Giving Scheduling Credit Where It's Due
Coach Jim Boylen obviously deserves a lot of credit for upgrading the schedule since taking over.
Wanna know how much?
The Utes will face arguably the most difficult non-conference schedule in the Mountain West Conference next season, judging by last year's RPI ratings of their upcoming opponents. That's about the most concrete gauge a coach has at his disposal when assembling a schedule, and assessing it now gives some easy clues about which coaches are aspiring to prove themselves and which ones either have bad teams that need an easier route or are just looking to pile up easy victories.
Boylen, he's one of the former.
The Utes will play six non-conference games against teams that finished in the top 100 of the RPI last season, and only two against teams that finished 250th or worse (there were 341 teams in NCAA Division I last season) or that play in lower divisions, such as season-opening opponent Southwest Baptist.
Only two other teams in the Mountain West have been so ambitious.
Having clearly learned the painful consequence of stacking up victories against a crap schedule, New Mexico -- left out of the NCAA Tournament last season despite its 24-7 record -- has lined up seven Top 100 teams and only two ranked 250th or worse, according to an analysis researched by director of basketball operations Jonathan Dykema. UNLV, meanwhile, is assured of playing at least five Top 100 teams -- the highlight will be a visit to Louisville -- with the possibility of another in the Global Sports Classic in Las Vegas. The Rebels will play only one team ranked 250th or worse.
San Diego State could play six Top 100 teams, but the Aztecs also could play four bottom feeders. Air Force is clearly the worst in that regard, playing only two Top 100 teams at the most while lining up eight games against Bottom 250 teams and two more against Division II teams. Wyoming also plays two lower-division opponents -- one Division II and one Division III -- along with seven games against Bottom 250 teams and only three against Top 100 teams.
Obviously, the ratings and quality of opponents could be drastically different when the games are actually played. But it's clear that Boylen, along with a few of his colleagues around the league, has really made an effort to make his victories mean something.
Wanna know how much?
The Utes will face arguably the most difficult non-conference schedule in the Mountain West Conference next season, judging by last year's RPI ratings of their upcoming opponents. That's about the most concrete gauge a coach has at his disposal when assembling a schedule, and assessing it now gives some easy clues about which coaches are aspiring to prove themselves and which ones either have bad teams that need an easier route or are just looking to pile up easy victories.
Boylen, he's one of the former.
The Utes will play six non-conference games against teams that finished in the top 100 of the RPI last season, and only two against teams that finished 250th or worse (there were 341 teams in NCAA Division I last season) or that play in lower divisions, such as season-opening opponent Southwest Baptist.
Only two other teams in the Mountain West have been so ambitious.
Having clearly learned the painful consequence of stacking up victories against a crap schedule, New Mexico -- left out of the NCAA Tournament last season despite its 24-7 record -- has lined up seven Top 100 teams and only two ranked 250th or worse, according to an analysis researched by director of basketball operations Jonathan Dykema. UNLV, meanwhile, is assured of playing at least five Top 100 teams -- the highlight will be a visit to Louisville -- with the possibility of another in the Global Sports Classic in Las Vegas. The Rebels will play only one team ranked 250th or worse.
San Diego State could play six Top 100 teams, but the Aztecs also could play four bottom feeders. Air Force is clearly the worst in that regard, playing only two Top 100 teams at the most while lining up eight games against Bottom 250 teams and two more against Division II teams. Wyoming also plays two lower-division opponents -- one Division II and one Division III -- along with seven games against Bottom 250 teams and only three against Top 100 teams.
Obviously, the ratings and quality of opponents could be drastically different when the games are actually played. But it's clear that Boylen, along with a few of his colleagues around the league, has really made an effort to make his victories mean something.
posted by www.sltrib.com @ 3:28 PM |
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