RPI

[1999.2004.2011]

If this holds, and UConn wins its share of games and is still left out, the program might want to reconsider its tough OOC schedules.

I know it sucks for fans. But one way to game the RPI is to win many games against those 150-200 level teams, and then do well in the conference.

Memphis used to do this regularly under Calipari. They never played anyone in the OOC.

Again, this is horrible for the fans, but if the NCAA tourney is now constructed in this way, it really doesn't pay to schedule 7 good or traditional programs in the OOC.

Conversely Gonzaga has always played a really tough OOC schedule to supplement the fact that the WCC won't provide very many quality in conference games, save St. Mary's and BYU, and the Zags are usually rewarded for doing so come Selection Sunday

 

[methodology]

I hate Bracket talk in January but here goes anyway.

Jerry Palm's updated bracket. UConn an 11 seed and in a group of the last four in. I thought he had them in his brackets last week as a 10 seed? Just win baby! Win and everything else takes care of itself.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...moves-up-to-a-no-1-seed-after-villanovas-loss

Connecticut: UConn is probably the team I get asked most about. The Huskies have been in and out of the rankings this season, but I haven't had them in a bracket before putting them in the First Four today. They have a couple of nice wins over Texas and Michigan, which are middle of the bracket level teams at the moment, but they have an unfortunate collection of losses. Four of the five teams that have beaten UConn are either not likely to be tournament teams or teams that the Huskies would be competing with for a spot in the field. They have losses to Gonzaga, which is also one of the last four teams in the bracket, Tulsa, which is in the field as the American Athletic Conference leader, and to Syracuse and Temple, which are out for now.

UConn fans point out that the team has been without C Amida Brimah for the last ten games. That's not really much of a factor. The Huskies beat Texas without Brimah, but also lost to Temple and Tulsa. They beat Michigan before he broke his finger, but also lost to Syracuse and Gonzaga. They are who they are. Brimah is expected back before too terribly long and if he's that big of a factor, they'll have the stretch run of the season to show it.

Talk about looking at the surface and not digging deeper. Texas also lost their star player/center so the loss of Brimah was negated in that win. The loss to Syracuse was on a quick turnaround after playing the late game the night before. UConn was at a disadvantage because of the scheduled game time in that game. Gonzaga was a loss but the 3rd day/game of a tournament, not exactly the same circumstances of a normal loss.

Tulsa and Temple losses were without Brimah and inexcusable nonetheless. Both teams have shown the ability to be decent teams but UConn still shouldn't have lost to them.

 

[80shusky]

We need to win our games that remain. I would guess we can only absorb 2 or 3 more losses and still dance. This assumes we are able to win at least 2 games in the AAC tourney and wind up 26-7 or 25-8 something like that.

 

[Hi-Low]

I can understand staying away from Maine or UMass-Lowell, but I'll never have a problem with scheduling the other Connecticut teams. As long as we don't do all of them in one year.

Yeah I generally agree...we just picked the wrong year to play CCSU...they are the worst team in CBB (rpi wise) by a wide margin....351 out of 351 Central Connecticut .3044 1-17....Throw in Sacred Heart, Maine & UM Lowell and it's amazing quadfecta of crap dragging us down.

Also, screw Jerry Palm saying we have "bad" loses....A bad loss is not Cuse, Zaga (both neutral), Tulsa (road). Temple at home, yes. I would say our good wins outweigh our bad loses by a wide margin. He has Michigan & TX comfortably in the tourney & us hanging on by a thread... a joke.

 

[upstater]

Or, you know, beat the Syracuses, Gonzagas, Temples, and Tulsas of the world...

Are we not talking about getting into the tournament? Because you can't beat them all every year. Some years you're going to be middling (like this year) but still deserving.

 

[Silk31]

Palm's brackets are off and he's not the barometer when it comes to projecting the field - I wouldn't get worked up over him not being a believer but there is no way that we are currently the last 4 in at this moment.

 

[tzznandrew]

Are we not talking about getting into the tournament? Because you can't beat them all every year. Some years you're going to be middling (like this year) but still deserving.

You're not deserving if you can't beat the Tulsas and Temples of the world consistently.

Right now they have 5 losses. They can afford a few more. But not many. And if they don't get in it won't be because they scheduled challenging teams OOC, ultimately, but because they couldn't beat the mediocre teams in conference.

 

[Leebo]

Palm's brackets are off and he's not the barometer when it comes to projecting the field - I wouldn't get worked up over him not being a believer but there is no way that we are currently the last 4 in at this moment.

The problem with these brackets is that they don't really try to project into the future, like the should, but they act as if anyone cares what the bracket would look like if the season ended today. If the season ended today, we would definitely be a bubble team, but we have a lot of movement left ahead of us.

 

[1999.2004.2011]

Yeah I generally agree...we just picked the wrong year to play CCSU...they are the worst team in CBB (rpi wise) by a wide margin....351 out of 351 Central Connecticut .3044 1-17....Throw in Sacred Heart, Maine & UM Lowell and it's amazing quadfecta of crap dragging us down.

