I realize it is the off season for everything, but is there any news from Chicago State? Reports, rumors, outright lies - we'll take anything that we can discuss.

May not be news per se, but the Cougars have some good things to take away from last season.

They currently have a 9 game home winning streak.
They were also 246 last season in SOS, which is better than well over 100 other programs.
And they were 7-5 versus quad 4 teams. That’s not stellar, but as a quad 4 team, at least they showed they can hold their own against similar teams, while playing mostly on the road.
Showed they can get in a rhythm and show some consistency, like when they went 7-2 in the Spring of last season.

Next year will be moderately successful if we get to double digit wins versus D1 teams (which would likely equate to 14-15 total wins), win games outside of quad 4, have a strong home record again, put up strong showings in high major games like we did last season ar Marquette (Net 12), Minnesota, and Stanford (Net 97), as well as Marshall (Net 83). Keep playing teams like that close on the road, and sometime they are going to get the W.

Also need to cut out the losses to really horrible teams. They had 2 last season. One at Bethune Cookman (Net 348) and Delaware State (Net 355). Can’t have those types of losses and have a good season. Too many games are against high level competition, so the Cougars cannot afford even one loss to a team like that. Wins in those games would have put Chicago at 9-3 versus quad 4.

Ideally, they’d also be able to win some close games, like the one point road loss at Murray State, and the one point OT road loss at UT Martin. Back to back no less. A little more experience might help propel a team to snag a win in games like those.

I’ve been following the Cougars since they joined the Mid Con.. This is the most excited I’ve been about an upcoming season since they brought a decent team into their first WAC season. Before that, after the 07-08 season with 11 wins, several key returners and ended with a 19-13 record. But honesty, the entire tenure of David Holston was a time of a lot of success and optimism.

It’s been 10 years since we’ve qualified for the post season. Nice to see things heading in a positive direction to end the drought.

Nice summary. Thanks.

Valpo gets a second crack in a row at the Cougars, but I’m afraid that, at home or not, they are most likely looking at another loss unless are massively improved.

This is return game from last years at CSU.

IUPUI’s schedule is out, and they are loaded up on D3 and NAIA schools, so no room for a loss to Chicago this year.

Northridge is a bad program. Net ranking of 333 last season, 5-25 overall, 10th of 11 in the Big West. Should be a win for the Cougars, especially playing at home. Northridge has lost 17 straight on the road.

Looking at the schedule so far with last years NET ranking in parentheses. For reference, Chicago State NET was 299 last season. There are just under 370 Division I teams.

11-6…. vs Bowling Green (284)
11-14… CAL ST NORTHRIDGE (333)
11-21... vs. Northern Colorado (Cancun Challenge) (235)
11-22... vs. Morgan State or Radford (Cancun Challenge) (292 Morgan/ 184 Radford)
11-28… at Loyola Chicago (269)
12-13... at Northwestern (41)
12-16... at Valpo (289)
12-20... BETHUNE COOKMAN (348)
12-22... at Wisconsin (80)
12-27… at Cal Baptist (169)
1-2… at Kansas State (24)
1-10… FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON (301)
1-14... UT-RIO GRANDE VALLEY (260)

All 4 home games should be wins. RGV was an improved team last season, but Chicago played them close and RGV lost some good people. Bethune-Cookman was one the really, really bad losses last season. Revenge, and playing at home should ensure a win. Northridge and Fairleigh Dickinson are both really bad.

On the road, the Bowling Green game is very early and they will have a first year coach. Definitely winnable.
In Cancun, Northern Colo and Morgan are winnable. Radford would be a big challenge
Loyola Chicago is an exciting prospect. It’s one I am looking forward to the most
Northwestern is not likely to be close
Valpo is winnable
Wisconsin is not likely to be close either
California Baptist could be a winnable game, but they are a solid program most years
Kansas State isn’t likely at all. Can’t even imagine it.

If these twins are playing and the Cougars are playing even as well as they did for much of last Spring, there are a good number of likely wins in the schedule already. Ball parking it, I’d say Chicago State has a chance at a win versus teams NET 200+. Maybe into the lower 100’s as well. And I’m trying to be realistic, assuming Chicago State will be improved like I’m thinking they will be, and not accounting for upsets when one team or other is playing unusually good or bad that night.

I’m hoping there aren’t a ton more pay games scheduled unless they are necessary for budget reasons. But games late in the season, or even when games are needed while schools are in conference play, those are OK because there isn’t much choice.

That is a schedule I can live with. A good mixture of should win, might win, and probably won't win. And those are just the D1 games. I am assuming there will be a good number of non-D1 that get thrown in at some point, since that is only about half of a schedule.