Road trip to Wichita raw deal for Rebels
Gregg Marshall is returning as Wichita State’s basketball coach, agreeing this week to a new deal that will pay him around $3 million a year. It’s not the best news for UNLV.
In a related story, the meaningless and never-popular Mountain West/Missouri Valley Challenge also is returning, and when the conferences shuffled the teams, the Rebels ended up with a raw deal.
UNLV, which finished seventh in its league and could lose its top two scorers to the NBA Draft, drew the toughest assignment by getting a road game against Wichita State, which went 30-5 and reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
The matchup is tougher than a $2 steak, and so is the scheduling spot. A week after returning from the Maui Invitational, and right before players take final exams, the Rebels will fly out for a Dec. 2 game against a team that never loses in a home arena that is as hospitable as a snake pit.
Life is a beach one week and a (you know what) the next.
Keep in mind, Kansas has no interest in playing in Wichita, and when the Jayhawks and Shockers met in Omaha, Neb., two weeks ago, it got ugly for Bill Self.
UNLV officials requested a different date, and the request was denied by the Mountain West front office, which could screw up a one-car funeral.
In the same conference challenge in 2011 – which attracted little TV exposure – the Rebels went to Wichita State and lost 89-70. That was a tough scheduling spot, and to repeat it is ridiculous.
A news release from the Mountain West stated: “Annual matchups for teams in the Challenge Series will be based upon factors including the previous year’s achievements, records and RPI rankings, as well as projected rankings/strength of teams in the upcoming season, based on composite sources.”
The Rebels achieved an 18-15 record, ranked No. 104 in the Ratings Percentage Index, and could be losing Rashad Vaughn and Chris Wood. Wichita State was No. 17 in the RPI, and its top players, juniors Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet, seem more likely to stay in school, especially with their coach coming back.
Of course, those two teams are an obvious match.
So, apparently someone in the league office must be projecting UNLV as the Mountain West favorite in the upcoming season.
San Diego State, the conference’s top RPI team at No. 27, drew a home game against Illinois State. Boise State, No. 44 in the RPI, is hosting Bradley.
Aztecs coach Steve Fisher angrily lobbied against this challenge series, and maybe that’s why he got a home game against a weaker opponent.
The other games announced: Air Force at Southern Illinois, Colorado State at Northern Iowa, Wyoming at Indiana State, Loyola Chicago at New Mexico, Utah State at Missouri State, Drake at UNR, Evansville at Fresno State.
The Rebels’ draw aside, the whole challenge series is pointless unless the Mountain West is taking on a power conference.
“Bringing back the Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge is mutually beneficial for both leagues,” MW commissioner Craig Thompson said in a statement. “Improving overall nonconference schedules and providing quality opponents is important to the Mountain West.”
Here’s what Thompson did not say: The only team getting a significant strength-of-schedule boost from this appears to be UNLV, the only team that does not need it.
The Rebels can get any game they want, and coach Dave Rice is willing to schedule any opponent. In the 2014-15 season, their nonconference schedule strength ranked No. 3 in the nation, according to ESPN. UNLV lost at Kansas and beat Arizona last season, has had recent series with Louisville and North Carolina, and will play Duke in Las Vegas in December 2016.
The Maui Invitational field in November includes Indiana, Kansas, St. John’s, UCLA, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest. UNLV also hosts Arizona State on Dec. 16 and plays at Arizona on Dec. 19.
The rest of the Mountain West – San Diego State aside – needs the schedule upgrade that is not going to come from Missouri Valley opponents.
Here’s how Missouri Valley teams ranked in the RPI – Northern Iowa (15), Illinois State (66), Evansville (115), Loyola Chicago (121), Indiana State (193), Missouri State (243), Drake (269), Southern Illinois (278), Bradley (284).
It’s a quality conference, especially at the top, but Boise State needs no help to schedule a game against Bradley. It’s the same for Wyoming and Indiana State.
The Mountain West was not a strong conference this season, and this challenge will make it no better. It’s a clueless search and the wrong answer.
Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.
