KSUFans Archives
Sports => Frank Martin's OOD sponsored by the "Angriest Fans in America" => Topic started by: fatty fat fat on June 23, 2006, 07:36:03 PM
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Shockers can't find games
Here's a shocker: Wichita State's run to the Sweet 16 in March has made it untouchable for high-major schools.
Wichita State, ranked No. 21 in ESPN.com's June Top 25 with four starters back, is still searching for four nonconference games. Right now, the Shockers' only possible "RPI-quality game" against a "big six" conference team (ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-10 and SEC) could be a meeting with Kansas State in a tournament in Las Vegas.
Wichita State coach Mark Turgeon said he wrote a letter to every one of the schools in those six conferences except Vanderbilt (he worked with coach Kevin Stallings), North Carolina (he is close with coach Roy Williams), K-State (because WSU already might play the Mildcats) and Providence (the Shockers just completed a home-and-home series with the Friars). He even suggested that he would start on the road, something you would think big six schools would gobble up.
What kind of response did he get? Not much.
Wichita State has the marquee nonconference, Sweet 16/Bracket Buster rematch game at George Mason on Nov. 18 on ESPN2, but that isn't a game against a high-major. So, as much as the Missouri Valley Conference teams talk about their status as more than a mid-major conference and perform well in the NCAA Tournament to back up the claim, they still can't get high-profile games against the traditional major conferences, especially games on TV.
"A few schools said they could play, but would only do [our home game] in Kansas City -- but I don't have a base in Kansas City," Turgeon said. "That doesn't make sense for us."
Turgeon still is holding out hope that he'll nab one or two of these types of games, but he is realizing the mid-major schools still are forced to play each other instead of being able to step up for a higher-profile game
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"A few schools said they could play, but would only do [our home game] in Kansas City -- but I don't have a base in Kansas City," Turgeon said. "That doesn't make sense for us."
Wouldn't it be smart to get a base there? Everybody please pray for WSU.
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he needs to do a better job of calling major programs pussies like the missouri state coach does.