The men’s basketball team may be watching the NCAA Tournament from Charleston this year after a 15-16 season record, but five of those losses made it to the Big Dance.

After last year’s trip to Kansas City to face the University of Arizona, the Panthers’ schedule got much harder for the 2001-2002 season – beginning with the University of Illinois Nov. 19 at Assembly Hall.

The Fighting Illini downed the Panthers 93-53, and they’re still dancing. No. 4 seeded Illinois took home a share of the regular season Big Ten title before defeating San Diego State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Now the Fighting Illini are in the Sweet 16 after defeating Creighton Sunday.

Pennsylvania is the second opponent the Panthers faced this season that entered March Madness with a No. 11 seed in the south, losing to California. Eastern faced off with Penn Nov. 23 at the Las Vegas Invitational over the semester break, losing 77-60.

Then the Panthers traveled to Oklahoma where they lost 109-50, but that game gave Eastern the opportunity to face a team that eventually went on the be the No. 2 seed in the west. Oklahoma defeated Xavier this weekend to continue on in the Sweet 16 this week where they will face No. 3 seeded Arizona, who put the Panthers out of the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

Four days later, after losing to Oklahoma, Eastern traveled to Ohio State where the Panthers suffered another loss, 72-59. Ohio State became the fourth team on Eastern’s schedule to make it into the tournament, as the Buckeyes survived their first round scare with Davidson, before losing in the second round to No. 12 seed Missouri.

Finally, there is Ohio Valley Conference rival Murray State, who defeated Eastern at home, then again in the first round of the OVC Tournament before heading to the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers did defeat the Racers in their first meeting of the season in Murray. Eastern’s fellow OVC school gave No. 3 seeded Georgia a run, before falling 85-68.

While it may not have been fun to end the season under the .500 mark after being bounced from the first round of the conference tournament, Eastern did face some of the nation’s best basketball programs throughout the season.

Although the Panthers may not have gone dancing this season, facing this caliber of competition will only make for a better basketball program in years to come. Playing teams like Saint Joseph’s College and Augustana may boost a team’s confidence and record, but it doesn’t allow the opportunities on the court that playing a top-ranked team does.

Strength of schedule may prove to be beneficial if Eastern does make it to the NCAA Tournament in future years, as many mid-major teams had to sweat out the selection this year. Southern Illinois was one team fortunate to get in, but many others were not and were their tournament hopes were bounced.

The Panthers are certain to face top teams again next season, and maybe this time Eastern will join them in the Big Dance in March.