On next year's scheduling

Should Kellie pull a Mulkey for next season, scheduling-wise?

  • No. Test the team early and often.

    Votes: 38 31.4%

  • Yes. Next season's schedule needs to be a lot less challenging.

    Votes: 27 22.3%

  • Let's see how the NCAA Tournament committee addresses LSU's weak scheduling

    Votes: 16 13.2%

  • Wait at least 6 games into the season before playing a ranked team

    Votes: 44 36.4%

  • LSU's non-con schedule was boring, but it doesn't appear to have hurt them

    Votes: 6 5.0%
  • Total voters
    121
#1
L

lvocd

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#1
I have spent many, many years enjoying the strenuous, exciting schedules that Tennessee usually plays every season, and also have made many posts commenting on how boring it must be for fans of teams with coaches who schedule cupcake after cupcake after cupcake.

That said, with LSU still undefeated and looking like the boring schedule has done nothing but make them confident and, of course, highly ranked, I'm now forced to wonder if it might be time to consider the possibility that a team may not have to be constantly challenged to have success in the end.

Next year is going to be interesting, to say the least. No Horston, Key, Jackson, Walker, Franklin or Rennie, for sure. And possibly no Suarez, depending on how things are going for her.

So I'm thinking for next year, if she hasn't already filled the schedule, Kellie might ought to consider taking it down a notch or three -- just for next season. What does everyone else think?
 
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#2
#2
lvocd said:
I have spent many, many years enjoying the strenuous, exciting schedules that Tennessee usually plays every season, and also have made many posts commenting on how boring it must be for fans of teams with coaches who schedule cupcake after cupcake after cupcake.

That said, with LSU still undefeated and looking like the boring schedule has done nothing but make them confident and, of course, highly ranked, I'm now forced to wonder if it might be time to consider the possibility that a team may not have to be constantly challenged to have success in the end.

Next year is going to be interesting, to say the least. No Horston, Key, Jackson, Walker, Franklin or Rennie, for sure. And possibly no Suarez, depending on how things are going for her.

So I'm thinking for next year, if she hasn't already filled the schedule, Kellie might ought to consider taking it down a notch or three -- just for next season. What does everyone else think?
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Only slightly less challenging but get in some early layups to get acclimated. I voted for the wait and see approach.
 
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#4
#4
How about 2 or 3 ranked and some decent mid majors. I like having Chattanooga on our sched. How about MTSU? Belmont? Just not so many EKUs and Woffords.

The problem with the monster sched is while it may make your team tougher and better in the long run, it can also dig you into a tourney seeding hole early as in our current case.
 
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#5
#5
They should lighten up the schedule. Unless some of the seniors opt to take a 5th year, next year's team will be a rebuilding one, even if they get some good pieces from the portal. If anything, this season should have been a lesson that it takes time to build team chemistry with newcomers expected to play big roles.
 
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#6
#6
I think we need to lighten the schedule considerably for next year. That is not to say we should have the 300th toughest schedule like LSU did pre-conference. We should keep a couple of tough teams on our schedule but have mostly decent mid major teams mostly as our new team without our current stars will need even more time than this one to build confidence. Getting blown out be several teams would not do the trick.
 
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#9
#9
lvocd said:
That said, with LSU still undefeated and looking like the boring schedule has done nothing but make them confident and, of course, highly ranked, I'm now forced to wonder if it might be time to consider the possibility that a team may not have to be constantly challenged to have success in the end.
Click to expand...

We'll see. Princeton had a better RPI (#10 vs. LSU's current #38) and SOS (#83 vs. LSU's current #192) back in 2014-15 (and a #6 rating on Her Hoop Stats) and still ended up as an 8 seed. LSU might end up with a better overall SOS since they still have to pay us and South Carolina, but maybe not.

Her Hoop Stats released their top 16 tournament seeds today and LSU was not on that list.
 
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#12
#12
I don’t want to play cupcakes but early on with RJ and RJ gone I don’t think we should have a top 15 team on the schedule. Of course it is hard to guess which teams will be in the top fifteen or so when schedules are made well before the season ever starts. Just don’t schedule Stanford, UConn, and a few other perennial top teams early on.

Of our first 10 games this year only 1 is currently ranked in the top 10 (Virginia at 9). We basically underperformed while trying to mesh as a team, but next year we will be doing the same thing at the start of the season trying to replace RJ an JH.
 
