When there’s a weak schedule, it’s because that’s what you wanted. New Mexico/Bliss laid out that excuse year after year (nobody wants to play at the pit). And for years, they had an insanely easy schedule, the type Menzies preferred, and they’d rack up 23 wins, a ranking and they’d be exposed in the tournament with an ass blasting. But hey, we won 23 games!
If you aren’t in the best position, you have to bite the bullet sometimes and you may have to 2 for 1 it (two at their place, one at yours) over three years. You might get one there and one neutral. But if you aren’t in the position to make demands, you just gotta go out there and compete.
No question UNLV has fallen on such hard times that it’s more difficult to schedule. Why? Because we are considered a bad loss for the types of schools we want to play. So it’s risky for them, no risk for us. When we were competing, we could get the home and homes. Because it would be a tough loss for them, but a loss that didn’t hurt them.
So you have to entice in a different way. And that involves compromise.
I think you can tell a lot about a coach by how they schedule. Too easy - they’re fragile, afraid, overly susceptible to outside perceptions and criticisms. If the schedule is too hard … over aggressive, maybe foggy judgement, too much confidence, trying to prove too much too soon … but I’ll always opt for the later because at least that one involves setting a high bar and going for it instead of the passive lets rack up 20 wins against Alcorn State.
