2019-2020 schedule

Conference matchups are out.

Gonzaga at home. St. Mary's away again. And everyone else we of course play twice.

Games start on January 2. No dates or times announced for specific matches.

USC released its non-conference schedule today. Pilots play the Trojans in Los Angeles on November 8. (works out well for SoCal_Pilot)

Now I’m curious. Last year the WCC decreed “no road buy games” without approval, but that was before the switch from RPI. Wonder if the WCC approved this, or perhaps it’s a 2-for-1 or something with USC coming to Chiles at some point?

That does work out well! With this game plus Pepperdine and LMU I can get in 3 games without a flight to PDX! I would have to imagine its a 2 for 1 or it was in the plans before the policy was in place

Actually now that I think about it, the last "buy" game on the road for the Pilots was Michigan State in 2013. And I have to think that was strategic scheduling by Reveno's staff to give what was expected to be a good Pilots team a solid challenge/opportunity against MSU.

So it's not something the Pilots have done in the past five seasons, and there's probably no need to do it now. I'm guessing we'll see USC in Chiles at some point in the future for the first time since....uhhh.....any of you more "experienced" posters want to chime in here?

Dean Murdoch wrote:...I'm guessing we'll see USC in Chiles at some point in the future for the first time since....uhhh.....any of you more "experienced" posters want to chime in here?

The Athletic Department is either hiding or no longer sharing the history and records document on their website, but thank goodness for CBB Reference.

We are 1-3 all time against the "other(later/we were a university before they were a state/I'm being petty) USC" and this would our first matchup since 1989, which was also the last time that the Trojans visited the Bluff. We lost that last matchup by one point.

Dean Murdoch wrote:I'm guessing we'll see USC in Chiles at some point in the future for the first time since....uhhh.....any of you more "experienced" posters want to chime in here?

I wonder if USC won't want to play the game in a venue such as Moda as opposed to the Chiles Center, considering the large influx of Californians in Portland.

SouthCarolinaPilot wrote:The Athletic Department is either hiding or no longer sharing the history and records document on their website, but thank goodness for CBB Reference.

Okay, that CBB Reference site is awesome. Had no idea it existed!

(Did you guys know the Pilots were ranked #25 in the nation less than a decade ago??)

Dean Murdoch wrote:
(Did you guys know the Pilots were ranked #25 in the nation less than a decade ago??)

Beating Oregon, UCLA and Minnesota will do that. I was at the UCLA and Minnesota games in Anaheim. Such high hopes for that team after that. Then, we come home and lose to Portland State.

blacksheep wrote:Beating Oregon, UCLA and Minnesota will do that.  I was at the UCLA and Minnesota games in Anaheim.  Such high hopes for that team after that.  Then, we come home and lose to Portland State.    

I kind of ignored the Pilots for five years or so after I left Portland. That run was what piqued my interest in them again, and I really started following them again the next year.

I just went back and looked at that 2009-10 team. I wonder how close they were to at least getting into the NIT? 21-10 must have had them at least in the conversation. I see one of the last at-large bids that year went to Nevada, who beat the Pilots 78-69 in Reno that year. Have to think if the Pilots had won that game over the Wolf Pack, they'd have gotten that NIT 6-seed over Nevada.

How is this 10 years ago already? Where does time go? How freaking old am I?

Dean Murdoch wrote:Okay, that CBB Reference site is awesome. Had no idea it existed!

The whole Sports Reference suite of sites is amazing for history and stat nerds.

Dean Murdoch wrote:How is this 10 years ago already? Where does time go? How freaking old am I?

Well, as you were just 25 in 2001 when you and your buddy Terry Cahill starred in the hit mocumentary, "FUBAR," I'd say you're pushing 43!

@JonRothstein wrote:Sources: Matchups have been set for the 2019 Diamond Head Classic.

Houston/Portland
Georgia Tech/Boise State
Washington/UTEP
Ball State/Hawaii

Well that looks like a difficult opening-round game!

