If you ask third-year Ohio University men’s basketball coach Saul Phillips to sum up his non-conference scheduling goals, you’ll get a simple answer.
“I’m interested in playing any team within a three-hour radius. Period,” said Phillips. “And then I’m more interested in them depending on where their RPI falls.”
Bus trips are better than plane trips, after all, and playing games within your own geographical region can strengthen recruiting ties and fan-base support.
But at odds with the simple premise is the reality. Securing non-conference games at a mid-major program is part science, part budget and wholly frustrating.