They lost twice this week at home to Iowa St and at TT. They've lost 4 in a row. They will not be ranked (they were actually lucky to remain in the teens this week).Gotta wonder if OK State drops out now too. That would hopefully save us a spot in the top 25.
Impressive at the top.Very impressive inaugural season for the AAC. I'm hoping that the success of SMU causes Houston to fire their coach and open up the wallet for a new coach. If Houston and Temple can rediscover themselves this basketball league will be very good. Both Florida schools also have potential.
BE was pretty bad at the bottom too, with USF, DePaul, RU, Johnnies, PC etcImpressive at the top.
Horrendous at the bottom. And that's really what needs to get cleaned up. The Big East (before expansion) had years where they got 3 or 4 out of 14, but it was still not a terrible league because there were only a few really awful teams. Right now (and going into next year) we're looking at having 6 sub-150 schools in an 11-team conference. If Temple recovers. Even if the top 4 teams (UConn-Cincy-SMU-Memphis) are better next year than this, they'll be perpetually under-seeded because of the low RPI they'll have.
Impressive at the top.
Horrendous at the bottom. And that's really what needs to get cleaned up. The Big East (before expansion) had years where they got 3 or 4 out of 14, but it was still not a terrible league because there were only a few really awful teams. Right now (and going into next year) we're looking at having 6 sub-150 schools in an 11-team conference. If Temple recovers. Even if the top 4 teams (UConn-Cincy-SMU-Memphis) are better next year than this, they'll be perpetually under-seeded because of the low RPI they'll have.
I thought the same thing going into last night, but with Oklahoma St. losing for the 2nd this week, I think a win today and we stay in. I see 3 teams dropping out.Unfortunately, SMU beating Cinci actually hurts our chances to be ranked. It makes the loss look a little worse as Cinci will drop several spots to maybe 12-14. And it moves SMU into the top 25 leaving one less spot and we should fall to 24 in the best case scenario. Fortunately, there are other teams in 20-25 area that had worse losses than we did. Assuming we show well tomorrow, we could be 24 or 25, but more likely back to 26 or 27.
It's a double edge sword. It is great for the league that we have 5 teams going to the tournament, and potentially 5 teams ranked. That may help for seeding when the committee looks at the league. But yes it does hurt UConn's chances of going by them.I'm not sure why most people are excited about SMU's win over Cinci. Its going to be tougher for UConn to get in front of them in the standings. 5th place in the AAC isn't very impressive.
I'm not sure why most people are excited about SMU's win over Cinci. Its going to be tougher for UConn to get in front of them in the standings. 5th place in the AAC isn't very impressive.
...I think rankings do matter though.Oklahoma lost to an unranked team. Uconn lost to the no. 7 team in the country.#19-25 loses this week through yesterday...Uconn, Ok St(2), Ok, Gonzaga...Ok St definetly out of rankings.
Ohio St, SMU should be ranked now...if Wisconsin beats Mich St today they should be as well. That would leave 1 spot for UConn (if win), Ok and Gonzaga. Ok might stay in over Uconn (more pts last week and Big 12). So if Wisconsin & UConn win I think we might be #26...close call with Ok, Gonzaga #27.
And I know it doesn't really matter...so you don't need to tell me...I think rankings do matter though.
Close call with Oklahoma....they had a 100+ pt lead on us last week, play in #1 ranked conf & @ WV not horrible loss...we'll see. If UConn blows out UCF we might get the edge. SMU blowing out Cincy doesn't help. If Wisc loses won't be an issue.Oklahoma lost to an unranked team. Uconn lost to the no. 7 team in the country.
Not on this level. Those teams had bad records, but not necessarily bad metrics. They lost to good teams, and usually beat bad teams. A quick analysis.BE was pretty bad at the bottom too, with USF, DePaul, RU, Johnnies, PC etc
Impressive at the top.
Horrendous at the bottom. And that's really what needs to get cleaned up. The Big East (before expansion) had years where they got 3 or 4 out of 14, but it was still not a terrible league because there were only a few really awful teams. Right now (and going into next year) we're looking at having 6 sub-150 schools in an 11-team conference. If Temple recovers. Even if the top 4 teams (UConn-Cincy-SMU-Memphis) are better next year than this, they'll be perpetually under-seeded because of the low RPI they'll have.
Not on this level. Those teams had bad records, but not necessarily bad metrics. They lost to good teams, and usually beat bad teams. A quick analysis.
