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Post by Cactus Panther on Oct 24, 2023 17:54:35 GMT -6
Excerpt from today's JS Online article by Panther co-beat writer Curt Hogg:
UWM did talk to Wisconsin, Marquette about playing
Scheduling remains a challenge for UWM, which will host a pair of non-Division I teams among its first four games of the season, bookending a challenging two-game stretch at Providence on Nov. 11 and at Colorado on Nov. 14.
"I'm happy we have a schedule," Lundy said, tongue in cheek. "I know the fans are not going to be happy about the non-Division Is. But honestly, the week before we released the schedule, two of those home games were not on the schedule. So, we really had to scramble and we got Longwood and Southern Miss.
"I don't love our travel. I think our travel is really crazy with Providence, Colorado and Florida (Sunshine Slam in Daytona Beach prior to Thanksgiving). That wouldn't be my preference -- not only for the guys, but for budget purposes. I'd love to play Marquette and Wisconsin and DePaul and whoever else is in Illinois and save money and wear and tear on our guys, but that wasn't an option."
Lundy said while the Badgers and Golden Eagles didn't work out this year, he will continue to pursue the possibility of playing one or both moving forward.
"We had discussions more in-depth with Wisconsin," he said. "They told us it was possible a few different times but it never came to fruition. I know Mike Broeker well, who does the scheduling for Marquette, and I'm trying. I don't blame those guys. I've been on both sides of it. We're in that situation where it's not that people don't really want to play us, but we're in that gray area."
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Post by Cactus Panther on Oct 24, 2023 18:07:45 GMT -6
Thank you Curt Hogg for asking Coach Lundy about scheduling and reporting on it. Hopefully someday you can get much more in-depth.
I would be happy to see Marquette and/or Madison on the schedule, but there are so many other upper Midwest D1 options to focus on. Scheduling is clearly a weakness for this athletic department and/or coaching staff. The program needs to take a more aggressive approach. Stop feeling sorry for ourselves because "people don't really want to play us" or thinking that we were going to schedule XYZ University but something better came up for them. That is losers mentality, translating to "we are not aggressive in scheduling and have to accept playing second fiddle to everyone else."
Again, maybe I'm wrong about this, but until the program shares the details with the fan base, I will continue to perceive that scheduling is it's biggest weak spot.
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Post by ghostofdylan on Oct 24, 2023 18:43:41 GMT -6
The question to me again is whether or not we can have a great program without playing Marquette or Madison. You don't need to rely on your heart: merely look at the former midmajors who have risen from obscurity despite not playing the parochial power or big State U. Butler immediately comes to mind.
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Post by thetruth on Oct 24, 2023 18:53:02 GMT -6
I would be fine playing DePaul, Loyola, Bradley, Northern Iowa, Iowa State. We have played all of those teams in the past and all are better than a D-III or non NCAA opponent. We don't need to play Wisconsin or Marquette to be relevant or competitive.
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Post by Pounce Needs Pals on Oct 25, 2023 11:57:35 GMT -6
Someone did say 70 schools said thanks, but no thanks. Is it true? I hope so, because truth matters. Yet, hard to believe a school wouldn't want a solid mid-major that is projected to be around 140-200 in many metrix's. How does Oakland get Ohio State, Illnois, Michigan State, Xavier and Dayton as buy games? Is Milwaukee asking for too much money?
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Post by Cactus Panther on Oct 25, 2023 13:20:45 GMT -6
Someone did say 70 schools said thanks, but no thanks. Is it true? I hope so, because truth matters. Yet, hard to believe a schools wouldn't want a solid mid-major that is projected to be around 140-200 in many metrix's. How does Oakland get Ohio State, Illnois, Michigan State, Xavier and Dayton as buy games? Is Milwaukee asking for too much money? Good question. There are so many others. Like "what about those other peer programs that also say it is so hard to schedule? Why not simply do home and homes with them even up?" Maybe it's not that simple. That's why the fans deserve an honest explanation. I want to understand the complexities involved. Of course, the program cannot nor should not disclose details about negotiations with specific potential opponents. However, it could provide detailed generalities and examples.The program does nothing to give us a chance to understand and perhaps empathize.
