Iup basketball

[IUPbigINDIANS]

What's the connection with with any of these teams? Does anybody know?

Obviously it takes two to tango, but IUP virtually plays the same schools in the non-conference every year (West Virginia Wes, Bowie, Concord, Le Moyne, Virginia State). I know Joe likes a tougher NC slate, but there has to be some connection between these programs aside from location that they virtually all play each other annually.

Well, you figure Joe hosts two of these 'tournament' weekends each year (Tip-Off and Thanksgiving). So, as you said, all he can do is invite teams.

The coaches at Concord and Virginia State have both commented in the past that they really like coming up here for the weekends -- good competition, accommodations and venue. Both have said IUP is a really good host. We know UPJ will be here every year on those weekends so teams coming in get two nice SOS games. Playing IUP and UPJ back-to-back is very challenging.

I think Bowie State just has that mentality they want to play the best teams available in non-conference. They do it every year.

And, over the years, I think these coaches become friendly so it's easier to schedule them year after year.

We played WVW in (I think) 2014 and then in 2019.

I think Joe likes at least one 'marquee' non-conference game a year and it seems Le Moyne replaced Fairmont State (after that contract ended). And, obviously, Virginia State is a marquee match-up.

This is a tough slate to start the season. After Christmas they still get Mercyhurst, Gannon, UPJ, Cal and SRU twice each. Edinboro and Clarion are both better. The West looks very strong this season. I'd be thrilled to go to Kutztown at 6-0, but, heck, they could be 3-3 going out there.

[IUP24]

Joe has a brutal 'first half' of the season (before XMAS).

@ Illinois (exhibition) - The Illini are going to be one of the best teams in D1 this year. Try and keep it within 30.

Then:

WVW - Should be a nice tune-up game
Concord - Never an 'easy' one

Le Moyne - High-level non-conf match-up. IUP has won the past two meetings but very tight games

@ Bowie State - Never an easy place to play and a well-coached, tough team. Always very athletic and strong defensively.

Virginia State - High-level non-conf match-up. Two of the top teams in the Atlantic.
Salem - Hard to grasp ... roster changes so much yearly.

@ Kutztown - Always tough
@ West Chester - Always tough -- especially at home.

Millersville - Solid program

Shepherd - Record doesn't show it but they play everybody tough
Shippensburg - This will be a crazy Saturday night at the KCAC even without students on campus. Ship will be very good this year and will bring a huge crowd to Indiana (many WPIAL players on roster).

IUP will be a battle-tested bunch entering West play.

What's the connection with with any of these teams? Does anybody know?

Obviously it takes two to tango, but IUP virtually plays the same schools in the non-conference every year (West Virginia Wes, Bowie, Concord, Le Moyne, Virginia State). I know Joe likes a tougher NC slate, but there has to be some connection between these programs aside from location that they virtually all play each other annually.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Joe has a brutal 'first half' of the season (before XMAS).

@ Illinois (exhibition) - The Illini are going to be one of the best teams in D1 this year. Try and keep it within 30.

Then:

WVW - Should be a nice tune-up game
Concord - Never an 'easy' one

Le Moyne - High-level non-conf match-up. IUP has won the past two meetings but very tight games

@ Bowie State - Never an easy place to play and a well-coached, tough team. Always very athletic and strong defensively.

Virginia State - High-level non-conf match-up. Two of the top teams in the Atlantic.
Salem - Hard to grasp ... roster changes so much yearly.

@ Kutztown - Always tough
@ West Chester - Always tough -- especially at home.

Millersville - Solid program

Shepherd - Record doesn't show it but they play everybody tough
Shippensburg - This will be a crazy Saturday night at the KCAC even without students on campus. Ship will be very good this year and will bring a huge crowd to Indiana (many WPIAL players on roster).

IUP will be a battle-tested bunch entering West play.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

The Virginia St game is currently TBA. Did they bail or is it now official?

It's listed on VA State's web site official schedule. On our schedule it says CIAA TBA. No idea.

[IUPalum]

I'm assuming we'll see one more non-conference game surface. As of now, the 'not posted yet' schedule:

@ Illinois (exhibition)

West Virginia Wesleyan
Concord
@ Bowie State
Salem
Virginia State

The Virginia St game is currently TBA. Did they bail or is it now official?

[IUPalum]

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Another ...

Le Moyne at IUP

So much for the lighter non-conf theory lol.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I'm assuming we'll see one more non-conference game surface. As of now, the 'not posted yet' schedule:

@ Illinois (exhibition)

West Virginia Wesleyan
Concord
@ Bowie State
Salem
Virginia State

[IUPalum]

IUP is playing an exhibition game at Illinois on Oct. 29.

Now that is great news!!!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

IUP is playing an exhibition game at Illinois on Oct. 29.

The Illini went 24-7 last season.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

IUP plays at Bowie State on Friday, Nov. 19.

Never an easy road trip down there. Thanksgiving is the following week so they may just luck out and go down there with most students gone. That place is crazy with the student body there.

Said for years on here you have to respect Bowie State ... they will play anybody, any season.

This coming year in non-conference they scheduled Mercyhurst, Shippensburg, IUP and West Liberty.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

How well we remember that team. Wlu was leading 44-26 at half with wvw hitting 33% from 3. Wlu players forgot the game was two halves and started playing hero ball. Wvw hit 90% from 3 (9 of 10) and beat us 94-91 on a three at the buzzer. Coach has never let them forget that game whenever we have a big lead at half. In the return match at wvw, wlu won 97-67.

I remember Heller. I think the thought was he was going to be their next Bolte.

[Columbuseer]

I remember in 2019 IUP opened with WVW. I think they thought it was going to be a walk in the park. WVW had like 5-6 dunks in the first half and was up by 6-7 at halftime. I would not have wanted to be in that locker room that night. Joe was ready to explode by the end of the first half.

Said explosion must have worked because IUP won the second half by 35 or so.

As I recall that was the WVW team that actually had a good starting five ... lot of foreign players. I think they actually beat WL that year (once). I know the player who had like four of the dunks on IUP that night transferred out. He was a really good athlete at small forward. IUP just crushed them defensively in the second half.

How well we remember that team. Wlu was leading 44-26 at half with wvw hitting 33% from 3. Wlu players forgot the game was two halves and started playing hero ball. Wvw hit 90% from 3 (9 of 10) and beat us 94-91 on a three at the buzzer. Coach has never let them forget that game whenever we have a big lead at half. In the return match at wvw, wlu won 97-67.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Concord has had some turnover. Best player Malik Johnson transferred to western New Mexico. Rebounder mulumba is gone.
Have solid guards in heller, kennedy and weir from Nova se. I think their coach is good.

Wvw lost their coach recently and had a down season last year.

I remember in 2019 IUP opened with WVW. I think they thought it was going to be a walk in the park. WVW had like 5-6 dunks in the first half and was up by 6-7 at halftime. I would not have wanted to be in that locker room that night. Joe was ready to explode by the end of the first half.

Said explosion must have worked because IUP won the second half by 35 or so.

As I recall that was the WVW team that actually had a good starting five ... lot of foreign players. I think they actually beat WL that year (once). I know the player who had like four of the dunks on IUP that night transferred out. He was a really good athlete at small forward. IUP just crushed them defensively in the second half.

[Columbuseer]

Concord has had some turnover. Best player Malik Johnson transferred to western New Mexico. Rebounder mulumba is gone.
Have solid guards in heller, kennedy and weir from Nova se. I think their coach is good.

Wvw lost their coach recently and had a down season last year.