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Is UEACES80 actually Marty Simmons? Only logical way anyone defends that schedule and that outcome.

UEACES80 wrote:Jeez let it go that UE played 4 SWAC teams as I would likely think it was at least partially monetarily driven for UE to have home games. If UE had played on the road at Arizona, Duke, IU and Kentucky those four losses would have been damning as well.

Two points about this.
1) Losing to teams like that doesn't hurt your postseason resume. There were a lot of teams on Evansville's nonconference schedule that would have hurt had you lost them.
2) If Evansville wanted the money, I'm sure they could have gotten paid to play schools like that. Seeing as how Evansville plays its games downtown in a rented arena, getting paid to play a good team probably would have been a wash financially.

Normally, I would oppose scheduling buy games, but this was a year were Evansville needed bold scheduling and a buy game or two to improve the schedule might have been wise.

UEACES80 wrote:Simply stated we continue to have a difference of opinion - all the NIT bracketology sites had UE in or as a first four (or less) out.

I didn't

Evansville's problems were two-pronged. I don't think it's completely accurate to say each individual problem by itself sunk UE, but the combination was devastating:

1) Bad cupcakes. 3 SWAC teams, a MEAC team, and a really really bad OVC team. You have to upgrade those. Those collectively kill your SoS numbers. If you want buy games, find mid-level OVC teams. Bottom-level Horizon teams. MAC teams. There are cupcakes out there, that you can beat just as easily, that aren't quite as harmful.

2) Lack of top-end chances. The truth is, UE actually had some valuable wins. Fresno in Fresno. Irvine at a neutral. Belmont. Those aren't bad! Those can help a resume! But those are the side dishes of a tournament resume. Your potatoes. You need a steak to go with those potatoes. UE only gave themselves one chance to get their steak, and they lost to Providence. You don't need to play road games at bluebloods to give yourselves these chances, either.

Look at all the NIT at-large bubble teams. Creighton beat Xavier. Washington's best win was Colorado or Texas. Houston beat SMU. Alabama > Notre Dame. Davidson > St Joe's. @Fresno is a nice win, but can't compete in this category. UE only had 3 chances at this type of signature win all year: 2x against Wichita in league, and Provi OOC. Need more chances!

Now, they did play at Arkansas...but the obvious argument is that if you're going on the road like that, get better than Arkansas.

Wufan wrote:

UEACES80 wrote:Simply stated we continue to have a difference of opinion - all the NIT bracketology sites had UE in or as a first four (or less) out. Too many small conferences had their regular season winners get beat in their conference tournaments and thus they gobbled up many automatic slots in the NIT this year for UE to make it.

Problem #1: I wouldn't call it a difference of opinion as much as a difference in philosophy. Your philosophy is that the only way to the dance is through St Louis. That's not an MVC that I want to be a part of. Basically, by scheduling poorly, you took your own fate out of your hands and blamed it on bad luck...because regular season winners didn't win their tourney.

UEACES80 wrote:Logic tells me a quality win which is a compliment to UNI & WSU very likely takes them off the bubble and into the NIT. If that win would have been at WSU does that take WSU out of the NCAA and put them in the NIT field?

problem #2: in a year where the NCAA should have been the goal, you missed the consolation prize (NIT)...and that seems to be okay with you. you could have scheduled in some more opportunities against top 50 RPI wins, but it's the fault of the little schools losing their tourneys.

UEACES80 wrote:Jeez let it go that UE played 4 SWAC teams as I would likely think it was at least partially monetarily driven for UE to have home games. If UE had played on the road at Arizona, Duke, IU and Kentucky those four losses would have been damning as well.

Problem #3: you don't recognize how embarrassing it is that you scheduled 4 SWAC teams. There are about 300 teams between the SWAC and the bluebloods that you could have scheduled.

UEACES80 wrote:Maybe the Shocker fans can politely ask the Koch family to arrange funding for all the other MVC teams so all teams can have a schedule that WSU pre-approves prior to future seasons.

Problem #4: If you can only afford to purchase SWAC schools then you are in the wrong conference.

You are 100% correct

The fact that Ace fans don't see a problem is probably the most damning conclusion in this thread. I'm speechless.

I'm not sure how UE fans believe their resume-building comes during the MVC season. This isn't the Big XII, and until a few more MVC programs hold themselves to higher standards and help raise the overall profile of the league, it's going to stay that way. The nicest way of labeling this thinking is foolish and naive.

The mindset of building a strong and challenging non-conference schedule is a tactic shared by only a few MVC programs, like UNI and WSU. Its not the only thing those 2 programs have shared recently. If you believe that too is a result of coincidence and money, then I believe that too is naive and foolish.

Stop making excuses and face the truth: Evansvilles late-season disappointment can be traced back to the fact that they played a weak and uncompetitive non-conference schedule.

PantherSigEp wrote:The fact that Ace fans don't see a problem is probably the most damning conclusion in this thread. I'm speechless.

There are maybe 3, really only 1 or 2, Aces fans in this thread that don't see the schedule as a problem. The vast majority of fans know it was a problem and have known since it came out. Its not common on this board for fans of school to come here and pile on.

Stop making excuses and face the truth: Evansvilles late-season disappointment can be traced back to the fact that they played a weak and uncompetitive non-conference schedule.

Evansville's late-season disappointment was because they simply weren't as good as many of us had thought. WSU was the only team in the conference that could have made the post season without St. Louis. You can't lose five games in conference to non at-large NCAA/NIT teams and expect to go anywhere.

Evansville playing @Louisville for season opener, just a year too late

Rollbird5 wrote:Evansville playing @Louisville for season opener, just a year too late

Marty figures he's got a s*** team that won't have an expectations or win much so why not schedule tough for once...

uniftw wrote:

Rollbird5 wrote:Evansville playing @Louisville for season opener, just a year too late

Marty figures he's got a s*** team that won't have an expectations or win much so why not schedule tough for once...

Its inconvenient that it doesn't fit your narrative, but UE has played UNC (x3), IU (x3), and Notre Dame since Marty's been the coach. This is hardly a new thing.

Typically there are always a few top 25 caliber teams on the schedule. The problem comes from the back end.

havoc wrote:

uniftw wrote:

Rollbird5 wrote:Evansville playing @Louisville for season opener, just a year too late

Marty figures he's got a s*** team that won't have an expectations or win much so why not schedule tough for once...

Its inconvenient that it doesn't fit your narrative, but UE has played UNC (x3), IU (x3), and Notre Dame since Marty's been the coach. This is hardly a new thing.

Typically there are always a few top 25 caliber teams on the schedule. The problem comes from the back end.

UNC is the same set up that UNI has. It's because a senior on the team was from that area and UNC picked someone they want to be able to beat up - bit them in the ass with UNI.

So what about the rest of the OOC in those years?

In 9 years of Marty they are playing, on average, less than 1 name program per year based on what you posted. How many SWAC/MEAC/Patriot/NEC type teams are they playing?