McGILLIS to get shot at 'CATS in '06...

KitCat · Post by **KitCat** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 1:31 pm

Are they going to play this game in Missoula or is that a typo??? (bottom of article in bold)

Hard work balancing schedules

By Cliff Kirkpatrick
Corvallis Gazette-Times

OSU’s coaches hold a tough job in figuring nonconference team play

Filling out a nonconference schedule is like figuring out a complicated puzzle. It is frustrating trying to find where the pieces go, but rewarding when completed.

Assistant coach Jeff Reinert handles assembling the nonconference slate for the Oregon State men’s basketball team. He works on it a little daily in order to make progress, while not being consumed.

“It’s probably one of the least favorite jobs of an assistant coach,” Reinert said. “You have to look if the women are playing and if the gym is available.”

Reinert’s computer keeps him organized. It lists who he’s called, who’s interested in a series and notes with his progress.

Once he’s close, coach Jay John has final say as to who the Beavers play. He’s very analytical about what the calendar should look like.

John wants to play only Division I teams, even though the NCAA allows two Division II opponents a season. It’s a balance to find the right amount of competitiveness to get better and opportunities to win.

“With this team, the thought was to go out on the road and work through some things so we are prepared for the Pac-10 season,” John said. “We’ve definitely improved from the caliber of teams we have, but the tradeoff is we are not as successful as we wanted.”

He’s also specific about traveling, not wanting to be on the road too much early or around fall term finals. Leaving Corvallis around Thanksgiving and Christmas is preferable.

John considers this season the most difficult nonconference schedule in his four years. The first two seasons the opposition was already set up by the previous coach. The past two were created by Reinert.

“The highlight of those games is playing good teams,” senior forward Nick DeWitz said. “Playing a lot of big-name teams is going to help you get into it. Everyone gets up for that.”

The Pacific-10 Conference schedule is done years in advance, and schools have little input. The only variable for OSU is playing Oregon. Because the Ducks are so close, those games can be moved to any day of the week they are scheduled.

Nonconference games are a work-in-progress with some contests scheduled less than a year in advance. The Beavers have seven of the nine games set for next season.

Five of them are home games. The last two could be at home, or away if on television for a small payoff by ESPN or Fox Sports. The marquee game so far is a rematch with Fresno State in Gill Coliseum.

“We try to put together a schedule to fit who we have,” Reinert said. “This is our fourth year and we wanted to upgrade our schedule. We wanted tough games early. And we got them. Next year we are going to be young, and we don’t want to overextend ourselves.”

Teams play 27 regular season games and two exhibitions a season. With 18 Pac-10 games, that leaves nine others. One exception is tournaments, which are allowed twice every four years.

OSU was in the Black Coaches Association Classic last year and in the Rainbow Classic in Hawaii this Dec. 21-23, so there won’t be another one until at least 2008.

“Hawaii is going to be fun,” DeWitz said. “There’s no better place to go than Hawaii, especially in the rainy season. Players don’t usually look forward to really cool places. You don’t hang out much on road trips, but we should some this time.”

The other exception is playing Hawaii for an extra game. The Rainbows need help getting teams onto the island, so the NCAA allows the benefit of the additional game.

Reinert tries to sign teams to contracts for two or three years. If opponents are from major conferences, it’s a home and away deal.

“I look forward to different places and different atmospheres,” DeWitz said. “It’s fun playing in those places. You want to play in good environments. That’s what basketball players look forward to.”

Saturday’s opponent, Georgia, is an example. The Beavers played the Bulldogs of the Southeastern Conference at a neutral site in Atlanta last season to fill out a television opportunity.

OSU decided the return game should be a neutral site, too. It’s being played in Portland’s Rose Garden to gauge the fan response in the state’s biggest city.

Most of the opponents come from midmajor conferences such as the Mountain West or Western Athletic. Three-game series are common with OSU receiving two home games.

“It’s the unwritten rule that the bigger conferences get two home games and usually at home first, but it’s worked out for us recently to go on the road first,” Reinert said.

