouri, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and that same Arkansas bunch (and all on the road, of course), so there likely is something to be said about the whole “Iron Sharpens Iron” catch phrase being more than just artwork on a t-shirt. 

Of course, most of the contributors on the team last year were part of the group who played all those power programs. Those who weren’t part of the original group came from places that routinely played top competition (with the exception of maybe Mwamba?). Last year’s team shouldn’t have needed more experience against great competition. They had tons of experience. The only argument I would buy about last year’s team needing a tougher schedule would be to keep them humble and avoid overconfidence. 
 

Now this year’s team needs the practice I would say. Also, generally, I would agree with some others that we should play some power teams every year if possible.
 

However, I don’t think it’s as easy to schedule power teams as some would say. Coaching connections are a part of scheduling that is important. Coach Sutton knew a ton of power coaches that were willing to do him favors I’m sure. Coach Mills’ background was pretty much with one   
school. I’d be surprised if he had half the connections with other college coaches as Coach Sutton. Coach Springmann seems to have a broader base of connections with other coaches, so that may help with scheduling opportunities. 

 

As for whether people wanted to play us or not because they were scared, I have no idea. I can buy the argument though. After all, why pay a team to come play if you are worried that that team could beat you? Especially since those power schools know how to play the NET ranking game too. I could see the NET ranking formula changing the way power schools do their scheduling so that they don’t see the benefit in playing as many schools like ORU. 

[Old Titan]

2 hours ago, Idig32 said:

However, I don’t think it’s as easy to schedule power teams as some would say. Coaching connections are a part of scheduling that is important. Coach Sutton knew a ton of power coaches that were willing to do him favors I’m sure. Coach Mills’ background was pretty much with one school. I’d be surprised if he had half the connections with other college coaches as Coach Sutton. Coach Springmann seems to have a broader base of connections with other coaches, so that may help with scheduling opportunities. 

It’s virtually impossible for ORU to get a P5 to play here, for reasons already detailed ad nauseum.

But, I just can’t imagine that it’s equally difficult to find a P5 willing to HOST the Golden Eagles.

Heck, I’ll make the phone calls if anybody wants me to! 

[ORUSwagger]

10 minutes ago, Old Titan said:

It’s virtually impossible for ORU to get a P5 to play here, for reasons already detailed ad nauseum.

But, I just can’t imagine that it’s equally difficult to find a P5 willing to HOST the Golden Eagles.

Heck, I’ll make the phone calls if anybody wants me to! 

Please make the calls. I’ll take Texas, Illinois, & Mizzou.

[Texasgrip]

9 hours ago, ORU82 said:

We did have a schedule of smoke and mirrors which took all of one game to be exposed in the Big Dance.  

Yeah, pretty unfair statement...especially to the guys on the team. They KNOW they fell apart. They KNOW they couldn't hit the broadside of a barn for 10 minutes to open the game. They KNOW they were run off the floor in the worst game they played all season. But to infer they got smoked because they had a red carpet to the big dance is definitley insulting. They did everything they had to do to be there...

[ORUSwagger]

Gotta love America & Freedom of Speech.

Cheers to debates and saying almost anything you want!

[OKC Eagle]

Can't we both schedule a few home patsies to boost the record (if not season ticket sales) and schedule road games against anyone who will play us?  Seems like both help the NET.  Not like we will get Duke to come to the Mabee Center.

[Keenan Henderson]

OSU is also a good game for ORU to schedule.  The Eagles seem to really play them tough as they have lost by 5 points or less in the last three match ups.  I just re-watched the game in the Mabee Center from 2021 and it felt like an NCAA tournament game, as Trey missed an open shot at the buzzer in overtime and OSU won by one point.  Who knows maybe ORU pulls the upset this year?  Cowboys have lost quite a bit of talent in the portal.