2019 Maui Jim Women's Classic: OSU, BYU, NAU?

One of the articles identifies the 4th team in the Maui Jim Maui tournament as San Jose State:

Following their game in Prescott, the Jacks will wrap up the nonconference slate across the Pacific Ocean at the Maui Jim Maui Classic hosted by Oregon State on Dec. 18 and 19. Northern Arizona and Oregon State will be joined by BYU and San Jose State in the four-team tournament, with matchups yet to be determined.

Thanks for the links!

Go Beavers!

Logic would have us playing either Northern Arizona or San Jose State first, so I’m guessing that’ll be the case. BYU’s star player went down with an ACL injury this off-season and will miss 19-20, but they could still be a formidable opponent, and they have 6-7 in the middle. They beat Gonzaga 3/3 times last season.

I want Notre Dame on the non-conference schedule very bad.

Actually I'm ok with some easy games so I get to see what the new folks and the back up's can do, as well as different combo's of players. Which is, of course, why Rueck does it. I admit that I really hope we get to see better competition than just Duke like last year. The WNIT will provide some fun but no great competition that I see. From what Rueck said the problem isn't OSU but other teams agreeing to the exchange of home games. For instance Notre Dame said no to further games.

Not until the Pac-12 Network finalizes the TV schedule. 

A team can play teams that range in the 60 to 120 range for easy wins and not hurt their RPI as much as a team in the 250 and down category. Playing one team below 250 will negate playing a team in the top ten RPI wise. Some coaches like to schedule really easy teams to act as extended practice, but this year the team goes to Italy and so they should be farther along than normal. This makes those types of games less necessary.

I personally do not like the RPI as a standard for strength of schedule. Let's say a team plays two top ten teams, with 4 teams in the top twenty. They also then play four teams around the 250 mark. The low rated teams will negate and bring the RPI down to the level of a team that plays 8 teams at around 100 to 150 level. Now both the 100-150 teams have about as much of a chance to beat a top team as those in the 250 area. However, the four teams in the top twenty ( especially those in the top ten) represent a real threat to the teams playing them. Yet both those schedules will average out to about equal. Now logically which schedule is more difficult? Obviously the one with the 4 top 20 teams.

I would suggest that to get a more realistic perspective of RPI, that teams that are more than a dictated level below any given teams own RPI ranking be eliminated from the equation, unless it results in a loss. It would eliminate any relative low-level team both with respect to consideration in figuring RPI and win total. If we eliminate legit cupcakes from both strength of schedule and wins it should give the RPI a more realistic perspective. They sort of attempt to adjust via factoring in wins against top ten, twenty and fifty teams. However, that still utilizes the original inherent flaw within the RPI rankings. The answer is to eliminate the flaw not using an adjustment that still utilizes that same inherent flaw.

Saint Mary’s had a solid RPI at 48, and we blew them out of the gym. Just looking at the RPI list, definitely some solid local-ish teams that have high RPIs (top-100), but could still be relatively easy wins, without killing our SOS like La Salle and Arkansas Pine Bluff.

Gonzaga is a very solid program, finished last year at 29-5 and a number 18 ranking, and they have a great fan base. Plus, they are, of course, another Northwest team. I'd like to see us schedule a home and away series with them, and see if that couldn't develop into something regular.