So, I picked a low year with the old, 14 school setup, a low year with the newer 16 school setup, and the second-best year ever for the conference (2008-09 was insane at the top: 4 top 10 schools, 7 top 20). I used KenPom ratings because they are good indicators of a team's offensive and defensive ability...and they go back to 2003, which was a low point for the 14 team Big East, as they only got in 4 of 14 schools. Anyway, here are the KenPom rankings:
2003 – 4 Bids: KenPom rankings
Pitt - 1
Syracuse - 5
Connecticut - 18
Notre Dame - 20
Georgetown - 31
Providence - 39
Boston College - 38
Seton Hall - 46
Villanova - 60
St. John’s - 69
Miami - 95
Rutgers - 96
West Virginia - 104
Virginia Tech - 115
Top 10: 2 (14%)
Top 25: 4 (28%)
Top 50: 8 (57%)
Top 100: 12 (86%)
Sub-150: 0 (0%)
2008 – 8 bids: Kenpom rankings
Louisville - 6
Georgetown - 8
Marquette - 14
West Virginia - 22
Pitt - 24
Notre Dame - 25
Connecticut - 26
Villanova - 42
Syracuse - 48
Providence - 88
Cincinnati -92
Seton Hall - 105
DePaul - 115
USF - 125
St. John’s - 148
Rutgers - 174
Top 10: 2 (12.5%)
Top 25: 6 (37.5%)
Top 50: 9 (56%)
Top 100: 11 (69%)
Sub-150: 1 (6%)
2011 – 11 bids: Kenpom rankings
Pitt - 3
Connecticut - 9
Notre Dame - 11
Louisville - 12
Syracuse - 15
West Virginia - 18
Cincinnati -21
Marquette - 30
Villanova - 34
Georgetown - 36
St. John’s - 37
Seton Hall - 52
Rutgers - 76
Providence - 95
USF - 136
DePaul - 195
Top 10: 2 (12.5%)
Top 25: 7 (44%)
Top 50: 11 (69%)
Top 100: 14 (87.5%)
Sub-150: 1 (6%)
2014 – Kenpom rankings
Louisville - 8
SMU - 22
Cincinnati - 24
Connecticut - 29
Memphis - 30
Temple - 162
Houston - 170
Rutgers - 176
UCF - 178
USF - 181
Top 10: 1 (10%)
Top 25: 3 (30%)
Top 50: 5 (50%)
Top 100: 5 (50%)
Sub-150: 5 (50%)
We see relative stability at the Top 50…but a huge drop off in percentage of Top 100 teams, and that’s replaced with a huge increase in sub-150 schools. DePaul, Seton Hall, Rutgers…they were bad, but they were bad in conference. They weren’t terrible OOC in the way the replacements have been.
This is what needs to change. But, hopefully, by the time it does we’ll be gone.
Wow I forgot how good the 2011 Big East was. It had 12 teams in the top 52!Not on this level. Those teams had bad records, but not necessarily bad metrics. They lost to good teams, and usually beat bad teams. A quick analysis.
So, I picked a low year with the old, 14 school setup, a low year with the newer 16 school setup, and the second-best year ever for the conference (2008-09 was insane at the top: 4 top 10 schools, 7 top 20). I used KenPom ratings because they are good indicators of a team's offensive and defensive ability...and they go back to 2003, which was a low point for the 14 team Big East, as they only got in 4 of 14 schools. Anyway, here are the KenPom rankings:
2003 – 4 Bids: KenPom rankings
Pitt - 1
Syracuse - 5
Connecticut - 18
Notre Dame - 20
Georgetown - 31
Providence - 39
Boston College - 38
Seton Hall - 46
Villanova - 60
St. John’s - 69
Miami - 95
Rutgers - 96
West Virginia - 104
Virginia Tech - 115
Top 10: 2 (14%)
Top 25: 4 (28%)
Top 50: 8 (57%)
Top 100: 12 (86%)
Sub-150: 0 (0%)
2008 – 8 bids: Kenpom rankings
Louisville - 6
Georgetown - 8
Marquette - 14
West Virginia - 22
Pitt - 24
Notre Dame - 25
Connecticut - 26
Villanova - 42
Syracuse - 48
Providence - 88
Cincinnati -92
Seton Hall - 105
DePaul - 115
USF - 125
St. John’s - 148
Rutgers - 174
Top 10: 2 (12.5%)
Top 25: 6 (37.5%)
Top 50: 9 (56%)
Top 100: 11 (69%)
Sub-150: 1 (6%)
2011 – 11 bids: Kenpom rankings
Pitt - 3
Connecticut - 9
Notre Dame - 11
Louisville - 12
Syracuse - 15
West Virginia - 18
Cincinnati -21
Marquette - 30
Villanova - 34
Georgetown - 36
St. John’s - 37
Seton Hall - 52
Rutgers - 76
Providence - 95
USF - 136
DePaul - 195
Top 10: 2 (12.5%)
Top 25: 7 (44%)
Top 50: 11 (69%)
Top 100: 14 (87.5%)
Sub-150: 1 (6%)
2014 – Kenpom rankings
Louisville - 8
SMU - 22
Cincinnati - 24
Connecticut - 29
Memphis - 30
Temple - 162
Houston - 170
Rutgers - 176
UCF - 178
USF - 181
Top 10: 1 (10%)
Top 25: 3 (30%)
Top 50: 5 (50%)
Top 100: 5 (50%)
Sub-150: 5 (50%)
We see relative stability at the Top 50…but a huge drop off in percentage of Top 100 teams, and that’s replaced with a huge increase in sub-150 schools. DePaul, Seton Hall, Rutgers…they were bad, but they were bad in conference. They weren’t terrible OOC in the way the replacements have been.
This is what needs to change. But, hopefully, by the time it does we’ll be gone.
It's going to matter for seeding. And it's going to matter for bubble teams. Right now, there don't seem to be any. Cincy-Louisville-SMU-UConn-Memphis are all in. But a slip-up or two more against those bottom teams will prove killer to seeding. If UConn team had only 4 losses--Stanford, Louisville, Cincy, SMU--they're seeding would be at least one line up.A deep league might be overrated. Right now the AAC has 5 in the tournament, the Big East has 2 in and 2 on the bubble. Which is
better?
A league where everyone beats each other up could end up being a beat up league. I do think the AAC will develop depth over time.