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#13
#13
Raebo said:
I don’t want to play cupcakes but early on with RJ and RJ gone I don’t think we should have a top 15 team on the schedule. Of course it is hard to guess which teams will be in the top fifteen or so when schedules are made well before the season ever starts. Just don’t schedule Stanford, UConn, and a few other perennial top teams early on.
Click to expand...


I'd definitely have to draw the line at Stanford. That game is a longtime, positive tradition for both programs, so I'd rather take a sure loss than end that series. Everyone else is expendable for next year in my mind. Besides, we'll be hosting Stanford next season, so that will be a treat for fans.
 
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#14
#14
lvocd said:
I'd definitely have to draw the line at Stanford. That game is a longtime, positive tradition for both programs, so I'd rather take a sure loss than end that series. Everyone else is expendable for next year in my mind. Besides, we'll be hosting Stanford next season, so that will be a treat for fans.
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I agree that they should stay on the schedule about where they are now. A good test just before SEC play.
 
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#15
#15
It was less challenging when the schedule was made, pre-season #5 in AP and #4 in CP and outside of Stanford each team we lost to was well below us or not ranked in the Top 25 when they beat us. They had no issues with playing Tennessee and finding a way to win. Nobody knew at the time of scheduling thought those teams below us would be Top 10 teams while we fell out of the Top 25.

IU #11, VT#13, OSU #14 and UCLA NR and Gonzaga NR. False promises in playing a weak schedule.
 
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#16
#16
I know it can happen at any time, (even walking to the bathroom) but it seems to me the health of our players takes a beating early every year. Could this be caused in some part by the tough competition so early while not yet in top playing form? It would seem to me it would allow less pressure on players and an easer path for the staff in deciding what player combos work best to not start with the big girls. Yeah maybe it is better to "workup" to top competition.
 
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#19
#19
creekdipper said:
?????????

Ohio State? Indiana? UCLA?
Click to expand...
stuff happens --- the LV were dominating Ohio State until the press began and they fell apart ---- UCLA was shooting lights out from the jump and didn't shoot nearly as well in their next game (bad LV defense? I don't know) ---- should've/could've beaten Gonzaga and VaTech ---- Stanford? 4th quarter sucked in many ways --- the IU game was the only one I felt like was a loss to (at that time) a superior team

still, next year I might go with a couple less ranked teams early
 
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#20
#20
Amb3096 said:
They should lighten up the schedule. Unless some of the seniors opt to take a 5th year, next year's team will be a rebuilding one, even if they get some good pieces from the portal. If anything, this season should have been a lesson that it takes time to build team chemistry with newcomers expected to play big roles.
Click to expand...

I agree with you 100% Unless some of the seniors opt to take a 5th year, next year's team will be a rebuilding one. Looks like the SEC will be a rebuilding one for most teams.
 
#21
#21
Pat always played a tough schedule to help draw attention to the program. Holly kept it up to a degree. When this schedule was made it wasn't designed to be as tough as it has turned out. Tough schedules can help make a team better but they can also crush morale and team spirit.

KJH should dial it down a little bit next season but not shy away from playing strong opponents. A game against an in state team or regional school doesn't do any harm but it doesn't help the program grow.
 
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#23
#23
Raebo said:
I don’t want to play cupcakes but early on with RJ and RJ gone I don’t think we should have a top 15 team on the schedule. Of course it is hard to guess which teams will be in the top fifteen or so when schedules are made well before the season ever starts. Just don’t schedule Stanford, UConn, and a few other perennial top teams early on.

Of our first 10 games this year only 1 is currently ranked in the top 10 (Virginia at 9). We basically underperformed while trying to mesh as a team, but next year we will be doing the same thing at the start of the season trying to replace RJ an JH.
Click to expand...
You may want to actually look at the polls! In addition, we didn’t play Virginia; we played Virginia Tech.
 
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#24
#24
Hoosier said:
According to wbbblog.com, Powell, Rennie, Horston, Jackson, and Key could take another year, if they so choose.
Click to expand...

I would expect Powell to return. I think Key is also a good possibility. She is not being projected as a 1st rounder so another full season of college ball could pay off.

Horston and Jackson unlikely as both will be top 10 maybe top 5 picks.
 
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#25
#25
madtownvol said:
I would expect Powell to return. I think Key is also a good possibility. She is not being projected as a 1st rounder so another full season of college ball could pay off.

Horston and Jackson unlikely as both will be top 10 maybe top 5 picks.
Click to expand...
…this is where wise NIL comes into play…. Isn’t this the last class that can take a Covid year?
 
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