2015-16 Schedule

QUOTE: The Bison just officially release their schedule. I don’t think there 3 big games (Wake, The Nits, & N.C State) are nearly as challenging. Partly due (I’m guessing) to the completely new coaching staff.

– – – – –

Re Bucknell’s schedule, two of the three teams – Penn State and Wake – are in the middle of long-term contracts, so the new coaching staff had no real input. PSU played in Sojka last year, and Wake Forest will play in Sojka this year. That was a big part of opting to schedule them. There is no way that Virginia or Syracuse (or Pitt or Notre Dame etc) is going to agree to play on the road at Bucknell.

One quick story about Syracuse. Back in the winter of 2005, Bucknell and Syracuse had a conceptual agreement to meet the next year at Christmas-time in Wilkes-Barre (in what is now the Mohegan Sun Arena) for Gerry MacNamara’s homecoming game. Before the paperwork had been signed, Bucknell beat Pitt on the road and then beat Kansas in the NCAA. Suddenly Boeheim decided he was no longer interested in playing Bucknell on a neutral court – but instead would seek out a different team (i.e. a patsy) for that game. But he agreed to let Bucknell come up to the Carrier Dome, where he figured he’d get an easy win. Instead Bucknell beat him by 5-6 points in his own building. At least MacNamara’s homecoming worked out. Boeheim ended up scheduling a really bad Towson team and beat them by about 40 points.

Thanks for the memories about Bucknell. You remember some good wins – although you have the years reversed for a couple of them. In 2004-05, BU beat Pitt and St. Joes on the road, and then beat Kansas in the NCAA. Gave Wisconsin a very tough game in the next round. Then in 2005-06, which was the best team, they beat DePaul and Syracuse on the road, beat St. Joes at home, and then beat Arkansas in the tournament. Had a 9 seed – which is easily the best ever for a PL team. They might have had a shot to go further but they then had to play #1 seed Memphis (Calipari) in the next round. Memphis had at least five future NBA draft picks (Rodney Carney, Shawne Williams, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Joey Dorsey, Robert Dozier), and about eight guys who had either been arrested or had some other kind of trouble. BU led for the first 8 minutes but then Charles Lee got in foul trouble and it was all over. Lost by about 15.

And, it’s off to Purdue on Saturday, November 28th

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/schedule/_/id/2509/purdue-boilermakers

Conference: B10
Last Year’s Record: 21-13
KenPom Ranking: 48th

I like these matchups a lot and am hopeful that some of them turn into series. The Ivy League has climbed up the conference ratings recently; on KenPom they finished as #15 vs. PL at #23 last year. Good for our SOS.

At last – it’s official!!

As just announced by Syracuse moments ago, we will be opening the 2015-16 season at the Carrier Dome on Friday,… http://t.co/ZM5SLJhFA6

— Lehigh M. Basketball (@LehighMBB) August 20, 2015

For sure, I am. Wondering if the school will be offering an overnight bus / hotel package. Will be checking.

Now, if only UVA would make it official and squeeze us into their schedule.

http://www.virginiasports.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/va-m-baskbl-sched.html

s-l-o-w-l-y , ever so slowly, it’s coming together.

Columbia jsut announced! We’ll head into the Big Apple on Sunday, Nov. 22nd for a 4 o’clock tip.

Conference: IVY
Last Year’s Record: 13-15
KenPom Ranking: 175th

When and where is the Stony Brook game?