OOC opponents compared to potential NCAA bracket

[zagzilla]

This has been a magnificent OOC schedule. I was noticing how it is a bit like a practice test for the NCAA Tourney. In the dance, you have to win 6 consecutive games vs progressively harder competition. Consider how the teams we have lined up in the OOC look in comparison to what we might see in the NCAA’s...

1st round-some automatic qualifier from a low major conference: NAU, Southern, etc...
R32-we could see a mid tier Power 5 team like Auburn that is beatable but has athletes you don’t see in the WCC
S16: Hard nosed veteran team like WVU that forces you to play a style that goes against your natural strengths
E8: Elite athletic team with a flaw like Kansas who can beat anybody in the country
F4: All-America, NBA lottery caliber athletes: Iowa
Natty: Best-of-the-best level, battle hardened team with no holes like Baylor

Combine the tiers of teams with the uncertainty and in some cases lack of opportunity to prepare and you have the factors you will need to win it all in March. Obviously, the opponents are not sequential and progressive like they will be in March but all the elements are there.

My only quibble is the number of extremely low major opponents-Dixie, Tarleton, Idaho. I don’t know all the factors but some RPI 150-ish opponents would have served us better, IMO.

Hats off to Coach Few, AD Mike Roth and the rest of the organization. Now stay healthy boys!

ZZ

[23dpg]

Like your post Zagzilla. I would personally switch WV with Kansas, and maybe Iowa (haven’t seen them yet). More of a compliment to WV than a knock against Kansas. I just thought they were better.

[TacomaZAG]

Agree ZZ. My only quibble is to add to your quibble......this is obviously a weird year in terms of scheduling and the staff has done a great job. When the scheduling gets back to normal I would like to see a home/home with WSU and to keep the home/home with the Fuskies going, and drop a couple of the auto-beatdowns like Dixie, Tarleton, Idaho.

Call me nostalgic or naïve, but I like the in-state home/home games and WSU scheduled the ZAGS for many years when we were an auto-beatdown for them. Plus, it's always fun to be the undisputed best in the state.

Go ZAGS

[willandi]

Agree ZZ. My only quibble is to add to your quibble......this is obviously a weird year in terms of scheduling and the staff has done a great job. When the scheduling gets back to normal I would like to see a home/home with WSU and to keep the home/home with the Fuskies going, and drop a couple of the auto-beatdowns like Dixie, Tarleton, Idaho.

Call me nostalgic or naïve, but I like the in-state home/home games and WSU scheduled the ZAGS for many years when we were an auto-beatdown for them. Plus, it's always fun to be the undisputed best in the state.

Go ZAGS

Can the Zags afford the RPI hit from playing UW?

[TacomaZAG]

Can the Zags afford the RPI hit from playing UW?

Fair question Will, I watched the Fuskies play Utah yesterday..............and they are bad. Very few FT's and assists, just pass it around the perimeter and chuck up a three. The zone Hopkins wants to run cannot be run by the guys he has. Just ugly basketball. Like has been said earlier on this board, "UW basketball, doing less with more on Montlake for the last 20 years". Only this year they are doing nothing with less. Tough to watch.

Go ZAGS

[zagzilla]

Call me nostalgic or naïve, but I like the in-state home/home games and WSU scheduled the ZAGS for many years when we were an auto-beatdown for them. Plus, it's always fun to be the undisputed best in the state.

I wish we were still playing WSU and even EWU. Much rather play them than Tarleton (who I had literally never even heard of 3 months ago)

FWIW: Here is our head to head record vs in-state D1 schools (W-L) https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb...d-to-head.html

WSU 32-44 (66 games seems like a tradition worth keeping)
Seattle U 11-40 (51 games...another school I'd rather plan than Dixie state)
EWU 35-3 (we played then 14 times in 5 years 1983-88...weird)
UW 14-8 (surprised we have only played them 22 times over the years. First matchup wasn't until 1970)

Bonus......
Idaho: 46-34 (80 games-were we ever in the same conference? If not, they are the OOC opponent we have faced more than any other including 2020)

ZZ

[Birddog]

Idaho: 46-34 (80 games-were we ever in the same conference? If not, they are the OOC opponent we have faced more than any other including 2020)

GU and Idaho were in the Big Sky Conference together.

[TexasZagFan]

GU and Idaho were in the Big Sky Conference together.

Zags were in the Big Sky from 1963-1979.