LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Non-conference college basketball scheduling can take a zillion directions.
Some coaches refuse to leave home. They’ll instruct their athletic director to write a check and collect as many victories as possible.
Other coaches, fewer every season, do it the Denny Crum way: They line up as many heavy hitters as they can find. Enhance your non-league schedule so you’ve got something in the bank to impress the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee in March.
This season non-conference scheduling had to be a seven-Tylenol headache, thanks to the novel coronavirus. Travel. Safety protocols. Convincing opposing coaches to leave home and then to stay in town for a week or longer to play a series of games.
That’s a four-paragraph warm-up to say that the University of Louisville did a splendid job of putting together the Wade Houston Classic, the event the Cardinals will host to (fingers crossed) open their 2020-21 season.
Although nine programs will play 18 games from Nov. 25 through Dec. 4 at the KFC Yum! Center, the games that you care about are the five that Chris Mack’s third Louisville team will play.
My prediction is two of the squads (Western Kentucky and Seton Hall) are likely to make the NCAA Tournament, and nobody will require smelling salts if a third (UNC-Greensboro) also qualified. So the Cards have three chances to enhance their NCAA resume, in addition to games with Kentucky and Wisconsin.
Considering the inherent obstacles in getting teams to play on Louisville’s home floor, it’s a better collection of teams than Rick Pitino was willing to play in non-conference play during much of his stay.
Here is a look at the five programs that Louisville is scheduled to play.
1. Southern Illinois (16-16), Wednesday, Nov. 25
This is year two for coach Bryan Mullens as he tries do direct the Salukis out of the bottom half of the Missouri Valley Conference and back into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007.
Southern Illinois remains a cut below Northern Iowa and Loyola (Chicago) at the top of the Valley, but SIU returns the league’s best freshman (Marcus Domask) and point guard Lance Jones while welcoming eight newcomers.
- 2020 KenPom Rating: No. 178
- 2021 BartTorvik Rating: No. 182
- Basketball Times Prediction: 5th in 10-team Missouri Valley.
- Lindy’s Prediction: 8th in MVC.
2. Seton Hall (21-9), Friday, Nov. 27
This will be Kevin Willard’s 11th season with the Pirates, and Seton Hall was on track to make its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance last March before the NCAA Tournament was canceled. Willard has established an identity of toughness and competitiveness in New Jersey. His teams are always solid.
Yes, the Pirates lost talented Myron Powell and two other starters, but Willard has recruited well while enhancing his roster with a pair of grad transfers, led by Bryce Aiken (Harvard), a solid point guard.
- 2020 KenPom Rating: No. 20
- 2021 BartTorvik Rating: No. 54
- Basketball Times Prediction: 5th in 10-team Big East
- Lindy’s Prediction: 4th in Big East, NCAA field.
3. Prairie View A&M (19-13), Sunday, Nov. 29
The Panthers were the top seed in the Southwest Athletic Conference Tournament last season and won their first SWAC Tournament game. Although they went 5-9 outside the league, they played California and Arizona State tough.
This will be the Cards’ easiest game. Prairie View lost nine of its top 10 players. Clear the bench.
- 2020 KenPom Rating: No. 213
- 2021 BartTorvik Rating: No. 332
- Basketball Times Prediction: 10th in 10-team Southwest Athletic Conference.
- Lindy’s Prediction: 8th in SWAC.
4. Western Kentucky (20-10), Tuesday, Dec. 1
The Hilltoppers should be a consensus pick to win Conference USA in Rick Stansbury’s fifth season with the decision Charles Bassey to return for another season. Bassey has averaged 14.7 points and 9.8 rebounds in 44 games at Western, while making 62% of his two-point shots.
Guard Taveion Hollingsworth, a senior, can play for anybody. And, as a Lexington guy, should be amped for the opportunity to earn a win against Louisville.
- 2020 KenPom Rating: No. 113
- 2021 BartTorvik Rating: No. 47
- Basketball Times Prediction: First in 14-team Conference USA.
- Lindy’s Prediction: First in CUSA.
WKU's Charles Bassey. Image courtesy WKU Athletics. Photo by Joe Craven, Wright State Athletics.Â
5. UNC-Greensboro (23-9), Friday, Dec. 4.
Wes Miller has won 23 or more games for four consecutive seasons with the Spartans. He also nearly got the job at Wake Forest.
Greensboro beat Georgetown last season and North Carolina State in 2018.
Many insiders believe that Miller will land an ACC job. Greensboro has been tops in defensive efficiency in the Southern Conference in two of the last three seasons.
Miller lost three starters, which explains why many have picked Furman to win the league this season. But guard Isaiah Miller was second in the league in scoring last season and the NCAA approved the eligibility of Hayden Koval, a 7-footer who averaged 12.2 points and 7.6 rebounds at Central Arkansas.
- 2020 KenPom Rating: No. 92
- 2021 BartTorvik Rating: No. 71
- Basketball Times Prediction: Third in Southern Conference.
- Lindy’s Prediction: Second in Southern Conference.
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