Bracket is in that order, so the Pilots will get either Coach Reveno or Marcus Shaver's new team in the second round.

http://espnevents.com/diamond-head-classic/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2019/07/Diamond-Head-Classic-Horizontal-Hawaiian-Time.pdf

Looks like we'll have at least three matchups this preseason where we will go in 15 point underdogs at the bare minimum

Pilots at San Jose State, November 10.

Dean Murdoch wrote:Pilots at San Jose State, November 10.

After UP plays at USC on 11/8 and SJSC on 11/10, it looks like they come home to play Isaiah White's previous school, the U. of Maine Black Bears, on Saturday 11/16.

Maine has been known to hit the road for "buy" games, and their games against UP ($80K) and against UW ($90K), should help them defray some of their West Coast expenses.

Other "buy" or "guaranteed" contests on Maine's schedule are UConn ($85K); Virginia ($82K); and UMass ($65K).

I'm not sure if this is the new "going rate" for "buy" games in the Chiles Center, but it seems to me it's about twice the amount UP has paid schools in the past.  It could be visiting schools will want more $$$ than in past years because playing UP does help the visiting team's NET/RPI.

https://bangordailynews.com/2019/07/27/sports/umaine-sports/virginia-hawaii-among-umaine-mens-basketball-nonconference-road-tests/

DoubleDipper wrote:Maine has been known to hit the road for "buy" games, and their games against UP ($80K) and against UW ($90K), should help them defray some of their West Coast expenses.

Let's say UP sells 1,500 tickets for that game, at an average of $20 each. That's $30,000 in revenue. If each attendee bought $20 worth of concessions that's another $30,000. So $60K in revenue (highly doubtful it would be that much), before any expenses. And UP is going to pay $80K just to get the opponent on campus. This really illustrates the challenges facing schools at UP's level.

DoubleDipper wrote:I'm not sure if this is the new "going rate" for "buy" games in the Chiles Center, but it seems to me it's about twice the amount UP has paid schools in the past.  It could be visiting schools will want more $$$ than in past years because playing UP does help the visiting team's NET/RPI.

Did you mean visiting teams want more because playing the Pilots doesn't help the visiting team's NET?

I see that PSU is getting $90,000 to play at Indiana this year, so maybe this is just the general ballpark of what it costs to get any random team in for a game these days.

Dean Murdoch wrote: Did you mean visiting teams want more because playing the Pilots doesn't help the visiting team's NET?

Yup, that's what I meant...you're probably the first to read it.

DoubleDipper wrote:

Dean Murdoch wrote: Did you mean visiting teams want more because playing the Pilots doesn't help the visiting team's NET?

Yup, that's what I meant...you're probably the first to read it.

No, I read it. I knew it sounded off, but figured you just had a senior moment.

up7587 wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:

Dean Murdoch wrote: Did you mean visiting teams want more because playing the Pilots doesn't help the visiting team's NET?

Yup, that's what I meant...you're probably the first to read it.

No, I read it.  I knew it sounded off, but figured you just had a senior moment.

I really wasn't sure. Considering Grambling jumped a full 82 spots in the NET (280 to 198) the day after their win over the Pilots, you could make an argument that for certain teams it really does help their ranking in that index.

As for the Pilots being in a position to provide at least a Q2 opportunity to visiting teams looking to add to tournament resumes, well...it's been a few years.

Florida A&M at Portland, December 16.

Here's the home schedule for both the preseason and WCC play (the George Fox game is an exhibition, the Willamette and Evergreen games are not):



You can see the entire schedule here:

https://portlandpilots.com/schedule.aspx?path=mbball

So six teams that finished 300+ in the Kenpoms?? I guess Randy Bennett put together UP's schedule this year.

Dean Murdoch wrote:So six teams that finished 300+ in the Kenpoms?? I guess Randy Bennett put together UP's schedule this year.

You're counting UP (#325) in that number, right?

You caught me, only five.

Although if they meet up with #299 UTEP in Hawaii, that's close enough.