On March 19, the Twelfth-seeded Excessive Level Panthers upset the Wisconsin Badgers 83-82 in top-of-the-line video games of this 12 months’s NCAA Match.
Actually seconds after it ended, HPU coach Flynn Clayman did this on nationwide tv.
Clayman’s sweaty honesty supplied a uncommon, genuine postgame TV second — and due to this fact instantly went viral. (It additionally impressed Charles Barkley, a lot in order that Clayman and the Chuckster frolicked at a cigar lounge on the Remaining 4.) The win was validation for a Excessive Level program that had simply notched its 87th victory in three seasons, making it one of many winningest faculties within the sport over that span.
Clayman then introduced his blunt power to a lesser-viewed setting: the postgame press convention. In his opening assertion, he hammered house that official level concerning the lack of nonconference alternatives for many high-end mid-majors.
“It is fairly apparent to me that one thing must be accomplished about this nonconference scheduling,” Clayman mentioned. “Excessive Level and Miami Ohio are 2-0 in Quad 1 video games. We could not get video games, they could not get video games, Akron could not get video games, UNCW could not get video games, Belmont could not get video games. We received 22 of our final 23 video games and we did not transfer up one spot within the metrics. Not one. … We have received 25 video games by double-digits. That crew proper there (Wisconsin) is a incredible crew that beat 5 top-10 groups. If we are able to get video games like this on impartial courts and a few house video games, I believe we might know whose actually the very best groups.”
The primary-year Excessive Level coach was feeling himself, and rightly so. The Wisconsin matchup was solely the third time in three years that Excessive Level had a possibility to face a high-major opponent — with two of these three tilts being necessary by the use of NCAA Match inclusion. The lone instance of a power-conference faculty opting into enjoying Excessive Level up to now three years was Georgia in 2023.
Clayman’s hope was that, by pulling a significant upset, he might use his newfound pulpit to have an effect on some change for the 2026-27 season and past.
That hope has turn into a actuality. The Panthers’ high-profile match win mixed with their coach’s extensively seen stump speeches have led to one of many stronger mid-major nonconference schedules of the previous decade-plus.
In an unique to CBS Sports activities, Clayman revealed Excessive Level’s greatest video games for the 2026-27 non-league slate. The massive get? That coveted slot in opposition to a high-major opponent. LSU will likely be that crew; Will Wade signed the contract this week to host the Panthers on Dec. 18, each coaches instructed CBS Sports activities.
Why did Wade say sure?
“It is fairly easy: It is a good sport,” Wade mentioned. “They will be a Quad 2 sport, almost definitely. It will be a really powerful sport for us to win, however these are the kinds of video games it’s worthwhile to schedule within the nonconference. We have at all times tried to do that, whether or not it is Excessive Level or Liberty or another person. We have performed Ohio, Belmont in these sort of video games. I am glad the dates labored and we might make it occur.”
The dates labored as a result of Excessive Level’s president and athletic director each permitted Clayman to shift off one other sport that was beforehand agreed to on that date. When a power-conference scheduling alternative arises, you do not hesitate to do all the pieces to make it occur.
“Now we have nice synergy with our president and athletic director right down to myself,” Clayman mentioned. “On this period of school athletics, you want that to get issues accomplished. We needed to transfer stuff round to make this LSU sport work. Not each administration is doing it. It is a crew effort and I really feel actually grateful to be right here. I do know there is a ton of coaches on the market that do not get alternatives like this.”
Whereas LSU is the headliner, Clayman has parlayed Excessive Level’s rise over the previous three seasons into one thing much more vital: a stacked non-league slate for a Large South program. And there is a mid-major matchup with widespread attraction that may quickly, hopefully, be formally agreed to.
Miami College.
Clayman and Miami coach Travis Steele instructed CBS Sports activities that they are in settlement to play subsequent season, however the logistics of when and the place nonetheless should be hashed out within the weeks forward. As for the RedHawks, Steele hasn’t been as profitable as Clayman in scheduling up to now, which is unlucky after that once-in-a-lifetime 32-2 season. However he is nonetheless reaching out to most power-conference packages. (A complicating issue: The MAC’s absurd choice to go to 22 convention video games subsequent season, limiting Miami’s scheduling functionality with solely 10 non-con video games.)
