A few thoughts on this year's slate:
- They released the schedule unusually early this year: normally it comes out around the end of August, and last year, it was not released until the second week of September, likely due to the coaching change.
- Not a very tough schedule... lots of travel, but no powerhouses or top mid major opponents on the non-conference slate. Auburn and Syracuse are nice choices for guarantee games- they'll allow us to face bigger, more athletic players, and gain that experience without being completely overmatched. Auburn game is probably a homecoming for Troy Whiteside- Knoxville is only 4.5 hours from the UA campus.
- Niagara, Colgate, Longwood, Lafayette, and Lowell should be easier wins.
- Once again, Cornell reaching into the sub-basement of college basketball for their non-D1 game: after last year's game against NAIA Fisher College, they'll face Central Penn, from USCAA Division II, the lowest division of college basketball above the JuCo level. Don't like this decision- would prefer an opponent that can actually put up some resistance, not one that will roll over after ten minutes, and tempt the players to chuck up threes and try Lob City plays for the rest of the game.
- Toledo, Northeastern, and Binghamton should all provide nice tests, as should Delaware and Duquesne.
- Interesting to see Ivy play starting with Penn and Princeton... that will take some getting used to if it's going to become a pattern in the future.
- More to come on some of our non-con opponents later.