Also, screw Jerry Palm saying we have "bad" loses....A bad loss is not Cuse, Zaga (both neutral), Tulsa (road). Temple at home, yes. I would say our good wins outweigh our bad loses by a wide margin. He has Michigan & TX comfortably in the tourney & us hanging on by a thread... a joke.

Lunardi > Palm

 

[August_West]

You're not deserving if you can't beat the Tulsas and Temples of the world consistently. Right now they have 5 losses. They can afford a few more. But not many. And if they don't get in it won't be because they scheduled challenging teams OOC, ultimately, but because they couldn't beat the mediocre teams in conference.

2 more is my over under. Over 2 and we start sweating . 2 or less and we are great

 

[tzznandrew]

2 more is my over under. Over 2 and we start sweating . 2 or less and we are great

They can lose @SMU, @Cincy, and maybe another road game (@Temple?) but that's it. If they go into the AAC tournament with 7 losses, they're probably a 6-8 seed. They go in with more they are bubbly, and the committee has not been kind to American bubble teams.

 

[HooperScooper]

Lunardi > Palm

Lunardi has UConn as a 9 seed as of today.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bracketology

As I said above, just win and everything takes care of itself.

 

[upstater]

You're not deserving if you can't beat the Tulsas and Temples of the world consistently.

Right now they have 5 losses. They can afford a few more. But not many. And if they don't get in it won't be because they scheduled challenging teams OOC, ultimately, but because they couldn't beat the mediocre teams in conference.

A lot of teams that will be in the tourney can't beat Tulsa and Temple consistently. And I'm talking about at large teams, not low major conference tourney winners.

Butler just lost to Creighton. Butler will be in. Their KenPom rating is below UConn's.

 

[August_West]

They can lose @SMU, @Cincy, and maybe another road game (@Temple?) but that's it. If they go into the AAC tournament with 7 losses, they're probably a 6-8 seed. They go in with more they are bubbly, and the committee has not been kind to American bubble teams.

exactly my point, you typing that 3rd loss (@temple?) made you shake a little bit, no? There is a good chance wed be alright anyway in your scenario, but it would not be without some schpilkes

 

[Stainmaster]

exactly my point, you typing that 3rd loss (@temple?) made you shake a little bit, no? There is a good chance wed be alright anyway in your scenario, but it would not be without some schpilkes

The Yiddish gets you a like. Very well-placed.

 

[August_West]

The Yiddish gets you a like. Very well-placed.

There is no true english equivalent that conveys the true sense of that feeling.. Its a perfect word.

 

[tzznandrew]

A lot of teams that will be in the tourney can't beat Tulsa and Temple consistently. And I'm talking about at large teams, not low major conference tourney winners.

Butler just lost to Creighton. Butler will be in. Their KenPom rating is below UConn's.

I'm not convinced Butler is in. A neutral win against Purdue is all they have for Top 50 wins and a middling RPI. It's better than ours, but I think our resume is likely better than theirs (more Top 50 wins, better NCSOS, etc.).

 

[4in16]

I'm not convinced Butler is in. A neutral win against Purdue is all they have for Top 50 wins and a middling RPI. It's better than ours, but I think our resume is likely better than theirs (more Top 50 wins, better NCSOS, etc.).

Also they're 2-5 in conference as of now, obviously can improve but as of right now not good 9-9 in the NBE is not good enough.

 

[upstater]

Also they're 2-5 in conference as of now, obviously can improve but as of right now not good 9-9 in the NBE is not good enough.

It's funny though. Rothstein at CBS is still ranking them, and they get AP votes.

 

[Corny2Amida]

In my opinion, the new big East is vastly over rated... 3 teams in the top 10? I would love to be the 7 or 10 seed with Nova or Xavier as a 2 (or a 6 or 11 swe'd with Providence as a 3).

 

[Jerry1714]

I'm not convinced Butler is in. A neutral win against Purdue is all they have for Top 50 wins and a middling RPI. It's better than ours, but I think our resume is likely better than theirs (more Top 50 wins, better NCSOS, etc.).

I agree, Butler is going to have to do a lot more to get in at the end of the day. Lunardi has them 2 spots away from the last 4 in and a play in game. 1-5 vs the Top 50 and 3 top 100 wins isn't good.

No idea how people are still ranking them.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

UConn needs to just win. There are a lot of easy wins left on the schedule. If they aren't easy, UConn should not be going to the dance.

 

[4in16]

UConn's RPI is now is 58 and kenpom's 30, 2-1 vs top 50 and 4-5 vs top 100. Worst loss remains Temple at 72 and Texas at 19 is best.
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rpi/_/groupId/62/teamId/41

 

[champs99and04]

Also they're 2-5 in conference as of now, obviously can improve but as of right now not good 9-9 in the NBE is not good enough.

Butler also won @ Cincinnati. If they go 9-9 in the Big East, they'll be in.

 

[willie99]

Games against low-majors shouldn't even count in the RPI unless they are bonafide winners over good competition, or conference regular seasons champs--unless you lose of course. I see no reason why a win over Austin Peay or Coppin St. should be considered a better win than over New Hampshire. Makes no sense.

the argument I've been making for years

why should a win over a 150 team be so much better than a win over a 250 team