For all of the posts in this series, visit the 2017-18 Non-Conference Scheduling Hub.

Ranking The Teams

The two teams that have represented the WAC in the last six NCAA Tournaments lead the way, with the one looking to join them as a league power—Grand Canyon—sitting third and ending the conference’s representation in the top 200. Utah Valley is poised to rise into the top 200 with another good season, while UTRGV and Chicago State are likely to remain in the bottom 20.

Ranking The Schedules

Just like the WAC is a hodgepodge of institutions, this group of eight schedules is also all over the place. Typically woeful Chicago State has the most difficult non-conference slate by far, ranking in the top 20 in the Average ranking with only New Mexico State joining the Cougars in the top 100—at 98th. Four teams rank in the second 100, while Seattle and Grand Canyon are among the bottom 50 nationally. But when you combine the tremendous spread between the best and worst schedules with the fact 75 percent of the conference at least managed to build a top 200 lineup, you end up with a WAC that ranks in the middle of Division I overall.

*Denotes team will participate in a bracketed tournament. Reminder: Known Score = known matchups only; Average Score = known games+average of potential bracketed matchups; Maximum Score = known games+games against best potential bracketed matchups; Minimum Score = known games+games against worst potential bracketed matchups

Who Over- And Under-Scheduled?

Of the three most likely contenders for the WAC crown, New Mexico State and Cal State Bakersfield did the best when it comes to scheduling to their capabilities—the Aggies under-scheduled by 12 places while the Roadrunners overdid things by 25. However, the third, Grand Canyon, loaded up on likely home wins with a scheduling deficit of 160 spots the result. However, that doesn’t compare to Chicago State, the 342nd-ranked team in the four-year rankings that boasts the 20th-rated schedule nationally.

Don’t be too impressed by the single Power 7 home game—Seattle’s guest, California, could be in for some serious rebuilding after Cuonzo Martin’s sudden departure for Missouri. Grand Canyon’s contest in Phoenix against St. John’s is far more noteworthy. Typical of a league ranked in Division I’s lower reaches, nearly a third of the home games played by WAC members will come against non-D1 opposition. That makes the conference’s total of 62 home contests, which ranks ninth of the 25 mid-major leagues, look far less impressive.

Despite having only eight members, WAC schedules feature contests against 28 leagues in 2017-18, with only the SoCon and academics-sensitive Ivy and Patriot Leagues missing. The far-flung nature of the conference is partly responsible for this, as the leagues playing more than four WAC opponents aren’t limited to its traditional, and now long-departed, footprint. Still, a few more games against the Big West and Big Sky would be preferable to so many non-D1 games, particularly since those conferences’ members use that same tactic to fill their own schedules.

Even though a whopping 90 of the WAC’s 121 known non-league games are scheduled against teams from outside of the top 100, 11 top 25 road games ensures most league members will get at least one severe test, and a big paycheck, early in the season.

Team-By-Team Breakdown

Teams are listed in order of their Average Schedule Strength National Ranking. Numbers in parentheses are opponent’s Team Score Ranking. Logos via SportsLogos.net.

20. Chicago State Cougars

Record against returning opponents from 2016-17: 1 win (East-West) and 5 losses (@Wisconsin, @Oakland, @Notre Dame, @Bradley, @Northwestern)

The 6-26 Cougars defeated just two Division I teams during the non-conference season in 2016, and neither appears on the schedule for 2017. Chicago State will play one more non-league home game this time around, but the 13 contests played away from the Jones Convocation Center include plenty of likely heavy losses.

98. New Mexico State Aggies

Record against returning opponents from 2016-17: 7 wins (@San Diego, New Mexico, UTEP, @UC Irvine, Eastern New Mexico, UTEP, Northern New Mexico) and 2 losses (@Colorado State, @New Mexico)

Even though the defending tournament champion Aggies won’t enter this season as the WAC favorite, they do have the most testing schedule of the contenders. However, it might not be quite at-large worthy, thanks to the three non-D1 games present. But if UTEP and New Mexico improve enough to make those series matter and the Aggies can upset Saint Mary’s and do some damage at the Diamond Head Classic, NMSU will put itself back in the national picture in Chris Jans’s first season.

