Topic: Men's Basketball . . . Questions, Scheduling, Opponent News, etc., . . .

[coalherd]

While the crickets continue to loudly "chirp" in and around the MU Athletic Department, as substantive news about MU's Revenue sports of Football and Men's basketball continues to emerge at the rate of a slow dripping faucet, let's see what is happening elsewhere.

Always interesting to see what "nearby" SBC opponent, JMU, is doing over in Old "Virginny".  New Men's Basketball HC, Preston Spradlin, formerly the HC at Morehead State, where he led the Eagles the FOUR straight 20-win seasons, the first time in school history, with 2 OVC championships, TWO NCAA tourney appearances, and ONE NIT appearance, which included a win at Clemson, has been busy at JMU.  Spradlin, a former assistant at UK under John Calipari for several seasons, achieved all this at MSU in about half the time it took Danny D. to achieve much less in terms of "winning, championships, etc., as the head man of HERD basketball!  Anyone still "clueless" enough to believe Danny Boy decided to quit playing Morehead State because of some "fictious" issue, or issues, with the Arena down at Morehead, well, I've got a GREAT DEAL on some Ocean Front property down in McDowell County for you!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, back to Spradlin, now leading our "friends" roundball program over in Harrisonburg, he just rounded up his NINTH recruit, including 8 from the portal, for the Dukes since taking the HC job in March!!  Latest recruit is guard Mark Freeman, from Morehead, who was the OVC player of the year in 2023.  Freeman joins another Morehead player, one HS recruit, and other transfers from Florida Southern, Southern Indiana, GA Tech, Texas A&M, Syracuse and Seton Hall at JMU.  Two of the transfers are 6'7", and the players from GA Tech and Syracuse are 6'11".

As for another HERD opponent, or at least former HERD foe, anyone notice that former HERD HC, Ron Jirsa, has joined the EKU staff under Head Coach, and former Marshall player, AW Hamilton?

Just wonder now that Danny and his "excuses", etc., are no longer involved, at least "allegedly", with HERD Basketball, will calmer, and SMARTER, heads prevail, and MU fans will soon see logical and nearby Division 1 opponents like Morehead, Eastern KY, etc., BACK on Herd basketball schedules??

[lexkyherdfan]

I hope we can start playing EKU and Morehead St again home and home.  The games on the road were always well attended.  It would be nice to have one at home and one on the road each year.

[Flat Tire 2]

We should be playing Ohio U one game a year with alternating home and home. It is only an hour or so away and Ohio U travels well for basketball, much better than Morehead or EKU.

[coalherd]

We should be playing Ohio U one game a year with alternating home and home. It is only an hour or so away and Ohio U travels well for basketball, much better than Morehead or EKU.

I have no problem with a couple, maybe 3, games with MAC foes each season, given the far-flung travel some of our SBC games require.  Games with Ohio, Akron, etc., are not that unreasonable in terms of travel, and gives MU fans a chance to follow their team on the road.  Even Toledo is doable, especially with a week-end game, and the Rockets almost every season don't hurt the HERD's strength of schedule.

[MUther]

I have no problem with a couple, maybe 3, games with MAC foes each season, given the far-flung travel some of our SBC games require.  Games with Ohio, Akron, etc., are not that unreasonable in terms of travel, and gives MU fans a chance to follow their team on the road.  Even Toledo is doable, especially with a week-end game, and the Rockets almost every season don't hurt the HERD's strength of schedule.

We should be playing Kent.  I don't know why we don't schedule them.  They are almost always the highest RPI in the MAC and certainly the highest in the MAC East 9 out of 10 years.  We haven't played them since we were in the MAC as I recall.

[chris88]

We should be playing Ohio U one game a year with alternating home and home. It is only an hour or so away and Ohio U travels well for basketball, much better than Morehead or EKU.

