Strength of Schedule

[winningaintcheap]

As a SEO basketball fan and basketball fan in general, I love seeing teams go out of their way to play teams with a skill level or tradition of basketball that makes for an exciting contest and prepares the team for the postseason. When I look at the 16-17 regular season only a couple teams stand out to me. Chillicothe and Washington CH. Those two schools have done brilliant at scheduling games to prepare them for a long post season run. Fairland has a couple tough games slated, but I think their big scheduling will come next year as they'll be a favorite to make it to Columbus. In the past, Athen's has had their share of big games including getting SVSM to make a trip down to play at the Convo.

My question to other teams that want to compete at the highest level is simple: what the hell are you doing?

Let me pick on my alma mater here for a minute - Unioto. I get the obsession with playing teams from the SCOL, but that really only helps them at the district level. Don't get me wrong, Coach Hoops has built a great program and his winning has been impressive in recent years, but the Tanks have the flexibility now to go seek some competition much stronger than what they're used to. They've added Wilmington this year - looks good on paper - until you realize they graduated everything they had. In their defense, Unioto does have the toughest preaseason ive seen, but how does that translate? I would much rather see the boys get beat in a good game to a Columbus power than wax an SCOL team every year.

In light of my depression over the SOS Unioto, I complied a list of teams that I think getting a couple to play a home at home or neutral site would be awesome.
- TEAM (ENROLLMENT) *DIVISION*
- Upper Sandusky (223) *2* Teays Valley (498) *1* Steubenville (250) *2* Desales (292) *2* St. Clairesville (209) *2* Canal Winchester (421) *1*
Mt. Vernon (489) *1* Sydney (407) *1*

Share your thoughts on your teams schedule and if you feel the SEO needs to make a better effort to get some high profile games!

[Truth&fiction]

Logan Chieftains have a very tough schedule to say the least . They scheduled some power house Central Ohio teams and already played Unioto and Fairfield Union .

[Omega]

While there is something to be said about playing stronger competition, high school basketball faces the same constraints of travel time and expense as football but complicated by weather. SE Ohio did see a growth in regular season tournaments that brought in some top notch competition over the last dozen or so years, but from a far it seems like the participation of out of area teams have declined.

[bman]

Logan Chieftains have a very tough schedule to say the least . They scheduled some power house Central Ohio teams and already played Unioto and Fairfield Union .

Devils advocate: Is that a really tough schedule for a team that is supposed to be Division I? Unioto and Fairfield Union are good teams in our area, but does that get you ready to play D1 tournament competition in the Central District?

I know Logan is in a unique situation as basically an independent and is a small D1.

[Chieftain2009]

Logan Chieftains have a very tough schedule to say the least . They scheduled some power house Central Ohio teams and already played Unioto and Fairfield Union .

Devils advocate: Is that a really tough schedule for a team that is supposed to be Division I? Unioto and Fairfield Union are good teams in our area, but does that get you ready to play D1 tournament competition in the Central District?

I know Logan is in a unique situation as basically an independent and is a small D1.

Without question it's a tough schedule. You play Unioto, Fairfield Union and Vinton County (2 times) which are some of the best team in SEO in D2. You play your four league games against Warren and Jackson, and Warren is always one of the better teams in the area. Then you add in Heath, Dublin Jerome, Hilliard Bradley. As well as some other D1 teams in Licking Heights, Lancaster, Watkins Memorial, Teays Valley and New Albany. And some tough D2 teams as well in Bloom-Carroll, Circleville and Marietta. Don't forget they are playing Newark this week and in the second game of the holiday tourny they are playing either Olentangy or Cincinnati Elder.

[bman]

Logan Chieftains have a very tough schedule to say the least . They scheduled some power house Central Ohio teams and already played Unioto and Fairfield Union .

Devils advocate: Is that a really tough schedule for a team that is supposed to be Division I? Unioto and Fairfield Union are good teams in our area, but does that get you ready to play D1 tournament competition in the Central District?

I know Logan is in a unique situation as basically an independent and is a small D1.

Without question it's a tough schedule. You play Unioto, Fairfield Union and Vinton County (2 times) which are some of the best team in SEO in D2. You play your four league games against Warren and Jackson, and Warren is always one of the better teams in the area. Then you add in Heath, Dublin Jerome, Hilliard Bradley. As well as some other D1 teams in Licking Heights, Lancaster, Watkins Memorial, Teays Valley and New Albany. And some tough D2 teams as well in Bloom-Carroll, Circleville and Marietta. Don't forget they are playing Newark this week and in the second game of the holiday tourny they are playing either Olentangy or Cincinnati Elder.