The first two road games this season were at Tennessee Tech and Fresno State. Both teams are coming to Corvallis the next two seasons.

Reinert faces a similar challenge in scheduling as athletic director Bob De Carolis does for football. Many major conference teams don’t want to come to Corvallis.

“It’s not impossible, but they don’t want to play here,” Reinert said. “They realize at home we are pretty good. And then it’s not easy to get to.”

Reinert nearly had Minnesota signed for this season, but he believes the Gophers backed out when they realized there were four seniors as returning starters.

Bringing in big names is a goal. The players and fans ask for tougher opponents but it’s a delicate balance.

“You don’t want to break your team,” Reinert said.

Because football brings in the big money, there’s less pressure to sell out Gill Coliseum every time to fund the athletic department. However, big crowds not only help the team in the games but OSU’s bottom line.

UNLV’s name expected to draw a good crowd and brought in 6,561 people. Reinert hopes Fresno State attracts people after the recent football games with the Bulldogs.

Fans want to see a winner, and last season saw the fifth-best increase in the NCAA as OSU reached the National Invitation Tournament, going 12-2 in home games.

All nine nonconference games can’t be at the level of Pac-10 teams in name and skill, so Reinert fills the schedule with teams paid to come to Corvallis. He has money to bring in three teams a year.

The going rate for a game is $20-50,000. It varies depending if a multi-game contract is signed or if it’s just one game. This season’s teams that were bought are Prairie View A&M, Northern Colorado and Texas Pam-Am.

Late scheduling helps in recruiting. Coaches tell recruits from far away that they’ll schedule a game with teams close to home so family can see them.

The Prairie View A&M series was for Lamar Hurd to get back to Houston. Howard was signed for a home game next season, and then OSU heads to Washington, D.C., to allow Calvin Hampton to go home to Maryland in 2007.

Reinert’s latest quest is working out a deal to play at Montana State in Missoula for Jack McGillis. Portland or Portland State is on the schedule out of convenience, and several OSU players are from the Rose City.

The final aspect of the schedule Reinert considers is keeping the team’s RPI (ratings percentage index) up. It measures strength of schedule and how a team does against that scheduled, which is used by the NCAA as one of the factors in earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

A high RPI is not a major concern since the Pac-10 is considered a strong conference. If the Beavers have a winning record in conference, there’s no pressure to have quality nonconference wins. However, wins over good teams could be the difference between the NIT or the NCAA Tournament if .500 or below.

Here is the link...

http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/20 ... /osu01.txt

bozbobcat · Post by **bozbobcat** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 1:36 pm

I bet it's a typo. This is another example of everybody outside of Montana not knowing the difference between MSU and UM. I bet they'd want to play at UM for McGillis. Maybe they'd want to play MSU too. It would be a good matchup for the Cats or the Griz.

anacondagriz · Post by **anacondagriz** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 3:23 pm

Bring em on, we love to see Pac-10 teams come to the state of Montana get sent home losers.

Bleedinbluengold · Post by **Bleedinbluengold** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 3:29 pm

The other funny part, is that it sounds like the winner gets to keep McGillis.

tetoncat · Post by **tetoncat** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 6:15 pm

Thats Funny

Helcat72 · Post by **Helcat72** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 8:09 pm

Gee... I don't know if Mick would actually want to play up would he?...even if it's at home!

wbtfg · Post by **wbtfg** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:09 am

From today's Chronicle

MSU won't be playing a “home” basketball game in Missoula against Oregon State, even though an Oregon newspaper reported such recently.

Here's the true tale: The Bobcats and Beavers will be scheduling a two-for-one, with MSU traveling to Corvallis twice and OSU returning for a game in Bozeman.

The game is for OSU freshman Jack McGillis, who is from Missoula.

A game at Montana might make more sense, but OSU coaches didn't want to play in Missoula.

KitCat · Post by **KitCat** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 12:12 pm

Oregon State vs Georgia live from the Rose Garden on FOX today @ 3:30

kooper · Post by **kooper** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 6:19 pm

Has McGillis even played in the game today? Or is he redshirting?