Todd Golden
The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE —
When faced with the chance to play a home game versus the prospect of playing a road game — much less a road game against a school from a BCS conference — it’s a no-brainer for most Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball coaches.
Take the home game.
ISU coach Greg Lansing, however, has decided to go against the grain. Lansing weighed the option of choosing one of two home-and-home series versus the opportunity to play Notre Dame on the road.
Lansing chose Notre Dame and the Sycamores will play at the Joyce Center on Nov. 30.
“Anybody in their right mind would take the home game ... I guess I’m not in my right mind yet,” Lansing said Friday.
The game at Notre Dame will not be returned by the Fighting Irish. It is a one-game deal. Lansing declined to comment on how much ISU was being paid to play at the South Bend school.
It will be just the second meeting of the two in-state schools. Notre Dame defeated ISU 66-49 during the 1947-48 season.
Lansing could have scheduled a home-and-home series with either Nicholls State or Rhode Island — the Rams were a NCAA Tournament bubble team out of the Atlantic 10 last season — with the first game in the series being played at Hulman Center.
But even though ISU has a paucity of home games — the Sycamores play just three pre-conference games at Hulman Center — the allure of playing Notre Dame was too great to pass up. Lansing is hoping the road game against a recognizable foe will energize ISU’s fans more so than a home game against a lesser known opponent.
“We had a couple of chances to get home games, but I thought the opportunity to play Notre Dame would be a big deal for our fans. Having been at Iowa [as an assistant coach], I know how hard it is for BCS schools to play in-state teams, so I give [Notre Dame coach] Mike Brey a lot of credit for giving us the opportunity,” Lansing said.
With the additional road game, ISU will play eight games away from Hulman Center before the MVC season begins. The Sycamores play three games at the Jerry Tarkanian Classic at Loyola of Chicago, Ball State, Oral Roberts, Notre Dame, Wyoming and Purdue at Conseco Fieldhouse.
It is the most challenging slate ISU has had in recent memory. Certainly as far as home game versus road game balance is concerned.
“Honestly, it’s too challenging. Ideally you want six to seven home games and we have three [before ISU’s conference schedule begins]. Fans need to understand that Ball State, Oral Roberts and Wyoming are very tough too. This schedule is very, very challenging,” Lansing said.
The MVC has sometimes taken a dim view of conference scheduling one-off games against opponents from the so-called big conferences. However, with the scheduling atmosphere being “the most difficult year ever” for conference schools, according to Lansing, he said he has the support of the conference and ISU’s administration to go forward with the game.
“We stayed in close contact with the conference. This has been, by far, the most difficult year ever to schedule. [MVC commissioner] Doug Elgin and the league were very understanding and I had very good support from [ISU Director of Athletics] Ron Prettyman. This is a great opportunity for us,” Lansing said.
With the Friday announcement, ISU’s schedule is now completed. The Sycamores will also play Rose-Hulman in an exhibition contest on Nov. 2, a game previously reported by the Tribune-Star, but one that was made official on Friday.
ISU men’s schedule
Nov. 2 — Rose-Hulman (Exhibition), 7:05 p.m.
Nov. 6 — Wabash (Exhibition), 1:05 p.m.
Jerry Tarkanian Classic
Nov. 12 — Texas-Pan American at Chicago, TBA
Nov. 13 — Eastern Kentucky at Chicago, TBA
Nov. 14 — Loyola at Chicago, TBA
Nov. 17 — at Ball State, TBA
Nov. 20 — at Oral Roberts, 8:05 p.m.
Nov. 27 — Buffalo, 1:05 p.m.
Nov. 30 — at Notre Dame
MVC/Mountain West Challenge
Dec. 8 — DePaul, 8:05 p.m.
Dec. 12 — Oakland City, 3:35 p.m.
Dec. 18 — Purdue at Conseco Fieldhouse, TBA
Dec. 29 — Bradley, 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 1 — at Evansville, 8:05 p.m.
Jan. 4 — Illinois State, 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 7 — Northern Iowa, 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 9 — at Drake, TBA
Jan. 12 — at Bradley, 8:05 p.m.
Jan. 16 — Creighton, 1:05 p.m.
Jan. 19 — Missouri State, 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 22 — at Wichita State, TBA
Jan. 26 — Evansville, 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 29 — at Creighton, 3:05 p.m.
Feb. 1 — Wichita State, 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 5 — at Missouri State, 3:05 p.m.
Feb. 9 — at Illinois State, 8:05 p.m.
Feb. 12 — Drake, 1:05 p.m.
Feb. 16 — at Southern Illinois, 8:05 p.m.
Feb. 19 — Bracketbuster, TBA
Feb. 22 — at Northern Iowa, 8:05 p.m.
Feb. 26 — Southern Illinois, 1:05 p.m.
March 3-6 — State Farm MVC Tournament at St. Louis
