check out Tex Southern's schedule this and the past couple seasons and the results They play a murderous early schedule vs most power teams all on the road they lose but steadily improve so by conference time the SWAC teams look like high schoolers compared to what they have been up against and Tex Southern does very well
They have done this for a few years now They play teams from major conferences all at the better teams home court and they improve so by SWAC conference play they sure aren't intimidated by any of those teams. worked well last 2 seasons 2019-2020 they started 3-10 vs mostly very good teams then went 13-6 finished 16-16
2020-2021 even better they started 2-7 then went 14-1 won conf tourney made the ncaa tourney won the play in game then lost to mich in the next round Maybe more teams should try this