My opinion is one home and one away MAC game a year with OU being on schedule most every year. The other game can rotate opponents. Problem with MAc is they schedule too much like us...poorly, and we need more top 100 NET programs on our schedule

[svherd]

We should be playing Kent.  I don't know why we don't schedule them.  They are almost always the highest RPI in the MAC and certainly the highest in the MAC East 9 out of 10 years.  We haven't played them since we were in the MAC as I recall.

I think you found the reason why we don't play them, or haven't.

[richmondherdfan]

I dont care who we play, we need better players. I think Fulford will be a good addition to the staff and able to upgrade the talent level. Unfortunately, as the roster looks today, I'm not overly optimistic of us having a very good 1st year under Corny. Hope I'm proved very wrong.

[herdorbust2]

I dont care who we play, we need better players. I think Fulford will be a good addition to the staff and able to upgrade the talent level. Unfortunately, as the roster looks today, I'm not overly optimistic of us having a very good 1st year under Corny. Hope I'm proved very wrong.

I agree. We are missing just one piece of the puzzle imo and that is a playmaking/scoring PG. I think we have a lot of pieces but without that it won't come together imo.

[richmondherdfan]

They're hoping Jalen Speers is that PG you're talking about. By far the most accomplished player in the portal we got.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4704015/jalen-speer

[herdorbust2]

They're hoping Jalen Speers is that PG you're talking about. By far the most accomplished player in the portal we got.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4704015/jalen-speer

I hope so but he is more of a combo guard imo.

[Always THE HERD]

IMO, for out of conference we should, at bare minimum be playing EKU, Morehead, Ohio U. Akron & Toledo, UPike & even Murray State.
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Forget Bluefield State University, Glenville & all the other smaller schools in the area.
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Strength of schedule & WINNING are most important for attendance, profit, access to TV, recruiting, etc.
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MU CAN & SHOULD do better (can't blame it on DD or MH or past presidents any longer!)

[herdorbust2]

IMO, for out of conference we should, at bare minimum be playing EKU, Morehead, Ohio U. Akron & Toledo, UPike & even Murray State.
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Forget Bluefield State University, Glenville & all the other smaller schools in the area.
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Strength of schedule & WINNING are most important for attendance, profit, access to TV, recruiting, etc.
~
MU CAN & SHOULD do better (can't blame it on DD or MH or past presidents any longer!)

UPike?

[miltonherdfan]

IMO, for out of conference we should, at bare minimum be playing EKU, Morehead, Ohio U. Akron & Toledo, UPike & even Murray State.
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Forget Bluefield State University, Glenville & all the other smaller schools in the area.

what's the rationale behind forgetting WV D2/NAIA schools, only to replace them with a D2/NAIA from another state?

i'm all for forgetting D2/NAIA, but if you're gonna play 'em, at least play a WV school!

[gochneaur645]

I stopped caring who we play OOC because it means absolutely nothing at our level of basketball unless you're willing to schedule some games at power conference teams and are able to knock off a couple of them. We're barely willing to schedule any and haven't beaten one since I think Cincy in 2012 under Herrion.

Here's what I think our 13 games should be like most years:

1 easy home game against a Morehead/EKU, etc
3 games in a Caribbean tourney
2 MAC teams (always Ohio and rotate Akron/Toledo, etc)
2-3 games against the better teams in solid conferences like MVC/A-10, etc
4-5 power conference games

[GreenWhite]

I stopped caring who we play OOC because it means absolutely nothing at our level of basketball unless you're willing to schedule some games at power conference teams and are able to knock off a couple of them. We're barely willing to schedule any and haven't beaten one since I think Cincy in 2012 under Herrion.

Here's what I think our 13 games should be like most years:

1 easy home game against a Morehead/EKU, etc
3 games in a Caribbean tourney
2 MAC teams (always Ohio and rotate Akron/Toledo, etc)
2-3 games against the better teams in solid conferences like MVC/A-10, etc
4-5 power conference games

That would be some schedule. We would probably have to rotate EKU and Morehead, playing one at home and one on the road. I don't see us getting a home game every year. I would rather play Kent than Akron. As someone else pointed out, they are usually at the top of the MAC every year.

