Wow. That schedule is perhaps the least challenging pre season schedule I have seen before. Indiana and Duke are the most competitive teams. Belmont and Florida State at a Las Vegas tournament could be quality teams. But then, depending on what Gonzaga looks like, the competition falls off a cliff for the next six games. Portland was a quality team last year but I doubt they will be too much of a challenge.
Why this? It could be a conscious decision to east off the difficulty while a new system is installed and while freshmen get their college feet under them. Or it could be that these were the only teams that would agree to play us. San Diego State, Gonzaga, Portland, and Davis I understand--we have relationships with those schools. Why Morgan State? Why Albany?
We will have to rely primarily on doing well in the Pac 12 to create our resume for the NCAAs. Just the opposite of 15-20 years ago where the out-of-conference schedule was our only claim to fame.
That road trip--flying from San Diego to Gonzaga and playing the Zags without a practice day in Spokane is going to be tough. Hopefully the game in San Diego will be early and the game in Spokane will be late.
Why this? It could be a conscious decision to east off the difficulty while a new system is installed and while freshmen get their college feet under them. Or it could be that these were the only teams that would agree to play us. San Diego State, Gonzaga, Portland, and Davis I understand--we have relationships with those schools. Why Morgan State? Why Albany?
We will have to rely primarily on doing well in the Pac 12 to create our resume for the NCAAs. Just the opposite of 15-20 years ago where the out-of-conference schedule was our only claim to fame.
That road trip--flying from San Diego to Gonzaga and playing the Zags without a practice day in Spokane is going to be tough. Hopefully the game in San Diego will be early and the game in Spokane will be late.