Field for 2016 @K Classic

[Nukem2]

The field has been announced for MU's participation in this year's 2K Classic at MSG on 11/17-11/18.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/371268071.html

[MU/Panther]

http://www.gazellegroup.com/main/wwp/2016-2k-announcement/

Joining Michigan, Pittsburgh, Marquette, and SMU in the 2016 2K Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project are IUPUI, Eastern Michigan, Gardner-Webb, and Howard.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

Any idea how those teams project for next year? Obviously we will likely still be finding our identity at that time without Henry.

[Nukem2]

With our luck, we probably will get Howard (current RPI of 329) and Gardner-Webb (207) in the regional round games. Eastern Michigan and IUPUI are currently at 118 and 187 RPI. :(

[MUwarrior1090]

With our luck, we probably will get Howard (current RPI of 329) and Gardner-Webb (207) in the regional round games. Eastern Michigan and IUPUI are currently at 118 and 187 RPI. :(

We got Belmont and IUPUI this year for our two home games and those were our two best non power conference opponents. Hopefully they do it to minimize travel time and us and Michigan get Eastern Michigan and IUPUI.

[IrwinFletcher]

The early round match ups could be a bit of a struggle as, per the descriptions, they appear to have most of their rosters coming back. Playing mid-majors with an experienced roster can prove a challenge.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

For RPI purposes, the number next to the name is less important than the actual record. This year, the difference of playing Howard (12-19) and IUPUI (13-19) would be surprisingly small, based more on the record of their opponents than their own nearly identical records. The drawback is Howard plays in the worst conference in the country, but that could actually be a good thing come next year. Here's a quick glance at next year for these teams:

Eastern Michigan: This is the team to play. The Eagles return 8 of the top 9 in their rotation, including their five highest usage players. They play in the MAC, which is the best conference (13th) of the four teams and have a credible 17-14 record this year. The Eagles could very well win 20+ for the third straight year if they can beat Toledo and at least get into one of the mid-level tournaments.

IUPUI: The Jaguars started slow (4-11 non-con) before racing out to a 7-2 league record. Then they dropped 7 of their last 9 to finish in disappointing fashion. Jason Gardner will hope for continued improvement in his third year as he returns 8 of his top 10 players in terms of minutes, including PG Darrell Combs, who lit up Marquette for 21 points and 7 rebounds back in November. They play in the decent Summit League, ranked 15th in the nation.

Gardner-Webb: The Runnin' Bulldogs have a respectable 17-16 overall record and made the semifinals of the Big South (ranked 23rd) Tournament. However, they lose four starters next year. It will be a struggle for Tim Craft to continue his streak of three consecutive winning seasons since taking over.

Howard: At a glance, the Bison look like the team you want to avoid, but at a closer look, they might actually be a great opponent from an RPI perspective. 10 players were on the court for 10% or more of the minutes this past season and all 10 of them return. They had a disappointing (6-10) finish in the woeful MEAC (32nd out of 32 conferences), but the top three teams all lose at least 2 starters, so the league will be wide open. The Bison also had pretty good wins over Texas Southern and William & Mary this year. They might not end up with a high-end RPI, but that doesn't mean they couldn't be one of the best available opponents for RPI purposes in this tournament.

[IrwinFletcher]

I am hoping for the first two.

Seeing we are likely to be playing Grambling or Jackson St once again, I would prefer to avoid Howard,