[gochneaur645]

That would be some schedule. We would probably have to rotate EKU and Morehead, playing one at home and one on the road. I don't see us getting a home game every year. I would rather play Kent than Akron. As someone else pointed out, they are usually at the top of the MAC every year.

Akron has been the class of the MAC for the last 20 or so years now although Kent is also up there. Wouldn't mind playing either.

But the main thing is to play more games against better teams. We can't play all of these low-major local schools every single year if we want a strength of schedule worth a damn. If we're playing EKU or Morehead, we should be the ones paying them to come here as a tune-up game.

[Always THE HERD]

what's the rationale behind forgetting WV D2/NAIA schools, only to replace them with a D2/NAIA from another state?

i'm all for forgetting D2/NAIA, but if you're gonna play 'em, at least play a WV school!

I may have overlooked the ones you are referring to. Just for my information, who were the D2/NAIA that I mentioned?

[miltonherdfan]

I may have overlooked the ones you are referring to. Just for my information, who were the D2/NAIA that I mentioned?

Pikeville was the 1 that didn't seem to jive with the point you were trying to make

[Always THE HERD]

Pikeville was the 1 that didn't seem to jive with the point you were trying to make

I was not even thinking about them being in a lower class than MU. Thank you for pointing that out to me!!!

[coalherd]

I stopped caring who we play OOC because it means absolutely nothing at our level of basketball unless you're willing to schedule some games at power conference teams and are able to knock off a couple of them. We're barely willing to schedule any and haven't beaten one since I think Cincy in 2012 under Herrion.

Here's what I think our 13 games should be like most years:

1 easy home game against a Morehead/EKU, etc
3 games in a Caribbean tourney
2 MAC teams (always Ohio and rotate Akron/Toledo, etc)
2-3 games against the better teams in solid conferences like MVC/A-10, etc
4-5 power conference games

When it comes to the several power conference games, before those aging bluenoses throughout Huntington who are perpetually stuck in the 70s. 60s, or earlier get those "noses" bent out of shape, it may just be time to look again at the HERD and the EERS playing an annual game in the newly upgraded and improved Civic Coliseum, which seats about 12,000, in Charleston!!  Another "Capital Classic" get together sometimes in December prior to the Holidays.  Charleston has a new, energetic and forward-looking Mayor and her administration, and BOTH MU and WVU have "new blood" in high, key positions in their school administrations, including the Athletic Departments AND their Men's Basketball Programs.  Danny D., who early on popped off about such a match-up which apparently wasn't taken well by some up in the Hole, is gone; Huggy Bear is no longer around, and thus free to sit around in his skivvies and nurse a Keg of beer, or more, daily.  New President at MU, New ADs, at both schools, and LAST, but NOT LEAST, E. Gordy Gee has at least one leg and foot clearly out the door up in almost PA.  No doubt Gee is destined to apparently be headed to where ALL shady-dealing and demented Mormons go, perhaps to a Viking like funeral on the Great Salt Lake!!

So, if there is ANY TIME more opportune to try and resume possible basketball competition between the 2 schools, it cannot be better than the period ahead in the next year or so, when WVU will have a new leader/president.  No better place to start than with the refurbished arena in Charleston, if equitable issues like financial payouts to the schools, ticket distribution, etc., can be worked out!

[Always THE HERD]

First, let me clarify that I am a "die hard" MU fan. I do realize thought that "overall" we are not on the same "level playing field". One just has to look at not our games against them BUT just look at the successes each has attained otherwise. They have more conference championships, won more NCAA games (after the regular season), beaten "much better" competition (in season and after season), more "All Americans", better recruiting, better attendance, much better bands, better facilities and more. Yes, there are many reasons why we have NOT attained their successes, but those should NOT subtract from reality.
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Things do seem a little different since Huggins, RichRod, Lyons, Luck and a few others are out of the limelight.
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Look at their recent hires in MBB, FB, Baseball & even WBB. They were able to hire MUCH better than MU did.
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Having said those things, I still am a "die hard" MU fan.