Those looking for tough out-of-conference scheduling need look no further than January 3, 2009 when NC State comes down to Gainesville to pay me a visit in a showdown with the Florida Gators. Of course we have yet to see how the conference schedule pans out, but most likely this will be the “tune-up” game leading into ACC play (at the very least leading into the meat of the ACC schedule). Florida returns the visit a year later to the day.
Of interest is the fact that Dan Werner (ring a bell?) suits up for the Gators. Jai Lucas and Nick Calathes should join him in anchoring the team. Speights might test the NBA waters, other than that the Gators you may be watching in the NIT will be what we see next year. Should be a great road test, and for those who love the RPI (or at least pay attention), this can do nothing but help barring a Michigan State-esque debacle. This game next year also serves the immediate role of mitigating our probable non participation in the ACC/Big 10 challenge.
Additionally, the Wolfpack has also inked a home and home with Arizona for the ‘10 and ‘11 season.
It’s sad to say, but the ESA/RBC will get its highest profile out-of-conference opponents in the arena’s 11th and 12th year of operation. Wow. So much for those fans who remember NC State Basketball from 1940-1990.
Loading ...
March 26th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
sweet … I like it … the tougher the schedule the better in my mind
March 26th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
I could care less at this point. My attitude may change if I see some much better, tougher, and more intelligent coaching as next season starts.
I will get my LTR BB tickets one more season. If that season is another disaster and LF ignores is; (1) still around, and (2) ignores it, then I will simply save some dough by not-renewing by $2000 a season 4 LTR seats.
That will be my protest vote.
March 26th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
I don’t mind paying to watch good teams…so this will be a major improvement.
March 26th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Big friggin’ deal
March 26th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Lee throws out another little bone to save his butt!
March 26th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
At least we’ll know where we stand, nationally…
March 26th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
^^c’mon. You can’t cuss him up and down for scheduling ECU and not give him credit for scheduling Arizona and Florida.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
These are great non-conference games. I only hope we’re good enough to win them.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
^^ only if he de-schedules road trips to minor programs inside NC… just stupid.
Of course after the season we just had this seems sort of whiney – but things will get better!!
(hope hope hope)
March 26th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Please forgive my ignorance – I know Lee has to be involved with scheduling, but isn’t Quentin Jackson as Director of Basketball Operations primarily responsible for getting a potential schedule organized year after year?
I believe / thought part of Quentin’s job is schedule organization … I would think he has to be, given that in HWSNBN’s tenure we NEVER went out of our way to schedule programs the caliber of Florida and/or Arizona … In fact, it was just the opposite (see Arizona St. men’s bball schedule – 2007-2008 season) … Lee was the AD for the super sh*tty HWSNBN schedules, so I’m thinking that there is no reason to give Lee primary credit now for scheduling these “premiere” programs as you would figure he would keep on setting us up w/ more super sh*tty schedules …
In other words, keep hating on our AD and maybe throw Quentin the slightest bit of love (if I have this correct; of course, I can be mind-numbingly dumb at times as well)
March 26th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Love for who? How hard is it to schedule a game with a tough opponent?
Here is how it goes::ring ring ring?
Billy d hey its me lee fowler, yes nc state hwo is dan werner doing?
great great i hope he helps you !!
I was wondering if you needed a tune up game before you played your sec schedule? Have us in mind and we can get a big payday?
thanks see ya in jan 09?
Jimmy v made the schedule when he coached and every year we played four major ofc teams:kansas,louis,okla,depaul,memphis,unlv,houston etc.
Not ecu,nccu,pres etc.
You can only get better by playing better competition.
What is next? Our ad is actually going to help our coach in recruting or tell him to play more zone?
give me a break
People deserve credit when they actually accomplish something like hiring the right people who win!
March 26th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
This is good news. I miss the barn-burning out-of-conference games we had under Valvano.
March 27th, 2008 at 5:20 am
Dr Badger, I may just see you there.
DPB: I try not to miss an NC State game when they travel near me. Of course, UF hoops is a tough ticket but the 3rd is during break, so extra student tickets might be sold. Otherwise, there’s always Gator’s Dockside and their big screen TVs…
March 27th, 2008 at 6:15 am
A step in the right direction
March 27th, 2008 at 7:57 am
“You can’t cuss him up and down for scheduling ECU and not give him credit for scheduling Arizona and Florida.”
don’t forget where you are
March 27th, 2008 at 8:11 am
I said it on the post on RPI and I’ll say it again, our schedule last year actually had us at a great RPI when we entered the conference tilt. Hopefully, next year’s schedule will do the same.
SFN: No doubt. Our schedule last year was more than fine. We peaked around #34 a few games into ACC action DESPITE losses to ECU and UNO. It was fine.
March 27th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Playing games like ECU, NCCU etc. isn’t necessarily the problem- the number of such games is. Let’s look at Tennessee’s schedule (#1 SOS on Sportsline, #3 NCAA- using sportsline #s here). Prarie View (RPI 318), NC A&T (218) are the high-(err, low)-lights. The rest of the schedule is quite robust. In my quick scan, the games listed above are the only ones against RPI > 200 teams (some of this can be attributed to luck, as a couple of the schools traditionally are in the 200s).
Still, the toughest schedule in the country featured a game against one of the crappiest teams in the nation. We can play ECU, NCCU, maybe even a Presbetyrian if the quantity of such games is low, and more emphasis is placed on trying to schedule games against RPI 50-200 teams. Also, the timing of the games is important– Tennessee played their crap games in November. We, on the other hand, played Presbetyrian right before the freaking ACC season!
So, the Florida game next year is two steps in the right direction. I don’t think we can possibly play a crappy team before ACC play now due to UF being scheduled Jan 3 and, of course, UF will more than likely be a top 50 RPI team.
March 27th, 2008 at 8:36 am
WTF? What does this do? You might as well fire sid ass right now ,he could not make it with new orleans,ecu on the schedule.
March 27th, 2008 at 8:38 am
quentin and Sid scheduled these games, not Lee. dont give that guy any credit for anything except being a total jackass
March 27th, 2008 at 8:49 am
I think the reason we had NC Central and Presbyterian on the schedule in January was because everything was later and there were dates to fill. Is this a fluke of the calendar or is this the new norm? It must be the new norm, because I don’t think ACC Final/Selection Sunday has ever been as late as March 16.
I think the ACC should move to the 18 game schedule to fill in that extra week. I know the coaches oppose it, but they should look at schedule inequities and how it benefits a team that draws a lighter conference schedule (Va Tech). Two more games should help even things out somewhat, but it will never be as even as the days of the round robin/home&home.
Meanwhile we will have to play high-RPI type opponents in that second week of January because an attractive low-RPI team has likely started their conference play.
March 27th, 2008 at 9:28 am
So we have added a NIT team to the schedule and this is a big upgrade?
DPB: I guess adding a 2009 NIT team wouldn’t be a tremendous upgrade. On the other hand, I think adding a top 25 opponent is and a Florida team returning every players (unless Speights leaves), bringing in the #8 recruiting class in the nation and possessing a coach with 2 national titles in the last 3 years and a current 15 game post-season winning streak is PROBABLY going to be top 25.
March 27th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Oh no now what will nccu,neworleans,presbie,scstate etc do to boost their confidence? Big whoop
March 27th, 2008 at 9:45 am
packbackr04: I am sure it was donavan who sheduled the game and not sid ,he gets an automatic W.
March 27th, 2008 at 10:01 am
A chance for a SEC to whoop-up on the worst team in the ACC. Werner will probably go off for 30.
March 27th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Whoa we have a director of b ball operations??? nice how many years do we give him?