As for Excessive Level, here is who’s on the schedule thus far:
Each faculty listed excluding Miami has accomplished the paperwork. Liberty is without doubt one of the winningest mid-majors of the 2020s. Washington State is now within the Pac-12, which will likely be a multi-bid league. Saint Louis, like Excessive Level, is coming off an NCAA Match look and will likely be favored to win the A-10 once more — if not be a High 25 crew in some unspecified time in the future subsequent season. George Mason, additionally within the Atlantic 10, has averaged 22.5 wins per season the previous 4 years.
Excessive Level can even have two extra non-league video games (one house, one on the street) within the Large South/SoCon Problem, which is able to nearly actually be in opposition to Furman (22-13, SoCon tourney champs) and East Tennessee State (23-11, SoCon common season champs) on Nov. 18 and 21.
It is a coup for Clayman. David Riley, the coach at Wazzu, was the primary to work with Excessive Level on a sport. After which talks with LSU began not lengthy after Wade went again to Baton Rouge.
“Will Wade was fairly fast,” Clayman mentioned. “Now we have a mutual good friend and he knew we have been looking for video games. We reached out to nearly each high-major. We did get a number of extra responses this 12 months.”
The Panthers will convey again 4 key gamers from final season’s 31-5 crew: ahead Braden Hausen, level guard Conrad Martinez, ahead Cam’Ron Fletcher and large man Caden Miller again. The Panthers, having constructed a roster value greater than $5 million, additionally introduced in level guard CJ Brown from South Florida and Jason Rivera-Torres from Monmouth. The 2 have been recruited by some groups on the power-conference stage and put up massive numbers at their earlier faculties.
I requested Clayman if he thought the virality of his postgame interview performed an element within the scheduling success over the previous month.
“I most likely do not assume it occurs this rapidly, no,” he mentioned. “I do assume, from a metrics standpoint, individuals assume we could be a top-75 NET crew. And so it was on us to be in that prime 75, as a result of we have been in that 80 vary and that is the place you do not wish to be. That is the worst place to be, in that mid-major 80-110 vary. You’ve got gotta be top-75.”
It is unlucky that Clayman is basically proper. Most high-major coaches are dodging these mid-major groups which might be probably simply ok to offer them a scare in November and December, the kinds of groups that may very well be 13- or 14-seeds come March. However with the 76-team period now upon us, that mode of pondering must be tossed out the window. (Much more so when you think about that Wins Above Bubble and Power of Document are key résumé metrics that are not affected by effectivity rankings.)
There’s clearly a pecking order in relation to nonconference scheduling. The most essential video games are those between projected High 25 groups. Ideally you get these on campus. After that, the neutral-site occasions involving the largest packages is significant to school basketball’s place on the sports activities calendar in November and December. However there may be room, and dare I say a necessity, for the 15-or-so strongest mid-major groups to get their probabilities, at the very least only one, in opposition to power-conference competitors earlier than Christmas.
It is on the coronary heart of why Clayman mentioned what he mentioned following the Wisconsin win.
“Firstly, I’m a school basketball fan like everybody else,” Clayman mentioned. “It is why I turned a coach, and I believe we are able to agree faculty basketball is particular. It is totally different than different sports activities. Groups which have entry and probabilities to win in opposition to the massive boys is what makes us particular. Loyola Chicago, George Mason, Saint Peter’s. The alternatives and the entry to compete is one thing we have now to guard for the great of the sport.”
It is easy to speak about it in the course of March after a mid-major upsets a power-conference crew. Everybody feels the impression there. However now, in the course of spring, is when extra coaches have to be about it. The faculties are on the market, hoping greater than searching. That is when the schedules get constructed, when the résumés take root. Miami College, McNeese, Murray State, Belmont, Stephen F. Austin, UC Santa Barbara and lots of extra are simply on the lookout for one big-boy faculty to say sure.
The story is not a brand new one, however that does not imply it must be ignored. It has been the curse of the Actually Good Mid-Main for a few generations at this level. Possibly Excessive Level’s schedule will be the factor that adjustments the dynamic from exception to instance. Flynn Clayman challenged the trade and induced change. Possibly, this time, the message can have long-lasting impression.