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Post by Pounce Needs Pals on Nov 10, 2023 13:16:56 GMT -6
Panthers take on UC Davis later this year.
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Post by buppie05 on Nov 10, 2023 17:31:22 GMT -6
Panthers take on UC Davis later this year. I can’t wait for the UC Davis game. Only an hour and a half from my house. I hope it’s a regular home and home. I personally love the schedule this year. With 3 games at home around Christmas, I will be able to make 4 games this year. Hell yeah! I hope to catch an NCAA tournament game or two as well.
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Post by Spirit of Bruce on Nov 29, 2023 11:00:40 GMT -6
A thought just occurred to me.
Perhaps the reason why it is SO difficult to schedule teams like a lot of us would like to see for these home games is because our coach and/or department doesn't commit to a venue when scheduling games?
It would not surprise me a bit if a lot of these Valley and MAC programs #flatout refuse to play at the Klotsche, and our staff (for whatever inexcusable reason) wants the ability to arbitrarily move games to the K whenever they please. That leaves us with non D-1s and table scraps.
If I were an opposing coach, I wouldn't take that chance, either. So, we're stuck with what we get until attitudes change.
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Post by tyrunner0097 on Nov 29, 2023 11:19:27 GMT -6
Venue issues are going to continue, especially now that the Arena is home to the Wave & the Admirals, along with us.
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Post by ghostofdylan on Nov 29, 2023 11:20:00 GMT -6
A thought just occurred to me. Perhaps the reason why it is SO difficult to schedule teams like a lot of us would like to see for these home games is because our coach and/or department doesn't commit to a venue when scheduling games? It would not surprise me a bit if a lot of these Valley and MAC programs #flatout refuse to play at the Klotsche, and our staff (for whatever inexcusable reason) wants the ability to arbitrarily move games to the K whenever they please. That leaves us with non D-1s and table scraps. If I were an opposing coach, I wouldn't take that chance, either. So, we're stuck with what we get until attitudes change. NOT crazy! Actually, I think that this is a revelation!
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Post by Cactus Panther on Nov 29, 2023 13:21:36 GMT -6
A thought just occurred to me. Perhaps the reason why it is SO difficult to schedule teams like a lot of us would like to see for these home games is because our coach and/or department doesn't commit to a venue when scheduling games? It would not surprise me a bit if a lot of these Valley and MAC programs #flatout refuse to play at the Klotsche, and our staff (for whatever inexcusable reason) wants the ability to arbitrarily move games to the K whenever they please. That leaves us with non D-1s and table scraps. If I were an opposing coach, I wouldn't take that chance, either. So, we're stuck with what we get until attitudes change. Sure, this could be one of the contributing factors in a schedule that even the head coach was apologetic about on schedule announcement day and critical of after some recent losses. Again, until we are given an honest, detailed explanation of how scheduling works with this program, we can assume anything. At first, I thought a one hour informational session would do it. However, I now realize there are so many dynamics involved, especially the financial aspects, that it would take at least a full day.
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Post by PantherU on Nov 29, 2023 16:11:53 GMT -6
Venue issues are going to continue, especially now that the Arena is home to the Wave & the Admirals, along with us. We're the primary tenant. They have to wait for us to finish our schedule before they can finish theirs.
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Post by Pounce Needs Pals on Nov 30, 2023 9:09:06 GMT -6
Venue issues are going to continue, especially now that the Arena is home to the Wave & the Admirals, along with us. We're the primary tenant. They have to wait for us to finish our schedule before they can finish theirs. Or move a date (Admirals) like Dec. 22.
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Post by Pantherholic on Nov 30, 2023 10:08:06 GMT -6
Venue issues are going to continue, especially now that the Arena is home to the Wave & the Admirals, along with us. We're the primary tenant. They have to wait for us to finish our schedule before they can finish theirs. The Admirals released their schedule on July 12, two months before the Panthers released their non-con schedule.
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