First official NET Rankings were released this morning. Below are the Valley results.

- UNI = 28
- Indiana St = 85
- Bradley = 129
- Missouri St = 132
- Valpo = 136
- Illinois St = 151
- Loyola = 166
- Evansville = 183
- Drake = 186
- SIU = 274

Our final non conference opponents are at 99 (Vandy) and 101 (Davidson), so opportunities to improve NET before season starts.

The net rankings have Loyola at #333 overall strength of schedule and #332 with non conference strength of schedule. That is not good. Not even looking at wins and losses, #333 would make an at large bid nearly impossible. That needs to be improved next year. I really think we need more home and homes with the WCC, A10, MWC, and MAC (similar to what we did with Davidson this year...that is a great series). I would also like to see a road game at a Power 5 big name (Duke, UCLA, etc.). There are too many low D1 game at home (Coppin, IUPUI, Norfolk St), maybe do just one of them. Don't get me started on the non D1 (but that doesn't even factor into the SOS). There is nothing wrong with more road games.

Next year the MTE rules change where MTEs are either 2 or 3 games so there likely won't be that home game vs a low D1 like we have had recently as part of the tournament. That should help the SOS if we use that open slot correctly.

Gross. And inexcusable.

Porter, traditionally, is not an excuse maker. He owns things. When he says he can’t get bigs to schedule us, I believe him. I agree that the strength of schedule is bad, but not inexcusable. There’s no doubt in my mind he tries to get the best schedule he can get and everyone tells him no. He’s got 2 MVC championships, one MVC tournament win, a CBI title, and a final four. He’s not padding a schedule to get wins and keep his job. He doesn’t half-ass anything, so I’ve got no reason to believe he’s not trying to build a top schedule. The system is crap for scheduling.

There’s a reason loyola hasn’t played Illinois, DePaul or northwestern, and that reason isn’t Porter.

If other MVC schools can do it, Loyola can find a way.

Other MVC schools aren’t in Chicago where the big East and Big 10 already come to play annually.

Teams don’t wanna host us because we’re a tough out.

Also, in fairness at the outset of the season Davidson and South Florida were tournament teams. Davidson was borderline top 25!! Then USF lost their best player to start the year.... and we may have just broken st joes after our win.

The problem is not the schedule as much as it is the performance of the teams on our schedule. In most years, this would be an above average schedule, but St. Joe's is 2-9. The other "name" teams, like Colorado St, USF, Davidson, Ball State, are having mediocre seasons. We need the other teams to perform well. It just didn't happen this year. The only team that we played that is performing well is Furman.

Loyola hasn't been very good at scheduling since the late 80s. We haven't had a large fan base, we haven't had a large home venue, and we haven't been in a highly competitive conference since the early 90s. We haven't played Northwestern since we left the cavernous, no-trace-of-a-home-court-advantage Horizon in 1994.

We can't play the Notre Dames, the Illinois, the Marquettes at home, because the venue isn't big enough and it would become a hell-den for them, and they don't have to put themselves through that. That's really the down-side of the Joe's size, conference consolidation, and our particular location.

If we want to schedule better, I think we're going to have to be entrepreneurial. Work on getting a local double-header at a place like Wintrust--- Loyola vs. (some quality competitive team in the Kenpom 40-70 range, like VCU, Texas, Cincinnati, St. Mary's, Arizona St., etc.) and DePaul or Northwestern vs. a top non-con opponent. Maybe that works out to the teams playing each other.

Also, we lost the game with UIC this year. A game against them instead of Coppin State or Norfolk State would have helped a bit (especially if we won the game).

We lost the opening game of the Cayman tourney against South Florida. A win would have put us against New Mexico State in the second game, and a win against them would have given us George Mason in the title game. A little better, but still somewhat weak.

And this year we didn't have a buy game against a Power 5 opponent on the road like we have the past several years-- last year at Maryland, 2017-18 at Florida, 2016-17 at NC State, 2015-16 at Notre Dame, 2014-15 at Michigan St., etc. It's hard to predict who is going to be too good to beat and who is going to be beatable a year or two out. I think we could have won that NC State game with a couple good bounces and more neutral officiating.

Random thoughts:

Way too early to be focusing on NET Rankings. UNI is 28 because they are 9-1. They really have not played an awesome schedule. LU have games with Vanderbilt and Davisidson who are above them. You get both of those and roll into the conference where you get to play higher NET teams and your NET changes. With that being said, we all know the MVC is going to be a one bid league, so it's irrelevant. Just got to stack wins, and win Arch Madness.


There is a reason people do not want to play LU. The style is different with slower and fewer possessions, the 3 pt shooting gives us a chance, we play tough defense, and, yes, we play in a location they either play in or recruit from and losing to LU does not help that.

While traveling for Thanksgiving is nice, I wish someone would put together an Illinois Challenge and get LU, DePaul, U of I, Northwestern, UIC, ISU, Bradley, and SIU in a tournament. The first round games could be played in the "home" team gym (coin-flip?) and the 2nd and third round games could be played at the UC or Wintrust. You could create a travel trophy the winner could keep for the year. I bet the games would be a sell-out. It would be a great way to potentially get some better teams on LU schedule and fun too.