Fittingly, the Aggies will serve as Illinois‘s opponent for a game in Chicago honoring Lou Henson—the winningest coach in the history of both programs.

114. Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners

Record against returning opponents from 2016-17: 2 wins (Fresno State, @Northern Arizona) and 1 loss (@Arizona)

Even though Rod Barnes’s Roadrunners couldn’t qualify for the NCAAs for the second straight year, they went on quite the NIT run—winning three road games to make it to New York for the semifinals. And Bakersfield will again rack up the miles during the early portion of this season, going to such far-flung locales as Anchorage, Tucson, Statesboro, Ga., and Newark, Del. The home-and-home series with Georgia Southern could be one of the better ones scheduled in November and December, while CSUB will be College of Charleston‘s main threat for the final Great Alaska Shootout crown.

147. Utah Valley Wolverines

Record against returning opponents from 2016-17: 4 wins (Idaho State, @BYU, UTSA, Montana Tech) and 2 losses (@UTSA, @UC Davis)

While Utah Valley needed to go 2-1 in the CBI to reach .500, the Wolverines made a little bit of noise early in Mark Pope’s second season by defeating BYU for the first time in program history—in Provo no less. The Cougars are the biggest name of the nine visiting Orem in November and December of 2017. However, BYU isn’t the true marquee game on this slate—UVU will be challenged right out of the gate thanks to trips to Kentucky and Duke on consecutive nights. Still, even with those two difficult games, the home games mean the Wolverines might just match their eight non-league wins from a season ago.

152. UMKC Kangaroos

Record against returning opponents from 2016-17: 3 wins (Southeast Missouri, South Dakota, William Jewell) and 2 losses (@South Dakota State, USC Upstate)

Kareem Richardson’s Roos won more than they lost for the first time in his four-year tenure, and the first time overall since 2010-11. But a 7-10 run through the non-conference left UMKC with work to do in WAC play. Even though the Roos have a trio of rough power conference road games and their half of the Gulf Coast Showcase bracket is the scarier one, it’s possible UMKC can make it to league play with a winning record this time around.

190. UTRGV Vaqueros

Record against returning opponents from 2016-17: 4 wins (Grambling State (N), Texas State, Wayland Baptist, Our Lady of the Lake) and 2 losses (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, @Texas A&M-Corpus Christi)

The Vaqueros’ exempt event ranks among the worst in the country, as anchor Georgia Tech is the only participant not ranked within the bottom 50 of this series’ four-year rankings. But considering UTRGV gets two of those teams at home, they could very well earn a split of that quartet of games. But with UC Irvine and UT Arlington visiting Edinboro and four Power 7 road trips, don’t expect Lew Hill’s squad to match their eight non-conference wins of a season ago.

316. Seattle Redhawks

Record against returning opponents from 2016-17: 1 win (Pacific Lutheran) and 3 losses (@Eastern Washington, Eastern Washington, Washington)

Jim Hayford replaced Cameron Dollar as the Redhawks’ head coach at the end of last season, and his charges, 13-17 a season ago, will spend most of their November and December in the Pacific Northwest with a couple of major exceptions. Seattle’s final road game will be at Saint Mary’s, the WCC favorite, while all four 2K Classic games will take place away from home, even if one of those is scheduled for UW across town. Winning eight of the nine games scheduled for either Key Arena or the Connolly Complex is task one for a program attempting to gain relevance in an improving league.

332. Grand Canyon Antelopes

Record against returning opponents from 2016-17: 1 win (Mississippi Valley State) and 2 losses (Louisville, @UC Riverside)

Dan Majerle’s ‘Lopes are finally NCAA Tournament-eligible and expectations are sky high in Phoenix. With just three true road games on the non-conference schedule, the GCU student section should join the players in getting their reps in before WAC play begins. However, the quality of the opposition leaves a bit to be desired, and means the conference favorite will have the slenderest of at-large hopes should things go wrong in Vegas in mid-March.

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