If Logan was a D2 team, that would be a very tough schedule. But most of those D2s do not get you ready for the tournament, especially past sectional play.

[CavalierAlum05]

I think Unioto has stepped up the schedule a bit, not much but some. Wilmington is a tough out.

I agree though and as a chillicothe alumni I still think the Gary Kellough years were the best because of how he scheduled. those 5 district champ teams were loaded yes, but they played some of the toughest schedules around! so come tourney time they had seen some very good comp.

[Chieftain Fan]

All the central Ohio teams that 2009 mentioned are D1 and pretty good teams at that . Throw in Desalles and playing one of the top teams in the state in Newark at their tournament is tough no matter what division your in . Shout out to all the teams that schedule up and good luck to all seo teams no matter who you play!

[Raider6309]

Logan a tough schedule???

I guess people forget they are D1. Too bad Logan ran their only good coach ever Gary Swinehart out of town

[pfloyd]

Logan a tough schedule???

I guess people forget they are D1. Too bad Logan ran their only good coach ever Gary Swinehart out of town

... D1 and having to play the "better" D1's in Central Ohio as well as the "better" D2's in SE Ohio :

Hilliard Bradley (6-1)
Teays Valley (3-2)
New Albany (2-4)
Newark (6-0)
Dublin Jerome (5-0)
Desales (4-1)
Warren (5-0)
Warren (5-0)
Vinton Co. (6-0)
Vinton Co (6-0)
Marietta (4-2)
Unioto (5-2)

... next year if the scheduling continues in the direction of this year - no league affiliation - Warren/VC/Marietta/ Jackson will be off the schedule ... I look for no teams Below the Lancaster-Dixon Line on the hoops schedule - but we will see ...

[bbjunky81]

I absolutely agree with the original poster and what he's saying. I think it's imperative for teams who truly believe they have what it takes to make a run to Columbus to schedule big time teams. Fairland has definitely headed in the right direction, and I fully expect them to bring a state title to Proctorville within the next 2 years.

For D4 schools in SE Ohio, South Webster definitely has the toughest schedule. Besides being the smallest school (by a landslide) and the only D4 school in the SOC 2, they always schedule some of the best teams in the SOC 1 as well -- Clay, East, Notre Dame this year. Out of conference also includes D2 Jackson, South Point (very solid), and Portsmouth.

Granted, not quite sure how much it'll impact the tournament this year as the D4 Northwest Sectional is so loaded, literally any of the top 8 could get out. But South Webster goes through the gauntlet each year, that's for sure.

[bman]

Logan Chieftains have a very tough schedule to say the least . They scheduled some power house Central Ohio teams and already played Unioto and Fairfield Union .

Devils advocate: Is that a really tough schedule for a team that is supposed to be Division I? Unioto and Fairfield Union are good teams in our area, but does that get you ready to play D1 tournament competition in the Central District?

I know Logan is in a unique situation as basically an independent and is a small D1.

Without question it's a tough schedule. You play Unioto, Fairfield Union and Vinton County (2 times) which are some of the best team in SEO in D2. You play your four league games against Warren and Jackson, and Warren is always one of the better teams in the area. Then you add in Heath, Dublin Jerome, Hilliard Bradley. As well as some other D1 teams in Licking Heights, Lancaster, Watkins Memorial, Teays Valley and New Albany. And some tough D2 teams as well in Bloom-Carroll, Circleville and Marietta. Don't forget they are playing Newark this week and in the second game of the holiday tourny they are playing either Olentangy or Cincinnati Elder.

Bradley, New Albany, Newark, Jerome, Olentangy/Elder, DeSales are all nice games for Logan. Those will prepare you for the D1 tourney. Lancaster, Heights and Watkins aren't normally very good. TV is in a similar spot as Logan. D2 schools in the SE don't prepare for you tournament play in D1.

As I said earlier, Logan is in a unique situation. While they are a D1 school, they more resemble a D2. Watkins, Heights and TV are all similar type schools to them. It's going to be tough for any of them to win a district title unless they are very loaded.

[Raider6309]

Yeah that cutoff screws teams. Wilmington last year was way better than the 08 Chillicothe team but Wilmington missed D2 by a few kids. Same in 08, Zanesville beat Chillicothe in 08 but missed D2 by a few kids. Zanesville was the better team. Also regions screw teams. A lot of luck in sports

[CavalierAlum05]

Yeah that cutoff screws teams. Wilmington last year was way better than the 08 Chillicothe team but Wilmington missed D2 by a few kids. Same in 08, Zanesville beat Chillicothe in 08 but missed D2 by a few kids. Zanesville was the better team. Also regions screw teams. A lot of luck in sports

That's a stretch. Oh by the way Chilli beat the D1 state champ that year by 10....

chilli also beat Zanesville that year at Zanesville and then lost one of the best games ive seen at home.

