OOC Schedule

[Acorn]

Here are Davidson’s out-of-conference opponents, along with their 2024 and 2025 Ken Pomeroy rankings.

- William Peace (N/A bc they’re D3)
- @ Bowling Green (239/264)
- ETSU (174/151)
- VMI (353/359)
- (neutral) Arizona (6/8)
- (neutral) Providence (59/60) or Oklahoma (46/40)
- (neutral) TBD
- Charleston Southern (315/241)
- UNCC (120/128)
- Detroit Mercy (351/337)
- @ Temple (181/139)
- Bethune Cookman (303/304)
- Eastern Michigan (326/293)

[JerseyLawyer]

My impression is that when the coaches know they have a good team, they load up the OOC schedule to toughen up for March. When the team is rebuilding, an easier OOC builds cohesion and confidence. Based on last year, this team needs the confidence to close out games.

[wildforthecats]

The plan worked perfectly last year. But the Skogman injury wrecked our conference schedule.

[i77cat]

Peace lacks a Pomeroy rating, but Massey has them at #1252.

[85Wildcatsky]

My impression is that when the coaches know they have a good team, they load up the OOC schedule to toughen up for March. When the team is rebuilding, an easier OOC builds cohesion and confidence. Based on last year, this team needs the confidence to close out games.

I look at the OOC schedule as a great opportunity to excite future recruits. We are the "Stef Curry" team the NCAA tourney team. Then we schedule these duds.

[Acorn]

So perhaps a good/decent-looking W–L record going into January doesn’t mean the team is good.

[chucktowncat]

My impression is that when the coaches know they have a good team, they load up the OOC schedule to toughen up for March. When the team is rebuilding, an easier OOC builds cohesion and confidence. Based on last year, this team needs the confidence to close out games.

I look at the OOC schedule as a great opportunity to excite future recruits. We are the "Stef Curry" team the NCAA tourney team. Then we schedule these duds.

Confucius says wise man calls opponents"duds" after he beat them!!

[i77cat]

Confucius should be honest. We lost to multiple duds last year.

[85Wildcatsky]

Confucius should be honest. We lost to multiple duds last year.

Confucius says if duds beat us, either honorable coaches or players are the problems. We joined the A10 to play big boy basketball. Either step up our game or go back to SoCon.

[i77cat]

Everything about college basketball has changed. Not the fault of our players or coaches. We may compete for the top third of the A10 again, but it may be some years. I still dream of all teams, including scholarship football, playing in the Southern.

[Acorn]

I don’t agree at all. Davidson has yet to lose an important player to a higher-rated program via the transfer portal. Davidson has made use of the transfer portal, including bringing in a non-degree-seeking player. Davidson has booster-funded collectives.

Who are the teams beating out Davidson for talent? Duke? Cal? Clemson? Utah? Those programs have been beating out Davidson for talent forever (Ryan Kelly, Seth Curry, Sam Singer, Caitlin Baicu, Jakob Poetl, Riley Battin). The teams that are ahead of Davidson in the top 144 aren’t all more resourced than Davidson. Princeton has gone to the NCAA the last two years (and won) despite having zero grad students or transfers or scholarships. The top 144 has two other Ivy schools. Roberts Blums took recruiting photos at UNCC as well as Davidson. He’s at Davidson.

The team has been bad because the outside shooting has been horrendous. Loyer was much worse his second year, which was a surprising disappointment. Brizzi’s inability to shoot was similarly surprising and disappointing (at least to me). But the guy who had the ball in his hands more than anyone else (by far) last year was always a bad shooter, so that wasn’t a surprise. The shooting percentages of some other players were also disappointing, especially when accounting for position.

[TiredCat88]

I don’t agree at all. Davidson has yet to lose an important player to a higher-rated program via the transfer portal. Davidson has made use of the transfer portal, including bringing in a non-degree-seeking player. Davidson has booster-funded collectives.

Who are the teams beating out Davidson for talent? Duke? Cal? Clemson? Utah? Those programs have been beating out Davidson for talent forever (Ryan Kelly, Seth Curry, Sam Singer, Caitlin Baicu, Jakob Poetl, Riley Battin). The teams that are ahead of Davidson in the top 144 aren’t all more resourced than Davidson. Princeton has gone to the NCAA the last two years (and won) despite having zero grad students or transfers or scholarships. The top 144 has two other Ivy schools. Roberts Blums took recruiting photos at UNCC as well as Davidson. He’s at Davidson.

The team has been bad because the outside shooting has been horrendous. Loyer was much worse his second year, which was a surprising disappointment. Brizzi’s inability to shoot was similarly surprising and disappointing (at least to me). But the guy who had the ball in his hands more than anyone else (by far) last year was always a bad shooter, so that wasn’t a surprise. The shooting percentages of some other players were also disappointing, especially when accounting for position.

