VCU finds stability in non-conference schedule
Head coach Shaka Smart and Athletic Director Norwood Teague may have perfected the art of the non-conference schedule – and even if they haven’t, they seem to think they have.
Quinn Casteel
Assistant Sports Editor
The Commonwealth Times’ Sports Twitter
VCU’s non-conference schedule can be described with two words; balance and opportunity.
Games against weak teams like California (PA) and St. Francis, paired with a tough field in the Charleston Classic and a few headliners give them a nice combination of tests and tune-ups.
“This year it’s the best non-conference schedule VCU has ever had,” said Shaka Smart. “And next year it’ll be even better than that, and hopefully we’ll be able to keep getting better as a program so we can win those games.”
Bullish Ram fans may pound their fists for marquee opponents like Duke or Syracuse after last year’s run, but we must stay realistic. Major programs don’t like the high-risk, low-reward dilemma of facing upper echelon mid-majors so they avoid teams like VCU.
But the Rams have a chance to use that to their advantage once again with this year’s non-conference slate, which looks eerily similar to last season’s.
UAB and the University of Richmond both made the NCAA Tournament last season and are on VCU’s schedule for the second year in a row. Big East basement dweller South Florida escaped with a one point overtime win last season, but will have to face the Rams again on Nov. 30, this time at the Siegel Center.
The other Big East team on the slate is Seton Hall in the first round of the Charleston Classic, which begins on Nov. 17. VCU will potentially have two more opportunities for quality wins at the tournament as well. Georgia Tech, LSU, Northwestern, St. Joseph’s, Western Kentucky and Tulsa are the other teams in the field of eight.
VCU may have the chance to face Western Kentucky twice in the same week if they do end up meeting in the Charleston Classic. The two teams will meet in Kentucky on Nov. 23, just three days after the conclusion of the tournament.
Akron made the NCAA’s for the second time in the past three years in 2011, and will face VCU on Dec. 29 with another quality win on the line.
Alabama was left on the outside of the bubble, but the most intriguing part of that match-up will be with former coach Anthony Grant on the opposing sideline. Grant left VCU for a juicy contract down in Tuscaloosa in 2009, leaving all of his promising recruits behind. One of those recruits was Bradford Burgess, who will undoubtedly be ready for that game.
Head coach Shaka Smart and Athletic Director Norwood Teague may have perfected the art of the non-conference schedule—and even if they haven’t, they seem to think they have. By sticking with the same formula, they are mirroring the tactics of Boise State football over the past few years.
The Broncos, notorious for their blue turf, are the premier mid-major in college football, if not all of college sports. Every year they are on the cusp of a national championship appearance, despite the fact that their schedule is incomparable to the elite power conference teams. As much as Boise would like to face powerhouses like Oklahoma and Texas every year, they settle for challenging yet winnable non-conference games.
VCU’s recent success isn’t quite on par with Boise State, but its formula for success revolves around the same strategy of scheduling games. Like Boise, VCU consistently takes advantage of the built-in gems in its schedule.
Last year, the early victory over UCLA was crucial in earning the at-large bid into the NCAA Tourney. This season, it may be a match-up in the Charleston Classic or one of the Alabama opponents that gets the Rams on the inside of the bubble.
As great as the Colonial Athletic Association was last season, there are question marks surrounding several of the top programs. George Mason saw longtime head coach Jim Larranaga leave for Miami, while James Madison and Old Dominion lost their dominant big men. If the conference takes a step down as it is expected to, that will only make non-conference games even more important when it comes to postseason hopes.
VCU 2011-2012 Non-conference schedule
Nov. 3 vs. California (Pa.) (Exhibition)
Nov. 11 vs. St. Francis (Pa.)
Nov. 17 vs. Seton Hall @ Charleston, S.C. (Charleston Classic)
Nov. 18 vs. Charleston Classic @ Charleston, S.C.
Nov. 20 vs. Charleston Classic @ Charleston, S.C.
Nov. 23 at Western Kentucky
Nov. 27 at Alabama
Nov. 30 vs. South Florida
Dec. 4 vs. George Washington @ Verizon Center – Washington, D.C. (BB&T Classic)
Dec. 10 vs. Richmond (Farm Bureau Insurance Black & Blue Classic)
Dec. 20 vs. UAB
Dec. 22 at UNC Greensboro
Dec. 29 at Akron
Feb. 17 vs. TBA (ESPNU Bracketbuster – Feb. 17-19)
