A few thoughts to assist DePaul's scheduling woes

In a perfect world, Jean Lenti Ponsetto could submit DePaul's basketball schedule to the NCAA and say, "Here, you guys sort this out."

It'd be fascinating if the DePaul athletic director got her wish. The NCAA could balance the scheduling scale, infuriating several bigwig coaches and schools but likely adding intrigue to the pre-conference season.

"If the NCAA did it," Lenti Ponsetto said, "everybody could have a fair and balanced schedule from top to bottom."

Unfortunately for DePaul, this is the real world, where every Division I team handles the tricky task of scheduling. With the team starting 2-4 for the second straight season, it's clear DePaul hasn't found the right formula.

True, DePaul's 2007-08 schedule doesn't have the are-you-kidding-me feel of last year's gauntlet, which provided a decent final RPI (54) but not enough gimmes for the win column. This season, the Demons didn't open with consecutive road games, a major error last year after a toned-down preseason. Their upcoming tournament, the San Juan Shootout, isn't as daunting as the Maui Invitational last November.

But DePaul's schedule still looks like one belonging to a midmajor trying to boost its RPI instead of a Big East program with a tough-enough league to maintain a decent RPI.

Saturating the schedule with strong major-conference teams (Kansas, Vanderbilt, Clemson, Mississippi) and tough midmajors is risky, especially for a transitioning program like DePaul, which inexcusably lost one of its few gimmes to North Carolina A&T.

Right now, the risk just isn't paying off and another slow start has, as coach Jerry Wainwright recently said, created "a negative cloud" over the team.

So here's an attempt at fixing DePaul's schedule for the future.

First, no more season-opening road games against Missouri Valley Conference teams. DePaul has opened the last two seasons with double-digit losses at Bradley and Creighton.

Since the season was moved up a week, DePaul can't use the Allstate Arena because the circus is there. Allstate had been available for DePaul openers before the schedule change.

The solution: Open the season on campus at McGrath Arena. Sure, there are financial drawbacks to playing in a 3,000-seat venue. But a winnable game in familiar surroundings during a tough academic time would help players who sorely need early confidence.

"We could afford to do that," Lenti Ponsetto said. "Taking a home game out of the Allstate Arena and out of our season-ticket packages is going to be a little bit of a hit. But could we sustain it? Absolutely, if it benefits our kids."

DePaul also must schedule more guarantee games. No one likes these, but plenty of programs are willing to come to Chicago without asking for more than a check.

Rather than doing home-and-home series with Kansas, Northwestern, Cal, Vanderbilt, Creighton, Wake Forest and Bradley, schedule one or two of those. Then add some easier opponents or schedule 2-for-1 series with local teams like the one DePaul begins tonight against the UIC Flames.

"All of our revenue categories I have increased steadily over the last five years," Lenti Ponsetto said. "We have the potential to buy some games."

No one expects DePaul to have schedules like Syracuse or Connecticut. Away games are unavoidable given Allstate's availability, and the Demons already have four road contests - Vanderbilt, Cal, Northwestern and UIC, plus an exempt tournament in Las Vegas - for next season.

But finding a better balance in November and December will help DePaul when it matters - in March.

arittenberg@dailyherald.com