Five thoughts on Michigan hiring Juwan Howard

With the NET I would try to schedule at least one (but preferably 2) true road noncon games

2 Likes

Would expect a B10/ACC road game.

Atlantis is also loaded and you already have Oregon at home.

I know everyone loves to point to the bottom feeders and their impact but I can’t think of a time that those games have had a significant impact on Michigan’s resume at the end of the year.

If you are going to worry about scheduling, I would hope that Juwan still makes an effort to schedule legitimate home and home series.

8 Likes

Gavitt games this year

1 Like

Gavitt matchups should be announced soon I would think.

1 Like

Yeah looks like it was announced on May 14 last year so they are slacking

Without Beilein, I would’ve never heard a lot of those universities, let alone knowing where they are. I would like to see games against more midwest schools. MAC, Horizon, MVC

Go look at any other Big Ten or HM schedule and you will see the same schools. It is part of the ecosystem of college hoops. Now that there are 20 Big Ten games you are only gonna see more of that.

3 Likes

Yeah people complain about this every year without the context of looking at other team’s schedules. It’s not that different than anyone else. And often times a coach can work on things against those lower teams that they wouldn’t be able to work on as much against a decent MAC team. They can be valuable in different ways.

3 Likes

The teams that don’t play legit exempt tournaments and don’t schedule real home and homes are the ones that should be criticized.

Could you optimize a schedule and gain a few points of SOS, yes but I don’t know if it will end up mattering for a team like Michigan. It also looks like just winning by 30-40 might have the same impact with the NET though.

1 Like

Actually, I like those lower tier and mid major games, they’re the only ones I can afford to attend! :rofl:

11 Likes

Eh. I feel like it cost us a seedline or two each year. In particularly that 16-17 year sticks out to me. There was no justification for Minnesota being such a higher seed line than Michigan EXCEPT for their pure RPI. Which was built on playing good low-majors

Dylan, I thought the Net does not give any extra credit for wins of more than 10 points.

The NET caps margin of victory at 10 but also appears to have an efficiency margin component that is uncapped. My including both, I suspect and most suspect that it ends up having an impact.

1 Like

It just seems like to me that if you play better mid majors like for example playing a team predicted to be ranked around 125 vs 250 that you will still murder that team but your strength of schedule won’t suffer so much. I know it is easier said than done but there are mid majors that are just simply better normally than others so schedule these ones, right?

If you play 5 games against teams around 125 instead of 250, you have a much better chance to lose at least one game.

The other consideration is that those games might require a larger check, teams might not be available on the specific date you need a game (especially key with all the set dates for tourneys, Big Ten games and conference challenges).

Look, there are ways to make a more optimal schedule and I don’t think Michigan’s non conference scheduling was ever perfect but overall the amount of difference it would make is minimal considering what will make up the core of Michigan’s schedule every year.

5 Likes

I’ve said it before, but does anyone really think that Beilein wasn’t trying to maximize the team’s record and advantages in every way he could, that he didn’t have more sophisticated/knowledgeable people than we on the case. . . dealing with the possibilities that were actually available? This has been one of the silliest bits of internet paranoia in my memory. If there is some actual aspect of Beilein and his assistants’ philosophy or approach that people have differences with, let’s talk about it. Otherwise, this remains rank paranoia and empty speculation, a dead horse now dragged out–again–post-Beilein for a little more beating!

2 Likes

I don’t think analyzing a teams scheduling is out of bounds. The criticism certainly isn’t out of line, I just think it is a bit overblown in terms of this specific point but it is still a fair point.

Every coach probably thinks they are making the best schedule for their team. Some coaches are better at it than others.

Just like every coach thinks they are running the best offense for their teams but some are better than others.

Considering how Juwan will or won’t schedule is certainly worthy of debate because he’s never scheduled before.

2 Likes

I think you nailed it above, Dylan: “Look, there are ways to make a more optimal schedule and I don’t think Michigan’s non conference scheduling was ever perfect but overall the amount of difference it would make is minimal considering what will make up the core of Michigan’s schedule every year.”

Discussing is of course legit; the criticism just hasn’t ever looked rigorous. I would submit a couple of insights: a) Most of the schedule is already dictated to Michigan, as you hint. b) The search for home-and-homes with good teams is especially challenging. c) You don’t know how good a team is going to be when you schedule them. And d) when you have a hole you go looking for a team; you have a budget that suggests, more or less, how much you can pay them. You don’t TRY to play a sh*tty team, ever, because no butts will be in the seats to fill your stadium or make noise or build the culture, and because it doesn’t help your RPI or allow you to build your team. (You may learn from the experience, however, and you probably are destined, as a high major, to a share of these.)

I think it’s probably good to acknowledge these parameters (or adjust them) before you begin the debate, rather than recycle the old free-floating criticisms. I agree that there were times when we were playing turkeys that I gnashed my teeth. But compared, say, to the SEC’s football schedules? Ha!

1 Like

I agree with all of your points and Dylan’s. Like I said, it is easier said than done and there are obviously a ton of factors to take into consideration that the common fan like myself doesn’t realize. I really don’t have a huge problem with our scheduling actually like some people do. It is interesting to look into, however.

1 Like

Yes, and your post was entirely legitimate; I do think the back-and-forth has sometimes lacked substance, but yours wasn’t silly at all. Begging forgiveness.

1 Like