[Truth&fiction]

A lot of D1 teams gets a raw deal by the OHSAA . They need to look into expanding Divisions like they do in Football . I'm not sure but I think D1 around 400 boys and in grade 9-12 . That means that you would may have to play a Mason High School with around 1300. That not even sensible. Its one thing to be a D3 with 200 ( not sure of the break down ) taking on a D2 with 275 ( still not sure of the cutoff) and another for a D1 with 400 taking on someone with over 1000 boys . Their logic on the 4 divisions appears that there is an equal number of teams in each division . Expanding divisions and balancing the numbers can be still done . Also in the states eyes i heard that in the count it includes the high school campus , students that attend Tech school , home school and special needs kids. If I'm wrong feel free to call me out on this . Just my 2 cents worth.

[Raider6309]

That's a stretch. Oh by the way Chilli beat the D1 state champ that year by 10....

chilli also beat Zanesville that year at Zanesville and then lost one of the best games ive seen at home.

I always forget Newark beat St Ed that year even tho I watched it lol

Libbey vs Chillicothe was the best game I've ever watched in Columbus

[danicalifornia]

Wilmington was/is the smallest D1 in the state. They were over by 1-2 boys for last year and this year. They were unbelievable last year with their pressure everywhere (and of course Cumberland at UC now). Still returned 3 starters and are very good. The Miami Trace win over the Hurricane is super impressive.

Raider- is it wrong to say that the D2 games are usually the most entertaining? Libbey/Chillicothe, Dunbar/Upper Sanduskyx2, JG/SVSM are some that stand out to me as amazing games.

[trojandave]

Portsmouth HS raised $30,000 to make the trip to Florida this week to play 3 games in the KSA Holiday Basketball Classic in Orlando, Florida. The Trojans have no control as to what bracket they play in, but they are grouped together with mostly schools relative to PHS's size. In 2 previous trips to the KSA, the Trojans have amassed a 5-1 record, with a first and second place finish in their bracket. This trip is a huge credit to Coach Eugene Collins, who wanted to challenge his kids outside of Ohio in addition to a sunny, warm trip to Florida.

With Portsmouth's severely declining enrollment (162 boys now as opposed to 425 in 1988(D2 state champions), the Trojans schedule isn't what it has been in the past. In its history, PHS has played almost 200 schools from Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati, posting a winning record against all 3 of those cities. I will put the Trojans scheduling history up against anybody in the SE district, including Chillicothe, Logan, or anybody else.

I admire any school that will upgrade their schedule with some challenging games, not afraid to risk a loss while still benefitting from that level of competition.......but if a tough schedule doesn't benefit a team come tournament time, what good did it really do them? Anybody can play a tough schedule, but getting beat in the sectional after such a schedule makes it a moot point. Chillicothe played the SE District's toughest schedule last season, only to get beat by Unioto in the sectional. Granted, Unioto was a very good team, but not as good as some of the teams the Cavaliers played in the regular season. Unioto was certainly not nearly as good as Wilmington, which CHS played twice due to the SCOL schedule.

Portsmouth HS has benefitted from playing demanding schedules over its history, and has the hardware and the banners to show for it. Despite the 4 state titles and 15 state appearances, some of the Trojans' toughest tournament games were against teams in the SE district. Chillicothe, Wheelersburg, Ironton, Gallipolis, and Chesapeake have been traditionally been tough hurdles for PHS to overcome in postseason play. Maybe because of the familiarity of playing them in the regular season and then having to play them again in the tourney.

[Chieftain Fan]

Growing up Portsmouth was the Southern Ohio ELITE TEAM . Never saw any of their teams play but heard many good things . Legacy of Portsmouth speaks for itself.

[Raider6309]

Wilmington was/is the smallest D1 in the state. They were over by 1-2 boys for last year and this year. They were unbelievable last year with their pressure everywhere (and of course Cumberland at UC now). Still returned 3 starters and are very good. The Miami Trace win over the Hurricane is super impressive.

Raider- is it wrong to say that the D2 games are usually the most entertaining? Libbey/Chillicothe, Dunbar/Upper Sanduskyx2, JG/SVSM are some that stand out to me as amazing games.

D2 and D3 are always the best. Sucks Kennard didn't make it to state last year. Still nothing beats OJ Mayo and Bill Walker and OJ is from South Point

Always the biggest argument is who was better, Lebron James at Akron SVSM or Clark Kellogg at Cleveland VASJ