Yes we have. Kellan Grady to Kentucky. Mike Jones to Stanford. Grant Huffman to Vanderbilt to name a few. I know, I know, they didn't have an option to stay at Davidson because we don't have a grad school. Well that's a huge problem in today's portal world. Des Watson to Loyola-Chicago is an example and they are a higher ranked school in our own conference. Heck, we couldn't keep Skogman who academically could have spent another year at Davidson.

Long story short, the only way we are top five in our conference more times than not we need to be able to compete in the portal and with some level of NIL money.

To compete in the portal with talent that makes the difference and has 2-3 years of eligibility is that we need to add 1 or 2 grad programs. We also need $2-3 million in NIL money. That's a drop in the bucket by today's standards, but would give us a fighting chance. Our non-conference schedule doesn't matter.

[wildforthecats]

I don’t agree at all. Davidson has yet to lose an important player to a higher-rated program via the transfer portal. Davidson has made use of the transfer portal, including bringing in a non-degree-seeking player. Davidson has booster-funded collectives.

Who are the teams beating out Davidson for talent? Duke? Cal? Clemson? Utah? Those programs have been beating out Davidson for talent forever (Ryan Kelly, Seth Curry, Sam Singer, Caitlin Baicu, Jakob Poetl, Riley Battin). The teams that are ahead of Davidson in the top 144 aren’t all more resourced than Davidson. Princeton has gone to the NCAA the last two years (and won) despite having zero grad students or transfers or scholarships. The top 144 has two other Ivy schools. Roberts Blums took recruiting photos at UNCC as well as Davidson. He’s at Davidson.

The team has been bad because the outside shooting has been horrendous. Loyer was much worse his second year, which was a surprising disappointment. Brizzi’s inability to shoot was similarly surprising and disappointing (at least to me). But the guy who had the ball in his hands more than anyone else (by far) last year was always a bad shooter, so that wasn’t a surprise. The shooting percentages of some other players were also disappointing, especially when accounting for position.

Yes we have. Kellan Grady to Kentucky. Mike Jones to Stanford. Grant Huffman to Vanderbilt to name a few. I know, I know, they didn't have an option to stay at Davidson because we don't have a grad school. Well that's a huge problem in today's portal world. Des Watson to Loyola-Chicago is an example and they are a higher ranked school in our own conference. Heck, we couldn't keep Skogman who academically could have spent another year at Davidson.

Long story short, the only way we are top five in our conference more times than not we need to be able to compete in the portal and with some level of NIL money.

To compete in the portal with talent that makes the difference and has 2-3 years of eligibility is that we need to add 1 or 2 grad programs. We also need $2-3 million in NIL money. That's a drop in the bucket by today's standards, but would give us a fighting chance. Our non-conference schedule doesn't matter.

+1

[Acorn]

Those are extremely silly examples. The extra COVID year is gone, not a permanent feature in the new landscape of college athletics. Watson’s departure was not a disappointment. The current roster has a grad transfer.

Look at the teams ahead of Davidson in the various preseason rankings and try to claim with a straight face that they’re better resourced than Davidson MBB. Yeah, Sister Jean’s billions have Loyola sitting pretty. Yale and Chattanooga and UNCG and Wofford and McNeese have huge advantages over Davidson.

You all are making excuses.

Maybe the team will be better this season and exceed the low expectations. I certainly hope so. And I can see plausible pathways to that happening. But the problem has not been the changes to college athletics.

[TiredCat88]

Those are extremely silly examples. The extra COVID year is gone, not a permanent feature in the new landscape of college athletics. Watson’s departure was not a disappointment. The current roster has a grad transfer.

Look at the teams ahead of Davidson in the various preseason rankings and try to claim with a straight face that they’re better resourced than Davidson MBB. Yeah, Sister Jean’s billions have Loyola sitting pretty. Yale and Chattanooga and UNCG and Wofford and McNeese have huge advantages over Davidson.

You all are making excuses.

Maybe the team will be better this season and exceed the low expectations. I certainly hope so. And I can see plausible pathways to that happening. But the problem has not been the changes to college athletics.

How are they silly examples? It's a fact...if we have a grad program, we keep some of those players. The portal has been impacted by COVID year. That's for sure. To assume that this is changing how the portal is going to be used and its impact on the game is wishful thinking. The numbers in the portal were affected by COVID years, but the change in the rules for portal transfers is what has changed the landscape and we are not equipped to handle that as an institution. Add NIL money and we're screwed.

The circumstances for having a grad transfer on our roster is a joke. The player certainly is not. The team working to get said player is not. This is a one off situation and cannot be sustained for portal recruiting.